The Royal Enfield Bullet 650 is the largest-displacement Bullet ever made and the most affordable entry point into Royal Enfield's 650cc twin-cylinder range. It shares the same 648cc parallel-twin engine, chassis and electronics with the Classic 650, Shotgun 650 and Super Meteor 650, but differentiates itself through distinctive styling details and a more practical seating setup. Here's what works in its favour and a couple of reasons it might not be for you.
Reasons to buy the Royal Enfield Bullet 650
Appealing looks and solid build quality
On a neo-retro motorcycle, design matters more than almost anything else, and the Bullet 650 delivers. The stepped single-piece seat, tubular grab rail, boxy rear fender and hand-painted pinstripes give it a distinct identity within Royal Enfield's crowded 650cc range. Build quality is excellent throughout, with touch points that feel solid and premium – befitting a bike at this price. Of the two colours on offer, the Battleship Blue is particularly handsome and is the one we'd have.
Characterful, capable engine
The 648cc air/oil-cooled parallel-twin has been around for the better part of a decade and remains one of the most enjoyable units in the affordable neo-retro segment. It has a lovely mid-range surge of torque, a characterful soundtrack, and feels refined with just enough of a pulse through the handlebars, footpegs and tank to remind you it's a twin. During our time with the bike, a 0-100kph sprint in under 7 seconds proved there's more than enough performance for most use cases, and it pulls strongly enough to cruise comfortably at 100-120kph in top gear. Real-world fuel efficiency of around 25-30kpl, paired with a 14.8-litre tank, should also give you a range of over 350km per tankful.
Most comfortable bike in RE's 650cc range
The Bullet 650's thickly padded stepped seat makes a tangible difference over the split-seat setup on the Classic 650, reducing the impact of road imperfections despite the rear shocks being similarly stiff. The handlebar also puts your hands in a more natural position than the Classic's, which has an awkward kink to it. The net result is that the Bullet 650 is the most comfortable motorcycle in Royal Enfield's entire 650cc lineup – more so than the Classic 650, Shotgun 650 and Super Meteor 650 – and you can spend long hours in the saddle without feeling too much fatigue.
Reasons to skip the Royal Enfield Bullet 650
Heavy weight and stiff rear suspension
At 243kg, the Bullet 650 is a heavy machine, and you feel it in almost every scenario below 10kph. Pushing it around a parking lot, negotiating tight U-turns, or propping it up on the centre stand all demand a fair bit of effort. On the move, the weight largely disappears, but it means you need to be deliberate about planning your movements at low speeds. Compounding matters, the rear suspension is quite stiff and, while the padded seat softens the blow, sharp road imperfections do transmit through to the rider on bad surfaces.
No tubeless tyre option
The Bullet 650 runs on tubed wire-spoke wheels with no tubeless option available, which is a significant practical drawback. Fixing a puncture on a tubed tyre is a time-consuming and labour-intensive task at the best of times, and the Bullet makes it worse – there's only a tiny gap between the rear axle nut and the exhaust pipe, meaning you'll have to remove the muffler before you can even get the rim off. Factor in that you'll likely have to push all its weight to the nearest tyre repair shop, and this is a real-world frustration that buyers need to be prepared for.
Anshuman Singh
Ved Janve
