N o frills thrills is what comes to my mind with Royal Enfield ’ s shiny GT 650 . Its polished aluminium engine cases , café seat , and louder pipes don ’ t change the fundamentals of the bike beneath ; and fundamental is exactly how I ’ d describe the GT 650 . You see , at heart it ’ s a basic 60s-style British twin , but ... with an electric starter ! Yes , it has gussied up a bit and looks every inch the café racer - all black with shiny reflective bits , but it ’ s not going to win any engineering awards , design plaudits or technological advancement certificates . However , what it is , is a well built back-tobasics 650 with a cheerful motor , amiable handling , good brakes and nothing much else to go wrong .
WHAT ’ S IMPORTANT Most importantly , it ’ s a handful of accessible fun , and that ’ s what matters , right ? The test model I rode had the baffles removed , delivering a delightful bark – which developed into a full-throated growl at pace . I couldn ’ t help grinning when the bark echoed down city streets and alleys . However , there are some noticeable characteristics , which , in a more mean-spirited review , could be called quirks . Firstly , I found there ’ s a tendency towards ‘ wanderiness ’ at highway speed : to clarify , the bike sometimes moved beneath me when I hadn ’ t urged it to in any way .
46 KIWI RIDER