Launched at this year’s EICMA, the new 2025 Royal Enfield Classic 650 motorcycle offers classic style, affordability and a comfortable ride. It’s not perfect, especially if you push the limits, but if you like the look, you’ll probably like the feel, too.
When a cynic comes across Royal Enfield’s new Classic 650 motorcycle, the first thing a cynic might think is, “OK, what’s the trick in this?”
You know, how did Royal Enfield manage to offer such an attractive bike at such a reasonable price? Sure, it’s all plastic, right? But then you pop everything off, including the side covers, and you hear the distinctive “ching-ting” sound of steel.
Well, the engine is probably junk, right? Unless you already know that’s not the case. The 648cc air-oil-cooled parallel twin that powers the Classic 650 is the same popular powerplant used in the Interceptor 650, Continental GT 650, Super Meteor 650, Shotgun 650, and the also new Bear 650.
Jason Critchell/Royal Enfield
The Classic 650 is priced at Royal Enfield’s highest price tag, at £6,499 in the UK, which equates to approximately $8,430 USD, but US pricing and availability have not yet been announced. If you look closely, you’ll see some cost savings. There are also Bolts that may not be as shiny in 10 years. The plastic dials on the adjustable brake and clutch levers will probably need to be replaced sooner or later.
But overall, the only explanation for this is witchcraft. Royal Enfield is the fairy godmother of motorcycles. It waved its wand over a medium-sized standard motorcycle, whispered “bipity bapity boo,” and gifted us with something wonderful to take to the Excellent Gentleman’s Ride Ball. However, this bike won’t turn into a pumpkin at midnight.
A bicycle with a story
The Classic 650 isn’t that classic after all. Royal Enfield proudly traces its motorcycle history back to 1901. At the time, the brand was British, with operations in Redditch, England. The Classic 650’s style is inspired by models from the 1930s and 40s, but it was designed much later.
Jason Critchell/Royal Enfield
In the 1950s, Royal Enfield’s operations were moved to India. Shortly thereafter, the bike became an all-Indian operation, producing more or less the same bike over and over again over several decades. Famously, a 1955 Bullet 500 can be repaired with 1995 parts, and vice versa. Royal Enfield became an institution in India and a historical footnote almost everywhere else.
However, in the 90s, Royal Enfield was acquired by Eicher, another Indian company with European (in this case German) roots, and things started to improve. Ten years later, now with a string of financial ducks and rapidly improving quality, the company was about to launch a new (but not significantly different) engine: a fuel-injected 500cc single engine. .
To introduce this new engine and new direction, the company wanted a model that spoke to its history and roots. To do this, they turned to the design firm run by Mark Wells, based in Newcastle, England. Wells and his team invented the Classic 500. Introduced in 2008, it quickly became a popular model and became the inspiration for the Classic 350 model a few years later.
In 2010, Royal Enfield was producing 50,000 motorcycles per year. After 5 years, we were producing the same amount every month. Last year, the company sold about 920,000 bicycles worldwide. Things are going well. These beautiful, relaxed, unintimidating, simple and affordable machines are a pleasant surprise to many of today’s bikes packed with electronics and connectivity, all digital throttles, rider aids, and screens that look like tablets. It becomes an antidote.
Amidst this recent success, and approaching its 125th anniversary, the company decided it was time to modernize the classics.
Jason Critchell/Royal Enfield
first impression
If you stare at your bike for a while or fiddle with the fenders, you’ll inevitably want to throw your foot out. Let me explain briefly about the saddle. All photos attached to this article show bikes with solo seats. Royal Enfield set up the bike that way at the press launch because it looks cool. But in reality, when you buy a bike, it also comes with passenger accommodations. This can be quickly removed by loosening two bolts.
I can’t speak for the passenger seat, but the spacious solo seat is certainly comfortable and suitable for long distance drives on a naked bike. Or at least ride for as long as the 14 liter tank allows. Exactly how comfortable it is depends somewhat on your physical measurements. I am 186cm tall and weigh 76.2kg. As you can see from the photo, it’s a little cramped on this bike. It’s not uncomfortable, but I definitely don’t want it to get any taller or wider.
The controls are…well, exactly where they’re supposed to be when I ask for them, and the seating position is very upright so it would live up to the expectations of grandma at the dinner table. The scenery in front of me is clear. The dials and screens embedded in the Classic 650’s old-fashioned headlight nacelle are small and unobtrusive. An analog speedometer, a small digital readout that provides basic information (fuel gauge, odometer, etc.), and an easily ignored tripper device. Pairs with your mobile phone to provide navigation.
This bike is much easier to handle than its 536 lb (243 kg) wet weight would lead you to believe. I didn’t realize how heavy the bicycle was until I rode it, but I was really surprised at how heavy it was. I don’t really feel like that.
Jason Critchell/Royal Enfield
engine
With the turn of the key, the Classic 650’s tried-and-true twin slam sound comes back to life with ease. The engine noise is a little quiet when you’re sitting, but it can be heard from a distance.
At multiple points during the press ride, other journalists lit their bikes on fire in front of and next to me, and my emotional reaction was: “Oh, I wish my bike sounded like that too!”
But of course it happened. I couldn’t discern it from where I was sitting. I think it’s probably due to the old-fashioned pipes that direct the sound away from the rider.
That way, you can take full advantage of the bike’s 46.4 hp (34.6 kW) of power and 38.6 lb-ft (52.3 Nm) of torque with the engine’s smooth power delivery, confident that you’re getting a truly great sound. You can. Of course, these aren’t exactly numbers for the Ducati Panigale, but in the context of an affordable, classic-style bike that aims to provide that old-fashioned sunny day feeling, it’s just what the doctor ordered.
Jason Critchell/Royal Enfield
I’m sure the overwhelming majority of people who buy this bike will never want more power. But that being said, if you’re really making progress (i.e., riding in a way that’s guaranteed to get your license suspended), you’ll find that your engine loses its puff sooner than you think. Like.
As I drove through the North Pennines in northern England, I tried to keep up with the aforementioned Mark Wells (currently Royal Enfield’s head of design and who played a key role in the development of the classic 650). I found myself constantly hitting the revs hard. 1st, 2nd and 3rd speed limiter.
At real-world highway speeds (i.e. above 75 mph / 120 km/h), engine vibration was noticeable and bordering on being annoying. We totally felt this engine could cruise all day at such speeds, but it’s probably not something you’ll enjoy for long.
While the Classic 650 isn’t actually a British twin, it’s built very much in the spirit of these famous machines. Therefore, I felt obligated to test its ability to “do a ton”. As we throttled back and I yelled encouragement, we got pretty close, but never really hit (or exceeded) the magic number.
Again, that probably doesn’t matter to the overwhelming majority of people who buy this bike.
Jason Critchell/Royal Enfield
what it’s like to ride
Equally unrelated, I suspect, is the fact that the chassis isn’t really designed for the aforementioned “progressive” riding style. If you try to throw this hard into a corner, you’ll tremble in discomfort. Suspension is not adjustable. Tire sizes are classic: 19 inches at the front and 18 inches at the rear.
Brakes are good, but not great. A fellow journalist observed that if you hit the rear too hard, the rear could lock up and the back end could drift a bit. That’s great if you’re him – probably – but probably not what most owners want in a car that’s supposed to be equipped with ABS.
But again, these are observations made by a moto journalist. Motojournalists are not ordinary people. They are certainly incredibly likable people, but they are not ordinary people. The average person isn’t going to look at the Classic 650 and think, “I’m going to throw my knee into this.”
Jason Critchell/Royal Enfield
Especially not the average person who would spend their own money on this bike. A normal person would ride this bike more or less within the law. The handling of this bike is excellent. It feels much lighter than it actually is and corners with ease. Whether you’re in the city or on a leisurely backroad, this is the kind of bike that will make you happy and make you feel good about life. This is the type of bike you want to see riding.
The Classic 650 is styled to evoke nostalgia for the heyday of British twins, but the 270-degree firing order means you get something closer to a V-twin experience. And that’s probably the best way to think about this bike. It doesn’t look like a modern Triumph Bonneville T100, but it feels like a lighter, more manageable cruiser with (slightly) more cornering clearance and less peg stretch.
worth the money
The downside of such a beautiful bike is that it has to be cleaned much more often and with more care than, say, a Suzuki V-Strom 650. That means the Classic 650 loses just a little of its price tag. Considering the additional cost of cleaning products;
Amidst this new, more dedicated cleaning regime, we come to what I consider to be perhaps the most troublesome aspect of this bike: where Royal Enfield chose to place the exhaust. Specifically, the left exhaust outlet is located in such a way that the chain is not easily accessible. If you want to clean, lubricate, and adjust the chain in a respectful manner that matches the look of this bike, you’ll need to remove the exhaust.
Jason Critchell/Royal Enfield
It’s not a difficult job. Just loosen two bolts. One is easier to access and the other is a little less accessible. Then, gently rock the exhaust to move it freely. But I can tell you from personal experience – I once owned a Triumph Bonneville T120 that had the same quirk – when you have to do it over and over again, it drives you mad. I will set it.
If I owned a Classic 650, I would almost certainly have Mark Wells blocking all my messages and saying, “Couldn’t you have lowered that one or two inches lower?!” You will mourn.
But in the grand scheme of things, this is a very minor complaint. The fact that that is my biggest complaint with the Classic 650 is a testament to my high opinion of this bike. Affordable, beautiful, and fun to ride (in that context), I think this bike is well worth the asking price. Royal Enfield has done its magic once again.
Source: Royal Enfield
