Throughout the years, we’ve had our fair share of iconic engines that have stood the test of time and made it onto all sorts of motorcycles. Right off the top of my head, Yamaha’s versatile and ever-dependable CP2 and CP3 engines are perfect examples of this. So, too, is Suzuki’s 645cc V-Twin found in the SV650 and V-Strom 650. The same can be said about KTM’s LC8c, Ducati’s Testastretta—the list goes on.
But one engine from a once-obscure manufacturer seems to be reaching this level, too. I am, of course, talking about Royal Enfield’s 650cc, air-cooled, fuel-injected, 270-degree parallel-twin. And if you’ve never heard of this engine, it’s probably because you’ve been living under a rock.
You could say that this engine is what propelled Royal Enfield into global stardom. It was and continues to be the defining feature of the original 650 Twins—the Interceptor 650 and Continental GT 650—which made their global debuts back in 2017. And suffice to say that RE’s milking this powerplant dry, as it has launched a seemingly countless number of new models powered by this engine.
Apart, of course from the Interceptor and Continental, we have the Super Meteor 650, the Shotgun 650, the Bear 650, and now, the new Classic 650. That’s a whopping six distinct models all powered by the same engine. It’s pretty cool, and yes, it’s definitely very, very smart.
The Classic 650, as its name suggests, is the most vintage of the vintage-inspired Enfield 650 series. It looks the part thanks to a whole bunch of chrome and polished aluminum components and wire-spoked wheels. This thing clearly focuses on style rather than performance, as it gets standard telescopic forks as opposed to the inverted ones found on the Super Meteor and Shotgun. It also ditches the tubeless alloy wheels for more contemporary spoked ones.
So yeah, if you told me that this bike came straight out of 1967, well, I wouldn’t doubt it for one second.
All that being said, the Classic 650 is, for all intents and purposes, a machine of modern standards. It comes equipped with dual-channel ABS, as well as RE’s now-ubiquitous LCD-analog dash with a tripper navigation pod. But despite all that tech, Royal Enfield has managed to retain the bike’s classic styling, neatly concealing all these farkles in a thoroughly retro-looking package.
As of the moment, Royal Enfield has yet to announce pricing for the new Classic 650. But you can bet it’s gonna be priced very competitively. RE’s 650 range of bikes has some of the best value out there, with the Interceptor 650 fetching a price tag just north of $6,000 USD. And so it’s more than likely that the Classic 650 will be priced around that ballpark, too.
