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Royal Enfield just emerged as one of the show-stoppers at EICMA, Milan 2017. The reason being unveiling of two new motorcycles powered by an all new twin cylinder engine — the company’s first such modern mill. Royal Enfield introduced the 650 cc twin engine before it launched its two latest motorcycles, and this generated even more curiosity around the machines that would be powered by the mill. The curtains finally came off the Interceptor INT 650 — a roadster, and the Continental GT 650 — a café racer.
The Interceptor is a classic-looking motorcycle that is reminiscent of the 1960s look, with a tear-drop shaped fuel-tank, quilted twin-seat and distinctive wide braced handlebars. The steel-tube cradle chassis makes it ideal for city riding as well as extended cruises on the highway, according to Royal Enfield. The wide braced handlebars should offer a comfortable riding posture. The front and rear tyres are 18” Pirellis and the front and rear disc brakes are ABS-equipped, bringing the much-needed safety assurance to the motorcycle. The other new feature is the six-speed gearbox that the engine is mated to, which comes with a ‘slip/assist’ clutch. The company claims this clutch facilitates riding in traffic and prevents wheel-hop when downshifting.
The Continental GT 650 brings the café racer poise and look of its smaller sibling — the Continental GT 535. While it shares the same chassis as that of the Interceptor, it offers a front-leaning stance. The Continental GT 650 gets a sculpted fuel tank and clip-on handlebars with a single seat, underlining its racing pedigree.
The new 650 cc parallel twin engine is a single overhead cam, eight valve, air/oil-cooled unit and produces 47 bhp of power and a peak torque of 52 Nm. Keeping in line with previous engines from Royal Enfield, this mill too has a strong low and mid-range performance, making torque accessible throughout the rev range.
The motorcycles are expected to make it to markets in April 2018 and while there is no word on the pricing yet, Royal Enfield CEO Siddhartha Lal said at the unveiling that we would be “positively surprised” by it.
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