After riding and testing the bike, here are our Royal Enfield Flying Flea C6 First Impressions and our verdict.
With the launch of the Flying Flea C6, Royal Enfield entered uncharted waters. The Indian brand was previously known for making retro-styled, old-school, internal combustion engines that had that iconic thump. But does the brand’s attempt to blend retro styling with modern tech actually make sense? Let’s find out.
Design And Build Quality
The Flying Flea C6 definitely gets the aesthetics right. The design that is inspired by the OG Flying Flea C6 looks quite elegant. The aluminium frame stands out in the design, with magnesium components like the battery and motor casing adding to the premiumness.
Where most electric motorcycles feel plasticky, the Flying Flea will impress you with its build quality. Everything from its retro-styled LED headlamp to the smallest components like the switchgear feels well put together and premium, on par with what is expected from a Rs 3 lakh bike.
So, if you are looking for a commute companion that will serve you for a long time, this could be the motorcycle, as per our initial impressions. But we definitely need to ride the FF C6 more to find out how it will deal with Indian road conditions.
Riding Posture And Comfort
The first thing you notice when you swing a leg over is how compact the bike feels. It is sleek, narrow, and will feel very accessible for shorter riders. But, for riders with medium or heavy builds, this might feel a bit too narrow.
This is a bit of a letdown if you expect a ‘big-bike’ feel, common from Royal Enfield motorcycles. All, in all it feels commuterish, and reminds you of other commuter motorcycles like the Honda Unicorn, and the Yamaha FZ.
The handlebar is quite narrow and will feel a little less commanding when compared to the Royal Enfield Classic 350 or the Himalayan 450. However, the tank is designed well and allows your thighs to grip it nicely while riding. It doesn’t have the laid-back riding position that RE’s are known for
While the rider’s seat is a bit small, the same is the case with the pillion too. It cannot accommodate a heavy or medium-built person comfortably. This makes it more of a single-person commuter, only comfortable enough for commutes, with some utility.
The bike’s ride quality is on the firmer side but remains forgiving enough for Indian road conditions, where the potholes and bumps are in abundance. In our opinion, this is a city-focused bike and lacks the required ergonomics for long highway rides.
Performance And Riding Experience
The most interesting thing about the bike is the startup experience where you don’t get a physical key. Instead, you turn on the bike with a power button or enter a passcode on the 3.5-inch touchscreen.
The Flying Flea C6 delivers what is expected of a modern electric motorcycle – instant torque and exciting acceleration. The throttle is responsive and effortless to use, and riders will attain decent speeds in just seconds. It is belt-driven, and the riding experience is clean, silent, and refined – on par with what you expect from a premium EV.
The bike has four riding modes (City, Rain, Highway and Sport), along with a custom setting that allows riders to tweak the experience as per personal preference. The Sport mode feels scary fast. You might be intimidated by its exciting acceleration if you are not used to the performance electric bikes offer.
The Highway mode, on the other hand, feels smooth and offers linear power delivery, which is perfect for everyday commutes. In the Rain mode, things are toned down significantly, which adds a layer of safety in slippery and wet conditions. It also gets regenerative braking with multiple levels that are clearly noticeable when riding. But, for a clearer picture regarding its efficiency and usability, we need to test the bike more.
The bike gets disc brakes at both ends with Bybre callipers, which perform well and stop the bike quickly, giving you enough confidence when riding. They are just enough for the performance the bike offers but don’t stand out as exceptional.
Features And Technology
It is easily one of the most feature-packed Royal Enfield motorcycles ever made. The touch screen is crisp and responsive. It offers a lot of connected features via the app and smartphone. With this, the riders can access navigation (Google Maps), call and music control. Other features include a wireless charging pad, a USB charging port, and a panic and emergency button. This move feels a lot more like a leap towards modern tech, which is quite interesting for a brand like Royal Enfield, which is known to offer only the simple and useful features rather than digital sophistication.
Verdict
The Flying Flea C6 feels like a different kind of Royal Enfield. What stands out is the refined experience it gives the rider, and it doesn’t feel like a rushed launch or a first-generation one. It feels well-tested and ready for India.
While some other Royal Enfield bikes may have some inconsistencies in fit and finish, the FF C6 feels the most sturdily built and sorted. The overall maturity of the bike is quite good, and it feels well-engineered and thoughtfully executed.
Watch our Flying Flea First Impressions video on YouTube –
