{} After a year of speculation, hints and motorcycling press snapshots of drab test bikes, Royal Enfield have officially shown off their long-anticipated twin cylinder motorcycles at the Milan EICMA Motorcycle Show. The Interceptor 650 Twin and the Continental GT 650 Twin are planned for release in Europe in April 2018. {} The two bikes will have a brand new 650 cc parallel-twin engine, marking the first time in half a century that Royal Enfield has such a bike on it's product line. Both the Interceptor and the Continental GT 650 are modern classics with a delightful profile evocative of the 1950's and 60's. {} The new Interceptor 650 shows its bloodlines clearly, harking back to the original Interceptor Mark I. The Interceptor and the Continental GT 650 use the same chassis and the engine. {} The Interceptor is more of an old-school roadster style motorcycle {} The Continental GT 650 is a full-blown café racer According to Siddhartha Lal, the CEO of Royal Enfield; “The bikes are in last stage of production. We expect to launch in some markets starting April next year and then through the year across various global other global geographies. Royal Enfield aims to lead and expand the mid weight (250 cc -750 cc) motorcycle segment globally. These two new bikes would help grow this segment.” {} The Royal Enfield Interceptor and Continental GT 650 are powered by an all-new air and oil-cooled 648 cc twin-cylinder engine that generates 47 bhp of power and 53 NM of torque. {} Developed at Royal Enfield’s UK technology centre in Leicestershire, the engine is intended to carry the classic Royal Enfield legacy and styling into a 21st century context. {}
I think they Look Fantastic! The Interceptor looks a lot Nicer than the GT, Shame it is such a low HP Engine but Looking forward to seeing one in the Flesh and the Thailand Prices!!!
The new 47 BHP 650cc "low HP engine" is actually pretty grunty compared to the latest; 900cc Triumph T100 and Street Twin has a very modest 54 HP - approx 15 HP less than a Versys 1200cc Triumph Speedmaster is only 77 HP - approx 8 HP more than a Versys... I think the focus has been keeping the Royal Enfield's performance just inside the EU / UK motorcycle license rules; Age 19-20 - 47 bhp max: the A2 licence. That's quite a large market segment, and it makes perfect sense not to exclude the bike from that market.
