regroup and being assertive or trundle along in a group and not test anything . I learned , adjusted and did get to punt the Shotgun along a few times with some who can , purely in the name of science and I was impressed , within its parameters . In the bumpy and twisty bits , you could feel the suspension scrabbling and pattering for the white flag when letting the Yee-ha loose but as I mentioned , an easy fix and for most riders , not essential unless that is your happy place .
OLD MEETS NEW So , it looks like a classic that has been ‘ Bobbed ’ and to a point , it is . But with USD forks and nicely finished alloy triple-clamps , hidden beneath a tidily done instrument nacelle that houses a modern but understated pod , it is smack up to date . With a Tripper navigation
system , USB port etc , it caters for the modern rider well enough . A hybrid digital / analogue main clock gives the info required , apart from a rev-counter . While pretty smooth , if you are pushing it along , you can feel the parallel twin at work and if you ignore the increasing vibe , a pretty conservative rev-limiter will stay your right hand before you are risking the engine . It also has the niceties we like to see on all bikes , like span adjustable levers ( both ) that cater to ham-fisted neanderthals like myself as well as those with smaller hands . Speaking of hands , I did like the gently curved grips . Backing the solid feel of the bike is a 3-year unlimited kilometre roadside warranty , so Royal Enfield is obviously confident in its work . Part of the drive into new markets , or expanding ones it is in but only in a small way , is its concept of making affordability key to accessibility . By that Royal Enfield means manufacturing bikes the target market can afford , rather than going all-out to build rockstar models that sell in small numbers to an exclusive audience . All manufacturers have ‘ successful ’ models and they are not the ones you might think . It is
68 KIWI RIDER