EXCLUSIVE: Royal Enfield’s Super Meteor 650cc Cruiser Spotted Up Close

by Bernard Mascarenhas
Jun 28, 2022
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The cruiser’s exhaust note is gruntier than RE’s other 650s

Royal Enfield’s Super Meteor 650cc Cruiser Spotted Up Close

The Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650 has been spied in production-ready form, hinting that its launch could happen as early as the end of this year itself.

This test mule does not feature a windscreen, leg guard, rear rack, cushioned backrest, or saddle stays, unlike the test mule spied abroad. But we believe Royal Enfield will offer most of these bits and bobs as separate accessories or pre-installed as different variants, as it did with the Supernova and Stellar variants of the Meteor.

A video shared by our source also reveals that the exhaust note of the upcoming cruiser is bassier than the Interceptor 650 and Continental GT650’s. This gruntier exhaust note can be attributed to either a different engine tune or rerouted exhaust system, or it could simply be the result of our source’s camera’s audio settings.

You can also see an asymmetrical twin-pod instrument cluster in the spy shots. The main pod could be an analogue dial with a digital inset and the smaller pod could house the Tripper navigation unit, similar to the Royal Enfield Meteor 350. It’s also evident that the Super Meteor 650’s laidback design bears resemblance to the current Meteor 350. It features hefty and curvy bodywork, giving the essence of a proper middleweight motorcycle.

The Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650 will share the same 648cc parallel-twin, air-oil-cooled heart that powers the Interceptor 650 and the Continental GT 650. Expect it to make the same output figures as the 650 twins – 47.6PS and 52Nm – linked to a 6-speed transmission with a slip-and-assist clutch.

As for the underpinnings, the Super Meteor 650 sports an upside-down fork, similar to what was spotted on the Shotgun 650, coupled with twin shock absorbers at the rear. It also gets disc brakes at both ends paired with ByBre calipers, bolstered with dual-channel ABS. Just like the Shotgun 650, the RE Super Meteor 650 cruiser test mule was also running with alloy wheels and road-biased tyres.

Royal Enfield intends to bring out one new motorcycle every quarter for the next five years. The Hunter 350 seems to be next, based on an invite we have received from Royal Enfield. The Super Meteor 650 is likely to go on sale by late 2022 followed by the Shotgun 650 in early 2023. Expect this cruiser to arrive with a price tag of Rs 3.50 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi), which will make this the most expensive RE motorcycle yet.