With my Royal Enfield with a twin-cylinder engine, I can zip through traffic more safely than with the lighter KTM 390 Adventure.

BHPian a_chelate recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

The GT arrived home this month. It’s been three weeks since delivery, the mileage hit 500km on Sunday and the first scheduled service is due on Friday. I don’t plan to “test” the bike as I’m sure everyone knows what the GT has to offer by now, but I thought I’d write up some of my experiences.

Why the GT?

I wanted a new motorcycle, period. I didn’t need one, but the more motorcycles I have, the more joy I get out of life. That was the only reason I made my initial purchase decision.

To be honest, I didn’t look at the GT or shop around in that price range. I’ve long been an admirer of Triumph’s modern classics and could finally afford one without taking out a loan. My first choice was the T120, but the fact that it had tube tires was a major turn-off. That brought me to the Speed ​​Twin 1200. I wouldn’t say it was really the second choice. I think it’s the prettiest bike in the range and obviously has better performance too; I was leaning towards the T120 as I wasn’t sure I really needed all the power of the Speed ​​Twin and the T120 was a bit more pillion friendly.

What put a damper on my plans was the infamous Triumph experience. I just couldn’t get a test ride. I have tried the earlier versions of these bikes but I didn’t want to shell out 15 lakhs for a machine before I had a proper chance to test it. Without going into details, the dealers in Bangalore – both Keerthi and Khivraj – were not very keen on selling the bike. The Khivraj experience was marginally better and while they offered a TD at home, their TD vehicle had apparently met with an accident and was in the workshop. They wanted me to follow up and remind them of my request; although I found this odd, I did so for a couple of weeks before giving up. That and the infamous service experience always lingering in the back of my mind was finally enough for me to look for other options.

And then came the GT. Like the Modern Classics, I’ve coveted the GT for a very, very long time. Ever since I first saw a red GT 535 speeding past me. When the 650 Twins came out, I briefly considered buying one, but I gave up because it’s not a very practical bike. It still isn’t, but my priorities have changed over time. Now I have an Adv 390 if my wife wants to come along, so I can just keep the GT for myself.

So if I couldn’t afford a dream bike, I was going to get another one. The fact that it was less than a third of my budget made the decision easier. That way I can go back to the Triumph in a year or two and hopefully that will be enough time for Bajaj to improve things. Until then, I’ll enjoy the GT. I’m chasing one dream at a time.

The RE experience

I owned an Electra (UCE) for 8 years before selling it. Apart from the service experience at Teknik Motors in Bangalore, I have only fond memories of the bike and RE in general. So while I’m not a hardcore fanboy, I do have an emotional connection with the brand. I was always sure I would get one again. The only question was, where from?

I chose RE Company store even though Teknik Motors in Indiranagar is just 15-20 minutes walk from home. And I am glad I did. Everything went smoothly from TD to paperwork to delivery. I was assisted by Mr. Sajid and the best part was that I never had to call him for anything. They were very punctual with everything and always delivered what they promised. I think the fact that they didn’t commit to anything they weren’t sure of (unlike other dealers) helped. 10/10, would recommend.

The GT experience

I won’t list the pros and cons that have been discussed at length over the past few years. I knew what I was getting myself into.

The engine is a gem. I keep the revs below 4,000 during the break-in period, so I can’t say I had much fun, but even within those limits it’s a very enjoyable machine. Very maneuverable and picks up speed quickly (for an RE).

It’s also a very desirable bike, a real head turner. Choose any shade and you won’t be disappointed. Although my wife looked at the Mr. Clean and said the tank looked like an upside down aluminum kitchen jar and I can’t unsee it now lol.

Drove around 100kms on spoked wheels while Bhushan from TopGear Thumpers got the alloys. Very professional and almost 4k cheaper than the quote I got from RE dealers. Again a 10/10 experience, would recommend.

There are also a few things I’m learning to live with, mostly things I underestimated:

• Weight – The GT is very maneuverable. In fact, I feel safer in traffic with the GT than with the lighter Adv 390 – the lower stance just gives me more confidence personally. But the weight is definitely noticeable when I try to maneuver it around the parking lot, a bit more than I expected.
• Riding position – Once again I underestimated the strain on my wrists. I was well prepared for the demanding riding position on the GT and had no discomfort during the test drives. I even drove 400 km this Sunday and didn’t feel any discomfort. But driving in Bangalore rush hour traffic is tough – the constant stop-go-stop movements put a strain on the wrists. I’ve also gained 20 kg in the last year, which doesn’t help either. Time to get fit.
• Fuel range – I’m still working on the fuel range to be safe. I tried calculating the FE on the highway and it seemed to come out at 27 km/l. Isn’t that ARAI’s FE? I’m not sure if I missed something as I was just taking notes at the time. Anyway, I expect the number to go down after the first service – there’s no way I’ll be able to drive as smoothly as I did during the break-in period, which is surely the reason for the higher FE. Fuel stops every 200 km or so should be a safe option. Better fuel range and fewer stops would have been great but it is what it is.

A few pictures to finish.

On the day of delivery:

The alloys are mixed with:

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