Royal Enfield launches - CLASSIC CHROME and DESERT STROME

Royal Enfield, a unit of Eicher Motors Ltd, on Thursday announced the launch of two leisure bikes. The bikes, Classic Chrome and Desert Storm, being limited edition products, would be available at select brand stores and dealerships across the country. The Classic Chrome, priced at Rs 1.68 lakh, is equipped with a 500cc twin-spark engine, with 27.2 bhp power output. The Desert Storm, too, boasts of a 500cc twin-spark engine and is priced at Rs 1.58 lakh.

 On the face of it, the Royal Enfield Classic Chrome and Desert Storm are just cosmetic variants based on the Classic 500, a motorcycle that in 350cc and 500cc guise, is currently sold out. But outside of the Machismo-esque chrome on the Classic Chrome and the lovely, off-road plus sand plus military colour of the Desert Storm, there are a few changes under the skin. On the engine side there are a few tweaks to the fuel injection system though the power and torque figures remain the same at 27.1PS and 41.3Nm.

 But for the first time, Royal Enfield has made changes to the chassis, taking off the fork offset and mounting the front forks directly to the front axle. These changes effectively reduce the rake and trail of the motorcycle which should make the steering feel sharper and quicker in response. At the back, the swing arm is a bit longer which is usually said to improve traction and feel for the rider. In fact, the move to the 18-inch wheel and the round profile rear tyre for the Classic in itself was considered a major change of stance. These changes do reflect a change of heart at Royal Enfield.

 

Posted in: Bikes