[PreludeSH]

I will be having a look at it tomorrow.
I love the dark shiny green colour. They should make it available on Meteor. It only has the matt green. Cruisers look good when they are shiny

[tharian]

Originally Posted by AG86

This is just my wild thinking. Can we put those touring seats, large windshield and raised handlebar on the Int-650 ? It makes sense economically but not sure if it's practical. Any existing owners can share their experience.

Thanks.

Handlebar- yes. The others you mentioned may not be a direct fit. Anyway, for the Interceptor there are plenty of aftermarket options available for the seats and windscreen.

[surjaonwheelz]

Originally Posted by sukiwa

USA:

Revzilla

I was expecting a video from Yammie Noob by now, however it's not published yet.

Revzilla video

Revzilla video

Yammie Noob video

Yammie Noob video

The following 3 things are the most talked about the SM650
- Weight
- Ground clearance
- Stiff suspension

But aren't the above pure traits of a cruiser? It's a substantial bike for the price! I miss a twin pod shiny meter console though. RE plonked everything premium then decided to put the Hunter's console.

Happy cruising,
surjaonwheelz

[aargee]

Had an opportunity to check out Meteor 650 as I was leaving after dropping Inty for service. The showroom manager was kind enough to let me know Meteor 650 was available & asked to checkout.

Apart from all the common points covered in the internet reviews, below are some of my thoughts

• Riding position is absolutely comfortable for anyone from 5.3 feet & above (perhaps most of us in this nation?); if I were to sound nitpicking, perhaps a little 1 inch extension of handle bar towards the rider
• The black covers at engine casing MIGHT perhaps be heat shield coating perhaps to protect the reservoir (only time will tell)
• Frame is damn awesome; fully powder coated (unlike Interceptor & GT that are painted) leaving no part to get detailed all the time perhaps?
• Weight? Damn awesome!! Although it weighs over Interceptor, it couldn't be felt at all when seated & taking out from side stand (I should've perhaps attempted to mount on main stand, sorry)
• Turn lights? Absolutely great!! Unlike Inty & Conti's chrome finish, RE has blackened the finishing there by lasting long which otherwise attracts dirt spots that are hard to clean on Chrome
• Pillion ergonomics has significantly improved over Interceptor
• Buy this motorcycle & you don't need to upgrade for anything be it seat or light
• Overall fit, finish, quality of parts are a notch over typical RE's standards

Last but not the least, RE is learning; learning a lot; I now feel Interceptor (even 2021/22 models) were only test mules as I think all their mistakes with Interceptor & Conti has seems to have been fixed with Super Meteor 650.















OTR Price in Chennai

[Blackwing]

Originally Posted by surjaonwheelz

"International media seemed to enjoy India more than the Super Meteor"

Not so sure Yammie enjoyed himself, he was bemused by our roads & traffic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnhH-t6PK-g

He might also be the only reviewer who touched the bike's belly on a speed bump(At 0:16 in the above video).

[mpp1]

Originally Posted by surjaonwheelz

The following 3 things are the most talked about the SM650
- Weight
- Ground clearance
- Stiff suspension

But aren't the above pure traits of a cruiser? It's a substantial bike for the price!

The weight can be high but it is essential that the bike is properly designed and balanced.
GC is low by Indian standards.
Cruisers usually come with very plush suspension for a comfy ride at least the ones sold in the US.

Yammie is an opportunistic hack, he started praising RE only after he grasped the sheer enormity of views of his YT videos from India. His views should be ignored cause underneath he's just a squid without the ****** dress sense.

[balenoed_]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

Spent some time with the Super Meteor 650 in the showroom yesterday.

Which showroom in Bangalore has a display of Celestial? Checked with couple of them on ORR and they both do not seem to have Celestial on display.

[neil.jericho]

Like many others here, I too watched the live webcast of the launch event of the Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650. It was quite an impressive and well managed webcast. Maybe some of Royal Enfield's competitors can learn a lesson, or two, from the short and sweet session.

The promotional video had a noticeably strong emphasis on their international employees, which says a lot about how Royal Enfield is positioning this product. The pricing in foreign markets clearly isnt as aggressive, as the strong selling Interceptor and GT 650. More on the pricing, a little later.

Well finished front end

The day after the bike was launched, I went to a nearby Royal Enfield dealership, to see if the bike was as good as what it promised to be. Surprisingly, there weren't any other customers in the showroom, to check out the new Super Meteor. There was only one variant of the Super Meteor on display. The company should have sent at least one Astral / Interstellar model and one Tourer, to their dealerships.

In terms of fit and finish, Royal Enfield has really upped their game. This looks and feels like a premium motorcycle. Barring the heavy clutch, I liked everything else about the motorcycle. A good friend of mine has already booked the Super Meteor Tourer 650. I'll be going with him to take a test ride of the motorcycle, once the dealers work out the logistics of it.

Adjustable levers!


Showa suspension!!

In terms of ex-showroom pricing, the three variants are fairly priced. Where Royal Enfield is going to mint money, is with their plethora of accessories. Once you start adding the various bits and bobs, the on road price starts climbing rather steeply. Well played, Royal Enfield, well played.

Don't be surprised to find newly minted Youtubers flooding your feed with pointless videos like "Is the Royal Enfield Super Meteor Tourer 650 worth Rs 5.x L??" and "Cancelled my Super Meteor 650. Find out why!".

Lovely detailing

To me, the Super Meteor 650 marks a very clear repositioning from Royal Enfield, both in the Indian and international markets. The company is making a bold new play, with a genuinely premium product that caters to a clear minded audience, even if it is a niche segment.

For those who want a super value for money twin cylindered motorcycle, the Interceptor 650 and GT 650 are ready to be booked. Take your pick.

For those who want a comfortable, albeit slightly expensive twin cylindered cruiser, which, in India, exists in a segment of its own, then there is only one choice. Those buyers know what they want and will very happily buy the Super Meteor 650.

Meanwhile, be prepared for a ton of whatabouttery on Sunday morning chai breaks, sutta breaks, Whatsapp discussions, forum threads and so on, regarding the final pricing of the Super Meteor 650. In the short to medium term, Indian enthusiasts will find it hard to accept the premium / non VFM pricing of the Super Meteor 650. I doubt Royal Enfield is going to be bothered by all of this. They know the market (both here and abroad) and are finally going to reap the rewards of the strong foundation that the Interceptor and GT 650 twins, have laid for them.

[Cyborg]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

The day after the bike was launched, I went to a nearby Royal Enfield dealership, to see if the bike was as good as what it promised to be

Thank you Neil for the first look feedback. Looks wise it is premium looking vehicle, hope, just hope people who buy it don’t have to visit the service centre for small irritating things.

If the pricing is going to be premium then the product quality should be premium as well. Royal Enfield cannot hide behind the value for money tag and deliver a sub par product.

Look forward to your first ride review

Cheers

[theroyalslady]

Originally Posted by MaDMaX_MaXMaD

Checked out the latest kid from the RE stable - Super Meteor 650.
...

Thanks, this was quite insightful. Can't wait to test it out in person.

[chaudharysaab]

As per the update I received from SA in Bangalore, test drives will be possible in February only and if already booked your bike, you should be getting delivery in 2 months. Official online tentative delivery date on app is still May for current booking.

[The_Medic]

The Super meteor 650 does look like a good bike. But i am curious as to where does this leave the INT 650? I mean, it was the flagship Highway tourer from RE. That place is gone. It's not much good at anything else. The only reason someone would choose the int 650 now is purely for the ergonomics (which again isn't that comfortable in stock setup on long runs or in city stop and go situations). It's quite like the KTM Duke 390 / adv 390 conundrum. They don't have good enough separation to not eat into the other one's share and i think KTM dropped the ball big time there (and did it again by making the new rc390 a sports tourer. ). So a lot of Duke 390 buyers have easily been swayed towards the adv390 for a slight premium. Is it gonna be the same for int 650? Or will REs brilliant PR effectively camouflage this fact. I am genuinely asking because it would be interesting to know what KTM could have done better the last 3 to 4 years.

[Rahulkool]

Originally Posted by The_Medic

The Super meteor 650 does look like a good bike. But i am curious as to where does this leave the INT 650? I mean, it was the flagship Highway tourer from RE. That place is gone. It's not much good at anything else. The only reason someone would choose the int 650 now is purely for the ergonomics (which again isn't that comfortable in stock setup on long runs or in city stop and go situations). It's quite like the KTM Duke 390 / adv 390 conundrum. They don't have good enough separation to not eat into the other one's share and i think KTM dropped the ball big time there (and did it again by making the new rc390 a sports tourer. ). So a lot of Duke 390 buyers have easily been swayed towards the adv390 for a slight premium. Is it gonna be the same for int 650? Or will REs brilliant PR effectively camouflage this fact. I am genuinely asking because it would be interesting to know what KTM could have done better the last 3 to 4 years.

I disagree on both , SM650 and INT650 are completely different bikes. If i was in the market for a bike in this category, then i would have still picked INT650 even if pricing was similar. I dont like how SM650 looks, i dont like the cruiser ergos, although i have not ridden SM650, just speaking from past experience with similar bike ergos. IMO INT650 is not a highway tourer, its a retro street bike with very less in terms of comfort, everything on it is about the looks. SM650 is again a "Cruiser" but again i bet that if you want to do seriously mile munching on the road then there are lots of other bikes available in market with better comfort. Here in India anything and everything can be a tourer and nothing wrong with that. But i find it funny when people try to modify INT650 for comfort and touring, its not going to be as comfy as a adv, you are just going to ruin the looks, again its my personal view, no offence to anyone.

D390 and D390 adv are also very different bikes, i also thought it was confusing but one ride on the adv and my opinion changed completely. Adv is very comfortable and very calm power delivery, the maniac nature of the D390 is completely missing.

[rajeevsulu]

From what I see, they are totally different bikes. The supermeteor has been built and finished to a very high class. The interceptor is not so high quality and is a perfect street basher. I doubt if any bike is going to cannibalize sales of the 650 twins. Customers are very particular about what they need and RE has played it very smart. Hope the niggles stay away!

[surjaonwheelz]

Nitty gritty observations from an Interceptor 650 owner

Cheers to bhpian waspune for taking me along to see the Super Meteor 650 after our weekend breakfast ride.

Here's surjaonSM650wheelz


I felt the seating position was manageable and I could operate the foot brake. The heel-toe gear shifter needs some adjustments to place your foot in such a manner that it doesn't interfere with it over bumps! Rider seat is plush and non-existent stock pillion seat. Pillion feet position are much better than the INT/GT650 twins. The finish on the chassis is too good, hats off to RE for pulling off this finish on a production bike!

Here are my finer observations,


This cover is also finished in black and has a rubber cap. This is where water accumulates after a wash in our 650s. On checking a newer GT650, it also had the rubber cap. Thankfully atleast something is passed on to the 650 twins!


Notice how big the rear disc appears in comparison to the rear wheel. The SM650 was placed against the showroom glass, hence getting to the RHS needed some flexing.


What a beautiful chain adjusters/finisher at the end of the swing arm. This is available as an aftermarket accessory for the twins, RE has an eye on them it seems.


The rear suspension is at its softest setting. It has new circular notch to adjust it, I assume.


Bigger metal radiator guard for the oil cooler, no need of an aftermarket accessory here. SM650 gains some and looses a horn from the INT/GT650. Single horn should be adequate though.


The mudguards are made of metal with the beautifully finished bracket which doubles up as a deflector to the exposed USD forks.


I suppose, the axle when required can't be removed without removing the LHS silencer. When changing tyres better go to a proper garage.


LHS panel had a lock, the air-filter should be this side.


RHS panel is bolted on. May be the battery will be accessible from below the seat. We didn't fiddle around.


The SM650 engine mount is totally different from the 650 twins. These 5 bolts are new for the parallel twin engine.


The chassis joint remains. The dealer had already left some burnt marks on the down pipe, must be packing material.

This is a substantial package overall. Some minor misses are present like the non-led indicators! I left the showroom smiling and feeling happy for RE. This also leaves us enthusiasts with a positive vibe for the upcoming (650) bikes on this platform from the RE stable.

Happy cruising,
surjaonwheelz