In 2008 Royal Enfield released its Classic 500, a retro-styled half-liter thumper that for the last decade has been a valued member of the brand’s lineup. Though with declining sales, RE can no longer justify updating the Classic 500 — or the Thunderbird and Bullet 500 — in order to meet forthcoming BS6 compliance and will cease sales by April 2020. So, to celebrate the significant role the Classic has played over the last ten years, the company is releasing a limited run of special Classic 500 Tribute Black editions.
The murdered-out limited edition retains its 27.2hp, air-cooled, unit construction (where the gearbox and engine are housed in a single casing) single, though the mill’s been hit with a matte coat of black before having its cooling fins polished down to the bare metal. Individually painted by hand, the tank, front and rear fenders, and side-covers sport a dedicated gloss and matte black livery with gold pinstripes. The special edition also gets a quilted touring saddle, commemorative “End of Build” serial numbered plaque, and blacked-out fork uppers and exhaust pipes. RE hasn’t cited a production number for the Tribute Black-spec, though it’s holding a three-hour online flash sale on February 10, 2020, where the model will be priced at $3,499.
