Heart And Soul

ROYAL ENFIELD MAKES TWO FINE AND FUN MOTORCYCLES FOR THE WORLD

- Kartik Ware

Motorcycles always have their hearts in the right place. That is one of the fundamental reasons why their attraction is impossible to ignore, and also why there is a motorcycle for everyone out there. In India, though, for the longest time (a fair few decades, easily), it had to be a Royal Enfield that everyone yearned for. From a motorcycling perspective, the history of Royal Enfield and India is now inextricably intertwined. The company is part of our collective psyche, motorcyclist or not, and it’s gotten there the hard way. From its beginnings in the ’50s to plodding along with outdated models to facing bankruptcy to making a comeback that fairytales are made of, Royal Enfield has been there and done that. And now it plans to do more.

By now, if you haven’t been living under a rock or had internet access under said rock, you must know everything there is to know about the new parallel-twin Interceptor 650 and Continental GT 650. And, if after all of that hashtag-induced frenzy you’re still reading this, you clearly can’t get enough of these motorcycles. Which is just as it should be. After riding them for two cold days in California, I was left wanting more, too. And that was the biggest surprise, one that I should’ve been prepared for.