REVIEW FIRST RIDE | Royal Enfield Classic 650

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Royal Enfield reckons its Classic 650 will prove irresistible to fans of traditional British twins

A few years ago returning from an international launch for AMCN, I sat beside a pilot hitching a lift home. He told me two important things.

One: Queenstown is the world’s most challenging international airport for a pilot to fly into.

Two: You can’t say you’ve flown until you’ve been in a Tiger Moth.

Not that long ago I rode past Queenstown’s airport on the way to the Burt Munro Challenge.The planes seemed almost to be landing in the Kiwi ski capital’s main street.

Then I got a flight in a Tiger Moth as a birthday present. The little biplane lurched off the tarmac onto the grass to find some bumps to help it get airborne. At 100m the summer heat turned into the coldest winter day. All the senses were activated by the wind and exhaust noise, the drumming vibration of the fabric-covered wooden airframe, the smell of the hot engine oil…

You can’t get more 1940s-50s cool than this instrument nacelle, which Royal Enfield calls the casquette

Royal Enfield is proud of its new Classic 650, which it says takes riders back to the early days of British parallel twins. That’s the era of the Tiger Moth. An afternoon spent riding one on the national press launch soon put that statement into context.

At first I treated it like a modern short-stroke middleweight, revving it out before changing up through the six-speed gearbox. It felt like I was going nowhere fast. Plenty of exhaust noise but a disappointing velocity.

The Vallen Red option fairly shimmers in the sunlight

Then we reached a township in our loop around Central Victoria’s Hepburn spa district. Still in sixth gear I let the Classic 650 wind down to 60km/h and cruised along the main street on a whiff of throttle. As we approached the 100km/h sign I didn’t change down but gently opened the throttle. Without a hiccup the engine wound itself up to the legal speed limit effortlessly and smoothly. So that’s the way to ride it, I told myself.

No chromed plastic here. This is the real deal of steel and alloy

a lot’s riding on this

Royal Enfield has high hopes for this model. In its home market of India the Classic 650 will be an aspirational model. To put that into context consider this: Royal Enfield has just hit its one million sales target in a financial year. (The Indian financial year runs 1 April-31 March). It’s a remarkable achievement considering its smallest model is a 350cc, a large capacity for the Asian market. Since its release in late 2022 the Hunter 350 has found nearly 500,000 buyers. Many of them will be looking at upgrading to a bigger model now, including the Classic 650.

The 650 engine is the same as that powering the Meteor and Shotgun but is tuned for low-revs rideability

Over here the plan is to entice older riders who want to enjoy a piece of nostalgia without the maintenance hassles of a 1940s-50s parallel twin, or those who want to downsize from larger motorcycles.

Royal Enfield said at the launch that it expected the Classic 650 to become one of its bestsellers and it had identified strong demand in Australia and New Zealand.

THE REAL DEAL

Unlike some of its rivals, you won’t see any chromed plastic on the Classic 650. It’s all steel and cast aluminium with deep paint and hand-laid pin striping. The bike oozes quality in a robust, traditional British style. Especially the instrument nacelle that shrouds the fork top yoke.

non-adjustable, separate-function Showa fork works well. Brakes are branded RE

The solo seat is a nod to the period of saddle seats on early Brit parallel twins. While it looks very 1940s set up like this, the Classic 650 comes with a pillion seat and associated subframe that is easily attached or removed.

The lack of plastic means the Classic 650 weighs a claimed 243kg wet, so around 210kg dry. The 800mm seat height makes it easy for most riders to get both feet down at a stop but I found it took a bit of practice to keep the bike balanced when we had to do very slow U-turns for the launch photos.

At road speeds though the Classic 650 feels pretty agile for what is basically a cruiser.

Mufflers are a classic Brit sausage design. RE calls them peashooters

The chassis main frame is the same as that found on the Super Meteor 650 and Shotgun 650. At the launch Royal Enfield stressed its design is always connected to its history, hence the distinctive rear frame loop that references its first twin cylinder of 1948. However the main frame layout is the result of a lot of testing and development by Harris Performance, the famous UK frame-building firm now fully owned by Royal Enfield.

Royal Enfield says it’s fielded a lot of interest in the Teal Green paint option

Suspension is a non-adjustable, conventional, separate-function Showa telescopic fork with 43mm diameter stanchions. Rear Showa twin shocks, with adjustable preload, have 90mm travel. Brakes are ventilated hydraulic single discs with Royal Enfield logos. The front 320mm disc has a twin-piston caliper and the 270mm rear a single caliper. Dual-channel ABS is the only rider aid.

Flashing gold credit cards, the Mild Ones take over a spa resort in Central Victoria’s Hepburn Springs

The front 19in and rear 18in wheels are spoked with chrome rims and alloy hubs.

While the 647.95cc, air/oil-cooled, SOHC parallel twin engine is the same one powering other Royal Enfield models, the electronic mapping has been altered to accentuate torque and rideability at low revs.

While maximum torque is claimed to be 52.3Nm at 5650rpm, my ‘seat-of-the-pants dyno’ (there’s no tacho fitted) says a large percentage of this gentle thrust is available from around 3500rpm. Maximum claimed power is 34.6kW (46hp).

Escape the stresses of modern life without swapping them for the stresses of classic motorcycle maintenance

An analogue-style dashboard features a large speedometer with a basic digital LCD display that shows the gear you’re in, distance travelled and fuel level. There’s Royal Enfield’s Tripper Navigation System and the bike also has a USB charging port.

The three paint schemes available hark back to the classic era: Vallen Red, Teal Green and Black Chrome. The most extreme of these is the Teal Green, which Royal Enfield says has copped a lot of interest from potential buyers. My preference was the Black Chrome.

ON THE ROAD

The upright riding position doesn’t make you feel locked in as the saddle is big enough to move around on. The aluminium switchgear looks pretty classy and compliments the old school instrumentation.

Black Chrome paint option was our tester’s favourite colour

The Classic 650 tracked well around a 100km/h sweeper. It hit a large bump mid-corner but while the rear suspension was compressed there was no wallowing. Cranked over in a series of tight turns it didn’t feel like anything was going to touch down in a hurry. Brakes are adequate for the design brief of a cruiser.

The twin exhaust is a classic Brit twin sausage style with a muted but still throaty note from the 270-degree crank engine.

The gearbox shifts very smoothly but being tuned for torque makes six speeds almost unnecessary.

We briefly rode on the freeway and the Classic 650 easily kept pace with traffic but didn’t have the top-end power for quick overtaking.

Large oil cooler doesn’t ruin the overall classic styling

To sum it up, once you settle into the ride it’s all very relaxed. For many people the Classic 650 would be the perfect way to escape the stresses of the modern world without swapping them for the stresses of classic motorcycle maintenance. And one of these is cheaper than a restored 1940s-50s parallel twin and much easier to ride over long distances.

The Classic 650 is LAMS-approved and comes with a three-year unlimited kilometre warranty and roadside assistance. There is a range of accessories available so a buyer can add a personal touch.

Royal Enfield is on a roll and the Classic 650 confirms the confidence it has in its 650cc range.

In a setting like this you can see why the Classic 650 will be an aspiration model in India

Twin peaks

British manufacturers started designing pushrod parallel twins in the late 1930s but World War II intervened, with only Triumph releasing its first model in 1937. BSA’s first twin arrived in 1946, with Royal Enfield arriving in November 1948, then AMC (AJS/Matchless) and Norton a year later.

All featured air-cooled, long-stroke, pushrod 500cc engines with 360-degree crankshafts. Where Royal Enfield excelled was in rear suspension. While Triumph had a rigid frame with a ‘sprung hub’ as an option, the others had basic plunger-type rear suspension. In contrast, Royal Enfield’s 1948 500 Twin featured a swinging arm and telescopic rear suspension, a standout feature of the time.

It also had coil ignition (not magneto like its rivals) with a car-type distributor.

The attraction of parallel twins centred around both their physical size and performance. They looked no larger than a typical Pre-War twin-port single cylinder and weighed not much more. The performance was streets ahead, with smooth acceleration and a higher cruising speed. Vibration levels were much lower than the old ‘thumpers’ and they were the production performance bikes of the day.

The trouble with the British industry is that it kept the concept in development for far too long, taking what was a non-stressed layout at 500cc all the way out to 828cc (the Norton Commando of the 1970s). Royal Enfield was the first to go really big, punching its twin out to a massive 700cc in 1952 with the Meteor.

Classic hits and misses

Just how much difference can 299cc really make? Having attended the Australian launch of both the 2025 Royal Enfield Classic 350 (AMCN Vol 74 No 15) and the newly released Classic 650, I can say the differences are both minimal and stark. Minimal in the sense that Royal Enfield’s DNA remains intact – same upright stance, same timeless silhouette, same head-turning charm. But in terms of how they deliver the experience, the differences become stark – and not only in the ways you’d expect.

The 350 slows you down and celebrates back-to-basics motorcycling. It’s a physically big bike that lets you soak up your surroundings – it’s easygoing, isn’t intimidating and delightfully analogue. The 650 is all of those things, but it’s bigger in every way and nearly 50kg heavier, which is a lot when you consider you’re only gaining 20kW (26hp) and 25Nm.

The Classic 650 gets higher-quality Showa suspension, it benefits from both the much-loved 649cc parallel twin and the refined chassis from the Shotgun 650, but if I’m 100 per cent honest, the Classic 350 has a stronger sense of Royal Enfield’s ‘pure motorcycling’ DNA.

The 650 is an excellent motorcycle but it’s more polished and achievement-oriented than it is character-driven. It’s better at most things – longer rides, quicker overtakes, carrying a pillion – but, to my mind, riding it doesn’t quite hit that same emotional note the 350 does. KEL BUCKLEY

One million and counting

Royal Enfield probably would have hit its one-million-in-a-year sales target earlier if Covid hadn’t intervened. In 2013 it was selling 20,000 bikes a month, mainly in India. Since then a whole new range of models, which included entering the adventure market, saw strong sales achieved domestically, while overseas markets have expanded year on year in spectacular fashion.

Royal Enfield now has 60 dealers across Australia and New Zealand. The brand is also leveraging itself further through linking with such apparel manufacturers as Alpinestars and Revit, along with Bell helmets to produce a range of clothing and helmets to suit its various models.

SPECIFICATIONS

ENGINE

Capacity 647.95cc
Type Parallel-twin, SOHC, four valves per cylinder
Bore & stroke 78mm x 67.8mm
Compression ratio 9.5:1
Cooling Air/oil
Fueling EFI, with dual throttle bodies
Transmission Six-speed
Clutch Wet, multi-plate
Final drive Chain

PERFORMANCE

Power 34.6kW (46hp) @ 7250rpm (claimed)
Torque 52.3Nm @ 5650rpm (claimed)
Top speed 160km/h (est)
Fuel consumption Not measured

ELECTRONICS

Type Bosch
Rider aids ABS (dual channel)
Rider modes Not applicable

CHASSIS

Frame material Tubular steel
Frame type Spine
Rake Not given
Trail Not given
Wheelbase 1386mm

SUSPENSION

Type Showa
Front: 43mm conventional fork, separate function, non-adjustable
Rear: Twin shocks, preload adjustable, 90mm travel

WHEELS & BRAKES

Wheels Wire-spoked aluminium
Front: 19 x 2.5 Rear: 17 x 3.5
Tyres Nylohigh-FN
Front: 100/90R19 (57H)
Rear: 140/80R17 (69H)
Brakes RE branded, ABS
Front: Single 320mm disc, twin-piston caliper
Rear: Single 270mm disc, single-piston caliper

DIMENSIONS

Weight 243kg (kerb, claimed)
Seat height 800mm
Width 892mm
Height 1137mm
Length 2318mm
Ground clearance 154mm
Fuel capacity 14.8L

SERVICING & WARRANTY

Servicing 1000km
Minor: 12,000km
Major: 24,000km
Warranty Three years, unlimited km, roadside assist

BUSINESS END

Price From $11,190 (ride away)
Colour options Vallen Red, Teal Green and Black Chrome

CONTACT

royalenfield.com.au

The post FIRST RIDE | Royal Enfield Classic 650 appeared first on Australian Motorcycle News.