Spy pictures of Royal Enfield’s upcoming 750cc motorcycle seem to be hitting the internet almost every month. Now a new photograph has emerged that now points that there will be multiple models based on the company’s 750cc parallel-twin cylinder engine which has been in development.
This photo reveals two distinct bikes – a café racer (à la the Continental GT) seen earlier and what appears to be a ‘standard’ motorcycle built around the same chassis (a modified version of the Continental GT 535) and the same 750cc engine.
The clear differentiating factors between the café racer 750 and standard 750 are the fuel tank and the seat. The latter’s tank is more rounded like that of RE’s Classic series of bikes, albeit with knee recesses. And while the café racer gets a sculpted single seat, the standard bike has a regular bench seat – similar to the option offered on the current Continental GT 535 – which can accommodate a pillion rider as well.
Closer inspection of the picture also reveals a more upright, regular handlebar on the standard bike instead of clip-ons like on the café racer. The foot pegs are different too, with the standard model sporting extensions to the mounting brackets for a more forward-set, lower foot position. These alterations are clearly made to accommodate a less aggressive and more comfort-oriented riding posture. The standard 750 doesn't have the café racer’s heel plates behind the foot pegs either. And to round things off, the rear-view mirrors on the standard bike seem to be a bit taller to work better with the more upright riding position.
Unlike the previous set of spy pictures, the café racer 750 seen here looks like it's running Pirelli Sport Demon tyres at both ends. It's a little difficult to see, but it appears that the standard bike is shod with Pirelli Phantom Sportscomp rubber (which Triumph has had great success with on its new Street Twin and Bonneville T120).
Other than that, there seem to be no other mechanical changes in the two bikes. Both look like they’re powered by the same air-and-oil-cooled parallel twin motor, and they seem to run the same suspension and brake specs as well.
Royal Enfield has been hush-hush about revealing details about these bikes, but we have heard from sources close to the company that this new motor might not actually have a cubic capacity of 750cc, but might breach into the 800cc-plus range where it will directly compete against the Triumph Bonneville Street Twin. We expect to see these new parallel-twin bikes to make their international debut at the EICMA show in Milan this November, with an India launch slated for early 2018.
Azaman Chothia
Vishal Venugopal
