Royal Enfield Continental GT, back to the sixties…

«In the midst of so many Triumphs, BSAs and Nortons, my Royal Enfield doesn't look out of place at all, on the contrary it is ready for the evening challenge that is preparing on the racing mile of the North Circular Road. The smell of mechanics is clearly perceptible and here, in the square in front of the bar, you can breathe it in an almost medical way" These are fantasies that materialize in your head when you have a motorbike like this in front of you. Royal Enfield Continental GT which leads you – by osmosis – to travel with your mind in the days of the Rockers, to their crazy races, at the London Ace Cafè, from which the name café racer was coined. It is always beautiful and evocative to remember it because, if we want, the vicissitudes of the Rockers and the Mods, and their life style, are even just mental inspiration for every motorcyclist in terms of competitive spirit, sense of speed, desire for community.

The genesis of the Continental GT is a bit complex: British spirit, Indian construction and ownership, Italian components. The result is an extremely concrete motorcycle, in its vintage-café line. Pure metal and construction simplicity tout court, where the only concession to modernity is the electronic injection to purify the gases according to the Euro 3 standard. The aesthetic references to the 1965 model are very evident. A very simple steel tube frame to embrace a 4 cc single-cylinder 535-stroke air-cooled and 5-speed gearbox. 41 mm fork at the front and 100/90-18 wheel, 56 H, spoked rim (needless to say) and single 300 disc with Brembo caliper double piston. At the rear, a boxed swingarm supports a 130/70-18, 63 H wheel and a 240 mm single-piston disc brake; to absorb the bumps, a pair of shock absorbers which, like the fork, are supplied by Cauldrons.

The Royal is an easy bike, the 30 horses available launch the GT at a top speed of 150 km/h, negligible speeds if you consider that some super sports cars reach them in first gear. But the matter is different, here, as happens with many re-editions of motorcycles from times gone by, it is possible to enjoy a ride that is not particularly high-performance, but satisfying...tasty through the curves, listening to the retro sound produced by the exhaust. The small dimensions and the height of the saddle help in city ​​guide, between one bar and another. Improved compared to the past mechanical reliability, to face some out-of-town trips with serenity.

«You look for coffee, we have built a racer» this is the slogan coined for the Continental GT, a "racer" from times gone by, certainly inspired by the original café racers, and is offered to 6.350 €. All that's missing is a good piece by Eddie Cochran and a good group of "Ton Up Boys" to meet up with at the Ace Café!