[youtube:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pksFllHJ1iw 540 375]
The Royal Enfield Continental GT has set a new land speed record. The bike took part in the Speed Week which was held in Bonneville. The event is organised by Southern California Timing Association and the Continental GT took part in the 500 MPSS (Modified Pushrod Partially Streamlined) category. The bike has set the record by clocking an unofficial speed of 157.2 km/hr. The Continental GT, that was ridden by Nadine de Freitas had undergone heavy modifications to the cylinder head, camshafts, throttle bodies, pistons and the exhaust system.
The bike’s power output was rated at 60 PS and its compression ratio was also jacked up at 12:1. Matt Capri, who is a performance tuner and a former racing champion was quoted saying that the Continental GT comes with an exceptional frame and brakes while the rear suspension is also very advanced. The bike has the capability to handle additional horsepower if at all a rider intends to modify it. Matt said that the performance modifications are not too expensive and could be afforded by enthusiasts too.
Many tuners and riders from all over the world take part in the Salt Run event to test their machines’ power. Apart from bikes, cars and trucks also take part in this event that is held in the Utah State of the US. The Royal Enfield Continental GT is available in India for Rs. 2.14 lakhs (on-road, Mumbai). It comes powered by a 535cc, single-cylinder engine which gets fuel injection. This engine produces 29.1 BHP of power and 44 Nm of torque, making it the most powerful Royal Enfield in production currently.
