Royal Enfield Interceptor 650: Starts arriving at dealerships in India

Royal Enfield will launch the Interceptor 650 and Continental GT 650 in India on the 14th of November 2018. The  Interceptor 650 has already begun arriving at Royal Enfield dealerships ahead of the launch. Here are a couple of  pictures of the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 snapped at a Delhi dealership.

Prices of the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 could start from Rs. 2.7 lakhs while those of the Continental GT 650 are  expected to start from a little under Rs. 3 lakhs. At these prices, both motorcycles will represent great value-for-  money, and will be the cheapest twin cylinder bikes sold in India.

Bookings for both bikes are likely to open from the 14th of November, the same day when they’ll be launched.  Deliveries are expected to begin a few weeks later. Royal Enfield has already started shipping these motorcycles to  international markets, where they’ve already been launched.

Both the Royal Enfield Interceptor and Continental GT 650 will share engines, frames and suspension. Key differences  between both motorcycles will be in terms of their designs. While the Continental GT 650 is a cafe racer with an aggressive riding position the Interceptor 650 is a street bike with an upright riding position.

The engine that will power both motorcycles is a 647cc, twin cylinder air-oil cooled unit. This motor makes 47 Bhp-52 Nm, and has been newly developed from scratch by Royal Enfield. The engine gets 4 valve heads run by a single, overhead camshaft. Fuel injection is standard. The gearbox is a 6 speed unit with a slipper clutch. The frame is a double cradle unit developed by Harris Engineering of the UK – a company that Royal Enfield has acquired.

Both motorcycles get disc brakes on both wheels, with standard dual channel ABS. The front suspension consists of  telescopic forks while the suspension at the rear is handled by twin, gas charged shock absorbers. Wire spoked wheels with tubed tyres are standard. The bikes are built at Royal Enfield’s new factory at Oragadam, off Chennai.