Royal Enfield's Electra

Royal Enfield recently celebrated its 50th anniversary. It has had a great success story and with virtually just one model-Bullet. Now its coming out with another model-5 speed Electra from its Chennai stable.

Electra's electric looks!
Electra has got a sparkling new dual-tone paint. Thankfully it retains those recognizable and stately Royal Enfield looks and feel. It has the familiar vintage headlight housing with its mean-looking twin-city lights. Switchgear is comprehensive and lever stalks and rubber palm grips are just comfortable.
Royal Enfield’s Electra uses a teardrop fuel tank with a clunky lid. The battery and air filter shrouds continue the classic theme protruding outwards from the motorcycle flanks. Thankfully, the tail-lamp unit has seen considerable alterations–now broader and more perceptible, while the handsome single silencer bent pipe and canister in chrome remains unchanged. Electra has a stepped up seat unlike the previous models.

Definitely male performance
Electra has a 346cc pushrod-driven motor (twin-valve unit) with long-stroke dimensions. The new Electra continues to employ a cast iron cylinder. The bike creditably manages to meet tough emission norms. The motor has been re-tuned in the interests of emission, although it still does retain its lazy compression ratio of 6.5:1, key to delivering a velvet-gloved punch while cruising at top speeds. Starting the Electra is now easy due to a self-starter. The big change to the engine that makes a peak 18.1bhp at 5000rpm is its all-new five-speed gearbox, as also a new left-foot-operated heel-and-toe gear lever.

Clutch feel in Enfield bikes have been vague and this is no different this time but I suppose the Enfield riders have learnt to bear with this. The gearshifts lack a positive feel and are cumbersome. However, with practice and better maintenance, the gears can be made to shift better.

A solid downtube frame provides the spinework and the heavy engine is deployed as a stressed member. The Electra’s stepped seat though hard, gives a stately look to the bike. The Royal Enfield family of motorcycles probably makes the most sense to any heavily built couple, for there is relatively very little loss of composure with the bike considerably loaded up. Stability on an Enfield is legendary. Changing directions is a tough and unhurried affair due to the bulky nature of the bike and while cornering is stable, the bike needs loads of weight-transfer and muscle flexing. The brakes are reassuringly powerful.
The five-speed Electra can comfortable deliver a 30+ mileage which is quiet expected with such a bike.

I think this new model from the Enfield stable delivers all the promises and a true Enfield fan will not feel let down by this new offering.
Good Buy for Enfield fans...