the old bread and butter motto that allows a company to produce a million units per year . That said , I can ’ t help feeling that we may see some changes in that department as its export division takes aim at other sectors . Time will tell , and after 123 years of Royal Enfield motorcycles , it won ’ t rush .
SIZE MATTERS If you are of a shorter stature , the hourglass tank-to-seat shape will appeal . The seat height of 795mm feels a tad lower due to the narrow front section of the seat and rear of the tank . Lots of short-arses struggle with wide seats and touching Terra Ferma , so you ’ d be doing yourself a favour by sitting on one to alleviate any concerns if you have tried other models , even their 650 Super Meteor . Despite having about 10mm more rear suspension travel , that slim waist belies the height and removes much of the fear of weight .
IF IT WERE ME ... The flared , upswept pea-shooter pipes are nice and all but , not being a traditionalist , I would play with the Shotgun theme and do a singlesided , twin outlet pipe ( side-by-side or underand-over ) with a little more volume . I ’ d match that with a bit of tuning , as I have a full licence . With the aforementioned suspender upgrade done , there are a bunch of accessories to select from and I am sure there will be a bunch more in the pipeline . The accessory seats look nice but the stocker is pretty decent , so it all depends on how far you want to go .
IN A NUTSHELL ... The Shotgun is a nicely finished , solid feeling bike that is both LAMS legal and a decent mid-sized bobber in its own right that comes with a confident warranty , a bunch of easy to fit accessories and an easy to live with , flexible powerplant . Ergonomically well designed , blending enough heritage style to not upset the loyal fans of the marque while also looking to international style in a burgeoning style that the hipsters flock to . For some reason there is hardly an abundance of twin-cylinder mid-capacity ( and LAMS ) options out there , so , like those others , it ought to go down well with Kiwi riders .
70 KIWI RIDER