Royal Enfield Continental GT café racer

The latest Royal Enfield brings a sporty flavour to the brand’s range. Called the Continental GT, it’s a stripped-down café racer that resurrects a name first used in the 1960s.

Distinguished by its solo seat unit, clip-on handlebars and sculptured tank, power comes from an upgraded version of the Bullet’s single-cylinder, fuel-injected, air-cooled engine.

Thanks to an increase in displacement from 500 to 535 cc, a revised cam and a larger throttle body, output is up to 28.7 bhp (21.4 kW / 29.1 PS) while peak torque is 44 Nm (32 lb/ft). Drive is via a five-speed gearbox.

To go with the extra performance, chassis modifications include a longer swingarm, adjustable Paiolo rear suspension and a Brembo floating disc brake for the front wheel.

Costing £5,199, UK sales of the Continental GT are due to begin next month.

That price tag makes the Royal Enfield £2,150 cheaper than the Triumph Thruxton, another retro-inspired café racer. However, given the 865 cc Thruxton has more than twice the horsepower of the Continental GT, the two bikes can hardly be considered direct rivals.

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