Royal Enfield’ s Build. Train. Race. programs provide a path for women entering moto sports.
California in 2018( the Interceptor is called the INT650 in the U. S. due to trademarking issues). In Rider’ s review of the bikes from the 2018 launch, we concluded that“ the new 650 Twins have a real magnetism, especially when admired up close and even more so when ridden. They’ re the genuine article and they’ re a real value.” We were especially impressed with the bikes’ satisfying riding experience, intuitive handling, and simplicity that reminded us why we love motorcycles in the first place.
NEW HORIZONS
Today, Royal Enfield offers 14 models in the North American market, ranging from the Classic, Bullet, INT, and Continental GT already discussed, in addition to models such as the Himalayan 450 adventure bike, the Super Meteor 650 touring cruiser, the Bear 650 scrambler, the Hunter 350 standard, and more. Royal Enfield has made a name for itself in the U. S. by offering a product that doesn’ t directly compete with many other manufacturers. Royal Enfield’ s motorcycles are valued for their unique style, pure- motorcycling character, customization potential, and their affordability.
Leaning on its history of evolution that brought Royal Enfield to its 125th anniversary, the brand is now doing more than offering motorcycles that people want to ride.
It’ s also working to build a culture that people want to be a part of. In our 2018 review of the Twins platform mentioned earlier, we noted that“ CEO Siddhartha Lal [ son of Eichor CEO Vikram Lal ] is a die- hard enthusiast; at the launch, he held his own when he joined our group for part of the GT test ride, entertaining us with the sound of the S & S pipes on his accessorized bike.” We also noted that Lal was hands- on during the development of the platform, personally performing quality control inspections. It’ s that motorcycles- built- by- motorcyclists philosophy that carries the culture forward today.
One recent cultural initiative is the Build. Train. Race. program, a women’ s- only motorcycle racing series held in conjunction with MotoAmerica events in the U. S. The B. T. R. program invites women riders to apply each year, and a handful are selected to compete in either the roadracing series or the flat- track series. The road- racers are given Continental GTs, which they build for competition before the season, and the flat- trackers do the same with INTs. The competitors then receive expert coaching to prepare for racing, followed by a year of races. B. T. R. is the first all- women’ s motorcycle racing program, and it’ s becoming more competitive and popular each year. I was invited by Royal Enfield to attend the B. T. R. road- racing
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