Bare facts about the new Bear 650

The new Bear 650 comes looking ready to race.

 Two things impress me about Royal Enfield's new Bear 650 scrambler. 

First is that Royal Enfield once again stays true to its commitment to honor its long history. 

This time the new motorcycle is a tribute to a long-ago race won by a child rider against long odds. The surprise victory at Big Bear, in 1960, was reputation building at the time for Royal Enfield in the United States. 

Second is that Royal Enfield faced the fact that it now has six versions of its 650 parallel twin motorcycles available or coming soon: the Bear, the Interceptor, the Continental GT, the Shotgun, the Super Meteor, and, soon the Classic. A seventh, a Bullet 650, seems certain. 

Why? Standard M&M'S come in six colors but they're all the same milk chocolate inside. Are the 650 twins like that? 

It's a  fair question. So Royal Enfield sat down and published a Q&A explaining why it builds the Bear 650, and why you should want one. The frankness of this approach amazes me.

Let's start with the answer to why one color variant of the new Bear 650 carries the number "249."

That was the race number of the Royal Enfield Fury ridden by "Fast Eddie" Mulder, of Lancaster, California. 

From the press release:

"In 1960, the unforgiving Mojave Desert served as a backdrop for the Big Bear Run, the biggest, baddest race the California desert had ever witnessed... Eddie Mulder shocked the racing world as he surged first across the finish line."

Ed Mulder made Royal Enfield a winner in 1960.

Mulder was 16 years old at the time, is still alive, and you can meet him in this short video.

More from Mulder, in the press release:

"I was in 30th place when I lost control and took a tumble down a ravine. I hauled up the bike and inspected the damage. The handlebars were bent right back, the header pipe had been wrenched out of the cylinder head and one shock absorber was bust. I heaved the bars into shape and kicked the header pipe back into place. Couldn't do anything about the busted shock absorber so I rode the rest of the race on just one."

There's more. In 2017 Mulder told Cycle News about his ride:

"Just after the second loop I broke the right footpeg off... I came back and told my crew and they found a footpeg and when I came back in to get gas to start the third loop they put on a new footpeg." He had ridden 50 miles without a footpeg.

Royal Enfield made its U.S. reputation at this race.

Guts.

That's how he got a big trophy with a bear on top, his picture on the front of magazines, and in Royal Enfield advertisements of the time.

But Mulder told Cycle News that, as photographers took their picture at the race celebration, Frank Cooper, the Royal Enfield distributor, reached over and gave him a $20 bill.

Twenty dollars. "For winning the Big Bear!"

So much for glory.

Now, why would you want a Royal Enfield Bear 650 scrambler. Here are answers, excerpted from the Royal Enfield's Q&A:

What are the unique features of the Bear 650?

-Performance (+8% peak torque).

-Two-into-one exhaust.. 

-Upside-down fork.

-Big-screen instrumentation featuring Tripper Navigation.

Big-screen navigation is a selling point.

-19-inch front/17-inch rear wheel.

-High, wide handlebars.

-Frame with kicked up rear loop.

-Bench scrambler-style seat.

-Spacious ride triangle, sitting or standing.

-Full LED lighting.

Shouldn't a scrambler have high-level exhaust?

There are no rules. We chose a low-level silencer to allow fitment of soft luggage and to reduce discomfort from heat near the right leg.

What performance can riders expect?

The 650-twin engine is tuned for more torque over other twins models. Thanks to suspension and specific tire and chassis development, the Bear 650 is a road machine while also capable on broken roads and light trails.

How does the Bear 650 compare to other Royal Enfield 650 platforms?

Retro-scrambler aesthetic. The riding triangle is very open with an aggressive elbows-up attitude. The sound is unique, thanks to the unique exhaust system.

The Bear 650 is the first to get a two-into-one exhaust. What does that do?

It contributes to the 8 percent increase in peak torque compared to other 650s. The compact single silencer and cat box with stainless headers reduces weight and pulls mass closer to the center of the motorcycle.

What sets the Bear 650 apart from the INT650?

The 19/17-inch off-road tires give it a scrambler look. The scrambler seat allows the rider to move around easily. There's big-screen navigation and digital instruments and switchable rear ABS for rough-road riding. The number board gives the motorcycle an authentic scrambler appeal. 

Ed Muller and his race winning Royal Enfield Fury 500 single.
(RoadRider.com.au)

Decoding Royal Enfield's new Flying Flea

Royal Enfield's coming Flying Flea electric is full of surprises.

 Three things strike me from the launch of the electrifying new Royal Enfield Flying Flea. 

First, it's not a motorcycle. Flying Flea is a new brand of Royal Enfield. The Flying Flea factory will make first the FF-C6 city bike, then a scrambler version called S6. 

Second, this new Flying Flea is no variation on a previous Royal Enfield, although a Himalayan served as a development mule. It's brand new technology -- 28 patents' worth. 

Third is Royal Enfield's continued attention to its unique history. Flying Flea was the nickname of the little two-stroke Royal Enfield built during World War II to serve Britain's airborne units. 

Royal Enfield Model RE, nicknamed Flying Flea.

The look of the model unveiled this week is purposely "retro" to honor that history.

Of course the new Flying Flea is a lot prettier than the olive drab military original. (In 1943 there was no sense putting high style into a thing you were going to drop from an airplane.)

Instead there is a magnesium battery case adorned with fins mimicking an air-cooled motor. Here's some descriptive poetry from the press release:

"The dynamic front fins, arranged in odd sequences, represent innovation and modern technology while the elegant rear fins, placed in even sequences, embody tradition and legacy. Both clusters of fins twist and turn, eventually merging seamlessly into a graceful wing-shaped motif at the center."

The Flying Flea FF-C6 has clean, light look.

Sounds like a work of art, and, for a battery-operated appliance, the Flying Flea does look nice.

Unavoidably, it also looks somewhat spindly to me. So did the original Flea, of course, as its purpose for being was to get to the front inside a glider or under the wing of an airplane. It had to be light.

So just accept the new Flying Flea is made to excel under battery power, and it looks that way. Except... well, you know, someone could make battery covers out of plastic and claim they were just as pretty.

There will be a learning curve for those of us raised on gasoline motorcycles. In the launch press release, Royal Enfield CEO B. Govindarajan complimented the in-house development of the "BMS."

That was a new one on me: it stands for Battery Management System.

The Flying Flea S6 scrambler will look a bit rowdy.

Battery life, of course, will be an issue. I'm wondering: could I stuff some saddlebags full of laptop batteries and plug them in when I needed a little extra boost to get home?

The press release notes the history of the Flying Flea, being airlifted to the World War II battlefront. "It was later embraced by civilians too, for city exploration purposes."

1947 civilian Flying Flea was spindly looking, too.

While it's true that the nickname Flying Flea must have come from its airborne duties, the fact is that the little Royal Enfield was first designed and built for civilian use, being referred to as the Royal Baby. It was only enlisted to serve the military after the war began.

Perhaps the most striking aspect of the new Flying Flea (besides its small size and light weight, for a Royal Enfield) is the remarkable girder fork. This no-doubt much improved device pays tribute to the original Flying Flea's rubber-band girder fork.

Spectacular aluminum girder fork of Flying Flea C6.

Less surprising, but still impressive, is that your smart phone will be how you program the adjustable ride modes, the press release notes. You can choose the throttle, brake and regen modes to suit the riding feel you're looking for.

Being the pessimist I am, I am sure I would make sure all those modes are set to produce maximum range, and I would just put up with how that feels.

I don't need the thrilling experience of not being able to return from the place I got to in an extra big hurry.

Indicative of what all this investment, thought and beauty means is perhaps best summed up by the plan to release the Flying Flea first in Europe and America -- not India. In other words, in  places with lots of disposable income for fun vehicles that only have to be used within their limitations since the rider has other vehicles for daily use.

Putting it gently, the press release says "this is the beginning of a new breed of electric mobility for those who choose to travel in style, for purpose and for fun as well as necessity."

Perhaps the best view is from the rider's seat.

Forget "necessity." Nobody is going to be beating these up delivering pizzas. For one thing, the Flying Flea likely will not parachute into the market at bargain prices.

Royal Enfield's gasoline powered motorcycles have always delivered style (well, of a sort, in the case of the Himalayan) at prices that were attractively low.

The Flying Flea will have be measured on some other scale than price-per-pound if it is to be competitive.

“We’re not betting the entire farm on it,” Royal Enfield boss Siddhartha Lal was quoted as saying at the launch. “We are putting money behind it, but if it doesn’t work, we’ll be okay.”

Watch the video of important moments in the Nov. 4, 2024 launch of the new electric Flying Flea.

Get out of the way! Electric bikes are here

How fast does the "fastest" electric bike go? Forty miles per hour.

 Unlike electric motorcycles, a very good idea, electric bicycles are a mixed blessing. 

Electric motorcycles are a coming thing. Inherent advantages over internal combustion powered motorcycles will make them ever more popular. 

Clean, quiet, energy efficient and uncomplicated, electric motorcycles also will no doubt feature advanced electronic accessories. I'd expect on-board cameras (or, at least, mounts for them), navigation aids, and communications enhancements. 

But, while electric motorcycles are in our future, electric bicycles are already here. And they are proliferating. 

Electric motorcycles, when they get here, will be limited to adult riders, will have to stay in traffic lanes, and be registered, licensed and insured. 

Electric bicycles are -- at least according to the state in which I live -- just bicycles. Very fast bicycles. 

Children of any age are allowed to operate them. They can legally go on sidewalks and in bicycle lanes, unless forbidden by local ordinance. No license, registration or insurance is required.

Pedals are not required on these so-called "bicycles."

My state, Florida, apparently does limit top speed. The law implies that the fastest electric bicycles are limited to 28 mph, but it doesn't specifically say so.

Apparently, speeds in excess of 28 mph are allowed if they are attained by the rider adding pedaling force (assuming the bike has pedals). Obviously there is no way to enforce such a vague limitation. Is the rider pedaling hard or just spinning?

Riders of electric motorcycles will have to be licensed drivers, with a motorcycle endorsement, having passed tests to prove they know how to operate a vehicle safely.

Not so for riders of electric bicycles.

Electric motorcycles will be required to have basic safety equipment: headlight, taillight, brake light, operating turn signals, a horn, rearview mirror, side reflectors. Electric bikes are free to go without any of these. For that matter there seems to be no law that an electric bike even have a brake for the front wheel.

After all, it's just a "bicycle."

I am not a hater. Electric bicycles are going to give mobility to people who otherwise might not have it, and they will take cars off our crowded roads. On balance, they are good for cities and the environment.

But keep in mind that these newly mobile people do not want to be moving slowly. Humans, whatever our age,  value speed.

That's our history. It's said that the first motorcycle race occurred when the second motorcycle was built.

I don't recall too many motorcycle advertisements that touted slow speed as a feature. Can you imagine such a sales pitch?

"Go slow! Gives you time to enjoy the scenery!"

"Go slow! Avoid unpleasant wind noise!"

"Go slow! Like your mother told you!"

Not likely. Like motorcycles always have, electric bicycles will sell for their power. They'll be souped up by clever hot rodders. They'll be ridden to the limit of their power anywhere they can go. And by children.

It doesn't really matter that we're not ready for this. They're here.