India's leading motor bike brand Royal Enfield has revived its rich twin heritage and has unveiled its ground-up modern twin motorcycles the Interceptor INT 650 and the Continental GT 650 at the EICMA Motor Show in Milan.
The company says that the Royal Enfield Interceptor INT 650 ushers in the idea of the 1960. It gets a classic tear-drop shaped fuel-tank, quilted twin-seat and wide handlebars. It gets an all new, dedicated steel-tube cradle chassis makes the Interceptor INT 650 that claims the motorcycle to be an easy-going, versatile motorcycle perfect for both city riding and leisure rides. Siddhartha Lal, CEO Royal Enfield said that the company wants to be a leader globally in mid-range heavy weights and the Interceptor brings back the huge legacy of motorcycles back with modern engineering and technology. Both Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 and Continental GT 650 will meet Euro 6, BSVI norms and is expected to make its market debut in 2018. European markets would be the first markets to get these motorcycles in April 2018 and expect an India launch by in the second quarter of FY 2018-19.
Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 is equipped with classic 18” front and rear Pirelli tyres and twin shock absorbers, along with front and rear disc brakes with ABS. Ground clearance of 174mm and a seat height of 804 mm, ensure that the Interceptor INT 650 gives a superlative riding experience. The twin motorcycles are powered by the first modern Royal Enfield 650 twin engine. This new platform is a single overhead cam, 8 valve, air/oil-cooled, 648cc parallel twin, producing 47bhp and 52Nm. The engine claims to have a strong low and mid-range performance. The engine is mater to a six-speed gearbox, especially developed for this motorcycle.
The chassis has been developed from the ground up by the team at Royal Enfield’s UK Technology Centre, and Harris Performance. It has been engineered and fine-tuned for enhanced agility that can handle different terrains and speeds with ease while retaining the period classic style.
Introducing the Interceptor INT 650, Siddhartha Lal said, “The Interceptor INT 650 carries forward the Royal Enfield legacy into the 21st century. While in its essence it retains the design and old-school character, it has all the underpinnings of a modern machine. It combines agility, usable power, excellent ergonomics and style in an unintimidating manner. However, the Interceptor INT 650 is more than the sum of its parts; it is great fun to ride and brings a smile on your face every single time that you ride it.”