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Versys 650 owner test rides Royal Enfield Bear 650: First impressions

15th November 2024, 11:42 by Utkarsh Chaudhary

I have ridden the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 and compared to that I didn't find a big change in the seating of the Bear 650.

BHPian DieselAnna recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

From a close friend came to know that the Test Bike had arrived at the Kandivli West RE showroom. I dropped in to check out the bike.

Saw the Wild Honey colour in person and liked it. However, I enquired more about the Golden shadow, since I was interested in that colour.

Approx OTR with AMC and EW:
Wild Honey- 4,07,000
Golden Shadow-4,16,000

They took my details and handed over the key. I had to pull back the bike from parking and immediately realised the weight. The showroom was kind enough to let me ride how much I wanted. I guess because there were not many takers for this on a weekday afternoon.

I sat on the bike and took 2 mins to understand the controls, the ergonomics, etc.

First observation was, I didn't sit upright. I was expecting this because of the handlebar risers. However, had to lean forward a little. I have ridden the Inty 650, I didn't find a big change in seating, which I was lowkey expecting. The seat cushioning was comfortable. It had ample room to play around.

Got moving and sensed how smooth the gear action was. I was regularly checking the gear indicator to see if the gear had changed. I couldn't feel the lever movement from my shoes (I was wearing Quecha trekking shoes, it may be a factor). The braking was spot on. Even in city traffic, I could go upto 70-80kmph and managed to hard brake and the braking distance was very short.

As reported by many, the suspension is stiffer, it could be better. Let's see how it beds in after a few thousand kms. This bike had only 28kms on the ODO. So very early days. I rode for around 5-6kms in narrow lanes. I was very confident at slower speeds and the weight was never an issue. It's a well-balanced bike. I easily managed to take a tight U-turn without putting my foot down.

Enough has been said about the 650 engine. I will skip that part. It is one of the best engines out there.

I am convinced to buy this but the biggest downer is the spoked wheels. I will wait for a few weeks before I put down my money, because I know RE will bring the Tubeless spokes version. I doubt if alloys will look good on this bike.

Picture of the parked Test bike. My Versys 650 in the background. Some natural comparison may happen but these bikes don't have an overlap except the engine capacity.