Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 and Continental GT 650 Unveiled

The Royal Enfield twins feature a new 650 cc parallel twin engine that puts out 47 bhp of power and 52 Nm of torque.

Royal Enfield has unveiled its most modern motorcycle twins yet, but without losing out on the retro feel. The Royal Enfield Interceptor INT 650 and Continental GT 650 were unveiled at the EICMA show in Milan.

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.

Also read: Royal Enfield Cruiser Bikes With 650-cc Engine to Be Launched Soon

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 two body styles with the 650 cc engine will also be showcased at Rider Mania in Goa on 19 November, 2017.

Watch the live stream from the unveiling in EICMA:

Key Features of Royal Enfield Interceptor 650

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.

The 650 started life as a 600 cc, but ended up with 648 cc engine displacement in the interest of giving 500 cc Bullet and Classic riders enough reason to upgrade.

The Interceptor 650 sports 18-inch wheels with Pirelli tyres. It has front and rear disc brakes (320 mm and 240 mm, respectively) with ABS – again a first for Royal Enfield. The Interceptor weighs in at 202 Kg kerb weight, which is pretty hefty even by large bike standards.

Key Features of Royal Enfield Continental GT 650

The Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 shares the same chassis as its single-cylinder sibling, the Continental GT 535. It sports a complete cafe racer style, with a single seat, rear-set foot pegs and a low-set clip-on handle bars. The rest of the specs are more or less identical to the Interceptor 650, except that it is about 4 Kg lighter at 198 Kg kerb weight. The Continental GT 650 also gets ABS and 18-inch wheels.

Both the motorcycles will first launch in the European market in the coming months, before hitting the Indian market by April 2018.

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