Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 and Continental GT 650 India launch Delayed

The flagship 650cc twins from the Chennai-based manufacturer has been delayed to mark their entry in the Indian biking industry. The brand’s focus on providing  Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 and Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 as a quality product, made the bike maker delay their launch. Also, they were intended to launch first in global markets. It can also be considered one of the reasons behind its delay in launch in India. Now, the expectations suggest these bikes could hit the Indian dealerships sometimes around September-October 2018.

For the first time, these flagships were showcased in front of Indian audience at the 2017 Rider Mania in Goa. Also, they are witnessed several times on roads while performing test runs in the country. These appearances of 650 twins made the enthusiasts obsessed for the motorcycles.

Read Also: Royal Enfield 650 Media Showcase and Launch Slated on November 14

In terms of mechanicals both the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 and the Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 shares similar powertrain. Although, in styling, both the bikes serve different genres. The Interceptor 650 is a street-oriented retro classic with comfortable riding position. On the other hand, the Continental GT 650 caters cafe racer category. It gets traditional teardrop fuel tank, clip-on or ‘Ace’ handlebars, swept back exhaust units and rear placed footpegs to tune rider with bike’s styling.

Beneath, the fuel tank as we mentioned above both the bikes share similar powertrain. The all-new 648cc, parallel-twin, fuel-injected, air-cooled mill take care the propelling duties. The engine in association with a six-speed gearbox is capable of churning out the peak power of 47.7PS at 71,00rpm and the vertex torque of 52Nm at 5250rpm.

The motorcycles use a newly developed chassis in partnership with the Harris Performance. The frame is meant for dynamic riding experience with stability.

In order to stop the motorcycles, the manufacturer armed the wheels with disc brakes of measure 320mm at the front and a 240mm of a disc at the rear wheel. The aids of dual channel ABS is being provided as standard fitment.

In terms of colour choices, the company will offer different shades for both models separately. The Interceptor 650 will put on sale in options such as orange, red, silver and chrome. While, there will be choices of white, black, light blue and chrome for the Continental GT 650.

In terms of pricing, the 650 twins are likely to fall in the vicinity of INR 3-3.5 lakh. In the segment, they will compete against the Harley-Davidson Street 750 that is available on sale at INR 5.25 lakh. The model which will pose threat for the 650 twins is the Kawasaki Z650 that is priced at INR 4.99 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi).