2017 Royal Enfield Rider Mania: Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 and Continental GT 650 twins make India debut
Days after their global unveiling, the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 and Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 made their India debut at the 2017 Royal Enfield Rider Mania which concluded this past weekend. Talk of the two new Royal Enfield motorcycles powered by the all-new 650cc parallel twin engine being showcased to the event had been doing the rounds. However, the unveiling came as a pleasant surprise for participants at the annual event in Vagator, Goa. The new Royal Enfield parallel twin engine and motorcycles powered by it made their global debut at the recently-concluded EICMA 2017 in Milan, Italy. The Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 and Continental GT 650 is a mix of neo-retro styling. However, you will still have to wait a few months for either the Interceptor 650 or the Continental GT 650 as they will only go on sale in the country after April 2018.
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 gets a slip and assist clutch. The Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 Twin 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 Continental GT 650 Twin, on the other hand, is an ode to the caf 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 is 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