Royal Enfield shows off its wares in Milwaukee

Royal Enfield's new showroom and North America headquarters in Milwaukee, Wis.

Readers of this blog got a look inside Royal Enfield North America's new headquarters/showroom in Milwaukee last month, thanks to photos from John Donlon.

I got a first-hand glance inside the showroom myself last week while in Milwaukee briefly on family business. The store is  closed on Mondays (my only day to visit) but a Royal Enfield employee spotted us and let my wife and I in for a quick look around.

"You just can't buy anything," he said.

Bonnie takes a photo of me taking a photo of a tasty Royal Enfield.

You can instantly see that it's tastefully designed, like the other "brand stores" Royal Enfield has opened around the world. It's also very spacious; it will lend itself to hosting events.

It's strictly a showroom. As is typical in the U.S., if you want to buy a motor vehicle you have to go to a dealer, not the company headquarters building. (There is plenty of merchandise on sale, though.)

Showroom puts the new Continental GT in the light of past glories.

Royal Enfield is busy recruiting dealers and the employee who admitted us explained that the Milwaukee showroom gives prospective dealers an idea of the kind of ambiance Royal Enfield wants to create around its products.

Nadine De Freitas rode No. 83 at Bonneville and here it is.

Upscale, definitely. But dealers won't have such treasures as No. 83, the Nadine De Freitas Royal Enfield Continental GT from Bonneville.

The building is historic but, then, so is the Royal Enfield brand.

The building that houses Royal Enfield dates from 1914. It's located in the city's up-and-coming historic Third Ward.

Milwaukee's historic Third Ward has food, shopping and night life.

Fifteen luxury apartments are being constructed on the floors above the Royal Enfield showroom. Each comes with two parking spaces, a legacy of the fact that this was among the first buildings of the century developed with basement parking for motor cars.

My wife and I grabbed a bite to eat at the foodie Milwaukee Public Market just down the street. All-in-all, the Royal Enfield showroom is a fun place to visit.

Royal Enfield has its names up in lights in Milwaukee.