Royal Enfield is planning to launch a new 650cc cruiser in India very soon, and its latest spy video has captured its raspy exhaust note
Royal Enfield has a lot of new motorcycles in the pipeline, which will be arriving within the next few years. One of these upcoming models is a 650cc cruiser, expected to be named Super Meteor 650 or Thunderbird 650, which has been spotted multiple times during testing on Indian roads.
Recently, a new spy video of the upcoming Royal Enfield 650cc cruiser has surfaced online, in which the motorcycle’s exhaust note can be heard. The sound seems almost identical to the exhaust note of Interceptor 650 and Continental GT650. This isn’t surprising, as the cruiser will be powered by the same 648cc, air/oil-cooled, 270-degree parallel-twin engine as the latter two.
We expect the engine output of the forthcoming RE cruiser 650 to be the same as Interceptor 650 and Continental GT650 – a peak power of 47.65 PS and a maximum torque of 52 Nm. This powerplant will come mated to a 6-speed transmission, with a slipper clutch on offer as well.
The new 650cc RE cruiser will have a low-slung body, with a low seat height. It will also get a tall single-piece handlebar, along with forward-set footpegs. We expect the fuel tank to be larger than the 13.7-litre tank of Interceptor 650 and Continental GT650, which will help improve the range, making it better suited for touring.
Royal Enfield’s 650cc cruiser will be well-loaded. Spy pictures have revealed that this upcoming motorcycle will get USD front forks, a round LED headlight, a round taillight, alloy wheels, single disc brakes on both wheels (likely with dual-channel ABS), etc. A tall windscreen and tripper navigation system will also be offered, but likely as optional accessories.
Royal Enfield cruiser 650 is expected to launch in the coming months, and it will likely be more expensive compared to RE’s existing 650 models. Upon launch, it won’t have any direct rivals in the Indian market; its closest competitors will be Kawasaki Vulcan S and Benelli 502C, which would be a lot more expensive in comparison.