Words: Abhishek Pandey | Photos: Akshay Jadhav
The Classic is a motorcycle that literally instilled a new life into Royal Enfield as a company and managed to attain a cult status it still enjoys today. Not only that, it is still the best-selling motorcycle from the bike maker. The Classic 650 promises to have all the good bits of the original Classic and take the legacy of the Classic even further. The bike has been teased for a long time and has gathered the attention of Royal Enfield aficionados as well as the general populace alike. However, would a bigger engine, larger dimensions, and more power be enough to make it as successful as the original Classic? Let’s find out!
The Classic has always been a pretty motorcycle and Royal Enfield decided not to interfere with the gorgeous and timeless design for the bigger 650. The design remains largely unchanged and retains the quintessential Classic look, although everything is a lot larger now. The 647.9cc engine acts as a stressed member and is housed inside the steel tubular frame, a bigger 14.5-litre tank, larger side panels, bigger fenders and the twin peashooter exhausts, all adding to the visual weight of the motorcycle.
The Classic 650 is based on the Super Meteor and the Shotgun 650 and carries the same kind of presence but with added grace. Royal Enfield has made sure that the quality of the Classic 650 is top-notch and it is easy to see up close. The LED headlamp is the same as on the 350, but the design of the pilot lamps has changed and looks a little odd, to be honest. The bike is offered in four distinct colourways: Bruntingthorpe Blue, Vallam Red, Teal Green and the Black Chrome. Our review unit was the beautiful Vallam Red, which to me looked like chocolate cherry and caramel candy with Royal Enfield written with a custom font on the teardrop tank. The paint finish feels top-notch, there is chrome everywhere, right from the switchgear to the wheel hubs and the fit and finish of every single part exude quality. The only thing that disrupts the beautiful flowing lines of the motorcycle is the powder-coated braces that hold the rear fender and simply feel out of place.
The larger dimensions come with added weight and at 243kg of kerb weight, the Classic 650 is the heaviest production Royal Enfield and the weight is pretty evident when you take the bike off from the stand or have to push it around. But start riding it and the weight disappears, even at crawling speeds. At 800mm the seat is taller than the other two bikes on this platform and also has more ground clearance at 154mm.
The wide handlebars, upright stance and low, mid-set footpegs allow for a relaxed and comfortable riding posture. Pair it with the wide and comfortable seat and you are set to ride all day long in relative comfort. The Speedometer has been carried from the Classic 350 with the same features, like the small LCD and a separate Tripper navigation pod. It also gets a USB Type-C charging port and carries the adjustable levers from the Super Meteor. The chrome switchgear carries a premium finish and adds to the overall aesthetics of the motorcycle. While it is hard to find aesthetic flaws on the Classic 650, the pillion seat is something that doesn’t really go well with the overall design, and the bike looks a lot better sans one.
The Classic carries the same 650cc air and oil-cooled inline twin-cylinder engine as its siblings, but gets a 42-teeth rear sprocket, unlike the 40-teeth on the Super Meteor. At 47PS and 52Nm the power figures are also identical and the bike carries the same composure and effortless acceleration. The six-speed gearbox is slick and becomes almost effortless to operate courtesy of the slip and assist clutch. The engine feels as refined as ever and there are hardly any vibrations. However, when you are riding it at higher revs, the vibrations become quite uncomfortable.
The Classic has always been associated with relaxed riding and this is where the Classic 650 surprises the most — while it retains the laid-back nature of the 350, it can also move with quite a bit of urgency should you so desire. There’s a 43mm Showa telescopic fork with 120mm of travel while the twin rear shocks have 90mm travel. The Shotgun and the Super Meteor were criticised for their stiff rear suspensions, but the Classic has a far superior ride quality. Its suspension feels adequately stiff but also absorbs undulations and bumps with ease. It stays planted on the straights and feels composed even while pushing the bike through the corners. Despite the weight, it handles like a charm and you don’t realise how fast you are going around the corners until you see the speedo.
It gets 19-inch front and 18-inch rear spoke wheels, unlike the Shotgun which has one-inch smaller wheels at either end. The tyres measure 100/90 at the front and 140/70 at the rear (radial) and I was impressed with the grip levels on offer. There’s a 320mm disc up front and a 300mm unit at the rear with dual-channel ABS, which is the same as on the Shotgun 650 and Super Meteor. While the braking felt adequate, the rear brake offered more bite and the front brake seemed to struggle to get all that mass to a halt.
The Classic nameplate commands a cult following in India, so the Classic 650 has big shoes to fill and it seems to have all the right ingredients to live up to the expectations. It looks gorgeous, offers a better riding experience than its siblings and at a starting price of ₹3.37 lakh ex-showroom, it has been priced really well. The Royal Enfield Classic 650 Twin isn’t the same Classic you are used to, but it indeed has everything that makes it capable of becoming a future classic!
