Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 Twin livery on a Continental GT looks impressive

The Royal Enfield 650 twins, Interceptor and Continental GT, are one of the most anticipated motorcycles to be launched this year. Not just in India but even globally, the twins seem to be attracting a lot of attention. Recently, Prince William was seen quizzing Siddhartha Lal, CEO, Royal Enfield at the opening the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting Summit. While there is still some time for the twins to be officially launched in India, we recently spotted a Continental GT with a similar paint scheme as that on the Continental GT 650 Twin near our office in Mumbai. And it does look a lot more impressive than the solid shades of red, black and green offered on the stock motorcycle.

Last week, at one of the Australian RE dealerships, two new dual-tone colour schemes were seen on the Interceptor and Continental GT 650 twins. The former was seen in a red and white while the cafe racer was styled in black and grey dual-tone paint job with golden stripe running on the fuel tank.

The new shades on the 2018 Royal Twin (left) and the Interceptor 650 Twin (right) look premium

The Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 and Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 made their India debut at the 2017 Royal Enfield Rider Mania in November 2017, weeks after their global debut at EICMA 2017 in Milan, Italy. The Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 and Continental GT 650 feature a mix of neo-retro styling. Royal Enfield recently also launched the Thunderbird 350X and Thunderbird 500X models in India.

The fuel-injected, air / oil-cooled motor produces 47PS at 7,100rpm and 52 Nm at 4,000rpm and is mated to a six-speed gearbox. The motorcycles also feature a slip and assist clutch. The Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 draws inspiration from the yesteryear Royal Enfield Interceptor and it looks in line with the modern classics seen from other manufacturers. See how it fares against the naked twin-cylinder motorcycles available in India here.

The 2018 Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 and Continental GT 650 have made media and enthusiasts across the world sit up and take notice of the brand

The Continental GT 650, on the other hand, is an ode to the café racer culture that was dominant a few years ago. Royal Enfield has stated that there are no shared parts between the new Continental GT 650 and the current Continental GT with the 535cc, single cylinder engine. Both motorcycles employ a double cradle, steel tubular frame as well as 41mm front forks and twin, coil over shocks at the rear.

The wheelbase, at 1400mm, ground clearance, at 174mm and length, at 2122mm are also identical. The Continental GT 650 Twin, however, is slightly shorter than the Interceptor 650 Twin. Braking duties, on both motorcycles, are handled by a 320mm disc at the front and a 240mm disc at the rear. ABS is standard on both motorcycles. We spoke to Siddhartha Lal, the CEO of Royal Enfield and MD Eicher Motors recently and he has stated that the Interceptor 650 Twin and Continental 650 GT Twin will go on sale in India post-April 2018.

Also see: Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 & Continental GT 650 | First Ride