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-   -   Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650cc, now unveiled (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motorbikes/243389-royal-enfield-super-meteor-650cc-now-unveiled-34.html)

I believe it does have a slipper clutch! The twins themselves have it.

Regards,
Bharath

Then, why is the clutch hard? Few reviews have pointed that out

The clutch is hard on the twins too.

Yes, it is quite hard and heavy for a slipper assisted clutch on my Interceptor too. Even changing the clutch cable has had no impact to the heaviness.

I cannot imagine how hard it would be if it wasn't with this slipper clutch functionality :Shockked:

I don't think RE gives the "assist" feature which makes the clutch pull lighter.

They might be giving just a "slipper" clutch which makes sure that the wheel does not lock in case of aggressive down shits. Just a "slipper" clutch does not guarantee that the clutch pull is going to be light.

But I am doubtful that if RE is giving only a "slipper" clutch also or not. I am not able to find any mention of that in the official specification of the twins.

What about installing a Hydraulic Clutch?
I am sure few would have explored this aftermarket option of installing one?

Makes lot of sense, the clutch definitely does not feel 'assisted' or light in any sense. Gives a good workout during city rides.

But I am sure it has the slipper function, I have down-shifted aggressively several times during braking, and even on the pathetic stock Pirelli rubber, I have not felt the wheel lock or lose grip for a moment. I have had such moments trying to do the same on my CBR though.

Coming from a Himalayan, I've always felt that the clutch on my Interceptor is light.

Simple napkin calculations indicate that you cannot make the clutch pull lighter externally without reducing the travel distance. That's how most simple lever works.

Even the pro-spec easy clutch mechanism is based on fulcrum and lever design; hence, the pull is reduced to make it lighter, which in some cases leads to the early wearing of clutch plates as they are not separated properly.

Some observations on the pricing of different variants.

The dual tone color scheme for both the Interstellar and Celestial variants has the same premium i.e., 15,000/-.

16,000 worth of accessories are added to the Celestial variant. But there is a 1,000 discount, so you pay only 15,000 extra over the Interstellar variant. However, you pay road tax and insurance for these accessories as it is part of the ex-showroom price.

So unless you are so interested in the Celestial colors (Red and Blue), there is no need to go for it as all the touring accessories are already available and can be fitted to any variant.

So just got back from the test drive for the super meteor 650!
I had the opportunity to ride the celestial red one without the windscreen unfortunately, for an hour or so.

For context, I have been waiting on this release for the last two years now so I had booked it as soon as I had the chance. But with all the reviews coming in over the last month, I was getting a bit worried about how this would actually end up fairing in the Indian enviornment with most worries about - the weight, the ground clearance, the suspension, the clutch being very heavy and whether I had let my hopes overrule reasoning. I cannot begin to explain the wave of relief followed by absolute joy as I first sat on the saddle and gunned the engine and began moving.

I started the ride with a small open patch which has virtually no traffic to get a feel of the engine and boy is it an active one. I started with a bit of a mild ask for power followed by near redlining it. The engine and exhaust note sounded beautiful and the ride felt so natural where immediately I felt as if it was merely an extension of the body.

After this short patch I decided to test it out in slightly more traffic dense regions with narrower roads and here by now I felt at home on the bike and maneuvering through traffic was like water. Now here yes the caveat is what you consider the baseline I guess. As another BHPian has mentioned if you're used to larger heavier bikes it will not be a problem at all. However if you're coming from lighter maybe more nimble mopeds you may not feel so. But to me it was all I was expecting and much more. That said concerns on the suspension are valid to a certain extent and here I feel the decision is based on how you plan to use the bike. For Indian tar and cement roads it is absolutely fine and not an issue but on extended patches of dirt roads yes, I'm sure the bumps will get to you. But for me, my daily commute as well as ride plans are generally highways and well made tar roads, this is not a concern for me.

Coming from a Thunderbird 350x, all the issues with the gearbox being a bit finicky and neutral being hard to find and the quality of switches all seem gone. After a good hour of riding in the afternoon the engine heat was reasonable and did not induce any discomfort. All in all super pleased that I've booked this and I'm anxiously waiting on delivery now!

I am not able to get this point. Why would someone want to pay 15000 more for the dual tone paint. It is an expensive bike as is.

I would much rather get the basic variant and accessorize it. Maybe there are many of us who are willing to spend that extra on the paint schemes.

Regards
Bharath

There is no other difference between the Astral and Interstellar variants except the dual tone paint. Here also we are paying Road tax and insurance for that extra amount.

Regarding the difference between the Celestial (touring) variant and the Interstellar (adding touring accessories of Rs 16000) variant, the primary difference would be that, as road tax and insurance are paid for touring accessories in the Celestial variant, and in the event of any untoward incident, an insurance claim would take into consideration that the windscreen was a part of that variant, which, by default, would not be covered for the Interstellar variant as the touring accessories were added later and not updated into the insurance accessories section.*

Things I wish my Continental GT 650 had which the Super Meteor does:

1. Tubeless tyres:
I'm a fan of the timeless spoke wheels in the silver finish but I always have to think twice about taking the back roads and trails.:coldsweat

2. Better rim sizes:
I don't know who at RE thought it was a good idea to give 18 inch rims to the 650 Twins. In a market where initially the only option for tyres the owners had was the OEM Pirelli's which were quite pricey. Now we do have the CEAT's but they are made of soft compund rubber which may take time to heat up and for the first few kms of the ride will skid. Scary for daily rides. The only other options are:

Ralco's which are dual purpose and have poor speed ratings.

Timsun's which are not the factory size. They look better for sure because they have a 150 sections profile instead of the 130 that comes from the factory. These tyres have a very tall sidewall which affects cornering ability. Good for straight lines only.

However there is one option which was not meant for the 650 Twins but works flawlessly. MRF makes an OEM rear tyre for the Honda H'ness which is the MRF Zapper Y. It has the exact same specifications of the OEM tyre (130/70 R18 63H). This is a tubeless tyre and is an H rated one that is recommended by RE for the Twins. The tyre costs a reasonable Rs. 3,500 at my nearest MRF store. Wish MRF made an H rated 18 inch front tyre for the 650 Twins. So the setup I'm planning for future is a CEAT Tubeless at the front (OEMs are tube tyres) and an MRF Zapper Tubeless at the rear because I'm thinking of adding a tubeless kit to my motorcycle but anyway that's a topic for another day.

3. LED Headlamp:
Pretty self explanatory. The stock halogen bulb offers very poor lighting. I have upgraded to a high quality 130w LED bulb from good ol' Karol Bagh which costed my 2k and works beautifully. Just plug and play. Don't get fooled by the cheap Rs 800 bulbs which are all show no go. Pricey ones actually work.

4. Hazard Lights:
The Super Meteor comes with a super useful hazard light button (so does the Hunter, Classic, Meteor, Himalayan and Scram). I don't know how RE missed this one with their flagship 650 Twins.:sadface