[BullettuPaandi]

Having owned a BS3 Classic 350, a bigger one that inherits this timeless design and is aurally pleasing AND somehow 'quake'-free, has been a dream one. I was practically drooling over the Shotgun concept, but the road-going one got a narrow Harley-esque tank which didn't quite tick the design box for me. Although I still think the front fender/mudguard is disproportionately smaller on this one- a gripe I have in the Shotgun and SM650 as well- I'm willing to look past it. If you own/owned the 350, you'll know that the front fender is also oversized, but it looks proportionate with the overall design, especially given how much more oversized the rear fender is. I thought they'd keep the 'classic' proportions with the 'Classic 650' at least, but that doesn't appear to be the case. A good looking bike, nonetheless.

As for the weight, I actually think the chassis is the lesser weighing part, when compared to its siblings. The original twins got a traditional dual-cradle, while this one is a single-cradle that uses the engine as stressed member- like the old Classics/Bullets. Still, this difference should only come to 5-7kg at best. I think most of the added weight comes from the fenders, and inevitably after-thought foot-pegs mountings. I don't think the difference is as much as it is on paper however, given that it'd sit lower.

[Tutenkhamen]

Test drove the Classic 650 today along with Super Meteor.

First impressions on Classic 650 and consider it coming from someone who hasn't owned a bike ever and has otherwise driven a bike only a countable number of times in the last decade. Back to impressions -

• A heavy weight bike. No two ways about it. I am 5'10" with a decently hefty build and I could manage it but I would imagine folks with slender build will find it hard to manoeuvre. Specially when taking it in and out of parking etc.

• The OEM silencers sound like Splendor plus (no offense to Splendor ) and Super Meteor performed equally bad. I noticed that pulling from 2nd gear in Super Meteor sounded throatier than classic. Odd.

• I dint feel the suspension to be firm but then I also don't have much substance to compare it with. It felt comfortable but then Chandigarh roads are also pristine. Not a great testing place to start with.

• Now this is well know fact but RE bikes with 650 engine are substantially more appeasing and give a big bike vibe (much closer to HD vibe) and 350 classic looks rather puny when put side by side. If you desire that big bike looks, its pretty clear choice here.

• Super Meteor has a very laid back stance with footpeg positions all the way ahead while Classic gives an upright stance. To each their own but I found Classic to be more of my style.
  Super Meteor has significantly less GC and high(er) chances of scrapping. Classic seemed to be not worried about it thanks to 2cm+ of more GC.

• While Teal colored chassis looked nice in photos, it din't; in person. Kinda felt overdone. Just my opinion but Chrome looks nice. Red and beige is also cool with that special font.

[buzzy_boy]

Classic 650 - first impressions

Test rode the Classic 650, Shotgun, & Super Meteor at Bullmen Motor, Coimbatore!

Few observations:

1. All three of them seem to be well-made compared to the 350s. However, I did not look closely enough at the quality.

2. All of them are stylish. The Super Meteor is understated, the Shotgun is purposeful, and the Classic is, well, just classic!

3. The Classic will certainly be an attention magnet. It is large, long, and stately. I just wish that RE had offered more colors.

4. The Classic is wide. All of them are heavy. One will certainly get used to their weight, but all prospective customers must decide whether they want to—especially if they are going to use them daily.

5. I'm 5'10". I couldn't flat-foot the Classic due to its width. However, it did not affect my sense of balance.

6. The overall stance is more of a upright cruiser than a tourer!


Riding experience

1. One sentence summary: What a machine! And for those who understand Tamil, சும்மா கும்முன்னு இருக்கு (summa gummunu irukku)!

2. RE are masters at creating unique riding experiences for their vehicles, and it is no different here:

Shotgun = exhaust note & drama

Super Meteor = refinement

Classic = indestructibility!

3. My mind was made up within five minutes—I liked the Classic among these three! But each of them will definitely find takers.

4. There is something sublime in the way the Classic batters the road into submission! I found the stock suspension to be well-tuned, but I felt the rear was on the sightly firmer side. I did not like the Shotgun's unit at all! As for the Super Meteor—I didn't ride it long enough to form an opinion!

5. The same theme continues with the exhausts: The Shotgun is dramatic. The Super Meteor is refined. The Classic is somewhere in the middle. It has enough refinement to not be bothersome but enough drama to keep you entertained.

6. Grip levels were okay, but not great; the same goes for the chassis of all three—okay, but not great.

7. Engine performance is more or less the same; yes, they are tuned slightly differently, but the differences are negligible, in my opinion.

8. Gear shifts were alright—no false neutrals and generally positive.

Overall, RE has built something great with the Classic. Is it sublime? In my opinion, yes!

P.S.: I found the showroom experience at Bullmen to be great. Refer to Mr. Aiden!

[katsumoto]

Just a rant
What do I not understand is Why on earth do they have small tank capacity for these 650 line ups ? I like classic, shotgun and bear but all are having less than 15 litres...
super meteor is cruiser which I don't like.

[BullettuPaandi]

Originally Posted by katsumoto

Why on earth do they have small tank capacity for these 650 line ups?

Simply put, design. This is what looks proportionate with the rest of the Motorcycle. This is typical for such large bikes that also focus on design. For instance even a BMW R18 has just a 16L tank. Only the proper highway Cruisers- like the Goldwing- get about 20L tanks. But in terms of range, they'll still be identical- about 300km.

[Boringrider]

Slightly off topic but related question for long term owners of Super Meteor/Shotgun - Did you quickly get bored of the performance being bogged down by the weight? I experienced it and know what the weight feels like from some test rides, but would be interested in hearing from an ownership perspective if I were to buy one. Is there a feeling of getting disappointed? by knowing the engine has decent performance but the weight bogging it down?

Do you ever feel like you could have bought another bike ? Apologies if these questions seem dumb!

[neil.jericho]

I dropped into a nearby Royal Enfield showroom, to check if the new Classic 650 had arrived. A few thoughts on the motorcycle which was on display.
- This is, hands down, the best looking motorcycle that is made in India. If I could buy one motorcycle to park in my living room and never ride, it would be the Classic 650 in this Black Chrome paint scheme.
- Over the last few years, Royal Enfield has been steadily improving the fit and finish on its motorcycles. Even though the Classic 650 is not the flagship motorcycle in their lineup, after carefully examining it, this feels like their top of the pack offering.
- All that chrome will blind you, your neighbours, friends, colleagues and enemies, every time the summer sun glistens off the tank, silencers, nacelle and fenders. Reduce your ophthalmologist visits by wearing a pair of sunglasses if the sun is out.

- While riding a Black Chrome Classic 650 motorcycle will be a fabulous way to attract whoever you want to attract, Im already getting nightmares about failing miserably in all my attempts to keep it spotlessly clean.
- The seating position is surprisingly natural for my height.
- The display gives you the total odometer reading, Trip 1, Trip 2 and the distance after its gone into gone into low fuel mode (I guess). That is it. And you know what, that's perfect.
- The clutch felt insanely hard, but something tells me that they have not done the PDI on this particular bike. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt here.
- Compared to the Super Meteor 650 which was also in the showroom, this Classic 650 felt like it was much more premium and better put together.
- The motorcycle doesnt come with a standard backrest, which is essential from a safety perspective. On checking the customization options on the Royal Enfield website, I couldnt find a backrest there. Strangely, the number of OEM accessories for the Classic 650 are far less than what you would get for say, the Super Meteor 650.
- Honestly, I didnt notice it in person, but while checking the photographs, I did feel like the rear tire is misaligned with the rear mudguard. We do have a thread on it, somewhere on the forum. I do recall seeing a Shotgun 650 in the same showroom, during a previous visit, in which the same problem was evident.
- The tyres are by MRF.
- The wheels are by Excel. To paraphrase what I mentioned in my initial impressions on the Bear 650, the current absence of tubeless spoked wheels for the Classic 650 means that this is a hard motorcycle for me to recommend to anyone in early 2025.
- Autocar India had mentioned that the Classic 650 is slated to get the tubless wheels and the Goan Classic 350 already comes with them, so hope springs eternal.
- The newer 650s (Super Meteor 650 and Shotgun 650) have been chastised for having extremely stiff rear suspensions. The preload on this display motorcycle was set to the softest setting.
- There was absolutely no fouling of my feet with the footpegs. This is a complaint that most enthusiasts have had with the Interceptor 650 and Continental GT 650. I believe that my years owning a Continental GT 535 had something to do with me never having a problem with the foot pegs of the Interceptor and GT 650.
- However, this doesnt mean that Royal Enfield has sorted out everything. One area where they have failed, miserably so, is the design of the side stand. Or should I say, failing to put the slightest bit of thought into the design of the side stand. Kicking out the side stand is easy enough. The thing is that the side stand falls exactly below the left foot peg. Which means that getting it back up requires you to have the rubber limbs of Mister Fantastic and the dexterity of a daring cat, and even that doesnt guarantee you success. Over the year, Ive ridden plenty of motorcycles, from all price ranges, and this is by far, the absolute worst side stand design that I have ever encountered. An F minus grade for the side stand design is generous, to say the least.
- The fuel cap doesnt feel sturdy. What made things worse is the fact that the fuel cap was really misaligned and angled to the left. Even the Super Meteor 650 in the showroom, had a similarly misaligned fuel cap.
- The waiting period is between 25 to 30 days.

Unfortunately, this showroom didnt have a test ride bike yet, so I headed off to the company showroom to see if I would have better luck there. More on that in the next post.

As far as first impressions went, I was blown away by the Classic 650. Yes, the awful side stand design will make you curse Royal Enfield's design and / or engineering team but this is a motorcycle that is quite frankly, dripping in sublime elegance. I wouldnt be surprised if Royal Enfield showrooms get hundreds of bookings of the Classic 650, without customers even bothering to take test rides!

That long, elegant mudguard is a thing of beauty and should keep the engine clean. Right?


The front brake setup


Magnifique!


Old school cool


Who needs a mirror when you have all this chrome?


141/10 for styling


Familiar engine


Even more familiar tank design


Argh, look at that side stand!!!!!!


Who needs a gym membership when you can spend your weekends polishing this from morning to evening


The wiring has been neatly routed all around the motorcycle


Lovely


That saree guard has to go before delivery


A look at some of the welds


Classical yet modern-ish styling


Isnt that wheel tilted to the left?


How much chrome is too much chrome? Or can you never have enough chrome?


I can see a lot of owners removing their pillion seat setup, only to constantly admire the chrome rear mudguard


Excel-lent choice


The rear brake setup


Set to the softest level


The view from the right side


One can sit and stare at this for hours on end


Dont even think about the other options, just get the Black Chrome variant


Fuel cap tilt is hard to ignore


Familiar, good quality switchgear


On both sides of the handlebar


About as simple, as a simple instrument cluster can get


Brothers in arms

[neil.jericho]

After a chat with the company showroom folks, I was given the opportunity for a slightly longer than usual test ride of the Classic 650. A few thoughts on the test ride experience which took me through the worst of the city's traffic.
- With a kerb weight of 243 kgs, this Classic 650 is the second heaviest motorcycle that I have ever ridden. Within 300 meters of starting off, I realized that the bike had magically left behind 40 odd kilograms at the showroom (cue the Brooo, its a Royal Enfield no? Parts must have fallen off when you set off wonly! jokes). This simply does not feel like a motorcycle that weighs as much as it does, on paper!

- The natural seating position made me completely at ease, right from the get go.
- The 650 twin cylindered engine has always been a delight, and it is no different in the Classic 650. The acceleration will keep riders, new and old, more than happy.
- The gearbox was quite slick.
- There is an odd tingling sensation that emerges from below the seat when you cross 45 kmph. Now, is this enough to be a bother or an annoyance if you were to commute on this every day? I would say no. Since this was a city test ride (that too in Bangalore!), I couldnt really push the motorcycle to anywhere close to triple digit speeds, so I dont know if they will settle down at higher revs / speeds.
- Something tells me that there are going to be aftermarket solutions to arrest these 45 kmph onwards seat tingles.
- To say that the Classic 650, even in this Vallam Red (not my favourite paint scheme to be honest, though the paint finish is stunning) option is a head turner, would be the understatement of the year. This is an attention magnet of humongous proportions. Everybody was looking at the motorcycle (or was it me?) and / or talking about it. And yes, it does scream that the owner has generous dollops of class!
- The side panels did seem to get hot, the right one more than the left. This warmth is noticeable on your inner thighs, as you wait at signals.
- The front brake felt wooden but it did its job, in an old school way that suits the nature of the bike.
- Remember the fuel cap on the display motorcycle which was misaligned to the left? Well, this one seems misaligned to the right. And the E20 sticker is dreadfully off center.
- The rear brake did a pretty good job.
- The exhaust note is rather pleasing albeit a tad muted for the mass market's tastes. Expect to see a plethora of sweet sounding aftermarket options in your nearest motorcycle accessories store.
- The seating position was comfortable enough for riding for hours on end.
- The chrome on the dash was actually reflecting the sunlight onto my face!

That long, elegant mudguard which is a thing of beauty doesnt do a great job of keeping the engine clean

- After crossing a couple of signals, I realized that it was my mental block regarding the weight that was holding me back from having fun. As I filterered through traffic, my confidence began to grow by leaps and bounds. Is it the razor sharp handler that encourages you to scythe through laborious Bangalore traffic, like the KTM Duke 390 constantly does? Obviously not. That said, you will be hard pressed to convince anyone that a 243 kg motorcycle can weave through traffic with ease, like the Classic 650 can, unless they see it with their own eyes.
- By the end of my test ride, I was confidently able to dart in and out of the tiniest of gaps without even thinking about the weight of the motorcycle. Kudos to Royal Enfield's engineering division for teaching this hefty motorcycle how to dance!
- While the Bear 650 has that orange friskiness which we certainly do not associate with Royal Enfield as a brand, the Classic 650 stays true to its traditional DNA while also boasting of the modernity of the 650 engine. The latter has all the potential to become a modern classic (pun unintended).
- Coming back to the topic of the 243 kg weight, since it is something that will dissuade many potential buyers from even trying out the Bullet 650, I can confirm that you will be more than pleasantly surprised by how it feels on the move. Where you will feel the weight, is while moving the bike around in a parking lot / up a slope / squeezing it into a tight parking space etc. The lane alongside the showroom has a noticeable slope and I was able to backwalk the motorcycle to turn it around and park it. Would I have exerted a lot less energy if this was a 213 kg motorcycle? There is no denying that. Does the weight penalize the riding experience? I say no.

Now, coming to the million dollar question, if Royal Enfield offered tubeless spoked / alloy wheels on all their motorcycles, and I could afford one of the 650s, would I choose the Bear 650 or the Classic 650? Now, that is a genuinely tough question to answer.

All things considered, my test ride experience of the Classic 650 smashed to smithereens all my preconceived notions of what Royal Enfield had up its sleeve. From my first test ride experience, this is a genuinely good motorcycle which goes almost as well as it looks, and that is very high praise indeed. In due time, the Classic 650 is bound to become the 650 twin variant that sells the most, every month and deservedly so!

[BullettuPaandi]

Isnt that wheel tilted to the left?

I once noticed this in person in a Shotgun 650 that was parked in a lot. When I wanted to ask about the same in our forum, there were already such instances that were reported by other members; linking a couple that I came across.

Not to alarm anyone interested in the bike, but in at least one instance- in a Guerrilla 450- our member reported that it was the sub-frame itself that was misaligned. So, a specific check for this during PDI is well worth it.

Links: Guerilla 450 (Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 Review) & Shotgun 650 (Royal Enfield Shotgun 650 unveiled).

[Freespirit27]

Originally Posted by that_sedate_guy

Quite honestly, the RE 650 mill in my opinion does way better justice in cafe racer and retro racer frames aka the OG twins and of course and ADV if needed. Pinning that motor into every frame in existence just doesn't quite cut it. It needs a low kerb weight platform to really shine. The heavy cruiser frames are much better suited for a higher displacement engine in a maybe harley-ish state of tune. With all these later releases, I find they simply don't give me that "Look once, love twice" feeling. They're all beautiful motorcycles without a doubt but while form can make you buy one, function is what will keep you riding it.

Quite agree with that observation. The 650 is what I would call, a busy engine. I end up zipping on a Shotgun, despite claims of being heavy, stiff and all, because the weight doesn't show when you are riding the bike. I never feel the speed or need for more power on the straights either, the engine note kind of discourages you from slowing down

On the other hand the 350 classic UCE gives me the thumper feel even while puttering along at 40-80 kmph (which is good enough for city and winding roads) but loses breath on a long straight road. The engine note and pull is ideally suited for that kind of riding. I haven't ridden the J Series but I guess it will be a even better 350.

So yes 650 twin with its heat and all may not be ideal for touring type/slow upright seated riding of a Classic.

[gaurav_3000ad]

Some thoughts on the Classic 650 after checking it out at the showroom:-

1. It is the best looking motorcycle and the best built motorcycle in REs stable right now. My 2020 interceptor is miles away in fit and finish.

2. The paint schemes are spot on! I thought RE were losing the game when the guerilla was launched with its borderline offensive colorways but they are back!

3. No update on the tubeless wheels. With most models in the 650 line up having different wheel sizes even the alloys won't be a direct swap. I've had to drag my old CI 350 on a couple of occasions post a flat tire and its not a situation I would like to find myself again in, especially not with a bike which weighs 50kgs more.

4. The weight! I think this is now the heaviest bike in the 650 line up in excess of 240 kgs. This is a lot of weight and no matter how much it masks itself on the move, the point is that there are going to be daily occasions when it has to be maneuvered in the parking lot, or ridden in stop-go traffic. RE needs to take this platform on a diet. There is just no point in launching a 650/750 himalayan which would weigh more than a quarter of a ton!

[SupMeteorStorme]

Does anyone know if we can retrofit Classic 650's front foot-controls on Super Meteor 650? I want to convert my SM650 to mid-controls.

[buzzy_boy]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

All things considered, my test ride experience of the Classic 650 smashed to smithereens all my preconceived notions of what Royal Enfield had up its sleeve. From my first test ride experience, this is a genuinely good motorcycle which goes almost as well as it looks, and that is very high praise indeed. In due time, the Classic 650 is bound to become the 650 twin variant that sells the most, every month and deservedly so!

Awesome review!

I've been scratching my head over RE's lack of marketing effort for the Classic 650.

A small but weird range of colour options, lack of tubeless tyres, limited accessories list, and no media hype (apart from one half-hearted review attempt from Autocar India). I mean, RE have a genuinely great product, and they're not going to town marketing it.

I feel this is because the Classic is so good that RE fears it would wipe out what limited sales the Super Meteor and the Shotgun gather.

[raman.aries]

OMG! What a gorgeous motorcycle.
For someone who is a fan of the bullet motorcycle shape, this is a truly handsome machine.
They have managed to keep it handsome and proportional despite the larger engine. I assume this has a longer wheelbase too, but it certainly looks well-proportioned.
Had I not bought a Himalayan 450 in this Jan, I would have definitely gone for this.

[Mu009]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

After a chat with the company showroom folks, I was given the opportunity for a slightly longer than usual test ride of the Classic 650.

Loved your take, as usual, but am I mistaken in thinking you didn't opine on the suspension setup?

I looked through both posts to check, and I don't think there's any mention of ride quality/suspension setup apart from the pre-load being set to the softest on the showroom floor.

Given REs recent track record with new launches, that's what I'm most interested in. Don't make me wait for the MotorInc First to find out