Got ABS? If you buy a new Royal Enfield Classic 500, you’ll have anti-lock brakes and some other new tweaks as well.
The Royal Enfield Classic 500 is one of the world’s oldest motorcycle models, with roots all the way back in the made-in-UK 1931 Bullet 500 model. But instead of just scrapping the design and starting with a clean slate, the now Indian-owned Royal Enfield factory has continued to incrementally add modern upgrades, starting with unit construction engines, then EFI a few years back. Now, Royal Enfield has upgraded the bike again with ABS brakes, and a new rear disc brake replacing the old drum brake in back (obviously required as part of the ABS upgrade).
Other changes to the new bike are revised front forks, ditching the old leading-axle design for better handling, and the typical paint changes that come to most bikes every year. The machines also feature Euro4-compliant exhaust emissions. Like the ABS upgrade, the emissions changes are required by EU law, and with Royal Enfield planning on aggressive worldwide expansion, the company has to get with the times to sell its bikes abroad.
The Canadian Royal Enfield website doesn’t mention any of these changes, but they’re supposedly available on US models, so they ought to be available here as well. If not this year, we’ll surely see them next year.
It has an O2 sensor? Haha who knew?
Royal Enfield has been touting big changes and new models for some time. Where are the bikes? Talk is cheap!
It’s called the Himalayan – I have one, and it’s a terrific bike.
I live in Canada and the dealers there have not yet received any of the new models. I am waiting for the new 650s.
It would be really great if they ditched the ugly location of the oxygen sensor on the exhaust head pipe, or disguise it somehow.