Two 650cc Cruisers Battle It Out!

  • Published February 16, 2023
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Here’s how Royal Enfield’s latest cruiser stacks up against Team Green’s Vulcan S in terms of performance

Two 650cc Cruisers Battle It Out highlights

If you were looking for a 600-odd cc cruiser in India, the Kawasaki Vulcan S was your only bet. That was, until the Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650 was launched earlier this year. So is Royal Enfield’s most expensive bike’s performance good enough to make it a strong contender against the Kwacker? Let’s find out: 

Engines

Two 650cc Cruisers Battle It Out details
 

Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650

Kawasaki Vulcan S

Engine

648cc, twin-cylinder, air-/oil-cooled 

649cc, twin-cylinder, liquid-cooled engine

Power

47PS @ 7250rpm

61PS @ 7500rpm

Torque

52.3Nm @ 5650rpm

62.4Nm @ 6600rpm

Kerb Weight

241kg

235kg

Things don’t really go in the Super Meteor 650’s favour immediately. While both cruisers have twin-cylinder motors with nearly identical displacements, their power and torque output figures are drastically different. The Kawasaki Vulcan S leads this round thanks to its more sophisticated liquid-cooled engine.

Acceleration Figures

Two 650cc Cruisers Battle It Out overview

Acceleration

Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650

Kawasaki Vulcan S

0-60kmph

3.15s

2.51s

0-80kmph

4.90s

3.82s

0-100kmph

7.37s

5.83s

The acceleration figures, hence, don’t come as a surprise. With a whole 14PS and 10.1Nm more on tap while having 6kg less to lug around, the Vulcan S pulls ahead of the Super Meteor 650 with ease. The differences in their timings only increase as you go faster given the Vulcan S’ revvy motor. 

Roll-on Acceleration

Two 650cc Cruisers Battle It Out gallery

Acceleration

Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650

Kawasaki Vulcan S

30-70kmph in 3rd gear

4.34s

3.48s

40-80kmph in 4th gear

5.45s

4.13s

The Vulcan S’ highly tractable engine allows you to ride at lower speeds in higher gears and that can be seen in its superior roll-on acceleration figures too. Yes, the Enfield’s motor is quite torquey, but making more than 10Nm less while weighing 6kg more hampers its chances against the Kwacker.

Fuel Efficiency 

Two 650cc Cruisers Battle It Out showcase
 

Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650

Kawasaki Vulcan S

City Fuel Efficiency

23.63kmpl

20.58kmpl

Highway Fuel Efficiency

24.69kmpl

24.37kmpl

Fuel Tank Capacity

15.7-litre

14-litre

At city speeds is where the torquey nature of the Super Meteor 650 truly shines. Pootling around in higher gears is a breeze and all that bottom-end grunt means downshifts are minimal. With the gearbox being used that much less, the bike’s able to eke out a better fuel efficiency in the city. 

Two 650cc Cruisers Battle It Out glimpse

Both bikes, meanwhile, are more than capable for highway use and hence returned similar figures there. While both bikes are adept at mile-munching, the Super Meteor 650’s bigger fuel tank ideally translates to a better range. 

Verdict 

Two 650cc Cruisers Battle It Out snapshot
 

Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650

Kawasaki Vulcan S

Price

Rs 3,48,900 onwards

Rs 6,40,000

                                                                                            Both prices ex-showroom India

The Vulcan S, hence, sounds like a clear winner doesn’t it? Yes….and no. You see, Team Green’s cruiser isn’t a typical torquey one with a deep bassy exhaust note. It also lacks modern elements and while it looks attractive, it does come off as slightly dated. 

Two 650cc Cruisers Battle It Out visual

What the Super Meteor 650 manages to do is offer an authentic cruiser experience at a price tag that’s nearly half the Vulcan’s. The fit and finish levels are more premium too, while flaunting more sophisticated underpinnings. So if a torquey, laidback cruiser is what you’re looking for, nothing beats the Super Meteor at this price point.

Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650 Video Review

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Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650 Price in India
City On Road Price
Delhi Rs. 4,76,056
Kolkata Rs. 4,84,175
Bangalore Rs. 5,25,192
Hyderabad Rs. 5,16,854
Mumbai Rs. 4,92,295
Ahmedabad Rs. 4,83,720
Pune Rs. 4,88,558
Chennai Rs. 4,92,345
Patna Rs. 4,83,720
Jaipur Rs. 5,12,382
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