Royal Enfield considered plonking upside-down forks, mono-shock and even alloy wheels on the 650 Twins, according to a report from Italian bike magazine Motociclismo.
Speaking to Motociclismo on the idea of not opting for USD forks, alloy-wheels or a mono-shock, Mark Wells, Head – Product Strategy and Industrial Design, Royal Enfield, said:
We thought about it, but from the beginning, we wanted traditional components for a general feeling of classic riding.
Had Royal Enfield offered the features on the 650 Twins, the costs would have shot up. Consider a premium of around INR 30,000-40,000, and the on-road prices go up significantly. Moreover, the company wanted to make the Royal Enfield 650 Twins accessible for its existing 3.5 million customers.
Wells confirmed that the company was working on a Euro 5 compliant engine for the Interceptor and GT, and that a "few things" will change in this future spec. He cited production and maintenance costs in the company overlooking a DOHC engine.
Powering the Royal Enfield 650 Twins is a 648cc, parallel-twin that features a secondary balancer shaft to minimalise vibrations, while the cylinder head receives a 270-degree firing order "to give it character". It pairs to a new 6-speed transmission.
Also Read: Custom Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 by Rajputana Customs
Royal Enfield faced a massive 50-day strike from its worker’s union, which resulted in a loss of production of 28,000 units. This could affect the delivery timelines of the 650 twins; however, Royal Enfield maintains otherwise with deliveries having commenced.
*ex-showroom Delhi.
[Source: Motociclismo.it]
