Royal Enfield Concept KX: Retro charm on a futuristic design

Royal Enfield Concept KX

– Exactly eighty years after the release of the first example, Royal Enfield led to EICMA 2018 a prototype that acts as a bridge between past and future, the Royal Enfield Concept KX. The inspiration is the motorcycle that saw the light in the distant Thirties, but this project started from scratch and is the result of six months of intense work. A celebration of the old twin-cylinder motorcycles and of a brand that until the First World War produced the largest twin-cylinder on the English market, 1400 cc. We talked about it with the Industrial Design Manager Filippo Corticelli.

Doctor Corticelli, you did a really good job.

“It's a team effort that lasted six months. For the first time, Royal Enfield has brought a concept to a showroom. We have maintained the proportions of the original version, going against the grain because today's motorbikes are increasingly taller and shorter."

On a technical level, what can we say?

“We wanted to keep the bike low and simple. The electrical system was moved to the rear of the vehicle to free up the front. The chassis features a supporting engine and the circle closes via the rear head which integrates the air box. There are two side cheeks and a lower one through which the throttle body comes. The front suspension is a modern version of the quadrilateral, while the single shock absorber with double single arm with progressive linkage is inserted at the rear. The only change that we would have to make in case of actual production concerns the front headlight, which compared to the model present at EICMA, should be suspended, while here it is integrated into the fork. We wanted to make a prototype that broke the mold, that proposed proportions of the past with a new style language."

When will we see it in production?

“For now there are no production plans, what we exhibited at EICMA is a model. If the model has aroused so much interest, perhaps one day we will move on to production, but we can't say now. In the meantime, it was important for us to be seen."

What bikes will the company focus on in 2019?

“The Himalayan is certainly making its way, while the flagship will be represented by the 650 parallel twins, which will arrive on the European market after long refinement tests. They are splendid bikes that we will offer at a truly competitive price."