Royal Enfield Interceptor & Continental GT 650 motorcycle bookings timeframe announced

Royal Enfield dealers will start accepting bookings for the Interceptor and Continental GT 650 twins from April 2018, according to the FinancialExpress. Both bikes will be launched in the middle of 2018. They will also be showcased at the 2018 Indian Auto Expo. Royal Enfield has already started shipping bikes to international markets like the UK and Australia, where these bikes will be launched early next year.

The UK dealer has revealed that the Interceptor 650 is expected to carry a price tag of 6,000 pounds, or Rs. 5.1 lakhs. In India, the bike is expected to be priced just above Rs. 3 lakh. The Continental GT 650 will be slightly costlier but well below the Rs. 4 lakh mark. Royal Enfield’s Siddhartha Lal has revealed that both bikes will be affordable enough for existing 350cc Bullet owners to upgrade, both in terms of purchase and running costs.

Both bikes will use a newly developed, 650cc twin cylinder engine. The air and oil-cooled engine is the most powerful unit that Royal Enfield has built in India, with peak power output at 47 Bhp while peak torque is 52 Nm. The engine is fuel injected and features a 6 speed manual gearbox with a slipper clutch. The engine gets an overhead camshaft,8 valves and a 270 degree crankshaft. This layout will give the engine a deep growl rather than the thump.

The bikes will share most mechanical bits and cycle parts, and this includes the double downtube frame, twin exhausts, steel spoked wheels, telescopic front forks, gas charged rear shock absorbers, hydraulic disc brakes on both wheels and ABS. In terms of styling, the Interceptor 650 will have a relaxed, street-bike design with a flat seat and a tall handlebar. The Continental GT 650 cafe racer will get an aggressive riding position with rear set footpegs and clip-on handlebars.