The Royal Enfield 650 cruiser, likely to be called Roadster, has been spotted testing once again and this is the first time we get to see the face of the motorcycle. Although based on the 650 twin platform, there are plenty of changes under the skin. Read on to find out more.
Royal Enfield has quite a few new motorcycles coming up and perhaps the most interesting of them is a new cruiser motorcycle based on the 650-twin platform. RE has had a great success with the 650 twins and it was only inevitable that the platform would be expanded to spawn another motorcycle. The upcoming RE cruiser 650 has been spotted on tests previously as well but here’s a new spy image which gives us the best look of the motorcycle yet. This is also the first time we are getting to see the face of the upcoming motorcycle.
The first thing you notice is the 648cc parallel-twin air-cooled engine. With this motorcycle however, the engine casing gets a very premium gloss black finish instead of the chrome finish on the Interceptor or Continental GT. As for the dual exhaust pipes, they are not as bulky as in the Interceptor or Continental GT and they aren’t up-swept either, keeping in tune with the cruiser vibe. We expect the engine to have the same performance as the existing 650s as the motor was already tuned well for triple digit highway cruising.
Although it uses the same motor from the 650 twins, the frame underpinning this motorcycle must be significantly different. The steering column will be completely new and while the downtube section of the frame might remain same, the upper tube might see some modifications. The rear sub frame is also completely new with new mounting points for the twin shock absorbers. Note that they are not gas charged units as in the existing 650 twins. What’s really interesting is that this motorcycle is suspended by USD forks at the front, a first for any Royal Enfield motorcycle.
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The alloy wheels which look like a standard fitment also boast of a completely new design than what RE offers as accessories for other RE motorcycles. The foot pegs on this motorcycle are also fairly forward set and it seems to be running with beach bars. The seating also appears fairly spacious for both the pillion and the rider and with a new rear subframe, the saddle height will be considerably reduced from the Interceptor’s 802mm. What still seems to be a major miss is the lack of lack of LED lights, and that really robs the motorcycle of some modernity.
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The asymmetrical twin pod console is a new revelation, much like the upcoming Meteor 350, and it is expected to feature smartphone connectivity, turn by turn navigation and more connected features. Coming to what Royal Enfield could be naming this motorcycle, we believe this is likely going to be called the Roadster with a ‘650’ suffix thrown in. There are quite a few new names from RE doing the rounds like the Hunter and the Sherpa but the Roadster name is fits this motorcycle perfectly. With the Harley Davidson Street 750 now discontinued, this new RE cruiser could very well fill that gap and create a new niche for itself.
