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Industry News, Latest News, Manufacturers, Royal Enfield

Lee Bowers Set To Write An Exciting New Chapter In Royal Enfield’s Iconic 120 Year Story

Europe’s no.1 professional freestyle stunt rider, Lee Bowers, set to write an exciting new chapter in Royal Enfield’s iconic 120 year story.

The official partnership announced for 2022 – supported by a fleet of one-of-a-kind custom stunt bikes developed with Harris Performance

Royal Enfield and world-renowned professional stunt rider Lee Bowers announce their exciting new partnership for 2022 and beyond, bringing yet another new dimension to Royal Enfield’s ever growing community of partners and unique experiences – all in celebration of the brand’s “Pure Motorcycling” ethos.

Having been stunt riding professionally for over 15 years – including working with some of the most iconic franchises on TV and the big screen (Top Gear, James Bond, Mission Impossible and Kingsman) as well as holding multiple Guinness world records, and countless UK & European Freestyle championship titles – Lee Bowers has forged a reputation as one of the biggest and more respected names in the elite stunting industry. Having performed live shows worldwide, Lee has historically made his name performing on high capacity Japanese sports bikes. However, the shift over to Royal Enfield, and onto smaller capacity Twin and single cylinder engines, marks an exciting and unchartered new chapter; bringing with it a host of different developmental opportunities and pushing the boundaries of stunt performing.

Working in close collaboration and consultation with Lee Bowers; the in-house custom team at Royal Enfield’s UK Technology Centre and at the legendary team at Harris Performance developed an incredible fleet of one-of-a-kind custom stunt bikes to allow Lee to take his much loved stunt shows to all new levels of performance and creativity.

Says Lee Bowers, “The team at Royal Enfield proposed a challenge I simply couldn’t resist – to collectively design and build a stunt bike the likes of which had never been seen before! Royal Enfield brings prestige and unrivaled British heritage to the project –

along with the most important aspect – an awesome selection of base bikes. Harris Performance (with whom I’ve had a fantastic working relationship with since 2007) offers a wealth of expert fabrication knowledge and I have my unique experience in specialist stunt skills – I knew instantly that this would be an amazing collaboration!”

The specially developed stunt show fleet includes three unique motorcycles – all of which have been designed and built specifically for different stunting capabilities and showcase a wide range of engineering and performance customisations never before seen on any Royal Enfield.

The showpiece of the fleet is the Freestyle Stunt Bike – taking the Interceptor 650 as the donor motorcycle Harris Performance set to work from the ground-up (however, critically maintaining the integrity of the 650cc Twin engine) to turn the Interceptor 650 into an extraordinary stunting machine capable of performing Lee’s most technically and physically demanding tricks.

The list of modifications as follows:
● Royal Enfield modified seat, side panels and front mudguard
● Royal Enfield modified, reinforced fuel tank to Lee Bowers specification
● Harris bespoke clear coated frame constructed using T45 tube with fully bronze welded joints
● Harris bespoke billet aluminium front engine cradle
● Harris bespoke seat subframe, crash cages, footrest assemblies and oversize stunt pegs
● Harris bespoke full stainless steel race exhaust system
● Harris bespoke billet triple clamp assembly and bar risers
● Harris bespoke steel underbraced swingarm running 2:1 Harris linkage system
● Harris bespoke billet chain adjustment system
● Harris bespoke aluminium front mudguard mount and Harris flush fitting fuel cap
● Ohlins USD front forks, stanchions reinforced at base & Ohlins TTX rear shock absorber
● GPR rotary steering damper
● Dymag forged wheels running Harris block type cush drive assembly
● Maxxis 180 section rear tyre & Michelin 120 section front tyre
● Brembo 320mm twin front discs, 260mm rear & Brembo Stylema twin radial front calipers
● Brembo Stylema twin radial rear calipers mounted on a bespoke Harris caliper carrier
● Brembo 19×18 front master cylinder
● Bar mounted 19×20 rear master cylinder linked through a foot operated twin feed rear
● HEL braided brake lines
● Renthal Carmichael high handlebars & Renthal grips
● Renthal 520 sprockets & Tsubaki chain
● RSC easy pull clutch lever
● Setrab 13 row oil coolers & Spal cooling fans
● Super B lithium battery & KOSO EX-03 digital dash

The second motorcycle in the stunt fleet took the Continental GT as the base and then was turned into a specialised Drift Bike – designed for high speed stunting and sideways drifting. The intention with the Drift Bike was to keep as many of the stock specification parts on the Continental GT as possible (again including the 650cc Twin engine) in order to retain as much of the aesthetic integrity of the base model as possible – however Harris Performance made certain modifications as suggested by Lee to maximise the ergonomics of the machine and increase its stunting capabilities; including a customised reinforced fuel tank, a Harris bespoke rear brake carrier and chain adjustment system, S&S race 2 into 1 exhaust system, Harris bespoke crash cages, a wider Maxxis 180 rear wheel, RSC easy pull clutch, Renthal 520 sprockets and a Harris bespoke aluminium swingarm extended 200mm over stock length.

To complete the stunt fleet, the final customised motorcycle took the Himalayan as the base model – an altogether new and exciting challenge for Lee to perform world-class stunt tricks on a 411cc single engine. The intention with the Himalayan Fire Bike was to bring some additional fireworks to the stunt shows – so what better a way to do this than with a fully rigged professional pyrotechnic set up; including a side mounted flame-thrower as well as fireworks and a smoke machine mounted on the front pannier racks.

Says Lee Bowers, “I’ve always looked to embrace new challenges and push my creativity in new directions. Having stunted professionally for so many years, I know it’s possible for me to stunt ride any high performance bike with some dedication and practice; however to break new grounds with such an iconic brand as Royal Enfield that has traditionally been associated with smaller capacity retro classics and singles is incredibly exciting both personally and professionally.

I feel honoured to get the opportunity to work closely alongside Harris Performance and Royal Enfield; it’s a great journey we’re starting together and I know we can build something incredibly special. This new partnership will open many many doors for us all and for that I’m really excited – taking this incredible fleet of machines right around the world will hopefully show what Royal Enfield motorcycles are capable of to all new audiences!”

Says Adrian Sellers, Head, Royal Enfield Custom Program “Royal Enfield has a very strong custom culture – this is something that we’re really proud of and as a brand we’re constantly looking to develop further. When we talk about customization, we aren’t just talking about aesthetics, but also of pushing the function of our motorcycles to the limit. The DTRA Championship winning Twins FT flat track racer is a beautiful example of this, and in fact it was this very motorcycle that Lee saw while visiting Harris Performance and instigated the first conversation about making a ground up stunt bike from a Royal Enfield Twin 650.

These stunt bikes are another chapter in this story, and a challenge we have relished taking up. We’re delighted with the way they have come out, blending functional modifications with incredible craftsmanship as only Harris Performance can. They have worked their magic once again and we’re all very excited to begin this next adventure, and see how far we can push new boundaries together for the brand.”

For more Royal Enfield news check out our dedicated page Royal Enfield News

or head to the official Royal Enfield website royalenfield.com/

Industry News, Latest News, Manufacturers, Royal Enfield

Ironwood Motorcycles & Royal Enfield present – The Starship Meteor – Custom Motorcycle

Easy Cruiser inspired custom build based on the award-winning Royal Enfield Meteor 350 – from Ironwood Motorcycles’ Creative Director & Founder, Arjan van den Boom

Ironwood Motorcycles, based out of their Amsterdam custom workshop, have launched “The Starship Meteor” – a stripped back, beefed-up interpretation of an affordable urban cruiser.

Since its launch at the end of 2020, the Meteor 350 has swiftly built somewhat of a cult following – winning multiple awards and plaudits right around the world. Praised for its build quality, retro styling and design refinement – as well as the remarkable price point for a motorcycle that offers so much more than the sum of its parts – it provides a pretty remarkable blank canvas to then stamp your own personality on.

The challenge was therefore laid down by the in-house Custom Team at Royal Enfield’s UKTC to Ironwood Motorcycles and their Creative Director & Founder, Arjan van den Boom – to interpret their own ideal Easy Cruiser, which would allow them to discover the place they called home in a whole new light, and turn as many heads in the process.

Says Arjan van den Boom,  of Ironwood Motorcycles  “The meteor ticks a lot of boxes as stock but it was our task to spice it up a bit more. As a base package the Meteor is pretty hard to beat for the budget-friendly rider.  Ultimately, we wanted to retain this important element of accessibility and entry into the world of motorcycling and motorcycle customisation that the Meteor offers – but of course add our unique Ironwood creative touch to the build.
 
We received a Meteor Fireball Yellow from the team at Royal Enfield and immediately rode it as much as we could around the streets of Amsterdam to get accustomed to the feel and ergonomics of the motorcycle before taking it apart. As the riding position is already super comfortable and balance is refined, we want to retain as much of the original Meteor DNA as possible. Smaller-displacement motorcycles too often get classified as starter bikes, which is a shame. Our goal was to give the Meteor a helping of our unique Ironwood sauce and an overall beefier appeal through some performance parts upgrades, but to ensure the core Meteor identity shone through.
 
We had a very clear visual identity that we wanted to develop, inspired largely by my love for all things Star Wars! We decided on blacking out lots of the component parts in order for the amazing “Meteor Rain” paint job by  Royal Kustom Works to really stand out on the tank. The Black fork gaiters, black supercross handlebar, custom fenders, the fat chunky rubbers from Continental and the piggyback shock absorbers from YSS all compliment this gnarly look
 
The CNC seat post, our signature floating bobber seat, further adds to the overall custom look of the motorcycle and the diamond pattern on the seat upholstery has all been finished by hand by Miller Kustom Upholstery. The Biltwell grips, Motogadget indicators on the front and the Kellermann 1000DF rear lights,  together with the custom piping breathing through an Akrapovic muffler results in a stunning little Urban Cruiser that packs a punch well above its weight. Every time when you fire up this air-cooled one cylinder engine  a throaty growl emerges from the race exhaust and makes you just want to hit the roads. Mission accomplished!”

Says Adrian Sellers, head of Royal Enfield’s Custom Program; “The creative minds at Ironwood have absolutely nailed the brief we sent through to them and we’re delighted with the end results. Importantly, the core identity of the Meteor 350 – a motorcycle that we know provides such a fantastic base platform for creative expression – has been retained and embraced. This build reinforces how important accessibility is to us as a brand, and how much can be achieved with a little imagination. Full credit to Arjan and the wider Ironwood team – this sits as the first full custom build we’ve done with the Meteor, and marks an important and exciting milestone for this 350 engine platform.” 

The Ironwood Custom Meteor 350 will be on show at EICMA 2021 in Milan at the end of November.  

For more Royal Enfield news check out our dedicated page Royal Enfield News

or head to the official Royal Enfield website royalenfield.com/

 

Industry News, Latest News, Manufacturers, Royal Enfield

The All New Royal Enfield Classic 350 – A Legend Reborn

Royal Enfield has been a symbol of resilience, purposeful longevity, and authenticity since 1901. It has preserved the legacy of building simple, harmonious motorcycles by blending traditional craftsmanship with modern technology, to create pure motorcycling experiences. In its 120th year, Royal Enfield re-envisions its iconic motorcycle, the Classic, with the launch of the All-New Royal Enfield Classic 350 in its home Indian market today  – a timeless motorcycle reimagined to meet modern aspirations.

The all-new Classic 350 adds yet another new chapter to Royal Enfield’s legacy of building authentic post-war era British motorcycles that are loved by enthusiasts around the world. The design inspiration of the Classic range can be dated all the way back to 1948 with the groundbreaking Royal Enfield Model G2, the first to have swinging arm rear suspension on a full production motorcycle. As dependable as it was beautiful, the Model G2 served as a strong design inspiration for the hugely popular Classic 500 launched in 2008. The Classic 500 went on to help redefine the middleweight motorcycling space and was an integral part of the revival of Royal Enfield, up until the production of the dependable UCE 500 engine was stopped in 2020. Over a span of 12 years, more than 3 million Classic 500 were produced, building an incredible legacy of its own – and now, the new Classic 350 is all set to take up the mantle and further build upon the legend.

Speaking about the legacy of the Classic, and commenting on the launch of the all-new Royal Enfield Classic 350, Siddhartha Lal, Managing Director of Eicher Motors Ltd. said, “The Classic launched in 2008, was a modern and capable motorcycle that symbolized the timeless post-war styling from the heydays of the British motorcycle industry. It’s captivating design language and simplicity coupled with dependability, catapulted the Classic to global popularity, and it went on to redefine the middleweight (250-750cc) motorcycle segment.
 
We’ve paid great attention to every aspect of the motorcycle, right from its stunning look, to the perfection in parts and the touchpoints, to its impeccable riding performance. The engine is super smooth, intuitively responsive and engaging, and has that gorgeous growl on acceleration. The all-new chassis lends enormous confidence while riding, with surefooted handling and agile braking. The motorcycle feels in control and well-mannered around tight corners. The motorcycle is, without a doubt, class-leading, and feels incredibly refined and enjoyable to ride

Through our history, we have been consistent in our pursuit to build timeless, beautiful motorcycles that are great fun to ride, and the new Classic 350 does just that. The all-new Classic 350 combines this quintessential, retro design with a modern and refined ride experience. We are confident that the all-new Classic 350 will once again redefine the mid-size motorcycle space globally”

Powered by the modern 349cc air-oil cooled single cylinder engine, launched recently on the Meteor 350, the all-new Classic 350 brings in a new level of comfort, smoothness and refinement to the ride experience. The Classic 350 generates 20.2 bhp of power at 6100rpm and a torque of 27Nm at 4000rpm, resulting in a strong low-end grunt and super smooth linear power delivery across the band. With the primary balancer shaft that cuts down the vibrations, the reborn Classic 350 feels smooth and well-mannered on road. The gear shifting is crisp, smooth and relaxed, thanks to the optimized 5-speed gearbox that ensures strong in-city acceleration, as well as a relaxed ride at cruising speed. Much to the joy of Royal Enfield enthusiasts, the new Classic 350 retains the unmistakable thump of the exhaust note.

Designed and developed by teams of designers and engineers based at Royal Enfield’s two state-of-the-art technology centres, in India and the UK – the Classic 350 is a product of true collaboration across continents. The all-new chassis is built for superior comfort and maneuverability – designed to be stiffer, the chassis encourages more confidence at higher cornering speeds, and feels planted and stable on straight roads. The front and rear suspension has been extensively developed for more comfortable saddle time. With better ride ergonomics and more confident braking, the Classic feels agile and responsive – further enhancing the riding experience.

All new variants of the Classic 350 – coming to the European market – will be equipped with dual channel ABS and rear disc brakes. For more comfortable hours on the saddle, the new Classic has new, wider seats with soft-foam cushion padding – including a pillion seat as standard for all new model variants. With brand new handlebars, the riding position has been subtly tweaked to further improve comfort whilst maintaining that familiar Classic feeling. Bringing in the modern touch is the new digi-analog instrument cluster that houses an LCD info panel. A USB charging point will be mounted below the handlebar for the convenience of quick charging on the go.

The new Classic 350 will be available with a wide array of Genuine Motorcycle Accessories, designed and developed to complement its versatility as well as to enhance comfort, utility and style. The suite of new accessories for Classic 350 is purpose-driven and includes a range of bespoke options that have been designed for specific themes that allow the rider to enhance the form and function of the motorcycle as per their preference. Royal Enfield’s motorcycle accessories come with a comprehensive 3-year warranty and are designed, developed and certified alongside the motorcycle. For further individual self-expression, a selection of riding gear, including helmets, t-shirts, and lifestyle accessories have been designed inspired by the Classic 350.

The new Classic 350 is set to be unveiled for the first time on European soil at this year’s EICMA in Milan, this November. Building on the phenomenal European success of the Meteor 350, the Classic 350 further strengthens Royal Enfield’s product offering to the mid-sized segment – delivering yet more appealing and accessible options for riders of all age and experience.

For more Royal Enfield news check out our dedicated page Royal Enfield News

or head to the official Royal Enfield website royalenfield.com/