I vividly remember my first adventure with the lovely Royal Enfield Classic 350 – our long-standing model when I was just a trainee. It was early July and I was traveling to Mumbai from Pune while the monsoon was in full swing. Despite the unforgiving weather, this walk remains engraved in my memory. After that, I remember asking Rishaad (the main caretaker of the bike) for it every chance I got, and even though I absolutely adored him, I couldn’t help but wish a little more performance. Before that, my only other experience with an RE was my uncle’s Interceptor 650, and I wanted a bike that would combine the style and comfort of the Classic 350 with the performance of the 650cc parallel twin. And that’s exactly what the company did (well, almost). Say hello to the magnificent Classic 650 Twin.

Royal Enfield Classic 650 Twin design, quality, colors

There are beautiful bikes and then there are beautiful bikes. This Classic 650 Twin definitely falls into the latter category. The overall silhouette is a union between the Classic 350 and the Shotgun, two beautiful bikes to begin with, and it continues to build on that. You can definitely identify the Classic 650 Twin as a Classic, but you won’t confuse it with the smaller one. This big engine, its two pipes and its size make the 650 easy to identify.

The magnificent Classic 650 Twin has the best finish of any modern Royal Enfield.

Although the visuals are derived from the smaller 350, the 650 Twin’s color scheme is unique. Four colors are offered: Bruntingthorpe Blue, Vallam Red, Teal Green and Black Chrome. The latter two are colors seen on the original UCE Classic models and Teal Green is by far my favorite color here. It’s the only one of the four options to get a color-matched frame and main stand (yes, you read that right).

The heavy-duty clamp and chrome gear cubes are a premium and unique touch to the Classic 650 Twin.

The fit and finish is the best of any Royal Enfield to date and there are chrome trims everywhere. Even the control cubes and wheel hubs are chrome! RE wants to make it clear that you’re on the bigger Classic, so there’s a beefy clamp (of course it’s chrome) and, rightly so, even the headlight housing is truly stupendous.

Royal Enfield Classic 650 Twin weight, handling

At 243 kg, the Classic 650 Twin is the heaviest modern RE to date (at least until the Himalayan 650 arrives). Weight isn’t an issue above walking speeds, but you’ll feel every ounce of bracing the bike in parking and placing it on the main stand.

My only complaint about the design is that the gap between the rear fender and the tire is a bit unsightly. Don’t get me wrong, it’s nowhere near as unseemly as on a Harley X440, but on an otherwise good looking motorcycle it’s definitely a fly in the ointment. The bike you see in all the photos has a solo seat, but customer bikes will come with a passenger seat and grab bars, just like the Shotgun. The riding position is very neutral and you can easily spend a lot of time in the saddle.

Seat height is set at a relatively low 800mm, but this is perhaps the most durable bike with an 800mm perch to rest your feet on. I’m 1.70m tall and I could barely get both feet flat on the floor – and I had to sit on the lowest part of the seat to do that. To blame is the wide engine, which spreads your legs a bit. Smaller riders will need to find a workaround or look elsewhere.

Driving Experience in Royal Enfield Classic 650 Twin

Royal Enfield’s twin-cylinder engine has already received enough praise, but I am here to add more. It’s by far the best engine on any Indian motorcycle – at least in my books – and for good reason. Smooth, tractable and with torque almost everywhere, this engine excelled in every situation. Driving through sleepy towns, speeding around corners, and even maintaining a speed of 80 mph (124 km/h) on the highway, it all happened with reasonable ease. The engine is taken as is from the Shotgun, without mapping or gear changes.

The Classic 650 chassis is similar to the Shotgun, with the same main frame and steering geometry. The differences come down to a telescopic fork here versus a USD on the Shotgun, and different wheel sizes (19/18-inch wheels, like the smaller Classic – the Shotgun uses an 18/17 setup). The Showa fork measures 43mm in diameter and the dual shocks are the same as the Shotgun. Suspension travel is also the same fore and aft, at 120mm and 90mm respectively.

The stiff rear shock absorbers are the main drawback here.

Although the Classic 650 is a willing companion if you want to attack corners, the mid-footpegs can scrape without much effort and you have to adjust your body position accordingly. I also missed having a heel shifter, like on the smaller Classic, but those complaints are something I can easily ignore.

Ride and Handling of the Royal Enfield Classic 650 Twin

What I just can’t ignore is the stiff, jarring ride. And I say this after riding the Classic 650 Twin in the UK, where the roads are much better than ours. That’s literally the only thing actively stopping me (and I suspect will many others) from going out and buying one today, is how good the rest of the bike is .

The brake sizes of the grand Classic are the same as the Super Meteor and Shotgun, meaning they are sufficiently powerful but in a progressive manner. Fun fact: the calipers are RE branded but are the same ByBre units seen on the two aforementioned models. This is something, I am told, that will trickle down to other REs over time.

Dash is identical to the 350, Tripper standard on all colors.

Spec sheet enthusiasts may lament the lack of a USD fork but, honestly, I don’t think it’s any worse without one – that look suits the Classic better. Never once did I feel that the front end lacked feel or stability and we had a good feel for these beautiful British roads.

Same seats and mounting points as the Shotgun 650.

While lace-up wheels mean tubed tires today, Royal Enfield says that tubeless wheels with wire spokes are in development, which is encouraging to hear. However, it’s still early, so don’t expect to see them anytime soon. Hopefully you will then be able to install the tubeless wheels even on the upcoming Classic/Bullet single cylinder models.

Royal Enfield Classic 650 Twin expected price, verdict

Royal Enfield has not revealed the price of the Classic 650 Twin, but has hinted that the starting price will be in the ballpark of the Shotgun and in the best chrome color in the Super Meteor territory. This will certainly make the Classic 650 Twin a heart-to-heart purchase. You could also argue that the Shotgun and Classic are too similar in the way they ride and that the extra money you’re shelling out is just for the form factor and riding position.

With the Classic 650 Twin, Royal Enfield has made it clear that it is focusing on relatively untapped export markets. With what I’ve been through, I’m sure it will do them good and I wish them all the best. However, I can’t help but shake off that nagging feeling that the suspension will be a problem on our roads and while it will be a wonderful bike many days from now, it’s not the Classic 650 I dreamed of. I hope I’m wrong, but we’ll find out soon enough.