Five years ago, Royal Enfield leveled up its game and debuted an all-new 650cc platform. The two motorcycles birthed from it - Interceptor 650 and Continental GT 650 - garnered plenty of interest in no time, and the only way to go from there was upward. Sadly, not much happened till 2022, as the 650cc lineup only received minor tweaks and new liveries.
For 2023, however, the Indian giant has finally answered our prayers. Enter the Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650, the company’s new flagship offering and burliest cruiser to date. Not just that, the Super Meteor exhibits RE’s new, modernized approach with several firsts - upside-down forks, LED lights, adjustable levers, and smartphone connectivity (as standard). But that’s all on paper, and to test just how all this lives up in the real world, we recently took the Super Meteor 650 for a spin. What did we like and dislike, you ask? Well, here's the answer to that.
The Super Meteor 650 Is A Head-Turner In The Flesh
When the Super Meteor first broke cover, we adored its old-school design, and this feeling only got stronger when we saw it in the flesh. Long, brawny, and beefy are some adjectives that come to mind at first sight, and these help it turn heads regardless of where you are. Even a closer look doesn’t disappoint, since there aren’t any panel gaps or cheap plastics to hamper your experience. However, we did see a few chips on the chrome exhaust, but no big deal, given the number of small rocks flying around in India.
This excellent fit and finish trickle down to the cockpit too. Right from the old-school switchgear (with brushed aluminum cases) to the Showa badges on the fork heads, the Super Meteor stirs a sense of luxury you rarely see on middleweight cruisers. Add to this the well-finished paint - we had the Celestial Blue colorway - and it shows this is Royal Enfield’s most premium product.
The Super Meteor 650 Feels Punchy, Even At Highway Speeds
Under its skin, the Super Meteor 650 boasts the same 648cc, parallel twin engine seen on the Interceptor and Continental GT. It produces the same 46 horsepower and 52Nm (38 pound-feet), albeit with a different fuel map and a larger airbox. On the go, the cruiser has plenty of punch all around the rev band. This, together with the not-so-hard clutch action, makes it quite tractable at city speeds. You can even keep a gear higher - say 4th at 20mph - yet the RE will play along nicely.
Exit out to your nearest Interstate highway, and all you need is some throttle to reach highway speeds. The cruiser feels smooth and refined even at these speeds, with enough torque for quick overtakes. It dies out a wee at 90mph, but the important bit is - the cruiser can sit at 70mph all day long without breaking a sweat. But it can't be all hunky-dory, right? Well, correct. The gearbox is a bit clunky at times - especially when downshifting - while the motorcycle gets hot enough to bother you, particularly in stop-go traffic. The cruiser also guzzles fuel, so the total range will be less than 210 miles (considering a 20-22 km/liter mileage for its 15.7-liter tank).
The Super Meteor 650 Oozes Comfort
Being a cruiser, you’d expect the 650 to be comfy, and it doesn’t disappoint. Upright posture? Check. Front-set footrests? Check. Wide handlebar? Check. All these make the Super Meteor a joy to sit aboard and give you a commanding stance. In addition, the set of adjustable clutch/brake levers (as standard) helps you tweak the ergos, while the uber-refined engine ensures there are no vibes from the seat, footrests, or mirrors. The latter elevates the ride with a good view of what’s behind.
That’s not all, you can also opt for the top-shelf Tourer variant equipped with RE’s touring seat. It’s considerably plusher than the split seat on the lower variants and pairs up with a backrest for extra pillion comfort. Meanwhile, our only gripe here is the windblast that pushes your feet backward at high speeds. Not something you’d want on such a hefty motorcycle.
The Super Meteor 650 Has A Stiff Ride Quality
Coming to the dislikes, we weren’t pleased with the Super Meteor 650’s ride quality. Don’t get us wrong, the upside-down forks inspire confidence in corners and the long wheelbase makes the cruiser sure-footed in a straight line. But it’s the rear shocks that play spoilsport. They’re set up too stiff for our liking, thanks to which big bumps hit your spine hard. It also creates a somewhat odd combination, since the forks are quite pliant.
Like the rear suspension, the rear brake isn’t impressive. Though it’s a bigger disc than the Interceptor, the rear ABS feels inconsistent as we locked the rear on one occasion, while the ABS intervened way too early on another. Luckily, the front disc is the opposite and inspires confidence, albeit after a little more input than usual. To top it all off, the 241 kg (531-pound) curb weight becomes a problem at slow speeds. Moving the motorcycle while stationary feels close to a leg day workout and the long wheelbase makes the cruiser's turning radius no shorter than a small hatchback.
The Super Meteor 650’s Instrument Cluster Is Hard To Read
The Super Meteor 650 has a semi-digi instrument cluster, complete with all necessary information, plonked alongside RE’s Tripper navigation pod as standard. Our problem, however, is with its layout. The small digital LCD feels cluttered on the go, and you’ll have to look twice to read the numbers. The Tripper isn’t flawless either, since it failed to calibrate or show proper directions during our ride. We would’ve liked a new instrument cluster for the Super Meteor, especially as this marks a new chapter for RE.
So what’s the final say? Well, we’d be more than happy to recommend the Super Meteor 650 to budding cruiser fans. It checks all the right boxes and promises to give you the full cruiser experience at a solid price. Speaking of which, here’s a price analysis of how much the Super Meteor will cost in America.