Comfortable seat, just the right proportions, low seat height, top-class styling, easy to ride on highways, good pricing, amazing exhaust note … the new Royal Enfield Classic 650 looks pure classic, pure gold.
But after having ridden it on Delhi roads in Delhi summers, I had mixed reactions – the motorcyclist in me said “wow,” and the commoner in me said “bring me something easy to ride on.”
What is it?
Priced from Rs 3.37 lakh to Rs 3.50 lakh, ex-showroom, and powered by the 648-cc twin-cylinder petrol engine, the Classic 650 is Royal Enfield’s sixth motorcycle in the segment – after the Interceptor 650 (starting Rs 3.03 lakh), Continental GT (Rs 3.19 lakh), Bear 650 (Rs 3.39 lakh), Shotgun (Rs 3.59 lakh), and Super Meteor (Rs 3.68 lakh). It also rivals BSA Gold Star 650 (Rs 2.99 lakh).
How’s the design?
It’s an ageless design. Park it in the 1950s, 2025, or the next century, and the Classic 650 won’t look out of place. My test unit – Black Chrome priced Rs 3.5 lakh – looks so rich that my family warned me not to park it unguarded on the street, lest someone may steal it. Every thing on the bike – nuts and bolts, paint, leather, plastic, rubber, wiring, glass – seems to be crafted out of deep love for motorcycles.
The design is good on the rider, too – who sits with back straight, hands firmly on handlebars, and knees forming almost 90-degree angle. Pure kinesiology, but for one problem – the footrests are wide and can hurt your ankles if you aren’t wearing riding boots.
How does it ride?
The exhaust note is music to ears – not just ears of a motorcyclist, but even birds. I rode it early morning next to an isolated park, in fourth gear at a relaxed 40 km/h, and didn’t scare any bird. At lower RPMs, the sound is actually soothing, and while it gets louder as you accelerate, it never turns into noise.
You can shift into the sixth gear at just 50 km/h, and go all the way above 120 km/h. There are almost no vibrations from handlebars, seat, or footpegs. Front suspension has 120-mm travel, and the rear has 90-mm travel, which makes it comfortable riding over potholes, broken roads, or speed breakers.
At 243 kg, it’s the heaviest 650-cc bike in India, but the weight doesn’t show when you ride it on open roads – on the contrary, it seems to make the bike feel a bit more stable.
But the weight shows everywhere else:
In the city: It’s a hassle to navigate narrow streets of Indian cities – turning radius is wide, and the weight shows when you reverse it using your legs, or lean on one side. If you’re stuck in traffic, balancing the bike every now and then can tire you out. Parking in those tiny two-wheeler parking spots made for Bajaj Sunny can be a pain. If, God forbid, the Classic 650 falls, you will need the Great Khali to pick it up.
On the highway: The weight shows differently here – in acceleration. The Classic 650, despite its powerful engine, doesn’t feel peppy on the road. It’s fast (my test unit did 0-100 km/h in about 7 seconds), but doesn’t feel furious – not like the Bear 650 or the Interceptor 650. Talk about weight stealing the thunder.
Lastly, while I couldn’t test its fuel efficiency, expect it close to 25 km/litre.
Should you buy it?
If you have to buy it for parking it next to your Mercedes-Benz or BMW, for making your villa look cool, for making you the centre of attraction in morning walks, there can be no better motorcycle than this.
But if you’ve to ride daily, in our chocked cities, stuck in traffic, navigating narrow streets, there are better options out there.
