• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Bike India

Best Bikes in India | No.1 Two Wheeler Magazine

Pulsar NS400Z – CHALA APNI

  • Home
  • News
    • Upcoming Launches
    • Latest News
    • New Bike Launches
  • Reviews
    • First Ride
    • Road Test
    • Comparison
  • Features
  • Our Bikes
  • Videos
  • Subscribe
  • NG Auto
    • AUTO COMPONENTS INDIA
    • CAR INDIA
    • COMMERCIAL VEHICLE
  • Brands
  • AUTHORS

Interview — Adrian Sellers, Royal Enfield | ‘The concept was to make it possible for anybody to race’

October 27, 2022 by Joshua Varghese Leave a Comment

We speak to Adrian Sellers, Head of Custom Program & Motorsport, Industrial Design Department, Royal Enfield, about the Continental GT Cup

Bike India (BI ): What are the top three moments that come to mind when you think about Royal Enfield in motor sport?
Adrian Sellers (AS): You have got the racers in India who have made history on Royal Enfields; “Bullet” Bose comes to mind. Earlier in Royal Enfield’s history, in the 1950s and ‘60s, there were Trials and Hare Scrambles which eventually led to the development of the swinging arm, suspension, and so on. Also, in the US they have been active in off-roading. I don’t think Royal Enfield have focused on one thing exclusively from a factory perspective, but our bikes have always been used in some form of motor sport. That varied history is something that we have tried to keep going in our modern motor sport effort as well.

What was the concept behind the Royal Enfield GT Cup and has it lived up to your expectations?
The concept was to make it possible for anybody to race. To open up a motor sport experience and the opportunity to be a hero to anybody with the skills to do so. Quite often with road racing, it can be difficult to join because of the expense, effort, time, and commitment needed to do it. We wanted to eliminate all those barriers for aspiring racers. You can sign up, try it out, and, if you pass the criteria, it is up to your skill at the point to land a seat for racing. In offering it to people, it is an extension of our broader brand ethos of aspiration and accessibility. Facilitating people to get out there on track and race even if they may not have been able to do so before. That is of immense value and satisfaction to us as a brand.

What changes had to be made to convert the stock Continental GT 650 into the GT-R650?
It was pretty easy because we did not want to change anything fundamental in the Continental GT. It was already designed to be an excellent road bike. Our testing team spent quite a few years getting that dialled in. The changes that have been applied to it have been applied for the track because that is a very specific environment, a very harsh environment where all the forces on the bike are amplified. Suspension, exhausts, lowered clip-ons, rear-sets, and so on are really the extent of the modification. Did not really need to make any changes to the motor itself because it is a spec series and all the bikes need to be identical.

Royal Enfield GT Cup

What is the feedback that you have received from the racers?
Oh, that has been great so far. Obviously, they are happy to be able to get a ride as is any racer. You are just happy to get a race bike to race on. The feedback has been great.

What are your thoughts about the Pro-Am format in the current season of the GT Cup?
It is great. From a story-telling perspective and an entertainment perspective, it is offering a whole lot of opportunities. Just watching the amateurs get up there and perform as well as the pros is a great story of aspiration. It is possible for somebody who does not have that much of racing experience to show just how good they are. That, for me, gets to the heart of what the GT Cup is. It speaks louder than words.

Will the Continental GT Cup make its way to other countries where Royal Enfield have a presence?
We certainly hope to. The approach that we take to all of these activities is to offer them to the greatest number of people. As Royal Enfield expand globally, it logically follows that we will try to offer it in other markets as well. Obviously, that depends on finding appropriate partners like we found JK Tyre in India to help run it. So, yes, there is certainly the intention to do so and we hope to realise that in the coming years.

What is next for Royal Enfield in terms of motor sport?
We have spent the last couple of years initiating our modern push into motor sport, starting with Slide School, flat-track racing, road racing in the US with our GTR programme, and the GT Cup in India. We are looking at taking our learnings and making the racing more exciting, opening it up to more people and to grow these programmes.

Joshua Varghese – who has written 672 posts on Bike India.


Email

Related posts:

Oben O100 Platform Coming Soon

Ather Energy Partner With Infineon Technologies

Honda CB750 Hornet Launched in India

Filed Under: Interviews, News, Royal Enfield Tagged With: continental, gt cup, India, Interview, latest, news, racing, Royal Enfield

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

AlphaOmega Captcha Classica  –  Enter Security Code
 ⟲    ➴
 


* Copy This Password *

* Type Or Paste Password Here *

Primary Sidebar

Follow Us

LATEST ISSUE

Pulsar NS400Z – CHALA APNI

19TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL

Bike India - India's no. 1 two-wheeler magazine

Triumph Street Triple 765 R and RS Review | The Best Street Triple Yet

Ducati Diavel V4 Review | Devil of the Mountain

Royal Enfield Hunter 350 first ride | Aspi Bhathena

SPECIAL Featured Story

Yamaha FZ-S Fi Hybrid

Yamaha FZ-S Fi Hybrid Launched

The Yamaha FZ-S Fi Hybrid has been launched at Rs 1.45 lakh (ex-showroom). Yamaha claim that this is India’s first sub-150-cc hybrid motorcycle. 

More about this.

Recent Posts

  • Oben O100 Platform Coming Soon
  • JUNE 2025
  • Ather Energy Partner With Infineon Technologies
  • Honda CB750 Hornet Launched in India

Car India

Car India Magazine - Get your Digital Subscription

Footer

Latest News

Oben O100 Platform Coming Soon

Ather Energy Partner With Infineon Technologies

Honda CB750 Hornet Launched in India

Honda CB1000 Hornet SP Launched in India

Pulsar NS400Z – CHALA APNI

Pulsar NS400Z – CHALA APNI

Bike India: India’s no. 1 two-wheeler magazine

BIKE India covers the two-wheeler industry in its entirety, both from the local and the international perspective. Also delivers the most definitive verdict on machinery and performance by explaining the hows, whys, and whats on every new bike in a lucid and user-friendly manner. BIKE India is the India’s most authoritative two-wheeler publication, a magazine for people with a passion for bikes and everything to do with their history and heritage.
SiteMap

Copyright © 2025 · BIKE INDIA INDIA’S NO. 1 TWO WHEELER MAGAZINE, BY FAR! ·