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Heads up, three new Royal Enfield 650s are incoming

A 650cc cruiser is on the way according to sources in India.

Earl Lee Earl Lee on Feb 17, 2022
Royal Enfield Sg650 Cruiser

Royal Enfield is close to launching its new lineup of 650cc-class motorcycles, and we’re talking really close like there are prototypes out in the road type of close (well, in India at least). 

Many test mules of some Royal Enfield bikes have been spotted out on in the South Asian country. These motorcycles are nothing like the current crop of Royal Enfield cruisers, standards, and adventure-tourers and it’s exciting to see more and more mules out and in the open, albeit with a few stealthy additions to help them blend in. 

Royal Enfield has also teased its SG650 in EICMA last year, and it’s an exciting sign of things to come from the brand. Just like the 350cc series of the brand which includes the likes of the Royal Enfield Meteor 350 and the Classic 350, Indian sources report that the same product line strategy might be adopted for RE’s middleweights. 

Royal Enfield SG650 Concept

You can expect a cruiser, a bobber, and a roadster lineup from the RE brand for its upcoming bikes. If leaks and spy shots prove anything, it’s that the 350 patterns will likely repeat for this. In the future, when these bikes do eventually launch, the 650s will mimic the 350s product lineup offerings. It is likely that the same chassis will be used to create the 650s, but Royal Enfield will put its own spin on each individual model to set itself apart. 

Currently, the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 and the Continental GT 650 are the only multi-cylinder expressway-legal motorcycles in the Philippine lineup. Counting the Himalayan 411, you have a total of three big motorcycles for highway use. While classics never go out of style, we will admit that the Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 and the Interceptor 650 are both a little dated in terms of the features and the kit that they come with. A refresh is in order to once again bring attention to the 650 lineup of RE. 

As such, the new models are expected to come with upside-down front forks, a semi-digital instrument cluster (likely similar to the Meteor and Classic 350s), and a lot of restyled elements. It’s likely that the RE twins will get a few siblings to sell alongside them, but it’s not out of the question to see the two original siblings get updates down the line once these other motorcycles are launched to the public. 

It is likely that the same engines from the original twins will be used. The Interceptor and the Continental both use a 648cc parallel-twin that pumps out 46.3 hp and 52 Nm of torque and is mated to a six-speed gearbox. These motors are also air and oil-cooled as well so there are no complex water cooling systems to get in the way of a classic ride. 

Expect the cruiser to be the first model to drop in the lineup, similar to what RE did with the Meteor 350. The future launch of the cruiser has got us riled up, both because it’s a new bike and it also means that we’re inching closer to a future where we’ll see a lot of middleweight REs which may even include the Himalayan 650 sometime in 2023. 

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