With last minute hiccups, we ended up travelling northbound on a journey designed around two very different touring based bikes, with two bikes that prioritised style over substance. Or is it? Here’s what we learned after 2 days on the road with the Royal Enfield Classic 650 and the Harley Davidson Fatboy.
The mishap during planning
When we designed this journey to Penang we intended to take two very different bikes, the Himalayan 450 from Royal Enfield and the Road Glide from Harley Davidson. Both bikes will make a ride to Penang a cakewalk. Plus both bikes come with storage spaces which is super important when you want to shoot bikes without needing to take a support car. Sounded like a fool proof plan.
Only that at the last minute due to a series of unfortunate circumstances we were offered the Royal Enfield Classic 650 and the Harley Davidson Fatboy. By no means are they bad bikes to ride. But where we need hiking boots, these were more office loafers.
The Bikes themselves
Royal Enfield Classic 650
The Classic is possibly the most iconic bike on the planet, with a relatively unchanged design since the 1930’s (under the model name Bullet). Its synonymous with pop culture in India and always featured a thumper in either 350cc or 500cc. Its pretty much the bike that comes to ones mind when you mention Royal Enfield.
While other brands chase more tech and more features, Royal Enfield recognises that this ‘feel’ is exactly what the people want, and they continuously improve on it, rather than try to reinvent the wheel. Like how the 911 or the Miata has evolved over time.
For the first time the Classic gets a twin cylinder engine, courtesy of Royal Enfield’s hugely popular 649cc, air and oil cooled, parallel twin. Gives out a fruity noise and a lovely induction noise, and has loads of torque from the low down. On tap theres 46bhp and 52.3Nm at 5650rpm. Plenty of punch to be sent through the 6 speed gearbox to push this 243kg bike.
Harley Davidson Fatboy
On the opposite end of the same spectrum, you have the Fatboy. Yes, this is the successor of the Harley Arnold Schwarzenegger rode in Terminator 2 Judgement Day. The current version shares similar design cues, like the solid wheels, the front headlamp mount design, the MASSIVE rear tyre and the twin side pipes. That tyres such a signature on the bike that its specially made for it, complete with Harley logo’s on it.
Like Royal Enfield, Harley never veered too far from its tried and tested ‘horse gallop’ air cooled V twin engine design. The current 114 cubic inch or 1868cc engine puts out a modest-for-capacity 94bhp, and 155Nm of torque.
But its the way the torque comes in, its available everywhere on the rev range, even from 2500rpm, and peaking at 3250rpm. Its this surge and seemingly constant torque curve is the dominant feature of the powertrain.
Our Journey
The week leading to the ride was a hectic one, with both work and family events taking a toll on both riders and our spouses. To add to the drama the last minute change in the bikes really threw in a monkey wrench into our plans, mostly on the logistics side. After a much earned sleep past 9am, we geared up and rolled out at a leisurely 11am on a Saturday morning towards Penang.
The Highway Cruise
The first leg was a straight dash on the highway to make up for the laid back start time. Thank god for the overcast and light drizzle, the air was relatively cool. Both the bikes are capable of racing above the national speed limit with ease, fully loaded. None of them showing any strains. However the drawback was the wind resistance or the lack of it.
In favour of style neither one of this bikes have any form of wind deflection. Between 140kph – 160kph both bikes becomes really tough on your forearms with the amount of windblast. Outside of that, the sound of the twins in both bikes, their vibrations and feel shouts pure mechanical symphony with minimal to barely any electronic intervention.
Between the two the Royal Enfield feels more old school, with the aesthetics and electronics blending in best. The noise and feel from the engine, handlebars, clutch, shifter and brakes strike the best balance between old school feel and proper functionality. It performs like how you would expect a new bike to perform, with all the old school charm of the classic bike.
The Fatboy on the other hand is a different kind of beast. And a beast it is, with far greater mass, requiring more effort to hustle it at turns. All the controls feel much more weighted, physically demanding and, ‘Jantan’. Definitely not for beginners. Definitely requires a minimum amount of physical strength.
The B roads
Mercifully to the delight of my pillion we were off the highway and on the B roads from Behrang. We stopped at a petrol station in Slim River, with plenty of fuel left in the tank. We hydrated ourselves and grabbed a quick bite before setting off. On the back roads is where the Royal Enfield came alive.
Its the goldilocks bike for our back roads, not in terms of the way it covers the road. But in terms of feel, how its one with its surroundings. The mild corners and bumps are soaked up well by the bike, and it has just enough power to not overwhelm on a b road, while taking in the sceneries. This bike it the one you take for long getaways deep into the heart of our countryside, for some soul searching, for some healing.
The Harley on the other hand, was very much at home on the open highway. However it was not too keen on playing ball with the less than perfect tarmac we have over Route 1 between Slim River and Kampar. It did however look great from behind, or via the rear view mirror. At every stop light, everyone from every junction would look at the Harley in awe.
Lunchtime Pitstop
We rolled into yet another Petron station during this trip to unwind. The set of seats at the station prompt us to order some instant noodles and munch down on some food after basking under the afternoon sun since 11.30pm.
In the comfort of air conditioning we got out of the riding gear to reflect on the journey so far. And also admiring the hunk of chrome and black paint which ironically were the colour theme of both bikes. Even the other patrons for the petrol station could not help themselves, with reactions ranging from approving nods to full fledge bucket list confessions. Despite the massive price difference, both bikes were seen in the same light. We daresay the Royal Enfield had more fans as it was seen as an attainable dream whilst the Harley seemed like a fantasy.
We rolled a few more km’s over Perak on Route 1 until the Simpang Pulai exit, before heading into the highway.
Stopping at Taiping
At this point we were trying to make it to our intermediate stop of Taiping by 4pm. After crossing the Menora Tunnel we stopped at Sungai Perak just in time to avoid a heavy drizzle. Then it was back on the road again until we hit Taiping, the rainiest city in Malaysia.
While it was just meant to be a routine stop at a families house, we were pleasantly surprised to find that there was fresh mutton biryani and mutton curry waiting for us. We wasted no time digging in to this unbelievably tasty biryani and mutton combo.
We also stopped by a local staple, the Thirumugam Printing Press in Taiping, whose name dates back to 1957. In many ways, these bikes and the historic printing press have a lot in common. It still preserves the history and heritage of the art of printing, especially when it comes to ceremonial print materials like traditional wedding invitations. But at the same time the business has evolved with the times, mixing it with the latest tech without missing the core value. Both these bikes look like they belong from decades ago, yet they sport a host of clever tech which were useful for this trip.
After visiting a 100 year old temple in the jungle, we rolled out towards Penang.
Finally Penang
By the time we reached the island it was night, and we had to ride through a heavy downpour on the way there. The headlamps on both bikes were pretty good in this adverse condition. Thanks to the weight, they didn’t suffer from aquaplaning or even get affected too much by the cross winds, especially while riding across the second Penang bridge.
Once on the island we took a slow roll before reaching our overnight accommodation, the White Mansion Penang in Lebuh Noordin. We wasted no time getting out of the wet gear, getting a warm shower, and walked over to the massage centre next door.
After massage, we took a ride to one of the few food courts that operated beyond 11.30pm in Penang for a late night supper, before tucking in for the night.
Penang Lunch
Madam Priya’s is a place we have never tried before in Penang, and under the guidance of our local expert and dear friend Predeep Nambiar we decided to give it a try. As usual his suggestions never disappoint. We had it all, from Chicken biryani, to banana leaf rice, chicken 65, mutton chukka, mutton trotter soup, and a fried tenggiri fish curry cooked straight out of a claypot. This with condiments like brinjal thokku, bread halwa and payasam. With a particularly tasty sambar podi with ghee. To say we are guilty of gluttony was an understatement. Yet the bill for 6 of us only came up to about RM300. Not bad at all considering what we devoured.
On the road towards KL
After such a hearty meal, we had more than enough calories to last us for the entire ride. By the time we refuelled in Juru, it was already 3pm in the evening. We knew we couldnt afford any B roads diversions, so we stuck to the highway all the way. This time we felt the toll taken by the first day of riding.
We stopped more frequently for shorter periods. On the way back it was really apparent how much these bikes were falling short in accommodating two up and luggage. Or so we thought. At Simpang Renggam we decided to swap bikes, with yours truly taking hold of the Harley, and my partner handling the RE. Surprisingly we felt that this was better suited for each other. We confirmed this once again after swapping back between Perak and Simpang Pulai.
Then from Simpang Pulai onwards, we took over the Harley, while the duo who was previously riding the Harley were now on the RE. At this point it was purely night riding all the way till we reached the city.
Night Ride in the Fat Boy
The night ride in the Harley was spectacular. There’s loads of torque seemingly from idle, requiring nothing more than 3500rpm on 6th gear to hit about 140kph. So imagine how relaxed the engine was at the national speed limit. You do get a healthy dose of vibration through the handlebars. The clutch is butch to use, and the gearbox makes a super satisfying THUNK sound at each gear change. its maximum effort, but bloody satisfying.
Since it was the Hari Raya Haji weekend, the highway was clogged for almost the entire way. We on the other hand were barrelling down past all these cars stopping only to stretch or to use the toilet on the way back. We kept a sharp eye out on where the SMART Lane system were applied.
Mercifully the weather stayed dry at all times. When the roads cleared past Tanjung Malim, there was more space to relax in the ride. With clear skies, you could see the stars clearly on the night sky. Not that the riders could gaze at them for long, but our pillions enjoyed the view.
At that moment, between the rolling black highway, the harmonic rumble of the engine, and the darkness of the night, there was a moment of zen. It was two wheel motoring at its best.
In Conclusion
When we rolled into our place in Kelana Jaya, just 30 mins before midnight, we were exhausted, our bodies involuntarily vibrating with a ruined bottom. Yet, the rush of completing the ride was very satisfying.
Both of these bikes could not be more different from one another, yet incredibly similar. Both are more style centric that its stablemates, and they are absolute stunners to look at. Both sport twin cylinder engines, both sport badges with over 100 years of heritage, both bikes are an evolution of decade old designs.
Yet ones a heavyweight powerhouse, while the other a simplistic interpretation of what retro motorcycling is about. One is all about excess, the other all about purity. The Royal Enfield Classic 650 is about 22% of the Harleys price, but it surely didnt feel like its 20% worth of bike. It held its own on this journey, maybe even performed better in some aspects. It completely justifies the RM34,500 (RM35,500 for the Chrome Black) price tag it commands.
The Harley Davidson Fatboy on the other hand is far more expensive at a whopping RM155,000. Its all about the image and aesthetics with this bike. It was not wise to bring it on a long haul trip like this. Its more suited for rides around the Klang Valley area. But even then, when it all came together, you really start to get what this bike is about. You involuntarily hear Steppenwolf ringing in your ears, and start feeling like Wyatt and Billy. If you get the reference then you are a legend.
This trip would have been an adventure on any type of bike. We got to make this epic journey in two absolutely gorgeous looking bikes. Despite any and all shortcomings, it was all worth it. What bike would you pick to do this journey? Share your thoughts in the comments.