An upcoming Royal Enfield 650cc cruiser has been spied testing, again. This particular test mule, however, sports some differences when compared to the ones we’ve spotted before, leading us to believe that the cruiser platform will have more than one variant.
-
Will likely use the 650cc parallel-twin engine
-
Gets a brand-new chassis
-
Likely to be positioned above the Interceptor and Continental GT
How is this bike different from the earlier spotted test mule?
The earlier spy shot of the cruiser showed a Royal Enfield test rider sitting in a feet-forward position. On this one, however, the rider’s feet seem to be in a more conventional position, set straight downward rather than forward. There are some other differences towards the rear of the motorcycle. On the previously spotted cruiser, the rear subframe was not visible (unlike on this motorcycle). It’s likely covered by the rear fender; speaking of which, it is longer on the motorcycle spied earlier. From the looks of it, this motorcycle also doesn’t have a long, low stance like the previously spied one, and that’s why we believe this could be another model, or a different variant under the same cruiser platform.
What do we know about the upcoming 650cc cruiser?
We know that the bike will most likely be powered by the 650cc parallel-twin engine from the Interceptor 650 and the Continental GT 650 - an immediate giveaway is that it has twin exhaust pipes, with one on either side of the bike. The engine cases on either side seem to be quite similar to the Royal Enfield 650 twins as well, although the test bike gets black cases instead of chrome.
While the engine is probably the same, minor modifications aside, it looks like Royal Enfield is using a completely different frame for this bike. The metal tubing along the side is completely different and the twin rear shocks are mounted at more of an angle compared to the Interceptor 650 and Continental GT 650. Also visible is that this bike gets a USD fork up front, just like on the other cruiser.
The test bike spotted here seems like it’s quite some way down the development process, and while it doesn’t look production-ready, it also doesn’t seem too far from it. Considering Royal Enfield’s aggressive launch plans, we could see this motorcycle arrive in our market very soon.
What do you think of Royal Enfield’s upcoming 650cc model? Let us know in the comments below.
Azaman Chothia
