Topic: Royal Enfield 650

[Alan F.]

I've been eyeing newer bikes for a long time, this is my latest interest, I'm leaning toward an INT, Interceptor to the rest of the world as Honda trademarked the Interceptor name for the foreseeable future.

I took a quick search and Terry has custody of his Son's Continental GT, but not much mention here other than that.
470lbs wet, 47hp, 55nm (40-1/2ft-lbs) starting low down, 7000 red line.
55" wheelbase, 3.5gal, air/oil cooled, 6-speed, chain drive, single cam, 4 valves per cyl, Bosch fuel injection, two channel ABS, brakes by a subsidiary of Brembo, single disc front & rear with braided steel lines, tubed tires on stainless spoked alloy rims, tach & speedo, two trip odometers and a fuel level indicator, and a muffler on each side.

Not sure if I missed anything. I've watched a pile of videos and might go off to try a test ride soon. There's a used '20 about 250 miles away for about 67% the cost of new, looks like it may have had its first oil change only....I'm very tempted.

[BomberMann650]

They're good for what they are.
People underestimate india's manufacturing ability.
Sone guy did a year in review on his youtube channel.  Didn't seem to have any issues beyond the "normal wear and tear".
Sounds like the seller is offering reasonable price.

[ekpent]

India's Mahindra has brought back the BSA name now and I think some of the smaller Harley's the company was trying out were made there also. https://www.firstpost.com/tech/auto-tech/mahindras-classic-legends-resurrects-the-bsa-gold-star-check-out-new-650-cc-retro-bike-in-first-pictures-10182951.html

[MauiK3]

Great looking bike, too bad about the low horsepower

[Alan F.]

There are a few key aftermarket players with some good offerings to up horsepower & torque.

[andy750]

Do it Alan!!

[Alan F.]

Do it Alan!!

Do you think I'd be able to keep up?

I sent an email to the seller earlier this evening.

[andy750]

Do it Alan!!

Do you think I'd be able to keep up?

 Of course! Speed limits around here are low. Great looking bike

[Terry in Australia]

The RE650's are fantastic bikes, and anyone with a 1970's SOHC4 won't be disappointed with their performance. My son took me to a motorcycle show in February 2019 and we saw the RE 650's for the first time, and liked what we saw. We were invited to a dealership in May when the first models arrived in Oz, and because my son was too chicken to risk dropping a shiny new test bike, I got to test ride both bikes, and loved them. They have enough power to get you into trouble (the "Ton" is no problem, they'll probably do around 110 MPH flat out) but are relaxed rides, with great handling (frames were built in England by "Harris Performance" which now belongs to the Mahindra group that owns RE) and excellent brakes. Fuel economy is around 60-65 MPG (imperial gallons) or around 55 MPG. (US gallons)

They are a comfy long distance bike (particularly the Interceptor, which was a RE model long before Honda ever used it.....) but my son preferred the look of the Continental GT, which is still comfy, but more of a stretch to the "Clip on" bars. Suspension travel is excellent (obviously designed for rutted Indian roads) and RE even convinced Pirelli to bring back one of my all time favourite tyres, the Pirelli "Phantom". The bikes come with EFI, ABS, "Bybre" ("By Brembo") brakes, 41mm forks, etc etc.

As Alan mentioned S&S were so impressed with them that they sell big bore kits, hot cams, Power Commanders, exhausts, and there's even talk of stroker kits. My son was so impressed that he ordered one, and has had no issues with it over the last 3 years of ownership. Like me he doesn't ride his bike as much as he'd like, but what I find impressive is that he'll leave it in the garage for months at a time and it always fires right up, but has never been near a trickle charger. Because he bought one of the first bikes to hit Oz you'd assume that there's be a few things that would have gone wrong with it, but so far we've had no issues at all, they really are a quality build. Eventually he's ging to trade the RE to me for my 1994 Harley XLH1200, but he doesn't seem to be in any rush, I think I might have to buy my own RE650......

Tim's Royal Enfield Conti GT 26 Apr 2019 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

Terry's perfect Saturday 16 Feb 2019 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

[ken65]

Good review Terence.
I' ve had a 71 XS1b and a 72 Triumph Bonneville. Both 4 speed old technology with a reported 49 H/P from memory, may be wrong.
Ample power I thought.
'

[Terry in Australia]

Good review Terence.
I' ve had a 71 XS1b and a 72 Triumph Bonneville. Both 4 speed old technology with a reported 49 H/P from memory, may be wrong.
Ample power I thought.
'

That's a very good point Ken, when we took both RE's for a test ride I was chatting to a 74 year old, Ray, who was back-trading a Victory on a new Interceptor. He told us that he'd first gone to Triumph Melbourne and test rode a new Bonneville. He thought that it was fat and sluggish compared to the RE, and at just over 20 grand, was over-priced, for what it is. They didn't want to trade his Victory, either. I don't know what deal he'd made with the Victory on the RE, but when we went to collect Tim's Continental GT there was a big red Victory in the used bike section.

[BomberMann650]

The go faster parts are rumored to make em into a class record setting machine.

I'd have to dig through the logs to verify. 

[Alan F.]

There's also this Continental GT in Cambridge: https://boston.craigslist.org/gbs/mcy/d/boston-2020-royal-enfield-continental/7482818364.html

He's got Emgo shorty mufflers on it, imagine that noise? Stock mufflers are included $5500

[MauiK3]

Sounds exciting, I get the motor really responds to the extra parts.

[Alan F.]

I just spoke with the seller, nice guy also named Allan.... this just got very REAL.

[Bankerdanny]

Great looking bike, too bad about the low horsepower
[/quot

Do it Alan!!

Do you think I'd be able to keep up?

I sent an email to the seller earlier this evening.

Keep up with what? If you are chasing canyons with guys on crotch rockets, then no, it won't keep up. If you are enjoying a spirited ride with friends then it should keep up fine.

[Terry in Australia]

Great looking bike, too bad about the low horsepower
[/quot

Do it Alan!!

Do you think I'd be able to keep up?

I sent an email to the seller earlier this evening.

Keep up with what? If you are chasing canyons with guys on crotch rockets, then no, it won't keep up. If you are enjoying a spirited ride with friends then it should keep up fine.

Agreed, I don't think anyone here is dumb enough to think a bike with 47 BHP is going to keep up with crotch rockets Danny, but it'll keep up with most bikes in the twisties.

[Alan F.]

80% of peak torque is available at 2500 rpm and peak horsepower is reached at 5000 rpm, red line is 7000 or 7500? That's why with relatively low numbers this bike is touted as being so much fun.

It's certainly not a sportbike.

[Terry in Australia]

80% of peak torque is available at 2500 rpm and peak horsepower is reached at 5000 rpm, red line is 7000 or 7500? That's why with relatively low numbers this bike is touted as being so much fun.

It's certainly not a sportbike.

And that's the thing, if you want to scrape your knee around corners then buy a sportsbike, but owning a couple of sportsbikes myself I can say that if you want to keep your license you'll never be able to ride a modern sportsbike to it's full potential. The reality is that riding a slow bike fast, is way more fun than riding a fast bike slow.......

[Alan F.]

Righto, my CB160 will attest to that.

[Terry in Australia]

Righto, my CB160 will attest to that.

And the other benefit of riding an RE650 rather than a sportsbike is that you don't need a chiropractor after an hours ride.

[Alan F.]

Not to mention the insurance I expect to pay will probably be under $100

[Terry in Australia]

Not to mention the insurance I expect to pay will probably be under $100

Most of my bikes are over 25 years old so I think I pay around $50 USD per year to comprehensively insure my K0 or Kawasaki Z1-B for over $20K each, which is fantastic. Back in 1987 I had to sell my 1985 Harley Sportster, which I owned, because I couldn't afford the insurance. I guess being over 60 is a good thing, sometimes......

[simon#42]

the frames are not made by harris but were designed by them . enfield bought harris as design consultants ,  a great and cheap way to gain 40 years of gp experience .

[Terry in Australia]

the frames are not made by harris but were designed by them . enfield bought harris as design consultants ,  a great and cheap way to gain 40 years of gp experience .

Sorry Simon, the original frames for the pre-production bikes were designed and built by Harris, now they’re all made in India as you’d expect, as Harris wouldn’t have the capacity for mass production.