Yahoo Autos 2024 Royal Enfield Shotgun 650 Offers Smooth Style
Royal Enfield has been on a roll when it comes to introducing new models for the US market, banking on a 648cc twin powerplant.
Launching the roadster-style Shotgun 650, Royal Enfield is trying to capture a wider swath of the middleweight twin-cylinder market.
Pricing has yet to be announced for the 2024 Royal Enfield Shotgun 650, but a lack of modern technology and questionable quality indicate this bike will be on the cheaper side.
New for 2024, the Royal Enfield Shotgun 650 begs the question of whether it’s better to buy a new bike for this price or a (possibly better) used bike for the same amount of money. Problem is, there is no pricing yet. That will come in “spring,” they say. More on that in a bit.
The Shotgun 650 you see here is the freshest derivative of the 648cc parallel-twin family introduced in 2018. When this platform and engine were introduced, we got to ride the wheels off the Interceptor and Continental 650 models on great roads in Northern California. Having also driven a single-cylinder 500cc “Classic” model before those new 650 twins, the difference was huge.
The new 650cc bikes were miles ahead of the ancient single-cylinder in every measure: engineering, stability, and just plain fast fun. And they started for under $6000. Now Royal Enfield is introducing two new 650s: the Super Meteor and the soon-to-be-released Shotgun 650. We got some seat time on both bikes ahead of their showroom debuts. The Shotgun was the most fun so we’ll concentrate on that.
The Build
Built on a steel tubular spine frame, the Shotgun rides on a 57-inch wheelbase, same as Triumph’s Bonneville. Similarly, with a rake angle of 25.3 degrees, the Shotgun mirrors its British competitors in more ways than one. Finally, with a 3.6-gallon fuel tank, the Shotgun splits the touring and commuting difference.
However, the 530-pound Shotgun 650 manages only 47 hp all the way up at 7,250 rpm and 39 lb-ft of torque at 5,650 rpm. That’s not a lot of power for a good deal of weight, but the real-world results aren't anything to complain about. Funneled through a rudimentary six-speed transmission (with no quick shifting capabilities), the powerband is true to its twin-cylinder roots, with a loping bottom end and meaty midrange.
Save for a tall sixth gear, the evenly spaced ratios keep the meat of the power on tap almost always, perfect for mid-city commuting. While the Shotgun didn't feel particularly fast, it was capable of keeping up with the best of them on Los Angeles' extensive network of freeways.
The Ride
Even with no windscreen to speak of, the direct, neck-flexing wind wasn't an issue. But at non-rush-hour L.A. freeway speeds of around 80 mph, both the Shotgun and Super Meteor wandered around, perhaps being pulled from side to side by the rain grooves carved into the cement. Adhering to Pacific Coast Highway’s speed limit of 55 mph, however, the bikes felt truly at home.
This more docile nature carried over into other aspects of the Shotgun’s riding mannerism. With its footpegs and control pushed a few inches forward, the riding position falls somewhere between a true cruiser and a typical naked bike.
The result is an uber-comfortable but minimally aggressive riding position. On city streets, the relaxed riding position instills confidence in a rider's ability to nudge through the sea of side-view mirrors and still get a foot down in time. Equipped with a set of narrow, dirtbike-style bars, our only real ergonomic complaint was heavy steering at slow speeds.
