Almost every motorcycling enthusiast had been waiting for this moment. After the global reveal at the EICMA 2017, the first twin-cylinder motorcycles from Royal Enfield, the Continental GT 650 and Interceptor 650, were highly anticipated here in India. The highlight of the motorcycles, of course, has to be the new 650cc parallel twin engine developed by Royal Enfield. These two motorcycles were unveiled in California yesterday and several media reviewers had the chance to ride and experience the bikes first-hand.
Coming to the crucial and most awaited aspect here, the price details of the RE twins. Royal Enfield has finally revealed pricing of the 2018 Continental GT 650 and Interceptor 650. The base price of the Continental GT 650 is USD 5,999, which is equivalent to Rs 4.4 lakh, while that of the Interceptor 650 is USD 5,799 – roughly Rs 4.2 lakh. These are base prices; for custom colours and that sweet chrome treatment, you’ll have to shell out extra.
Since both the Royal Enfield Twins will be manufactured in India, expect them to be priced competitively in the country. Just to give some perspective, the prices of the Royal Enfield 500s in the US are in the range of USD 5,000, which translates to Rs 3.64 lakh. So, it is largely speculated that the new 650 Twins from Royal Enfield will be priced below Rs 3 lakh for India.
However, we will have to wait for an official announcement for confirmation on the prices. For now, we know that Royal Enfield will be starting the bookings of the 650 Twins from mid-November and deliveries are expected to commence from January 2019 onwards.
The 2018 Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 wears an all-new air/oil-cooled twin cylinder 648cc engine with fuel injection. Overdrive, in their review, said that the Interceptor receives 80% of its torque by 2,500rpm and it peaks at 52Nm at 5,250rpm, and that peak power arrives at 7,250rpm before you hit redline at 7,500rpm.
The engine is a brand-new 6-speed gearbox and it gets a slip-assist clutch. This unit sits in a brand-new tubular double cradle frame with 41mm telescopic front forks, preload-adjustable twin gas-charged shock absorbers. Brakes are ABS-equipped with a 320mm rotor up front and a smaller rear disc. The Interceptor wears an aluminium-spoked rim with Pirelli’s Phantom SuperComp tyres, but runs with tubes in this application.
The Continental GT 650 Twin, on the other hand, is an ode to the café racer culture that was dominant a few years ago. Royal Enfield has stated that there are no shared parts between the new Continental GT 650 and the current Continental GT with a 535cc, single-cylinder engine. Both motorcycles employ a double cradle, steel tubular frame as well as 41mm front forks and twin, coil over shocks at the rear.
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