TOP CLASS (ic)

The 'Classic' formula from Royal Enfield has been turned up to 650, and we're all for it.

- WORDS MANAV SINHA

Royal Enfield recently took a group of us motorcycle journalists to a place many of us found unexpectedly unfamiliar - a rare occurrence, considering the countless kilometres we've clocked across every imaginable terrain in the country. The destination? Coonoor. Now, I begin this story about the Royal Enfield Classic 650 not with the motorcycle but with the location, because the memory I carried home wasn't just about the ride - it was also about where the ride took us.

Nestled in Tamil Nadu, Coonoor is a hill station wrapped in lush greenery. Its vast valleys are home to an endless sprawl of tea estates, stretching as far as the eye can see. The view is nothing short of breathtaking, punctuated by waterfalls that appear when you least expect them. Now, imagine all this during a chilly early morning, with just the right nip in the air. The sun has barely crested the horizon, casting a golden hue over a convoy of chrome-laden, gently thumping Royal Enfields carving their way through this stunning landscape. That's the memory I have after riding the Classic 650 through Coonoor.

You see, I absolutely love the Royal Enfield Classic 350 - and the kind of motorcycles that truly speak to me are retro machines. That's why I'd like to believe the Classic 650 was built for riders like me. If you relate to my idea of motorcycling, you'll understand that discussing numbers, spec sheets, and millimetre-level changes feels about as relevant as wearing a wristwatch to space. So, what is it that I want to talk about?

THE CONCERN