What you see here are the exclusive images of the
Royal Enfield Classic 500 Scrambler caught road testing for the first time,
courtesy of IAB reader Suraj Suprabhan. A report claimed that the scrambler was spied with an “On test by ARAI” license plate;
however, there were no images released to back the claim. The Classic 500
Scrambler here looks like an early prototype with a lot of rough edges. What we
can assure you though, that Royal Enfield is brewing something for the Indian
enthusiasts.
The Classic 500 Scrambler could be a variant
extension, and unlikely to become the brand's best seller, especially when
Royal Enfield has the Himalayan in their stables. Royal Enfield could be using this
prototype to test a BS-VI ready engine. However, we’ll keep the speculations at
bay until further details are revealed. What we can decipher from the images is
that the test prototype features knobby off-road biased tyres, short fenders at
both the ends and a tall and wide handlebar with a centre brace.
The pillion seat has been removed on the test mule
and it is devoid of the rear parcel rack that was seen on the earlier images.
The off-road spec exhaust gets an awkwardly upswept angle. Royal Enfield has
mixed and matched parts from various Classic 500 variants. For instance, the
fuel tank is from the chrome variant while the side cowl has a silver finish.
The taillight and the turn indicators are from the
Royal Enfield Continental GT 650’s parts bin. The front suspension comes with
fork gaiters and a brace, which is also lifted from the GT 650. The rider
triangle shows the relaxed ergonomics on the Royal Enfield Classic 500
Scrambler test mule. An earlier image of the prototype displayed a small wire
running into the front brake, which has us believe that the test mule features
ABS.
While the engine specifications are unknown at the
moment, the 499cc, single-cylinder BS4-compliant engine on the Royal Enfield
Classic 500 produces 27.5 PS of power and 41.3 Nm of peak torque. A 5-speed
gearbox transfers control the wheel.
