Royal Enfield 650 Twin Spotted Testing In Chennai

When the Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 and the Interceptor 650 were first showcased at EICMA 2017, it was perhaps one of the biggest motorcycle stories of the year. A company steeped in heritage was finally going big. From what we heard then, the 650 twins were supposed to be launched in the first half of 2018. Well, that is almost over now but there is no sign of any sorts which throws a hint at the launch of these bikes. But now, the Continental GT 650 and the Interceptor 650 have been spotted testing together in Chennai, the home of Royal Enfield. Reports suggest that the company is taking time to launch the bikes because it wants to get the quality right, which hasn't happened yet. Well, if that is the case, we are ready to wait a few more months before the bikes are officially launched in India.

(The number-plate on the Interceptor 650 is that of Tamil Nadu)

These are grabs from a YouTube video and the video shows the two 650 cc bikes plying together on traffic laden Chennai roads and being escorted by a standard Bullet. While you cannot make out any differences in the motorcycles from what we say at EICMA 2017, you can be sure that there will be some minor changes in order to maintain quality and otherwise also.

Both motorcycles get the same 648 cc parallel-twin engine which is air-cooled and churns out around 47 bhp and 52 Nm of peak torque. The engine is paired to a six-speed gearbox with additional features in the form of a slipper clutch. There will be a dual-channel ABS on offer as well. With these bikes, Royal Enfield aims to own the mid-size motorcycle segment which includes bikes with a displacement ranging from 350 cc to 650 cc. And if that is to happen, Royal Enfield is supposed to get the pricing right. So we expect the bikes to be priced below Rs. 4 lakh. Like few other Royal Enfield motorcycles, expect the company to offer some accessories on these as well.

Source: Keralite Roshan/YouTube Channel