- Concept KX Showcased, but isn’t scheduled for production
- Interceptor and Continental GT 650 launched in Europe
- 650 twins to be launched in India on November 14
Royal Enfield has been pulling surprises one after the other at the EICMA Motor Show for some time now, and we are no one to complain - be it the 650 Twins showcased last year, or the crazy KX Concept displayed this year. Here’s the lowdown on everything that took place at its stand at this year’s show:
Concept KX
Royal Enfield raised a lot of eyebrows by unveiling the Concept KX at this year’s EICMA show, and for good reason. The Concept KX, which looks eerily similar to the Indian Scout, sports a mass-forward design with a twin-stacked exhaust setup that runs parallel to the ground.
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Royal Enfield says the Concept KX was inspired by the original Royal Enfield KX from 1938, which was the most powerful motorcycle of that time. While it still continues to sport the company's retro design language, there are some modern touches as well. These include alloy wheels, LED lighting at the front and rear, and a fully-digital instrument console.
The concept features an 838cc, V-Twin, air-cooled motor. Sadly, Royal Enfield did not disclose the motor’s power or torque figures. The motorcycle is built around a split-cradle frame that uses the engine as a stressed member. Suspension duties here are handled by girder-type forks at the front and a monoshock placed beneath the seat at the rear. The cruiser employs twin disc brakes at the front with Bybre radial callipers and a single disc at the rear, and rides on alloy wheels shod with Maxxis slicks.
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But don’t get excited just yet as the Chennai-based bike manufacturer has stated that it has no intention of bringing the concept into production. However, it does offer a glimpse of the company’s future.
Interceptor 650 and Continental GT 650
The Concept KX wasn't the only motorcycle that announced Royal Enfield’s new found ambitions at EICMA this year. Joining it were the highly-anticipated Interceptor 650 and Continental GT 650. The bikes have been grabbing the headlines ever since they were showcased at the same venue last year. With the India launch scheduled for 14 November, we can't be more excited! That said, we did get the opportunity to take both motorcycles for a spin in California recently.
If you’ve been living under a rock for the past few months, you’d have missed the news that Royal Enfield is set to launch the two motorcycles soon. While the Interceptor sports a California cruiser design, the Continental GT 650 is an out-and-out cafe racer. Both feature an all-new 648cc parallel-twin engine built from the ground up. It produces 47.6PS of power and 52Nm of torque, mated to a 6-speed gearbox along with a slip and assist clutch.
Royal Enfield used this year’s EICMA show as the perfect platform to launch both motorcycles in Europe. While the Interceptor is priced at GBP 5,500 (around Rs 5.25 lakh), the Continental GT gets a sticker price of GBP 5,700 (Rs 5.44 lakh) (both prices, on-road UK). However, we expect both motorcycles to be launched under the Rs 3 lakh (ex-showroom) mark in India. This will make it a very tempting proposition when compared to the Harley-Davidson Street 750 (Rs 5.25 lakh) and the Kawasaki Z650 (Rs 5.29 lakh, both prices, ex-showroom Delhi).
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Source: zigwheels.com
