The Bear is currently the most powerful 650cc motorcycle from Royal Enfield. It is based on the Interceptor 650 but gets some mechanical differences that set it apart from the rest of the RE lineup. Here are a few reasons why you should consider the Bear 650 and a few reasons to look elsewhere.
2 reasons to consider the Royal Enfield Bear 650
1. Quicker, more fun to ride
Right off the bat, the Bear 650 is noticeably easier to manage compared to other RE 650s, this is largely down to the two-into-one-exhaust setup as opposed to the two-into-two-exhaust setup that other 650s in RE’s portfolio boast of, which need more careful management in heavy traffic. The Bear is currently the most powerful 650cc from Royal Enfield, the main attributing factor to this is the different exhaust setup that liberates a bit more torque, bumping it up from 52Nm to 56.5Nm, however power figures remain unchanged at 47hp. Despite this, the weight-savings are just 2kg compared to the Interceptor. The parallel-twin engine is now more responsive, acceleration feels stronger resulting in this being the quickest RE we’ve tested to date and the exhaust note is both louder and more exciting.
2. Features
Here are two reasons why you should skip the Bear 650
1. Stiff suspension, tall seat
Despite having longer suspension travel than any other RE 650, the setup leaves a lot to be desired. In particular, the stiff rear-suspension that barely twitches and the fact that the front-suspension tends to bottom out while going over big road imperfections. These things point to the fact that it's not a Scrambler in the true-sense, and if you are expecting a cushy and plush suspension then you are better off looking elsewhere. There’s another caveat, the seat, although comfortable, is quite tall at 830mm, which might intimidate shorter riders, not to mention the 216kg kerb weight.
2. No tubeless tyre option
Vishal Venugopal
