Royal Enfield Interceptor & Continental GT 650: Test ride & delivery timelines revealed!

Indian motorcycle manufacturer Royal Enfield is gearing up to launch the new Interceptor 650 and Continental GT 650 in India on the 14th of November. Now Sid Lal, the CEO of Royal Enfield has revealed to PTI that the Interceptor 650 and Continental GT 650 will arrive in showrooms by the end of the year at which time they will be available for test rides with retail sales beginning in early 2019.

Speaking to PTI, Sid Lal said,

These are the first bikes from Royal Enfield to be designed and developed for global markets, and it is really the starting point for Royal Enfield to become a global brand. We will start shipping the models to major markets by the end of this year when the bikes will be at stores for display and test rides. We are looking at retail sales by early next year.

Sid Lal’s quotes to PTI confirm the timeline of Royal Enfield’s plans to finally put the two inline twin motorcycles it unveiled last year at EICMA 2017 and launched in the US in September on sale for the general public. A few days ago, Royal Enfield launched the 650 twins – Interceptor and Continental GT – in the European market at EICMA 2018 in Milan, Italy by revealing the retail prices for the bikes in the continent and in the UK.

The Continental GT 650 and the Interceptor GT 650 are Royal Enfield’s first foray into the world of twin-cylinder motorcycles since the original British company folded in the 1970s. At EICMA 2018, Royal Enfield revealed the Concept KX, a design study with an 838 cc V-Twin engine, which pays tribute to the iconic KX 1140 V-Twin motorcycle from 1938.

The Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 and Interceptor 650 that will be launched in India on November 14 feature the same mechanicals but different designs to help distinguish them from each other.

Both bikes are powered by a 648 cc fuel-injected inline-twin engine that produces 47 Bhp at 7,250 rpm and 52 Nm of torque at 5,250 rpm. The engine is paired with an all-new 6-speed manual gearbox that is augmented by a slipper clutch with assist feature.

Both bikes feature a steel tubular, double-cradle chassis along with 41 mm front forks and twin shocks at the rear. Braking duties are handled by a 320mm disc up front and a 240 mm unit at the rear both of which are assisted by ABS. The 650 twins sit on 18-inch wheels fitted with a 100/90 tyre up front and a 130/70 unit at the rear.