Royal Enfield showcases unique Adventure bike at Goodwood; could it go into production in the future?

Royal Enfield unveiled a unique adventure bike concept at the Goodwood Festival, based on their 650cc twin platform but with an upgraded 850cc engine. This project, developed in collaboration with artist David Gwyther, was inspired by the Dakar rally motorcycles of the 1980s and 1990s.

The bike features a retro roadbook, larger front fork, spoked wheels and custom bodywork, along with frame updates and a working engine. Its color scheme is predominantly lilac, complemented by accents of white and pink.

In an interview with MCN, David Gwyther explained some technical details: ‘We have a modified head to get the right rake and then the GT/Interceptor engine block was bored out. There’s adjustable Öhlins suspension, a Harris swingarm, Harris exhaust, and the aluminum rear sets are custom made for the bike. The body is a one-off and when we came up with how we created it, it was all about making it practical and repairable at dessert.‘.

Could this Royal Enfield special eventually become a production model? Mark Wells, head of design at Royal Enfield, denied there were any initial plans for such a move, although he admitted there was demand for such a bike:

– This is a purely custom project. Adrian Sellers (Head of Custom and Motorsport) and my custom team did all the body work and he did the paint. This was certainly not made as a concept bike of what might come in the future. There is absolutely no doubt – and I’m not saying anything I shouldn’t say here – that it’s the most requested product. I say quite regularly to people in conversation, especially journalists, what do you think we should do next? And nine times out of 10 that’s what people say. I guess we have a history of listening to people. (…). I cannot confirm or deny anything. I think what I can say is that the demand is there.