Dealer develops modern Royal Enfield flat tracker

Royal Enfield flat tracker/street tracker project.

This is a preview picture of the new Royal Enfield flattracker/streettracker in the works at Doug Douglas Motorcycles in San Bernardino, Calif. Art Guilfoil of Doug Douglas plans to offer kit parts to help you build one of your own — and it could even be street legal, he says.

"It's got a ways to go to be complete but we've come along far enough to show what it looks like," Guilfoil posted on the Flattrack forum.

He offered details there and on Facebook:

"We hope to have the chassis complete for track testing in February. If it turns out as expected we'll go forward with our plans to manufacture our conversion pieces.

"As for power, the standard Indian Bullet weighs over 400 pounds. We have this down to 285 but as you can see we left the center stand on for now, it still has the stock (heavy) steel tank and many more items yet to change to make 'race' weight. We expect to get it under 265 which is what a good stock frame (Yamaha) TT500 weighs.

"A stock TT500 has 28 horsepower and the Royal Enfield is also 28. With some good tuning and some serious hard part development it's not a huge stretch to think we can get it to perform as a hoped up TT500 does. This is not going to be a half-miler against full modern 450s, but it could work really well as a short tracker we think.

"For now the goal is simply to leave the motor alone as we make the chassis work right. We have a good start I think but only riding will prove that out. We expect the stock frame will need some bracing added in certain weak places so watching for stress fractures is needed before we add power.

"We're going to do this right guys. It's a long term machine and hopefully will be the answer to a vintage bike with modern engine reliability, street legal, electric start, etc. There's not only a market for that, it should make some smiles."

In line with keeping it street legal, note in the picture that the wiring and tubing for the (mandatory in California) evaporative emissions controls continues to dangle; will the canister simply be relocated?

Guilfoil notes that, while the motorcycle would look vintage, with its modern Unit Constructed Engine it wouldn't race in vintage classes:

"When I wrote 'vintage bike' I'm meaning the overall look and the namesake. I have no hopes of this being legal in vintage racing. Nor would I want it to be racing vintage.

"I know some people will be disappointed it can't race vintage but others will be glad it has modern attributes as well. The overall idea for us is a bike that may fit some classes in various flattrack racing, though for most  it's a great streettracker."