EXCLUSIVE: Royal Enfield Shotgun 650 Spotted Testing

Test mule reveals interesting details about the upcoming 650cc bike

After being spotted testing earlier this year, the Royal Enfield Shotgun 650 has been seen once again, this time in the state of Tamil Nadu. The round headlight on the test mule is a halogen one, similar to the one we’ve seen on the Royal Enfield Classic 350. The turn indicators are also halogen units.

Unlike the Super Meteor 650, the handlebar is low and wide on the Shotgun 650 test mule, whereas the rider’s footpegs are mid-set, resulting in a slightly forward-biased riding stance. The motorcycle gets split seats for better practicality, unlike the single seat layout on the SG650 Concept. That said, the pillion seat might be removable, in line with the traditional bobber styling, for those who want a cleaner look.

The console gets a larger main pod (likely to be the same semi-digital unit as the Royal Enfield Meteor 350’s), and a smaller Tripper Navigation pod.

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The upcoming RE Shotgun 650  is likely to use the same 648cc parallel-twin air-/oil-cooled motor that also powers the Interceptor 650 and the Continental GT 650. This engine delivers 47.65PS and 52Nm in the 650 twins, and it could carry over the same tune in the cruiser. In a first for a production Royal Enfield motorcycle, an inverted fork can be seen on the bike, similar to the one on the Super Meteor 650.

Other underpinnings on the upcoming bike include twin shock absorbers at the rear and ByBre brakes at both ends with dual-channel ABS. While the 650 twins have the front brake on the left, the disc on this motorcycle is on the right side, and the entire shebang  runs on alloy wheels. 

We expect Royal Enfield to launch this motorcycle after the Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650, which is expected to be launched later this year. If it does arrive when we expect it to, the Shotgun 650 won’t have any natural rivals in India. It could be priced around Rs 3.15 lakh (ex-showroom) and is likely to debut in the first half of 2023