Royal Enfield will be launching the Interceptor 650 and Continental GT 650 in international markets between September 24-28, 2018. Media ride invites are out. First ride will be taking place in California from 22-26th September. After the launch in international market, the both the bikes will be launched in India, before Diwali 2018.
Launch of the new Royal Enfield motorcycles has been delayed by a lot of months. After showcasing the bike back in November 2017, Royal Enfield had stated that the bikes are ready for launch with first launch taking place in the Q1 of 2018. That has not happened. It is not clear as to why the launch has been delayed by more than 6 months.
Though Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 and Continental GT 650 are identical in terms of engine specifications and mechanics, they cater to different segments of buyers. Interceptor 650 is a street oriented bike unlike the GT 650 which is a café racer. Interceptor 650 gets ride height of 804mm and a fuel tank of 13.7 liters while kerb weight stands at 203 kgs.
The GT 650 café racer on the other hand has ride height of 790mm, a 12.5 liter fuel tank and total weight of 199 kgs. Both the motorcycles receive 41mm telescopic forks in the front and coil springs at the rear along with 320mm front disc and 240mm disc at the rear. The chassis, which has been developed by Harris Performance, a subsidiary of Eicher Motors is tuned to enhance agility and riding dynamics while dual channel ABS is offered as standard on both bikes.
Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 and Continental GT 650 will both be powered by the same 648cc, parallel twin, fuel injected, air and oil cooled engine offering 47.7 PS peak power at 7,100 rpm and 52 Nm peak torque at 5,250 rpm mated to a 6 speed transmission to be seen for the first time on a Royal Enfield model.
The Royal Enfield twins will be priced between Rs 3-3.50 lakhs (ex-showroom, about Rs 4 lakhs on road) once officially launched in India. It will be this affordable pricing that will allow the Royal Enfield twins to compete against the Harley Davidson Street 750 which carries a price tag of Rs 6 lakhs.
