Royal Enfield motorcycles: 10 myths BUSTED with facts!

Royal Enfield is India’s biggest brand in the 300cc and above segment. It is also the oldest motorcycle manufacturer in the world and is a brand that has a cult following. Due to the extreme followership and existence, Royal Enfield motorcycles have a lot of myths surrounding them. Which are these myths and what’s the truth behind them? Let’s find out.

Best for long distance

Well, Royal Enfield bikes have always been associated with long-distance touring but not all the Royal Enfield products are long distance-friendly. The single-cylinder powered Royal Enfield bikes are not very smooth and vibrate a lot, which can make the rider tired while going on long distance rides. The vibrations can cause body ache and due to the long stroke single-cylinder engines, the Royal Enfield Classic, Bullet and Thunderbird range take a lot of time to regain the speed. However, the all-new Interceptor and the Continental GT 650 do not have any such problems. The Interceptor offers an extremely smooth ride with a comfortable riding position, making it the best long-distance Royal Enfield bike.

Can breakdown anywhere

Well, due to the construction of the Unit Construction Engine, a few Royal Enfield models require extra preventive and protective care. However, no such care is required for the all-new parallel-twin and the LS410 engine. The UCE require extra preventive measures as they tend to leak oil. However, it will be wrong to say that all Royal Enfield motorcycles break-down often.

Outdated technology

Most Royal Enfield products including the Classic, Thunderbird and even the newly launched 650 Twins offer a vintage look, which makes most think that Royal Enfield offers outdated products, which have not been updated for a long time. However, this is completely wrong. The Unit Construction Engine (UCE) that powers the Classic, Bullet and the Thunderbird is somewhat old but the LS-series engine that powers the Himalayan and the all-new 649cc, parallel-twin engine powering the Interceptor and Continental GT are brand new products and as modern as any other bike in the market.

Big engine = more power

There are quite a few in India who believe that larger capacity engines are always more powerful than lower capacity engines. This makes the Royal Enfield enthusiasts believe in the myth that the Royal Enfield motorcycles are better than any other commuter bike present in the market. Well, the smallest displacement engine in the Royal Enfield line-up is the 346cc, which makes many believe that these bikes are really powerful. However, the 346cc engine churns out a maximum power of 19.8 Bhp and 28 Nm of peak torque. The power output of Royal Enfield bikes is equal to many 200cc and even 150cc motorcycles. ost Royal Enfield engines are slow moving long-stroke set-up that generates loads of torque at the lower-end but not so much of power.

Low on mileage

Just because Royal Enfield bikes are powered by big engines, there are many who believe that their bikes are not fuel efficient. The UCE are constructed to work at very low RPM, which means that the engine remains very relaxed even while cruising at high speeds. The Royal Enfield Bullet returns a maximum fuel efficiency of 35 km/l. Even the all-new 649cc, parallel-twin engine of the Interceptor and the Continental GT 650 returns a maximum of around 21 km/l.

Kick-starting Royal Enfield needs power

A few years back, this would have been a fact but not with the modern day Royal Enfield bikes. All the modern day Royal Enfield motorcycles offer electric push start that is pretty simple to use and require just a push of a button. However, if the electric starter fails, the UCE get the decompressor unit, which makes kick-starting the motorcycle very easy. No such starting problem is faced with the LS-series powered Himalayan. The all-new parallel-twin engine does not offer kick-start.

Modern features

While many believe that Royal Enfield motorcycles are outdated, there are many others who feel that the Royal Enfield bikes offer cutting-edge technology. None of the Royal Enfield motorcycles offered ABS a few months back and still, there are models like Bullet and Classic that do not offer a fuel gauge. It should be noted all the Royal Enfield bikes are priced well above Rs. 1 lakh. Missing out on such features is not a sign of modernity at all.

Made by hand

Royal Enfield plant in Chennai produces hundreds of units every day and none of them is handmade. There is a popular belief that Royal Enfield motorcycles have long waiting period due to the slow production. However, that’s not the case. The production of the Royal Enfield motorcycles is really limited and the motorcycles are exported to the international markets right here from India. Royal Enfield uses many robots for production of the bikes. Earlier, painters from a single family used to paint the pinstripe by hand on the fuel tanks of Classic 350 and Classic 500, which made the myth popular.

Can leak oil anytime

Royal Enfield motorcycles are known to “mark their territories”, which is a phrase developed by the Royal Enfield lovers. It used to be a common problem with Royal Enfield bikes due to broken seals. However, the number of instances of oil leaking has gone down considerably and the modern Royal Enfield bikes are much more reliable with better seals in place.

Can be handled by anyone

Most Royal Enfield bikes are considered as easy to handle because of their popularity with the long-distance travellers. Well, Royal Enfield bikes are extremely heavy and require a lot of energy to move them around. They do not change direction easily and can feel cumbersome on the twisted mountain roads. Yes, they are extremely good on the straight lines though and maintain their composure quite well.