THE Royal Enfield 650cc cruiser seems to be nearing completion, as a fleet of the bikes is spotted out on the road undergoing what looks like final shakedown testing.
The bikes are heavily related to the Continental GT and Interceptor models, which, if you’ve ridden one is not a bad thing. The 650cc parallel-twin has won an army of fans, in the UK and abroad thanks to its easy-going nature and exploitable performance.
While the specifics of the bike are as yet unreleased, we have been receiving a drip-feed of information from the Indian motorcycle press. For starters, the engine seems to be almost unchanged, both internally and externally. If that is the case the bike will be producing around 47bhp and around 38lb-ft of torque at 5,250rpm.
The new 650 cruiser is closely related to the Continental GT (above)
One interesting point we can pick up in the video is that there seem to be two variants of the bike on test. The first is a more classically styled machine, with traditional chrome finishes and a textbook laid-back, cruiser riding position. The second bike, seen later in the clip, is seen with the chrome finishes. Instead, it is completed in a moody black finish, with a slightly tweaked riding position that makes it look much more purposeful.
Royal Enfield 650cc Cruiser spotted
Some of the Indian motorcycle media is reporting that the cruiser will be using a larger fuel tank, although we aren’t so sure. It could simply be that the change in design for the new bike makes the tank seem larger than the one found on the Continental GT and Interceptor, while the internal dimensions could remain the same.
We shouldn’t have to wait too long to find out more though, with sources at home and abroad pinning a mid-2021 launch date on the bike. It’s also said that the model will be following its siblings halfway across the globe and eventually reaching UK shores.
