Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650: First Look Review

The Super Meteor 650 is Royal Enfield’s third 650cc motorcycle and will also be the most expensive one in its line-up. It is a full-blown cruiser. So, it gets a low-slung design, a pull-back handlebar, and a large rider seat. Now, it is being launched in India at a time when there are barely any cruisers at this price point. Plus, the Super Meteor 650 is largely being looked at as an upgrade for people who have been riding the 350s and the 500s for a long time. Here we bring you a comprehensive look at all that this new RE motorcycle brings to the table.

Royal Enfield has done a fantastic job of coming out with aspirational styling for the Super Meteor 650. In fact, at the first glance, the bike looks big and exhibits great road presence but at the same time, it doesn’t look intimidating. The overall design lines flow neatly from the front to the back. The fuel tank has a proportionate size and doesn’t look too big like the other cruisers. However, from the rear, the Super Meteor looks a bit too simple – blame the large rear mudguard. 

The Super Meteor 650 is available in some striking colours – black, blue, green, grey, and special green. The motorcycle also comes in a fancier version. Then, this model is fully accessorised and exudes a bit of that American classic cruiser feel.

There are a couple of things that the Super Meteor 650 gets that weren’t seen on the other twins. The first is the seat height of 740mm which makes it a super accessible motorcycle even for shorter riders. The other main cruiser traits that can be seen on the bike are forward-set footpegs and an easy-to-reach handlebar. This allows the rider to cruise for long hours, without the need of changing body positions  to counter the fatigue that usually creeps in. The presence of a large and wide seat also means the motorcycle can be used by large riders. However, the pillion seat looks a bit cramped and will be friendly only for city rides.

The Super Meteor 650 is based on the same platform as the Interceptor 650. So, a lot of the Super Meteor parts are shared with the INT, especially in the engine section. In terms of performance, the Super Meteor 650 gets the same 648cc parallel-twin air-cooled engine that produces 46bhp and peak torque of 52Nm. However, the engine mapping is different. The six-speed gearbox is also similar, but with different gear ratios to take care of performance due to the additional weight. 

But in terms of features and equipment, this cruiser is far superior to the other two twins. The Super Meteor gets alloy wheels — something the INT customers have been desperately waiting for years now. The presence of alloy wheels means the tyres are tubeless. Then, there are upside-down front forks — a first for Royal Enfield. However, it gets no adjustments for preload. Royal Enfield has equipped this bike with an LED headlight and also the famous tripper navigation system as standard. The turn indicators at the front and rear get bulbs, but LED comes as an accessory. Sadly, there's no USB charging port on this bike. However, the aluminium finish on the switchgear does make the bike look quite premium.

The Super Meteor 650 will be launched in India in January 2023. The bookings have already commenced but only for Rider Mania attendees. The actual bookings are likely to open from next month, with deliveries being planned for February. In terms of pricing, the Super Meteor 650 base model is likely to have a price tag of around Rs 3.2 lakh (ex-showroom) with the top model touching the Rs 3.4 lakh (ex-showroom) mark.