650cc Royal Enfield scrambler spied in India for first time

There have been some design tweaks since the previous sighting in the UK, but the fundamentals appear to have remained the same.

Published On Oct 27, 2022 11:08:00 AM

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650cc Royal Enfield scrambler spied in India for first time

The upcoming scrambler model from Royal Enfield, powered by the company’s 648cc parallel-twin engine, has been spotted testing in India for the first time. The company has made some small changes to the bodywork on the motorcycle, but the fundamentals appear to have remained the same.

Sports a 2 into 1 exhaust system
Features a flyscreen this time around
Continues to roll on wire spoke wheels in off road sizes

It’s only been about a month since we first saw Royal Enfield testing a new scrambler-style model in the UK, powered by its 648cc parallel-twin motor, and the bike has now already been spotted testing in India for the first time.

Much of the bike has remained the same since the previous sighting, making it easy to identify as the same scrambler model, but there are a couple of noteworthy differences since last time. The most apparent of these is the side panels, which previously featured a large oval section, similar to what you see on dirt track racers. This time around, it’s a much more conventional affair, with a simple upside-down triangle design that looks very similar to what you’ll find on an Interceptor 650.

Conventional side panel on the Indian test mule (left) vs the earlier design seen in the UK.

Back in the UK, the scrambler test mule featured no wind protection, but this time around, we see a small flyscreen up front. However, this could just be an accessory that the company is testing (RE has co-developed accessories along with new models for the last few years now). In the same vein, this Indian test mule also features a rather eyebrow-raising small appendage just under the front indicator. Going by its shape, size and placement, our best guess is that this is some form of auxiliary light, but there are some oddities here.

Small appendage under the front indicator could be an aux. light.

The front of the light features a section that’s red in colour, and if this is the lens, it would be extremely unusual for an aux. light to feature a tinted red lens. Then there’s also the fact that RE has never offered auxiliary lights as part of its official accessories catalogue. It will be interesting to see if they appear on the list for the first time with this scrambler.

The rest of the bike has remained seemingly unchanged, with the engine and chassis appearing pretty much the same as earlier. Perhaps the most striking detail is the 2-into-1 exhaust system, which will be another first for RE’s 650 line-up, if it makes it into production. As we saw earlier, the bike rolls on wire-spoke alloy wheels in off-road sizes, with the front rim visually larger than the rear. Like the soon-to-be-launched Shotgun 650, this scrambler will feature an upside-down front fork.

Despite this being just the second sighting of this particular model, it’s interesting that the test mule seems reasonably well finished, with very few rough edges to be seen. With the engine already now having been in service for the better part of half a decade, that’s a big chunk of development work taken out of the picture, meaning that RE can focus its efforts on other areas of the motorcycle. So, it might not be all that long before we see an official unveil for this scrambler, perhaps even as soon as next year. Stay tuned for more details.

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