If you have a well-loved platform, you should milk it to the max. That's an approach many renowned bikemakers follow, and Royal Enfield is one of the flagbears of the idea. Just look at its 650cc platform, which currently has five motorcycles as we speak. And it seems RE isn't stopping there. We say that because images of RE's new faired cafe racer have surfaced on the internet. Let's check it out.
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The Upcoming Royal Enfield Cafe Racer Has A Sporty Yet Retro Design
The spy shots show the motorcycle in a heavily camouflaged avatar. Yet, we can make out several details. The most notable is the presence of a semi-fairing up top, reminiscent of the accessory fairing sold by Triumph for the Thruxton RS. This fairing houses the circular turn signals and an LED headlight while being complete with a swept-back tinted windscreen. It also extends till the rider's knees, which appears rather awkward in the images.
At the rear, the standout element is the raised tail lamp and turn signal setup. This is partnered with oval number plates on the sides, similar to what the Interceptor Bear 650 has. The alloy wheels, tank shape, and saddle all appear identical to the Continental GT 650, meanwhile. It's the same story behind the fairing-the circular instrument cluster with chrome nacelles and an old-school clip-on setup is similar to the GT.
Royal Enfield's 648cc Engine Powers The Upcoming Cafe Racer
Under the skin, the engine appears to be the same 648cc parallel-twin unit we've seen time and again. It produces 47 horsepower and 38.3 pound-feet across the lineup, which we believe will be the case here, too. Some sources suggest this could have RE's new 750cc engine, but the casing, header design, and oil cooler all match the 648cc mill. Aside from that, we just hope RE has cut some weight here, since the GT 650 is rather hefty at 465 pounds.
Capacity
648cc
Layout
Parallel-twin
Power
47 HP
Torque
38.3 LB-FT
Not much appears different in the underpinnings department either. We see the tubular cradle chassis, suspended on simple suspension (telescopic forks and dual shock absorbers). The wheel design is similar to the updated alloy wheel-equipped Continental GT. There is one interesting difference, though: double disc brakes at the front. That gives us hope RE has some sporty intentions for this middleweight.
Royal Enfield Cafe Racer Notable Mechanical Details
Double disc brakes Telescopic forks Dual shock absorbers Alloy wheels
The Royal Enfield Cafe Racer Could Debut Next Year
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Judging from the spy shots, the cafe racer looks a bit far from being production-ready. So we expect its debut to happen well into 2025, probably as a MY26 model. Whenever it's out, it'll be interesting to see how RE positions the motorcycle in the lineup. We expect it to be pricier than the Continental GT 650, which starts from $6,349 right now. You should also know it won't have any direct competition upon arrival.