Siddhartha Lal, CEO, Royal Enfield announced at its launch that the booking and test rides of the Interceptor INT 650 and Continental GT 650 would commence from November 15, and as promised motorcycles have arrived at the dealer forecourts. The Royal Enfield 650 Twins are the most affordable 650cc twin-cylinder motorcycles in the Indian market with prices starting from INR 2.50 lakh for the Interceptor INT 650 and INR 2.65 lakh for the Continental GT 650 (both ex-showroom Delhi).
Also read: Royal Enfield Interceptor INT 650 vs. KTM 390 Duke drag race [Video]
Deliveries of the motorcycles would commence at the end of this month, but in low numbers. Although unconfirmed, lower volumes of the deliveries is invariably connected with the 50-day strike at the company’s Oragadam plant in Tamil Nadu, which began on September 24. The company reported a cumulative production loss of 25,000 motorcycles for September and October 2018 due to the strike.
The motorcycles have created quite some stir in the sub INR 3 lakh (ex-showroom) price bracket where they are sold at much lower levels than the likes of Kawasaki Ninja 300 and the BMW G310 R while offering a bigger engine. In fact, the most affordable variant of the Interceptor INT 650 is just INR 24,000 more expensive than the KTM 390 Duke. The Royal Enfield uses basic hardware like a semi-digital instrument console, conventional telescopic front forks and twin sided springs at the rear, which allowed the brand to price them very competitively.
The 650 Twins use Royal Enfield’s newly developed 648cc, parallel-twin cylinder, air & oil cooled engine, SOHC engine that delivers 47 bhp of maximum power at 7,250 rpm and 52 Nm of peak torque at 5,250 rpm. As much as 80 per cent of the peak torque is available from just 2,500 rpm. Access to a massive chunk of torque lower down the rev-range ensures easy overtakes and less frequent gear changes, which contribute to the laidback ride experience. The engine is paired to a six-speed gearbox.
The motorcycles also benefit from a slipper clutch with an assist feature. It ensures rider safety during high-rpm downshifts while the assist feature enhances convenience with lighter clutch action.
Also read: Royal Enfield KX Bobber gets single-sided swingarm & smartphone connectivity [Video]
Customisation options include as many as 40 accessories for the Royal Enfield 650 Twins that are available at the showroom. Below are the ex-showroom prices of the Royal Enfield Interceptor INT 650 and Continental GT 650:
- Interceptor INT 650 Standard: INR 2,50,000
- Interceptor INT 650 Custom: INR 2,57,500
- Interceptor INT 650 Chrome: INR 2,70,000
- Continental GT Standard: INR 2,65,000
- Continental GT Custom: INR 2,72,500
- Continental GT Chrome: INR 2,85,000
