Ahead of its November 4 debut, the Royal Enfield electric bike (rumoured to be christened the Flying Flea) has been spotted being ridden around in Europe. While there are a lot of interesting details visible about the bike, this particular unit still appears to be close to production-ready.
- Same LED headlight as ICE Royal Enfield bikes
- Swathes of aluminium all across the bike
- Tyres appear quite skinny, hinting that it won’t be very powerful
Royal Enfield electric bike: what can be seen?
Where most of today’s electric bikes have an angular, sharp and futuristic design, Royal Enfield has stuck to its roots, and its EV has a neo-retro aesthetic. The girder fork is an anomaly in today’s two-wheeler market, which is dominated by telescopic units (both RSU and USD units). This choice of front suspension should lend the Royal Enfield electric bike some uniqueness of its own, not just in terms of design but also in riding experience.
The front suspension and most of the metal visible on the RE electric bike appear to be aluminium. This extensive use of aluminium will bring weight benefits, but it certainly points to the fact that this particular Royal Enfield won’t be a very budget-conscious product. While the battery and motor details are still shrouded in mystery, it does share some basic parts with the petrol-powered Royal Enfield bikes.
These include the same round LED headlight, indicators, chrome mirrors and brake levers, which will be adjustable. A fluid reservoir visible on the left-hand side of the handlebar indicates that the rear brake will be hand-operated like a scooter, and there are likely to be no foot controls for braking. While this particular test bike doesn’t have a pillion seat, we can discern passenger footpegs, and the design patent for this bike also showed a saree guard, which means that the bike will have some accommodations for ferrying a passenger around.
Tyres on the Royal Enfield electric bike also appear to be quite skinny, indicating that this won’t be a very powerful machine and will be rather geared toward urban riding. While it’s likely not to be geared toward outright power, as is the case with EVs, the abundant torque should make it pretty zippy.
The official reveal of the Royal Enfield electric bike is not too far away now, so stay plugged in for the latest developments on this front.
Also See: Royal Enfield electric bike debut on November 4, could be called Flying Flea
Azaman Chothia
Vishal Venugopal
