2023 Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650
Royal Enfield have expanded their 650 line-up for 2023, introducing a new Super Meteor cruiser to the range, in a move that will ensure they’ve got a more competitive, larger capacity offering, as a stepping stone up from their 350s.
That’s a win for riders who prefer more performance and a higher specification package, with the Royal Enfield 650s renowned for offering great value and being a much better package all round than their lower capacity siblings, a trend likely to continue with the Super Meteor.
In firsts for Royal Enfield the new cruisers runs upside-down forks, while an LED headlight is also breaking new ground for the Indian brand, and will hopefully be carried across in future Interceptor and Continental 650s updates.
Two variants will be offered the base Super Meteor and a Super Meteor Grant Tourer, which naturally offers extras that support it’s namesake.
That’ll be joined by an extensive accessories range, offering a tall screen, panniers and comfort seat for touring, along with crash bars and much more, ensuring the bike can be customised to the rider’s needs.
For the Grand Tourer standard extras include deluxe two-seater saddle, windshield, passenger backrest, deluxe footpegs, travel cases, high handlebar and LED indicators.
The 648 cc parallel-twin offers 47 hp and 52 Nm of torque, with 80 per cent of torque available at just 2500 rpm, ensuring accessible performance.
Different mapping and gearing have both been rolled out to suit the cruiser incarnation, and while handling probably won’t be as nimble as the Interceptor or Continental GT, there should be decent go.
A low seat height of 740 mm is also ultra accessible, with a pretty admirable weight of 241 kg – for a cruiser.
Wheels are a 19 and 16 inch combo, and there’s a single disc brake front and rear, which is probably enough for a cruiser with under 50 horsepower, but they aren’t likely to win any braking accolades. ABS also appears to be fitted as it is mandatory in many markets these days.
A set of traditional shocks support the rear above the handsome dual exhausts. Bodywork is all new, as is most of the bike apart from the engine, according to Royal Enfield, with a focus on a higher build quality.
That’s reflected in cast switchgear, an eye catching triple-tree and the use of metal bodywork instead of plastic, while retaining the very Royal Enfield DNA from the smaller 350s.
There’s a dual dash layout with the smaller clock the Royal Enfield Tripper nav system, with a phone able to be plugged into the bike via USB and offering simple navigation prompts.
A wide cruiser style tank holding 15.7 litres is joined by a widening rider seat that looks comfortable, the small pillion perch not so much…
Overall the Super Meteor looks like the next evolution in Royal Enfield offerings, that’s upping the specification and build quality further.
Royal Enfield reckon there’s nothing like the Super Meteor available too, but I’d have said the Benelli 502C and Kawasaki Vulcan S both sit in the same cruiser segment, but offer a much more modern take in regards to styling.
The Super Meteor does look like a pretty attractive option compared to bikes like the Street 500, V-Star 650 and may attract those after a more traditional cruiser from the CMX500, if the price is right.
Colour options include Astral Black, Astral Blue, Astral Green, Interstellar Gray and Interstellar Green, while the Grand Tourer only comes in Celestial Red or Celestial Blue.
We’ll update with a full spec sheet when that’s released.
The pricing and arrival of the Super Meteor 650 has yet to be announced for Australia & New Zealand.
Check out the Royal Enfield launch video from EICMA:
