Since their introduction a few years back, Royal Enfield’s 650 Twins have won over a great many riders around the world. Their character, fit, finish, and style have simultaneously been both retro-modern and timeless—which is as winning a combination in 2020s motorcycling as it has ever been. Still, of course, fans hoped for more, because fans always hope for more.
While Enfield has lately been revamping and expanding its lineup of 350cc machines to entice new and returning riders to the fold, riders wanting something a little bigger were left to wonder, “what about us?” At EICMA 2022, the wait is finally over, because the whole team got together to pull the covers off the long-awaited Super Meteor 650 at last.
It is, of course, powered by the same solid, reliable 648cc parallel twin found in the Continental 650 and INT 650. It makes a claimed 47 horsepower at 7,250 rpm and 52 newton-meters (38.3 pound-feet) of torque at 5,650 rpm. How does power delivery compare to the 650 Twins? It’s reportedly a bit different, but of course the true proof will be in the riding, once people are able to touch this bike and not just look at it.
Gallery: 2023 Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650
Although the styling is unmistakably Enfield, there are also some first thrown in for good measure. The Super Meteor 650 gets an upside-down fork up front, as well as full LED lighting—which are firsts for the brand. The company also says that it paid particular attention to all kinds of small details, such as the cast aluminum switch gear on the handlebars—wanting to exude a truly special fit and finish for riders of its new top-of-the-range cruiser.
It rolls on a 19-inch wheel up front and a 16-inch wheel in the rear shod in tubeless Ceat tires. As far as braking, the Super Meteor 650 gets a single 320mm brake disc up front and a 300mm one in the rear. Seat height is 740mm, or just a hair over 29 inches—in fitting with its vaunted cruiser character. Since Enfield seems to be outfitting all its new bikes with Tripper Navigation, it’s no great surprise to find that comes standard on the Super Meteor 350, as well. Curb weight is a very hefty 241 kilograms—which works out to just over 531 pounds.
See all the news about the EICMA
What about trim levels and colors? At launch, the Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650 will come in two trim levels: Standard, and Tourer. It will also come in three color families: Astral (three colors), Interstellar (two colors), and Celestial (two colors). As you might expect, Celestial is the top-of-the-range, and will only be available for Tourer machines.
