Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 to attempt speed record at Bonneville Salt Flats

Royal Enfield is leaving no stone unturned to promote its upcoming 650 duo – the Interceptor INT 650 and the Continental GT 650. The brand is currently preparing to attempt a speed record at the Bonneville Salt Flats with the Continental GT 650. Team Royal Enfield - S&S gave rider Cayla Rivas a customized Continental GT 650 specially modified for the speed run.

Also read: Custom Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 by Old Empire Motorcycles [Video]

The drag-spec motorcycle will feature revised, more aggressive ergonomics, extended wheelbase and upside down telescopic front forks. The engine, too, will be tuned to deliver a lot more power than the standard motor. The team made several runs and achieved a top speed of over 150 mph. The record attempt will be made in October, just after the global launch of the new Royal Enfield 650 duo.

Meanwhile, the India launch of the Interceptor INT 650 and the Continental GT 650, as told to IAB by Royal Enfield President, Rudratej Singh, "will most likely launch in India by the end of this year or in January 2019." Siddhartha Lal, CEO, Royal Enfield, too, had confirmed that the bookings for the motorcycle will commence in the third quarter of the current financial year.

Both motorcycles will share underpinnings, although they will feature different style and ergonomics. Apart from styling, the fuel carrying capacity will be slightly different on both the motorcycles with the Continental GT 650 getting a 12.5-litre tank and the Interceptor INT 650 with a 13.7-litre unit. The hardware on both the model will include conventional telescopic front forks and twin coil-over gas-charged rear shock absorbers.

Technical specifications on both the motorcycle will include a 648 cc parallel twin cylinder, SOHC, air-cooled, fuel injected motor that will put out 47 bhp of maximum power @ 7,100 rpm and 52 Nm of peak torque @ 5,200 rpm. The engine will be paired to a six-speed transmission and will feature Assist and Slipper clutch. Stopping power will be provided by a 320 mm disc at the front and 240 mm disc at the rear. The motorcycles will come equipped with the safety net of Bosch (9.1) Dual Channel ABS as standard.

A report published on September 5, suggests that the upcoming Interceptor 650 and Continental GT 650 could be priced at INR 3 lakh (ex-showroom).