- Equipped with touring accessories
- Remain unchanged mechanically
Royal Enfield has announced the new Lightning edition of the Interceptor 650 and the Thunder edition of the Continental GT 650 for the international markets. These bikes are essentially modified versions of the standard bikes which have been decked up with factory accessories.
Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 Lightning edition
The Interceptor 650 Lightning edition is equipped with a bunch of accessories which lend it a scrambler look. It gets a touring seat with a ribbed pattern, a fly screen, an aluminium sump guard, small engine guards, touring mirrors, and a CNC oil filler cap. Adding to its form as well as functionality, Royal Enfield has equipped the bike with removable soft panniers as well. The prices for this edition start from £6,459 (Rs 6.38 lakh) in Europe.
Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 Thunder edition
The add-ons on the Thunder edition of the Continental GT 650 are the same as the Interceptor 650. While these accessories make it slightly more inclined towards touring, the riding position offered by its stock handlebar and footpegs continues to be sporty and committed. In Europe, the starting price of the bike is £6,659 (Rs 6.58 lakh). Now, in terms of engine, hardware, and features, the Lightning and Thunder editions are identical to their respective standard counterparts.
Royal Enfield Interceptor 650, Continental GT 650 Engine and hardware
Powering both these bikes is a common 648cc, parallel-twin, air/oil-cooled engine that produces 47bhp at 7,150rpm and 52Nm of peak torque at 5,250rpm. Transmission duties are handled by a six-speed gearbox along with an assist and slipper clutch.
Coming to the hardware, both bikes ride on 18-inch spoke wheels that are suspended by 41mm telescopic forks up front with 110mm of travel and dual springs with 88mm of travel at the rear. Braking, meanwhile, is handled by a 320mm and 240mm disc at the front and rear, respectively, accompanied by dual-channel ABS. While the Interceptor boasts a fuel tank of 13.7-litre, the GT 650 is equipped with a 12.5-litre tank.
While the Lightning and Thunder editions of the Interceptor 650 and Continental GT 650 are not on sale in India, one can still equip their bike with the same accessories from Royal Enfield’s official accessory catalogue.
