Royal Enfield cafe racer: here's what we know so far

This says: "Let's go somewhere; fast."

The Royal Enfield cafe racer unveiled (again) last month earned applause all over the world.

Here it is being praised on the blog Return of the Cafe Racer.

There's even a Facebook page dedicated to encouraging Royal Enfield to bring it to market ASAP!

"I want one of these so bad I can taste it," reader Bob Slovey wrote me.

"While surfing the Internet for photos of these jewels, I discovered there have been several renditions displayed since Royal Enfield first considered the concept," he noted. "They are all beautiful."

But, he concludes, maybe it's all just a "tease."

No, it's not. Here's what I know from a source I trust:

The cafe racer is coming "beyond any shadow of a doubt."

• The version shown recently is closest to what will be produced.
• It will have a double down tube frame for sure.
• The frame is close to a featherbed design and does not use the engine as part of it.
• The cafe racer is considerably lighter than a Bullet, so the performance will be good.
• It will have disc brakes front and rear.
• Few parts will interchange with current models.
• The engine WILL be a single.
• It should go like hell.

"It is a no-compromise cafe racer, not a warmed over Bullet," my source said.

What we don't know is when it will be produced. The target is 2013, but there are no promises there.