2014 Royal Enfield Continental GT 535: Tech specs revealed

Royal Enfield has launched the cafe racer styled Continental GT 535 motorcycle in the United Kingdom. The motorcycle was launched at an iconic location, the Ace Cafe London, and has been priced at GBP 5,200. This price represents a 200 pound premium over the next highest priced Royal Enfield, the Classic Chrome 500. The Continental GT 535 is expected to be launched in India next month, in time for the festive season, at a price between 2 lakh and 2.5 lakh rupees. 

The motorcycle is powered by a 535 cc unit construction engine, a bored out version of the 500 cc single that does duty on the Classic range of Royal Enfields. The additional capacity has given the motor an added dose of power and torque (29 Bhp-44 Nm compared to 27.2 Bhp-41.3 Nm of the 500 cc motor), and these figures come in at 5,100 rpm and 4,000 rpm respectively. Interestingly, the power on the 535 cc engine is produced lower down the rev range compared to that of the 500 cc engine, whereas one would expect a cafe racer to be more highly strung.

The 535 cc engine retains the Keihin fuel injection system and a 5 speed manual gearbox. The major changes on the Continental GT 535 involve the styling and features. The motorcycle adopts cafe racer styling with a long fuel tank, a long single seat, rear set foot pegs and clip-on handlebars. The motorcycle sold in the export markets will feature optional bar-end mirrors while the Indian version is expected to make do with conventional mirrors to satisfy regulatory requirements.

The Continental GT 535 features a double cradle frame designed by Harris Engineering. The double cradle frame, along with Paioli gas charged shock absorbers and Pirelli Sport Demon tyres, is expected to give the motorcycle handling that is sharper than the rest of the motorcycles in the Royal Enfield range. Though the Continental GT 535 features aluminium rims and smaller mud guards, these changes don't reflect in a lighter kerb weight. For all its sporty pretensions, the Continental GT 535 weighs 184 kilograms, with 90% fuel and oil. 

The Continental GT 535 weighs more than the Bullet 350, the lightest motorcycle in the Royal Enfield range, and one that weighs 180 kilograms. A 13.5 liter fuel tank, instrumentation that includes a speedometer and tachometer, and disc brakes at both ends round off the equipment list on the Continental GT 535. Both the front and rear disc brakes features a floating set up, with double and single calipers respectively.