Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 and Continental GT 650 Make India Debut

The bygone weekend at the 2017 Rider Mania saw a lot of action. Some of the interesting highlights were - a beer chugging competition, a motorcycle customisation competition, competitive arm wrestling and more. However, at the end of the day, the talk of the town was the official unveiling of the new Royal Enfield twins in India - the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 and the Royal Enfield Continental GT 650.

Speaking on the occasion, Siddhartha Lal, CEO of Royal Enfield, said, “Royal Enfield aims to lead and expand the mid-weight (250-750cc) motorcycle segment globally. The Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 and Continental GT 650 will help grow this segment. While for our large customer base in India, the new 650 twins will be a compelling upgrade, we believe it will attract customers from other developing markets in South East Asia and Latin America to graduate to the middleweight segment. In addition, the 650 twins will offer a very evocative option to customers in mature motorcycle markets such as Europe, Australia and North America. For us, this marks the beginning of a new chapter at Royal Enfield”

In terms of design, both the bikes have a distinctive air about them. The Continental GT 650 borrows the same Cafe Racer design cues from its younger sibling. It features a low clip-on handlebar, with rear-set footpegs and a single seat. The tank on the Continental GT is designed for a more focused riding position, and hence, can only hold up to 12.5 litres of fuel. 

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On the other hand, the Interceptor 650’s design harks back to the yesteryears’ RE Interceptor. The motorcycle features an old-school headlamp, a teardrop-shaped fuel tank that has a capacity of 13.7 litres, which is a full 1.2 litre more than that of the Conti, aiding to its touring focused nature. Speaking of the focus on touring, the bike comes with a flat and long single saddle, which should be comfortable enough for both the rider and the pillion.

The parallel-twin, 648cc, air-cooled engine churns out 47.6PS of power at 7,100rpm and 52Nm of torque at 4,000rpm. The transmission duties here are handled by a 6-speed gearbox, which is also aided by a slip-assist clutch. 

The RE Twins share most of the mechanical components. As a result, both feature a double cradle steel tubular frame. The suspension duties are also handled by the same 41mm telescopic forks at the front and shock absorbers at the rear. Braking is managed by a 320mm disc at the front, and a 240mm disc at the rear, with ABS available as standard. 

The 1400mm wheelbase is also the same for both bikes. However, the Continental GT tips the scale at 198kg (dry), whereas the Interceptor is heavier at 202kg (dry).

According to the company, both the Continental GT 650 and the Interceptor 650 will be available in two distinct styles - Standard and Retro colour scheme. The standard range will be inspired by the motorcycles of the 50’s and 60’s, whereas the Retro version will feature a bolder colour scheme and graphics. 

So far, the Chennai-based manufacturer hasn't revealed any information regarding the official launch of the new motorcycles. However, we are expecting to see them in showrooms by the first half of 2018 at a price of Rs 3.5 - 4 lakh (ex-showroom).