The Royal Enfield Bullet nameplate has been in continuous production for nearly a century, which is a staggering statistic in today’s fast-paced times, where humanity can’t hop from one trend to the next fast enough! Throughout the Bullet’s history, there have been multiple different iterations with various cubic capacities, and the one we have with us today is the largest one yet – the new Bullet 650 Twin. While the Bullet 650 is technically an all-new bike, is it realistically any different from its siblings in terms of its riding experience?
Bullet 650 Design and Quality
On no machine is design as important as on a neo-retro model, and the Bullet 650’s pleasing looks live up to the expectations people will have from a bike bearing this badge. Quality, too, is very nice all over, and all the touch points have a tactile, solid feel to them, enhancing the sense of being on a premium, well-built machine.
While the Bullet 650 looks very similiar to the Classic 650, Royal Enfield has given it some trademark visual touches to differentiate the two. The stepped single-piece seat, tubular grab rail, boxy rear fender and hand-painted pinstripes all help you identify the Bullet among the myriad of Royal Enfield’s 650cc range. Two colours are available here, black and blue, and if given a choice, I’d definitely have the latter.
What’s very odd here is that you don’t get the trademark Bullet tail-lamp, and instead, Royal Enfield has simply shoehorned the same unit as the Classic 650. This was a mistake the company made with the Bullet 350 as well, one that was subsequently partially corrected by offering the rectangular lamp as an accessory, and it’s surprising to see the same thing repeated on the 650. On a bike with so much emphasis on heritage and design, this would’ve gone some way to better differentiate the two bikes, which are already so very similar to begin with!
This might be a personal feeling, but I also think RE should’ve stuck to halogen units for the pilot lamps and headlight on a bike that leans so heavily on nostalgia for its very existence. Firstly, because this standard-issue Royal Enfield LED headlight is – at best – a rather average unit. Secondly, because it would’ve suited the classic design brief much better. The reason I bring this up is because I am the happy custodian of a 1975 Bullet 350, and for someone steeped in the model’s heritage, these points matter more than to the average person.
Another nitpick I have is that Royal Enfield should’ve equipped the Bullet 650 – like the 350cc model does – with a heel shifter. On a relaxed bike like this, this seems like an avoidable omission.
Bullet 650 Position and Comfort
The Bullet 650 seats you in a really natural, upright and neutral riding position, with pros and cons similar to the Classic 650 – albeit with a few nuanced differences. Firstly, I much prefer this stepped, single-piece seat on the Bullet to the split-seat setup of the Classic when it comes to seating comfort; you could easily spend long hours in the saddle without feeling too much fatigue. Secondly, the Bullet’s handlebar positions your hands in a more normal manner than the Classic 650’s, which kinks them in a weird way.
Overall, the seating comfort is good, but despite its low 800mm seat height, the wide engine splays your legs out a fair bit. At 5ft 11in, I was just about able to get both my feet flat on the ground, and shorter riders will have to be mindful of this.
Seat height 800 mm | Ground Clearance 154 mm | Kerb Weight 243 kg |
Bullet 650 Performance and Fuel Economy
Royal Enfield has democratized owning a twin-cylinder motorcycle today and while this 648cc motor has been around for the better part of a decade, it's still a treat to use. It has a lovely - if slightly muted - soundtrack, a lovely mid-range surge of torque and feels refined with just a characterful pulse through all touch points. With a 0-100kph sprint achieved in under 7 seconds in our tests, the Bullet 650 has more than enough performance for most use cases and you can easily sustain 100-120kph on the highway in top gear.
There is some warmth to be felt on your calves at slower speeds wading through traffic but we tested the bike in the middle of a torrid Indian summer. This is sure to have an effect on an engine that primarily relies on cool air to maintain its temperature. In all honesty, there’s no troublesome heat here and with an engine of this size, you need to accept this if you are eyeing this bike.
On the topic of fuel economy, depending on how you ride, you should see a real-world efficiency of 25kpl. If you are really mindful with your right hand, you may even see a number closer to 30kpl. Paired with a 14.8 litre fuel tank, you should be able to comfortably do over 350km on a single tankful.
Engine Displacement 647.95 cc | Max Engine Power 47 Hp @ 7250 rpm | Max Engine Torque 52.3 Nm @ 5650 rpm |
Bullet 650 Ride and Handling
What will be a rather tough thing to make your peace with is the Bullet 650’s sheer size. 243 kilos makes for a heavy bike and in almost every scenario, you feel it. It's a non-issue at anything over 10kph and the generous turning radius means you can filter through traffic without too much fuss. On the move, this is a stable and planted machine, and makes for a good highway cruiser.
For a bike that weighs as much as the Bullet does, it also handles decently well and you can have some fun in the twisty bits, as long as you are mindful of the laws of physics. Braking power is more than sufficient here and this is one of those bikes where using both the front and rear brakes together will yield the best results.
However, pushing the bike around in a garage and going over loose surfaces where traction is at a premium, you are acutely aware of its weight and need to carefully plan your movements. Propping it up on the centre stand is a task that demands a fair bit of strength.
By this point, you’ve probably understood the Bullet 650 and its sibling, the Classic 650, are rather similar machines. That’s because the Bullet shares all of its mechanicals with the Classic, but there’s a small, but unexpected improvement in its ride comfort. In recent years, we’ve lamented about the stiff rear suspension on most new Royal Enfields and while the Bullet too continues in that vein, its thickly padded seat makes all the difference.
You genuinely notice the shock from road imperfections to a smaller degree, and while it's not a day and night difference, it's definitely a tangible one. Between the Classic 650, Shotgun 650, Super Meteor 650 and Bullet 650, all of which are based around the same engine and chassis architecture - this is certainly the most comfortable bike and that counts for something.
Bullet 650 Features and Safety
Unlike most modern bikes, the Bullet 650 is an honest machine with no pretense about it - which is a breath of fresh air in today’s times! The features list includes a slip/assist clutch, a digi-analogue dash that shows you everything you need to know, dual-channel ABS and the Tripper TFT pod which can show you turn-by-turn navigation information when hooked up to your smartphone.
One feature that is sorely missed here is the ability to fit tubeless tyres. This issue is exacerbated here since there’s only a tiny gap between the rear axle nut and the exhaust pipe, you will have to first remove the muffler so you can take the rim off and fix the puncture. Fixing a puncture on a tubed tyre is a time-consuming and labour-intensive task in itself and the added complexity here doesn’t make it any easier for the Bullet. This is even before you factor in that you’ll have to push this 243kg behemoth to the nearest tyre repair shop!
Bullet 650 Price and Verdict
To sum up, the Royal Enfield Bullet 650 is going to be a heart over head purchase and will likely attract a niche audience - in the Indian market at least - owing to its size, specific compromises and price. At 3.65 lakh for both its colours, (ex-showroom, Chennai), this is the most affordable machine based on this chassis architecture and also the most comfortable. However, the biggest problem here is that Bullet just feels too similar to the Shotgun 650 and Classic 650 to ride and it doesn’t have a unique identity.
That being said, there is genuine promise within the Bullet 650 and if RE can perhaps endow it with some sense of uniqueness and make a tubeless tyre solution available sooner rather than later, this has the potential to be a properly impressive modern classic - pun definitely intended!
Azaman Chothia
Autocar India Team 
Rishaad Mody
