Royal Enfield 650 twins to get alloy wheels, new colors

Royal Enfield is gearing up to reveal the updated versions of the 650cc twins—the Interceptor and Continental GT 650—in India soon. The retro-inspired motorcycles will likely feature alloy wheels and new paint schemes as a part of their MY-2023 upgrade. Apart from these changes, the models will also get an onboard diagnostic system to become OBD-2 compliant.

• Two of the most affordable parallel-twin motorcycles in India, the Royal Enfield Interceptor and Continental GT 650 offer retro-inspired looks with decent performance and modern-age safety features.
• However, the lack of feel-good features such as alloy wheels with tubeless tires acted as a deal breaker for many young riders.
• The company is now trying to sort out the issue with the MY-2023 upgrade.

The 2023 Royal Enfield 650 twins will follow a retro design language and will flaunt large fuel tanks, round headlights, dual upswept exhausts, and single-piece seats. The motorcycles will house a semi-digital twin-pod instrument console, fork gaiters, optional bar-end mirrors, tubular grab rails, and squared-out taillamps. Both the Interceptor and Continental GT will ride on blacked-out alloy wheels with tubeless tires.

2023 Interceptor and Continental GT 650 will draw power from the same OBD-2 compliant 648cc, parallel-twin engine that generates 47hp of power and 52Nm of torque. The transmission duties on both bikes should be handled by a 6-speed gearbox with a slipper clutch.

For rider safety, the 2023 Royal Enfield Interceptor and Continental GT 650 will come equipped with disc brakes on the front as well as rear wheels, along with dual-channel ABS for improved braking performance. The suspension duties on both big bikes should be taken care of by 41mm telescopic forks with fork gaiters at the front and twin shock absorber units at the rear.

The pricing and availability details of the 2023 Interceptor and Continental GT 650 should be disclosed by Royal Enfield at their launch event, expected to happen soon. We expect both motorcycles to carry a premium over their current-generation models in India.