Royal Enfield’s upcoming 650cc cruiser, speculated to be named ‘Super Meteor 650’, will be better-equipped than RE’s existing 650 twins
Royal Enfield is planning to launch a host of new motorcycles in India. The most anticipated of these upcoming bikes is the brand’s new 650cc cruiser, which has been spotted multiple times during road testing. Spy pictures of the motorcycle have revealed plenty of info about it, including the design and a few details about equipment and features.
The upcoming Royal Enfield 650 cruiser, expected to be named ‘Super Meteor 650’, is inspired by the Concept KX, which was showcased at EICMA 2018. It gets a teardrop-shaped fuel tank, a split-seat setup, a round headlamp, a round taillamp, dual exhaust, and round rearview mirrors. The headlamp and turn indicators on the bike will be halogen units, not LED lights.
This forthcoming 650cc RE cruiser will get USD front forks, which aren’t available on any other Royal Enfield bike currently. Other than that, it will also get dual rear shockers, disc brakes on both wheels (likely with dual-channel ABS), alloy wheels (bigger at front, small at rear), a pillion backrest, etc.
Also, its instrument console seems to be the same as on Meteor 350. It will get a tripper navigation screen, which is a brilliant convenience feature for a touring machine. As for riding ergonomics, the motorcycle will have forward-set footpegs, a slightly tall-set handlebar, and a low saddle. This feet-forward riding posture will be ideal for long-distance touring.
The forthcoming Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650 will be powered by the same 648cc, air/oil-cooled, parallel-twin engine as RE Interceptor 650 and Continental GT650. This powerplant is good for a peak power of 47.65 PS and a maximum torque of 52 Nm. It comes mated to a 6-speed transmission, with a slipper clutch on offer.
As for price, RE Super Meteor 650 is expected to have a starting price of around Rs. 3.5 lakh (ex-showroom, New Delhi). It will likely be unveiled this year, with its India launch following a little while after that. It won’t have any direct rivals in the Indian market; its closest competitor would be Kawasaki Vulcan S and Benelli 502C, both of which have a much higher price tag than the RE cruiser’s speculated price.