Royal Enfield custom 650 'tracker' and new Slide school hints at future

This custom flattracker based on Royal Enfield’s new 650 twin and built at the firm’s UK technical centre, plus the opening of a ‘flattrack’ school near the company HQ in India, could give an indication of future new Enfield production bike plans.

The ‘Twin Tracker’ is a tuned, reframed, race version of the 650 with the engine reworked by S&S with a capacity boost, pod air-filters and custom exhaust.

The frame, made in the UK by Enfield-owned Harris Performance, is brazed not Tig welded to give both an individual look and allow easy repair.

Harris also made the swingarm, this time out of box-section aluminium and suspended by an Öhlins monoshock rather than the twin shocks of the production bike. While, like racing flattrackers, it rolls on a set of 19in wheels rather than the 18s on the production roadster. The bodywork was also designed and made by Royal Enfield’s technical centre in the UK.

As well as the 650 flattracker, Enfield have also revealed a number of simpler machines based on their single-cylinder 410cc Himalayan. The idea, they say, is to have a fleet of bikes suitable for its new flattrack ‘Slide School’ that has just opened in India.

But wouldn’t a flattrack school and a custom race machine be a lot of trouble to go to if Enfield weren’t planning to make something we could buy? We asked Royal Enfield just this and their spokesman’s reply was “No comment” – delivered with a wry smile.

Royal Enfield flattracker in detail

• Holy smoke S&S Performance big bore kit pushes the 650 twin’s capacity above 750cc, bringing it in line with AMA flattrack racers.
• Proper job Custom frame was designed and built by chassis experts Harris Performance who are now owned by Royal Enfield.
• Bring the noise Upswept pipes are similar to those used on the Indian FTR750 racer, which has dominated flattrack in the USA for the last two years.
• Fully bespoke All the ancillaries have been custom built as well, including the yokes, footrest mounts and handlebars clamps.
• What next? Given the success of the 650 twins we can’t help but wonder if this might be a design study for a future production bike model.

More from MCN

• Royal Enfield Continental GT review
• Royal Enfield Interceptor 650
• Royal Enfield Himalayan review