There is no comparison between Royal Enfield's 650cc twin-cylinder engine and KTM’s single-cylinder engine.
BHPian Blackmambaa02 recently shared this with other enthusiasts:
Buying a new motorcycle is always an exciting experience, so this post is going to be a long one!
But getting my hands on the Royal Enfield Bear 650 was something truly special. As an avid rider, I had been eagerly waiting for this machine, and once I finally got it, I knew I had to make it my own. This article is a deep dive into my journey—from purchasing the bike, adding accessories, taking it on its first long ride to Hyderabad, and how it felt to ride.
About myself & Why the Bear 650?
I have been riding a 1995 CI engine, which my parents bought me in the year 2008 for 35k (because it was the cheapest option, as Karizma R was 82k, which was a big no-no at the time), which was already with a new bore and a fresh coat of paint. I have always been a fan of cruising the roads, rather than racing on them.
I bought my first car in 2021 Feb - Thar 4X4 Petrol AT HT - Which at first look in the showroom stole my heart. And no, I don't use it to go over sidewalks, nor do I have spacers on the tires to make it "ROAD-BIG", Running on all stock rims and tyres. Frequently take it off-roading in Madikeri and Chickmagalur.
When the time came to buy the bike which checked all the items on my list:
- Stress-free engine at 100 kmph
- Map functionality for city use
- Less Maintenance
- Factory Kia-Like bike connect features
And for the price of ₹4,48,000 on-road, there isn't a bike that is as reliable as the soon-to-be legendary RE 650 twin-cylinder. There is no comparison between this engine and KTM’s grinder of an engine, which was my only other option. No hate to the brand—just that the RE's twin-cylinder engine is EXTREMELY refined.
Riding Gear:
For Myself:
A friend/guru of mine who taught me how to do off-roading (He has a Gurkha and a serious bike tourer - has covered all of India multiple times), Rides with a Solace brand jacket, which he had loaned me for a ride, I loved the ventilation options it had, hence:
- Jacket: SOLACE Furious Pro Touring Jacket (Black & Neon)
- Pant: SOLACE COOLPRO V3T.0 Mesh Pant (Black & Neon)
- Gloves: SOLACE Rival Carbon CE Gloves (Neon)
For the Bear:
There is this store in Namma Bengaluru's celebrated JC Road - Autonity, I went there to get handlebar risers for it as it feels low for my 6 ft frame.
They own a brand called Legundry Customs, where they had manufactured Bear accessories, and asked me if I could loan my bike to get it fitted for a photo shoot, and if I wanted to buy them, they would give me a discount as well. So I got the below:
- Saddle Stay
- Top Box Mount
- Back rest
- Crash guard (which I gave back as it mounts to the two bolts near the neck of the chassis, which I thought was unsafe with all the Himalayan's chassis being broken) -- Got OEM later - which doesn't bolt to the same place.
- Sump Guard (which I also returned as there was buzzing on the left footrest at 2.5 RPMs) -- GOT OEM later
- Maddog Alpha (Switch and wiring harness pro)
- Headlamp Grill
- MX Knuckle Guards
- AEW Performance CAT (Midpipe) - Sound has increased ever so slightly
- BOBO anti vibration waterproof phone holder
- RYNOX NOMAD SADDLEBAGS - Because it has an angle at the back to make way for the angled silencer on the right.
- LS2 Storm II helmet - With Pinlock
- Bluearmor C30 Intercom - With their new "Tuned by blu" speakers (Not JBL anymore), Lacks base, But extremely good when it comes to phone calls and loudness of the music.
Gear photo:
The First Ride: Hyderabad Bound
Had been to Kukke Subramanya temple on the day of delivery and came back and gave it for the first service the very next day - Around 550 km round trip from Mysuru. And this was with the bare - Bear.
Now, with everything set up, I decided to go for a proper test on the highway. The destination? Hyderabad - had to meet my team there (I work in an IT company), so I thought instead of taking a flight from Bengaluru, why not ride there.
The ride covered long stretches of highways, like extremely long, actually there isn't a single curve on it, and with occasional city traffic, giving me the perfect opportunity to test the bike’s performance in cruising conditions.
From the moment I twisted the throttle, the 650cc parallel-twin engine purred effortlessly, delivering smooth power. The torque delivery was impressive, making overtaking effortless - 6th gear all the way.
The riding posture was comfortable - but the rear suspension is really bad.
Good, but a late fix, which I found: Sagar Sheldekar Official
He suggested setting the pre-load to MAX, and surprisingly, I can now live with it. Haven't been on a ride after, but Bengaluru roads in certain places clearly showed me the difference.
Likes and Dislikes:
Likes:
- Engine smoothness - Nothing within this price range comes closer
- Torque - Helps in not changing gears a lot, single a lot of top speed focused thumpers (Single Cylinder engines)
- Ride connect app - All my stops and my travel are tracked in the RE app. Also shows the location of the bike at all times. (Even with the ignition off)
- Smooth gearbox - Engaging first gear hurts your heart - BIG THUD, moving through the rest of the gears literally feels like there are two gearboxes.
Dislikes:
- Suspension
- Excessive heat from the engine - Shoes and pants are a must to ride this within the city.
- No center stand - Even after removing the big stock CAT, we still need to do some welding to fit the Interceptor's center stand. (Missing a rod on the chassis which stops the stand from rotating at an angle when stood upright)
- Headlights - Worst!
- Weight - Should've been 15 kgs lighter
Now, after I reached and finished my work, while I was heading back, I stopped in Gandikota. I made a few stops along the way, enjoying the scenic views and chai breaks, something every rider loves. As I reached Bengaluru and now, I realised how much I had fallen in love with this machine—it was not just a bike anymore, it was an experience.
Few pictures:
First Pooja in front of Mysuru Palace (Kote Anjaneya Swamy temple):
With all the accessories.
On my way from Mysuru - Bengaluru home (Kanakapura Road)
Rayalaseema toll:
Gandikota:
Total BLR - HYD - Gandikota - BLR:
Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.
