Leisure bike specialist Royal Enfield has launched two all-new motorcycles Interceptor 650 and Continental GT 650 marking its entry into the twin cylinder mid-capacity segment.
The Interceptor 650 starts at $5,799 (about Rs 4.25 lakh) and the Continental GT 650 starts at $5,999 (about Rs 4.4 lakh). Both bikes are presently launched only in the US through exports from the Royal Enfield factory near Chennai.
India launch of the two bikes is expected in November or December this year and prices are expected to be much lower than the US prices.
Royal Enfield is also offering add-ons on the two models. The custom version of the Interceptor, for instance, is priced at $5,999 while the chrome variant is priced at $6,499. Likewise, the custom version of the Continental GT is priced at $6,249 and the chrome variant comes priced at $6,749.
The two bikes do not have any direct competition from any manufacturer in the segment they are positioned in. A 750cc engine-powered Harley-Davidson, is the closest competitor to Royal Enfield. The smallest engine on the Triumph Bonneville is a 900cc.
This is the first all-new model launch by the Eicher Motors-controlled company in more than two years. Their last new model launch was the Himalayan in early 2016. This is also the first time that a new model launch by Royal Enfield has happened outside India before they are launched within India.
Both bikes use a completely new chassis and engine developed in-house by Royal Enfield. Powered by a 648cc, air/oil cooled parallel twin engine, generating peak power of 47 bhp @ 7250rpm. This also the first time that a 6-speed gearbox is used by the company.
The Continental GT 650 comes with a fuel tank of 12.5 litre. The bike weighs 198kg (without fuel). The Interceptor weighs 202kg (without fuel) and has a fuel tank capacity of 13.7 litre. Royal Enfield is offering an option of six colours on the Interceptor and an option of five on the Continental GT.
Having showcased the bikes first in November last year launch of the two bikes was running behind schedule by some months as the company had issues with regards to production ramp up at its factory.
Ready units of the two bikes will be in limited numbers to start with as their full ramp-up is expected only four months later. The company is already running its production at its two factories at full capacity.
Production ramp up will happen in a phased manner. By the end of this financial year the company will be in most of the important markets around the world, as stated earlier.
“We won't have any capacity issues with the twins. The ramp up will be slow. By March 2019 we will be able to deliver what the market requires”, Siddhartha Lal, MD and CEO, Eicher Motors, told analysts.
While the Interceptor is a new bike, the new Continental GT is a replacement of the now-phased-out Continental GT, which was powered by a 535cc engine.
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