Automobile Review | Super Meteor 650: The quintessential cruiser

HYDERABAD: Royal Enfield has been successfully making tourers for decades, with a few highly successful experiments in the form of an ADV and a Café Racer. But this time the company has come up with a dedicated cruiser – the Super Meteor 650, inspired by the Meteor 700 that was sold in the 50s.

Riding the latest offering from one of India’s most popular motorcycle brands extensively, we have tested the motorcycle both in the city - to see how it fares for daily rides, and on the highways where it really belongs.

Getting into the details, weighing 241 kilos, the Super Meteor 650 is by no means a light motorcycle and anyone who has not ridden bigger bikes will take some getting used to, especially if riding it in city conditions.

However, the motorcycle’s weight is well distributed and its center of gravity lies exactly under the rider’s thighs which makes maneuvering considerably easy.

Engine and Output figures

The Super Meteor shares the 648 cc Parallel-Twin air/oil cooled SOHC engine with the RE Twins, churning out identical output figures of max power of 46.3bhp at 7,250 RPM and a peak torque of 52.3 Nm at 5,650 RPM. The engine is mated to a 6 speed gearbox.

The engine, however, feels more refined although it is a tad bit slower than the twins, largely due to the extra kilos on the motorcycle. The power delivery is seamless and the throttle response is perfect while the gear ratio allows slick shifts with ample power delivery in all gears.

80-100kmph at about 5000 RPM is definitely the sweet spot of the engine while the motorcycle can happily cruise along at 100-120 kmph all day long.

Ergonomics

The relaxed forward-set foot pegs, the comfortable 740 mm saddle height and the long 1500 mm wheelbase make for a proper cruiser ergonomics which make long rides sublime. The pillion seat, if not aided by a back support, is of little use and gets uncomfortable for the pillion riders in no time.

Tyres, Brakes and Suspension

The 19 inch front and 16 inch rear wheel set-up offers great stability on the cruiser. The high-speed stability is also among the best in class as the 100/90 section front and the 150/80 section rear tyres on the motorcycle give a planted feeling.

Coming to braking, the 320 mm disk on the front and the 300 mm disk on the rear with dual channel-ABS are crisp. The braking on this motorcycle is by far the best on a Royal Enfield. The adjustable front lever has enough bite and the brakes respond swiftly giving the rider enough confidence to cruise at high speeds.

The much-touted Showa 43mm USD fork on the front and the pre-load adjustable twin shock rear suspension set-up feel stiff even by cruiser standards and those speed bumps or potholes of the Great Indian Roads will make your back slightly uncomfortable.

Style and Handling

RE scores high on styling with the teardrop-shaped fuel tank, attractive colour schemes and the trendy new LED headlamp. The motorcycle is a head turner and if you are planning to own one, be ready to answer a few questions posed by strangers as you ride.

The new frame of the bike allows a leisure riding posture which is a must on a cruiser. The motorcycle surprisingly handles well for a cruiser and also corners well which is rare for a cruiser.

At Rs 3.49 lakh (ex-showroom) for the Astral variant, Rs. 3.64 lakh (ex-showroom) for the Interstellar variant and Rs. 3.79 lakh (ex-showroom) for the Celestial variant, the Super Meteor 650 is competitively priced and with its premium build quality, it is your money’s worth.