Modified Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 hits a top speed of 241 kmph

KUALA LUMPUR: It’s only a matter of time when Royal Enfield will be officially launching the Continental GT 650, its new flagship motorcycle, and selling from its retail stores. However, the Continental GT 650 has already been making news for all the right reasons, even before its official launch. And the latest piece of news is a testimony of the fact.

The news comes from Bonneville Speed Week recently concluded at white salt deserts of North Western Utah, USA. A stripped down version of the Continental GT with all the perfectly executed modifications has clocked a top whack of a whopping 241 kmph. This news might come as a shocker for many people, as Royal Enfield is one brand which has never been associated with the word ‘speed’.

Of course, the Continental GT 650 employed for this one-off task was a heavily modified version of the stock motorcycle which is yet to go on sale. Crafted by Harris Performance, this Continental GT 650 is based on Royal Enfield’s custom drag racing bike, the Lockstock. The high-performance kit and alterations used for this motorcycle include a revised bodywork, revamped chassis with elongated swingarm, more aggressive seating posture with lowered handlebars and rear set foot pegs, fatter tires, alloy wheels, NOS for an extra power boost, and a more sophisticated Ohlins suspension setup. Also, significant tune-ups were made to the stock Continental GT 650’s parallel twin 649cc engine, which in stock mode pumps out 47 PS of maximum power and 52 Nm of peak torque.

This particular top speed record for the Continental GT 650 was clocked by Cayla Rivas, the 18-year old daughter of former National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) motorcycle racer Chris Rivas. Considering the fact that she already has a total of 12 world speed records in her name, it seems that Royal Enfield found the right person to execute the job.

This top speed record set by Continental GT 650 is yet to be confirmed by FIM (Federation Internationale de Motocyclisme). However, once it gets the official certification, this new record will find its place in the already glorious history books of Royal Enfield.