Royal Enfield’s new models, the all-new Interceptor 650 and Continental GT 650, are slated to go on sale towards the end of 2018, a slight delay over the originally planned mid-2018 launch date. These two motorcycles are arguably the most important ones in the modern history of the brand, because Royal Enfield is aiming to go truly global with them, in order to carve out a slice of the international leisure motorcycle market.

The new Interceptor 650 is a retro-styled touring bike, a design throwback to the Enfield Interceptor of the 1960s and ‘70s, and features an all-new 648cc parallel twin engine, putting out 47 bhp@7100 rpm and 58 Nm@ 5250 rpm, mated to a 6-speed gearbox; the emphasis is clearly on relaxed, fun riding, as opposed to furious performance.

The Continental GT 650 is an update of the now discontinued Continental GT with the 535cc, single-cylinder engine – Royal Enfield claims that there are no shared components between the two bikes. The new GT 650 is a classically styled café racer, with a focus on urban riding; it shares the new 648cc parallel twin powerplant with the Interceptor.

Both motorcycles are likely to be very competitively priced when they’re launched, in the region of Rs 3.5 lakh, ex-showroom. We will be riding both the Interceptor 650 and Continental GT 650 in the next few days in California, in the USA, so stay tuned for updates on our social media channels.