It's now public knowledge that Royal Enfield is working on a gaggle of new models based on the tried and tested 650cc platform. Now, what seems to be a test mule of the Classic 650 has been spotted testing down south.
- Similar styling to Classic 350
- Will use same 648cc engine in a similar state of tune
The test mule of the Classic 650 bears a lot of resemblance to the styling of the Classic 350, with the headlight nestled inside the nacelle, and the wire-spoke wheels and generous use of chrome all over. What is a point of difference, however, is that the Classic 650 uses an LED headlight (likely the same unit as the other 650s on sale today), as opposed to the Classic 350’s period correct halogen headlight.
Overall, despite this just being the first sight of a pre-production test mule, the Classic 650 appears to be quite a good-looking thing, no surprise considering that the Classic 350 is such a handsome machine. Expect the Classic 650 to be one of the mechanically simpler 650cc models in Royal Enfield’s lineup. The bike uses a telescopic fork at the front, with shrouds covering the stanchions (just like the smaller Classic) and a twin-shock absorber setup at the rear.
Expect the engine to not stray too far from the current state of tune found in the Interceptor 650 and the Continental GT 650, which will put output figures in the 47hp/52Nm ballpark, with perhaps a slight alteration to the final gearing.
There is also a chance that this test mule could also be the Bullet 650, considering that the body styles of both the Classic and the Bullet models are quite similar.
Azaman Chothia
Vishal Venugopal
