2023 Kawasaki Vulcan S vs Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650: Competition Check

Kawasaki recently launched the updated 2023 Vulcan S in India, which now comes with a new paint scheme. Now, the Vulcan S has only one direct competitor in the form of the Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650. So, here’s a quick comparison between the Vulcan S and the Super Meteor 650.

Design and Styling

The Kawasaki Vulcan S follows the modern-retro styling philosophy, which is unlike the authentic retro design of the Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650. It gets non-traditional cruiser looks with a long-and-low stance, along with modern elements like an oval LED headlamp, an angular peanut-shaped fuel tank and cast wheels.

The Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650 features a quintessential cruiser styling that is inspired by the authentic American cruisers of yore. It features a lot of chrome elements around its LED headlight, exhaust mufflers and around the fuel-injection unit covers. The motorcycle gets a large round fuel tank, a low seat, and a chunky tail section. The top-spec Celestial trim comes with a long windshield, a touring handlebar, an ergonomic touring seat and a backrest.

Features

The Kawasaki Vulcan S gets a pretty modest feature list. It gets an LED headlight, dual-channel ABS as a part of the safety net, and a semi-digital instrument cluster. However, it misses out on smartphone connectivity or navigation, which is on offer on the Super Meteor 650.

On the other hand, the Royal Enfield Super Meteor comes with an LED headlight, a semi-digital instrument cluster along with the Tripper Navigation pod. Other features include a USB charging socket, LED taillight and dual-channel ABS.

Engine Specifications

As we mentioned earlier, the Vulcan S is a neo-retro cruiser, and that reflects in its mechanicals as well. It is powered by a 649cc parallel-twin motor, which also powers the Versys 650 and the Z650. However, Kawasaki has made changes to the engine tune, and the motor makes 59.94bhp at 7,500rpm and 62.4Nm at 6,600rpm. It is linked to a six-speed transmission.

On the other hand, the Super Meteor 650 also packs a 648cc parallel-twin motor that makes 46.3bhp at 7,250rpm and 52.3Nm at 5,650rpm. It is mated to a six-speed gearbox. We have tested the Super Meteor 650 comprehensively and recently did a 1000km in-a-day ride on the motorcycle. We can safely say that the bike offers effortless cruising abilities and excellent low and mid-range performance.

Cycle Parts 

The Kawasaki Vulcan S drops anchors with the help of a 300mm single disc up front and a 250mm disc at the rear. The safety net includes dual-channel ABS. Suspension duties are shouldered by telescopic front forks and an offset mono-shock at the back. The Vulcan S rides on tubeless tyres that are shod on alloy wheels at both ends.

Meanwhile, the Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650 features USD forks at the front and twin springs at the back. The motorcycle drops anchors with the help of a 320mm front disc and a massive 300mm rear disc, along with dual-channel ABS as standard. Similar to the Vulcan S, the Super Meteor too rides on alloy wheels that are wrapped with CEAT tyres.

Price

The 2023 Vulcan S is priced at Rs. 6,40,000 (ex-showroom Delhi). This is largely because of it being a CKD import, which attracts higher taxes. The Super Meteor 650 on the other hand, offers tremendous value at Rs. 3,78,900 (ex-showroom Delhi). What’s more, you also get an extensive list of accessories to customize the motorcycle according to your taste.

Variants

Lastly, the 2023 Vulcan S is available in a single variant, and only in the metallic matte carbon gray paint scheme. On the contrary, the Super Meteor 650 is available in three trims and seven colour options.