Royal Enfield Classic 650 Spied With Touring Accessories

Expect Royal Enfield to launch the motorcycle later next year

The test mule gets split-seat setup, upright riding stance, twin hard case panniers along with a top box. Also features a telescopic fork and spoke wheels at both ends. Will likely be slightly more expensive than the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650.

Looks like Royal Enfield is working on yet another motorcycle based on the versatile 650cc platform. This time around, spy shots of a classic-styled bike have surfaced online, likely to be called the Royal Enfield Classic 650. The test mule sports several touring-friendly bits too.

A closer look reveals several retro-themed elements on the motorcycle. It gets a classic circular halogen headlamp with circular indicators, and the side panels also look similar to the ones on the Royal Enfield Classic 350. The bike gets a split-seat setup with wide, easy-to-reach handlebars and mid-set footpegs, ensuring an upright riding stance. There seems to be a small console mounted on the handlebar clamp, but that’s likely part of the test equipment. Expect the production-spec motorcycle to get a semi-digital instrument cluster, along with the Tripper Navigation pod as an accessory.

The 648cc powertrain is shared with the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650, but gets a blacked-out cylinder head, along with matte black casing on the right and metal finish on the left side. Expect its output to be the same as the roadster: 47.6PS and 52Nm. The twin exhausts seem to have a typical cylindrical end can, although we’d have liked to see pea-shooter exhausts. 

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The full-length front fender encloses the spoke wheels, possibly a 19-incher at the front and an 18-incher at the rear. The wheels are wrapped in Metzeler rubber, and for braking, there are discs at both ends with dual-channel ABS. More importantly, the test mule has a telescopic front fork instead of an inverted fork like the Super Meteor 650. The rear gets twin shock absorbers.

For touring, the test mule also sports a luggage rack with a top box, twin hard case panniers with saddle stays, and flatter pillion footpegs too.

Since this is the first sighting of the motorcycle, we reckon the launch is some time away. Moreover, Royal Enfield will launch other motorcycles in sequence first, including the Royal Enfield Scram, Hunter 350, Super Meteor 650, Shotgun 650 - one in every quarter, and then launch the Classic 650. We believe it will arrive sometime around May 2023.

Considering it will be a bigger-engined Classic, Royal Enfield will try to capitalise on the brand recall, so expect the bike to be priced slightly higher than the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650, possibly at around Rs 2.95 lakh (ex-showroom). For perspective, the Interceptor currently costs Rs 2,85,970 (ex-showroom Delhi).

The Royal Enfield Classic 650 will not have any direct rivals, considering its uniqueness in the segment. It will be perfect for those who want an old-school-looking motorcycle that’s powerful enough for highway runs. The closest alternative would be the Kawasaki Vulcan S. However, it will be a lot more expensive, at Rs 6,16,000 (ex-showroom India).

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