Royal Enfield Classic 650 Review - The Best 650 Twin?

The Royal Enfield  Classic 350 is the most important motorcycle ever built by the company and not just for the sales figures or for kickstarting an all-new generation of motorcycles in the country, but for the simple fact that Royal Enfield as a brand wouldn’t have existed without its birth. Such has been the impact of one model, that it has catapulted Royal Enfield from a niche Indian bikemaker to a global aspirational brand. So when the 650 Twins platform was showcased in 2018, the obvious question was when will Royal Enfield launch the Classic 650. 

For the millions of Classic 350 owners, there has been no natural evolution in the RE portfolio, but all that changed with the introduction of the Classic 650. As expected the new motorcycle looks like the Classic 350, but with a larger 648 cc, twin-cylinder engine. So is the new Royal Enfield Classic 650 a perfect upgrade from the Classic 350? 

Design & Features

One of the key reasons for the success of the Classic 350 was its old-school design language packaged well with vibrant colour options. The Classic 650 also carries forward many of the design elements like the headlight nacelle, the mudguard shape, the fork covers, fuel tank shape, tail light and even the pea-shooter muffler, you get two of them here. 

Despite carrying the same design elements, the Classic 650 doesn’t look as cohesive or easy on the eye as the Classic 350 does. Maybe it’s the gap between the rear tyre and fender, or just its enormous wheelbase., it just looks a bit too stretched out. To my eyes, it doesn’t have the same visual impact, a Classic 350 manages so easily, but then again design and form are personal choices. The Classic 650 is available in four shades - Vallam Red, Bruntingthorpe Blue, Black Chrome and Teal, and the price difference is for the colour option and all bikes have the same trim. 

Speaking about features, you get LED headlight and taillight, tripper navigation pod, adjustable hand levers and a USB port. The instrument cluster is the same unit as seen on the Classic 350, so it’s a basic unit and you don’t even get a tachometer. Fit and finish levels are very good by Royal Enfield standards, but the weld quality could be better and some of the wires could have been better hidden. 

Performance

The engine is the same twin-cylinder unit that we have seen on the Interceptor 650 and comes in the same tune as well. By now we are very familiar with this 650 cc twin as we have ridden it for many years and across many different bikes. But how does it fit on the Classic 650? The first thing you notice is the extra weight of the bike and the Classic 650 doesn’t shoot off the line with the same urgency that we have seen on the Interceptor. 

But then again, do you really want that on a classic 650? The highlight remains the wave of torque which makes the riding experience very relaxed. We were riding on the winding mountain roads of Coonoor which were lined with beautiful tea estates for miles. On the mountain roads you can chill in 4th gear and the Classic 650 just motored on with hardly any knocking. Since the ride was on mountain twisties, we couldn’t verify the cruising speed and high speed stability of the machine and will need to wait for a proper road test to answer the above queries. 

The 6-speed gearbox is among the best in the segment as it offers crisp shifts and surprisingly the Classic 650 comes with a toe-shifter and not a heel-and-toe shifter as seen on the Classic 350. While the gearbox is great, the clutch action is heavy and adding to the heaviness are the chunky levers which require a lot more effort to engage. The heavy clutch and high kerb weight (243 kg) might make the Classic 650 a task to ride in traffic, but we can only confirm the above after a thorough road test. 

Comfort, Handling & Braking

One of the most important queries with the Classic 650 is how’s the ride quality, is it comfortable? The simple answer is no, because the rear suspension is stiff. The telescopic fork is decent on bad roads, but the rear suspension is stiff and it will toss you over sharp bumps and speed bumps. The main reason for this is the 90 mm suspension travel in the rear suspension, which is inadequate. 

However, it’s more comfortable than the Super Meteor 650 and that comes down to the way you sit on these two machines. On the Classic 650, the rider sits more upright thereby his back and tail bone doesn’t suffer as much. So if you were expecting similar ride quality as the Classic 350, the new bike is nowhere near as comfortable and you will have to taper down your expectations. 

The frame is shared with the Shotgun 650, and the first thing you notice is the bigger front wheel and you have to get used to it. The steering isn’t as sharp as the Interceptor or even the Shotgun 650, but once you get a hang of the front-end, the Classic 650 will surprise you with its handling dynamics. Yes, the front end needs effort in direction changes, but for a bike of its heft and length, the Classic 650 does a good job in savouring the curvy roads. However, the real test of the bike will be in city traffic as the weight of the bike might make a difference, although taking a U-turn wasn’t very difficult. 

The Classic 650 is the first RE bike to get the brand logo on the caliper, the braking performance is decent. The bite is there on the front wheel, but the feel through the lever is low. The rear brake on the other end feels a bit too sharp and even the ABS steps in a bit late. 

Verdict

I can’t give a definite verdict on the Classic 650 as we had ridden the bike for a couple of hours on mountain roads and the real test of the bike is in city commutes and while stretching its legs on the highway. What I can say though is that Royal Enfield has got the basics correct with the new bike, it has visual appeal, the butter smooth engine is delightful, the ergonomics are good and the finish levels are premium. 

However, what really works in favour of the bike is the pricing. At ₹3.37-3.50 lakh (ex-showroom), the new Royal Enfield Classic 650 sits in between the Interceptor 650 and the Shotgun 650. I feel it will sway a lot of Interceptor buyers towards it for a small premium, you’re getting a much better bike and the Classic 650 is clearly the most recommendable bike from the RE 650 twins family. As for it being a good upgrade for a Classic 350 owner? Yes, if you want more power and the big bike aura, but please understand the riding dynamics, feel and character are completely different with the new bike.