The 2023 Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 gets significant updates with respect to design and features.
Also Read: 2023 Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 Review
To begin with, there are two new colour schemes on offer - Slipstream Blue and Apex Grey. Our test motorcycle, the Continental GT 650, wears the ‘Slipstream Blue’ colour.
We quite like the look that the blacked out parts offer. The engine and the exhaust pipes are black and offer a distinct character to the motorcycle.
The 648 cc parallel-twin continues to offer the same specifications as before, which is 46.8 bhp at 7,150 rpm of max power and 52.3 Nm of peak torque coming in at 5,250 rpm. And yes, it is now OBD-II compliant as well.
The switchgear is taken from the Super Meteor 650, and along with it, the bike also gets adjustable levers. The new switchgear feels premium than before.
The LED headlight is also borrowed from the Super Meteor 650 and the look of the motorcycle along with the illumination becomes significantly better.
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 riding experience is more engaging than before.
The factory fitted, blacked-out alloy wheels have a basic design, but it looks better than the spoked wheels setup. Plus, the alloys come shod with tubeless Vredestein Centauro ST tyres, which are grippier than the earlier Ceats.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
