Royal Enfield Interceptor 650, Continental GT 650 Bookings Open

Royal Enfield dealerships have started accepting bookings for the soon-to-be-launched 650 Twins for an amount of Rs. 5,000. According to dealers, the two new models - the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 and the Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 - are expected to cost around Rs. 3.5 lakh (on-road Delhi) and deliveries will begin by December 2018. The 650 Twins, as they are called, are the first Royal Enfield motorcycles in the company's modern history to sport an all-new 650 cc, parallel-twin engine. Dealers say there is expected to be a 30-45 day waiting period for customers who book the bikes now.

Also Read: Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 & Continental GT 650 Launched In India

Also Read: Royal Enfield Interceptor First Ride Review

The RE Interceptor 650 and the RE Continental GT 650 will be launched by mid-November 2018, around the Rider Mania 2018 event, and prices are expected to be very competitive. We have ridden both models, and are impressed with the performance of the new RE 650 Twins. According to Royal Enfield officials, the bikes will be priced in a way that they become the natural upgrade for existing Royal Enfield customers. We expect the bikes to be priced at around Rs. 3 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi) or even just under the Rs. 3 lakh mark to make the bikes affordable and not out of reach for the typical Royal Enfield customer.

Also Read: Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 First Ride Review

Both bikes are powered by an all-new, air-cooled, 649 cc, four-valve, SOHC, parallel-twin engine which puts out 47 bhp of maximum power at 7,100 rpm and 52 Nm of peak torque at 5,200 rpm. The oil-cooled engine is mated to a slick six-speed gearbox and comes with a slip and assist clutch. The RE 650 Twins share a common double cradle, steel tubular chassis and 41 mm front forks and twin shocks at the rear. Braking is handled by a single 320 mm disc on the front wheel and a 240 mm disc on the rear wheel. Dual-channel ABS is standard. Royal Enfield has already started rolling out other models from the firm with standard ABS. Once launched, the new RE Interceptor 650 and Continental GT 650 will probably be the most affordable twin cylinder motorcycles on sale in India.

The Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 and the Continental GT 650 were first unveiled at the 2017 EICMA show in Milan last year. The two bikes will not just be targeted at the domestic market, but Royal Enfield intends to gain a significant hold and presence in global markets with the all-new 650 cc parallel-twin platform. The engine has been designed with inputs from Royal Enfield's tech team in the UK Tech Centre, in collaboration with engineers and technicians in India. It's the most advanced and modern engine in Royal Enfield's modern history, and according to RE officials, a stringent 1007-point quality check is being maintained across the model-range to ensure seamless quality of the products.