The Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 and the Continental GT 650 are among the most anticipated new motorcycle launches in 2018. The latest on these two machines comes in the form of leaked Images of the service training manual that have emerged online, hinting at the fact that dealers are prepping for the new motorcycle’s arrival. Earlier this month, Siddhartha Lal, MD and CEO, Eicher Motors had shared that bookings for the 650 duo will commence in the country in November.
Royal Enfield initially planned to launch both bikes in global markets first, before commencing sales in India. However, given the delay, it has taken a decision to launch the Interceptor 650 and the Continental GT 650 simultaneously in India and foreign markets. Lal also mentioned that sales for the flagship Royal Enfields will commence in a phased manner and limited units will go on sale, at least initially. This is because Royal Enfield is working on ramping-up its already full production facility and hopes to achieve the revamped production capacity by March 2019. So if you’re planning to buy the 650 twins, you have to be swift, as waiting periods could stretch to few months.
A lot of the specs shown here were already known, but it's nice to get a closer look at certain suspension and electrical details. What aren’t revealed in these documents are things like the routine service procedure or intervals.
The flagship offerings from Royal Enfield were first showcased at the EICMA motorcycle show in Milan last year. The Interceptor 650 is a touring-focussed retro roadster with an upright riding stance. The Continental GT 650 carries forward the design language of the now-discontinued Continental GT 535, and is a more urban-focused cafe racer. Beyond the design and different fuel tank capacities, both are almost identical under the skin. Power comes from a 648cc, air-cooled, SOHC, fuel-injected parallel-twin motor that produces 47hp at 7,100rpm and 52Nm of torque at 4,000rpm. The engine is paired to a 6-speed gearbox with a slip-assist clutch. The 650 twins are equipped with a conventional telescopic fork and gas-charged twin rear shock absorbers. Braking hardware consists of a 320mm single disc up front, and a 240mm disc at the rear with standard dual-channel ABS.
In terms of pricing, the Interceptor 650 and the Continental GT 650 are expected to retail at highly aggressive prices of around Rs 3 to 3.5 lakh (ex-showroom). We will be riding both the motorcycles at the international test ride on September 23, so keep an eye on our website and social media channels for more updates.