Royal Enfield Continental GT650: The Cafe Racer Life

Freedom should not be measured in 15-minute increments.

I was suffocating in the monotony of the everyday

and needed something to remind me I’m alive.

My new commute on heavily-traveled twisties was torturous.

Stuck behind crawling truck n’ trailers spewing burnt diesel and cheap weed.

Ruins my ride.

And yet, I’m the outlaw, passing on the double yellow.

The urge to split this scene is overwhelming.

My two-wheeled Wurlitzer was a drag in the tight, congested bits,

and I needed a soulful ride.

A motorcycle that makes me look forward to my commute.

A melodic machine to lift my mood.

Capable of running away from life’s hassles if let off the leash.

With a riding position that makes me focus on the job at hand.

I wasn’t having much luck on Market Place.

Until I stumbled across an ad for a used Royal Enfield Continental GT650

I hadn’t ridden one of their twins before, so why not take a gander?

The styling is pure Ton Up.

They nailed the touchpoints:

‘proper’ gauges, right-shaped fuel tank, smart-looking fuel cap,

narrow upholstered two-by-four solo seat, nice pegs,

polished alloy engine cases with character.

This is not some plastic boytoy.

Is there such a thing as an adult motorcycle?

Arriving at the seller’s garage, I’m greeted by a man my age.

First things first.

‘So you’re selling this bike. What are you replacing it with?’

He pulls a cover to unveil his brand-new Royal Enfield Interceptor 650.

It’s the same basic bike with an upright riding position.

He tells me years of physical work had taken a toll on his back.

And his days of clip-ons were over.

The fact that he purchased a similar machine spoke well of the brand.

‘May I sit on your bike?’

Grabbing her by the clip-ons and lifting the bike off the side stand,

The first thing I noticed was the heft (weight).

While light is always right, a little extra weight in the right places can give

a street bike a solid feel rolling down the road. And I’m ok with that.

‘Are you cool with me taking her for a ride through your neighborhood?’

He nodded yes, so I tossed him the keys to my truck to hold.

Turning the ignition key and the gauges do their sweep.

Pushing the starter button was the next pleasant surprise.

This motorcycle sounds terrific even stock,

Faint clutch plate rattle at idle, high-pitched whir from the engine.

Followed by a wonderfully deep intake honk under accel.

The exhaust lets you know you’re riding a twin, too,

It has to be one of the best-sounding stock motorcycles I’ve thrown a leg over.

Immaculate, stock bike, no crash damage, no fluid leaks, all ok.

We stuck a deal, and I rode my new-to-me Royal Enfield home.

The GT is silky and solid rolling down the Interstate at 80 mph.

Acceleration for a 650cc air-cooled twin is more than adequate and wonderfully smooth.

The Continental makes the mechanical music enthusiast dream of.

While the bike does well on highways, it shines on a fast-flowing two-lane blacktop.

The kind of bike you dream up a reason for taking the long way home.

It’s about perfect at a casual to brisk pace.

I had to remind myself not to step over the line, though.

This is a road bike, not a racer.

Keep it real, and you’ll be fine.

The Continental made the commute to work bearable.

Being torquey and narrow is a big plus.

Like many newer street bikes,

the big motor radiates heat,

but that’s only an issue when sitting still.

Stopping for fuel is always interesting.

Random folks tell me it’s an attractive machine and ask about the brand.

That’s a story.  Or they ask if I restored it.

Maybe I should keep my black visor down?

 

Part II

 

It’s the end of a long workday.

I’ve got time for the long way.

The sun is setting as summer turns to fall.

I’m at the traffic light where the old steel mill used to be.

Up rumbles a brand-new Street Bob.

I hear the aftermarket exhaust first,

and am surprised to see a young rider.

Late twenties, no helmet, big sunglasses & cigarette dangling from his lips.

I look over and nod, he smirks back.

Greenlight we drop the hammer, accelerating through the gears.

At the top of the rise there’s a kink to the right.

He audibly rolls off the throttle.

I reach for 5th, squeaking through the kink and staying in my section of our lane,

The road plunges downhill to the left in a roller coaster sweeper.

Running between the railroad tracks and the river.

It narrows as you enter the section through the trees

With no side roads, I keep it above the ton.

Thru the leaves ahead, I see the red brick building that used to be a candy factory.

Squeezing on the brakes firmly, downshifting back to 3^rd.

Entering the left turn that runs alongside the old brick building.

The camber drops away, which dictates the line.

Back up to 4^th, the sound of the Royal Enfield twin reverberates off the stone building.

The barking parallel twin makes her own soundtrack, urging me on.

Squeezing on the brakes again, back to second to make the uphill 90-degree right-hander,

Accelerating hard up into fourth to take the flat left-hander without rolling off.

I shut the throttle on the next straightaway as we entered town.

Past the first stop sign and catching the next red light.

The Harley roars back up.

The rider looks disheveled.

Humorously, the cigarette is still on his lips, reduced to the filter.

He yells over ‘Dude that little bitch got some snap yo!’

I flick open the dark visor on my Lane Splitter to reply.

She’s got a little, but she is no GSXR.

It’s fun, tho. We fist bump and part ways.

The camaraderie of riders.

I’ve spent the summer into the fall on the Continental GT.

Frankly, it’s been terrific.

I’m surprised I don’t see more of them on the road.