"Royal Enfields" take Harry Potter fans on wild ride

Hagrid takes look-alike Royal Enfields onto the roller coaster track at Universal Orlando Resort.

Fans of Harry Potter and roller coasters lined up for as long as 10 hours for the chance to ride Royal Enfield motorcycle sidecar outfits at Universal Orlando Resort in Florida.

Just opened Thursday, the "Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure" puts riders on the seat of a "motorcycle" or in its sidecar for a twisting ride through the Forbidden Forest.

"Due to anticipated excitement by our guests, Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure may experience high demand," the theme park warns visitors on its website. Advice is to check the park's hotline at 407-817-8060 for updates.

The roller coaster hits speeds up to 50 miles per hour and it's the longest roller coaster ride in Florida, nearly a mile long. The ride moves both forward and backward, and there's a "free fall" of 17 feet.

Riders who've tried it like it, according to The Orlando Sentinel.

"Hurl past impossible obstacles and dodge fierce beasts you've never seen before on a freewheeling coaster flight that will bring you close to some of the wizarding world's rarest magical creatures," the theme park says.

Universal Orlando Resort roller coaster..

Riders who grab seats on the "motorcycles" are really out in the breeze, clinging to handlebars. Sidecar riders are more tucked in.

The "motorcycles" are not real Royal Enfields, but they look similar and the sidecar outfits used in the Potter movies were in fact modified Royal Enfields. Here's my item on Royal Enfield's documented role in the movies.

Real Royal Enfield and sidecar appeared at ride's grand opening.

A real Royal Enfield and sidecar are seen in the park's video for the ride's grand opening.

You can go along for a ride in this Universal Orlando Resort video.

Royal Enfield's wizard ride with Harry Potter

Here's a bit of Royal Enfield magic on display in London.
(Lizbt Action Photo)

Royal Enfield motorcycles may someday be the first choice of a particular group of young riders just becoming old enough and wealthy enough to afford a motorcycle. These would be the youngsters who will never outgrow their childhood fascination with Harry Potter.

A magical Royal Enfield and sidecar figures in two of the movies made from the series of books about Harry Potter, a young wizard growing up in the "wizarding world" that parallels the "Muggle world" ordinary people like you and I live in.

In our world, a Royal Enfield motorcycle is often fitted with a sidecar. Riding one is fun. In Harry's world,  riding a Royal Enfield is thrilling.

The excitement isn't over just because the movies aren't in the theaters anymore. There's a whole industry devoted to keeping it alive. Harry's Royal Enfield and sidecar is on display at Warner Bros. Studio Tour, London.

Here in the U.S. there's "The Wizarding World of Harrry Potter" at Universal's Islands of Adventure theme park in Orlando, Fla. It's popular. Universal has announced a significant expansion for the attraction and there will be a similar attraction for its Universal Studios theme park in Hollywood, Calif.

Universal warns on its website that the popularity of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is one reason you'll want to purchase a two-day pass to its many attractions in Orlando. The implication is that otherwise you won't experience it all — presumably you'll be spending some time waiting in lines.

A two-day pass will give you time to "dine on authentic British food" in the park's Three Broomsticks Tavern.

You can take a remarkable (and free) interactive tour of the theme park right from the comfort of your computer. Sorry, no authentic British food is served on the virtual tour.

Pictures I've been able to find on line don't show the motorcycle and sidecar on display at the Orlando Park. But we know that Watsonian Squire was building one for Florida and the attraction is being expanded, so I expect to see it there one day.

I'm way too old for Harry Potter and my children are grown. But for younger people, the Royal Enfield will be an iconic suggestion of what it must be like to be just like Harry — and an invitation to find out for themselves.

Harry Potter fails to ride Royal Enfield to an Oscar

Royal Enfield propels Harry Potter through his final two movies.

Royal Enfield motorcycles missed their best chance to win an Oscar late Sunday evening when Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 missed out on the award for best visual effects. The Academy Award for Special Effects went to the movie Hugo.

A flying motorcycle did show up at the 84th Academy Awards ceremony. It was featured in host Billy Crystal's spoof opening montage. In the montage Crystal appeared in a collection of clips that inserted him into key moments from nominated films.

In one brief sequence he was pictured riding a ratty sidecar outfit — a reference to the sidecar combination in the movie The Adventures of Tintin. It's probably a Ural.

Dressed as Tintin, Academy Awards host Billy Crystal "rides" a sidecar rig.

"The visual-effects prize had been the last chance for the Harry Potter franchise to win an Oscar," the Associated Press reported. "The finale, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, had been nominated for visual effects and two other Oscars but lost all three. Previous Harry Potter installments had lost on all nine of their nominations.

"The teen wizard may never have struck Oscar gold, but he has a consolation prize: $7.7 billion at the box office worldwide, including $1.3 billion from Deathly Hallows: Part 2, last year's top-grossing movie," the AP reported.

We won't know how many Royal Enfield sidecar outfits the movies sold until the young people who watched the films grow up and start buying them.

Harry Potter's flying Royal Enfield takes to the sky with the help of a crane.

Here's Billy Crystal's opening montage from the 84th Academy Awards. Ride along.

Harry Potter movie makers show how to fly a Royal Enfield

In this video, Daniel Radcliffe (the actor who portrays Harry Potter) tells how much he has enjoyed riding in the sidecar of a Royal Enfield motorcycle during the making of the latest two movies.

He also tells how happy he is that he has a talented stunt double to dangle from the sidecar by one arm as it turns upside down in flight.

You'll be surprised at the distance Radcliffe says he himself has ridden in the Royal Enfield rig.

I first spotted this video on Jorge Pullin's blog, My Royal Enfields.

"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2," the conclusion of the series, opens in theaters July 15. Here's the trailer.

Royal Enfield is the real star in Harry Potter movie

Harry Potter's flying Royal Enfield (some strings attached).

It's all about the Royal Enfield motorcycle and sidecar. Or, so you would think, viewing the newest trailer for the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows movie, now available on Blu-Ray.

The trailer features Harry's ride in the sidecar of a Royal Enfield more than any other scenes from the movie.

The trailer opens with "HOLD TIGHT HARRY!" and off we go on a flying Royal Enfield motorcycle ride.

The Blu-Ray "Combo Pack" comes with behind-the-scenes extras like "Production Secrets."

Well, how do you think they made the motorcycle fly? No digital hocus-pocus there. They strung it from wires!

Some clever chap must have wired the suspension not to go full slack, as the wheels appear to stay where they belong instead of hanging limp.

The trailer is very powerful. It doesn't so much make me want to watch the movie on Blu-Ray as it does make me want to go for a ride on my flying Royal Enfield Bullet.

No strings attached!

Harry Potter and the Royal Enfield in Blu-Ray trailer.

Harry Potter's Royal Enfield motorcycle is real, Wall Street Journal tells its readers

The young wizard, Harry Potter, has magically extended the buzz about Royal Enfield motorcycles to The Wall Street Journal.

Two Wall Street Journal blogs let readers know that "Hagrid's Motorcycle Is Real."

The Driver's Seat blog took note that the flying motorcycle Harry and Hagrid ride in the new film is not movie magic:

"Unlike James Bond’s tricked-out Aston Martin, the Batmobile, the Millennium Falcon or many other 'hero' vehicles from the movies, the Enfield is available at dealerships. It comes with or without a sidecar, but definitely without the ability to fly. Indeed Enfields are pretty slow by modern motorcycle standards, so even figurative flying isn’t likely."

A blog featuring news, views, and advice about cars, auto safety, driving, and transportation, Driver’s Seat is written by Jonathan Welsh with contributions from auto critic Dan Neil, Wall Street Journal staffers and others.

Royal Enfield and Harry Potter also got a mention on the WSJ blog Speakeasy.

Harry Potter and the flying Royal Enfield, meet comedy team and flying Ford

The movie Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1, with its flying Royal Enfield motorcycle and sidecar, opens in theaters today.

In honor of that, here is a spoof by the BBC's comedy team of Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders.

The spoof (and this is just part of it) seems nearly as long as the movie. But hang on for the outrageous send up of the flying motorcycle scene. French & Saunders replace the Royal Enfield with what looks like a clapped out Ford.

Midway through they get panhandled by a squeegee man.

Enjoy.

How Royal Enfield motorcycles got a part in 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows'

A Royal Enfield motorcycle and its sidecar appear in the new Harry Potter movie coming to theaters Nov. 19. But it took more than one Royal Enfield outfit to make a movie — seven of them in fact.

The Harry Potter movies are the highest grossing film series in history. The Royal Enfield motorcycles will appear in the final two, starting with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1.

That they're there at all is due to Watsonian Squire, distributor of Royal Enfields in the United Kingdom.

The company seems a perfect fit for the young, British accented wizard. According to its website, "Watsonian Squire Limited is one of the longest established companies of the British motorcycle industry. Founded in 1912 by T. F. Watson, the company has been manufacturing sidecars in the Heart of England ever since. In 1984 Watsonian merged with the... young Squire company to create the UK’s biggest sidecar operation."

Watsonian Squire director Ben Matthews kindly explained how he set up Royal Enfield for its movie role:

"I was approached a couple of years ago by a company that specialises in sourcing vehicles for movies; they were looking to purchase some sidecars from us for the next two Harry Potter films. I managed to persuade them that they also ought to use Royal Enfield's!

"So they took a bike down to the studios to show the producers and they agreed and thought they would be perfect for the movie! (Great news!!)

"We sold them seven outfits in total, most of which have been heavily modified by the special effects department; some have been adapted for flying rigs, some have been ridden into a lake!

"We are currently speaking to Warner Brothers about getting one of the bikes back so that we can have a Harry Potter feature at the UK's largest Motorcycle Exhibition in November (but this hasn't been confirmed yet).

"The bikes are no longer in a condition that is suitable for the road, and it sounds like Warner Brothers will keep all the outfits (they have kept all the vehicles from previous films).

"In our ongoing discussions with Warner we are discussing assisting them with UK premiers, etc. We are not allowed to use the film to endorse our products, but we are currently looking at a whole range of ideas to ensure the world knows that the bikes in the Harry Potter film are Royal Enfield's, and of course fitted with our sidecars too!"

This is absolutely magical. In a stroke, Royal Enfield motorcycles will become visually familiar to people, many of them young, all over the world. Think what Steve McQueen did for the Ford Mustang in Bullitt (1968) and (for those who recognized the bike) Triumph in The Great Escape (1963).

Someday, we may realize that, for Royal Enfield outside of India, Nov. 19, 2010 is when it all began.