The much-anticipated 650cc twins will be launched on 14 November, 2018

After getting our hands on the Interceptor 650 and Continental GT 650 at its international launch in California recently, we were quite impressed with what Royal Enfield has managed to achieve with the new twins. However, first ride impressions don’t tell the whole story. Although the Interceptor 650 and Continental GT 650 felt like a step above Royal Enfield’s current lineup of bikes, we can’t wait to put them through a thorough road test. And it looks like we won’t have to wait for long to do that as the Chennai-based two-wheeler manufacturer has confirmed that both the bikes will be launched on 14 November, 2018. These bikes will be Royal Enfield’s first shot at the mid-displacement (650cc) category and have a lot counting on it. Although the Interceptor 650 is priced at $5,799 (~Rs 4.21 lakh) while the Continental GT 650 commands $5,999 (~Rs 4.36 lakh) in the international market, we expect both bikes to be priced under Rs 3 lakh here. And if Royal Enfield manages to get the price right, they’ll have a winner on their hands right away. These bikes have been designed to stay true to the manufacturer’s design philosophy, albeit with modern elements that give them a neo-retro finish. While both bikes share the same mechanicals, the Continental GT 650 gets a few components that befits a cafe racer, like clip-on handlebars, a smaller yet sportier tank, single seat with a race cowl and blacked out wheels in some of its iterations.

Both bikes are powered by the same 648cc, air and oil-cooled, parallel-twin motor that produces 47.6PS at 7100rpm and 52Nm of torque at 5200rpm. It comes mated to a 6-speed gearbox assisted by a slipper clutch. Both bikes employ an all-new dual cradle frame developed by Harris Performance. They are equipped with conventional 41mm forks up front and twin gas charged shock absorbers at the rear with preload adjustability. Anchoring the bikes is a single 320mm front disc paired to a ByBre caliper and a rear 240mm disc. Dual-channel ABS comes as standard. It uses 18-inch spoked wheels that come wrapped in 100-section front and 130-section rear Pirelli SportComp tyres. If Royal Enfield manages to price both bikes under Rs 3 lakh, it will undercut its chief rivals - the Harley-Davidson Street 750 (Rs 5.25 lakh) and the Kawasaki Z650 (Rs 4.99 lakh, all prices, ex-showroom) by quite a margin.  

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