Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1088768
2019 ROYAL ENFIELD INT 650 & CONTINENTAL GT 650 FIRST REVIEW P100 these new Royal Enfields, for this is a little bike—okay, a middleweight—that thinks big. It's been cleverly developed to be all things to all riders, so that newbies and the less experienced can ride around town all day in sixth gear if they want, and the hyper- flexible engine will let them do so with zero hiccups or transmission snatch. But at the other end of the performance scale, it's a willing companion for a high-speed blast through the winding roads of the Californian Redwood forests to Skyline Boule- vard, and the legendary Alice's Restaurant. You'll never forget it's just a 650, because it doesn't have the torque or power of a 900cc twin or even a 750—but that's completely okay, because the Royal Enfield motor in- vites you to work hard at making it go fast— as it will. Just make maximum use of the light action slip-assist clutch and precise, if slightly notchy, gearshift (perhaps because the bikes were all so new, straight off the 3000-unit pre-production line) to keep it revving, and you'll be rewarded with impres- sive levels of performance from the 78 x 67.8mm SOHC motor if you kick it down two or three gears at a time, to get the en- gine working harder. It's a willing partner in making both new Royal Enfield Twins a ton of fun to ride hard. The engine's number one asset is the flawless mapping of the Bosch ECU achieved by RE's ex-Keihin computer mastermind Takashi Yamamoto and his team. It'd be impossible to improve on the fueling and especially the pickup from a closed throttle, which is ultra-smooth and devoid of even the slightest jerk. That's especially so after braking deep Cruising on the Continental GT First up was the single-seat Continental GT, and climbing aboard revealed a lengthy reach to the clip-on handlebars, delivering a sporty, hunkered-down stance on the move. The slim seat format where it meets the fuel tank and its 31.2-inch height allowed an easy reach to the ground, and my 5'10" frame found the seating position pretty comfortable, with knees tucked snugly into the gas tank cutouts. There's no undue weight on your arms and shoulders, and I felt far from tired after a 150-mile day of spirited riding, just exhilarated. The twin-cylinder engine identical to both models is defi- nitely the star of the show in terms of riding satisfaction on (Top) Enfield is not aiming the INT 650 at just new riders, hoping to provide a solid machine for any caliber of pilot. (Bottom) The GT is an integral part of the mind-blowing 850,000 motorcycles that get sold from Royal Enfield.