Royal Enfield has confirmed it will open bookings for the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 and the Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 in India in Q3 FY2018 (October-December). The Royal Enfield 650 twins are likely to launch before the end of this year in the country.
The Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 and the Continental GT 650 made their world debut at the EICMA 2017. According to Siddhartha Lal, Managing Director and CEO - Eicher Motors Ltd, the Royal Enfield 650 twins will launch in India in the ‘next few months.’ Speaking about the 650 twins, Lal said -
The Twin motorcycles are ready for the first global media ride planned for the last week of September in California; wherein close to top 100 journalists from across the world are expected to participate. We will begin bookings in a phased manner for these motorcycles starting from the third quarter of this financial year, across geographies.
The Interceptor 650 is a neo-classic street bike, while the GT 650 is a quintessential café racer. The Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 features a teardrop fuel tank, round headlight, clip-on handlebars and a single café racer-style seat. On the other hand, the Interceptor 650 features a circular fuel tank, flat-seat, raised handlebar, and a circular headlamp. That said, the Royal Enfield 650 twins share the frame, suspension setup, engine, wheels, and even the tires with each other. However, both get different ergonomics.
Powering the Royal Enfield 650 twins is a newly-developed 648 cc, twin-cylinder, 8-valve, oil-cooled, SOHC engine with fuel injection. The parallel twin motor is capable of generating a maximum power of 47 bhp at 7,100 rpm along with a peak torque of 52 Nm at 5,250 rpm. The engine gets a slip and assists clutch as standard with the company’s first 6-speed gearbox.
The Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 gets a fuel tank capacity of 12.5 litres, along with a kerb weight of 199 kg, while the Interceptor 650 has a 13.7 litres fuel tank capacity and a kerb weight of 203 kg. Royal Enfield is likely to launch the 650 twins at a price of around INR 3 lakh (ex-showroom).
The Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 will rival the Kawasaki Vulcan S and the Harley Davidson Street 750, while the Continental GT 650 will compete with the Harley Davidson Street Rod. The Royal Enfield 650 twins feature 41 mm telescopic forks at the front, while twin coil-over gas-charged shock absorbers do duty at the rear.
Also Read: Royal Enfield Fury 650 ‘Flat Tracker’ based on the Interceptor 650 - Rendering
The bikes come shod with 18-inch wire-spoke wheels that pair with 100-section front and 130-section rear Pirelli Phantom Sportscomp tube-type tires. The 650 twins will become the first Royal Enfield motorcycles in India to get dual-channel ABS as standard with disc brakes at both the ends.
