Royal Enfield 650 Twins To Get Tripper Navigation

For the first time in the history of Royal Enfield, the company is offering a modern turn-by-turn navigation assist as standard in its newly-launched cruiser, the Royal Enfield Meteor 350. Called the “Tripper,” this feature is set to be offered in the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 as well as the Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 as an accessory for Rs 4,750 in about two months. With this, the 650 twins’ instrument cluster will be a lot more practical than before.

The Tripper navigation works by pairing the Tripper pod (the display unit) with the Royal Enfield smartphone app via Bluetooth. It is powered by an open-source Google software and makes use of the smartphone’s processing power as well as GPS for navigation. The display in the Tripper pod is simply an output on which the directions are shown. When the bike arrives at a turn, the arrow mark flashes so that it catches the rider’s attention through his/ her peripheral vision. Royal Enfield chose to offer only a turn-by-turn unit and not a full-fledged navigation to ensure minimal distraction.

The company claims that the Royal Enfield app ensures the navigation continues to work even when the rider is passing through a no-network area. Matthew Cardenas, the Product Manager of Tripper Navigation, says the Tripper pod can load up to 20 different waypoints, so the rider can create an entire trip.

Since the Tripper navigation consists of a standalone display pod, it will likely be fitted next to the stock twin-pod semi-digital instrument cluster of the 650 twins. Like the Meteor’s unit, the pod is likely to draw power from the battery itself. Expect Royal Enfield to offer at least a one-year warranty for the Tripper navigation. We hope Royal Enfield comes up with a mobile phone holder too, which should allow riders to have a much more affordable means to navigate instead of a more expensive, dedicated turn-by-turn navigation pod. What do you guys think? Let us know in the comments below.