WE first reported on the Royal Enfield FT Twin project back in July this year although, at that stage, the bike had not long been completed and had only had some shakedown tests.
Now though, the Interceptor 650 powered machine has just finished its first American Flat Track race, finishing a respectable seventh place and finishing ahead of much more established bikes and riders.
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Not only did the rider, Johnny Lewis, ride the wheels off the thing, but the bike had also only arrived in the country three days prior to the event, and had to be totally stripped and checked before the thing could turn a wheel. That meant that the first time Lewis had turned a lap on the bike was in the Semi-Final 2.
The machine has been created by Royal Enfield, Moto Anatomy, Harris Performance, and S&S Cycle, who have pooled resources to make the machine a success.
Why is Royal Enfield going flat track racing?
It may seem a strange decision for a company like Royal Enfield to go flat track racing, but there is more to this model than a mere marketing exercise and grabbing a slice of the American pie. Sure, any exposure R-E can get in the US is going to be a plus, it’s a huge market and just as keen on quirky classics as we are over here. But that might not be the only reason.
We wouldn’t bet against Royal Enfield doing a similar move to Indian, and its FTR1200 that was morphed from the FTR750 flat track race bike. The race bike helps build a following, it's great for social media and as a bonus, it can win fans from outside your demographic. Then once the road-going version of the race bike goes live, you already have a ready-made pool of fans to tap into.
So, a Royal Enfield 650cc road-going flat track model… We’d love to see that!
