RE Continental GT 650 gets the most powerful engine Royal Enfield has ever made along with Interceptor 650
Royal Enfield is currently the top dog in retro classic motorcycles. With Classic 350 and newly launched Hunter 350, Royal Enfield has reached new heights and has smoked its rivals completely. RE has also launched Continental GT 650 and Interceptor 650 which form around 90% of 500cc+ motorcycle sales.
Continental GT 650 is the spiritual successor of Continental GT 535. This motorcycle came with Cafe Racer looks that was unlike any Royal Enfield before it. But it wasn’t well received and soon fell into limbo. With the 650cc parallel-twin engine, RE gave it a breath of fresh air. Royal Enfield is popular among modding community and has spawned a lot of custom bikes.
Here, we have a touring-friendly Continental GT 650 which is absolutely rad. One would think that a custom touring bike would be based on an Interceptor 650. But, that is not the case here. One look at this custom tourer, it is a far cry from a Cafe Racer which is Continental GT 650. Let’s take a look.
Touring Friendly Continental GT 650
The main thing that draws attention is its paint scheme. With Nardo Grey as its base coat, this custom tourer gets gloss black elements to spruce up things. This colour scheme looks radically more premium from all the colours that Continental GT 650 gets in its stock avatar. Entire engine bay is finished in matte black to give it a stealthy appeal which complements the Nardo Grey.
We have a new engine guard finished in black. The centre of attraction is its custom handlebar. Stock GT 650 gets clip-on bars that require its rider to get into a sporty posture. A little too committed when compared to Interceptor 650. This custom tourer gets a tall handlebar that reminds us of custom choppers that offer a comfortable posture suitable for long rides.
This touring friendly Continental GT 650 gets provision for a top box and two panniers. It also gets a custom grab rail along with reworked seats to aid its rider in mile munching. Other highlights include a larger fly screen that provides a lot of protection from wind blasts. Stock bike only gets a small fly screen which is mainly for aesthetics.
Stock bike gets a round headlight with normal halogen bulbs. This touring friendly Continental GT gets an after-market LED setup that should provide more throw and intensity. All these upgrades make this custom tourer a lot more tourer friendly which the stock bike could not have pulled off.
Specs & Componentry
Suspension setup and even wheels are retained from the stock bike. So are its brakes. With 320mm disc at front and 240mm disc at back, coupled with Dual-channel ABS as standard, GT 650 offers good braking performance. Its spoked wheels get a black finish that looks better than stock.
This touring friendly Continental GT 650 is powered by a 648cc parallel-twin engine that makes 47 bhp of power and 52 Nm of torque. It is coupled with a 6-speed gearbox that also gets a slipper clutch. This is by far the smoothest Royal Enfield engine ever made.
