Royal Enfield Shotgun 650 vs Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650: Image Comparison

(Update: The all-new Royal Enfield Shotgun 650 has been launched. Check the details in our launch story here.)

Royal Enfield has just unveiled the Shotgun 650 and that immediately begs the question: How is it different from the Super Meteor 650, the motorcycle it is based on? Let’s find out:

Design

As it is based on the Super Meteor 650, the Shotgun 650 shares a lot of parts with the cruiser like the frame. But the bobber does get distinct styling changes. For example, the Shotgun 650 gets a headlight cowl unlike the Super Meteor 650 and the indicators are placed on the headlight cowl assembly instead of on the fork with a brushed metal finish on the bezel on the cruiser. Also, it gets LED indicators unlike the halogen units on the Super Meteor 650. The bobber gets mid-set footpegs and a flatter handlebar, giving it a more upright riding stance, in line with its bobber design. On the Super Meteor 650, the footpegs are forward-set with the handlebar being a bit more curved making it easy to reach and giving it a more relaxed, cruiser-like riding stance.

Also, the bobber gets bar-end mirrors, unlike the cruiser’s conventional mirrors. The fuel tank’s shape on the Super Meteor 650 has a more swooping line that goes down to meet the point where the seat starts in a very smooth manner. The Shotgun 650’s tank, meanwhile, is a bit boxier and is well complemented by the single-seat setup that hangs above the rear fender. The difference in the tank design is also reflected in the fact that the bobber’s fuel tank capacity is 1.9 litres less than that of the cruiser. 

The Super Meteor 650 gets a split-seat setup in the lower variants and a single-piece seat that is shaped around the frame and the rear fender. The Shotgun 650, meanwhile, gets a single-seat setup – in typical bobber style – with the option of adding a luggage rack at the rear or a removable pillion seat. Another key difference between the two bikes is the full-length rear fender on the Super Meteor 650, unlike the chopped rear fender on the Shotgun 650. The design of the alloy wheels is also different on the two bikes. And finally, the Shotgun 650 gets blacked-out and slightly upswept pea-shooter exhausts, while the Super Meteor 650 gets twin-barrel exhausts with a chrome finish.

Engine

The Shotgun 650 is powered by the same 648cc air-/oil-cooled parallel-twin engine producing 47PS at 7250rpm and 52.3Nm at 5650rpm, as on the Super Meteor 650, Continental GT 650 and Interceptor 650. However, the engine casing gets a blacked-out treatment in the Shotgun 650 while it gets a gloss finish in the Super Meteor 650. Also, the crankcase cover on the bobber gets the full ‘Royal Enfield’ logo while that of the Super Meteor 650 just gets the stylised ‘RE’ logo. 

Underpinnings

Both motorcycles get the same steel tubular spine frame and similar suspension setup: a 43mm inverted fork with 120mm wheel travel, and twin rear shock absorbers with preload adjustability. The wheel travel on the Shotgun 650 is a claimed 90mm while that on the Super Meteor 650 is 101mm. The brake setup is identical: 320mm front disc and a 300mm rear disc, with twin-piston floating callipers at both ends, and dual-channel ABS.  

Both motorcycles differ in their dimensions and the tyres they get. Here’s the full information: 

Instrumentation

In this department, there are not many differences between the two bikes. Both get the same round semi-digital instrument console with the Tripper navigation pod. They also get the new Wingman in-app feature that provides you information like trip summary, last parked location, and vehicle alerts.

Verdict

As we have seen so far, even though the Shotgun 650 is based on the Super Meteor 650, it gets enough changes to have its own identity as a bobber. And to make it distinct as a bobber, it does get design elements of that nature like the single-piece seat and the chopped fender, to name a few. And this, we believe, will give Royal Enfield customers quite a headache in choosing between a 650cc cruiser and a 650cc bobber, similar to when choosing between the Continental GT 650 and Interceptor 650.

Now whether that distinction translates into Royal Enfield being able to reach a more varied customer base with the Shotgun 650 depends on the price tag it gets. Given Royal Enfield’s history with competitive pricing, we expect it to be priced around the Rs 3.5 lakh (ex-showroom) mark, which will make it a bit more affordable than the Super Meteor 650.