In addition to the recently spied scrambler, RE is also working on a proper adventure bike powered by the 648cc parallel-twin.
Fresh from bringing you a picture of Royal Enfield’s first electric bike, we have now laid eyes on an official document outlining RE’s plans to develop a proper adventure bike based on the 650cc platform. This is not to be confused with the parallel-twin powered Royal Enfield scrambler that was spotted testing recently, but rather a true-blue adventure bike.
The document lays out the family tree for the 650cc platform, which shows a silhouette of what the planned adventure bike could look like. Listed as a derivative model of the lead model (the Interceptor 650), the adventure bike will undergo significant reworking to ensure it serves its intended purpose as an adventure bike. In the same family tree, the Super Meteor 650 is also shown as a derivative model of the Interceptor, despite sporting a completely different main frame and suspension setup, so you can expect the ADV to also be quite radically different to the Interceptor.
Royal Enfield 650cc ADV: details
To this end, on this ADV, you see wire-spoke wheels in off-road sizes, with the front rim visibly larger in diameter than the rear. Overall, you see the signature tall, upright ADV stance, with a scooped-out rider’s seat and a tall handlebar. Of course this image is simply a design brief at this stage, but it suggests that the rider’s triangle appears to be quite roomy, and there should be a considerable amount of wind protection offered by the sizable windscreen.
Other ADV bits include a rear luggage rack, an upswept high-mounted exhaust exit, and what seems to be a sump guard. The adventure bike also appears to have considerably more ground clearance than the Interceptor and Continental GT 650, and it wouldn’t be a stretch to expect significantly more suspension travel as well.
One thing that will be interesting to see is how heavy this adventure bike ends up being. The Interceptor already hovers around the 200kg mark, and the Super Meteor 650 is just north of the 240kg mark. Designed to take a beating, it’s almost certain that the ADV will weigh more than the Interceptor. By exactly how much, time will tell.
Royal Enfield future 650cc models
This news is sure to be music to the ears of Royal Enfield fans who have long been asking for a Himalayan 650. While there is no clarity on how far away this bike is or what exactly it will be called (and whether it will feature in the Himalayan family or get a name of its own), the good news is that it seems the people’s wishes will be answered. In addition to this, the 650 family tree also lays out plans for a whole host of new models planned on the twin-cylinder platform, and we’re not just talking about the Shotgun and the scrambler. So stay tuned for more details.
