Royal Enfield SG650 Concept Bobber: All You Need To Know

The concept gives us a fairly clear idea on how the production-spec Shotgun 650 Bobber will be

Royal Enfield unveiled the SG650 Concept at the 2021 EICMA auto show in Milan, Italy. It’s essentially a concept prelude to the bobber style motorcycle which has been spotted testing multiple times before. So what is this bobber motorcycle all about and is it even going to arrive in the Indian market? What would be the pricing? Here’s everything you need to know:

Design and Features

The Chennai-based bikemaker has bestowed the SG650 Concept with muscular and attractive styling. The concept motorcycle is based on the same 650cc platform as the Interceptor 650 and the Continental GT 650 but with substantial tweaks. To lend it a bobber look, Royal Enfield has equipped the motorcycle with a single-piece seat, chopped fenders, a chunky looking teardrop-shaped fuel tank, mid-set footpegs to offer a sporty riding stance and a wide handlebar that also mounts underslung bar-end mirrors. Other notable features on the concept motorcycle include all-LED lights and a twin pod instrument cluster that houses a smaller pod for 'Tripper' turn-by-turn navigation. To enhance its masculinity, Royal Enfield has painted the concept bike with a unique brushed metal and black gradient-like colour scheme.

Engine and Transmission

The SG650 concept bobber is powered by the same 648cc parallel-twin air/oil-cooled engine that also does duty on the Interceptor 650 and Continental GT 650. It’s likely that the engine is in the same state of tune as the twins, making 47.6PS and 52Nm. Interestingly, Royal Enfield has equipped the bike with Classic-style twin pea-shooter exhausts draped in a stealthy looking matte black scheme. We reckon the exhaust note will be a lot different compared to the stock units on the 650 twins.

Underpinnings

Although the concept bobber is based on the Interceptor's 650cc platform, the Chennai-based bikemaker had to still tweak the chassis, particularly the rear section, to accommodate a single-piece seat. As a consequence, the sub-frame has been removed too. It also gets a modern inverted telescopic fork at the front and twin preload adjustable shock absorbers at the rear. Meanwhile, for braking, it employs twin solid discs up front, and a solid disc at the rear.  These may not be as thermally efficient as ventilated discs, but it surely adds up to the brawny stance of the motorcycle. The SG650 concept runs on solid alloy wheels with twin cutouts. The wheels remind us of the Lakester disc aluminum wheels that the Harley-Davidson Fat Boy gets. Oh, and true to the Bobber essence, they are wrapped in fat Metzeler Roadtec 01 tyres.

Production Version Incoming

While the concept motorcycle looks flamboyant to say the least, we expect that Royal Enfield will tone down the design of the production-spec version for it to appeal to the mass market and to keep costs under control. The production-spec version will be called the Royal Enfield Shotgun 650, and the bobber-style motorcycle is likely to carry a single disc brake at the front, slimmer tyres, a conventional design for its alloy wheels, and a simple semi-digital instrument cluster with tripper navigation.

Launch timeline, Price and Competition

The Royal Enfield Shotgun 650 is likely to hit showroom floors by early next year, while we expect the brand to price the upcoming bobber at somewhere around Rs 3.25 lakh onwards. Although the Shotgun 650 won't have any rivals at the moment at the same price point, it will slot between the comparatively more affordable Jawa Perak and the much more expensive Triumph Bonneville Bobber. Besides, folks looking out for a powerful cruiser motorcycle can also check out the Kawasaki Vulcan S and Benelli 502C.