- Fri Sep 27, 2013 9:00 am
#29000
I don't think a twin engine in that frame would be a good idea to be honest. The bike is quite compact, and the front forks would need changing IMO too. I found the handling not planted at an indicated 90mph (front end) so I wouldn't have liked to have gone faster on it. I tried switching my seating position but it didn't seem to make any difference. Below 75 it was solid. At the time I put it down to tyre presures on my particular bike - no way of checking them on the day - but I noted when chatting with another tester he also had the same feeling with theirs (maybe their tyres too?), the front going light at full chat. Others didn't seem to notice. I'm being picky, but that is what a tester should be. Anyhow, as it is the bike is a well balanced package, so I guess that it was designed that way and with no intention of anything other than a single motor fitted to it. If RE were designing a new twin then I'm sure that could use the core of the frame design, but with Harris providing new geometry and tweaks for whatever motor size and weight, and where they wanted it in the frame. It might actually look subjectively the same but be dimensionally quite different. However, IMHO they should build a variant using the frame and 535 engine as an enduro. Load it with included hard luggage, sat nav mount, longer travel forks, 20 litre tank and sell it as an adventure model for a fiver under 5K. Call it the 'Himalaya'. Royal Enfields have a reputation for hardy solo touring and it would build on that, something they are good at. I would imagine it would be more commercial too. Just my 2 cents.
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