My wife owns a Royal Enfield INT650. She chose it because it works well, looks absurdly cool, and is affordable. I’ve ridden it a fair bit, and despite its willing, torquey motor and decent handling, a race bike it is not. So, when three-time Grand Prix World Champion Freddie Spencer—who is also the trainer and mentor for Royal Enfield’s Build.Train.Race. Road Racing team—asked me to test his Royal Enfield Continental GT 650-based race bike at MotorSport Ranch in Cresson, Texas, I was intrigued enough to say yes without hesitation.
If you’re unfamiliar with the B.T.R. program, you can read about it here. Essentially, the 12 lady racers each take a Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 and convert it into a spec racer. Although B.T.R. is a stand-alone class, it conforms to the Moto America SC-Project Twins Cup regulations, leaving the engine unchanged internally.
An S&S Cycle exhaust system and a DNA high-performance air filter help the twin breathe—and sound—better when twisting open the Motion Pro throttle. Lubrication is handled by Elf. A fairing and rear seat cover help with aerodynamics at speed, and Harris Performance Products-designed/Royal Enfield-made clip-on handlebars and rearset footrests also make the ergonomics more track-focused. A quickshifter can be fitted, though Freddie does without.
The original GT 650 chassis is derived from a Harris Performance Products design. Harris is a well-known and highly respected name in motorcycle racing, customization, and performance. Founded in England in 1972 by brothers Steve and Lester Harris, the company has a rich history, including building the Harris Magnum frame kits and developing chassis for various racing teams and motorcycles. Harris Performance was acquired by Royal Enfield in 2015, and its chassis designs are used for the 650 range and the Himalayan.
The Royal Enfield B.T.R. main chassis mods include 41 mm fork internals using the K-Tech Tracker kit and fully adjustable K-Tech shocks. The swingarm and chassis are completely stock; although the handling on the bike is good, it does take a little getting used to. I definitely didn’t want to test the impact and abrasion capabilities of my Arai Corsair-X helmet or Alpinestars suit and gloves.
Because the swingarm itself isn’t braced and is far from racetrack stiff, I had to remind myself of how we used to manage motorcycles back in the 1970s, such as my Suzuki GT750 and Kawasaki KZ900—especially when entering a corner. It takes precise and smooth body movements to avoid upsetting the chassis, and getting rider weight inside for each corner is vital.
Although there is some movement at the rear, especially on corner entry, the excellent K-Tech shocks absorb the bumps well. Once I figured out precisely where to place my weight and how to keep things smooth, Freddie Spencer’s Royal Enfield B.T.R. bike went around corners on rails. On corner exits, the strong torque of the 650 twin tightens up the Vortex Racing final drive train, stabilizing the swingarm and resulting in minimal unwanted movement at the back.
Wheels are by Dymag, another English company, and shod with Dunlop’s excellent Sportmax Q5 track-compound tires. The wheels are considerably lighter and stiffer than the stock wire-spoked wheels. I was initially shocked at how incredibly reactive the Royal Enfield was to input at the handlebars—the bike turns into corners incredibly quickly.
On my out lap, it was a little embarrassing at how poorly I was riding, finding myself having to lift the bike mid-corner because it had turned in so fast. After a couple of laps, I got used to it and reveled in how quickly and precisely I could turn the Royal Enfield. Accelerating out from an apex, the B.T.R. GT 650 steers very well and is stable; Freddie had set the bike up just right.
Earlier in the day, after some of the lady racers complained of headshake when aggressively exiting fast corners, the behavior was quickly dialed out by adding more spring-preload to the shocks. Speaking to Freddie, he was impressed with the K-Tech suspension, as it allows a wide range of adjustment that makes noticeable changes to the Royal Enfield’s behavior.
I am very familiar with the Dunlop Q5 tires, and I like the stiffness level of the Dunlop carcass and the predictability of the rubber compound at speed. That support from the Dunlops helped make the Royal Enfield’s turn-in so precise that, once I had the handling figured out, I could place the bike exactly where I needed to be on the track, even in the couple of fast corners at MotorSport Ranch.
I’ve never heard of Accossato brakes, surprising as the Italian company has been around since 1969 and has experience in MotoGP and World Superbike. Of course, I was curious to try them out. The master pump has a radial caliper that uses an Accossato adapter to fit the Royal Enfield fork, and it was an ideal combination.
Photography by Teejay Adams, Cody David, and Josh Shipps
Although it’s a single front-disc setup, I was immediately impressed the first time I pulled the lever; I absolutely loved the feel of the front brake on Freddie’s GT 650 racer. The front brake has a soft initial bite that quickly turns into strong, linear braking. Straight away, I had enough confidence to start braking later and later into MotorSport Ranch’s tight Turn 1. Dropping into the off-camber Turns 4 and 5, I could trail brake with total confidence.
The air-cooled 650 twin-cylinder motor on the Royal Enfield has modest peak horsepower, making up for it with tons of very usable torque, so this race bike is extremely fun to ride. The downside of the beautifully smooth engine and wonderfully linear torque is that it’s impossible to feel when to change gear. Getting it right requires listening to the exhaust note and monitoring the tach.
Because I’m used to high-revving multis, I repeatedly banged hard into the rev limiter in almost every gear on the first couple of laps. Thanks to the positive feel of the shifts through my Dainese boots, I was freed to focus on the track and enjoy the ride.
The ergos on Freddie’s bike are fairly aggressive—it is a World Champion’s ride, after all. The custom handlebars and rearsets are placed for flat-out type racing. The fairing is effective, and I liked the stock instrument pod that was easy to read and placed just right in my field of vision. While this may sound uncomfortable, that was not the case on the racetrack.
As this year is the 40th anniversary of Freddie’s 250cc and 500c double-championships, the gorgeous paintwork by Tray Rogers Southwest Collision in Arlington TX is a replica of Freddie’s Championship-winning Rothmans Honda-HRC NSR500, down to the large yellow numberplate adorned with a huge #4. It pushed my nostalgia buttons hard. R&G helps keep it pristine with some protective pieces and a sturdy paddock stand.
Freddie Spencer’s Build.Train.Race-spec Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 is a testament to what can be achieved when the right modifications are made to a motorcycle you wouldn’t expect to see on a closed circuit. Riding at MotorSport Ranch, I experienced firsthand the bike’s satisfying blend of smooth speed and nimble handling. Riding Freddie Spencer’s B.T.R. Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 left me admiring the motorcycle while appreciating the artistry and engineering prowess behind its creation.
