New Enfields Coming?
Royal Enfield Ltd., the Indian manufacturer of the iconic Enfield Bullet (www.royalenfield.com), the single-cylinder classic first built in the early Fifties and offered today in a form almost indistinguishable from its original British brethren, is building a new engine to power future Enfields.
Coded UCE for Unit Construction Engine, it will be the first-ever unit-construction Enfield (combined engine and transmission) and – wait for it – the first to be equipped with fuel injection! Thank tightening emissions for the latter, a move that’s sure to disappoint long-time Enfield traditionalists but that should come as a boon to the less mechanically inclined, as it should guarantee a smoother, more reliable machine for the average rider.
The engine is being developed in-house, with reliability testing conducted by an outside Japanese firm. Enfield India plans on launching the engine and a new bike sometime this year. The engine was shown at last November’s International Motorcycle Show at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, England (www.motorcycleshow.co.uk).
Meanwhile, Enfield has launched a new model for the British market. Inspired no doubt by the original Enfield Trials Bullet of the late Fifties and the street scramblers that were all the rage in the Sixties, the new Woodsman is powered by Enfield’s 500cc lean-burn “Electra” engine and features a short, solo-style saddle, a rear rack and upswept exhaust exiting on the left side.
A front disc brake is standard, as is electric start and a five-speed transmission. Enfield claims a 10 percent increase in power, mostly because of the revised exhaust. No word yet on whether we’ll see this bike in the U.S., but we’ll be sure to let you know as soon as we hear anything.
