Recently, there have been several media reports stating that the Pirelli tyres which come factory-fitted on the Royal Enfield 650 Twins have been replaced by CEAT tyres. While this information has also been confirmed by various RE dealerships and there have also been numerous pictures cementing the fact, nothing was made official either by CEAT or Royal Enfield. Well, the Chennai-based motorcycle manufacturer continues to remain silent, however, CEAT has spilt the beans.
CEAT has signed a partnership with Royal Enfield to provide tyres for the Interceptor 650. Yes, only the INT 650 has been mentioned and the CGT 650 has been left out, however, the case is likely to be same for the cafe racer, too.
Under the new agreement, CEAT is now the sole tyre supplier for the Interceptor 650. Instead of the Pirelli Phantom Sportscomp tyres, the motorcycle will now come equipped with CEAT Zoom Cruz F tyres. While the manufacturer has been changed, the configuration remains the same as before - 100/90-18 for the front and 130/70-18 for the rear. This collaboration with Royal Enfield marks CEAT’s entry into the 650cc two-wheeler segment and twin-cylinder motorcycle space.
Speaking on this matter, Amit Tolani, Chief Marketing Officer, CEAT Tyres, said:
We have a strong relationship with Royal Enfield as bikes like Bullet Classic and Himalayan are already using our products. The fact that Royal Enfield chose CEAT over a globally acclaimed tyre brand for the Interceptor, is a testimony of the quality of our products and strength of this partnership. This launch also marks our entry into Premium Cruiser 650+ cc and reiterates our commitment to being the preferred choice for OEM's in India.
Although the Royal Enfield 650 Twins are global products, the tyre change is most likely to be limited for the Indian market only. There could be many reasons why the company has taken this step. We are expecting RE to release an official statement to clear the air.
For more Royal Enfield news and other two-wheeler updates, stay tuned to IndianAutosBlog.com.
