The want for a powerful, multi-cylinder adventure motorcycle by Royal Enfield has been around for a while. At the 2024 Goodwood Festival of Speed, Royal Enfield showcased a one-off, 850cc adventure motorcycle, hinting at what is possible shortly.
The 850cc, parallel-twin engine in the bike is, essentially, a bored-out version of the 649cc, parallel-twin engine in the Interceptor. While the power and torque figures haven’t been revealed, expect the engine to make anything between 65-75bhp. The engine is paired with a six-speed gearbox.
The design of the bike is made by Royal Enfield in collaboration with Death Spray Customs. The bike is inspired by Dakar Rally motorcycles from the late 80’s and early 90’s. This is evident in the near-vertical front fairing, atop which lies a non-adjustable windscreen. The fairing that covers the fuel tank or the tail section is again reminiscent of old rally bikes. The idea, says Royal Enfield, was to come up with a design that is functional and repairable, in the desert.
Under the retro bodywork is a frame made by Harris Performance. The frame is suspended by an adjustable Ohlins fork and a monoshock. The bike rides on wire-spoke wheels that are shod with knobby tyres. Braking duties, meanwhile, are taken care of by a disc brake at both ends. Royal Enfield has also made a custom swingarm for the bike.
As for the features, there’s an analog-style map book, above which there is a round, analouge speedometer.
The bike is a one-off concept but it surely indicated Royal Enfield’s intent at pushing the boundaries to what is possible. The current, middle-weight, adventure-touring motorcycle space has bikes with parallel-twin engines and a Royal Enfield in the same space, and at an affordable price point will make it a potentially strong contender in the segment.
