2023 Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 Review

Photography: Arvind Salhan

For 2023, the Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 brings in a sense of freshness with fair few updates! We rode the motorcycle to test how significant the updates are and whether the bump in prices is justified. With the coming of the Super Meteor 650, the ‘flagship’ title was taken away from the 650 twins. But these motorcycles now get a handful of upgrades to keep them relevant and appease the enthusiasts once again.

Design

The motorcycle now gets two new colour schemes - Slipstream Blue & Apex Grey

To begin with, there are new colour schemes on offer. Our test motorcycle, the Continental GT 650, wears the ‘Slipstream Blue’ colour and gets factory fitted, blacked-out alloy wheels.

Blacked out alloy wheels mean, the tyres are now tubeless. Also, the bike now wears stickier rubber from Vredestein. The design of the alloys themselves is simple, nothing fancy

This in turn means that the tyres are now tubeless, which makes life easier in case of a puncture. And the new Continental GT 650 wears Vredestein Centauro ST rubber, in place of the Ceats on the earlier models. But there’s a caveat involved. Along with the ‘Slipstream Blue’, the alloy wheels are offered only on the Apex Grey colour scheme, if you are looking to buy the Conti GT that is. The rest of the colour options on the motorcycle get regular spoked wheels.

We quite like the blacked out parts such as the engine and the exhaust on the bike

And no, you can’t customise them either on Royal Enfield’s ‘Make It Yours’ platform either. Yes, that’s a bummer. But it is what it is! Oh, and the difference in weight between the alloys and the spoke wheels is just 100 grams. The only actual difference is the aesthetics and the practicality of tubeless tyres.

Features

New LED headlight is borrowed from the Super Meteor 650

Other updates include a new LED headlight and updated switchgear. To add to the premium feel, the handlebar grips and the adjustable levers have also been used from the flagship Super Meteor 650.

Switchgear is taken from the Super Meteor 650 as well. Ergonomically, it takes time getting used to

The LED headlight definitely offers better illumination and wider spread and the switchgear feels tactile and looks the part of an expensive motorcycle. The new grips feel good to hold as well. Another added feature on the motorcycle is the USB charger.

Engine and Performance

The parallel-twin motor is OBD-2 compliant, but stays the same in terms of output

In terms of the engine specifications, nothing changes. Except the fact that the 650 cc parallel-twin motor is now OBD-II compliant. No matter what revs you are riding at, the Conti GT never runs out of breath and there is a steady wave of torque, just waiting for you to ride it. The company says that 80 per cent of the torque comes in before the needle hits 2,500 rpm and that’s how it feels too.

Performance is smooth and loads of torque waiting for you to ride it

The throttle response is crisp and the engine too is capable enough to cruise at triple digit speeds for as long as you want to. All the power is sent to the rear wheel seamlessly via a 6-speed gearbox, with smooth shifts and light clutch operation.

The Vredestein Centauro ST tyres are grippy and offer good confidence to the riders when cornering or changing directions

The Vredestein Centauro ST tyres are grippier than the Ceats on the older models, and that makes for better, confident riding. And, the flex is reduced to a certain extent, with the alloy wheels, so that helps too. The motorcycle now feels more confident when you are cornering and changing directions quickly. The response to steering inputs feels better and you engage with the motorcycle in a better fashion.

Ride experience becomes better with the 2023 Continental GT 650

So yes, the 2023 Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 feels better to ride. But what we would have also liked is better heat management. The parallel-twin motor will grill your left leg in stop & go traffic.

The bike could have also done with an update to the twin-pod instrument console,

The instrument console looks stylish but doesn’t offer much in terms of information. A gear position indicator, real-time efficiency and range display would have helped. The Tripper navigation pod could have been incorporated too.

Not the comfiest of seats on a motorcycle

Similarly, the seat on the motorcycle, while it may work for short commutes, doesn’t really do well if you want to put longer hours on the saddle! We do recommend you getting the touring seat, which is priced at Rs. 3,255 if you want more comfort.

Pricing

The 2023 Continental GT 650 is priced from Rs. 3.19 lakh and goes up to Rs. 3.45 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi), which is about Rs. 14,000 to Rs. 16,000 more than the outgoing models.

Illumination becomes much better in the dark, with the LED headlight

Verdict

It ticks all the boxes that you would want from a mid-sized modern classic motorcycle! Old-school charm, appealing performance and not crazy expensive! In a nutshell, if you have decided to buy the Continental GT 650, then the model with alloy wheels and grippier Vredestein tyres is a no-brainer. It makes life easier and looks sexier, with the new colours and blacked out parts.

The updated Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 is easily a great modern classic choice. Friendly performance, solid appeal and owning it doesn't break the bank

With the updates, the Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 gets sexier, offers better appeal and becomes premium too. It is a sweet motorcycle and if you are into laidback riding, like friendly performance and want a motorcycle that looks beautiful, then the Continental GT 650 still works like a charm, and it promises to put a smile on your face every time you ride it.

Photography: Arvind Salhan