Royal Enfield Continental GT 650

The Royal Enfield has launched priced at an aggressive price of Rs. 2.65 lakhs (ex-showroom, India). Royal Enfield’s motorcycles have always been regarded for their retro-classic design and solid build quality and with the launch of GT 650 company’s game plan took a drastic change for the better.

The Continental GT 650 borrows the design cues from its predecessor GT 535. The motorcycle sports a cafe racer design. It comes with double cradle frame, slim fuel tank, clip-on handlebar, rear-set footpegs, upswept exhaust and single seat with rear cowl – all these elements give the motorcycle a distinct identity.

 

The motorcycle measures 2,122 mm in length, 744 mm in width and 1,024 mm in height. Its ground clearance is 174mm mm and it comes with 12.5-litre fuel tank. The kerb weight of the motorcycle stands at 198 kg. The front end gets a 100/90-18-tyre while the rear gets a chunky 130/70-18 tyre. The motorcycle is available in four colours – Staunchy Blue, Chrome, Icy White and Black Magic.

The motorcycle offers excellent driving dynamics, a 270-degree balance between ride comfort and enthusiastic driving. The engine offers good linear performance and pulls cleanly from low revs and it doesn’t show any sign of strain when you lug it in a high gear. Overtaking is a breeze as you only need to simply twist your right hand marginally to whiz past traffic. The motorcycle is capable to attain a maximum speed of 160 kmph and it is capable of doing a 0-100 kmph sprint in 7 seconds.

 

The suspension setup comprises twin gas-charged shock absorbers at the rear and telescopic forks at the front. The suspensions work effectively and don’t let the rider feel bumps and potholes on the deteriorated roads.

The Continental GT is one of the most desirable motorcyclesthe and the new model makes it all the more desirable. At its aggressive pricing, the Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 doesn’t have any direct rivals, but in terms of engine capacity, it rivals the Harley-Davidson Street 750.

Expect the Continental GT 650 to deliver a mileage of around 25 kmpl. The company claims that the use of 4-valves per cylinder has increased the engine efficiency resulting in better fuel economy performance.

The Continental GT 650 is powered by a newly developed, 650cc parallel twin engine that gets a 270-degree firing angle. It is counterbalanced, uses four valves with SOHC actuation, a single overhead camshaft, air-oil cooling and fuel injection system. The engine makes 47 hp at 7250 rpm of peak power and 52 Nm of peak torque at 5250 rpm. The engine is paired with a 6-speed gearbox and comes with a slipper clutch.

Braking duties are carried out by a 320mm front disc and a 240mm rear disc. The motorcycle also offers a dual-channel ABS as the standard for additional braking assistance.