Team-BHP - The Royal Enfield Interceptor & Continental 650. EDIT: Launched @ Rs 2.50

- - The Royal Enfield Interceptor & Continental 650. EDIT: Launched @ Rs 2.50 - 2.65 lakhs (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motorbikes/192178-royal-enfield-interceptor-continental-650-edit-launched-rs-2-50-2-65-lakhs.html)

Mod Note: Thread closed. Please continue the discussion on CrAzY dRiVeR's review at this link.

Royal Enfield has unveiled a new 648cc, twin-cylinder engine that will power its future bikes. The engine was revealed at the bike maker's new Technology Centre in Leicestershire, England.

The Royal Enfield Interceptor & Continental 650. EDIT: Launched @ Rs 2.50 - 2.65 lakhs-royal-enfield-648cc-twin-engine-explode-view.jpg

The 648cc, 4-stroke, parallel-twin cylinder, air-oil cooled engine was jointly developed by Royal Enfield's Technology Centre and its engineers in Chennai. The engine produces 47 BHP @ 7,100 rpm and 52 Nm of peak torque @ 4,000 rpm. It uses a fuel injection system, a single-piece forged crankshaft and a balancer shaft. It is paired with a 6-speed transmission.

The engine has been styled along the lines of the classic air-cooled engine with cooling fins and features twin exhaust pipes. Royal Enfield claims that the combination of ambient air flow and engine oil helps maintain optimal engine temperature and hence, the engine does not require a radiator.

So it is a 650cc engine after all!

The word Balancer shaft caught my attention here immediately. This might play a significant role in reducing the vibes that RE is usually associated with.

Eagerly waiting for them to reveal a 650cc thunderbird though. There have been news of a cafe racer and a conventional classic but no news of a cruiser.

Hope they plonk this engine into the Himalayan and the Thunderbird both.

Interesting, I just googled and compared it with some competition, If priced low it would compete with the 390 if Priced high then the Ninja.

Though I think it would be somewhere in between (Around R3 & N300 teritorry)

RE650 twin -
Capacity 648 CC
Engine - Twin Cyl
Max Power 47 BHP @ 7,100 rpm
Torque - 52 NM @ 4,000 rpm
transmission - 6 speed

KTM 390
Capacity
Engine - Single Cyl
Max Power 43.5 PS @ 9000 rpm
Torque - 37 Nm @ 7000 rpm
transmission - 6 speed
* from Zigwheels

Ninja 650 -
Capacity 649 CC
Engine - Twin Cyl
Max Power 71 bhp @ 8,500 rpm
Torque - 64 Nm @ 7,000 rpm
transmission - 6 speed
* From Bikewale

The torque @4000 RPM is going to be the USP I guess.

- Slick

Quote:

Originally Posted by ani_meher (Post 4300648)

650 twin made to compete in price with single cylinder 390cc is a tall ask.

It is not a liquid cooled engine also all the parts would be locally manufactured so 100% localization (may be 90+ realistically). Not sure of the feature list but I am assuming it will have ABS as it's been made mandatory from 2018.

Assuming the above it should be cheaper to manufacture and sell compared to N300 which is a CKD.

About the market
- First twin Cylinder from RE, No guarantee of reliability
- Performance figures not comparable to N650 or other competitors around

Unless it undercuts these bikes on Price I don't see why it would be a big success.

- Slick

I was thinking, Triumph's Bonneville T100 makes about 54 bhp with an 865 cc engine in spite of being liquid cooled, granted it makes about 80 Nm of torque. I think the new RE 650 may fit well into this 'modern retro' niche as Triumph calls it. The main issue here is that RE is not known for its QC. If that can be taken care of (that's a pretty big if) then they might have a decent product that potential T100 buyers may consider, if priced well.

AS I mentioned on an older thread, the dealers enroute the EICMA show were overheard talking about it being 5L+
The Himalayan took a year to iron out its kinks, and then the same 'thorough, extensive testing' that the H underwent, makes shivers run up the spines of people wanting to buy this vehicle at 5L.
At 3-3.5L I would be willing to try this, but at 5.... No.
I have a Harley, but i also love Rider Mania- so if they come with a good bike, I would stay in the stable.

While I have been following the RE twin closely and waiting for it for more than a year now, I am quite surprised that RE has decided to stick to the existing Conti GT design. For an all-new bike carrying a brand new engine in a made-from-scratch chassis, the GT650 twin definitely deserved fresh styling. Almost all the body parts, including the headlamp, tail lamp, mudguards, fuel tank, wheels, instrument console and even the indicator stalks have just been carried forward. This definitely is a mild letdown.
And the Interceptor 650 would have almost all these parts too, save for a new fuel tank design and new seats.

I was hoping that they would at least add some LED DRLs in the headlamp, and add LED elements with fresher styling for the tail lights, even that has been skipped. So the Thunderbird would continue to have better lighting equipment, even over their flagship offering?

The Street Version of the 650 looks very much like the older 865 cc Triumph Bonneville.. albeit the raised exhaust (the Bonnie had straight end pipes)

From Common man's Harley to the Desi Triumph.. Looks good. Pricing will be interesting.

I was once a proud owner(so I thought) of a RE Thunderbird TBTS. On long rides the bike used to be so terrible, I always thought of parking it on the roadside and sitting on the embankment for a while. What killed it for me was the terrible quality of components used on the bike. It was a daily use bike for me and still I ended up changing 3 Handle bars, 2 exhaust pipes and off course the side stand, the headlight dome, 3 crash guards etc. The thing was a rust magnet. 2 out of 4 identical bolts would rust, and emails on forums on RE website never got any answer.
On the contrary I have an RX135. Bought used and because of the fantastic roads in Bangalore coupled with creeks in the skeleton, I seldom use it, sometimes months on end. But still just a dust up will clean up the bike and importantly no rusting.
RE QC is still a very big question mark. Even now just stand behind any brand new classic RE and you will observe the rear mud guard and wheel out of alignment on 8/10 bikes.