Royal Enfield Interceptor Bear 650 Is Here! Welcome to the 1960s (Price Update)

The Scram 411 has been the lone soldier in Royal Enfield’s vibrant lineup of motorcycles to fend off the threat from Triumph’s Scrambler 400X and sadly, we don’t see a lot of them on the roads. Hence, the chaps at Royal Enfield went back to the drawing board and came up with the new Bear 650. 

We had seen teaser images of test mules earlier and now, we get to see the motorcycle in the flesh. At first glance, it looks exciting!

The Interceptor Bear 650 seems to be a proper scrambler that embraces the retro DNA of Royal Enfield. While many may argue that the Bear 650 is another case of Royal Enfield getting lazy with a mix-n-match of parts from the existing bin, the overall package is different. It might share the DNA and the name of the Interceptor 650 but the Bear 650 is designed from the ground up to be a scrambler – unlike the other 650s in RE’s garage.

Although the Flying Flea C6 is topping the hype charts, Royal Enfield has quietly revealed the prices of the Bear 650 to draw more footfall to its showrooms. With a starting price of INR 3,39,000, the Bear 650 seems incredible value on paper. 

However, RE has been generous in revealing all the other crucial bits about its twin-cylinder scrambler motorcycle. Since we couldn’t keep our excitement in check (we are sure you share our enthusiasm), we decided to explore the specifications sheet of the new Royal Enfield Interceptor Bear 650 and how it fares against the rest of its tribe. 

But why is the motorcycle called a Bear?

Since a lot of you would be wondering, the 'Bear' in Royal Enfield Interceptor Bear 650 is a reference to the Big Bear Run, a desert race hosted in California since 1921. 

The Two Four Nine colourway on the Bear 650 is a tribute to motorcycle racer 'Fast' Eddie Mulder, who participated in the race in 1960 with a 500cc single-cylinder Royal Enfield motorcycle that had the number 249 painted on the front. At the tender age of just 16 years, he won the gruelling race and cemented his place in the world of motorsports. Although he raced for the entirety of his career on Triumph motorcycles, the foundation was laid on a battered old Royal Enfield. 

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Royal Enfield Bear 650: Is it a bigger Himalayan?

No. The Bear 650 is not even in the same league as the highly acclaimed Himalayan 450.

 However, Royal Enfield has designed a motorcycle with a large capacity engine that works equally well on and off the tarmac. That sounds like a likeable recipe, doesn’t it?

Let’s get the basics cleared. 

- The Interceptor Bear 650 shares the chassis and engine with the Interceptor 650. That’s where the similarities end.

-  The 648cc parallel twin-cylinder engine makes 47hp at 7,250 RPM but a higher peak torque of 56.5Nm at 5,150 RPM. The extra torque comes from the new single exhaust pipe, which also makes a throaty exhaust note. 

- The suspension is all new. The front gets 43mm Showa USD forks with 130mm travel whereas the rear gets rid of the gas-charged units from the Interceptor in favour of new dual shock absorbers with a travel of 115mm. The ground clearance, as a result, has gone up to 184mm. The seat height stands at 830mm, which makes it the tallest 650cc Royal Enfield motorcycle on sale today.

- The tyres on the Bear 650 are an all-new affair. In a similar fashion to retro scramblers of the 1960s, the front of the motorcycle features a 19-inch spoke wheel whereas the rear has a smaller 17-inch spoke wheel. Royal Enfield has gone for a bespoke MRF Nylorex block pattern on/off-road tyres and before you ask, these are tube tyres. 

Yeah, don’t ask us why Royal Enfield decided to skip giving an optional tubeless spoke wheel similar to the Himalayan 450. 

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What else is new on the Bear 650?

The styling is one of the key points of differentiation between the Bear 650 and the Interceptor 650. Royal Enfield has stayed true to the 1960s’ styling by going for a stripped-down visual theme. The number plate on the side imparts an authentic scrambler experience whereas the rear LED tailamp unit, which seems borrowed from the Hunter 350, looks retro. In fact, Royal Enfield is proud to present the Bear 650 as its first 650cc motorcycle with an all-LED lighting setup. 

Psst, hey Royal Enfield, Triumph and everyone else has already done it! It’s not revolutionary.

Nonetheless, the colour palette is as interesting as the rest of the motorcycle. The retro graphics add to the old-school charm and so does the painted frame in some of the variants. Our hearts can’t get enough of the denim-coloured seat on the Wild Honey and Boardwalk White colourways. 

The handlebar is wider and slightly raised in comparison to the Interceptor 650 but you get the same desirable chrome finish. The footpegs have also been repositioned for the purpose. The motorcycle is 2 kilos lighter than the Interceptor, tipping the scales at 216 kg when filled with fluids. 

But the biggest visual change from the Interceptor 650 is the onboard instrumentation. The Bear 650 gets the same digital dash as the Himalayan 450 and Guerilla 450 – the only exception being the chrome ring insert surrounding the display. Hence, you can stream Google Maps on the display while you are venturing off the grid. 

Royal Enfield Interceptor Bear 650 vs rivals

The Bear 650 starts at INR 3,39,000 for the Boardwalk White colourway. The Petrol Green and Wild Honey colourways cost INR 3,44,000 whereas the Golden Shadow colourway costs INR 3,51,000. The Two Four Nine colourway tops the Bear 650 lineup with a price of INR 3,59,000.

With such prices, the Bear 650 ends up being pricier than the current generation Interceptor 650. With rumours of a pricier 750cc Interceptor brewing, it seems that Royal Enfield could assign the duties of being the most affordable 650cc twin-cylinder motorcycle to the Bear 650. 

As far as the competition is concerned, the Bear 650 takes on the single-cylinder Triumph Scrambler 400X. RE’s accessible pricing could make it one of the most desirable multi-cylinder motorcycles in the country, provided that RE plays the price card well. 

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