Royal Enfield is presently developing at least three new 650cc models, one of them could probably wear the ‘Constellation’ moniker
Royal Enfield has plenty of exciting new models slated to come out in the next few months. The company is currently on the verge of launching Scram 411 which is essentially a road-biased version of Himalayan in the next few days.
Apart from this, the Chennai-based bike manufacturer is also developing multiple models based on the 650cc platform. At least three iterations of the upcoming 650cc motorcycle have been spied in recent times. Other than this, there is also a 350cc roadster on the anvil which is expected to be named Hunter 350.
Royal Enfield Constellation Trademark Filed
In a recent development, Royal Enfield has filed a new trademark for the name ‘Constellation’ which could be utilised in one of the upcoming new motorcycles. Going by the history behind the moniker, we believe it could be used in one of the 650cc models. For reference, Constellation 700 was a motorcycle sold by Royal Enfield in North America between 1958 and 1963.
It was a predecessor to the erstwhile Interceptor 700 and was equipped with a 692cc parallel-twin motor which churned out 36 horses. It was essentially two engines of Bullet 350 combined into a single unit with 2 cast-iron barrels and twin alloy heads. Later, displacement for this motor was increased to 736cc since the earlier motor was a bit too small for the likings of Americans.
Possible Usage
As mentioned earlier, there are possibly three versions of the 650cc motorcycle- a cruiser which is expected to be called Super Meteor 650, a single-seater bobber named SG650 or Shotgun 650 and a roadster. The last option is likely to be a 650cc equivalent of Classic 350 and could probably wear the nametag of Constellation 650.
However, it is still a speculation as there has been no official confirmation regarding any of this. Constellation 650 could be the sportiest of all 650cc motorcycles since back in the day, the original Constellation was considered a ‘sporty’ motorcycle for that era as it could clock a top speed of 177 kmph.
Royal Enfield Constellation Expected Specs
The upcoming 650cc roadster will share the same platform and engine as features in the current 650 Twins- Interceptor and Continental GT. Speaking of engine, it will be powered by a 648cc parallel-twin engine that currently churns out 47 bhp and 52 Nm of peak torque. This unit is paired with a 6-speed gearbox via a slipper and assist clutch.
It will also probably be the last of the three upcoming 650cc bikes to be launched by Royal Enfield. This motorcycle is expected to make its debut by the end of 2023 or early 2024 by the time both Super Meteor and Shotgun would have launched in the market. When launched, it could be positioned between Shotgun 650 and Super Meteor 650.