Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 BS6 vs KTM 390 Duke BS6: Which One To Buy?

Confused between the retro twin-cylinder and the sporty single? This will clear things out

The Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 BS6 has started reaching customers through select dealerships across the country. It is priced at Rs 2,64,919 (ex-showroom Delhi), making it around Rs 12,000 dearer than the manic KTM 390 Duke BS6. So which one you should buy as an enthusiast?

Buy the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 BS6 for its torquey nature:

The Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 BS6 is a parallel twin-cylinder motorcycle and consequently, it is torquey and incredibly refined for a Royal Enfield. With 47.4PS on tap, the motorcycle has enough grunt to sustain speeds of around 120-130kmph comfortably. While the BS6-compliant motorcycle’s torque figure is unknown at the moment, it is likely to produce around the same figure as the BS4-compliant bike, which is 52Nm at 5250rpm. That should be good enough to ensure the bike has enough grunt to overtake easily even in higher gears.

Moreover, it is the most affordable multi-cylinder big bike you can buy in India, making it an ideal stepping stone for enthusiasts into the world of premium high-capacity motorcycles. The only grouse is that some riders may feel it a bit too old-school in terms of features. The bike gets a simple semi-digital twin-pod cluster which only shows the essentials like speed, odometer, tripmeter readings, revs, and tell-tale lights. There’s no gear position indicator or real-time mileage indicator. The motorcycle doesn’t have LED lighting system or tubeless tyres either.

Buy the KTM 390 Duke BS6 if you want a feature-laden, light, powerful naked:

The KTM 390 Duke was already loaded with features and the BS6-compliant iteration even gets a bi-directional quickshifter as standard - something you’d usually find in more expensive performance bikes. This helps in shifting gears, both up and down, rapidly without using the clutch.

It is powered by a 373.3cc, liquid-cooled, single-cylinder motor that churns out 43.5PS at 9000rpm and 37Nm at 7000rpm. It’s a high-strung motor, so it likes to be kept on the boil at all times. That said, it can also sustain triple-digit speeds easily, albeit with a few vibrations thanks to its single-cylinder configuration. But the KTM 390 Duke BS6’s biggest advantage is its weight. It tips the scales at just 163kg dry, making it really easy to manoeuvre around tight parking spaces as well as traffic-riddled roads. In comparison, the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 weighs 202kg without fuel. 

Also Read: 2020 KTM 390 Duke BS6: First Ride Review

Feature-wise, it is loaded with premium bits like all-LED lighting system, full-colour TFT screen with smartphone compatibility and even switchable dual-channel ABS with supermoto mode and an option to switch it completely off (enabled only after the first service).