Royal Enfield Classic, Classic 650 Review, Design, Features, Expected Price – Introduction

I clearly remember my first infatuation with the charming Royal Enfield Classic 350, our constant companion, when I was still a trainee. It was early July and I was traveling to Mumbai from Pune when the monsoon season was in full swing. Despite the unforgiving weather, this trip is etched in my memory. After that, I remember asking for Rishaad (the main custodian of the bike) at every opportunity, and while I really liked it, I couldn’t help but wish for a little more performance. My only RE experience before was my uncle’s Interceptor 650 and I wanted a bike that combined the style and comfort of a Classic 350 with the performance of a 650cc parallel twin. And that’s exactly what the company did (well, almost). Meet the magnificent Classic 650 Twin.

Royal Enfield Classic 650 Twin design, quality, colors

There are beautiful bikes, and there are beautiful bikes. This Classic 650 Twin definitely falls into the latter category. The overall silhouette is a marriage of the Classic 350 and the Shotgun, both beautiful motorcycles, and it continues to evolve. You can certainly identify the Classic 650 Twin as a Classic, but you won’t mistake it for the smaller one. With its big engine, twin pipes and sheer size, the 650 is easily recognizable.

Although the visuals are borrowed from the smaller 350, the color palette of the 650 Twin is unique. Four colors are available – Bruntingthorpe Blue, Vallam Red, Teal Green and Black Chrome. The latter two colors can be seen on the original UCE Classic models, and the teal green is by far my favorite color. This is the only one of the four options that has a frame and main stand in a matching color (yes, you read that right).

The fit and finish is the best of any Royal Enfield and there are chrome accents throughout. Even the shifters and wheel hubs are chrome! RE wants to highlight the fact that you’re riding a larger Classic model, so it has a beefy handlebar clamp (it’s chrome, of course) and by the way, even the headlight housing is awesome.

Royal Enfield Classic 650 Twin weight, handling

At 243kg, the Classic 650 Twin is the heaviest modern RE (at least until the Himalayan 650). Weight isn’t an issue at any speed other than walking speed, but you’ll feel every ounce of the bike’s muscle in a parking lot and when mounting it on the main stand.

My only gripe with the front end design is that the gap between the rear fender and the tire is a bit unsightly. Don’t get me wrong, it’s nowhere near as obscene as on a Harley X440, but on an otherwise beautiful bike it’s definitely a fly in the ointment. The bike you see in all the photos has a single seat, but customer bikes will come with a rear seat and grab handles, just like the Shotgun. The seating position is very neutral and you can easily spend a lot of time in the saddle.

The seat height is set relatively low at 800mm, but it’s probably the stiffest bike you can rest your feet on at 800mm. I’m 5’11” and I could almost put both feet on the ground – and to do this I had to sit on the very bottom of the seat. The culprit is the wide engine, which causes the legs to spread out quite a bit. Shorter riders will have to find a workaround or find another location.

Experience riding Royal Enfield Classic 650 Twin

Royal Enfield’s twin-cylinder engine has already received enough praise, but I’m here to add a little more to the pile. This is by far the best engine on any Indian motorcycle – at least in my books – and for good reason. Smooth, tractable and with torque almost everywhere, this engine excelled in every situation. Driving through sleepy towns, negotiating corners and even holding speeds of 80 mph (124 km/h) on the motorway, everything was handled with reasonable ease. The engine is carried over from the shotgun, without any map or gear changes.

The Classic 650’s chassis is similar to the Shotgun, with the same main frame and steering geometry. The differences come down to a telescopic fork compared to the USD on the Shotgun and different wheel sizes (19/18-inch wheels like the smaller Classic – the Shotgun uses an 18/17 setup). The Showa fork is 43mm in diameter and the dual shocks are the same as the Shotgun. Suspension travel is also the same forward and backward: 120 mm and 90 mm respectively.

While the Classic 650 is your trusty companion if you want to attack corners, the mid-mounted pegs can scrape without much effort and you’ll need to adjust your body position accordingly. I also missed the heel switch found on the smaller Classic, but I can easily look past those complaints.

Royal Enfield Classic 650 Twin Ride and Handling

What I just can’t ignore is the harsh and harsh ride. And I say this after driving a Classic 650 Twin in the UK, where the roads are head and shoulders better than here. This is literally the only thing that is actively stopping me (and I suspect many others) from buying one today, the rest of the bike is so good.

The brake sizes on the big Classic are the same as those on the Super Meteor and Shotgun, meaning they’re plenty powerful yet progressive. Interesting fact: the calipers are marked RE, but are the same ByBre units as on the two above-mentioned models. I’m told that this will eventually spread to other REs.

Spec fans may bemoan the lack of a USD fork, but honestly I don’t think it’s any worse without it – it’s a look that suits the Classic better. Not once did I feel the front end lacked feel or stability, and we continued to cruise confidently along these fine British roads.

While laced wheels today mean tubed tyres, Royal Enfield says tubeless wire-spoke wheels are in the works, which is good to hear. It’s still early days, though, so don’t expect to see them anytime soon. We hope that in the future you will be able to install tubeless wheels even on single-cylinder Classic/Bullet models.

Royal Enfield Classic 650 Twin expected price, verdict

Royal Enfield hasn’t revealed the price of the Classic 650 Twin, but has hinted that the starting price will be around the same as the Shotgun, with the top chrome color being in Super Meteor territory. This will certainly make the purchase of the Classic 650 Twin an unforgettable experience. You could also argue that the Shotgun and Classic are too similar in the way they handle, and that the extra money you’re shelling out is just for the form factor and riding position.

With the Classic 650 Twin, Royal Enfield has made it abundantly clear that its focus is on relatively untapped export markets. Given what I’ve experienced, I’m sure it will be good for them and I wish them all the best. However, I can’t shake this nagging feeling that the suspension will be a problem on our roads, and while it’s a great bike on many days, it’s not the Classic 650 I used to dream about. I hope I’m wrong, but we’ll find out soon enough.

See also: Video review of Royal Enfield Classic 650 Twin