Royal Enfield CONTINENTAL GT: UK LAUNCH

JULY | AUGUST | SEPTEMBER 2013

< www.royalenfield.com >

Royal Enfield CONTINENTAL GT: UK LAUNCH

RIDE OF VALOUR

12 GETAWAYS

REUNION SOUTH 2013

G U E S T E D I T O R

Continental GT -The Café Racer

if we were to make a café racer, it had

to be the next evolution in our brand

philosophy of ‘pure motorcycling’. We

set out to make a machine that was

a true homage to the golden days of

motorcycling; a time when you had to

push the bike hard to get more from

it; it was a companion who grew along

with your own motorcycling abilities and

was a platform to work upon/ soup up/

modify to get it to your liking.

If you dropped the bike, you just

picked it up and got going again – the

scars were easy to fix, and added to

the personality of the bike. It wasn’t

crazily expensive to own, repair and

ride; it was just the best way of getting

around. Period. We believe today

leisure motorcycles have gotten big,

heavy and electronic; black boxes that

need a super technician to work upon

can’t remember

where the idea

of the café racer

originated at

Royal Enfield,

perhaps because it didn’t happen like

a great inspirational spark from one

individual. It was a constant agenda

from our hard-core biker journo set;

every time we met – they’d coax us to

make one.

I guess there’s a perfect time

and place for everything, and our

time for the café racer was 2010,

when we had some elbow-room to

try something very different. It was

always possible to just slap on a nice

tank, sporty handlebars and a few

other accessories and make our bike

look like a café racer. But being dead

against that approach, we knew that

Ithem. These big bikes are super-

fast and super-expensive and are

extremely demanding; kind of like a

high-maintenance trophy wife (are

there any other kind?!). We took the

challenge to make our café racer the

most fun that you can have on two

wheels without the accompanying

baggage, and put as few restrictions

on ourselves as possible in order to

capture the spirit of the idea.

We did not develop the engine

from scratch, however we weren’t

going to leave it as was either. Taking

the UCE platform as a base, we bumped

the cubic capacity, reduced inertial

weight, and re-mapped the ECU with a

result that we got just that extra power

in a more responsive manner. The bike

needed to be light, responsive, with

great handling abilities and fun to ride.

G U E S T E D I T O R

The main performance development

for this café racer was going to be the

chassis/ frame, and there was only one

person in the world who we felt could do

this in the right spirit – Steve Harris of

Harris Performance. The process was a

labour of love – it took us the better part of

two years to meet the objectives that we had

set out to. Eventually, after many concepts,

as well as thousands of hours on tracks and

roads, we were able to arrive at a happy

equilibrium that met all of our main criteria.

RoyalEnfield’stwindown-tube

‘featherbed’cradleframewithtopofthe

line ride and handling abilities was born!

The general silhouette of the bike was

always a given – that it must draw from the

café racers of the 1960s, and in particular

fromtheworld’sfirstfactoryproducedcafé

racer–the1965RoyalEnfieldContinental

GT–yetberelevantintoday’scontext.

Ourin-housedesignteamworkedclosely

with our UK design partners, Xenophya,

to come up with the goods. We made many

changes to improve the ergonomics, to

meet repeatable production techniques,

but most importantly, to look outstanding

as a complete motorcycle. This is such

a subjective area, that I was just a tad

nervous about the reaction of the scores of

international motorcycle journalists who

had come from all around the world to

experiencethisbikeforitslaunchinLondon

in September this year!

The one statement that I heard from a

few people was, ‘If it looks so right, then it

mustberight’,andthatwasmusictomy

ears! The meticulous details of the bike were

alsowellappreciated–fromthecross-

hatched foot pegs to the sophistication of

the instrument cluster, from the beautiful

yetextremelyfunctionaltinyafter-market

bar-endmirrorstothecontraststitching

on the seat, and from the alloy wheel rims

andwellfinishedweldingjointstothejust

rightergonomicsofthebump-stopseatand

.............................................................

inside02 Keep Riding

12 Getaways

06 Marquee Ride • Royal Enfield Bullet 500: The Ride of Valour • Royal Enfield REunion South 2013

10 News • UK Launch : Continental GT • New Dealerhips

20 Club Profile • Wolfe Pack

23 Showcase • Royal Enfield Gear

...............................................................

...............................................................

...............................................................

...............................................................

Editorial Team: Praveen P Sathaye, Abhijit Brar, Shaji Koshy, Anumeha Saxena, Trinaa Prasad, Swati Mitra

Published by: Royal Enfield, A Unit of Eicher Motors Limited Gurgaon

Do send us your feedback at [email protected]

...............................................................

clip-onhandlebars.Allmediareviewscanbe

accessedhere:http://royalenfield.com/re-

world/news/

I have had a couple of great runs on the

ContinentalGT;thefirstofwhichwasaride

fromGoatoMangaloreviaGokarna.Here’s

where I discovered the great handling ability

of the bike and also its ability to turn heads.

I just rode naturally and the bike responded

tomeexactlyasI’dimagineditwould.

During my stops, I pulled out my trusty

phone and took a few photos, and NDTV

published it as a photo blog a few days later.

Here’sthelinkincaseyou’reinterested:

http://goo.gl/0qMlG.

The other great ride was at the global

launchoftheContinentalGTitself–riding

fromthehistoricAceCafétoBrighton.Once

we reached the open stretches – I just tucked

in, got my head down, got a slingshot off

another rider and charged down a slope –

tryingtohitatonandgetthefirstspeeding

ticketonamodernContinentalGT(thefirst

parkingticketisadubioushonourthatI’ve

already racked up). Neither did I hit a ton,

nordidIgetaspeedingticket(despiteall

the advertisements of speed cameras on

themotorway!).ButIhadablastridingto

Brighton,andthebeerafterwardsatthePier

had never tasted so satisfying.

We had entered this business of making

motorcyclesasrankoutsiderswithadream;

and after decades of working towards that

ideal–wearefinallystartingtomakea

mark in the world of motorcycling. With

these successes, we are convinced that we

need to continue down this path of making

motorcycles that give us immense pleasure –

and that by doing so, we believe we can give

something back to the world of motorcycling

– unadulterated fun!

Ride Safe!

Siddhartha LalCEO & MD Eicher Motors Limited

.........................................................


K E E P R I D I N G

..............................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Gandhidham to Ladakh1

..............................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Independence Day Ride: Indore3

..............................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Getaways

ThisambitiousridefromAdipurtoPali-Delhi-Shimla-Jalori-Rohtang-Leh-Jammu-

Ambala-Jaipur-Abuandback,tookplacefrom1stto17thJuly.Elevenridersfrom

theDesertRider’sClubstartedfromAdipurandaftercrossingDelhimovedinto

thehillsviathefamedJaloriPass.RidingfromChandigarhtoShimlaintheslightly

misty weather was a treat. Reaching Shimla in the afternoon gave us half a day to

explorethefamousMallRoadandtheinfamousScandalPoint.Theoriginalroutewas

planned through Reckong Peo but due to heavy rains the riders had to ride through

JaloriPass.Thebikerswentthroughpasses,roads,brokenroadsandnoroadsatall,

beforereachingTandi,thelastfillingstationforthenext365kms.Havingentered

Ladakh,andaftercoveringanother3,000kmstheriderswerehomesafely.

< To join more such rides from Gandhidham please get in touch with Bhavesh Patel at [email protected] >

The following rides were organised by Royal Enfield across the country under the ‘Keep Riding’ initiative, to encourage enthusiasts to ride out on their motorcycles

12

OnIndependenceDay,morethan80ridersassembledatRRAutomotives,Indore,and

it was a proud moment for everyone who had joined in to celebrate the day by riding

theirbelovedRoyalEnfieldmotorcycles.Aftertheinitialbriefingabouttheannual

IndependenceDayRidetoJaam-Gate,orthegatewayof‘Malwa’,thebikerslinedup

aftergearingupthemselvestostarttheride.BeginningallthewaytoJaam-Gatevia

Mhow,ABHighway,theroutesettheperfectmoodforthefeelingoffreedomwithlush

greenery, dense forest and ghat areas and crossing over some beautiful water bodies

and little seasonal falls. The ride ended with the bikers enjoying the local food, like the

delicious dal-bafla-laddu. < To join more such rides from Indore please get in touch with Ashish Mishra at [email protected] >

On15thAugust,2013,alargegroupofridersassembledinfrontoftheRoyalEnfield

BrandStoreinBandra,MumbaitocelebrateIndia’sIndependenceDaywitha

commemorativeridearoundtown.TheridestartedfromBandraandmovedtowards

South Mumbai, as a crowd of onlookers gaped in amazement at the shiny thumping

machines.Ridingsystematicallyinalongconvoyforabout75kms,andexhibitingthe

utmost discipline, the riders created an impressive spectacle.

< To join more such rides from Mumbai, please get in touch with Harshil Desai at [email protected] >

Independence Day Ride: Mumbai2

3 JULY | AUGUST | SEPTEMBER 2013

Earlyinthemorningof15thAugust,RoyalEnfieldridersandenthusiastsgathered

attheRoyalEnfieldBrandStoreinLucknowforthecelebrationoftheIndependence

DayRide.Atotalofaround84ridersandpillionsgottogetherforthisrideandafter

abriefinganddiscussionabouttheroute,setoffinsidethecity.Theridersfirstrode

towardsthefamousLaMartiniereCollegewheretheyinteractedwiththeyoungsters

andgavesaferidingtipsandatalkontrafficawareness.Thiswasoneoccasionwhere

theRoyalEnfieldriderscontributedtowardsthebettermentofthesocietybysupporting

thecauseofcreatingtrafficawareness.Afterthistalk,theridersthenrodearound

Lucknowforover50kmsandstoppedatvariouslocationstopromotesaferiding.

< To join more such rides from Lucknow please get in touch with Harshil Desai at [email protected] >

..............................................................................................................................................................................................................................

..............................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Independence Day Ride: Lucknow

TocelebratetheoccasionofIndependenceDay,aone-daytripfromUdaipurwas

organised. The ride was slated to start from Udaipur and lead to Ubheshwar, which is

about 18 kms out of the city and is famous for a Mahadev Temple and its pristine natural

beauty.Atotalof15ridersassembledearlymorningattheVoyageMotorsShowroom

inUdaipurandstartedoffonthisride.TheridewasledbyMrJatinGandhiand

MrJasbeerGandhi,bothdiehardridersandRoyalEnfieldenthusiastsintheirown

sense. The biggest charm of this ride was the pleasant weather in the surrounding hilly

areas and the cool climate which after the North Indian summer was certainly a relief.

The riders also stopped at the Sheraton Hotel for a break while on this ride.

< To join more such rides from Udaipur, please get in touch with Ashwani Karadia at [email protected] >

Independence Day Ride: Udaipur5

K E E P R I D I N G

..............................................................................................................................................................................................................................

4

TheMudValleyRidewasconductedfrom16to18thAugust,2013,atthehillstation

ofChikaldharaandMelghatTigerReserveinAmravati,Maharashtra.Pristineand

unexplored,untouchedbycivilization,ChikaldharaisthecrownoftheSatpurahill

range.ThelushgreenMelghatTigerReserve,whichcovers2,030sqkmsofthehills,

isarefreshingdestination.Thebikersrodeuptheserpentine75kms-longwinding

uphill road which seemed to blend into its surroundings. The terrain was marked by

lush green hills, misty valleys and towering waterfalls. Monsoon being the ideal season

tovisitChikaldhara,thisridewasspecificallyconductedduringthistime.Ridersfrom

neighbouring cities like Nagpur also joined in and had their share of adventure. There

wasimmensesupportfortheriders,suchasnavigationalguidanceandon-ground

assistance,bytheNagpur-basedRoyalEnfieldridersclubbetterknownasZeroMile

RidersClub(ZMRC)whohelpedtheAmravtiRoyalEnfieldRidersClubortheMH27

Thumpriders, in conducting this event.

< To join more such rides from Amravati, please write get in touch with Arif Khan at [email protected] >

6 Mud Valley Ride: Amravati

..............................................................................................................................................................................................................................

7

8

On 24th August, 2013, a ride was kick-started to Surajgarh from Manzil Motors in Gurgaon. The town of Surajgarh in the Shekhawati region of Rajasthan derives its name from an 18th century palace, Fort Surajgarh, literally meaning the castle of the sun. Spread across 4 acres of lush green gardens, this fortified palace has been recently renovated and seems fit for kings! The dusty terrain traversed while comprised smooth highways, village roads and a small section of dirt, which added adventure to this trip. The ride was led by Anil Goyal, who ensured safety throughout the ride, as well as adventure which was the prime focus. It took the riders a good 7 hours to reach the destination and after ending the ride the riders called it a day. The next morning they woke up to bright sunshine and then proceeded further to explore the region before treating themselves to a scrumptious brunch and departing for Gurgaon again. < To join more such rides from Gurgaon, please get in touch with Anil Goyal at [email protected] >

Gurgaon to Surajgarh

9

K E E P R I D I N G

..............................................................................................................................................................................................................................

..............................................................................................................................................................................................................................


Mumbai to Dapoli

On31stofAugust,2013asthemonsoonslashedoutattheWesternGhats,25riders

setofffromtheRoyalEnfieldBrandStoreinBandra,Mumbai,downthewestcoastto

DapoliandthenwestwardstoLadghar.TheKonkancoasthaspristinelandscapeand

goodroadswheretheRoyalEnfieldriderfeelsathomeasthetorqueymachineseasily

tacklethetwistiesandroughterrain.Atotalof595kmswerecoveredinthisridewith

an overnight stay organised for them. The rains were hardly a deterrent for the riders

forwhomthecallofadventureandthepassionfortheRoyalEnfieldmotorcyclewas

reason enough to get together and ride out every weekend.


On17thAugust,2013,asthemonsoonsintensifiedinthewesternregion,arideto

PanshetwasorganisedfromMumbaiwith25riders.Thebikersassembledatthe

RoyalEnfieldBrandStoreinBandra,Mumbaiearlyinthemorningandsetofftowards

PuneontheNH4.Theridersrodethroughpleasantweather,andanoccasional

shower, as they reached Pune and rode further on the Western Ghats to reach Panshet.

Arrangementshadbeenmadeforanovernightstayataresortandthewearyriders

spenttheeveningrelaxingandsharinganecdoteswitheachother.Thenextday,the

ridersrodebacktoMumbaicoveringatotaldistanceof575kmsover2days.Riding

back into Mumbai the riders dispersed with the promise of returning for more rides and

adventuresontheirRoyalEnfieldmotorcycles.


Mumbai to Panshet

On21stSeptember2013,agroupof16ridersontheirRoyalEnfieldmotorcyclesrode

outfromtheLucknowRoyalEnfieldBrandStoretowardsBahraich.Themonsoons

werebynowretreatingandrain-showershadbecomelessfrequent,creatingexcellent

conditionsforriding.ThedistancefromLucknowtoBahraich,andfromthereto

SravastiontheNH28Candback,madethecompleterideofover500kms.Sravasti

isanimportanthistoricalplacewhereLordBuddhaspentasignificantpartofhislife;

it has monuments dating from that era. The riders stayed over for the night and rode

backontheirtrustedmachinestoLucknowthenextday.Thebondingwithfellow

ridersandtheexcitementofgettingtoexploreaplaceofsuchhistoricalimportancewas

something the riders would cherish for life.

< To join more such rides from Lucknow, get in touch with Piyush Gupta at [email protected] >

AridefromtheRoyalEnfieldBrandStoreinBandra,Mumbai,wasorganisedon28th

September,2013,asapartoftheKeepRidinginitiative.TheridestartedfromMumbai

andheadedtowardsLonavlaandfromtheretoPirangut.Therewereatotalof16riders

ridingtogetheranditdefinitelycreatedaspectaclefortheonlookers.Theridersalso

tookbreaksatsceniclocationstosoakinthesceneryoftheWesternghatsandexplore

theregiontheyhadriddento.Atotalof550kmswerecoveredbytheridersinall,which

wasablyledbytheRoyalEnfieldstaffriders.Technicalhelpwasalsoavailableatall

times for contingencies.

< To join more such rides from Mumbai, get in touch with Harshil Desai at [email protected] >

On14thSeptember,17ridersfromwestDelhikickedofftheridetoMussoorie,about35

kmsfromUttarakhand’scapital,Dehradun,and290kmsnorthfromNewDelhi.The

ridebeganfromLambaEnterprisesShowroominTilakNagarandcoveredadistanceof

about600kmsduringthis2-dayride.TheridersrodebacktoDelhion15thSeptember

afterenjoyingashortridetothehill-station.Thepleasantandchillyweatherofthe

region, the smooth highways, the smaller city roads, the twisties of the hilly terrain, and

thedangerousoff-roadsections,weregreatlyenjoyedbyall.Thegreatthingaboutsuch

rides is the sense of discipline and responsibility with which each rider rides across

such an adventurous terrain.

< To join more such rides from New Delhi, please get in touch with Anil Goyal at [email protected] >

..............................................................................................................................................................................................................................

..............................................................................................................................................................................................................................

..............................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Delhi to Mussoorie

Lucknow to Sravasti11

Mumbai to Pirangut 12

10


K E E P R I D I N G

6

R I D E O F V A L O U R

Bullet 500 The Ride of Valour

ROYAL ENFIELD


hefindshimselfface-to-facewiththe

Bullet500initsnewavatarandistotally

smittenbythemagnificentsteed.His

adventuresonBullet500leadstheyoung

man into a situation where the novel

comes to a sudden close.

Aspartofe-campaign,acontestwas

thrownopentofindthemostbefitting

endtothisstory.Thetopfiveentries

forthe‘GraphicNovelContest’gotto

experiencethethrillandauraofthis

motorcycle and the life associated with

the protagonist in the story by getting

toridetheBullet500toaplaceofhigh

significanceassociatedwiththedigital

campaign and the story of valour and

courage around it.

This ride, which was especially

organised for the winners, took them on

Bullet500motorcyclesfromChandigarh

to Wagah,where they witnessed the

loweringofthenationalflagamidst

cheersandthenrodebacktoChandigarh

after visiting a military academy en route.

Theridewasflaggedoffon13thJulyfrom

ManmohanAutoStores,Chandigarhby

Mr Deepak Kakkar, Regional Manager, RE.

AstheridersrodeoutofChandigarh,

they were greeted by monsoon showers

but they rode on through rains, thumping

s part of the

launch campaign

of the iconic

Bullet500,

an illustrated

graphic novel was showcased on our

website. The graphic novel traces the

story of a young man impressed by

thevintageBullet500ownedbyhis

grandfather,aretiredarmyofficer,who

inspires him to join the army. The novel

illustrates his journey through life until

Praveen Prakash Sathaye

A

along in unison on the highway towards

Amritsar.Aftertakingbreaksforlunch

and refreshments, the riders rode into

theAmritsarshowroomofJayCeeMotors

around late afternoon.

Here the riders got to interact with

media persons and some other Royal

Enfieldenthusiastswhohadturnedupto

meet the riders and cheer them on their

journey.

Thereafter the riders set off towards

Wagah border where they were escorted

to special seats which were reserved for

them. They witnessed the lowering of the

flagconductedamidstpatrioticcheers.

Thiswasoneexperiencewhichtheriders

wouldrememberforalongtime.After

the ceremony the riders rode back to their

hotelinAmritsarandrestedforawhile

before visiting the Golden Temple to pay

their tributes.

Thenextday,on14thJuly,theytook

off on their motorcycles and headed back

towardsChandigarh.Theridebackwas

smooth as by this time the riders also had

accustomed themselves to their thumping

machines.AfterridingintoChandigarh

they came back to the same rendezvous

point from where they had started and

were greeted by the regional RE staff.

With a heavy heart they handed over the

keysoftheBullet500motorcyclesand

bid adieu to the legendary machines.

This ride was highly instrumental

in reinforcing the brand connect and

highlight the aura around the motorcycle

by wowing the contest winners. This ride

alsobroughttheiconicBullet500into

limelight through press coverage, as well

as the sight of 5 motorcycles thumping

along in unison on the road which came

across as an impressive spectacle for the

bystanders.

The‘ride’gavethewinnersachance

toexperience'puremotorcycling'inits

core format and establish a strong brand

connect. This also will be a strong talking

point owing to the dates coinciding

withoneofIndia’sgreatestmilitary

achievements during the Kargil War.

R I D E O F V A L O U R

7JULY | AUGUST | SEPTEMBER 2013

Above: The impressive martial display at Wagah borderBelow: Riders outside one of the monuments on the way to Amritsar


Onthefirstweekendof

September2013,the

Nilgiris came alive with the

headythumpof300Royal

Enfieldmotorcycles.Riders

fromChennai,Bangalore,Coimbatore,

Madurai, Kochi, Kottayam and even

Mumbai, joined in the celebrations

markingthe2ndeditionofRoyal

Enfield’sREunionSouth,atKodaikanal

on6th-8thSeptember.

On 6th September, Day 1, the riders

were welcomed by mild drizzling as they

rodeintothevenue.Afterreachingthe

venueandfinishingwiththeregistration

process, they settled into their rooms

torestafterthelongride.Laterinthe

evening the crowd was regaled by the

Bangalore-basedband‘OneNightStand’.

Soonaftertheband’sperformance,

theDJtookoverandsomegreatmusic

followed.Agrandwelcomedinnerwas

organised for the participants after which

the party continued till late into the night.

Day2beganwithascrumptious

breakfast and was by followed by a series

of indoor and outdoor fun motorcycling

events.

Thefirsteventtostartthedaywasthe

SlowRace;oneofthemostpopularevents

of this festival. It saw an overwhelming

response as almost everyone wanted to

try their hand at it. The race required the

participants to ride their bikes across

the course as slowly as possible, without

putting their feet on the ground. The

firstsetofheatswereconductedfor40

participantsandeightexceptionallyslow

ridersstoodoutasthefinalistforthis

event.Cheeredonbyalargecrowd,the

REUNION SOUTH

Royal Enfield

Aakash G Ahuja | Royal Enfield

M A R Q U E E R I D E

To know more about the REunion South, please send a mail to Adarsh Saxena at [email protected]

Day 1 : Ride in, Registration

Day 2 : Events

Day 3 : Breakfast, Ride out

ITINERARY : 6th – 8th September 2013

.................................................................


second set of heats were conducted by

the end of the day.

Afterthis,cametheevent‘Figure

of8’,whichrequiredtheparticipants

toridetheirbikesandformthefigure8

in a marked course. This event is purely

a test of skills in the shortest possible

time. The youngest rider at the event,

Mohammed Ibrahim from Davangere,

was the winner of this event.

AssemblyWarwhereallseven

teams got ready with their tool kits and

respective motorcycles for scrutiny was

thenextchallenge.Theeventisatest

againsttimewhichtestsone’stechnical

skill in handling the mechanics of a

bike. Each team had to disassemble the

front wheel, rear wheel, clutch cable and

throttle cable of their motorcycles and

getitexaminedbythemarshalsstanding

on the other side of the course and then

reassemblethebikeandfinishoffthe

race by riding the bike across the course.

Afterlunch,eventslikeArm

WrestlingandBeerGuzzlingwereheld

indoors, which saw everyone take part

with great enthusiasm.

Atsundownitwastimeforprize

distributionandVJayapradeep,Deputy

General Manager – Marketing, Royal

Enfield,gaveawayprizestothewinners.

Aftertheprizedistributionceremony,

it was time for the riders to let loose and

partyandtheDJstartedbeltingsome

peppy music. The mood of celebration

was set for the evening and the riders

partiedlateintothenight.Thenext

morning it was time to bid goodbye to all

the bikers with promises to meet again at

RoyalEnfieldRiderMania2013.


Clockwise from Top Left: The Figure of 8 event • Lined up at the REunion • Winners receiving their prizes • Assembly Wars going on in full swing

ROYAL ENFIELD

CONTINENTAL GT LAUNCH


The motorcycling world converged on to London for this grand occasion and experienced flashes of an era which saw the birth of the café

racer, and the culture of the Rockers

.................................................................................................

heRoyalEnfield

ContinentalGT

was launched in

the UK on 11th

September,2013.

Prominent media

representatives and personalities from

the automotive world were invited to a

3-dayelaborateprogram,especiallyput

together for this launch.

The motorcycling world converged

ontoLondonforthisgrandoccasionand

everyoneexperiencedflashesofanera

which saw the birth of the café racer, and

the culture of the legendary Rockers.

Thefirstdaysawthegroupofinvitees

beingtakenonawalkingtourtoCentral

London,whichremindsoneofLondon’s

richandvibrantrock-n-rollculture.

The streets themselves have changed

little since the 50s and 60s, and the tour

includedavisittosignificantplacesand

detailed narrations of the events that

tookplacehere.Andwiththetour,came

stories of the legends who cut along those

famousflagstonesinCubanheeledboots,

who roared along those highways, who

changed the motorcycling world as it had

been.

The walk included Dominion Theatre,

Saville Theatre, and various haunts on

WardourStreetandCarnabyStreet,

madeimmortalbyTheBeatles,The

RollingStones,TheWho,DavidBailey,

PaulSimonandBobDylan.Evening

proceedingswoundupwitharock-n-roll

themeddinneratthefamousOneill’s

IrishPubinCarnabyStreet.

T Thenextmorningwasthefirstride

ofRoyalEnfield’sContinentalGTbythe

world’sleadingautomobileandlifestyle

journalists.SiddharthaLal,MD-Eicher

Motors, and some other members of

theRoyalEnfieldteamrodeoutfrom

AceCafé,Londononspankingnew

ContinentalGTmotorcycles.

ThelegendaryAceCaféisaseaside

haven where the Rockers would ride

out to escape the crowd and enjoy a

wholesomemealoffishandchips.

FlaggedoffbynoneotherthanMark

Wilsmore,themanbehindAceCafé,

the riders were also instructed on how

to conduct themselves on the road and

wished a pleasant ride. The riders headed

southwestandrodeoutofLondon,

towardsUxbridgeandthensouthwards

towardsthefamousBrooklandsMuseum.

Brooklandsisthehomeofmotor-

racinginGreatBritain.Theworld’sfirst

purpose-builtmotor-racingcircuitwas

constructedatWeybridge,Surreyin1907

– and is more than a just great sporting

arena, it is in fact history!

Brooklandswasthebirthplace

ofBritishmotorsportandaviation,

homeofConcordeandthesiteof

many engineering and technological

achievements throughout eight decades

ofthe20thcentury.Theridersstopped

here for a short break and refreshment

astheyrodearoundthebankedcircuit;a

smallpartofwhichremainstilldate;to

relive the era when motorcycles with their

screaming engines used to race here and

have a shot at speed records too.


.................................................................................................


......................................................................

......................................................................

quietseasidetownofBrightonandrode

out on to the road adjoining the famous

landmarkofBrightonPier.Thistoowas

a much frequented weekend haunt of

the Rockers which they liked to refer to

as‘burnups’.Theridersparkedtheir

bikes along the kerb and went up the

pier,tothefamousFishnChipCafé.The

motorcycles were then transported back

on a truck while the riders took a drive

back into town.

The evening was marked by a visit

tocentralLondonwheretheyheadedto

RegencyCafé.Hereoverteaandsnacks,

the famous photographer and culture

expert,NickClements,talkedaboutthe

AgeofRenaissanceandtherevivalof

theswinging60’s.RegencyCaféwas

another popular hangout of the youth in

theearly60’sandplayedabigroleinthe

music scene of the era. This was followed

by a talk on style and trends of 1960s

biker culture and revival theme at the

renownedChelseaCollegeofArt,which

was tastefully augmented with visuals

and music.

AfterthebreakatBrooklands,the

ridersmovedupcountryintoBoxhill,

where there are narrow, winding but

fun-to-rideroads.TheclimbupBoxhill

proved to be a lot of fun as the riders

enjoyedthewaytheContinentalGT

rode up comfortably, taking corner after

corner with ease.

Some of the riders took a pit stop on

topofthehilltoadmiretheextraordinary

scenery, which was once the favourite

with the Rockers of the past. Descending

fromBoxhill,theridersrodeintothe


Riders moved upcountry into Boxhill from Brooklands, where there are narrow, winding but fun-to-ride roads


Clockwise from Top: Carnaby Street - A representative of the swinging 60's in London • Siddhartha Lal geared up for the London Burn Up • Roger Boss and Johnny Brittain with the Continental GT at Brighton Pier • The Continental GT is a great handler on curves


Official launch of the Continental GT took place at Brooklands where noted Royal Enfield historian Gordon May, along with Siddhartha Lal, MD - Eicher Motors, unveiled the motorcycle in front of the international media

......................................................................

hadonthisubiquitousstreet-machine

fromton-uptorevivalandthetimein-

between.

AvisittothefamousLewisLeathers

was also a part of this session where

everybody got a chance to see the iconic

creationsofthelegendaryBritishfashion

marquee and also meet Derek Harris, the

authentic motorcycle clothing maker.

The session ended with a special dinner

atKetner’s,whoseambiencelenttothe

overall theme of the evening.

TheofficiallaunchoftheContinental

GTtookplaceatBrooklandswherenoted

RoyalEnfieldhistorianGordonMay,

alongwithSiddharthaLal,MD,Eicher

Motors, unveiled the motorcycle in front

of the international media, along with

special accessories made keeping the

Rockerthemeinmind.Aquestion-and-

answersessionfollowed,whereMrLal

showcasedtheprogressRoyalEnfieldhas

Using his own work over the past

25yearsasreference,NickClements

spokeonBritishsubculturesandtook

the audience from the 50s to the trends

of today. He gave a snapshot of the

revival style and how it related to both

motorcycling and male fashion.

FamedjournalistGaryInmanwasalso

a part of this talk. Mainly concentrating

on the café racer, Gary and also focussed

ontheinfluencethatmusicandstylehas


......................................................................

Facing Page (Clockwise from Top): The Old and The New: The 1965 Continental GT and the 2013 Continental GT standing side by side • The Continental GT on display along with the Burn Up Wear at Ace Café • Riders riding out from Brooklands at the London Burn Up Left: Gordon May, noted Royal Enfield historian, at the launch


made,andalsoreleasedtheshortfilm,

Ace Café to Madras Café, which illustrates

the journey of a band of Rockers riding

acrosscontinentsontheirContinental

GTfromLondon,UK,toChennai,India

-onecafétoanother–andmeetingwith

fellowRockersacrosstheworld.After

the formal launch, there were several

one-on-oneinteractionswithMrLal

whereRE’sfutureplansfortheworldof

motorcycling, through the launch of the

figureslikeGordonMay,RogerBoss

andJohnnyBrittainwerepresentatthe

venue and enthralled the audience with

their stories of the days gone by and the

legends that were the Rockers.

The last set of the launch activities,

was a visit to the National Motorcycle

MuseumatBirminghamwhereGordon

May acted as the guide and host, and

took the journalists through galleries

of motorcycling history, narrating the

ContinentalGT,wasdiscussedindetail.

The evening marked the unveiling of

the motorcycle to the enthusiasts at The

AceCaféamidstmuchfanfare.Avenue

mostfittingforthisoccasion,TheAce

CafésawthecongregationofRockers

and motorcyclists from across Europe,

who had especially come down for the

REUnion party, and to witness the launch

oftheContinentalGTandthenewBurn

UpWearrangeofaccessories.Legendary


18





progression motorcycles made from the

early 1900s till date with special focus

onRoyalEnfieldmotorcyclesandtheir

achievements.The1965Continental

GTandthe2013ContinentalGTwere

showcasedside-by-sideasaunique

display of the amalgamation of legendary

heritage and iconic value, making for a

fantasticphoto-op.

AfterNationalMotorcycleMuseum,

thenextstopwasthesiteoftheRoyal

EnfieldfactoryinRedditchwhereGordon

told anecdotes and narrated stories

associated with the factory and the

legendary marquee, and how motorcycles

were conceptualised, designed and

manufactured at the factory.

The tour ended with a visit to the

RoyalEnfieldCafébuiltnearbyand

a warm informal chat with the locals

andGordon,onhowRoyalEnfield

had progressed over the years despite

shutting down the UK plant and having

to depend solely on the manufacturing

plantinChennai,India.Aftera100years

of partnership, the brand still retains

the essence of pure motorcycling which

definedthefirstmarquee.

Overanelaborate4-dayextravaganza,

the world of motorcycling saw up close

andpersonal,thefieryredContinental

GT and the lifestyle associated with

thelegendarycaféracers;thehistory

and legends behind the same, and the

influencetheRockerculturehadover

the people and the times of those years.

The journalists, the motorcycling

experts,andthebikingenthusiastsall

went back with unforgettable memories

andthematchlessexperiencetheyhad

at the series of events that marked this

historic launch.


Facing Page (Clockwise from Top): Continental GT motorcycles lined up outside Ace Café • The old factory site at Redditch • Legendary machines of each era on display at the Museum Below: The fiery red Continental GTs at the Royal Enfield Café in Redditch

C L U B P R O F I L E

Wolfe Pack India

t is common belief

in the motorcycling

fraternity that

theRoyalEnfield

motorcycle has the ability to draw people

towards itself, and passionate Royal

Enfieldriderstoeachother.RoyalEnfield

motorcycles are responsible for bringing

together bikers from diverse walks of life

and Wolfe Pack India is one such biker

family.Startedin2011byanoldtimer,

DavidMasilamani,betterknownasJack

JiggorDJBlackjack,WolfePackIndiahas

now spread to eight cities in India with

over200members.

In its early days at Hyderabad, Wolfe

Pack India organised regular rides which

coupled with a strong online presence

attracted and encouraged other Royal

Enfieldownerstocometogether.Every

ride saw more and more riders joining up

and such was the craze that soon riders

from other cities requested to start their

own chapters under the Wolfe Pack India

nameandwiththisstartedtheexpansion

of the club. Today, Wolfe Pack India has

chapters in Hyderabad, Delhi, Hubli,

Bengaluru,Chennai,Trivandrum,Pune

and Mumbai with requests for beginning

chapters in Mysore and Roorkee as well.

Typically Wolfe Pack India undertakes

three different types of rides starting

I Started in 2011 by an old timer, David Masilamani, better known as Jack Jigg or DJ Blackjack, Wolfe Pack India has now spread to eight cities in India with over 200 members

......................................................................

......................................................................

withthe300-400kmsone-dayride,

longridesthatareinexcessof900kms

andinvolveanovernightstay,andfinally

the‘insanely’longrideswhichinvolve

traversing thousands of kilometers by

truly inspired bikers.

One such long ride was the one

undertakenbyArshadAzad,


C L U B P R O F I L E

AnupShanbaghandRajivMesta-young

riders on Thunderbirds from the Hubli

chapter,whorodefor7,500kmsfrom

HublitoLadakhandback,in12daysflat.

EveryyearWolfePackIndia(Hubli)

hosts the annual WET! WET! WET!

Monsoon Ride to kick off its riding

season. Till date this ride has happened

twice,inDandeliin2012andinHampi

in2013.Thiseventisaweekendoffun,

games and bonding with fellow Wolves

from the other chapters across India.

Asbikersafetyisquiteclosetothe

hearts of the members of Wolfe Pack

India, they have designed special stickers

whichsay'LookTwiceForBiker'.These

eye-catchingstickersaredistributed

everywhere by to generate awareness

among people, to make them watch out

for motorcyclists on the road.

TheClubalsodisseminatesandshares

tips on rider safety within the club and

follows strict safety rules while riding.

ForWolfePackIndia,ridingisnot

about statistics and questionable social

activities. It is about plain and simple

riding. It is about discovering this great

country and bonding with free souls

along the way. They do not complain,

brag or mess around, for them as their

clubmottogoesthey'JustCockUp

AndRide'!

YoucouldjointheFacebookpage

WolfePackIndia'sopengroupbycopying

the following link: https://www.facebook.

com/groups/150358625109534/

Riders desirous of becoming

members of the dynamic Wolfe Pack

Family,cancontactPapaWolfe(JackJigg)

on [email protected].


Facing Page: Jack Jigg - The Man behind Wolfe Pack Below: Wolfe Pack on one of their leisurely rides

22

N E W S

1 7 heels AutomobilesTiwari Tola, Rajiv Chowk NH- 107, SaharsaBihar% 06478-227007, [email protected]

2 Allied Auto6B, NiranjanpurDehradun , Uttarakhand 248001% 0135 – 2623487, 9690777771w [email protected]

3 AV MotorsDoor No 3/38 B, Karaikal Main RoadMuthupillai Mandapam, Kumbakonam Tamil Nadu 612401 % 0435-2415286, 9443041586w [email protected]

4 Balaji Motors Mandawar Road Area Opp Anaj Mandi, Jhunjhunu Rajasthan 333001% 01592-231061, 9414082411w [email protected]

5 Bina Automobiles Uttar Krishnapur Sonai Road, Silchar Assam 788006�% 03842-225016, 9954008888w [email protected]

6 Dev MotorsRivera Wave, Near Praduman Lords hotel,

Kalawad Road, RajkotGujarat 360005 % 0281 6558888, 9879000900w [email protected]

7 Jairam Motors House No 1-18-1120/3 Nr Rama FurnitureAnand Nagar Square, Sharada NagarNanded Maharastra 431605% 02462-297788, 9552446688/9423034646 w [email protected]

8 Platinum Auto Fun N Shop Mall Fatima Nagar Solapur Road, Pune Maharashtra 411013% 7755932576/77, 9881171717w [email protected]

9 Puruv MotorsG 3 Deepkamal Commercial Hub Near Sarthana Zoo Sarthana Varacha, Surat Gujarat 395010% 9925143100 / 9979841546

a Quality Motors 8-6-309/3/c/1, Bypass Road, Kothirampur Karimnagar Andhra Pradesh 505001% 0878-6509992, 9885565599w [email protected]

b Sairam Autocraft No 102/1, Outer Ring Road B Narayanpura, Bangalore Karnataka 560 016% 080-65636363, 9900065966w [email protected]

c Shagun AutoSahuwa, PO Bhowara MadhubaniBihar 847212% 06276-228014, 8986396011w [email protected]

d Sharma AutomobilesLalsingh, Amb Road Una Himachal Pradesh 174303% 9318536755, 9418445554w [email protected]

e Shri Krishna AutomobilesShop No 6,7,8, Opp Sarda TransportChapru Nagar Chowk, Nagpur Maharastra 440008% 0712-3191201, 9372121345, 9373934929 w [email protected]/ [email protected]

f Siddh Auto1&2 Shiwana Commercial Complex, Plot No 85, Sr No 98/3-7 Bhusari Colony, KothrudPune 411038% 020-25280050/51, 9158911709w [email protected]

g Triveni EnterprisesNear SBI Bank, Nandanpura Shivpuri Road, Jhansi Uttar Pradesh 251001 % 9936997777 / 9936453332w [email protected]

h Universal TradersHanspukurdhar, PO Mrigala, PS Dankuni, Hooghly KolkataWest Bengal 712311% 033- 32013624, 9831018699w [email protected]

New DealershipsWith each passing month, Royal Enfield continues to expand its network across India with the addition of new dealers with state-of-the-art facilities. This is a part of our endeavour to reach out to our customers and enthusiasts, and address all their motorcycling needs.



ROYAL ENFIELD

GEAR

GT Helmet The Continental GT helmet is jointly developed by Royal Enfield and AGV of Italy. Built as per International standards and stylishly crafted, this helmet ensures that you take no chances while on your burn up on the Continental GT. Other features of this helmet include:• Highly comfortable interiors with removable neck roll• Scratch-resistant and UV protection removable visor• High-impact resistant ABS outer shell• Conforms to ECE, DOT and ISI certification• High-impact resistant EPS liner• Micrometric secure chin lock

GT Ton Up TeeRoyal Enfield heritage and design

is celebrated in these graphic eye-catching tees. Made of 100% cotton,

with embossed, easy-to-maintain, these tees have you looking your

best with minimal effort. The Ton up Tee is accentuated by: • Special Ton Up Graphics in sync

with the culture and look• Available in Multitude of

attractive colours • Comfortable and Stylish

BUY

NOW

S H O W C A S E

Brando JacketInspired by heritage styling, our jackets channel the rebellious panache of the man in the motorcycling classic “The Wild One”. Features of the GT Brando Jacket include:• Full leather construction• Made from 0.9mm high

grade hide with natural grain for abrasion resistance

• Original Thermolite removable winter lining, can withstand up to -10º C temperatures• All-YKK brass heavy-duty

zippers• Royal Enfield and Continental GT branding with high definition laser etching• Polyester full mesh lining

At Royal Enfield, we have our eye firmly on what works for a rider. The accessories in the Burn Up Wear are based on the Royal Enfield Continental GT theme. Crafted from the experiences of RE riders, in collaboration with veterans of the riding apparel world, the detailing is a nod to Classic motorcycling clothing.

............................................................


S H O W C A S E

GT Leather GlovesDesigned in sync with the overall Continental Design language and made from genuine leather the riding gloves from Royal Enfield ensure you get the perfect grip on your ride. Beautifully constructed from durable materials, they fit beautifully and are essential riding companions:• High grade drum-dyed leather

with natural grain• EVA padding on knuckles and

other impact areas• Best suited for city riding and

daily use• Adjustable VelcroTM wrist

closure• High density silicone branding• Debossed Royal Enfield branding

GT Mid Top Shoes The Continental GT range of footwear includes all-weather ankle-length shoes that combine high street style with signature racing features. Wear them to work, to walks, and of course, when astride your Royal Enfield motorcycle. These shoes are available in UK sizes 7, 8, 9, 10, 11.

Continental GT Buff

They are great as protective wear and just as stylish as accessories while you're on the road. Do not leave home without sporting a striking Royal Enfield buff, custom-made by Buff Headwear. The highlights of this are:• An original product from Buff• 100% Polyester Microfiber• Can be worn in more than twelve

different ways• Efficient protection from sun,

wind and cold against sharp objects

• Comes with Polygiene – active odour control keeps bacteria at bay

• Seamless multi-purpose tubular structure for elasticity

Royal Enfield CONTINENTAL GT: UK LAUNCH

Documents

Transcript of Royal Enfield CONTINENTAL GT: UK LAUNCH