Royal Enfield Shotgun 650 Review: Bargain Cruiser Ridden in the UK

Royal Enfield revealed its ‘dystopian’ STG650 cruiser concept way back in EICMA 2021. Fast forward to 2024 and we’ve spent some time with the production version of that bike - the somewhat less dystopian but still very cool Royal Enfield Shotgun 650.

It shares an engine and frame with the more relaxed Super Meteor 650, but little else. Royal Enfield’s engineers insist it’s a very different beast, claims we tested out by riding the bike on the international launch in and around Los Angeles, California, and borrowing one for a much less sunny stint in the UK, clocking several hundred miles.

What’s new with the Shotgun 650

The frame, swingarm, and engine are all borrowed from the Super Meteor, and bolted to that frame is suspension that helps to define this bike over its stablemate. The forks are the same 43mm non-adjustable Showa items, although they are set up specifically for the Shotgun, offering less travel (33mm less than the SM 650) and with bespoke damping and spring rates. The rear shocks are also changed, and while the front gets shorter units, the rear gets items that are 20mm taller, giving the bike a very different vibe. 

The change alters the geometry of the bike, and the Shotgun has a steeper rake (25.3 degrees) less trail (101mm) and a shorter wheelbase (1,463mm). The Shotgun also gets new wheels and tyres, with Royal Enfield replacing the 19-inch front and 16-inch rear of the more relaxed cruiser with a more responsive 18-inch front and 17-inch rear combination.  The idea with all the changes is to flip the handling characteristics of the Super Meteor (which is a fairly leisurely bike to ride) and make a sharper turning, more direct and dynamic machine.

The engine of the Shotgun is the same as the other bikes in the 650 range, meaning you have an unintimidating 46.4bhp (providing automatic A2 compliance) and 38.6lb ft of torque.

Technical updates aside, the new Shotgun 650 is a very different-looking bike compared to the Super Meteor 650. It’s not quite a clone of the concept seen in 2021, but there are enough reminders of the STG650 dotted about it to remind you where it came from. The fuel tank, mudguards and headlight nacelle are all new or revised, and the engine features a moody blacked-out finish that ties in nicely to the paint of the Stencil White version we rode in LA.

The new Shotgun 650 hit UK dealers in March 2024. The base model is the Sheetmetal Grey bike (as ridden in the UK), which starts at £6,699.

 

Next up we have both the Plasma Blue and Green Drill bikes, £6,799, and finally, the Stencil White bike, £6,899.

On the value-for-money front that stands the Shotgun in good stead against the competition which is, weirdly, the Super Meteor it’s based on. On price alone, there isn’t a colour variant of the SM 650 that can match the more youthful and dynamic-looking Shotgun.

It’s also worth noting that the bike comes with both a single-seat and a dual-seat from the dealership, and all it takes is a handful of bolts to change. You can even swap out the pillion seat for a little luggage rack should you want to carry some overnight kit.

What’s it like to ride?

Although it’s billed as a more sporty proposition than the Super Meteor, when you first throw a leg over the Shotgun 650, you’ll immediately notice that classic cruiser-style riding position with your legs out front. Or, if you will, like sitting on a loo. 

We first rode the bike in and around Los Angeles 

The pegs are chunky and the left-hand one gets right in the way of the sidestand - flicking it out without catching your boot is easier said than done. The seat, meanwhile, is wide and soft. 

As the speeds rise, though, the Shotgun does a damn good job of pretending to be more like a sports bike than a cruiser. It’s not what you’d call light, tipping the scales at 239kg, but most of that bulk is down low and below the tank, making it both easy to manage at speed and surprisingly keen to tip in. The only problem is, it’s so fun that you’ll soon find ground clearance issues. We’d be lying if we said the pegs came away un-scraped during either our American or UK tests of the bike…

That feeling of agility is further helped by firmly set-up suspension that encourages you to press on while also keeping the bike reasonably level when you’re braking a bit harder, and that smaller front wheel. Once the standard tyres are spent we’d be tempted to fit some more premium rubber, but the budget-focused Ceat Zoom Cruz hoops give a reasonable amount of mid-corner confidence and didn’t give us any issues during (admittedly limited) wet running. 

We’ve enjoyed RE’s 648cc twin in every bike we’ve tested with it. In the Shotgun 650, it feels particularly at home, with the rumbly attitude given by the 270-degree crankshaft going nicely with its sporty cruiser demeanour. It’s at its best in the punchy mid-range, starting to feel a little strained at the top end, and in any case, with no rev counter, explorations of the last few hundred RPM can result in you headbutting the limiter. 

Being a 239kg bike with just under 47bhp, the Shotgun doesn’t feel massively quick, but it doesn’t seem overtly sluggish either. The twin also sounds better in this than any other bikes we’ve tried with the engine. There’s an addictive throaty growl in the mid-range that leaves you yearning to come back for more. The slick-shifting, six-speed gearbox is a joy to use, too. 

We’ve moaned in the past about Royal Enfield brakes feeling spongy, but as was the case on the Bullet 350 we also rode recently, that’s been dialled out on the Shotgun. The response from the lever is immediate, and despite only using two-piston callipers at either end of the bike, there’s a decent amount of stopping power. You’re only left wanting for more during particularly hefty squeezes. 

One thing our UK ride of the bike highlighted was the firmness of the suspension we first discovered in the US. Yes, that stiff setup does mean you can give it way more stick than you might expect when the going gets twisty, but on rougher B-roads (and let’s face it, that’s a lot of them), the ride can get choppy. 

And so, that feeling of being egged on to ride the Shotgun like it’s a sports bike can quickly evaporate on certain stretches, with the machine getting out of shape as the limits of its fork and twin rear shocks arrive. It’s here you’re reminded of the Shotgun’s temptingly low price - compromises have to be made somewhere. The bars also prove to be a bit vibey at certain speeds, as is the seat at very high RPM. 

Speaking of the cost, it’s also worth pointing out that the Shotgun is an extremely simple bike. Yes, there’s a small, round digital additional display you can hook your phone up to via Bluetooth for turn-by-turn navigation and the like, but that’s as complex as it gets. There’s a mostly analogue dash, a lack of rider modes, no traction control and only a simple two-channel ABS setup. 

For this kind of bike, though, and the price you’re paying, we don’t mind at all. Especially because when you come to a stop, jump off and admire the thing, the Shotgun 650 really delivers the goods. It’s a superb-looking bike, and considering the cost, one that’s beautifully finished. 

Royal Enfield Shotgun 650 Verdict

When we first tested this bike in LA, we referred to it as an “accidental performance cruiser,” and while that’s doing Royal Enfield’s teams in UK and Chennai a disservice (they really know what they’re doing), that’s how the Shotgun comes across. You simply don’t expect it to be as fun on the twisties as it is, and that attitude is abundantly clear on Californian canyon roads and British B-roads.

Riding it in the UK did shine a harsh light on the limitations of the suspension, but not enough to dent our high opinion of this bike significantly. The thing is, there simply isn’t another A2-compliant cruiser that rides as nicely as the Shotgun, and certainly not for this kind of money.

To get as grin-inducing a time on a cruiser, you’ll need to be looking at something from a brand like Harley-Davidson or Triumph, and probably paying more than twice the price for the privilege. And it’s not like the Shotgun seems ‘budget’ in comparison - it’s a well-built, great-looking bike that’s another sign Royal Enfield is on a roll right now.



 

Royal Enfield Shotgun 650 specs

Royal Enfield Shotgun 650 video review