Ready. Set. SCRAM!

As you can imagine, this isn’t a powerhouse. It doesn’t even pretend to be and that’s just fine, it doesn’t have to. What it is though, is a very, very nice bike. Especially for what I was planning, which was nothing. Don’t get me wrong, I do get excited from exciting bikes and I can ride them to within an inch of their limits, but I didn’t want to. And then it’s much more satisfying on a bike that hasn’t the pretence. When you ride a cutting edge bike slow, that’s just what you do. You’re not using its full potential and somehow that gets to you. On this, when you ride it exactly the same way, you’re using it exactly as you should. And that makes a huge difference.

Ultimate de-stressing machine
No, I haven’t gone soft. I just wanted to ride. Let me explain. As I was on my way to pick up the Scram, I realised I was happy right then and there. On my way, nice weather, out of the house, no goals, just on a bike. Perfection. I didn’t need anything else. No brand, no model, just the fact of riding a bike. And that really is key. The Royal Enfield is an extension of that. I remembered the email saying ‘we’re very sorry that you had to miss the international presentation’, but I know how that would have gone. Now I had full control and wasn’t going to let anything get in the way. So if I wanted to cruise I would do just that. Even now and here in this country, it’s still possible to not look at the tacho and be fine. You just have to pick the right bike and for now, this is it.

That’s a really long intro to a bike and you still don’t know what it is exactly. This is, in full, a Royal Enfield Scram 411. So it’s a scrambler version of the popular world traveller the Royal Enfield Himalayan, by the infamous Indian brand. There you go. By now you probably have taken a peek at the pictures and know exactly what I mean.

Best of both worlds
And as they go, this might just be the most Royal of all the bikes RE has to offer. I mean, as you know the brand originates from the UK, then went on to live in India for a few decades and only the last few years has taken on the global market again. In one corner with bikes that really make that cut, appealing to all the right senses when it comes to retro and vintage, with good looks and an engine that works for that audience. On the other side they make motorcycles like the Himalayan, a bike that stays close to the business that made the brand survive all these years: a bike that never breaks down and if it does, it’s easily repairable by the side of the road. This 411 is exactly that. So at first we don’t have to expect a lot of power. However there’s a spoiler: you don’t even need that much power, let alone miss it. Less power means easier handling and improved longevity. Besides these bikes just ooze reliability. Although this machine is extremely minimalistic, it does come with ABS as standard, as well as a gear indicator.  It also comes with Royal Enfield’s famous Tripper GPS navigation system. This allows you to plan a trip on your phone using Royal Enfield’s proprietary app, and send the directions to a small LCD display for turn-by-turn directions. Brilliant!

The remaining amount of power still is ‘enough’, even for international standards and so they decided to play with the platform, which in the end resulted in this Scram. So there you have it. It looks, it goes, it stops. And it’s cheap and fuel efficient. What more could one ask for?

No-frills
Seriously, this thing is 100% percent no-nonsense. It’s the opposite of nonsense and if you are like me, you’ll love it for that. And even though there are many details you could get into and maybe complain about if you’re picky, but I’m not going to. The seat position is ok (but maybe not great), the handling is ok, we talked about the performance already and the list just goes on and on. Let me put it another way. On the way over, I rode a BMW K1100 and was perfectly happy. I was happy to be on the road, happy to ride, happy to enjoy what I had and not need or want any more. On the Royal Enfield, I was even happier. And I think that’s all you need to know. Ride, smile, repeat.

Head on over to your nearest Royal Enfield dealer to check the new Royal Enfield Scram 411 out for yourself!

Special thanks to Moto Mondo; the number 1 importer of Royal Enfield in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxemburg.

Photo credits: Vincent Burger

The post REVIEW 2022 Royal Enfield Scram 411 appeared first on BikeBrewers.com.

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Smiles-per-mile
When Royal Enfield unleashed their 650 twins into the world, nobody had expected that they would take over the world by storm. It was and still is the bike Royal Enfield owners were craving for. Not only that, the classic design of the twins has stolen the hearts of many new and old motorcyclists, including myself! Royal Enfield has proven that more horsepower, and a higher price tag don’t automatically mean more smiles-per-mile. Many motorcycle magazines have awarded the Interceptor 650 the “Motorcycle of the Year” award for that particular reason.

Builders choice
The simplicity of the Royal Enfield 650 speaks to many, especially in an age where more and more motorcycles are drenched with technology and computers. Don’t get me wrong, we aren’t against hi-tech bikes, but the no frills no non-sense experience out-trumps tech any day, especially if you love working on your motorcycle.

Racing pedigree
Then there is Pepo Rosell. If you don’t know who that is, make sure to check out some of the articles we have written before. The Frenchman who has been living in Spain for a long time now, is known for his radical designs; a craftsman of the first-degree. Pepo maintains an almost scientific approach to building motorcycles. And when we say build, we mean BUILD, as in, from the ground up. Pepo has a passion for racing too, so it comes as no surprise that most of his builds are race inspired, often replicas of real racing machines.

Replica
Everybody agrees that the Continental GT 650 isn’t the fastest or the sportiest bike out there. The handling is good, and the power is more than adequate. What we see here today looks completely different than that. The “Lilith” as Pepo has dubbed this build, looks like it just came off a race track in the 1970/80s. Probably a street track too! When you take a look at the extensive list of modifications below, it is clear that an incredible amount of work has been put into this. This isn’t a café racer; this IS a RACER!

Manual labour
Some of the mods that immediately stand out have to be the front fairing with the twin protruding headlights, just like the old racing bikes. The fuel tank with the quick-fueling system doesn’t only look mean, it has a function too. It is made out of fiberglass and is, obviously, hand-made. Neat feat is the fuel gauge “window” on the side, that allows for a quick visual on the fuel levels. There are loads of details that pop up the longer you look at the GT. Another example of Pepo’s skills is the unique racing solo/dual seat. Then there is that beautiful red paint finish. Nothing screams speed more than that bright red colour.

We really like the way this Continental GT has turned out, and would love to hear and see this one in real life. In the meantime, we will have to make do with the stunning pictures that were sent to us from Spain. Salud!

PICTURES by Belen Piqueras

Mods list:

• XTR glass fiber fuel tank with fuel level stripe
• ACC Endurance gas cap
• Modified subframe
• XTR Solo/Dual seat (XTR design)
• XTR upholstered seat
• XTR rear light
• XTR led turn signals
• XTR licence plate support
• YSS adjustable rear shocks
• Turbokit Megaphone mufflers
• Shortened exhaust lines
• CNC RIGA aluminium chain tensioner
• K-Speed foot-pegs and brackets
• 17″ aluminium rims
• DNA air filter
• DOMINO quick throttle
• XTR machined clip ons
• XTR machined bar-ends
• CNC RIGA aluminium CNC machined top yoke
• RR oil temperature gauge
• XTR front fairing and windshield
• XTR CNC machined adjustable brake and clutch levers
• BREMBO Gold front brake pump
• XTR endurance lights
• HIGHSIDE mirrors
• Modified front fender and support
• FULBAT LIPO battery
• ARTENRUTA painting

Builder details:
XTR Pepo
Website
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