The long wait for the Royal Enfield 650cc cruiser line-up is set to continue for at least a little longer, with the bikes still undergoing testing. Fresh spy shots reveal yet another version of RE’s twin-cylinder cruiser, with unique ergonomics and specifications.
While multiple previous sightings of the 650cc cruiser showed it rolling on alloy wheels and an upside-down fork, these latest pictures show a test mule equipped with wire-spoke wheels and a conventional front fork (one example has the fork tubes finished in golden while another has them painted silver).
Earlier images also showed a bike with forward-set footpegs mounted near the front of the engine covers, close to the exhaust downpipe, whereas the newest test mule sports mid-set footpegs placed closer to the rear of the engine covers.
What remains the same is the rounded shape of the fuel-tank, the shape of the side panels, the overall design and layout of the frame, and the exhaust system, though the finish (chrome or blacked out) differs in certain areas.
This latest test mule is also equipped with a host of accessories, including hard panniers (likely aluminium), a top box and larger pillion footpegs.
However, these ‘new variation’ test mules were also accompanied by one exception, which was a test unit with the more familiar layout seen earlier – black alloy wheels and an upside-down fork. This example also featured a different set of accessories comprising a large front windscreen, substantial crash protection and smaller, sleeker hard panniers likely made of plastic, and it also seems to sport an LED headlight compared to the halogen unit on the other bikes. However, its top box appears to be the same as the other examples’.
It would appear that these are largely the same bike underneath, being offered in two different variants or levels of trim – a more premium version with LED lighting, a USD fork and alloy wheels, alongside a more affordable version equipped with a conventional fork, wire-spoke wheels and a halogen headlight.
At this point, it remains quite unclear exactly how many new models will be added to Royal Enfield’s 650cc line-up, but we expect to see at least two new additions, most likely called the Shotgun 650 and Super Meteor 650.
Azaman Chothia
Vishal Venugopal
