Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 & Continental GT 650 - What to expect
Royal Enfield CEO & Managing Director, Siddhartha Lal revealed in May that the company would launch the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 and the Continental GT 650 in the next few months. Ahead of the launch, we list out our expectations from the Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 and the Interceptor 650.
Design
According to Royal Enfield, the 650 twins mark the revival of the classic legends – Interceptor and Continental GT. The Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 is a street bike with its raised wide handlebar, round fuel tank, and long seat. The Continental GT 650, on the other hand, is a thoroughbred café racer with British racing heritage. The GT 650 features low-set clip-on handlebars, tear-drop tank and a café racer-style single-seat. With the additions, Royal Enfield doesn’t intend to compete with other high-displacement motorcycles, but rather grow the middle-weight segment.
Chassis & Suspension
The Royal Enfield 650 twins share the steel tubular, double cradle frame from the Royal Enfield Continental GT 535. However, the RE 650 twins get a strengthened chassis. 41mm front forks and gas-charged twin coil-over shocks suspend the chassis and the wheels. The 650 twins feature 18-inch wire-spoke wheels.
Engine
The Royal Enfield 650cc twins employ a newly-developed 648 cc, oil-cooled, SOHC, parallel-twin engine that is tuned to develop 47 bhp at 7100 rpm and 52 Nm at 5250 rpm. The company has developed a new 6-speed transmission which also gets a slipper clutch. An electronic fuel injection system feeds the engine.
Features & Dimensions
The Royal Enfield 650 Twins features disc brakes at both the ends. A dual-channel ABS unit will be available as standard equipment. Both the bikes run on specially designed Pirelli Phantom Sportscomp tires.
The 650 twins receive mostly similar specifications. While the Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 gets a fuel tank capacity of 12.5 litres, the Interceptor 650 features a 13.7 litres fuel tank. The GT 650 weighs 199 kg, while the INT 650 weighs at 203 kg. The saddle height on the Interceptor is 804 mm, while on the Continental GT it's 790 mm.
Also Read: Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 & Continental GT 650 caught testing on video
Pricing & Launch
Royal Enfield hasn’t revealed the official launch dates. However, rumours are rife that the 650 twins will release in September 2018. As for pricing, they could cost circa INR 3 lakh (ex-showroom).