Oil Drippings: Royal Enfield, New Laws

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com

It’s barely 2013 and a 2014 model is already on the way. Based solely on looks, Royal Enfield’s new 2014 Cafe Racer delivers.

With a beefed up 535cc (versus the normal 500cc), air-cooled, single-cylinder motor delivering a reported 34 horsepower, the Cafe Racer features Brembo brakes and Paoli shocks and all the cafe features one would expect – clip-on handlebars and bar-end mirrors.

What’s also cool about the Cafe Racer is that it not only has electric start, but a kick starter, too. The bike’s expected to weigh in at roughly 360 pounds and cost slightly more than $7,000. Expect it in U.S. showrooms in  mid-summer.

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Spent some time with pro Flat Track racer Kenny Coolbeth Jr. yesterday afternoon as he rode his Kawasaki dirt bike with studded tires and flung ice chips on a frozen pond in Warren. He’s the subject of tomorrow’s RIDE-CT column in “The Republican-American.”

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The start of the New Year brought two new motorcycle-related laws in Illinois. Under Public Act 97-743, a fine of $1,000 will be imposed on anyone who pops a wheelie on a motorcycle while speeding. Presumably the law also applies to “stoppies.”

Another new law, though, gives riders a free pass to go through red lights. That’s because motorcycles are often not heavy enough to trigger magnetic sensors at traffic lights to inform them a vehicle has pulled up.The new law allows motorcyclists to proceed after waiting a “reasonable” amount of time at a red light. The law doesn’t apply to cities where the population exceeds 2 million people.

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More to read:

– From France, a law due that was due to go into effect on New Year’s Day requiring riders to wear fluorescent armbands has been scrapped. “The Connexion” has the story here.