The Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650 is slated to launch in India in January 2023, less than two months after it was showcased at EICMA 2022. Ahead of its launch, we stack it up against two of its closest rivals, the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 and the Benelli 502C.
Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650 vs rivals: engine and output
| Engine and output | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650 | Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 | Benelli 502C | |
| Engine | Air- and oil-cooled, 648cc parallel-twin engine | Air- and oil-cooled, 648cc parallel-twin engine | Liquid-cooled, 500cc parallel-twin engine |
| Power | 47hp at 7,250rpm | 47hp at 7,150rpm | 47.5hp at 8,500rpm |
| Torque | 52 Nm at 5,650rpm | 52 Nm at 5,250rpm | 46 Nm at 6,000rpm |
| Gearbox | 6-speed | 6-speed | 6-speed |
In terms of powertrain, the Super Meteor and the Interceptor 650 are very similar and that should come as no surprise considering they’re based on the same engine platform. While the output figures stay the same, the Super Meteor 650 makes its output figures slightly higher in the rev range. Royal Enfield claims that 80 percent of the Super Meteor 650’s peak torque figure arrives at just 2,500rpm.
The Benelli 502C is powered by a smaller parallel twin engine, but it is more modern in its architecture, boasting of liquid-cooling, where the Royal Enfield 650s are air- and oil-cooled. Despite its displacement deficit, the Benelli 502C makes slightly more power than the Royal Enfields, although torque is down by 6Nm and is made higher up in the rev band.
Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650 vs rivals: suspension and brakes
| Suspension and brakes | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650 | Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 | Benelli 502C | |
| Suspension (f) | Showa 43mm USD fork | 41mm telescopic fork | 41mm USD fork |
| Suspension (r) | Preload-adjustable twin shocks | Preload-adjustable twin shocks | Monoshock |
| Brakes (f) | 320mm disc | 320mm disc | 280mm twin discs |
| Brakes (r) | 300mm disc | 240mm disc | 240mm disc |
| Tyres (f) | 100/90-19 | 100/90-19 | 120/70-ZR17 |
| Tyres (r) | 150/80-16 | 130/70-18 | 160/60-ZR17 |
The Super Meteor 650 is the first RE to employ a USD front fork, courtesy of Showa, and it is a beefy 43mm unit, marking a sharp departure from the rather old-school telescopic fork seen on the Interceptor 650. While the fork is a more modern unit, at the rear the Super Meteor 650 and Interceptor 650 both use twin shock absorbers. The Benelli has the more modern and conventional hardware in the form of twin discs at the front and 17-inch cast-alloy wheels shod with Pirelli Angel GT tyres. All bikes here come standard with dual-channel ABS.
Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650 vs rivals: weight and dimensions
| Weight and dimensions | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650 | Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 | Benelli 502C | |
| Kerb weight | 241kg | 202kg (without fuel) | 216kg |
| Seat height | 740mm | 804mm | 750mm |
| Wheelbase | 1500mm | 1400mm | 1600mm |
| Fuel capacity | 15.7 litres | 13.4 litres | 21 litres |
| Ground clearance | 135mm | 174mm | 170mm |
At 241kg, the Super Meteor 650 is the heaviest bike here, while also having the lowest seat height and ground clearance figure. Clearly, Royal Enfield is gunning for a traditional cruiser riding experience, further bolstered by its feet-forward riding position and relaxed reach to the handlebar. The Benelli 502C is the longest bike here and has the largest fuel tank here, both by quite a significant margin. However, it is a thoroughly modern machine that can slice through corners, which is not necessarily the case with a traditional cruiser.
Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650 vs rivals: features
The Super Meteor 650 brings a number of firsts for the Chennai-based marque, such as a full-LED headlight and the Tripper navigation pod being offered as standard equipment. The switch cubes are the same units as the ones on the new Classic 250 but are finished in aluminium. The Benelli 502C is a modern bike with full-LED lighting, a TFT display and adjustable brake and clutch levers. It is also the only bike here to feature twin disc brakes at the front. The Interceptor 650 is a relatively basic machine, highlighted especially in the comparison of these two machines here. It features dual analogue gauges, older switchgear cubes and it even runs on tubed tyres.
Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650 vs rivals: price
| Price | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650 | Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 | Benelli 502C | |
| Price (ex-showroom, Delhi) | Rs 3.5 lakh- 4 lakh (estimated) | Rs 2.89 lakh-3.14 lakh | Rs 5.7 lakh |
At Rs 5.7 lakh, the Benelli 502C is the most expensive here, and costs nearly twice as much as the single-tone version of the Interceptor 650. The Super Meteor 650 is slated to be launched in January 2023, and upon its launch we expect it to carry a price tag of Rs 3.5 lakh-4 lakh, considering the up-spec hardware, features and finish levels it boasts of.
Also See:
Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650 walkaround video
Would you pick the Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650 over the more modern Benelli 502C? Let us know in the comments section below.