I’m sure it isn’t just me, but I find it weird whenever motorcycle manufacturers parade their test units around in all sorts of weird and ugly disguises. I mean, I get it, the odd shapes and distorted lines are meant to conceal the bike’s true form, but let’s be real for a minute here. All this just attracts more attention to a machine which manufacturers are supposedly keeping a secret.
That being said, this is probably what manufacturers want, as it helps build the hype for their brand and whatever may be coming next. Case in point just has to be this Royal Enfield whatever prototype which was spotted roaming the streets of India.
Brought to small time internet fame by the folks over at Indian automotive pub Rush Lane, the bike in the picture above and in the Instagram post below is supposedly some kind of Royal Enfield. Presumably one rocking the highly anticipated 750cc parallel-twin.
And yes, despite Royal Enfield’s best efforts in trying to conceal the bike’s identity by pretty much wrapping it in a bunch of garbage bags and tape, it’s pretty obvious what this thing actually is. Now, whether or not it’s actually rocking the 750cc twin is up for debate (although Rush Lane seems sure that this is the case). But more importantly, it looks like it’s going to be a bike a lot of us have been hoping would become a reality.
You see, Royal Enfield has a one-make racing series called the Royal Enfield Continental GT Cup. It’s been running for quite some time now in India and certain parts of Europe, and the bikes featured in the racing series are nothing short of a retro racing simp’s wet dream.
The customized Royal Enfield Continental GT 650s are rocking a custom race fairing complete with revised ergonomics that make the already sporty platform even sportier. And clearly, given how many custom creations have been inspired by this bike, people want a production, street-legal version of this machine.
And with the test mule roaming India’s streets, it seems that this may very well be just that. The bike sports a bikini fairing with a fairly large headlight cowl similar in styling to a Ducati Paul Smart 1000 LE. It also gets a slim tail section and a racing-inspired number plate on the side panel neatly disguised under some poorly placed black decals. The test mule also boasts a fully exposed engine, which looks nearly identical to the existing 650cc unit, save for a different crank case and clutch cover.
Interestingly, however, the prototype doesn’t get inverted forks like that of the Bear 650 or the 650 cruisers. Instead, it seems to be running the same hardware as the Interceptor and Continental GT, with a right-side-up fork, dual discs up front, and a twin shock setup at the back.
With all that on the table, it’s pretty much just a matter of time until we see more of this bike. What exactly Enfield’s gonna call it is certainly up in the air, but I’m guessing it’ll be some sort of spinoff of the Continental GT nameplate, maybe Continental GT Racer, or Continental GT-R, perhaps? At this point, your guess is as good as mine, and we’ll eagerly wait for more updates on this sporty retro machine.
Source: Rush Lane
