Lifted Up Vistas of Long-Sought Zions

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The day started with 14 strangers. After 4 hours of riding motorcycles together it felt like the group was now a community. We had riders ranging from the young 20’s to the young 70’s. All united with one passion- riding Royal Enfields! 

On April 12th of every year people gather around the world to ride Royal Enfields. The day is called “One Ride”. How appropriate the name considering it’s a ONE cylinder motorcycle. The ride brings together a community of riders who survived the winter and who are now ready to kick start the riding season. In the beginning of the ride nobody knew what to expect. Who knows how the guy next to you rides, who even knows where we are going? THUMP THUMP THUMP for hours down the road, 14 thumps at a time, all thumping to ONE rhythm. It was impossible to not feel the 10394099_946223025410402_3819911871659453599_nhappiness radiating off of each rider. Several times during the trip I would look over at the guy (or girl) next to me to find a huge smile across their face. Both of us smiled and laughed as one would reach down for more gas to blow past the other person. It’s almost like being on a go-cart track- just a whole lot faster! In Funky Town Fort Worth some friends and I would always visit this go-cart track on Sundays. The track was only one circle and the go-carts didn’t run so hot most the time, but man was it fun! Hanging one arm out while sliding into a corner, laughing and pointing at your buddies. That’s exactly how I felt on Sunday with the 13 other Royal Enfields. It’s a back to the basics ride. 

What makes someone buy a motorcycle? Maybe it’s for cheap transportation or maybe it’s something to enjoy on a nice sunny day. BUT what if maybe, deep down, we purchase a motorcycle so we can be apart of something bigger. To be apart of a community of riders that has been around since 1901. When I first purchased my Royal Enfield I wasn’t oneride2015008thinking about riding with others, I got it because I thought motorcycles were cool. But maybe it goes deeper than that. After Sunday I realized that every guy or girl on a motorcycle is apart of a family of riders. The 2 finger down club! When we passed a motorcyclist on the opposite side of the road everyone’s 2 fingers went down to wave at the rider. I don’t care how many times I do that, it never gets old. It’s kind of a warm fuzzy feeling when you pass a rider heading in a totally different direction but in reality your heading to the same place, freedom! It’s the freedom to go your own way. 

Our One Ride last Sunday brought back the joy of riding. It gave us a chance to slow down to enjoy more of the simple things in life. To enjoy friendships, and to remember how fun riding a motorcycle can be. I don’t care what gender, race, or age you were on Sunday, we were all ONE. The day started with 14 strangers and by the end we all understood the One Ride. THUMP THUMP THUMP. 

– The Rider

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The Continental Voyage

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What do you think of when you see a dude walk into a room with a burnt boot heel? Maybe he is a phenomenal salsa dancer? Maybe the guy even likes to Flintstone his way to work? OR maybe this lucky dude has a Royal Enfield Continental GT? BINGO! This story is about Tom, the guy who rode his GT from Lake City, Colorado to Fort Worth, TX. Oh and he camped out the entire trip. Two days and 16 hours later Tom rolled in from Colorado with the shakes of a true thumper, the kind of shakes you get from doing 845 miles on a single cylinder motorcycle. His Royal Enfield isn’t the only motorcycle he owns but it was the only one he wanted to take on his voyage. 

DSC00282The Continental GT is newest Royal Enfield model. It is a true Café Racer! With that said it doesn’t accommodate storing baggage or even offer a real comfortable ride. This is probably one of the most comfortable Café Racers on the market, but you have to remember they are not supposed to be comfortable, or else it wouldn’t be a Café. Next time you see a guy on a Café just know his back is knotting up, his arms are numb, but also remember this guy is having the time of his life. I can’t even imagine riding a GT from Colorado to Texas, but Tom definitely did. “Every 30 minutes I had to change riding positions. I even installed wooden dowels on the back so I had something to prop my legs up on” (Tom). It’s easy to think to yourself when the ride will finally come to an end. When the tiny flying rocks, body pains, and the bad weather will finally stop. To forget why you are even riding the bike to begin with. “I never had a doubted if the bike would make it, I doubted if I could make it. When I left Colorado it was 27 degrees, when I arrived in Fort Worth it was 92 degrees. There is no way to prepare for that!” (Tom). DSC00294

So why did you choose the GT for this ride? “I own other bikes, I have owned over 100 motorcycles from all over the world; Britain, Mexico, Spain, Japan, Germany, etc. I have had the most fun on this motorcycle! It’s not the fastest or biggest, it’s not the most comfortable, but the styling is spot on! It will even burn a hole through your right boot heel if you’re not careful” (Tom). Depending on your sitting position on the bike, your right foot may experience some heat which forces the riders boot on top of the up-sweep exhaust. I have heard numerous complaints of this so-called “problem”. I would take it as a badge of honor! At least that’s how Tom feels about it. It’s those tiny quirks that make Royal Enfield so special. If they fixed all those not so big problems it wouldn’t be such a fun motorcycle to ride. 

DSC00295I then went on to ask Tom what the best and worst part of the ride was. “The worst part was that it took me 3 times longer than any other motorcycle to fill up for gas…everybody wants to stop you and ask about the bike. Well I guess that’s not so bad. The best part is that my GT sparked so many smiles and laughs along the way. 

So Tom, after your 2 days and 16 hours were up, what’s your one word to describe Royal Enfield? “Fun. It is such an enjoyable motorcycle to ride. I was able to ride my Continental GT across the Continental Divide! Riding my GT through Spring Creek pass is something I will never forget”. Tom, may the hole in your boot run as deep as your passion for Royal Enfield motorcycles!

– The Rider

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He is a person who lives aimlessly but has never lost his way.

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Why do we get on a 2-wheel machine with nothing between our pants and the cement but a 400-pound piece of metal? I have been crashing motorcycles as long as I could remember, some not so bad and some pretty rad. After a crash the same thing always comes to mind while I’m laying on my back, “I’m alive!”. I take a deep breath and lay for a moment taking in the scene. The smell of leaking gas, burnt rubber, and something else I have never been able to identify, start to mix together in the air. Pain and injury sucks but in a way it helps us remember we are still alive and breathing. Any day could be our last, why not live it up to the fullest?

tumblr_mz5pow8Y3l1qzx5r6o1_500Motorcycles are dangerous, there is no denying that. If they weren’t we wouldn’t be riding them. I was recently watching a Vimeo Clip of a motorcycle shop in Galicia (Spain), El Solitario MC. If you haven’t seen their video, it’s definitely worth checking out. The guy in the video has some pretty cool ideologies on why we ride; “We are defenseless. If just one element goes wrong it could spark a disaster. If it rains, you get wet, if a driver isn’t looking at his rear view window you crash…but it’s that vulnerability, that fragility, that attracts a man to get on his bike. Dribbling in between cars, rounding curves, or through trees, it’s precisely that vulnerability that guides us isn’t it? In our darkness the bike nourishes us, it keeps the brain rebellious and alert. It obliges you to stay flexible open and ready” (http://vimeo.com/112657233). Life can sometimes become ordinary or plain, and in my opinion riding a motorcycle adds color and, as he just said above, it keeps “the brain rebellious”. So as this cold weather finally starts to wind up I’m looking forward to riding my bike more and I am definitely looking forward to smelling that spring air again!hospital

One big constant I can, without a doubt, say about riding motorcycles is to always wear a helmet. I wouldn’t be here typing this story if it wasn’t for a ¾ helmet with a bubble shield. I know my right hand tends to twist up more than it should at times and that’s why I have to wear a helmet. It’s sad stuff to see friends or family go down without one, it’s not worth it. The guy laid up next to me in the ICU wasn’t wearing his and his outcome was totally different than mine. Ride hard, ride smart, and… ride.

– The Rider

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Royal Enfield: Changing How You Experience Life

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It was over two years ago when Joel’s life would never be the same. He finally took the jump and purchased a 2011 Royal Enfield British Green G5. Joel didn’t waste any time getting to know his Enfield, since 2012 he has put over 8,500 miles on his bike. “I wanted a motorcycle for over 20 years and I finally took the plunge. I turned 40 and realized I needed to do it now. You see the world differently on a motorcycle. For instance, riding by a restaurant you can smell the food they are cooking up. If I was in the car I would have never pulled over to try this new restaurant” (Leggett). It’s interesting to hear the different reasons for why people ride. Joel’s reason is that he wanted to see, hear, or even smell things like he has never before. “On a Royal Enfield you take the back roads. You can’t be in a hurry, you’re going to see things you have never seen before. In other words, you’re going to have a f***ing good time!” (Leggett). 

So with over hundreds of motorcycle choices on the market, why did Joel choose a Royal Enfield as his motorcycle? Joel’s answer was easy, “It’s different. People always want to stop me and ask questions about it. The first question is usually, ‘did you restore it?’. The funny thing is not only did I not restore it but I haven’t had to do any major repairs at all”. He goes on to explain why he choose a mid-size motorcycle, “big bikes are ok, but if you just want to get down the road to get a cheeseburger a Royal Enfield is perfect! I’m not fancy, I just want a vehicle that works and is different”. I don’t think that’s too much to ask. Joel summed up his purchase decision perfectly when he said “I didn’t want to be another middle-aged white guy getting his first Harley”. Joel 2

Joel stumbled upon Royal Enfield’s by searching online for retro motorcycles. “After searching for a vintage motorcycle, I realized a restoration wasn’t the right bike for my first motorcycle, so I choose a Royal Enfield” (Leggett). How many more Enfield riders would we have if they only knew the brand existed? What if Joel never found RE online? On the other side of the coin, how cool is it to ride a motorcycle not everybody has or even knows about. It’s such a rich story to share with total strangers, and since human interaction is the core of our existence how appropriate is it to own such an approachable motorcycle. 

Joel is one cool cat! He tells it like it is, he doesn’t have a bullsh*t filter. I can respect a dude like that. He lives a simple life and explores it through his simple motorcycle. “It’s been a blast. My only regret is that I wish I would’ve done it 10 years earlier. My one word to describe Royal Enfield is HERITAGE. Royal Enfield has been making motorcycles for over 100 years. They are hand crafted, mass produced, and built to look old but aren’t. It’s just you and the motorcycle”. Beautifully said, Joel! I look forward to seeing Joel in two years with 17,000 miles on his British Green Royal Enfield. Ride on buddy! 

– The Rider

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The Art of a Motorcycle

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Michael Clark has by far the coolest job in the world. He took the phrase, “you have a swimming pool in your back yard!” to a whole new level. But instead of a swimming pool, his backyard is New Zealand- some of the most beautiful riding someone could ever experience. If you lived in New Zealand and wanted a Royal Enfield, Mike is the guy who gets for you. Mike has been working with Royal Enfield’s for over 8 years and has some pretty awesome ideas for the Royal Enfield brand and riding motorcycles in general.

“These bikes are so versatile. You can zip around town, you can commute, or you can even strap a bag on and go around the world. They can run on anything, they can run off the smell of an oily rag!” He has a pretty far out lifestyle. After picking up a 2014 Royal Enfield military from us, there is no end destination in sight, as long as it is through Mexico. “This motorcycle allows you to go places you would never ordinary go, it allows you a freedom to explore places other people have never even seen or heard about. When you go to a place with a preconceived notion of what the people or place will be like, it’s always different, it’s always exciting and new” (Clark).

Over the course of a week with Michael I heard him politely correct a number of people on their preconceived notions about what they have “heard” from someone else. The best example I can use is when my girlfriend told us how afraid she was of sharks and why that’s the reason she doesn’t get in the ocean. I’ll never forget what Michael said next, “you know that more people die each year due to a vending machine falling down on them than shark attacks”, I was shocked! Every time Michael told people his plans of traveling through Mexico on his Royal Enfield, they would look at him like he was crazy. “There’s a culture of fear in the world. People are made to fear a lot of things, they are told to fear a lot of things. I don’t want to live in fear of anything”. How many of our daily decisions are based on a fear of something. Whether it’s fear of getting lost, rejection, running out of money, or even worse, losing something valuable.

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“The freedom you get from riding a motorcycle, grounds you. The things that stress you out melt away while riding a motorcycle, it’s very liberating! You have a lot of time to think while you ride. This is what I am doing right now, I am forced to be here right now”, says Michael. “A lot of times the places you ride are new and inspirational. You start to realize, ‘wow this is the world’. You learn a lot of things from riding around the world. Especially on a Royal Enfield, these are the kind of bikes that people want to talk to you about, they are very approachable bikes”.

After talking and hanging with Michael for a few days I started to sense a type of simplistic lifestyle that he lived by. If it couldn’t fit on his Enfield, then he wasn’t taking it. “Life gets more and more complicated, the more you collect the more it gets complicated. Motorcycles are almost like horses; it’s the way of traveling, the old way of traveling. I wish more people would experience the freedom of riding a motorcycle. It’s not just something to get you from a to b, it opens up a whole new world. If you are riding a motorcycle, you are forced to break everything down to necessities. When you realize at the end of the trip that half the things you brought you didn’t even use, next time I will pack for the trip it gets simpler”.

Michal’s concept of simplistic traveling could even be metaphor for the physical or even emotional baggage we carry on a daily basis. “The things you own, end up owning you (one of his favorite quotes). We live in a consumer society, all you need is yourself. It’s very liberating to empty your baggage”. Michael then brought up a president who has some great ways of looking at life; Jose Mujica, president of Uruguay. “oh man, you gotta look into this dude!”, he then quoted him “A poor person is not someone who has little but one who needs infinitely more, and more and more. I don’t live in poverty, I live in simplicity. There’s very little that I need to live” (President Jose Mujica).

Michael then goes on to say, “at the end we are all really lost, nobody knows where we are going. Some people find that exciting and some people find that freighting”. My good friend Michael finds it exciting. “I’m a person trying to figure it out”. And I know you are probably guessing, what’s his one word to describe the Royal Enfield motorcycle experience? “My one word is essence. Royal Enfield’s bring back the core essence of motorcycling”. It was a pleasure getting to know Michael over the last week, he’s currently on the road traveling through Mexico with over 3,000 miles on his bike already. I wish you the best during your travels amigo!

I have to end it with one last quote from my good friend Michael; “The biggest risk of all- the risk of spending your life not doing what you want on the bet that you can buy yourself the freedom to do it later”.

 

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Rod Copes Exclusive Interview

 

Copes on GTI hope you’re all ready for this one! Rod Copes himself gave me a few minutes of his time for an exclusive interview for Enfield Rider. Royal Enfield of Fort Worth and I could not have been more excited to have Mr. Copes visit the shop to discuss his plans with Royal Enfield. Rod Copes (leader for expansion in the US and Canada market) comes from a Harley background where he led the global customer sales and service. Obviously the first question I asked him was, “Do you see any similarities between Harley-Davidson and Royal Enfield?” He responded with “Royal Enfield is where Harley was in the 90’s. They have made it through the tough times and in the 90’s the brand (HD) took off, resulting in demand exceeding supply. Royal Enfield has experienced the same thing during 2010-2011. We are going from a small company to a bigger company, now we must ramp up manufacturing capacity, new product development, company service, and quality of product, all simultaneously. And as you may already know, this can be very chaotic for all parties involved.” This “ramp up” has a lot to do with the new factory built in Chennai India. “During the initial phases of the new factory, Royal Enfield had the capacity for 250,000 units/year, however they found out quickly they needed to ramp up that capacity. By the end of next year, Royal Enfield will have the capacity for 500,000 units” (Copes). The thought of 500,000 Royal Enfield’s being built in one-year makes me want to tear up with excitement, welcome to the big league boys.

As we all know by now, Royal Enfield motorcycles are built in India, but what percentage of Enfield’s are sold in India you ask? Well good thing Mr. Copes is here to answer. “About 98% of RE’s are sold in India. Now the plan is to invest in new platforms and new product offerings, ranging from 3-5 new platforms while staying true to the middleweight class” (Copes). Anytime a company manufactures and sells 98% of its product domestically, the employees must switch their mindsets to a broader outlook. “When Royal Enfield sells globally the employees mindset must change. This is similar to what Harley had to realize in the early 2000’s, they had been opportunistically selling outside the US and now (being early 2000’s) they must do it better. But it’s not just about the Royal Enfield customer in India, this mindset change includes things such as growing brand awareness and keeping product quality up throughout all the new markets” (Copes).

Before launching these “new platforms”, Rod Copes explains why creating Brand Awareness is so important. “In 2014, we focused on the launch of the GT. For 2015, we will focus on Brand Awareness. We must explain that Royal Enfield is the oldest motorcycle brand in the world, and it has such a great story! Now how do spread the story? We must build a foundation so when new products are introduced people understand what it is” (Copes). He goes on to explain some of the long and short term goals for the company, “Our goal is for Royal Enfield to be the largest mid-size motorcycle company in the world, and with the growth in the US and Europe we hope to see that within the next few years. Establishing a good relationship with the dealers and consumers will be a major part in this growth being successful. It is important to note that we are continuing to work very closely with our long-standing US distributor, Classic Motorworks.  Classic Motorworks has done a great job of building the Royal Enfield brand in the US market over the past 16 years.  We appreciate their marketing, sales, and client service efforts, as well as the strong dealership network that they created”.

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So you might be wondering, does Rod Copes ride? Bet your ass he does! Not only does he ride, but he rides the Continental GT! “I want a whole stable of Royal Enfields!” (Copes). And when I asked “will that stable include a 350 Scrambler”, with a smile and a laugh Mr. Copes replies with “I cannot comment”. I asked this question because recently, a few articles came out spreading rumors of a possible Royal Enfield Scrambler in the mix. Now you must remember these are RUMORS, and nothing has been confirmed or disconfirmed from Royal Enfield. This company keeps secrets as tight as Apple computers.

Now that the numbers and rumors are out of the way, let’s get down to why people love Royal Enfield. Under ‘The Rider’ section, I included this quote from Bruce Lee, “One does not accumulate but eliminate. It is not daily increase but daily decrease. The height of cultivation always runs to simplicity”. In my opinion, Bruce Lee sums up Royal Enfield perfectly. After showing this to Mr. Copes, he responds with “that’s it! That’s the essence of what Royal Enfield stands for. That’s what we call pure motorcycling. Our theme is to get people back to ‘pure motorcycling’. It’s one with the man. It’s taking the rider back to the day of the 60’s where it was so minimalistic and simplistic. It’s back to just a motor and seat” (Copes).

After every interview I like to ask the interviewee to sum up Royal Enfield in one word. Mr. Copes responded with “I’m going to use two, Pure Motorcycling”. I could not have summed up Royal Enfield any better, and I think the Royal Enfield team will benefit a great deal with Copes joining us. He sees the vision and the limitless possibilities for our growth, “I have the best job in the world” (Copes).

Fasten your helmet straps ladies and gentlemen, we have an exciting ride ahead of us!

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New Yellow Continental GT In the US

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Late 2014, Royal Enfield came out with only 6 yellow Continental GT’s. ONLY 6 for 2014! This write up is for the very lucky Fred Bandy. For those of you who believe in love at first sight, this is what happened to Fred when he walked through the front door of Royal Enfield of Fort Worth, “I had to have it”. Fred lives to be different, “My own entity. I’m always attracted to something different”. Before he left the lot, he installed the D&D upsweep exhaust pipe, stage 1 breather kit, fly screen, and bar end mirrors, giving the Café Racer a whole new look!

A lot of hype has been surrounding the Royal Enfield brand for the last couple of months, it seems that everyday a new article or interview is released. In my opinion, it was a great move to offer only 6 yellow 2014 Continental GT’s. A sense of urgency was created with the low supply of yellow Café Racers and the demand rose through the roof, positioning the company perfectly for the upcoming 2015 year. Fred is now part of history, he is now one of only six who had the opportunity to purchase the limited edition yellow 2014 GT.

When Fred walked into the RE shop he was looking to start his own Café Racer build. Fred once stripped a Puch Motorcycle down to the frame and built it right back up. When he saw the new GT, he immediately thought of his old Puch he wrenched on for hours upon hours in his old garage. Royal Enfield motorcycles tend to bring back priceless memories from the old motorcycle past. Lucky for Fred he bringing back his own priceless memories as we speak!

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Royal Enfield ready to dominate the Mid-size Motorcycle Market

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Lately, there has been some exciting news brewing around the Royal Enfield brand here in the US. As you already may know, Rod Copes (former head of Harley’s global customer sales and service) is now leading Enfield’s expansion in the US and Canada market. Something is ah brewing with this brand. Recently an article was released by www.livemint.com explaining Royal Enfield’s plan to “Dominate” the mid-size motorcycle market in the US. It seems that this company is lining up it’s dominoes to fall strategically in the US market. 

Siddhartha Lal is the managing director of Royal Enfield, the head honcho! Lal is with Eicher motors and in 1993 Eicher motors acquired control of Royal Enfield to bring the company out of near bankruptcy. Since then, Royal Enfield has become the motorcycle leader in India, showing no signs of slowing down. When you compare the US and India market, there are some major differences. Americans consider motorcycles as lifestyle products, “whereas the vehicles are used mostly for commuting in price-sensitive developing economies” (livemint.com). Even though we do consider motorcycles as lifestyle products, the US motorcycle market shows huge potential to generate $6.9 billion in revenue for this year, a huge opportunity for Royal Enfield to grow globally. 

Now what really caught my eye reading this article was Lal’s comments regarding plans for Royal Enfield in the US market. Royal Enfield “plans to ship ‘tens of thousands of motorcycles’ from about 1,000 now, Lal said. It will also introduce new platforms that are better suited to the US and European markets, he said, with the first due next year” (livemint.com). WHAAAAT! It sounds like if you currently own a C5, B5, or G5 you are on the ground floor of an amazing brand about to blow up out of the water! Who know’s what “platforms” Lal is referring to, but it sure is exciting to wonder what he plans for the coming years. Introducing new platforms will be key to grow the Royal Enfield brand in the US. 

I think we can all agree on one thing, the love for Royal Enfield comes from the timeless classic feel you get while you ride or even look at one. From a dealers perspective, here’s a brand you stood by for the last couple of years dreaming and hoping for what it can potentially be, and NOW it is finally happening! A few years ago, when you said “it’s a Royal Enfield”, how many people actually knew what you were talking about. Now it seems that the brand is awakening from it’s slumber, ready to “dominate” the mid-size motorcycle market in the US. Royal Enfield of Fort Worth knows one thing for sure, we’ll keep the light on for the Royal Enfield!

http://www.livemint.com/Companies/TAUA534y2Ry7LSRjfYOaIO/HarleyDavidson-tested-on-home-turf-by-Royal-Enfield-maker-E.html

-The Rider

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The Austin Ride

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One of the biggest concerns I hear from customers, before they purchase a Royal Enfield, is the challenge of riding on the highway. In the DFW area, where we are surrounded by busy interstates, 18-wheelers go flying by you at 80 MPH. I don’t know about you but when the highway starts getting crazy I want to know that my motorcycle has enough pickup to get me out of trouble. Over the last weekend two buddies and I embarked on a trip to the rad city Austin, TX. Two of us were on Royal Enfields and the third guy rode a 48 Harley Sportster (he had a little more motor on us). For the ride there we decided to take 281, which was an absolute killer ride. Our average speed was 70, every once in a while I would run it up to 85, just to get the old kicker going. Even though I have over 10,000 miles on my Royal, it still amazes me with how much torque it has.

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Every 5,000 miles it seems to transform into an even better ride, completely different from the first time I rolled it off the lot. When you’re red lining a Royal Enfield, you know you’re riding a real motorcycle- a true motorcycle of character and wisdom. It’s unlike any bike I have ever ridden. So when the rocks, bugs, and sweat are rolling off my face, I can’t help but wish the ride would never come to an end. Not one time during our 5 hour ride to Austin did I wish for it to end. There is something special about being on a motorcycle next to some good friends on theirs. I don’t know when we will ever be able to do it again, and that’s all the reason to seize the moment and ride like it was your last. And if my Royal Enfield was the last bike I ever got the opportunity of riding, then I think I would be ok with that. Point of the story is, the Royal Enfield is a highway, city, and off-road kind of motorcycle. To my kind mates, Austin (Sportster) and Michael (Military Enfield), thanks for the killer ride!

– The Rider

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Clay Britt: 35,000 Miles in 3 Years

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Who here has ever purchased their first motorcycle and ran over 35,365 miles on it in three years? Clay Britt is that guy! His Enfield is his daily commuter to Austin (over 100 miles a day), where he works as a landscape architect. “Austin is a perfect place for my Royal. It’s the kinda place where everybody wants to be different and efficiency is the name of the game”.

Clay doesn’t classify himself as an “Average Rider”, this isn’t just some weekend ride, this is a rain, snow, sun, and mud kind of ride! “I didn’t want something to big, I wanted a bike no one else had. I fell in love with the Military green color and dreamed about it for over a year. A lot of research went into Royal Enfield before I made the decision to purchase”. Once Clay started researching the brand, he saw how “the romance with the Royal Enfield comes from the long and lustrous history backing the brand from 1901”.

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After 35,365 original miles on Clay’s bike, surely he had something he would like to change about it; “THE ELECTRONICS! Today my horn stopped working, tomorrow it might start working again. One day I might replace all the wiring. I don’t get mad when something doesn’t work or breaks on my Enfield, I know what it is and I accept what it has to offer, it’s a classic ride”.  Clay’s Royal Enfield isn’t the only motorcycle he owns, he also has a 2001 Kawasaki W650 (super retro and cool). “The 650 was surgically engineered to perfection, my Royal is not a masterpiece by any means. The Royal Enfield has charm, I can still say ‘yep, my bike was hand welded and tooled’. My W650 is for going fast, my Royal is a all day bike. On long rides, nothing beats the Royal Enfield”. So the first question that popped into my mind was which bike he likes riding more, “if both bikes were cleaned up, and in perfect condition, I would jump on my Royal before the W650. It is a very simple, back to the basics, no frills kinda deal. It’s no big, expensive luxury ride with creature comforts to distract”.

Clay is one lucky dude. Not only does he own a Royal Enfield and a W650, but he also lives close enough to roll through the twisted sisters ride in the hill country at anytime of his choosing. “Not long ago I went on a 300 mile ride through the hill country. My Royal is so effortless. It’s a small, slow, and super fun bike to ride. You don’t get on a Royal Enfield expecting to go fast, I’m comfortable hanging back in the right lane letting cars pass as I take in the scenery”. Clay went on to talk about the funnest ride he has ever been on, “it had to been the trip from Fort Worth to Austin with my new full system D&D exhaust system. It opened the bike right up, totally rode different”. I bet the back roads from Funky Town Fort Worth to Keep it Weird Austin is pretty gnarly!

“My one word to describe the Royal Enfield experience would be Raw!”

Right on Clay! Keep Austin weird, brother!

– The Rider

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