Royal Enfield has launched the Interceptor 650 and Continental GT 650 internationally.
Royal Enfield has launched its most anticipated bikes in the US, the Interceptor 650 INT and the Continental GT 650. Both the bikes will be available in three variants – standard, custom and chrome. The Interceptor range is priced at USD 5799 and the base price for the Continental GT is USD 5999. To put prices in perspective, the Royal Enfield Classic 500 is priced at USD 5699.
The Interceptor 650 is designed for touring while the Continental GT 650 is a café racer with an aggressive riding position. The volume of the fuel tank on the café racer is just 12.5-litres while the Interceptor comes with a fuel tank capacity of 13.7-litres. At 202 kgs, the Interceptor is heavier by 4 kgs than the Continental GT. The seat height of the Continental GT and Interceptor are 793 mm and 804 mm respectively. There is a ground clearance of 174 mm on both the bikes.
Both the motorcycles share the same brake setup of 320 mm disc at the front and 240 mm disc at the rear. Dual channel ABS is standard on both the models. The rims on these bikes are 18-inch aluminium spoke wheels. Both the bikes come with Pirelli Phantom SportComp tyres. The front and rear tyres are 100/90 and 130/70 section respectively.
Powering the Interceptor and Continental GT is a 648cc air and liquid-cooled, parallel-twin engine. The motor churns out 47 HP at 7250 RPM and a peak torque of 52 Nm at 5250 RPM. The India launch is expected during November and deliveries will commence from the beginning of next year. The prices of these motorcycles in India are expected to be under Rs. 3 lakhs (ex-showroom) which will make them the most value for money middle-weight bikes in the Indian market.
The Royal Enfield 650 twins are very promising and are sure to shake up the market and will not only lure existing customers to upgrade but will also pull new customers from other brands. We feel the Interceptor 650 is the one to watch out for as it has what it takes to become a good seller in the Indian market as it ticks almost all the boxes.
Interceptor 650 Price
– Interceptor 650 Standard – $5799 (Rs 4.21 lakhs)
– Interceptor 650 Custom – $5999 (Rs 4.36 lakhs)
– Interceptor 650 Chrome – $6499 (Rs 4.72 lakhs)
Continental GT 650 Price
– Continental 650 GT Standard – $5999 (Rs 4.36 lakhs)
– Continental 650 GT Custom – $6249 (Rs 4.54 lakhs)
– Continental 650 GT Chrome – $6799 (Rs 4.94 lakhs)
