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| The Royal Enfield INT650 and Continental GT 650 launch at eight North American cities. |
It's a big name for a Big Event. It will showcase the Continental GT 650 and INT650 twin-cylinder motorcycles in eight cities during May through June. Food, drink, demo rides, live music and local vendors are geared to make each venue unique.
Miami, Florida, Saturday, May 11.
Summit Point, West Virginia, Saturday, May 18.
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Saturday, June 1.
Toronto, Ontario, Saturday, June 8.
Denver, Colorado, Saturday, June 15.
Monterey, California, Saturday, June 22.
Brea, California, Saturday, June 29.
San Diego, California, Sunday, June 30.
Note that the Summit Point Motorsports Park event May 18 promises a chance to ride on the track, "with no speed limits." The others emphasize enjoying the characteristics of the cities, or taking advantage of a concurrent motorcycle show.
The events are free, but you must RSVP to attend. Click on the cities above and scroll down to sign up to be on the list and get event updates.
Meanwhile, and most importantly, local dealers will begin stocking the Royal Enfield 650cc twins for sale.
"We are bringing the legacy of this lifestyle brand into the present in a way the world has never experienced before," the website enthuses.
Big Talk? I suspect the point is that in buying one of these groundbreaking (for Royal Enfield) motorcycles you are buying not just two wheels, but membership in a heritage that no motorcycle brands have offered in America except Harley-Davidson and Indian.
It's a remarkable claim given that the motorcycles themselves — the classically styled INT650 ("Interceptor" in the rest of the world) and Continental GT 650 cafe racer — are deliberately mild in specification. Thoroughly modern, yes, but easy to ride, unintimidating and understressed.
And hopefully reliable. They come with a three-year unlimited mileage warranty and roadside assistance.
Along with their attractively modest prices (starting at MSRP $5,799 in the U.S.), the Royal Enfield twins are, executives keep saying, "accessible."
Other modern motorcycles are so aggressive in size, power, style and marketing that their slogan might as well be "Get the Women and Children Off the Streets!"
Royal Enfield, in contrast, might say "Hairy Chest Not Required." The young, the female and people new to motorcycling are welcome customers.
At Royal Enfield they can buy not just a plastic scooter but real motorcycles proud of their looks and their legacy, which extends back to the beginning of motorized transportation.
And what a legacy it is. The Royal Enfield Interceptor was the sexiest British motorcycle of the Swinging '60s, while the Royal Enfield Continental GT was the cafe racer every British kid wanted back then.
The fact that three of the eight venues on the launch tour are in California tells all you need to know about the connection those Royal Enfields had to that era. Think youth, sun, fun and rock'n'roll.
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