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The new Royal Enfield Shotgun 650 is a custom-inspired bobber-style motorcycle that shares its engine and chassis with the Super Meteor 650. This makes it the fourth bike based on the 650 platform after the Interceptor 650, the Continental GT, and the Super Meteor 650. Royal Enfield claims that the similarities only extend to the use of the engine and chassis, and that the Shotgun 650 will offer a completely different riding experience. Let’s take a closer look at what the Shotgun 650 is all about.
The Shotgun is more cruiser than café racer, but gets a taller 795mm seat vs the Super Meteor’s 740mm saddle. The riding position is more focused, with the Shotgun’s mid-position foot pegs tucking the feet in well behind the knees. The Shotgun gets a stubby bobber-style tail and a less laid-back 25.3 degree rake angle, contributing towards a stout and determined stance. All of the Shotgun’s mechanical hardware is blacked out and alternates between glossy and matte finishes, lending it a more ominous presence than the chrome-heavy Super Meteor.
The Shotgun retains RE’s familiar 648cc air-oil-cooled SOHC parallel twin cranking out 46bhp at 7250rpm and 52.3Nm at 5650rpm through a 6-speed gearbox. The oversquare engine keeps the 78mm bore and 67.8mm stroke with a compression ratio of 9.5:1. While the internals of the engine and gearbox remain unchanged, Royal Enfield says that it has revised the final drive ratios, to suit the bike’s character better. The bike carries a 13.8 litre fuel tank and claims a fuel efficiency of 22kmpl. Extrapolated, that should give the Shotgun 650 a range of close to 300km on a full tank.
With its steel tubular spine frame, the Shotgun weighs a chunky 240kg, wet. It’s roughly 20 kilos heavier than the Interceptor and Continental GT. However, the low seat height of 795mm vs the Interceptor’s 804mm makes it more accessible to shorter riders. The 2170mm length is a middle ground between the INT650’s 2122mm and the SM650’s 2260mm. Similarly, the 1465mm wheelbase slots in between the INT650’s 1400mm and the SM650’s 1500mm. The Shotgun 650 has a claimed maximum gross weight of 428kg. The 18-inch front alloy is wrapped in a 100/90 tubeless tyre and suspended by a Showa Separate Function Big Piston fork with 120mm travel. The 17-inch rear alloy wears 150/70 section tubeless tyres and is suspended by a Showa twin shock setup with 90mm travel. Both wheels get disc brakes, with a 320mm disc at the front and a 300mm disc at the rear. Both discs carry twin piston callipers with dual-channel ABS being standard.
As is the case with most Royal Enfield motorcycles, the bike gets little in the name of electrical gizmos. However, it incorporates all the conveniences of modern engineering including an electric starter, fuel injection, ABS, USB charging port, and full LED illumination. The single round-dial instrument cluster features an analogue speedometer and digital display showing time, fuel level, gear position, odometer, and other parameters. There is room on the handlebar for RE’s optional Tripper navigation system.
The Shotgun 650 is likely to be placed at the higher end of RE’s 650 lineup. It offers a componentry upgrade over the Interceptor and Continental GT, but has a smaller footprint than the Super Meteor 650. The Shotgun 650 Motoverse edition was priced at Rs 4.25 lakh, ex-showroom. That was a hand painted bike, so expect the production-run Shotgun 650 to carry a price tag of approximately Rs 25-30,000 less than that. We’ve already ridden the bike and our first ride review will be live on January 15, 2024. So stay tuned for that.
