Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 Finds a Fan in Prince William

Royal Enfield will be introducing its Interceptor 650 and Continental 650 for the European market very soon.

The Royal Enfield Interceptor INT 650 has classic cruiser styling from the 1960s. 

(Photo Courtesy: Royal Enfield)

Royal Enfield bikes are hot-sellers in India but not much attention is given to them in other parts of the world. But that’s quickly changing with the introduction of the 650 Twins, that’ll be first launching in other markets before hitting our shores.

And it seems that RE has found another fan of the 650 Series, this time, Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, seemed quite taken with the retro classic-styled bike which was showcased at the recently held Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting Summit in Westminster, United Kingdom.

Prince William, as you can see below, does look intrigued by the Interceptor 650. As the Royal Enfield UK post suggests, the Duke of Cambridge can be seen enquiring with Siddharth Lal, CEO, Royal Enfield about the heavyweight bike and probably getting briefed about its power and capability.

This isn’t the first time when Prince William has shown an interest in bikes. He has been seen testing out bikes from Triumph Motorcycles every now and then. Definitely a bike enthusiast, then?

The 650 Twins is Royal Enfield’s biggest makeover since its reinvention of the Classic 350 few years back. What makes these motorcycles special? It’s the heart – a parallel-twin cylinder, 648 cc air/oil cooled engine, with electronic fuel injection and twin exhausts. It sports a single overhead camshaft with four valves per cylinder. The engine puts out 47 bhp of power and 52 Nm of torque. It also sports an all-new six-speed gearbox and a slip-assist clutch.

While most motorcycle enthusiasts won’t find these specs even remotely exciting, it is a big deal to Royal Enfield enthusiasts. The reason is the expected price point of Rs 3 lakh to Rs 3.5 lakh – an area where no other 650 cc motorcycle exists at the moment.

The Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 has been designed as an easy-going cruiser. Royal Enfield CEO Siddhartha Lal says the point of going for a 650 cc motorcycle as opposed to a 750 that was widely speculated, was to keep its pricing accessible and stay away from a crowded market space.

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