Garry Scott

I've got two things in common with Guy Martin. I've never won a TT and I've fallen in love with a Royal Enfield. While he travelled across India, for a Channel 4 documentary, I started my journey in Glasgow. While 0-60mph in 11 seconds and a top speed of just over 80mph might not sound like much, I soon discover the GT Continental's main fault: I keep wanting to stop to admire it. The air-cooled, 535cc single cylinder machine is an absolute beauty.

The bike, which comes in eye-catching yellow or red, is styled in homage to the firm's 1965 250cc Continental, which was produced in its Redditch factory, before the company collapsed and moved production lock, stock and ignition barrel to India. It belongs to the era of dirty demins, black leather, pudding bowl helmets and Gene Vincent, and with the renewed interest in all things retro, it's right back in fashion.

If you go to any big city, you'll notice trendy chaps with beards and tattoos cutting about on stripped down cafe racers, either modern retros like the Triumph Bonneville or Moto Guzzi V7s or expensively rebuilt Japanese bikes from the 1970s such as Honda CB750s. You don't need to be a marketing genius to work out it's a backlash against today's ultra high-powered bikes, many of which are only rideable as they've been digitally dulled with traction control, ABS, computer-controlled throttles and enough computing power to launch a small spacecraft.

The Royal Enfield, though, is the real deal. It's the world's oldest continuously manufacturing motorcycle maker and has been producing bikes in India since 1955. The roots of its Bullet model stretch back to 1932 when it was the fastest bike in the world. The name, incidentally, comes from the firm's history as a rifle maker, as does its slogan: Made like a gun, goes like a bullet. In 1970, it bought the name and soldiered on when the parent company folded using the tooling they bought from the British firm and following the same basic designs.

The GT Continental marks a step change for the company, which sells more motorcycles globally than Harley-Davidson. They are targeting sales in the UK, USA, Germany and Japan. It's a tall order. It may be the most powerful Enfield ever but while 29bhp might be good enough for Madras that figure's not going set the heather on fire in Motherwell or Munich.

The first thing I notice is the bike's size. It's small, light and unintimidating. The second is the kick-start. I decide to use the electric starter to save myself any embarrassment and head towards the Scotia bar in Glasgow, in tribute to the ton-up boys of the 1960s. I wasn't alive in the 1960s, and my knowledge of old British bikes is restricted to faded photos in my family's photo albums but it seems like the real deal. It vibrates and pops on the over-run. It feels alive and smells of petrol. What it doesn't do is leak oil or break down.

It's got a short rev range and I hit the the 5500rpm red line almost before I get out the dealer's car park but it's a torquey engine with enough power. It takes a bit of getting used to but once I do it's a blast. Everywhere I go it turns heads and the accessible power makes it perfect for posing around the city.

I head towards Callander on the back roads, the engine thumping away beneath me, producing a lovely exhaust sound. It's certainly fast enough for A and B roads, although overtakes have to be timed well bearing in mind the short rev range.

The GT has quality components - a first for Enfield - including Pirelli tyres, effective Brembo disc brakes front and rear and Italian Paioli gas charged rear shocks. The handling is fine, though it can be upset by our dodgy surfaces, some of which would do India proud. I'd reminded of riding a Harley 48, or one of the older, smaller Monsters.

I stop for coffee and let an expert run his eye over it. My dad is impressed. As I kick it over - I get the hang of it fairly quickly - he reckons it sounds just like the real thing. That's because it is.

Thanks to Portman Motors, Portman Street, Govan, for the loan of the Continental, which costs £4999. See www.portman-motors.com or call 0141 429 6701

Sidebar

The Erskine Motorcycle Meet takes place on Sunday May 31, with live music, stalls, a 1940s-themed street party and barbecue from 1pm to 5pm. A motorcycle and trike parade will leave Parks Main high school at 12.40pm to ride to Erskine. All riders will pay £5 to take part and the money will be donated to the charity which looks after ex-servicemen. See erskinemotorbikemeet.co.uk

Hein Gericke, the German motorcycle gear and accessories store, has reopened in Glasgow on Great Western Road, a handful of doors down from its old store, which is now J&S Accessories.