Royal Enfield Superstar looks great customized

A nice stretch, pan seat and trim rear fender give this Superstar a makeover.

A Royal Enfield Superstar featured twice before on this blog is back and it looks better than ever.

"We emailed back and forth about an interesting Enfield I found on CraigsList in New York," wrote Chris Zeppieri.

"You informed me that it was probably a Bullet Superstar.

Less is always more.

"Well, I couldn't help myself. Moved the swing arm back to another bolt position originally used for the rear rack. Those are the factory springs. Got a new chain, and fabricated a plate/tail light mount.

"Because I am a woodworker — www.timberedworks.com — I felt I needed to add some flavor to this bike so I bent and laminated some stock and shaped that solo pan seat out of solid wood.

Superstar had its headlight separate from instrument panel.

"Also did considerable work in cleaning up the wiring mess. The battery is stored in the left tool box and she rides like a dream!

"Recently brought this to the 5th Annual Brooklyn Invitational Bike Show and it was a hit; had a constant flow of people asking me about it!

Long, low and very clean.

"The (rear) fender is actually a front fender from another bike. I did a lot of modification to put these pieces together; it was a great project.

Racy but not radical.

"And I would totally make more seats if people wanted them!" (Contact him at timberedworks@gmail.com.)

The Superstar was a 350cc variation of the Bullet built in the late 1980s in India and never officially imported into the United States. That makes this a very rare bird. It's even more special now.

The Superstar the way it looked stock.

Can you help identify this motorcycle sidecar?

Do you recognize this sweet looking sidecar?

Can you help identify the sidecar attached to this vintage Harley-Davidson? Its owner wants to know and is asking for help. He writes:

"My name is Carl from Germany and I´m desperate for information on the sidecar fitted to my 1946 WLC. Except for a frame number no manufacturer's plate is visible.

"I bought the WLC last spring in Göteborg, Sweden. The previous owner told me nothing about the sidecar, just that this WLC (Canadian model) was owed by his family since 1946.

The sidecar is well sprung.

"So far as I can see from the old papers the sidecar was fitted to the WLC in the early '50s, but the sidecar looks to me an older model from the 1930s. It's on the left, of course, since Sweden drove on the left side until the 1970s.

"The sidecar is metal clad all over.

There's a small cubby behind the seat.

"The English Swallow sidecar (the sidecar maker that became Jaguar cars) looks pretty close to mine.

"The sidecar looks professionally made by a factory.

Frame number is A 292.

"The frame number is A 292."

Can you help Carl? Write to him at carl.rettieck@web.de

Frame number location.

Nose is well reinforced.

Curved leaf connects to a coil spring (below).

A glimpse underneath. Note coil spring suspension, right.

Long, slim, tapering nose.

Royal Enfield Continental GT makes strong first impression

Launch team members, sitting, from left, Akshit Vyas, Pankaj Vij, Prerna Tandon, Praveen Prakash Sathaye. Standing, from left, Remo Rehman, Radhika Sharda, Satish Kumar, Pallavi Trivedi, Ikshit Pande, Shaji Koshy, Mohit Vini, Shreyas Bhatt, Dinesh Joshi, CEO Siddhartha Lal, Aninda Sardar, Bidisha Dey, Karan Chauhan, Tanisha Sharma and Sandeep Mehta

Royal Enfield launched its new Continental GT in London this month with a truly regal week of activities intended to show the bike to the world's press in the best light. From the Ace Cafe to the National Motorcycle Museum, to the hallowed pavement of the Brooklands race track and the storied sands of Brighton beach, the new cafe racer was the center of attention.

Journalists brought from Japan, Australia, the U.S. and Europe no doubt departed with the impression that they had experienced a significant new British motorcycle (that just happens to be made in India). One writer was so convinced he told me he intended to personally purchase a Continental GT when it reaches his country; this from someone who can ride any motorcycle he likes, any time, for free.

This sales job was the accomplishment of a small but dedicated band of people gathered in London by Royal Enfield and parent company Eicher Motors. Most were no more at home in the UK than the foreign journalists, but their command of events was all polished precision.

It was easy to assume that the motorcycle must be superior, if so much care went into its launch.

Left to itself, the Continental GT is a world beater — or it is not — depending on how its spec sheet aligns with your needs. It comes in one color. I hope you like red.

But the motorcycle was not left to itself. The launch team shepherded the press through venues and lectures that bathed the new cafe racer in the warm glow of nostalgia. On a walking tour of London our guide pointed out the rooftop where the Beatles gave their final live performance (neighbors complained about the noise).

Looking at Brighton beach I realized it's not made of sand; it's all smooth, fist-sized rocks. If they'd been serious, the rioting Mods and Rockers could have massacred one another with those.

On Brighton Pier I watched an elderly gentleman roll his wife's wheelchair up to a row of Continental GTs. They gazed at the bikes warmly; approvingly. It was such a solemn moment I hesitated to photograph it. Memories of 50 years ago?

Approving glances on Brighton Pier.

Magical impressions like this were everywhere at the launch of the Continental GT. Special as they were, they were not entirely accidental. They happened because the launch team created opportunities for them to happen.

"Two steps above," was the judgment of one experienced motorcycle writer, comparing the launch of the Continental GT to the many other events he has attended.

The Continental GT launch was many steps above what I would have thought of: just have two girls in swimsuits pose with the bike (as in the old Norton magazine ads) at a press conference during a motorcycle show where the press has gathered anyway.

As a motorcycle, the Continental GT surprised and thrilled me. Its launch impressed me.

"This is not a hobby," Eicher CEO Siddhartha Lal told journalists at Brooklands. Royal Enfield is serious. The launch of the Continental GT proves it.

The best video of the Royal Enfield Continental GT

The Royal Enfield Continetal GT cafe racer makes you want to ride.

This is the video that will convince motorcyclists around the world to buy the new Royal Enfield Continental GT.

It's the best of several videos on the Royal Enfield website and is entitled "The Royal Enfield Continental GT Story."

Buyers will want to bookmark it to show friends who question what draws them to the sexy looking (but comfortably slow) cafe racer.

Some will be mystified.

"For my money Enfield hasn't moved the game on at all," John Urry wrote in Piston Heads after riding the Continental GT from London to Brighton with other journalists this month.

His mount stalled four times before it left the parking lot at the Ace Cafe. "Call me picky, but I expect a 2013 fuel injected bike to be able to fuel itself without my interference," he wrote. Once going he found too much vibration and too little speed.

"Charming," he called the Enfield but, at the price, not for him.

He needs to watch the video a few more times.

The video, as expected, shows off the new cafe racer to a rock'n'roll sound track. But it starts with the history of the the cafe racers, the Rockers, the original Continental GT of 1965 and Royal Enfield in Britain.

"If you bought a Royal Enfield it was Job Done," the video begins. "It was King of the Hill."

We hear about the history from author Gordon May, Redditch-era sales manager Roger Boss, Sideburn magazine editor Gary Inman, Men's File editor Nick Clements, Mark Wilsmore of Lewis Leathers and some actual Rockers.

These guys aren't selling the new Continental GT; they're explaining in effect why the original, marketed in 1965, was so cool. They make you want to go back in time and live it.

And, suddenly, you can!

Because here comes the story of how the new Continental GT was created to pay homage to  the Swinging '60s. Steve Harris of Harris Performance, which designed the frame and Mark Wells of Xenophya Design, which designed the body, explain their role.

Finally, from Royal Enfield India, product designer S. Sivakumar wraps up the motivation behind creating the new motorcycle.

Let me spoil the video's kicker for you: "the fastest, lightest, most powerful Royal Enfield in production." See the appeal? Still no? Watch the video!

Cycle World reviews the new Royal Enfield Continental GT

Royal Enfield Continental GTs shimmer in the rain at the Ace Cafe.

I've been watching for Cycle World's "first ride" story on the new Royal Enfield Continental GT since I watched John Burns and Rich Cox riding and photographing the motorcycle in London.

It's one thing for me to ride the most powerful motorcycle Royal Enfield has ever built (in India). I was preconditioned to enjoy any improvement over my own pedestrian (sometimes you walk) 1999 iron-barrel Bullet.

What would experienced motorcycle journalists say about a 2014 "cafe racer" with only 29 (claimed) bhp at 5,100 rpm?

Well, Burns writes, the Continental GT sure makes you appreciate why "doing the ton" was such a big deal back in the heyday of the cafe racers: this bike won't do it!

"Purely from a functional standpoint it feels like a lovable antique..."

Which — surprisingly — might be a good thing:

"Eureka! Reliable modern bikes that look like antiques are just what many doctors are ordering lately — to be transported to a happy, simpler time without the need to bring tools. Hats off to Royal Enfield for producing a bike that will appeal to mature riders while still being affordable enough... to get the attention of hipsters."

Check out the article for a complete briefing on the new bike and its features. Naturally, Burns spotted a lot of things I overlooked, overcome as I was by what my wife calls "Moon Eyed Adoration." She ought to know.

Here's a fun thing: one of the photos in the Cycle World article is not of the new Continental GT — it's of the original 1965 Continental GT.

Talk about authentic reproduction; I completely missed the distinction the first time I read the article.

Johnny Brittain shares his luster with new Royal Enfield

Johnny Brittain with U.S. distributor Kevin Mahoney at Brooklands launch.

Cafe racers of the Swinging '60s looked to the road racers of that day for inspiration. But Royal Enfield's post-war racing fame came from off the beaten path — in trials and the prestigious International Six Days Trials (ISDT).

The name associated with those days is Johnny Brittain. I was star-struck to be seated near him when he was introduced at the launch of the new Royal Enfield Continental GT Sept. 11 at Brooklands.

"Johnny Brittain was the mainstay of the Enfield trials team through the 1950s and beyond, as well as performing to gold standard in the ISDT with monotonous regularity... Enfield took a good proportion of the trails honors in the postwar era and the main credit for this has to go to Johnny Brittain," Roy Bacon writes in "Royal Enfield, The Postwar Models."

Royal Enfield 500 Twin as raced by Johnny Brittain in 1953

"My ambitions were to be a good trials rider and an ambassador for the Royal Enfield Company," Brittain wrote in a Forward for that book.

His presence at the launch of the new Continental GT seemed to continue that role. In launching this new model, Royal Enfield (India!) missed no opportunity to associate itself with the long ago history of Royal Enfield (Britain). 

500 Twin has speedometer combined with tachometer; clock at left; spare lever on bars.

Positioned on the grass outside the press conference was a Royal Enfield 500 twin "as ridden by Johnny Brittain in the 1953 International Six Days Trial."

Gordon May explains the significance of HNP 331.

Another motorcycle, Brittain's "legendary HNP 331" trials Bullet, was on display for a press tour of Royal Enfields at the National Motorcycle Museum in Birmingham Sept. 12.

Gordon May's Johnny
Brittain documentary.

Our guide, author Gordon May, told us that Brittain used the same number for all his race bikes. Badly damaged in the 2003 fire that devastated the museum, this factory built trials motorcycle is now restored but, not surprisingly, the original magnesium crankcase was irreplaceable.

That led to a small error, Gordon said. There's a small casting on the oil filter housing Brittain always hacksawed off, lest it catch on a rock.

The machine is lightened in every way for competition, so I was surprised to see a speedometer tucked behind the front down bar, actually beneath the high mounted exhaust pipe. 

Some long-distance events required sections on roads, so you'd want to know how fast you were going, Gordon explained.

At the launch party for the Continental GT at the Ace Cafe in London Brittain was presented with a red Continental GT helmet by Siddhartha Lal, CEO of Royal Enfield parent company Eicher Motors. It was one more trophy for a man with many.

New Continental GT makes a pilgrimage to Redditch

Royal Enfield's new Continental GT cafe racer was present to be photographed at the National Museum of Motorcycles in Birmingham, U.K. Centerpiece was the Redditch built original, center.

One Australian journalist called it "quite a nice trick," taking the press gathered for the launch of the new Royal Enfield Continental GT through the National Motorcycle Museum in Birmingham, U.K.

"All the time we're passing up motorcycles we would absolutely drool over to look at a bunch of (naughty word) Royal Enfields!"

Gordon May shows the press Royal Enfields in the National Motorcycle Museum.

Author Gordon May accomplished this feat, noting with pride at one point that the group had its back toward "an absolutely stunning collection of Bough Superiors."

We were instead closely examining a Royal Enfield 500 Twin ("boring name," Gordon acknowledged).

Gordon May wheels out a Flying Flea: Rubber band front suspension!

Royal Enfield didn't just introduce a new model last week in the UK. The company immersed the visiting press in the appeal of the Rockers and cafe racers, taking us on a walking tour of the London of the Swinging '60s, and to talks on "revivalist subcultures" from photographer Nick Clements and on cafe racers by Sideburn magazine publisher Gary Inman.

At Lewis Leathers (founded 1892) owner Derek Harris showed us original pattern leather motorcycle jackets. Did you know the Rockers liked the zipper to the side (the "Lightning" jacket) so it wouldn't scratch the tank when they laid across it?

The "Bullet" for 1934 had an actual speeding bullet motif on the tank.

Final stop Sept. 12 was Redditch, the site of Royal Enfield factories for most of its existence in Britain. Gordon conducted the group past the crumbling remains of the once immense works, pointing out the words "Royal Enfield" still visible on the roof, and, if you look, in Google satellite view.

Refreshments were at the Royal Enfield Cafe in Redditch. Once the town's movie palace, the Royal Enfield is now a spacious pub and restaurant. The new Royal Enfield Continental GT and its 1965 predecessor were drawn up outside in the sunshine.

What do people who built the original (left) think of a Royal Enfield from India?

But just inside there were a few icy stares from locals watching the leather-clad Indians and their motley crew of motor writers swarming off the bus.

"I wonder what English people think?" one Indian quietly said to me.

Martyn Clarke, "Redditch born and bred," stepped up to break the ice. He's in the oil business and has an Indian-made Bullet in Dubai.

Naturally, his association with Royal Enfield is a long one. He remembers his father had a Royal Enfield in the shed on their garden allotment. Young Martyn was told he could ride it as soon as he could pick it up. He was delighted when the day finally came, but disappointed that his father only meant he could ride back and forth from home to the shed!

"I'm sorry to see it go to India," Martyn said. "Redditch had Royal Enfield and there was BSA in Birmingham and Triumph in Meriden. We had a world motorcycle industry in the Midlands."

Modern motorcycles don't do that much for him anyway.

"I'm an engineer, being in the oil business. If it's just a matter of taking out one chip and putting in another chip..." He shook his head.

I told him that the new Continental GT cafe racer uses the traditional Royal Enfield long-stroke motor and that the company's CEO says he wants someone — perhaps in the UK — to build him one that will do the ton.

"If he wants to do that, I know some people who could help," Martyn said. "If people want to get back to basic engineering, that's awesome!"

Journalists photograph plaque noting location of Royal Enfield factory in Redditch.

Royal Enfield Continental GT inspired by original bad boy

Royal Enfield says its new cafe racer has "sporty yet ergonomic" seating.

Xenophya Design in the UK gets credit for consulting on the look of the new Royal Enfield Continental GT cafe racer. But there is no question where the inspiration came from.

The new Royal Enfield cafe racer takes up exactly where the original 1965 Continental GT left off. From the indented fuel tank to the bump stop seat to the clip-on handlebars and rear set controls — and the red color — it's the rule breaking motorcycle Roger Boss visualized in 1962.

Roger was Royal Enfield sales manager in those days. By chance, I sat next to him and legendary Royal Enfield trials rider Johnny Brittain at the press conference launching the new Continental GT Wednesday at Brooklands.

1965 Continental GT broke the rules.

Author Gordon May, a Royal Enfield legend himself, thanks to six books on the brand, MC'd the event, telling the audience how Brittain had brought racing renown to the brand while Boss had brought the company an exciting new motorcycle.

The new Continental GT is "the first production, factory built cafe racer," claimed Siddhartha Lal, CEO of Royal Enfield's parent company, Eicher Motors. But that's not quite true.

The original Continental GT, launched in 1965, deserves that title — and Roger delighted in telling me the story of how it came about as the press conference broke up.

As I got it, he had attended a sober meeting of the dealers' association at which it was agreed that there would be no forward-leaning seating position offered on factory motorcycles, as encouraging speeding was "bad for the image of motorcycling."

"I immediately went back to Royal Enfield and told them 'we've got to put clip-ons on these motorcycles!'" Roger said.

Naturally, Roger can't help but be proud of that little bit of dishonesty, and happy with the new Continental GT.

"Wonderful!" he exclaimed as applause ended the press conference.

Roger Boss, left, poses with Kevin Mahoney, U.S. distributor for Royal Enfield.

Graham Scarth, chairman of the Royal Enfield Owners Club in the UK, actually had the last word on the new Continental GT Wednesday.

"I had one of the original Continental GTs," he told the writers gathered for the press conference.

"I hope it'll put a smile on your face as big as the smile it put on mine."

Another inspiring sight at Brooklands: Johnny Brittain's Royal Enfield 500 twin, winner of the 1953 International Six Days Trial, the last time a British team won the event.

Royal Enfield Continental GT cafe racer price, appeal

The new Royal Enfield Continental GT cafe racer on display at Brooklands.
At rear is the original Royal Enfield Contiental GT of 1964.

The new Royal Enfield Continental GT cafe racer will cost $7,200 "on the road" when it reaches the U.S., Siddhartha Lal, chairman of parent company Eicher Motors announced Wednesday.

"For the same amount of money you can buy a faster bike," he told a press conference at the historic Brookland race track.

But maybe you don't want to do that, he implied, joking that a member of his team had earned the first speeding ticket for the new motorcycle in a ride to Brighton Tuesday.

"I had wanted to be the one to do that," Lal said.

A sports bike would have guaranteed the CEO a road fine; but that would have been too easy.

On the Continental GT he'd felt more involved, working to get the maximum enjoyment out of the motorcycle.

"Sports bikes can be android like. The machine is bigger than the person. The person is always the limitation, never the machine," he said.

Big cruisers, too, offer effortless power, but can be "intimidating" — if it fell, could you even pick it up?

"There's space for something completely different," Lal said, sounding like the guru of mid-size motorcycles 250-750cc. He means motorcycles where "you don't have excess power and weight."

CEO Siddhartha Lal tells the press why  riders will be drawn to the new cafe racer.

The Continental GT is "fabulous fun to ride in real-world conditions and allows you to experience the most important time — and that is the present," he said.

Royal Enfield's Unit Constructed Engine has been "sent to the gym" for the Continental GT, adding 35cc and a remapped Electronic Control Unit. The rest of the motorcycle is new from the ground up, with twin downtube frame, new front forks and performance tires and rear shocks.

Obviously, it's also styled to evoke the romantic era of the British cafe racers. Lal explained what he finds so appealing about that period:

"It was a time when people did things."

"The world feels a little flat... virtual and abstract have been taken to their zenith."

iPhone users experience the world in the palm of their hand but "a lot of it is only slabs of glass. What we experience are the experiences of others. We yearn for something more than that. Tactile stuff. We want to create experiences of our own. We want to be in the present."

After the press conference he told a round-table of writers that he wasn't worried that about the Continental GT drawing customers. Its summons to "motorcycling at its absolute purist" will do that, he said.

"There's an affinity. It's somewhere in the back of the mind. If we put it before them it will bring it out," he said.

Specifications released for the Continental GT promise 29.1 bhp. The international journalists present asked why not 10 more? One also got Lal to clarify that the sweet sounding and sexy muffler being displayed on the Continental GT in the UK is an accessory; the standard muffler will be bigger, quieter and presumably less attractive.

But UK distributor for Royal Enfield, Steve Oliver, waved off these concerns when  asked about them later, at a launch party at London's Ace Cafe. Prior to the launch he had personally ridden the Continental GT farther than anyone else in the UK. He found it "sublime."

"The power, the brakes, the handling are balanced," he said.

Royal Enfield Continental GT shows off for the press

Royal Enfield Continental GT on the famous banking at Brooklands race track.

You are about to read dozens of well considered articles on the Internet and in the motoring press introducing the new Royal Enfield Continental GT cafe racer. Motor writers from around the world rode a fleet of the new motorcycles from the Ace Cafe in London to the historic Brooklands race track and on to Brighton Pier Tuesday.

More will ride the Continental GT today. Most will compliment it as the best motorcycle ever offered by Royal Enfield, and suggest that it be made to go faster. Motor writers like speed.

I know. I tried to keep up with them Sept. 10. I was the absolute last to arrive in Brighton but I nevertheless proclaim the Continental GT a fine looking motorcycle, incomparably better in every regard than my 1999 Bullet and — yes — plenty fast enough for me.

Squadrons of Royal Enfield Continental GTs await departure at the Ace Cafe.

The Continental GT's confident disk brakes apologized for my every blunder, the exacting five-speed transmission replied to every request without a single false neutral and the willing engine delivered "Let's Get Out of Here" acceleration whenever summoned.

Once I found it (my Bullet doesn't have one) the electric starter button became my great friend in traffic.

An Australian journalist saw me visibly lose the plot on approach to one intersection (we ride on the other side of the road in the U.S.)  but said later he wasn't worried about me, because "you had a smile on your face."

Very true. Hunched forward in grand prix style I gave the Continental GT the lash in an effort to regain time lost to better riders in traffic.

How close is the new Continental GT to the original? Take a look.

The press motorcycles will become "demonstrators" in the UK, I was told. If you would like to try to avoid buying mine, I will reveal that it was registered as PN63-VCE.

Seriously, I have no business telling you the rear-set controls of the Continental GT were comfortable when they are the only rear-set controls I have ever experienced and I experienced them while on the "wrong side" of unfamiliar roads on the way to somewhere I've never been in a foreign land. But they were nice.

Continental GTs rumbled into Brighton like the Return of the Rockers.

Criticism? From me? I liked it from 100 yards. Speaking as a commuter, the stylish mirrors did strike me as too small — but no one who saw them would ruin "the look" by making them larger.

Confident CEO Siddhartha Lal is interviewed on Brighton Pier.

Royal Enfield Continental GT cafe racer gears up

Royal Enfield Continental GT helmet, gloves and jacket.

The Royal Enfield Contiental GT is set to make its debut in London. Journalists and observers (that would be me) here to see it were presented with a letter Monday stating Royal Enfield's intentions.

The company is laying claim not just to a style of motorcycle, but to the legacy of an iconic period in British motorcycling.

The letter is personally signed by Siddhartha Lal, CEO of parent company Eicher Motors Ltd. It reads:

"Welcome to the launch of the all new Royal Enfield Continental GT — a bike that is set to reinvent cafe racing in the 21st Century. At Royal Enfield this is a landmark occasion and we are glad that you could join us here in London, for the first rides and celebration.

"The Continental GT truly embodies what Royal Enfield is trying to accomplish. To make stunning bikes that are truly engaging at every level. It's motorcycling at its purest!

"To experience the bike in its most relevant context, we have tried to put together an authentic cafe racing experience for you during your stay with us. Towards that, we have a full itinerary designed to re-create the magic and nostalgia of the swinging '60s, even as you test out the responsiveness and agility of the bike.

"I hope you have as much fun riding the bike as I did."

Monday night's lesson on the swinging '60s was a walking tour of London to "focus on the 1960's socio-cultural environment with a special focus on music, art, etc." This is indeed how I remember the 1960s: I was walking.

Today about 40 journalists and observers (including me) are to ride the Continental GT. We'll follow a route a biker of the 1960s would recognize, from the Ace Cafe to Brooklands and on to Brighton.

We'll be kitted out in red and black helmets, jackets and gloves emblazoned with the Continental GT brand.

That ought to make a statement.

Royal Enfield launches acclaimed new Continental GT

You're going to be reading much more about Royal Enfield's new Cafe Racer.

Motorbike Times recently ran a contest for a pair of VIP tickets to the Royal Enfield Cafe Racer launch party Wednesday, Sept. 11, at the Ace Cafe in London. Winners were promised the chance to "rub shoulders with some of the UK's top motorcycle journalists."

The winners can rub shoulders with me, too, if they want. I'll be there, courtesy of Royal Enfield. I was delighted to be invited.

Full disclosure: not only is Royal Enfield paying my way across the Atlantic from the United States and putting me up, they've promised I will get the chance to ride an actual example of the new Continental GT cafe racer.

Additional disclosure: if, previous to this invitation I was disposed to like the new motorcycle, I am now disposed to adore it. This is the transforming effect of someone else paying the freight.

I feel certain that the "UK's top motorcycle journalists" will thoroughly test the cafe racer's performance. I predict they will suggest that it needs more power. Top motorcycle journalists never suggest than any motorcycle needs less of that.

My perspective as a commuter, not a racer, will lead me to evaluate the cafe racer on my own all-important criterion: How do I look on this thing?

After all, just because I am going from Point A to Point B day in and day out does not mean I can't do it on a motorcycle that sings of rock'n'roll. A motorcycle signifies freedom, even for a wage slave.

(I expect my test ride to be thrilling, mostly because it will be on the "wrong" side of the road, something I've never attempted before on two wheels.)

It's a big moment for Royal Enfield. I'm proud to be there to see it.

Screaming Banshee horn blasts only when you need it

Sometimes a friendly tap on the horn is all you need. Sometimes you need more.

How about a motorcycle horn that beeps a friendly greeting but blasts a "GET OUT OF MY WAY" warning when danger looms?

A company called Screaming Banshee has perfected just such a horn system, and will sell it to you for just about $100. They even think they thought of it first.

Actually, I suggested exactly — almost, well, not quite — the same thing years ago. In a 2005 post on the Royal Enfield Yahoo group (you can look it up — it's message No. 39105) I suggested an internationally recognized panic warning sound that a rider could trigger with a second button when the motorcycle's standard horn wasn't enough.

All Screaming Banshee has done is cleverly combine the RUN FOR YOUR LIFE noise with your motorcycle's existing sweet little horn button.

You can pop the horn button for a pleasing toot or hold it down for .15 of a second and trigger a massive blast of sound — 139 decibels of it. The Screaming Banshee also can flash the motorcycle headlights, to increase the warning effect.

The makers of Screaming Banshee credit the idea to Peter Olt, who came up with it in 2011 after a narrow escape when a car suddenly entered his lane. In a press release the company calls his idea "the first automatic loud horn and light warning system for motorcycles, scooters, cars, boats and snowmobiles."

They give me no credit whatsoever.

Screaming Banshee's website claims the system will work on any motorcycle with a 12-volt electrical system. Installation appears to be a matter of fitting the second (LOUD) horn and tapping into existing wiring. The air horn can draw 20 amps but it takes it directly from the battery.

I found watching the video of Peter Olt installing the device on his own motorcycle the best explanation of how it works.


I made my 2005 comment on the Royal Enfield Yahoo group in response to a discussion of whether air horns really make motorcycles safer. What if a clueless driver reacts by looking around for a tractor trailer and still misses the motorcycle? What if he panics at the sound blast and hits the gas instead of backing off? What about noise pollution?

It seems to me that Screaming Banshee has found the fix: beep when it works, blast if you have to.

"The whole point of our system is to provide a loud horn ONLY when it is really needed, and not to promote the excessive use of a very loud horn," the website notes.

Disclaimer: I've never tried to install a Screaming Banshee on a Royal Enfield. In an online chat, the company's Greg Moore suggested their split-system version might be best for a Royal Enfield. I have no connection with the company and have accepted nothing from them.

Frankly, the whole point of this blog post is simply to boast that I thought of it first!

Royal Enfield Bullet team sets a record at Bonneville

DRS Cycle team makes its record run at Bonneville.

Dan Holmes and his DRS Cycle team left the Bonneville Salt Flats this year with a record despite wind, rain and a blown motor. The team ran out of time to compete fully in both gas and nitrous oxide classes.

"We were disappointed that we were unable to run our spare engine in fuel," Dan wrote me.

"We were lined up waiting for hours after having made a heroic effort to change engines and run the spare for the first time. We ran 105 mph in gas, which was the exact same speed we ran with our A motor, only with higher temperature and humidity.

Team owner Dan Holmes.

"The density at altitude is a major factor and normally aspirated engines are at the mercy of Mother Nature. We realized since it will run we needed the NOX to create our own atmosphere. We jetted it for the max — we consulted Glen Kyle, our engine builder, and he said go for it.

"Incidentally the reason we were in this situation is we ran a 10 horsepower call in fuel and went 120.9 one way — we then went to a 20 horsepower call and we believe we were running 120 mph plus when it went bang!

"We later found out that the tank vent was plugged; we fixed it and hurried back. We wanted so very much to be billed the World's Fastest Indian Bullet!

Dan Holmes with son Nathan.

"In any event we suffered through and were waiting and waiting; then the rain came. We were hoping it would pass by but it was a gully washer.

"So, Heart Break Hotel. We lost Wednesday due to wind; we lost Thursday due to rain...

"We left the salt with a record but it is sort of shallow: our two-way record is 105 mph and this was with a 120 mph pass and a return run of 91 mph coasting. We are confident we can run 130 plus; just did not get a chance to prove it!

"We do have a record, so mission accomplished, sort of!"

You can see more pictures of the Bonneville Bullet team in action on the DRS Cycle Facebook page. Johnny Szoldrak was the rider, Jim Myers was the team's primary team sponsor and electrical engineer.

Johnny Szoldrak, Jim Myers, Nathan Holmes and Daniel Holmes at Bonneville Salt Flat.

What is it like to own a Royal Enfield motorcycle?

This Royal Enfield owner prepared himself with service manuals.

What is it like to own a Royal Enfield Bullet? Let's ask the man who owns one — and is trying to sell it.

The seller of a 2004 Royal Enfield Military in Warner Robins, Ga. recently summed it all up pretty well in his ad on CraigsList:

"Of course it's not a 1955 Royal Enfield, it's a 2004 Royal Enfield Bullet 500ES. But everyone will think it's a 1955 bike. Actually most people will think it's an old Harley, because that's the only motorcycle they know.

"This bike has plenty of upgrades: shorty exhaust (carb re-jetted), high-flow oil pump, solo seat with pillion, bullet turn signals, retro mirror, duckbill breather, pedestrian slicer, etc.

"It has electric start, but I usually kick it for the full experience. Runs great, no problems other than being a 1950s British design — means that you will have to enjoy turning a wrench (points, timing, etc.), and it will leave its mark.

"Case is tight, but it will wet sump if you don't set it to Top Dead Center when you put it away (and sometimes even if you do).

"It is a blast to ride, handles great, and each thump of the one-lung shoves you down the road a couple of feet. Tops out at about 60 (hauling my 215 pounds around).

"This is not a highway bike.

"This is not for someone who wants to go fast.

"This is not for someone who doesn't want to turn a wrench."

If this sounds right to you, his asking price is $3,200.

(NOTE: The seller's statements certainly apply to Royal Enfields of the recent past. The more modern versions, with Unit Constructed Engines —  starting in 2009 — are less maintenance intensive than his 2004 motorcycle.)