Royal Enfield Runs! Well, it’s not every day that a retro cruiser manufacturer decides to wear race leather and go top hunting. The year 2021 was full of revelations and the bullet-maker got a big surprise when it announced its One-Make Championship in India last year. While I missed my chance to witness the first round of the championship, I made it to the last round when Anish Shetty was declared the winner for season one. With this event, the company aims to promote ‘retro racing’ in India and train new and experienced racers in the process.
The first question that popped into my mind when I heard about the Continental GT-R650 (race-spec Continental) was how it would perform on a race track like the KARI, which is a very technical track, especially if you have a mammoth that weighs approx. 200 kg, which is suitable for walking. But to my surprise, the GT-R650 was a delight.
Race-Spec GT-R650 vs Continental GT 650:
Needless to say, the standard Continental GT 650 sold to customers isn’t exactly race-ready. While it is sure that the Torque-Monster 650cc parallel-twin, running at triple-digits, topped the day, the company made some notable changes to make the bike faster around the race track. All updates made were limited to the bicycle part equipment only and none to the powertrain. So in short, the heart of the GT 650 remained untouched.
For starters, the GT-R650 is 20-22kg lighter than the stock bike, with a wet weight of around 178-ish kg. And it is huge by all standards. Well, much of the weight is saved by replacing the stock exhaust with a new free-flowing, race-spec unit that’s not only lighter but adds a few horses to the stock’s 47.6 PS. And on top of that, it sounds like a complete lunatic. As if the stock bike doesn’t already sound ridiculously good, the new exhaust takes the level up a notch by adding a 2x base.
And then updates like re-sprocketing (front) with one less tooth, a sportier set of footpegs, stickier tires, stiffer suspension, smaller rear subframe (mainly for cosmetics), and of course, lower handlebars for an aggressive stance. come.
how is it to ride?
I’ll admit there isn’t enough previous experience of the stock GT650, but as soon as I stepped up to the race-spec model, I knew it felt great. While the handlebar position was certainly a little more sporty, there was enough room around the saddle to get into the comfort zone.
Break down first gear and the bike picks up speed in no time, and how quickly it reaches the red line is unbelievable. For the first few laps, I red-lined almost all the gears, because it was so ridiculously easy.
The Kari Race Track was remodeled a year ago and, while previously infamous for being too technical (and small), the new version just got better the more time I spent on it. I took a few laps to connect to the bike and the new track, but only a few minutes, and settled in sync. Quick revving twin got the bike up to triple-digit speed in no time, and the stickier rubber (though just 130mm behind) gave the bike much-needed grip around corners.
The absolutely incredible and well-balanced chassis on the GT-R650 showed what it was capable of, especially when sticking to the lines. And handled the bike like it was my own extension. I remember it was easier to go on turns initially, but I soon realized the tires could take a higher tilt angle than that, and I was kicking the hell out of the suit’s knee pads. And yes it felt incredibly cool on a retro racer.
However, I have experienced that the bike often hits the limiter, sometimes even in the middle. And I changed gears in the middle corners several times, which I wish I hadn’t done. But to my surprise, moving uphill around a corner wasn’t as dramatic as it might have seemed thanks to the low-end torque that kept pace and kept me from slamming into the ground.
I wouldn’t say that all that weight reduction made the GT-R650 a completely lighter machine to ride, but yes, to say the least, it made a huge difference. Diving into corners was decidedly easier and less demanding while maintaining the same amount of high-speed stability. And the cherry on top is its braking which takes care of everything, even if you’re going beyond the limits of the track. Also not to be forgotten, the stiffer suspension setup takes care of the compression at the front end while slamming the brakes harder, which in turn allows the rider to take on faster corner speeds.
last word:
Riding the Royal Enfield Continental GT-R650 on a track like Kari was definitely a bucket list experience. And considering how impressive it has become, especially from a standpoint that only chases speed, the GT-R650 is a feeling. Sadly, this can only be experienced if you participate in the next One-Make Race Championship and cannot be purchased.