Royal Enfield Factory Cafe Racer- Motorcycle Industry News

Royal Enfield’s Factory Cafe Start the jukebox at the Ace, we’re off to bust the Ton (maybe).

February 6, 2013 By Mark Hoyer 11 Comments
Photographer : Jeff Allen

Royal Enfield Cafe Racer

Got the café itch? Royal Enfield is ready to scratch with the 2014 Café Racer. “Nothing about the bike is the same,” said Ron Greene, VP of sales and dealer development at Royal Enfield USA about the CR’s relationship to the rest of the 500cc line.

The standard 84 x 90mm Single has been bored 3mm to land at 535cc. A hotter cam and larger-bore Keihin EFI throttle body are fitted to suit. “It has about four more horsepower, so output should be around 32,” said Greene. The extra power and taller gearing should result in a top-speed boost over the 79-mph G5 we last tested (November, 2009).

An all-new, double-downtube frame features sportier geometry and a longer swingarm. Italian-made suspension is  branded Royal Enfield, with a non-adjust-able 38mm fork by Gabriel and twin preload- and-rebound-adjustable shocks by Paioli. The Brembo front brake setup has a full-floating disc. These changes and new bodywork help the 365-pound-claimed Café Racer achieve a 46-lb. weight loss vs. the standard C5 Classic. Expect the $7295 CR in dealers by August.

mwvachon

Love the look, just wondering who they’re gonna attract with only that many ponies?

http://www.facebook.com/lemieuxmc Marc Lemieux

People who don’t want to spend too much money and don’t feel the need to go too fast.

Even a slow motorcycle gets to the scene of the crash at least ten minutes before the ambulance does.
Jeffrey

Your missing the point. This bike on the right twisty back road will beat a Busa
Stephen

They’re gonna attract me, that’s who! I own a 2009 Royal Enfield Bullet G5. Over the last ten months I’ve ridden just under 12,000 largely trouble-free miles and have enjoyed every one. Yes, my OEM battery died on me but the bike’s kick starter allowed me to limp home. I said limp because these newer EFI bikes actually do require a battery. I swapped out the lead-acid wet battery for a modern sealed gel unit and I’ve had no problems since.

These bikes have some quirks but they are an absolute blast to ride. They are air-cooled pushrod thumpers so you need to check for loose fasteners on a regular basis. Loctite becomes a standard part of your tool kit. You will need a tool kit as Royal Enfields are not riding appliances. They require modest rather than minimal attention but nothing a novice mechanic who is willing to learn can’t handle. This is a part of the Enfield ownership experience that I personally find enjoyable.

Regarding the low horsepower rating, twenty seven ponies is a lot more fun than you would believe. The only way you’ll ever know if an Enfield is right for you is to ride one. Contact your local dealer (if you have a local RE dealer) and see if they have a demo bike for you to try. I rode my G5 bone-stock for almost a year and it always managed to put a smile on my face.

There are some simple and cheap things that can be done to extract more performance from Royal Enfield’s new UCE (Unit Construction Engine) bikes. I have replaced my Bullet’s stock 17-tooth countershaft sprocket with a larger 18-tooth sprocket to raise the final gear ratio. This modification made a very noticeable improvement in the bike’s high-speed capabilities by lowering the RPMs (and vibration) on the highway. I also replaced my bike’s stock “torpedo” exhaust can with an Emgo Dunstall Replica reverse megaphone silencer. This mod shaved nine pounds from the bike and allows her to exhale better at higher speeds. Again, this was a noticeable and welcome improvement on interstate highways.

Dumping forty five pounds of balast while adding four ponies of output should make a BIG improvement to the Royal Enfield’s performance. Based on my personal experience with my ’09 G5, sign me up for the Cafe Racer!

BenjaminJGrimm

ethic’s boycott, can’t/won’t buy anything from India, too bad.

czylane

I agree.
Jeffrey

Simply your loss, and I bet you many things you do get do have ties to there

BenjaminJGrimm

Nothing I purchase comes from India, jeez, don’t you people read anything other than cycle world? I have spent approximately $3000 per employee (we have 93)the last 2 yrs on health and safety compliance (in Canada) loose estimates put industrial deaths in India at 200 to 300 per month! No health and safety, the Prime Minister can’t even guarantee that any product purchased from India did not use child labour, legislation to prevent child labour was introduced to the Indian parliament LAST JULY! It still has not passed, I consider my self an informed consumer, when I purchased my monster in 2010 I told 2 dealers that I didn’t want one built 3 months before or 3 months after the world cup, dealer that listened got the sale. Didn’t want any over excited or weeping Italians building my bike.

Amar_Enfield Rider

Whats the ethics issue with India? I think you may be getting confused India is not the same as China LOL;)

5-0 BAIT

I think I want one. I’m just wondering what those wheel sizes are, if I can convert to regular sportbike tires. I’m off to look up Royal Enfield’s history…
oldjohn1951

Double down-tube frame, huh? Sounds to me like a parallel twin 750cc needs to go in there, just like the 1971 Rickman. Tell India to get moving with the updated Series 3 twin and they’ll never make enough.