Okay, it is clear from some of our reader comments that there are still plenty of people who do not understand the appeal of retro. An appreciation for style, a sense of history, and even a touch of romance. You find it everywhere, including, certainly, among automobile enthusiasts who will trade modern performance for the je ne sais quoi of a classic automobile. Whether you get it or not, it is real, and Royal Enfield is proving it in the motorcycle industry.

The India-based RE even brags about updating their classic design (you get a front disc brake, no less!), but, just like the Moto Guzzis highlighted in our article on May 27, with Enfield you can buy a brand new machine with zero miles, and all the retro style and history you could ever want.

The Classic 500 pictured is perhaps the coolest looking RE. Powered by a single cylinder, air cooled 500cc motor it also features modern electronic fuel injection, but don’t expect modern performance. With a wet weight (full fuel tank) of over 400 lbs and a claimed 27.2 hp, all that is promised in the Royal Enfield promotional material is that “cruising at 62 mph on highways can be relaxed and comfortable with a commendable balance between performance and fuel efficiency.”

Not surprisingly, with all that weight you get real metal body work and fenders, not plastic. The look surrounding that pushrod motor is a genuine reincarnation of “the native imagery of British motorcycles in the aftermath of World War II.”

Demand for these bikes has been so strong that RE has introduced the less powerful (imagine that) Classic 350. The roots of this Royal Enfield design trace back more than 100 years, and the insatiable demand from consumers is forcing RE to nearly double production over the next three years.

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