EICMA 2024: Royal Enfield Classic 650 Makes Global Debut

Royal Enfield's top boss Sid Lal mentioned a few months ago that this is the year of the Classic and that to celebrate it, the retro bike maker has launched the largest Classic yet: the Classic 650. While the bike was unveiled today, prices for the new Classic 650 weren't revealed leading us to believe that it will make its India debut at the 2024 Motoverse in Goa later this month. However, we expect the pricing to be around ₹3.30 to 3.60 lakh (ex-showroom), and it will compete against the BSA Gold Star 650. Here’s what the large Classic is packing: 

Nostalgic Clothing

The Classic 650 carries forward the same nostalgic flavour as the smaller J-series 350. It gets the signature Royal Enfield Classic elements bang on, like the headlight nacelle with the small topi, the bulbous fuel tank, the triangular rear subframe member and side panels and finally, oodles of chrome. It gets a floating rider seat with the pillion one also available as a standard fitment at the time of delivery. There are four shades on offer with the Teal being the same shade as the original Classic 500 or as it was funnily addressed as ‘Meru Cabs’ in certain circles back then. 

What Features?

In order to cater an authentic retro experience, Royal Enfield has kept the Classic 650 devoid of a lot of modern tech and features. So, while there is an LED headlight and tail light, the turn indicators are still bulb type. The console is the same basic analogue unit with a small digital inset from the 350 and not the circular LCD one from the Super Meteor. The inset gets basic data and for connectivity, you will get the small Tripper pod as standard on all colour trims. Lastly, the adjustable levers and USB charging port is available here on the Classic 650 as well.

Regal Much?

For starters, the posture seems to be pretty much what one expects on a ‘RE Classic’ motorcycle: tall bars, slightly forward set footpegs and a low accessible seat (800 mm seat height). And even the 14.8-litre fuel tank should be healthy enough for long tours. Where the potential hiccups could be is the weight and ground clearance. For the latter, 154 mm isn’t the lowest but it could have been a tad bit more. The bigger problem could arise with the 243 kg kerb weight, which also makes the Classic 650 the heaviest Royal Enfield on sale currently.

Same Heart, Different Tune

Same 648 cc parallel twin engine, same 46.4 bhp and 52.3 Nm engine state of tune as the Shotgun 650 and Super Meteor 650 and same 6-speed gearbox. So there’s nothing new to speak of here. However, it gets different peashooter end cans, so expect a little difference in the exhaust tune. It should be a bit different in the riding experience as it is also the heaviest Royal Enfield on sale. 

Yes, it is 2 kilos heavier than the Super Meteor 650 too, a bike that is longer, has alloy wheels, and premium hardware. Royal Enfiled sure lovesmetal, we think.

Actually A Classic Shotgun?

Even when we check out the foundations of the Classic 650, the dual cradle frame is similar to the Shotgun 650. There are minor revisions to the steering geometry, which increases the wheelbase (1475 mm) by a small amount. This frame is suspended on a Showa telescopic fork and twin shocks with similar travel as the Shotgun. It rolls on a 19 inch front and an 18 inch rear spoke wheels, that come wrapped in specially developed MRF rubber. Lastly, it is anchored by a 320 mm front disc and a 300 mm rear disc brake setup. Needless to say, dual-channel ABS is standard.