Royal Enfield Shotgun Twin 650 vs Super Meteor 650 - What's Different?

There’s a high likelihood that the title for Royal Enfield’s flagship motorcycle could very well be passed on from the Super Meteor 650 to the upcoming Shotgun Twin 650. Currently, the retro bike maker offers the Super Meteor in three variants priced between ₹ 3.54 lakh and ₹ 3.84 lakh (ex-showroom Chennai). For now, the Royal Enfield Shotgun Twin 650 Custom is a limited edition, produced in a run of just 25 units and priced at ₹ 4.25 lakh (ex-showroom Chennai). Here are the changes that we can see on the RE Shotgun 650 over the RE Super Meteor.

Design

The tank on the Shotgun 650 is a smaller teardrop-shaped 14-litre tank. It has a custom hand-painted finish on it which fades from a dark blue to a light blue. The overcoat is something which resembles candy gloss finish. The decals on the tank resemble that of the SG650 concept showcased at EICMA 2021. Following on the same theme the headlight gets a redesigned cowl in gloss black. Both the suspension and the frame are blacked out following the all black theme that is also seen on the engine components and alloy wheels.

Features

The digital instrument cluster with the Tripper navigation system remains consistent with that of the Super Meteor, but it has been repositioned for better alignment with the triple clamp.The switch cubes retain the rotary style, but the aluminium body now sports a glossy black finish instead of the raw metal silver finish seen on the Super Meteor 650.

Ergonomics

To align with the bobber style, the Shotgun Twin 650 features a flat drag-style handlebar. It is equipped with bar end mirrors for a clean look, placing the hands in a stretched-out yet natural position. The bike comes with a single-piece floating seat, enhancing the classic bobber aesthetic, and the footpegs are positioned below the rider’s seat at a more neutral angle. In contrast, the Super Meteor has forward-positioned footpegs, backswept bars and, depending on the version you choose, a lowly slung seat. Yes, the Super Meteor gets a pillion seat as standard, something will be offered as an accessory on the Shotgun 650.

Engine Detailing

We have no official output numbers of the Shotgun Twin 650’s power unit. However, if Royal Enfield was to carry forward the same tune as the Super Meteor 650, expect the 648 cc parallel-twin mill to make 46.2 bhp and 52 Nm of peak torque. What is different on the bobber is that the crankcase receives a gloss black treatment with a massive ‘Royal Enfield’ machine finished badging. The cruiser has an ‘RE’ logo and a grey-ish crankcase treatment. Also, you would find rounded end cans on the Super Meteor while the Shotgun gets peashooter exhausts, adding that nostalgic touch to the steampunk look.

Steering Geometry Change

Visually, one can make out that Royal Enfield has sharpened the rake on the bobber. This is backed up by the fact that the RTO registration documents we managed to get our hands on earlier had a quite shorter wheelbase when compared to the Super Meteor. Hence, expect better handling and more agility.

Wheels

Royal Enfield has altered the wheel assembly for the bobber. The front wheel is smaller, the tyres are chunkier and the compound is supposed to be stickier. All in all, the changes mentioned above and the new pair of wheels should hopefully make the bobber a bit more eager in the corners.

Please share your thoughts on the design, and let us know if you would consider spending upwards of 4 lakhs on a special edition motorcycle like this, especially considering its exclusivity limited to just 25 units.