The Interceptor 650 and the Continental GT 650, two of the most anticipated motorcycles of the year, will be launching on November 14 in India.
These two bikes mark Royal Enfield’s entry into the big bike segment and are radically different from the current 350cc and 500cc single-cylinder offerings, which the brand sells in scores. We got a chance to ride the two in California recently, so if you are planning to book one, take a look at our first ride review of the Interceptor 650 here and the Continental GT 650 here.
The two motorcycles share the same 648cc, parallel-twin engine with oil-cooling. Working in tandem with a 6-speed transmission with slip-assist clutch, the engine churns out 47.6PS and 53Nm.
Both the bikes use telescopic front forks and twin rear shock absorbers at the rear. Royal Enfield provides dual channel ABS as standard for the 320mm front and the 240mm rear disc. The bikes roll on grippy Pirelli Phantom Sportscomp tyres that are wrapped around 18-inch wheels.
We expect Royal Enfield to price the 650 Twins under Rs 3 lakh (on-road) to make sure they sell like hot cakes, especially when there are no direct rivals in its segment with that kind of pricing. That said, the Interceptor 650 and Continental GT 650 compete with the Harley-Davidson Street 750 (Rs 5.31 lakh) and the Kawasaki Vulcan S (Rs 5.48 lakh) in the 650-750cc segment.
Source: zigwheels.com
