According to a report, the much awaited and most powerful Indian made motorcycles, the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 and Continental GT 650 will be launched in India in mid-2018. The report also mentions that RE dealerships will start accepting bookings for the twins for a token amount of INR 5,000, starting April 2018. Expected to be priced between INR 3.25 lakh – INR 3.75 lakh, the new RE twins could go on to become the most affordable twin-cylinder middleweight motorcycles in the country.
The two motorcycles grabbed a lot of eyeballs and attention at the EICMA motorcycle show in Milan, where they were first unveiled. Their new engine is bolted on a new double cradle, steel tubular frame, and the Continental GT 650 and the Interceptor 650 share numerous parts including the 320mm discs at the front, 240mm discs at the rear, ABS (available as a standard feature), 41mm front forks and twin shocks at the rear. A few dimensions such as the length, ground clearance and wheelbase too, are rated the same at 2122mm, 172mm and 1400mm respectively.
These new Royal Enfields use the first modern RE 650 twin engine. This new platform is a single overhead cam, 8 valve, air/oil-cooled, 648cc parallel twin, producing 47bhp of power and 52Nm of torque. The engine is tuned for a strong low and mid-range performance, retaining the Royal Enfield character of accessible torque through the rev range. Also new to the RE twins is the six-speed gearbox, which is augmented by its ‘slip/assist’ clutch. Both, the Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 and the Interceptor 650 will be available in a variety of colours and two distinct styles – Standard and Retro Custom. While the Standard range of colours take inspiration from the motorcycles of the 50’s and 60’s, the Retro Custom range is a bolder version of graphics and colours. Buyers can select from three colour options — Ice Queen, Sea Nymph, Black Magic.
Source: Financial express