Royal Enfield Interceptor, Continental GT 650 bookings start in India

Royal Enfield, the Chennai-based cult bike maker, is all set to enter bigger capacity motorcycle segment in India. The Eicher Motors subsidiary will launch the new flagship bike, the Interceptor 650 and Continental GT 650 in November as some of the Royal Enfield dealers have already started accepting bookings for the bikes.

Royal Enfield has not announced the bookings for the Interceptor 650 and Continental GT 650 yet. Hence, it should be dealer-level bookings and a report in Autocar claims the booking amount is set at Rs 5,000. Dealers are also promising deliveries of the bike in mid-December.

Multiple reports claim the company is planning to launch the Interceptor 650 and Continental GT 650 between November 13 and 15. The 2018 edition of the Rider Mania, the biggest and annual gathering of Royal Enfield bike riders and fans, have been scheduled for 16 to 18 November. The public display of the Interceptor 650 and Continental GT 650 after the launch is expected at the Rider Mania event.

Though the company is tight-lipped about the pricing, it is expected to take an aggressive strategy. The general perception is that the Twin models will be priced below Rs 3 lakh mark and in that case, the new RE bikes will be a compelling case against many European and Japanese rivals.

Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 and Continental GT 650

The Interceptor 650 features a classic British design. The round headlamp, rear set foot pegs, teardrop-shaped fuel tank, wide handlebar, sculpted single and long seat, 18-inch spoke wheels, as well as twin upswept exhausts, have been designed to recall the old-world charm.

The Continental GT 650, on the other hand, is a true-blue cafe racer. The upswept exhaust and rear-set footrests give the Continental GT 650 a true cafe racer traits. A single seat, the sculpted tank and clip-on handlebars complete the look.

Even though both the bikes sport different design, the powertrain and cycle parts are being shared. The bikes draw power from a 648cc, air-cooled, SOHC, fuel-injected parallel-twin motor tuned to belt out 47hp of power at 7,100rpm and 52Nm of torque at 4,000rpm. The engine comes mated to the 6-speed gearbox with a slip-assist clutch.

Based on a steel tubular frame, the bikes are equipped with a telescopic fork at the front and gas-charged twin shock absorbers at the rear. The Twins are equipped with Bybre's twin piston calliper disc brakes on both the wheels (320mm up-front and 240mm disc at rear), in addition to dual channel ABS.