Learning to love the new Royal Enfield

Dealers watch disassembly 0f UCE engine.

They rode the motorcycle! A dozen Royal Enfield dealers gathered at importer Classic Motorworks Feb. 12 and 13 in cold Faribault, Minn. They were there to learn to service the new unit construction engine (UCE) that will transform the Royal Enfield motorcycle when it arrives in the United States.

What they really wanted to do was to ride the one UCE motorcycle on hand: a lovely G5 Royal Enfield Bullet.They rode, in some cases, without helmets, without gloves and, in one case, even without a hat, in weather below freezing.

A look inside the new UCE engine.

It would be hard to imagine a group of people more enthusiastic about a motorcycle. But, in fact, there were three men on hand who fit that description.

These three were from the Royal Enfield factory in India, visiting Minnesota to introduce an amazing accomplishment: a Bullet that is faster, more reliable, nearly maintenance free and that doesn't seem to want to leak oil.

V. Vikram, K.S. Sarveswaran and Hari Kumar Kanakala did not hide their obvious pride as the Americans expressed surprise and delight at the UCE Bullet.The phrase, repeated over and over again, was: "this is a game-changer."

'Plastic Motor Works?' Oops.