Royal Enfield 650 Twins managed to garner a total of 629 units in December 2018; much more than their rivals combined
Royal Enfield has made all the right moves with the 650 Twins and it finished off 2018 on a high by beating cumulative volume figures of all of its closest and main rivals. The parallel-twin motorcycles go head-to-head with Harley Davidson Street 750 and Street Rod, and despite lucrative year-end discounts, they were outsold by the flagship models from RE.
The homegrown manufacturer retailed a total of 629 units of the 650 Twins in December 2018. In comparison with all of its closest competitors such as Kawasaki Ninja 300, Yamaha YZF-R3, KTM 390 duo, TVS Apache RR310 and Harley Davidson Street pair. Their combined sales last month stood at 525 units – 104 less than what the RE 650s had managed.
| S.No | Sales In December 2018 | No. Of Units |
| 1. | Kawasaki Ninja 300 | 220 |
| 2. | Yamaha YZF-R3 | 10 |
| 3. | KTM Duke & RC 390 | 106 |
| 4. | TVS Apache RR 310 | 185 |
| 5. | Harley Davidson Street 750 and Rod | 4 |
| Total | 525 |
Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 and Continental GT 650 have been well-received in India and they hold the keys for the Chennai-based brand’s big sales aspiration in the global markets as well. The Interceptor 650 carries a price tag of Rs. 2.49 lakh for the Orange Crush colour and the Continental GT 650 is quoted at Rs. 2.65 lakh for Black Magic shade.
The top-of-the-line Minster Clean Chrome colour in the Continental GT 650 is priced at Rs. 2.85 lakh while the Glitter & Duster Chrome paint scheme costs Rs. 2.70 lakh (ex-showroom pan India). Both the motorcycles have plenty of similarities due to the sharing of chassis and components but have distinctive characters on their own.
They derive power from a 648 cc air and oil-cooled, parallel twin-cylinder, fuel-injected motor, which is good enough to generate 47.6 PS of maximum power and 52 Nm of peak torque. It has a 270-degree firing order and is praised for its refinement levels. The powertrain is mated to a six-speed transmission with slip-assist clutch as standard.
Dual channel ABS system is standard across the range. The Continental GT 650 cafe racer has more aggressive rider’s triangle with rear set foot pegs, lowered seat height and clip-on handlebars. The Interceptor 650, on the other hand, is a modern classic with flat seat and more relaxed overall riding dynamics.