Alloy wheels for Royal Enfield 650 twins have been a long pending demand, which has now been fulfilled
Acting on market feedback, Royal Enfield has launched alloy wheels for Interceptor 650 and Continental GT 650 in India today. RE 650 twins also get other updates such as new LED headlight, new colours and USB charger. Levers and switchgear are also new, borrowed from new-age Royal Enfield bikes. 650 twins are currently the most popular bikes in 500cc+ segment, with a market share of more than 75%.
2023 Royal Enfield 650 Twins Launched – Much Needed Updates, New Prices
Visually, alloy wheels for 650 twins don’t seem to match the elegance of wire-spoke wheels. However, alloy wheels with tubeless tyres can be a lot more convenient of users. For example, fixing a puncture and changing tyres becomes a lot less painful. Alloy wheels are also largely maintenance free and have higher resistance to things like corrosion.
Talking about the new colours, Interceptor 650 gets Black Ray and Barcelona Blue, whereas Continental GT has Slipstream Blue and Apex Grey. A unique aspect about these two new colourways is their blacked-out theme. Much of the surfaces across the engine, alloy wheels, exhaust and side panels have been blacked out. The new colours expand options available to buyers.
As of now, alloy wheels are available with only the blacked-out variants. It could be introduced with other colour variants of 650 twins. Or at least they could be offered as an accessory with other colour variants. However, wire-spoke wheel variants are expected to continue to be the favourites, especially among retro enthusiasts.
Other updates include a new LED headlight. It appears similar to the one used with Super Meteor 650. Some components like USB charger and switchgear seem to be borrowed from Royal Enfield Hunter 350. Prices of the new Royal Enfield 650 Interceptor is priced from Rs 3.03 lakh to Rs 3.31 lakh while Continental GT 650 starts from Rs 3.19 lakh and goes all the way to Rs 3.45 lakh. All prices are ex-sh. In comparison to outgoing version, prices have been increased by up to Rs 14,000.
B. Govindarajan, CEO, Royal Enfield, said “The Interceptor 650 and the Continental GT 650 have received immense love from riding enthusiasts across the world. We are certain that the new colors, especially the all-black variants with alloys, will definitely give customers more reason to ride these motorcycles, while the new functional upgrades will add to a fun and enjoyable riding experience.”
650 twins’ performance
In India, 650 twins have been updated to meet BS6 Phase 2 compliance norms. Royal Enfield Interceptor and Continental GT are powered by a 648cc parallel twin, air/oil-cooled engine that churns out 47 hp of max power and 52 Nm of peak torque. It is mated to a 6-speed constant mesh gearbox. The engine has been designed to deliver smooth throttle response across the rev range. It makes the 650 twins suitable for both city streets as well as effortless cruising on wide open roads.
650 twins have tubular steel frame with bolted trussing, suspended on 41mm front forks and dual coil-over shocks at rear. Braking duties are performed by 320 mm disc at front and 240 mm disc at rear. Dual-channel ABS is offered as standard.
