Royal Enfield’s all-new 2019 Continental GT (left) and Interceptor 650 (right) share a rolling chassis and are powered by an air/oil-cooled 648cc parallel twin. (Photos courtesy Royal Enfield)
Every now and then a motorcycle comes along that?s just right. Looks right, sounds right and feels right. Not too powerful, too complex nor too expensive. A motorcycle that evokes the simple pleasure of riding for riding?s sake.
Well, make that two motorcycles.
Royal Enfield?s new 650 Twins share a rolling chassis, but each has a different personality and both are modern takes on legendary models from the company?s past. With upright seating and a relaxed style, the Interceptor takes its name from a model built for the American market in the 1960s, which was a lighter, higher-performance version of Royal Enfield?s vertical twin-powered Constellation. Like the original, the new Interceptor has a wide handlebar, a teardrop tank, a bench seat and dual exhausts. Its fraternal twin is the Continental GT, a classic café racer with clip-ons, rear-set pegs, a sculpted tank and a solo humpback seat that replaces the 535cc single-powered model that?s been in Royal Enfield?s lineup since 2014. Both modern-day GTs were inspired by the 1965 Continental GT 250, Britain?s first production café racer and one of the fastest 250s of its day. Royal Enfield’s Long History in Brief
With clip-on handlebars and rear-set footpegs, the Continental GT café racer has a sportier riding position th...