Test riding the Super Meteor 650 in light & dense traffic conditions

I cannot begin to explain the wave of relief followed by absolute joy as I first sat on the saddle and gunned the engine and began moving.

BHPian Prayaglele recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

So just got back after test-riding the Super Meteor 650! I had the opportunity to ride the celestial red one without the windscreen, unfortunately, for an hour or so.

For context, I have been waiting for this release for the last two years now so I booked it as soon as I had the chance. But with all the reviews coming in over the last month, I was getting a bit worried about how this would actually end up fairing in the Indian environment with most worries about - the weight, the ground clearance, the suspension, and the clutch being very heavy and whether I had let my hopes overrule reasoning. I cannot begin to explain the wave of relief followed by absolute joy as I first sat on the saddle and gunned the engine and began moving.

I started the ride with a small open patch which has virtually no traffic to get a feel of the engine and boy is it an active one. I started with a bit of a mild ask for power followed by near redlining it. The engine and exhaust note sounded beautiful and the ride felt so natural that immediately I felt as if it was merely an extension of the body.

After this short patch, I decided to test it out in slightly more traffic-dense regions with narrower roads and here by now, I felt at home on the bike and manoeuvring through traffic was like water.

Now here yes the caveat is what you consider the baseline I guess. As another BHPian has mentioned, if you're used to larger heavier bikes it will not be a problem at all. However, if you're coming from lighter maybe more nimble models you may not feel so. But to me, it was all I was expecting and much more. That said concerns about the suspension are valid to a certain extent and here I feel the decision is based on how you plan to use the bike.

For Indian tar and cement roads it is absolutely fine and not an issue but on extended patches of dirt roads yes, I'm sure the bumps will get to you. But for me, my daily commute, as well as ride plans, is generally highways and well-made tar roads, this is not a concern for me.

Coming from a Thunderbird 350X, all the issues with the gearbox being a bit finicky and neutral being hard to find and the quality of switches all seem gone. After a good hour of riding in the afternoon, the engine heat was reasonable and did not induce any discomfort. All in all super pleased that I've booked this and I'm anxiously waiting for the delivery!

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