So why did I journey 400 miles (~650 km) to the Himalayan foothills from Delhi simply to journey and share my ideas on a motorbike? Effectively, you may’t actually overview a Scrambler by merely driving round city on flat tarmac, are you able to? So I scrambled.
It’s been a minute since Royal Enfield launched the Bear 650, a scrambler-style bike primarily based on its vastly fashionable 650 platform. And whilst you may suppose Enfield merely revised some bodywork of the Interceptor 650, slapped some knobby tires on, and mentioned voila, there’s extra to it than meets the attention.
Sixty-five years in the past, a 16-year-old chap referred to as Eddie Mulder rode a 500cc Royal Enfield Fury and gained the Large Bear Run, an off-road desert race held in California. Why is that related. Effectively, that’s precisely the race that impressed the Bear 650. From its shade scheme to the Two 4 9 numbering on both facet (249 being Mulder’s race quantity within the legendary race).
Utkarsh Sood / New Atlas
Design
Since we’ve began with the exterior components, let’s get going from there. The styling is probably the Bear’s greatest power. It appears downright stunning. All of the basic scrambler components are there: extensive handlebars, a protracted bench seat, the off-road-oriented driving place, and knobby tires (which can be a like-for-like imitation of the Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR).
I like the colour schemes – they’re vigorous and, fairly actually, a superb break from the normal, black, gray, white monotones. Particularly the Two 4 9 model I had with its white tank and turquoise-green metal tube body – it turned loads of heads on my journey.
Engine
The Bear is quintessentially primarily based on the Interceptor 650, albeit with a couple of (vital) tweaks to the engine. It’s the identical confirmed 648cc air/oil-cooled twin-cylinder engine with a 270-degree crankshaft offset. It produces the identical 47 hp peak energy because the Interceptor, however the torque now will get boosted to 42 lb.ft (57 Nm). That is because of the brand new 2-into-1 exhaust system with an elegant, blacked-out rear muffler on the prime.
Utkarsh Sood / New Atlas
The engine presents a reasonably broad, helpful torque vary that lets you journey with out continuously altering gears. And though Royal Enfield claims there’s round 8% torque increase, on the saddle it someway feels way more – from low revs all the best way to the rev limiter at 7,500 RPM, the Bear by no means ran out of steam as soon as.
Newest-day bikes would completely smoke the Bear 650, however you’d be lacking the purpose should you had been chasing energy right here. In typical Royal Enfield trend, it’s maybe loved finest with the “much less energy” it has. Straightforward, unassuming, charming.
Underpinnings
That engine is mounted on a metal tubular backbone body, however Royal Enfield engineers have added a brand new subframe and strengthened the steering head to supply higher stiffness. It will get an off-road-oriented Showa suspension setup that contains a 43-mm inverted fork that provides 5.1 inches (130 mm) of journey and twin adjustable rear shocks that supply 4.5 inches (114 mm) of journey.
This brings me to maybe this bike’s Achilles heel: its suspension. Whereas the entrance holds its personal and does fairly properly, it is the rear suspension that’s so dangerous that you just’ll instantly really feel it in your again a couple of miles into the journey. Even on the lowest spring preload setting, the rear shock is apparent poor.
Utkarsh Sood / New Atlas
Braking duties are taken care of by a ByBre 320-mm entrance disc and 270-mm rear disc with dual-channel ABS, which, by the best way, might be switched off. You get wire-spoked wheels, 19-inch on the entrance and a 17-inch on the rear.
In comparison with the Interceptor, the foot controls have been moved again, so your knees are extra bent than normal. The handlebars are wider and a tad taller, however personally, I’d desire handlebar risers to make it even taller to swimsuit my 6-foot top. The seat top of 32.7 inches (830 mm) may sound intimidating, however contemplating the seat is good and slender on the entrance, you’d be capable to flat-foot the bike comparatively simply.
Tech & different options
It options all of the essential bits like LED lighting, a pleasant 4-inch spherical TFT Tripper sprint with navigation by way of Royal Enfield’s smartphone app, and USB-C charging. And that’s about it.
The Bear is a bare-bones, no-frills bike that does not confuse you with a thousand buttons and a giant touchscreen. It’s easy – there’s the throttle, the brakes, and the clutch. You recognize what to do.
Utkarsh Sood / New Atlas
Summing up into concise factors, right here’s what I preferred and what I disliked concerning the bike:
Professionals:
- It’s a well-styled bike
- The engine feels relaxed, and there’s sufficient torque on provide throughout the rev vary
- The digital sprint with built-in Tripper navigation works like a attraction
- The 19/17-inch wheel setup could be very sensible for what the bike is supposed for
Cons
- The flat seat, whereas properly contoured, could be very agency
- The rear suspension is extraordinarily stiff, no matter the way you toggle the preload
- It’s heavier than the Intereceptor
- Not the most cost effective 650 to select from Royal Enfield’s catalog
Utkarsh Sood / New Atlas
Using the bike for a few days within the foothills of the Himalayas gave me an excellent thought of what the Bear 650 is able to. Throw nice tarmac, winding roads, and heck, even highways at it, and it’ll reduce via miles like knife via butter. It even handles mild off-road, trails, and dust roads comparatively properly.
After the Himalayan, it’s maybe essentially the most off-road-adept bike in Royal Enfield’s secure. One take a look at it and also you’ll notice that it’s maybe the closest interpretation of the scramblers of the Sixties after Triumph. Talking of which, it comes as a superb value-for-money different to Ducati Scrambler and Triumph’s Scrambler bikes.
The Bear 650 is available in at a beginning value of US$6,849. That’s half the price of the Ducati Scrambler and Triumph Scrambler 900. Heck, being a correct twin-cylinder bike, it’s priced on par with Triumph’s single-cylinder scrambler, the 400XC.
The place it falls quick is in its suspension, and it’s handlebar – small areas that may in all probability be improved via aftermarket options. However nothing that may be a deal-breaker in there.
Utkarsh Sood / New Atlas
You’d count on Royal Enfield to have come out with a scrambler sooner. Let’s be trustworthy: constructing a scrambler round an already established road-going retro isn’t something new. Triumph has been doing it for years, and with Royal Enfield already having the Interceptor 650 on its books for the higher a part of the final seven years, I’d say it was about time we bought a legit scrambler bike by Royal Enfield.
Which is strictly why I believe persons are sleeping on the Bear 650. It’s, in my eyes, essentially the most pleasurable 650 in Royal Enfield’s secure, essentially the most handsome, and perhaps, simply perhaps, essentially the most full bike in there.
Supply: Royal Enfield
