The 11th edition of the Royal Enfield Rider Mania has just concluded. The three-day event was held at Vagator, Goa, between November 22-24, 2019, and it saw in attendance a number of motorcycles, events, and activities. One of the highlights was the unveiling of a new flat-tracking experience called the Slide School, where riders will be coached on riding a flat-track atop purpose-built Himalayans, dubbed the FT 411. The first edition of the Slide School will take place in January 2020, at Big Rock Dirt Park in Bengaluru, with Royal Enfield planning to take it to more cities in the following months.
The prepped Himalayans have been developed in partnership with S&S Cycles USA, and Royal Enfield has said that minimal modifications were required to get the bike flat-track ready. No part of the frame was cut, but the bike loses out on the front brake, headlight assembly, speedometer, airbox, front fender, the stock seat and its surrounding body panels. In its place, a lightweight fibre bodywork has been used. The FT 411 also gets a custom bend pipe that leads to a high-rise exhaust, 18-inch wheels with purpose-designed tyres and a change in sprocketing.
The rest of the mechanicals, meanwhile, remain unchanged. Follow this space for more info on when the Slide School will be heading to a city near you.
Azaman Chothia
