We've been following the Enfield FT Twin project since a reader sent us his own 'spy' shots taken at Leicester speedway track in mid-September 2019 (see the post Royal Enfield Production Twin). Just over a year later, thanks to the guidance of Johnny Lewis, the skill of Harris Performance and the enthusiasm and engineering prowess of Royal Enfield, flat track fans saw the bike win a pro flat track National, just FIVE WEEKS, after making its debut.
The AFT Production Twins race at Daytona Short Track, within Daytona International Speedway, included Yamahas, Kawasaki and the Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson 750 of newly crowned 2020 champ, James Rispoli. Lewis was fastest qualifier and led the main from flag-to-flag despite the pressure of 2019 champ Cory Texter, breathing down his neck for the 21-lap race.
This Royal Enfield project is great for the pro sport. It shows other manufacturers what can be done quickly with an engine that makes less than 50bhp in stock road form. The team still have a long way to go. This was a win on a short track with an unusual surface, where outright power isn't as much of a factor as most tracks on the calendar, but it was an emphatic and hard-fought win and it will lift the team and the huge factory behind them. The video below, from last weekend's races, show some of the little glitches the team is still overcoming.
The MotoAnatomy x Royal Enfield team has one final race of 2020, at Daytona tonight.