After The 650cc Cruiser, Should Royal Enfield Build A Bobber Like This?

The Bristol Bobber 650 has been recently launched in the Philippines

Is powered by a 649cc liquid-cooled parallel twin motor churning out a healthy 70.7PS, 62Nm. Claimed mileage stands at 16kmpl. Is priced at around Rs 6.03 lakh.

The Philippines-based Bristol Motorcycles has launched the Bobber 650 in its home market. Priced at PHP 398,000 (around Rs 6.03 lakh), this is the brand’s only bobber offering. Keen enthusiasts would recall the brand had launched the Veloce 500 back in December 2020.

Coming back to the bobber, it looks like a beefed-out version of the Triumph Bonneville Bobber. minus the ‘swing cage’ swingarm. The bike gets a traditional box-section swingarm with twin rear shock absorbers. While the fuel tank is reminiscent of the Triumph Bonneville T100, we wish the side panels were designed a little better. That said, the aluminium garnish under the seat does give it a premium flair. 

Powering the motorcycle is a 649cc parallel twin liquid-cooled engine, churning out 70.7PS at 8500rpm and 62Nm at 7000rpm. These numbers are pretty healthy for a bike of its class, considering the BS6-compliant Kawasaki Vulcan S pushes out 61PS and 62.4Nm. Bristol claims the bike can return a mileage of 16kmpl and a top speed of 165kmph -- good enough for its class, we say! Also Read: Jawa Perak BS6: Road Test Review

Underpinnings include a premium KYB telescopic fork up front and dual rear shock absorbers. The bike packs an absurdly large 345mm disc with axial calliper up front and a 280mm rear disc, with dual-channel ABS as standard. In a true bobber fashion, the bike rolls on a small 16-inch front spoke wheel and an even smaller 15-incher at the rear. Thankfully, the spoke wheels can accommodate tubeless tyres, giving the bike an authentic look without compromising on the practicality. 

Representative Image

This newly launched bike really made us wonder what if Royal Enfield launched a bobber like this after the 650cc Cruiser? It isn’t implausible, as the brand’s 650cc platform is already versatile enough for a roadster, cafe racer, cruiser. All Royal Enfield would need to do is chop off the subframe and tweak the rear fender and the ergonomics. The only caveat would be the niche nature of the bobber segment, which might keep the sales numbers limited compared to the likes of the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650.