Royal Enfield is working on parallel twin that will remind you of the Meteor, CEO says

Royal Enfield is working on a parallel twin motorcycle and a multi-fuel adventure touring bike. The new Bullet 500 model will have a new, low price. And a kick start lever is coming for Royal Enfield C5 motorcycles imported to the United States.

Royal Enfield's new CEO, Dr. Venki Padmanabhan made these revelations public at the New York International Motorcycle Show this weekend.

Dr. Padmanabhan unveiled two new models there, the Classic Chrome and the Bullet 500. Both are based on the C5 with its unit-constructed engine, but the Chrome looks like the popular Deluxe model of old and the Bullet 500 looks like a throwback to the beloved 350cc Bullet in production in India for 50 years.

Dr. Padmanabhan was very enthusiastic about Royal Enfield's future and its new, thoroughly modern but retro-looking motorcycle.

"The only piece missing is that it is 500cc and I don't want to be getting on the expressway at 500cc. We are addressing that with a well thought out program. At the India Auto Show we announced the cafe racer, with 600cc, just enough larger. Now you're in the mainstream. We are working on a parallel twin that will bring back the idea of the Meteor and the Interceptor."

A parallel twin rather than a V-twin, I asked?

"If you come to the factory you will see unbelievably heated debate. Right now it's leaning to a parallel twin."

A parallel twin would indeed bring back fond memories of Royal Enfield's powerful and legendary Meteor, Constellation and Interceptor motorcycles.

"People will say this is exactly the Meteor, except it doesn't leak, it doesn't seize — all the old problems of British motorcycles — and you have modern fuel injection and so on," he said.

The cell phone connection was poor, but Royal Enfield USA President Kevin Mahoney managed to tell me Dr. Padmanabhan said Royal Enfield is developing "a multi-fuel (diesel, gasoline, kerosene, etc.) adventure touring bike. The Himalaya touring bike."

Meanwhile, C5s in the U.S., currently available only with electric start, will get the old-fashioned kick start as well. C5s sold in India have had it all along.

"Already (this change has been made). From this year forward," Dr. Padmanabhan said. "Kevin and the other guys said to us, 'Hey, what about us?"' and we said sure, it makes it easier on us: the same bike for everyone.

"The kick start has a simple mechanical charm. It's just like the bike: a simple, simple, simple basic mechanical device. I think it may be the last motorcycle in production that you can kick start," he said.

Mahoney said that the Classic Chrome and Bullet 500 bikes unveiled in New York will be here in late Spring. The cafe racer is due in 2012. The kick start C5s will come when the model year changes.

As for the multi-fuel adventure bike, Mahoney said "Everybody sells a touring bike, but that would be pretty nice to have, one that could run on any kind of fuel."

The new Bullet 500 unveiled in New York will start at $5,495, he said. It will be an entry level bike, available in black only, and there will be limited numbers of them, he added.