Royal Enfield staked their claim in North America in a big way in 2015 with the establishment of the company’s first wholly owned subsidiary outside of India: Royal Enfield North America.
While the company’s primary goal of selling motorcycles is reflected in an ever-increasing dealer network that today includes 156 in the US and 24 in Canada, and annual sales volumes that have reached and exceeded a goal of 10,000 units, Royal Enfield has also demonstrated both the desire and the capacity to be involved in all areas of motorcycling, including racing.
Now in its fifth year, Build.Train.Race (“BTR”) develops racers in both flat track and road racing, with a program sees participants learning to wrench on their own bike, train with professional coaches and ultimately race on a national stage as support classes for American Flat Track and MotoAmerica. Did I forget to mention that 100 percent of the competitors are women? Very cool!
As a track day junkie and road racing fan, not to mention a father to two daughters, writing about BTR has been a goal of mine for the last couple of years. When the call came in from Royal Enfield inviting me to join them at Road America to take in some MotoAmerica action including the second round of the BTR 2024 road racing season, my answer was an immediate and resounding yes.
The journey to Road America is a story within a story itself. On the morning of June 1, arriving at the Royal Enfield North America’s headquarters and discovery centre in the heart of Milwaukee’s trendy entertainment district, it was hard not to look up at the sky and the foreboding dark clouds that hung overhead. Putting any concerns about the weather to the side, our small group of journalists and Royal Enfield staff jumped aboard our assigned bikes and turned our attention towards the ride to Road America.
While the Shotgun 650 I was riding is one of my favourite Royal Enfield models (click here to read IM’s review), I did not hesitate when offered the chance to switch bikes and take a Royal Enfield INT650 for a ride. As the bike that BTR flat track racers use and sharing most of its components with the Continental 650 used by the road racers, it would be hard to imagine a better motorcycle to ride to Road America. In addition, this particular bike with its aftermarket S&S exhaust system had caught my eye (and ear) at previous Royal Enfield press events and I had always hoped to have the chance to take it for a spin.
Riding along a series of twisty backroads, even in the pouring rain that fell during the last 45 minutes of our journey, the INT650 handled with ease, smoothly transitioning from side to side and responding eagerly to twists of the wrist. With a manageable wet weight of 218 kg (480 lb) it is easy to envision the INT650 (and Continental 650) as an ideal platform to be modified for racing.
Arriving at Road America, the Royal Enfield BTR tent offered shelter from the continued rainfall, but also provided the first glimpse into just how big this program is. Large enough to house 12 motorcycles, 12 racers and a full support team including mechanics, coaches, content creators and more, the Royal Enfield setup is on par with any other major manufacturer.
Team manager Scott Rybarik provided an overview of the road racing program, which was modelled after Royal Enfield’s original BTR flat track initiative. Comprised of 12 racers, each year six new participants are selected from hundreds of applicants to replace the six graduating members who have completed their second year of the program. Successful applicants are typically amateur or first year expert club racers, although the current roster includes a former motocross racer as well as a competitive downhill skier. Canada is also represented in the 2024 lineup by racers Holly Varey and Lucy Blondel.
Once participants are selected, the program gets underway in the shop where racers work hands-on in converting their stock Continental 650 into a race ready machine. The quality of aftermarket parts utilized in the builds is consistent with the rest of the program and includes leading edge products and technology sourced from S&S Cycle and Ohlins Racing, among others.
Moving into the training portion of the program the aspiring racers head into the classroom and on to the track where they work with a team of coaches and trainers. The fact that three-time Grand Prix world champion and motorcycle road racing legend Freddie Spencer heads the team confirms how serious BTR is when it comes to building the next generation of female road racers.
Most of this information could have easily been obtained through phone interviews or online research, but visiting the BTR tent and speaking with ladies who race and the teams working behind the scenes provided insights that need to be experienced to be understood.
Despite the cold wet weather, families with young girls stop by throughout the afternoon, anxious to speak with the racers and see the motorcycles. Watching the racers stop whatever they were doing and engage with each child is a chance to observe the creation of the next generation of road racers. Royal Enfield’s overarching goals include introducing new riders to the pure passion of motorcycling and the expression of a young child sitting astride one of the racers’ motorcycles is proof that this commitment is alive and well.
As our day at Road America continued, the team atmosphere under the BTR tent became increasingly evident as racers not only spent time together discussing strategies and encouraging one another, but also jumping in to help whenever another racer needed assistance working on their bike. Another impossible-to-miss example of this team spirit was Holly Varey, now in her second year with BTR. Despite not racing on this day due to an injury sustained earlier in the season, Holly worked non-stop with multiple first year racers and seemed to forever be running tires back and forth to the tent.
Race time arrived and as the tent walls were retracted and riders fired up their bikes, all eyes fell on the team manager as he counted down the minutes. With one-minute remaining, his reminder to the racers to “breathe” served as confirmation that coaching never ends.
Huddled under a trackside tent, we watch the racers head out for a series of extra sighting laps that have been added in response to the continued wet weather conditions. Reigning BTR road racing champ Mikayla Moore’s decision to withdraw from the race after these initial laps confirms that she is still suffering the effects of a crash earlier in the day and opens the door for Cassie Creer to pick up her first BTR win. If there was any doubt as to the team-sprit that exists under the BTR tent, Moore’s presence at the podium as the first person to congratulate Creer confirmed the program’s mantra of being competitors on the track, but teammates no matter what.
Moore would go onto win race 2 the following day (under sunny skies) by a commanding 24-second margin followed by two equally dominant performances at The Ridge in Washington state one month later setting the stage for what is sure to be a long and successful road racing career after she graduates from BTR at the end of 2024. Of course, not every racer on the current roster and those beyond will follow in Moore’s footsteps, however the lessons, values and camaraderie instilled and supported by the BTR program will help carry them forward on whatever path life takes them. Along the way, they will embody and help spread Royal Enfield’s vision of pure motorcycling as it continues to grow in North America and beyond.
Visit www.buildtrainrace.com to learn more about Royal Enfield’s Build.Train.Race program and www.royalenfield.com/ca to experience the complete lineup of Royal Enfield motorcycles.
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