Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650 Review: Take It Easy!

“Life’s a journey, not a destination” – that quote kept ringing in my head, as did the line from an Aerosmith number from younger days, as I gunned the Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650 northwest out of Jaisalmer. The black top stretched out for miles up ahead, and the sun rose from the horizon just behind me on the right. The early morning chill around the desert is just perfect for a motorcycle ride this time of the year, and the clean air a welcome change from the smog of Delhi. 

Also Read: Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650 Launched At Rs. 3.49 Lakh

The Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650 ticks all the right boxes and makes a strong statement as a true-blue, quintessential cruiser motorcycle.

The idea of a journey, unhurried and without haste, perfectly sums up the very essence of a cruiser motorcycle. And even though of late cruisers have somewhat gone out of fashion to more adventurous genres of motorcycling, the lure of the long, open road is perhaps the closest in what the idea of a quintessential cruiser is all about. 
 

Also Read: Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650 Unveiled At Rider Mania 2022

The Super Meteor 650 seems tailor-made for a relaxed, easy ride out on a long road.

It’s not about adrenaline-pumping performance, or about sporty dynamics, but relaxed easy riding. And that’s when the Super Meteor 650 starts making sense. As we close in on the dunes of the Thar desert on both sides of the highway, another song from years gone by start playing in my mind – “Take It Easy!”
 

Also Read: Royal Enfield Super 650 Unveiled At EICMA 2022

The Royal Enfield Cruiser

The Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650 is the biggest, baddest cruiser motorcycle in the brand’s modern history. And even though it’s based on the 650 Twins platform, the Super Meteor name isn’t all-new, and neither is it the first cruiser in a couple of decades. The Super Meteor name was first used in the 1956-1962 Royal Enfield Super Meteor 700, and from the 1990s till now, Royal Enfield introduced the Citybike, the Thunderbird and the Lightning 535, the biggest capacity cruiser in the brand’s modern times, that is, up until now.

The Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650 is based on the 650 Twins platform. Apart from the engine though, everything else is pretty much all-new.

The Super Meteor 650 builds on the 650 Twins platform, and is the third model joining the twins family, after the Interceptor 650 and the Continental GT 650. Yes, it’s the same engine, but the engine map has been tweaked to more suit the personality and character of the bike. Walk up to it, and there’s little to find fault in its low-slung stance and authentic cruiser proportions.
 

The Super Meteor 650's stance is quintessential cruiser! The design, proportions, details and finishes all add up to make a gorgeous motorcycle.

Design & Features
 

In a word, the Super Meteor 650 is absolutely gorgeous! It has presence, and looks quite big, but has that unintimidating and friendly vibe, which makes it immediately appealing, the moment you lay eyes on it. The stance, the proportions, the design and details all go hand in hand to complement Royal Enfield’s flagship product. Apart from the engine, which is shared with the Interceptor 650 and Continental GT 650, everything else is pretty much all-new.

LED headlight, brushed aluminium finish on the headlight bezel, stays and triple clamp underscore the bike's premium positioning.

Up front, the LED headlight is a first in the 650 Twins family, as are the 43 mm upside-down front forks from Showa. There’s a smattering of brushed aluminium as well, on the switchgear, triple clamp, mudguard stays and headlight bezel, and the fuel filler lid also looks finished in high quality. The wheels are alloys, shod with tubeless tyres, and no, wire spoked options aren’t available. Wheel sizes are 19-inch front and 16-inch rear, with 

The round instrument console is shared with the Royal Enfield Meteor 350, and the Tripper navigation pod is standard on the Super Meteor 650.

The instrument console is shared with the Meteor 350, and it gets the Tripper navigation pod alongside. The naked is the base variant, and there’s also a tourer variant, which comes with a standard windshield, touring seat and pillion backrest. And there’s option of customising the Super Meteor further with a long list of genuine motorcycle accessories. In all, it definitely oozes quality and perhaps is the best-built Royal Enfield motorcycle so far.

The engine casings have an all-new finish and the map has been tweaked. The chassis and swingarm are all-new to suit the stance and proportions of the bike.

The engine covers have been finished differently and with its long wheelbase, and new frame, the ergonomics are also completely different, with a typical feet-forward riding position, and a wide handlebar. Overall, it’s a comfortable place to be in, although with a kerb weight of 241 kg, it’s anything but light. But then cruisers aren’t known to be lightweight, and in that sense how the 43-odd bhp engine performs in that package is what that matters. 

With its 241 kg kerb weight, the Super Meteor 650 feels heavy. but the engine is familiar and feels refined and smooth; immediately likeable.

Performance & Dynamics
 

Straight away, the Super Meteor 650 feels familiar, because it shares the same 648 cc engine with its siblings. It’s smooth, refined and responsive, with the same output, although the engine map has been tweaked to suit the character of the bike. Compared to its siblings, it’s a little reluctant to hit triple digit speeds in a hurry, and that’s because the Super Meteor 650 is heavier than its siblings. Out in the open road, there’s no dearth of performance to cruise steadily. 

The Super Meteor 650 is best enjoyed at around 120 kmph, with plenty of more performance on tap for overtakes or for a quick short blast on the highway.

It will hit 155 kmph, and even 160 kmph with a tailwind and a long enough empty stretch of road. And at 100-120 kmph, you can cruise comfortably all day long. Anything beyond 130 though, the wind blast does hit you, so sustaining very high speeds isn't exactly recommended or something you'd enjoy on the Super Meteor 650. I also managed to ride the touring variant with the windshield which was exchanged with a fellow journalist. But I could feel a lot of wind buffeting on my helmet which made me appreciate the standard version more. Can live with wind blast, but wind playing an acoustic drum kit on my helmet isn’t exactly enjoyable, over an extended time on the highway.
 

With just 101 mm suspension travel at the rear, it remains to be seen how it will tackle bad surfaces and broken roads. The wind blast on the standard Interstellar variant. The top-spec Celestial variant does come with a windscreen, but the wind buffeting issue is a spot of bother, particularly when you're out on the open road for more than an hour.

What could also have been slightly better is the ride quality; particularly at the rear, which did feel a little stiff, even though we didn’t get to test it over broken roads or potholes where most owners will end up spending a lot of time in. The front is supple, and offers very good handling, the the limited suspension travel on the rear could prove to be a spot of bother using the Super Meteor 650 in everyday conditions. The brakes though offer satisfactory stopping power, and in the dynamics department, the Super Meteor 650 offers a stable, balanced ride which is quite impressive.

Priced at Rs. 3,48,900 (Ex-showroom) for the standard variant, the Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650 makes for superb value, and has the potential to make cruisers popular once again, not just in India, but around the world.

Verdict
 

With a starting price of Rs. 3,48,900 (Ex-showroom) for the base variant, the Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650 certainly makes for an attractive proposition. For any cruiser lover, it certainly is a complete package, and at a price tag which is not exorbitantly high. For those looking for a ride to leisurely potter around the suburbs on a weekend, or even for those looking to get back into motorcycling, with a package that is certainly desirable, the Super Meteor 650 makes perfect sense.

As the sun reached the western horizon, I had to make a stop to refill, after riding with the reserve light on for over 40 kilometres, before it was time to make the dash back to base in the twilight. The sparse traffic and the smooth tarmac helped me make up some miles in no time; and 120 kmph felt like a slow, steady and easy cruise, just perfect to have an occasional glance at the pink and orange western sky. Another imaginary song played inside my helmet as I pointed the bike south and towards base, hopefully before darkness.

“Life’s like a road that you travel on 

when there’s one day here and the next day gone… 

Sometimes you bend, sometimes you stand. 

Sometimes you turn your back to the wind.”

The new Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650 is a desirable motorcycle. It has the looks, the stance, the performance and dynamics to make it an enjoyable companion, if you aren't in a tearing hurry to get anywhere, and just want to relax and enjoy a steady cruise.

As I kicked out the side stand and killed the engine, sometime later, it struck me. Performance, dynamics and specifications, all just add up to make a great motorcycle. But it’s also the state of mind one’s in, that makes for a great ride. And if a motorcycle can make a ride memorable, then in my book, it’s a good product, its weaknesses notwithstanding. In that sense, the Super Meteor 650 has almost everything going for it.

The Super Meteor 650 is a desirable motorcycle. And being the most expensive Royal Enfield on sale, it does seem to justify its price tag. And the fact that there's nothing quite like it in that price bracket that makes it all the more appealing.
 

It isn’t just a desirable mid-size cruiser, but looks great, rides well, and will be an enjoyable companion for a weekend outing in the suburbs, or even the occasional long-distance jaunt. All great qualities, if you ask me, to relax, unwind and “take it easy” on this journey called life.

(Photography: Prashant Chaudhary)