Royal Enfield launched the Interceptor 650 and the Continental GT 650 in India, priced from INR 2.50 lakh and INR 2.65 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). Owing to the aggressive pricing, the waiting period for the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 and the Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 have shot up to 3 months, as per several internet reports these past few days. Royal Enfield has not released updates on the demand for its new launches.
As far as the delivery timeframe is concerned, the first batch of the Royal Enfield 650 Twins will be delivered in January 2019, while the second-lot of motorcycles will be shipped February onwards. We can expect some of the early bird customers to receive delivery of their bikes in December 2018.
Prospective customers can book the bikes at Royal Enfield dealerships across the country. Furthermore, the bookings are centralised with the Royal Enfield factory with zero dealer interference to streamline the delivery process. Test rides are underway for the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 while RE showrooms are yet to commence trials soon.
The Royal Enfield 650 Twins come equipped with a 648cc, parallel twin-cylinder, fuel injected 8-valve engine that is coupled to a slipper-clutch assisted 6-speed gearbox. The fuel-injected motor pumps out 47 bhp of power at 7,100 rpm and 52 Nm of peak torque at 5,250 rpm.
The bikes are differentiated in the design and ergonomics departments. While the Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 is a modern café racer, the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 is a neo-classic roadster.
The GT 650 features an aggressive riding posture with its clip-on handlebars, rear-set footpegs and the long tear-drop tank. The Interceptor 650, on the flipside, features relaxed ergonomics with the raised handlebar, centre-set footpegs, comfortable seat and the round fuel tank.
Braking duties are by a 320 mm front disc and a 240 mm rear rotor with Bosch 9.1MB dual-channel ABS system. Both the bikes run on 18-inch wire-spoke wheels that are wrapped on 110-section front and 130-section rear tube-type Pirelli Sportscomp Phantom tyres.
Also Read: No more products on Royal Enfield 650 platform for two years - Siddhartha Lal
Suspension responsibilities are shouldered by telescopic front forks and twin gas-charged shock absorbers at the back. The Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 has a 12.7 litres fuel tank and a kerb weight of 197 kg, while the Interceptor 650 comes with a 13.5 litres fuel tank and tips the scales at 202 kilos.