One of the first things the current CEO of Royal Enfield did was to take all the company cars away from their executives and give them RE bikes to ride. He wants everyone at the company to understand their product and I think this ethos is the main reason their bikes ride so well.
Haha he didn't take away all the cars in that sense but rather encouraged the top management to abandon their cars and start riding their motorcycles to work...having worked with them for a bit, I see this practice going down to the rest of the work force as well
Perhaps that highlights the failure of the HD board to understand the ethos of their products is almost unique to the USA. Diluting the decision making with alien ideas can not be good. When Willie G took over the reigns the brand did virtually everything the customers wanted and first time. As for harley expanding their range along the lines of the India Enfield then perhaps you're right but it seems the wish to detach from the success of their own past is paramount. Many models disappear in no time flat and the ones that survive are redesigned constantly. I wonder if they actually managed to pay for the tooling before it was pulled out of production.
Down here in South America, the subcontinent utterly forgotten by Harley and Indian, it is going to sell very well. I should know, I am eagerly waiting for it.
@@DifferentSpokesTV my son is living Bolivia right now and I bought him the Meteor 350 to ride there. great value and much nicer than the Baja models it competes with. He loves it!
Royal Enfield has caught my attention. Here in Argentina RE bikes sell for about the same price as in other countries. They have an assembly plant in Buenos Aires Province. Other imported bikes have a 100 to 200 percent import tax. Intercepter is about $8000 here. I'll be watching.
@@DifferentSpokesTV Same here in Brazil. We had only Harleys, and they are crazy expensive here. Royal Enfield came to Brazil and they are dominating this market with basically a price of 1/3 of a Harley, thank god. Since meteor 350 has its sales going crazy, I just can't imagine the effect of the super meteor 650 when it gets here!
In India some people still use 1970's royal Enfield and these bikes are awesome you will find royal Enfield in every parts of India ❤️the brand is becoming pride of India 🇮🇳
Calling the Royal Enfield the pride of India is like calling the Buckingham palace the pride of Indian. 🙄🙄 Another silly insecure Indian here just to claim false pride. Just watch the video and buzz off dudw
Harley-Davidson was founded in 1903 by William S. Harley and not one, not two, but three Davidson brothers: Walter, Arthur, and William. (It was Harley who had the idea for the motorcycle, and that’s why his named earned top billing!) Royal Enfield was formed ten years earlier in 1893, under the name Enfield Manufacturing. Founded by Albert Eadie and Robert Walker Smith, it created its first motorcycle by fitting a Minerva engine on a regular old bicycle.
I still remember in 2009 RE launched Classic 350 (which become instant hit with 8 month waiting), my only regret is "I should have bought RE shares (Listed in India as Eicher motors) in 2009-10". It has appreciated 50-60X. RE has cult fallowing in India (we see it in many Indian Movies), now RE CEO is selling REs across the world. A true global brand from India.
I didn't know anything about RE until one day I was at my local BMW dealer and spotted the 350 Meteor and classic😎 I had a BMW '04 K1200 GT and sold it to pay for other things. Liked the 350 Meteor but knew I wanted something a little bigger.....then while looking through You tube I see spy photos of this bike and instantly fell in love hoping it is coming to the US and it is😎👍 Next year when ready for our country I will be ordering one in the cruiser package🥰.
My my Royal Enfield experience began with a 2014 Continental GT. When I saw original show bike version of it my heart skipped a beat. Then finally one day whilst riding my Aprilia shiver 750 I stopped by the Royal Enfield dealership and test wrote the Continental. I went home with the Conti Gt-535, and never look back. 15, 000 miles later, it's 2019 and I'm not even tempted by the new Conti as I was till in love with the purity of my 535. Then a Ventra Blue Conti showed up while I was visiting....... It was a truly OMG moment! I saw the makings of the cafe bike of my dreams and the asymmetrical rally stripe. It all Just brought everything into focus. So I took her home that afternoon . And she ain't stock anymore! Bikini faring courtesy of MK design in India. Factory seat cowl. Factory striping carries through the fairing and the cowl and I can go on and on and yes S&S is in the house. I'll never part with her! But it seems Royal Enfield doesn't know how to doing anything that isn't dead on, so it will be interesting to see what the super meteor is like to ride. I can only imagine it's going to be great. Years ago I test rode the Indian scout and I was really impressed by it, not bad for a cruiser. But then there's the image that goes with cruiser bikes that I'm not real crazy about either. The word 'stodgy' comes to mind. But the super meteor looks a whole lot more comfortable to go cross country on then the Conti.. RE build truly solid machine and with modern build quality as good as Kawi or Aprilia, BMW ..... WITHOUT THE OVER OR NEEDLESS ENGINEERING. Everything you really need and none of the stuff that you don't. And there's room in the garage I suppose for a another motorcycle..... And I'm personal just enjoying watch Royal Enfield grow and prosper. Sorry for rambling on ..... What can I say I'm a fanboy. Ride safe be well peace PS... I'M LEAVING THE GUTS OF MY CONTINENTAL ALONE IN STOCK JUST INDUCTION AND EXHAUST HAVE BEEN MODIFIED OOPS 😬. But the super meteor punched out to 865cc' courtesy of all the goodies available from S&S......and all I could says is ...Harley who ? Food for thought .
🇬🇧 apparently the 350 meteor was the top selling bike over 125cc in the UK, I stand to be corrected but think the 650 interceptor was top seller last year, I run a 2021 Himalayan as a every day ride to work do it all bike, (don't own a car) and have a 650 continental as a weekend toy, the build quality is as good as anything out there for a lot less money.
Perfect, for our times. For comparison, a Norton 750 had 57hp and the Honda CB750 Four had 67hp and those were the superbikes of their day. So the power this RE cruiser turns out will surely be enough for us all. RE has gotten it right, at least my generation of bikers want back to basics and so does many younger riders. Electronics to castrate a motorcycle is a fools game, and only put in because manufacturers want to upsell unnecessarily powerfull bikes because they have to somehow find a reason to exorbitant prices. That is not what motorcycles are about, with the exception of racing. This is so right, RE has it figured out.
55 years ago the Honda cb350 launched with 36bhp and 110mph, Enter 55 years later the Crappy RE 350 with 21bhp and fuel injected mapped engine, my 312 cc ride on mower makes nearly that. I am old enough to remember shitty 45bhp ford escorts now the focus is 150bhp probably. The gold standard is 70bhp minimum for safe road riding anything less is pointless as I found out with my interceptor ownership, which by the way cost twice the price on the road in UK as it cost in India, I don't call that value for money.
@@checker3694 with cruisers it is more about torgue than hp, many Harleys are not much over 50 in hp but they still are powerfull enough to keep one out of trouble even on motorways. My Vulcan has 64hp, which is quite enough for me. Been riding since -74, my most powerfull bike ever gave out 113hp and that was way too much for normal riding out in traffic although it was fun otherwise back in the day. But I don´t totally disagree, 70hp is sweet especially if we are talking about naked bikes, or retros or even ADVs. The important thing is that we ride, and enjoy the experience. 🙂
@Robert Lindström Don't know of any 50bhp Harley unless an 883, otherwise there 65bhp an over and 90% are stage 1 which increases there specs a further 20% Torque is no good to overtake its there and gone, Bhp gets the safe overtake done. My K1600gt makes 70% of its torque from 1700rpm, and has 160bhp if rarely needed. Drove a 50bhp diesel nearly 40 years ago and 60mpg, drove a 130 tdi 10 years ago 58mpg that's progress. I don't understand people punch drunk on 1950,s modern day Royal Endfields with the addition of ABS and fuel injection paying twice the price of India market, they were the same people in the 80s buying Russian Lada,s but at 25% of the price of local UK manufacturered cars which made it worthwhile. I don't feel comfortable if a bread and butter fiesta can out accelerate me, I rather have the upper hand on a learner fiesta driver.
@luke I don't think RE is trying very hard extracting only 21bhp from 350cc. Ride on Lawn mowers produce that with Zero emissions fitted to their engines
Be interesting to see if we (USA) embrace a small displacement cruiser. Lotta guys gotta let go of that ego. Motorcycles, in my opinion, are the perfect example of bigger is not always better. I honestly get the most joy out of my 196cc Yamaha TW200.
I work in the tech industry with a lot of people from India. They love Royal Enfield bikes! I think it would look good in the garage next to my 2005 Sportster! 😁
the super meteor will fit the market for a lot of older riders who are looking to downsize their cruisers. Also all of the motorcycles that Royal Enfield produces are priced to get new riders into riding motorcycles without scaring them off.
Unfortunately Royal Enfield dealers in my area are trying to sell bikes at thousands of $$$ over MSRP. Very few people are willing to pay that for a bike they consider to be of inferior quality.
@Russell Reeves I paid MSRP for my Meteor 350, but the dealer had add-on fees. However, I understand that this is a common practice across all dealers and brands; IOW, they all do this. Why do you think they're called STEALERSHIPS?
@Russell Reeves isn't adding extra fees a DE FACTO price rise above MSRP? BTW, I don't think you can negotiate shipping, tax, licensing, or title fees; they're all standard. Like it or not, it's going to cost X dollars to ship the bike from the factory to your dealer. Two, I don't know of any DMV that'll negotiate on fees; they have a set schedule depending on vehicle type; you either pay what they tell you, or you do without. Three, the Meteor 350 was in high enough demand where I am that the dealer wouldn't budge on price, particularly if you wanted a certain model or colorway. I wanted a Fireball Yellow, and my dealer was the only one within 400 miles of me that had one. It was either pay up, or lose the bike to someone else.
@Russell Reeves uh, since when is stating facts equivalent to blaming? I wasn't complaining about the shipping and gov't mandated fees; they are what they are. Debating whether or not they should exist is a separate debate. There were extra fees above and beyond those, which effectively increased the price above MSRP. I understand that this is a common practice. I'd have appreciated a sticker showing dealer price that was above MSRP instead, which is what some car dealers would do with popular models; it's more honest that way. It wasn't the fact that it was above MSRP that bothered me; it was the subterfuge that did. Want to charge over MSRP? Fine, just be HONEST about it! As for the bike, I'm happy with it; it's one of the best I ever owned. Since I bought at the time the Meteor was introduced to the US market (Summer of 2021); since we had supply and parts shortages in the wake of gov't response to COVID; my Fireball Yellow Meteor 350 was the only one within 400+ miles of me. I know, because I looked on Cycle Trader. I never complained about the price; I was happy to pay it, because I got exactly what I wanted. Oh, and there's no need for the condescending remarks about supply vs. demand and all that. One, I didn't fall of the garbage truck yesterday. Two, I had a year of economics in college; while I'm no economist, I'm sufficiently well versed in its fundamentals, especially those of supply & demand, TYVM!
I have had several Harleys, heritage softail and a sportster 48, they were great, I most recently purchased a 2022 RE interceptor 650 downtown drag color scheme, I have already added many aftermarket parts for much less than HD and I love the bike, super simple and a blast to ride
This bike is going to eat into Harley's sales, it will eat into Honda's sales with the Rebel 500 and will even eat into Triumph's sales with the Bobber and Speedmaster which I own one of. Royal Enfield did a master stroke by setting us up with their 650cc bikes which have gone down a treat, and then saving the best for last.
Those who know what reliability and quality mean won't give up on Honda, and that's coming from an Indian who has more royal Enfields around him than anyone else anywhere else in the world. Heck, our neighbour owned a Continental, till its frame near the head pipe showed a crack and bent thus affecting the road stability. Thankfully he noticed it before Something terrible happened and sold it off. Now he rides a butter smooth refined Honda cb350 RS and has never been happier.
I bought a classic 350 back in June and absolutely love it. My wife has the meteor 350 as well. Awesome bike in every way. Obviously the only downside is power but we knew that when we purchased the bikes as new riders. I was considering the 883 but not with that price tag. The Enfields are easy to work on and very reliable. I would buy a meteor 650 in a heartbeat. Cheers from the Pacific Northwest!
If you are dumb enough to prefer the underpowered cruiser version of the underpowered Interceptor and Continental, all with the underpowered, not as well made or reliable as a Japanese, 650 twin, then you deserve all you get, mate.
RE's are awesome bikes. I love working on them at the shop because they are dead simple and I get test ride them. My first intro to RE's was a GT535. It's not fast but I could've ridden it all day, it was a lot of fun. The next was a GT650 and is an excellent bike, good power and handles very well. I own a Harley and will pick up an RE in the future.
For a lot of people, this purity is what a motorcycle is. I doubt I’ll be in the market for a new bike anytime soon, yet if I were I’d probably start looking at RE for a nice uncomplicated ride or a small dual sport for gas mileage, shenanigans and winter rides.
If this new Super Meteor is anything like my Interceptor (shares a heart) Royal Enfield will sell a lot of them. With the S&S slip ons (baffles out) my bike sounds great and there are so many inexpensive parts available it’s very easy to personalize your bike. Not everyone needs or wants high horsepower and rider modes, and even fewer want to pay for them. Looking forward to seeing/riding this one.
Low price and low power seems like a great mix for a beginner. And I really love their dashboards! This is so miraculous that all the other big serious moto companies cannot accomplish what Royal Enfield can: analogue and digital together, LCD display, _and_ physical needle, _and_ standalone indicators too! Probably, too expensive for them big guys? ;)
@@bulthaosen1169 every time I see full TFT, I remember those trips where the Sun is right in my face, and all digital displays go totally blind, but I can see the needle yet.
The thing is, many countries like here in Australia have such strict speeding rules and cameras everywhere so there's no longer really any point to owning a rocketship. It's better to go for soul, feeling and handling (or economy if it's a commuter) Countries like India don't need powerful bikes, you'll kill yourself on the roads there.
I love the look of it, they haven't arrived in Australia yet but I've bought one anyway, never ridden or even considered a cruiser before so it's a bit of a leap for me but the first reviews I've seen have been very positive. Love what Royal Enfields doing.
I've been watching R.E. for awhile now, and I'm happy to see them reach this point. I would still like to see what kind of impact they could make with a 950 v- twin motor, but I won't hold my breath. Or stop hoping.
I’m in Bathinda India with work and the local Royal Enfield store is awesome. As a Bonneville T120 owner they have some great looking vintage bikes. One thing I can say though is the pricing is 50% higher in North America. I asked for pricing and you can literally ride out the store for $3800 all in 🤷♂️
India is a price sensitive market so they reduce their commissions and also the bikes in India don't have premium tyres and some feature are also removed like tripper navigation system. These things are sold as accessories in India. Also the taxes and shipping costs reduce the overall price here.
@@rishabhkr.1063 They sell the same motorcycle in India. Interceptors don't get tripper navigation anywhere. Maybe you're right about the tyres, though. Different climates require different tyres.
There are a lot of RE 650's around England they sound really good. Nice burble on the standard pipes and a great sound with slipons. I've also heard that a cam will make these engines scream.
Spot on! This is a well made bike with good looks. The price is absolutely right. And if one think 40bhp on the rear wheel is not enough. Well, there we have Hitchcock in the UK and S&S in the US providing things. An 865cc barrel with S&S or Hitchcock exhaust, S&S or Hitchcock cam, updated airfilter and clutch and a ready tunedin PC5 makes it to 65bhp 0n the wheel. But better is the torque. More than 80Nm! Take a look at WildeLifeMoto here on the channel. Cheers!
7K and 8K is the correct ballpark. If they sell it at 9K then it's destined to flop, and I don't believe they can sell it under 7 without losing money.
Royal Enfield makes a great bike, I have a 883 sportster and a RE 350. I love riding the RE, it's simple and slick. So I must say I can't wait to get the 650 RE.
Or you could just replace the shocks. There are lots of companies that sell far superior aftermarket units that will fix the problem. Hard to believe that Harley never fixed it and repeated it with the new Sportsters.
Bravo to Royal Enfield! They are producing motorcycles at a great price that one does not have to sell their first-born to purchase and enjoy. If only our USA manufacturers would wake up and smell the roses!
Harley had a good entry level bike with the Street Rod 750, it just needed a few changes to it like a narrower tank, higher seat, and a re-routed exhaust. Royal Enfield is not the most powerful bikes out there but the value at a price point is a winner.
Great review, hats off to Super Meteor 650 designer for creating stunning looking bike, it will be a game changer in India and rest of the world in that Class. Thx.
Royal Enfield gives you a solid ride without taking your wallet for a ride too. It's a lot easier to get into motorcycling and have fun when you're not straddled to large monthly payment. Our neighbor has a Continental GT. It is brand new but has this vintage look that really grabs your attention. I have a Honda Fury which is another old school style machine. We parked our bikes next to each other near an old barn out in the country and took some good black and white photos and you'd swear it was a scene from the 60's or 70's.
Currently I ride interceptor 650, I am a proud owner of this bike since last 3years approx. and now I can’t wait to buy meteor 650, I am gonna keep it single seat and do some change on handle and will ride it 🤫
Super meteor is a direct hit on rebel 500 . I would love to see RE taking steps into bigger engine. 900cc, probably. First in cruiser platform and then in retro styled sport bike with small fairing.
No what it needs is their engine displacement to be redesigned of the bore and stroke to get the power up much higher like a Kawasaki Ninja 650/Z650/Vulcan S or Suzuki SV650 which is pushing north 60+ horse & 46+ torque depending on model above and then there's the curb weight 531 pounds which is about 39+ pounds more than Vulcan S that wet weight and other bikes I listed above 94+ pound less vs the Royal Enfield 650 but my only disappointment with this model is the lack Dual 320mm disc, 2-piston floating caliper on the front for better stopping power, My likes of this bike I have to say the color option choices A+ and their the OEM accessories look good but cannot seem to find prices and can't buy anything online seem to be dealer item only sale who have a bad habit of jacking up the price way too high here in USA even the Japanese bikes are just as bad for example with Kawasaki they're USB charger kit is over $120 even online wtf there no way in it cost that much.
@@SHSPVR RE engines will never be like kawasaki ones. They are made to target different customers. Bigger displacement will not only give more torque but will open gates for more mature customers. I'm 38 and would not buy super meteor simply because it is overall small bike.
@@mirosawjurewicz4381 It not a bigger displacement the model I list are all 650cc same Super Meteor 650cc it has to how you setup the bore and stroke just watch the video from Yammie Noob called Demystifying Motorcycle Engine Displacement and maybe then you learn something engine, being that you have no clue how this all works and I'm 60 and an engine builder, I'm sorry but that is fault it is not a smaller bike is a Meteor Frame with a 4" stretch wheelbase just look the spec that even more then the Classic, Continental GT, Himalayan, INT650 and Scram 411 the only thing that is truly new by Royal Enfield it new Scram/Himalayan 450 engine for 2023 more power and water cooled all rest just a Facelift and supposedly rebadging the Meteor 350 to Bullet 350 new line up model called Shotgun 650.
Royal Enfield is the bike i liked of all growing up in india. My grandfather has old 1930 Enfield rifle that company has rich history in England and india. I like indian and Harley but the bikes are expensive they make lot of models with development and manufacturing cost are high. Re produce good bikes with cheap price less models. Same for Honda and small bike manufacturers in india.
it always confuses me how much people seem to not understand how fun low power engines can be. I like a motorcycle that I can wring out and not break the speed limit or put myself at risk of instant death. My FZ-1 can do 72 mph in first gear. While freeway pulls are fun, there's just no point for that much power in most situations, and my old 70's air cooled CB400 twin is more fun because I CAN absolutely wrap the engine up to redline and push the bike more, safely. The best motorcycle I've ever owned was a 1989 honda VF250 interceptor. 14k rpm from a little L twin engine that made about 30hp. It never broke, it could easily handle freeway speeds and then some, got 65-70mpg, it was flickable and easy to handle. And it looked like a barbie motorcycle, which was hilarious. To me, old style with air/oil cooling, lower power, lower weight, and only modern features like ABS and fuel injection are where my sweet spot lies. If honda re-released the old 70's CB750 with nothing more than fuel injection and ABS for $7-8k, I'd be all over it.
I'm a big fan of cruisers and used to dream about owning a Harley 48 or Fat Boy. But since this bike is already a thing, the HD 48 or Fat Boy can wait for a very long time (or even forever). Luckily, Royale Enfield has re-opened their stores in country (Vietnam). I'm now saving up for this bike.
RE *out-Triumphed* Triumph with the Interceptor, now they *out-Harley* Harley-Davidson with the Super Meteor. Will they *out-KTM* KTM with the 450cc Himalayan that is in the works?
I don’t think they’ll out KTM KTM, I can’t see a Himalayan 450 spending that much time in the shop with the owner still saying it’s the best thing since sliced bread.
Good video with well thought out commentary. Right now in my garage are two Harleys and a Triumph. I'm getting the itch to buy another motorcycle and the current frontrunner is a RE Himalayan, followed closely by a Meteor 350. It's the simplicity and back-to-basics vibe of the Royal Enfield that draws me to the brand.
Wanted to purchase a second KLR but after watching this vid, I may wait to see what this Super Meteor looks like up close and personal. Thanx for this well made vid guys!
I kinda laughed when you said "It's not going to break any land speed records soon" - Well they kind of did it already with that same 650 engine in the M-F 650 class in 2021 with 132 mph in Australia
It’s anything like the media 350 in terms of build quality acceleration and sound it’s a winner. I own the meteor 350 and absolutely love it Allan SO Cali USA
Royal Enfield have really hit the market at just the right time, producing affordable, economical and stylish bikes at a time when fuel prices are skyrocketing and pockets are getting shallow. There are dozens of reviews on UA-cam of the Meteor 350 and Scram/Himalayan in which they praise their styling and economy with barely a mention of the lack of power, with roads as congested as ever and with speed traps everywhere, large capacity bikes with ludicrous HP are going to become less common. Harley are digging themselves a grave by adopting a "Premium" business model.
I love the Royal Enfield motorcycles and it is great to see this brand making such a valuable resurgence. However the bike Harley should have build is the Benelli 502c
The Royal Enfield can really move into this "kid with a part time job" market segment to where they can use normal tools to fix, tune and modify their bikes. Harley used to have a starter bike, but abandoned that market segment in order to grow old with their customer base. If RE built a plant in the United States, it'll dominate this segment because not everyone wants a crotch rocket, they just want to enjoy the ride.
I did demo rides yesterday at a local dealer, and was pleasantly surprised. Yes, a declaration of war, 3 (RE) bikes to 1 (HD) bike in sales is a significant figure, and HD does not feel it needs to be fighting this battle by keep prices high, and not manufacturing any competing models sold in the US.
Every home in India has a Royal Enfield. Why? Because of their par excellence after sales service for over the years Superb quality bike Light on the pocket Affordable replacement parts Fantastic service 👍👌🙏🇮🇳
I think that those that like building custom chops out of old XS 650 Yamaha and old school 650 Bonneville bikes will find the Royale Enfield Super Meteor 650 one of the first platforms hosting a 650 parallel 270 degree British thumper that has the proper geometry straight out of the gate. I can see this bike selling quite well in the states. Nostalgia for old school sound and feel is on the rise and with the moves that American V-Twin manufacturers have been making and the lack of bare bones entry bikes sub 10k, RE more than fills a gap they totally own an entire segment of consumer. You will see people comparing RE bikes to Triumph and BSA saying that they are a "clone or poor man's version". Truth is RE did it first and the other British Bike companies followed suit borrowing design cues and tech from them. I will be getting my Continental GT in March and then I will be building my retro custom Cafe dream bike. I could buy an Indian or another Harley but unfortunately I don't want to fit into the crowd I want to be the odd man out. If the Super Meteor does make it to American shores, which I believe it will, I may buy one for a custom chopper build. I had a 650 Triumph chopper back almost 35 years ago now and it was a blast. It got a lot of looks and compliments and was the only non-Harley/non-Indian bike allowed to park in the club lineup back then. If you tried parking anything Japanese in the line it was guaranteed to be stripped to bare bolts before you went to leave lol! I love where RE is going with their bikes and the pricepoint makes it an attractive option for someone looking for a retro inspired build. Basically it is a simple no frills motorcycle with good bones and plenty of untapped potential. The dealership in my hometown is also a full-on speed shop and the performance numbers these guys have been squeezing out of these RE 650 machines reliably at that are insane, which has me even more excited to get one because they are truly a sleeper bike in waiting.
@@blackbuttecruizr I agree. No problem paying for quality. But I'm a big fella, 300 lbs. Sure they would both pull me around. My TW200 does without complaining. I might have one someday. They are works of beautiful craftsmanship. And small business. Would be an honor to ride one.
i would get the meteor 650 over a harley, honda or kawasaki vulcan s. i dont need the overpriced power the others offer. A motorcycle is not a "need" and with that, cost is a huge factor. RE all the way.
I would absolutely be the target of this bike if I were to go up a license class and relearn manual transmissions. RE's 350's turn me off because they make 10hp less than the 330cc commuting scooter I ride at the moment. But a 650 making 40+ hp? That is enough of an upgrade for me.
Look out Harley, these guys are coming for your lunch... Granted, they have a long way to go, but it's not impossible.. (Great video by the way.) (You always get a like out of me)
Thanks as usual. I think RE is on the come up for sure. Harley will continue their dominance in the big displacement market for a while, but that market is shrinking.
Harley did try with the street 750 but it was so cheap looking and so over priced it inevitably flopped. RE are doing so well. I took out the Continental 650 in the summer from my local dealer, I was so impressed especially considering the price, lovely to ride too!
I rode a street 750. I didn't love it, but mechanically there wasn't too much wrong with it. The ergonomics were horrible but that could have been fixed. My belief is that it was the dealer's reluctance to sell it that caused Harley corporate to lose faith in the concept.
@@martymcfly1776 the street had a good engine but the rest was horrible did they not ride any of the bikes competitors.I am surprised that HD didn’t put the engine into a cruiser frame . The super meteor if priced well should be a winner HD should try again with this size of bike.
Yeah, the smaller bikes were an afterthought for Harley where RE is putting serious thought into the bikes. An air-cooled 750cc Harley that actually looks=ed good would have been more successful. But then no one would have bought the 883.
Twin or single cylinder, RE produces super quality products, RE fro. 1968 is still running great here in India (considering Indian roads back in days) it has done impressive job. So quality wise RE is AK47 of bikes.
@@SJ_new You can search "Makina" here, he review motorbikes in English, especially on Royal Enfield. I often see a group of Royal Enfield bikers in our highways on weekends.
I own an adv and a RE 🚲 totally agree what the veterans mean 😇 : simple purchase , customized experience & a unique bond. What maverick said in TG "It's not the plane it's the pilot" stands true for every man machine bond & experience . When i went to buy the Adv , they said it has traction control , switchable ABS , ride modes etc ..........the 🧠was like "ah ! that's innovative , safe & good" but the 🖤was like "nah ! where's the fun in that " . I am going for the seas , not the harbor with each experience . I am keeping my scars .....& both the bikes and the 3 scars after 7 years look fine to me.
Royal Enfield is very good at customer service, so if you shoot them an email they may tell you what the prices are world wide. Or at least in country next door.
My whole family (Siblings) ride Harley accept me, my wife & I have 2 Moto Guzzi & we have 2 Royal Enfields 350cc Meteors amongst others... Would love the RE 650cc.
Any viewers remember Sam Avellino's Royal Enfield dealership in Revere Beach, MA back in the early 1960's? The Enfields were 750 cc, bigger than Triumphs and BSAs at the time. The Enfields had a nicer look and ruggedness over the other British bikes of the time...Queasyrider
just watch. People who want a mid sized air cooler cruiser that does NOT handle like crap will end up buying these. Parts and service on RE is easy and cheap. RE old tech at low prices. HD old tech at ridiculous prices.
I have the RE 535 Continental GT and 650 Interceptor. I'm not a cruiser guy but my wife is an is planning on purchasing the 650 Meteor as soon as its available in N.A,
One of the first things the current CEO of Royal Enfield did was to take all the company cars away from their executives and give them RE bikes to ride. He wants everyone at the company to understand their product and I think this ethos is the main reason their bikes ride so well.
He tested the RE himalayan by riding it from Delhi to Ladakh (15000 ft+) . I bought one on last year about to plan my trip on next summer
Haha he didn't take away all the cars in that sense but rather encouraged the top management to abandon their cars and start riding their motorcycles to work...having worked with them for a bit, I see this practice going down to the rest of the work force as well
What do they do in the monsoon season lol
Perhaps that highlights the failure of the HD board to understand the ethos of their products is almost unique to the USA. Diluting the decision making with alien ideas can not be good.
When Willie G took over the reigns the brand did virtually everything the customers wanted and first time.
As for harley expanding their range along the lines of the India Enfield then perhaps you're right but it seems the wish to detach from the success of their own past is paramount. Many models disappear in no time flat and the ones that survive are redesigned constantly.
I wonder if they actually managed to pay for the tooling before it was pulled out of production.
Plus, they're PASSIONATE as all get out! The Royal Enfield brass are riders first, and it shows in their recent products.
Down here in South America, the subcontinent utterly forgotten by Harley and Indian, it is going to sell very well. I should know, I am eagerly waiting for it.
That's great to hear. RE has really made a world wide push.
@@DifferentSpokesTV my son is living Bolivia right now and I bought him the Meteor 350 to ride there. great value and much nicer than the Baja models it competes with. He loves it!
Royal Enfield has caught my attention. Here in Argentina RE bikes sell for about the same price as in other countries. They have an assembly plant in Buenos Aires Province. Other imported bikes have a 100 to 200 percent import tax. Intercepter is about $8000 here. I'll be watching.
@@DifferentSpokesTV Same here in Brazil. We had only Harleys, and they are crazy expensive here. Royal Enfield came to Brazil and they are dominating this market with basically a price of 1/3 of a Harley, thank god. Since meteor 350 has its sales going crazy, I just can't imagine the effect of the super meteor 650 when it gets here!
RE is emotion for us. Love from 🇮🇳 india
In India some people still use 1970's royal Enfield and these bikes are awesome you will find royal Enfield in every parts of India ❤️the brand is becoming pride of India 🇮🇳
My relative still has a old school royal Enfield bullet diesel engine. Its give 72 kmpl mileage 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Calling the Royal Enfield the pride of India is like calling the Buckingham palace the pride of Indian. 🙄🙄
Another silly insecure Indian here just to claim false pride. Just watch the video and buzz off dudw
@@tarun1982 here comes a colonial babboon
I still ride my dads 62
I still ride my dad's RE classic 350 from 1988
And still runs like a dream
Harley-Davidson was founded in 1903 by William S. Harley and not one, not two, but three Davidson brothers: Walter, Arthur, and William. (It was Harley who had the idea for the motorcycle, and that’s why his named earned top billing!)
Royal Enfield was formed ten years earlier in 1893, under the name Enfield Manufacturing. Founded by Albert Eadie and Robert Walker Smith, it created its first motorcycle by fitting a Minerva engine on a regular old bicycle.
Classic looks and simple! Wish cars would go back to this formula.
Wait sir... HM Ambassador has been bought and is being redesigned.
@anandmahindra
I still remember in 2009 RE launched Classic 350 (which become instant hit with 8 month waiting), my only regret is "I should have bought RE shares (Listed in India as Eicher motors) in 2009-10". It has appreciated 50-60X. RE has cult fallowing in India (we see it in many Indian Movies), now RE CEO is selling REs across the world. A true global brand from India.
Same regret, buddy. If only we could go back in time.
@@srikanthxxxxx To identify the brands, we have to see the society (What it is buying, what our movies and media is endorsing freely etc).
I didn't know anything about RE until one day I was at my local BMW dealer and spotted the 350 Meteor and classic😎 I had a BMW '04 K1200 GT and sold it to pay for other things. Liked the 350 Meteor but knew I wanted something a little bigger.....then while looking through You tube I see spy photos of this bike and instantly fell in love hoping it is coming to the US and it is😎👍 Next year when ready for our country I will be ordering one in the cruiser package🥰.
My my Royal Enfield experience began with a 2014 Continental GT.
When I saw original show bike version of it my heart skipped a beat.
Then finally one day whilst riding my Aprilia shiver 750 I stopped by the Royal Enfield dealership and test wrote the Continental.
I went home with the Conti Gt-535, and never look back.
15, 000 miles later, it's 2019 and I'm not even tempted by the new Conti as I was till in love with the purity of my 535.
Then a Ventra Blue Conti showed up while I was visiting.......
It was a truly OMG moment!
I saw the makings of the cafe bike of my dreams and the asymmetrical rally stripe. It all Just brought everything into focus.
So I took her home that afternoon .
And she ain't stock anymore!
Bikini faring courtesy of MK design in India. Factory seat cowl.
Factory striping carries through the fairing and the cowl and I can go on and on and yes S&S is in the house.
I'll never part with her!
But it seems Royal Enfield doesn't know how to doing anything that isn't dead on, so it will be interesting to see what the super meteor is like to ride.
I can only imagine it's going to be great. Years ago I test rode the Indian scout and I was really impressed by it, not bad for a cruiser.
But then there's the image that goes with cruiser bikes that I'm not real crazy about either. The word 'stodgy'
comes to mind.
But the super meteor looks a whole lot more comfortable to go cross country on then the Conti..
RE build truly solid machine and with modern build quality as good as Kawi or Aprilia, BMW ..... WITHOUT THE OVER OR NEEDLESS ENGINEERING.
Everything you really need and none of the stuff that you don't.
And there's room in the garage I suppose for a another motorcycle.....
And I'm personal just enjoying watch
Royal Enfield grow and prosper.
Sorry for rambling on .....
What can I say I'm a fanboy.
Ride safe be well peace
PS... I'M LEAVING THE GUTS OF MY CONTINENTAL ALONE IN STOCK JUST INDUCTION AND EXHAUST HAVE BEEN MODIFIED OOPS 😬.
But the super meteor punched out to 865cc' courtesy of all the goodies available from S&S......and all I could says is ...Harley who ?
Food for thought .
🇬🇧 apparently the 350 meteor was the top selling bike over 125cc in the UK, I stand to be corrected but think the 650 interceptor was top seller last year, I run a 2021 Himalayan as a every day ride to work do it all bike, (don't own a car) and have a 650 continental as a weekend toy, the build quality is as good as anything out there for a lot less money.
The interceptor 650 gearbox is super smooth, enjoying my ride...no regrets
in super meteor the gearing would be even more taller, with more torque coming in the lower rpms. The weight to power ratio is the only drawback.
The interceptor 650 is a great bike, It's one of the RE's I really like.. Not everyone likes the shape of the meteor.
I love what RE are doing right now.
I like my bikes to be wheels, frame, engine, handlebars and for the luxury of comfort, a seat.
Also a gas tank is nice.
Perfect, for our times. For comparison, a Norton 750 had 57hp and the Honda CB750 Four had 67hp and those were the superbikes of their day. So the power this RE cruiser turns out will surely be enough for us all. RE has gotten it right, at least my generation of bikers want back to basics and so does many younger riders. Electronics to castrate a motorcycle is a fools game, and only put in because manufacturers want to upsell unnecessarily powerfull bikes because they have to somehow find a reason to exorbitant prices. That is not what motorcycles are about, with the exception of racing. This is so right, RE has it figured out.
55 years ago the Honda cb350 launched with 36bhp and 110mph, Enter 55 years later the Crappy RE 350 with 21bhp and fuel injected mapped engine, my 312 cc ride on mower makes nearly that. I am old enough to remember shitty 45bhp ford escorts now the focus is 150bhp probably. The gold standard is 70bhp minimum for safe road riding anything less is pointless as I found out with my interceptor ownership, which by the way cost twice the price on the road in UK as it cost in India, I don't call that value for money.
@@checker3694 with cruisers it is more about torgue than hp, many Harleys are not much over 50 in hp but they still are powerfull enough to keep one out of trouble even on motorways. My Vulcan has 64hp, which is quite enough for me. Been riding since -74, my most powerfull bike ever gave out 113hp and that was way too much for normal riding out in traffic although it was fun otherwise back in the day. But I don´t totally disagree, 70hp is sweet especially if we are talking about naked bikes, or retros or even ADVs. The important thing is that we ride, and enjoy the experience. 🙂
@Robert Lindström Don't know of any 50bhp Harley unless an 883, otherwise there 65bhp an over and 90% are stage 1 which increases there specs a further 20% Torque is no good to overtake its there and gone, Bhp gets the safe overtake done. My K1600gt makes 70% of its torque from 1700rpm, and has 160bhp if rarely needed. Drove a 50bhp diesel nearly 40 years ago and 60mpg, drove a 130 tdi 10 years ago 58mpg that's progress. I don't understand people punch drunk on 1950,s modern day Royal Endfields with the addition of ABS and fuel injection paying twice the price of India market, they were the same people in the 80s buying Russian Lada,s but at 25% of the price of local UK manufacturered cars which made it worthwhile. I don't feel comfortable if a bread and butter fiesta can out accelerate me, I rather have the upper hand on a learner fiesta driver.
It’s easier to get horsepower out of a motor if you’ve no emissions laws to contend with and fuel consumption isn’t an issue.
@luke I don't think RE is trying very hard extracting only 21bhp from 350cc. Ride on Lawn mowers produce that with Zero emissions fitted to their engines
Be interesting to see if we (USA) embrace a small displacement cruiser. Lotta guys gotta let go of that ego. Motorcycles, in my opinion, are the perfect example of bigger is not always better. I honestly get the most joy out of my 196cc Yamaha TW200.
I hear you Tom.Nothing like having fun on a small bike putting it through it's paces without loosing your license if you did that on a big cc bike.
Yeah, that attitude was more evident in 1999 when I started riding. Thankfully it's dying down but there are still those kinds of guys around.
Well said /\
Seriously...I have a fat boy and still enjoy my little trail 90 more than that big beast lol
@@nlb2000 I have a Heritage Classic myself. Probably my least ridden motorcycle.
I work in the tech industry with a lot of people from India. They love Royal Enfield bikes! I think it would look good in the garage next to my 2005 Sportster! 😁
In India Royal Enfield is our favourite to go anywhere in India even in Himalayan region ❤️
Actually people love harley here but the big price difference is the reason behind buying RE
the super meteor will fit the market for a lot of older riders who are looking to downsize their cruisers. Also all of the motorcycles that Royal Enfield produces are priced to get new riders into riding motorcycles without scaring them off.
Exactly.
Unfortunately Royal Enfield dealers in my area are trying to sell bikes at thousands of $$$ over MSRP. Very few people are willing to pay that for a bike they consider to be of inferior quality.
@Russell Reeves I paid MSRP for my Meteor 350, but the dealer had add-on fees. However, I understand that this is a common practice across all dealers and brands; IOW, they all do this. Why do you think they're called STEALERSHIPS?
@Russell Reeves isn't adding extra fees a DE FACTO price rise above MSRP? BTW, I don't think you can negotiate shipping, tax, licensing, or title fees; they're all standard. Like it or not, it's going to cost X dollars to ship the bike from the factory to your dealer. Two, I don't know of any DMV that'll negotiate on fees; they have a set schedule depending on vehicle type; you either pay what they tell you, or you do without. Three, the Meteor 350 was in high enough demand where I am that the dealer wouldn't budge on price, particularly if you wanted a certain model or colorway. I wanted a Fireball Yellow, and my dealer was the only one within 400 miles of me that had one. It was either pay up, or lose the bike to someone else.
@Russell Reeves uh, since when is stating facts equivalent to blaming? I wasn't complaining about the shipping and gov't mandated fees; they are what they are. Debating whether or not they should exist is a separate debate. There were extra fees above and beyond those, which effectively increased the price above MSRP. I understand that this is a common practice. I'd have appreciated a sticker showing dealer price that was above MSRP instead, which is what some car dealers would do with popular models; it's more honest that way. It wasn't the fact that it was above MSRP that bothered me; it was the subterfuge that did. Want to charge over MSRP? Fine, just be HONEST about it!
As for the bike, I'm happy with it; it's one of the best I ever owned. Since I bought at the time the Meteor was introduced to the US market (Summer of 2021); since we had supply and parts shortages in the wake of gov't response to COVID; my Fireball Yellow Meteor 350 was the only one within 400+ miles of me. I know, because I looked on Cycle Trader. I never complained about the price; I was happy to pay it, because I got exactly what I wanted.
Oh, and there's no need for the condescending remarks about supply vs. demand and all that. One, I didn't fall of the garbage truck yesterday. Two, I had a year of economics in college; while I'm no economist, I'm sufficiently well versed in its fundamentals, especially those of supply & demand, TYVM!
I have had several Harleys, heritage softail and a sportster 48, they were great, I most recently purchased a 2022 RE interceptor 650 downtown drag color scheme, I have already added many aftermarket parts for much less than HD and I love the bike, super simple and a blast to ride
This bike is going to eat into Harley's sales, it will eat into Honda's sales with the Rebel 500 and will even eat into Triumph's sales with the Bobber and Speedmaster which I own one of. Royal Enfield did a master stroke by setting us up with their 650cc bikes which have gone down a treat, and then saving the best for last.
Yeah, those 650s have done very well for the company. Customers are showing that they like simple and classic looking bikes.
Those who know what reliability and quality mean won't give up on Honda, and that's coming from an Indian who has more royal Enfields around him than anyone else anywhere else in the world. Heck, our neighbour owned a Continental, till its frame near the head pipe showed a crack and bent thus affecting the road stability. Thankfully he noticed it before Something terrible happened and sold it off. Now he rides a butter smooth refined Honda cb350 RS and has never been happier.
I bought a classic 350 back in June and absolutely love it. My wife has the meteor 350 as well. Awesome bike in every way. Obviously the only downside is power but we knew that when we purchased the bikes as new riders. I was considering the 883 but not with that price tag. The Enfields are easy to work on and very reliable. I would buy a meteor 650 in a heartbeat. Cheers from the Pacific Northwest!
It's not the last, there will be several other types including a street scrambler although sadly not a 650 Himalayan
If you are dumb enough to prefer the underpowered cruiser version of the underpowered Interceptor and Continental, all with the underpowered, not as well made or reliable as a Japanese, 650 twin, then you deserve all you get, mate.
RE's are awesome bikes. I love working on them at the shop because they are dead simple and I get test ride them. My first intro to RE's was a GT535. It's not fast but I could've ridden it all day, it was a lot of fun. The next was a GT650 and is an excellent bike, good power and handles very well. I own a Harley and will pick up an RE in the future.
RE proved that simplicity & budget friendliness is always smashing the competition .... & They come with rock solid reliability 👍🏻
For a lot of people, this purity is what a motorcycle is. I doubt I’ll be in the market for a new bike anytime soon, yet if I were I’d probably start looking at RE for a nice uncomplicated ride or a small dual sport for gas mileage, shenanigans and winter rides.
@@adamlanglois563yeah bro.... never disappoint us👍🏻
If this new Super Meteor is anything like my Interceptor (shares a heart) Royal Enfield will sell a lot of them.
With the S&S slip ons (baffles out) my bike sounds great and there are so many inexpensive parts available it’s very easy to personalize your bike.
Not everyone needs or wants high horsepower and rider modes, and even fewer want to pay for them.
Looking forward to seeing/riding this one.
I like the super meteor can't wait to see it in person
Low price and low power seems like a great mix for a beginner. And I really love their dashboards! This is so miraculous that all the other big serious moto companies cannot accomplish what Royal Enfield can: analogue and digital together, LCD display, _and_ physical needle, _and_ standalone indicators too! Probably, too expensive for them big guys? ;)
Yeah. Nothing is going to beat the physical stick for me. Digital bars looks so wrong to me.
@@bulthaosen1169 every time I see full TFT, I remember those trips where the Sun is right in my face, and all digital displays go totally blind, but I can see the needle yet.
@R S you missed the sarcasm
The thing is, many countries like here in Australia have such strict speeding rules and cameras everywhere so there's no longer really any point to owning a rocketship. It's better to go for soul, feeling and handling (or economy if it's a commuter)
Countries like India don't need powerful bikes, you'll kill yourself on the roads there.
Agree with you about the dashboard but I do wish they had thrown in a tachometer too.
I love the look of it, they haven't arrived in Australia yet but I've bought one anyway, never ridden or even considered a cruiser before so it's a bit of a leap for me but the first reviews I've seen have been very positive. Love what Royal Enfields doing.
Good to see someone doing something in that segment. Might make a good 2023 video comparison for cruiser bikes in that price segment.
Yeah, that would basically pit RE against all the Japanese cruisers. Good idea. I'll put it on the list.
I see a lot of old Sportster enthusiasts coming and getting one of these. The only 2 cylinder air cooled cruiser of this size around.
I've been watching R.E. for awhile now, and I'm happy to see them reach this point. I would still like to see what kind of impact they could make with a 950 v- twin motor, but I won't hold my breath. Or stop hoping.
I have a RE GT 650 and I'm going to get this one too. I'm 70 and still ride RE bikes feel like the old days.
I’m in Bathinda India with work and the local Royal Enfield store is awesome. As a Bonneville T120 owner they have some great looking vintage bikes. One thing I can say though is the pricing is 50% higher in North America. I asked for pricing and you can literally ride out the store for $3800 all in 🤷♂️
In India, shipment charges, import duties, custom duty, etc. is not there.
It's the custom duties imposed by respective govts that adds to the cost
India is a price sensitive market so they reduce their commissions and also the bikes in India don't have premium tyres and some feature are also removed like tripper navigation system. These things are sold as accessories in India. Also the taxes and shipping costs reduce the overall price here.
@@rishabhkr.1063 They sell the same motorcycle in India. Interceptors don't get tripper navigation anywhere. Maybe you're right about the tyres, though. Different climates require different tyres.
@@SonOfDrogo the british interceptor gets brembo's brakes
There are a lot of RE 650's around England they sound really good. Nice burble on the standard pipes and a great sound with slipons. I've also heard that a cam will make these engines scream.
3 months with this baby! Could not be happier!
Spot on! This is a well made bike with good looks. The price is absolutely right. And if one think 40bhp on the rear wheel is not enough. Well, there we have Hitchcock in the UK and S&S in the US providing things. An 865cc barrel with S&S or Hitchcock exhaust, S&S or Hitchcock cam, updated airfilter and clutch and a ready tunedin PC5 makes it to 65bhp 0n the wheel. But better is the torque. More than 80Nm! Take a look at WildeLifeMoto here on the channel.
Cheers!
RE is gonna price this around $7k... and sell a ton of them... you're absolutely correct that is a great looking bike!
Actually just over $8k
I think it will do well. I'd love to chop one and just go all minimalist with it.
@@kevinbarnbrook4728 I have a feeling the initial price will be just below 7k.
The price will be around 7,500$
7K and 8K is the correct ballpark. If they sell it at 9K then it's destined to flop, and I don't believe they can sell it under 7 without losing money.
Royal Enfield makes a great bike, I have a 883 sportster and a RE 350. I love riding the RE, it's simple and slick. So I must say I can't wait to get the 650 RE.
This is a timely video as I'm currently looking to trade off my spine-jamming Sportster for something more appropriate for my old body.
Or you could just replace the shocks. There are lots of companies that sell far superior aftermarket units that will fix the problem. Hard to believe that Harley never fixed it and repeated it with the new Sportsters.
As a owner of Meteor 350 I say its a great ride
Bravo to Royal Enfield! They are producing motorcycles at a great price that one does not have to sell their first-born to purchase and enjoy. If only our USA manufacturers would wake up and smell the roses!
Royal Enfield sure does make pretty bikes. Thanks for the great video! :)
How old are you
The 650 Royal Enfields are everything the Street 500 and 750 tried to be and failed.
People wouldn't mind paying more for a HD 750, but not with that crappy build quality and design.
Best model after the Classic 500 ❤ love it so much
Harley had a good entry level bike with the Street Rod 750, it just needed a few changes to it like a narrower tank, higher seat, and a re-routed exhaust. Royal Enfield is not the most powerful bikes out there but the value at a price point is a winner.
Great review, hats off to Super Meteor 650 designer for creating stunning looking bike, it will be a game changer in India and rest of the world in that Class. Thx.
Royal Enfield gives you a solid ride without taking your wallet for a ride too. It's a lot easier to get into motorcycling and have fun when you're not straddled to large monthly payment. Our neighbor has a Continental GT. It is brand new but has this vintage look that really grabs your attention. I have a Honda Fury which is another old school style machine. We parked our bikes next to each other near an old barn out in the country and took some good black and white photos and you'd swear it was a scene from the 60's or 70's.
Excellent review :)
At this price point RE is killing it, great value for money.
Can't wait to get my hands on one.
Currently I ride interceptor 650, I am a proud owner of this bike since last 3years approx. and now I can’t wait to buy meteor 650, I am gonna keep it single seat and do some change on handle and will ride it 🤫
Super meteor is a direct hit on rebel 500 . I would love to see RE taking steps into bigger engine. 900cc, probably. First in cruiser platform and then in retro styled sport bike with small fairing.
No what it needs is their engine displacement to be redesigned of the bore and stroke to get the power up much higher like a Kawasaki Ninja 650/Z650/Vulcan S or Suzuki SV650 which is pushing north 60+ horse & 46+ torque depending on model above and then there's the curb weight 531 pounds which is about 39+ pounds more than Vulcan S that wet weight and other bikes I listed above 94+ pound less vs the Royal Enfield 650 but my only disappointment with this model is the lack Dual 320mm disc, 2-piston floating caliper on the front for better stopping power, My likes of this bike I have to say the color option choices A+ and their the OEM accessories look good but cannot seem to find prices and can't buy anything online seem to be dealer item only sale who have a bad habit of jacking up the price way too high here in USA even the Japanese bikes are just as bad for example with Kawasaki they're USB charger kit is over $120 even online wtf there no way in it cost that much.
@@SHSPVR RE engines will never be like kawasaki ones. They are made to target different customers. Bigger displacement will not only give more torque but will open gates for more mature customers. I'm 38 and would not buy super meteor simply because it is overall small bike.
@@mirosawjurewicz4381 There is a big bore conversion already available for this engine, 865cc from S&S.
@@paulwilliams4156 will definitely take a look at this. But this doesn't resolve other problem, overall size of the bike.
@@mirosawjurewicz4381 It not a bigger displacement the model I list are all 650cc same Super Meteor 650cc it has to how you setup the bore and stroke just watch the video from Yammie Noob called Demystifying Motorcycle Engine Displacement and maybe then you learn something engine, being that you have no clue how this all works and I'm 60 and an engine builder, I'm sorry but that is fault it is not a smaller bike is a Meteor Frame with a 4" stretch wheelbase just look the spec that even more then the Classic, Continental GT, Himalayan, INT650 and Scram 411 the only thing that is truly new by Royal Enfield it new Scram/Himalayan 450 engine for 2023 more power and water cooled all rest just a Facelift and supposedly rebadging the Meteor 350 to Bullet 350 new line up model called Shotgun 650.
Royal Enfield is the bike i liked of all growing up in india. My grandfather has old 1930 Enfield rifle that company has rich history in England and india. I like indian and Harley but the bikes are expensive they make lot of models with development and manufacturing cost are high. Re produce good bikes with cheap price less models. Same for Honda and small bike manufacturers in india.
Not to mention S&S already makes 750cc & 835cc big bore kit for the 650 platform along side high lift cams, exhausts and more.
Heritage, quality, and value. Good combination for success.
Love my Super Meteor 650. Almost 4000 miles and counting
it always confuses me how much people seem to not understand how fun low power engines can be. I like a motorcycle that I can wring out and not break the speed limit or put myself at risk of instant death. My FZ-1 can do 72 mph in first gear. While freeway pulls are fun, there's just no point for that much power in most situations, and my old 70's air cooled CB400 twin is more fun because I CAN absolutely wrap the engine up to redline and push the bike more, safely.
The best motorcycle I've ever owned was a 1989 honda VF250 interceptor. 14k rpm from a little L twin engine that made about 30hp. It never broke, it could easily handle freeway speeds and then some, got 65-70mpg, it was flickable and easy to handle. And it looked like a barbie motorcycle, which was hilarious.
To me, old style with air/oil cooling, lower power, lower weight, and only modern features like ABS and fuel injection are where my sweet spot lies. If honda re-released the old 70's CB750 with nothing more than fuel injection and ABS for $7-8k, I'd be all over it.
Agreed. My 450 Nighthawk had more than enough power and required near zero maintenance. If Honda came out with an updated one today, I’d be happy. 👍
Well said Colin. In the 70's I had the Honda CB550 Super Sport and loved it. These days I ride the Meteor 350 and love that too.
I'm a big fan of cruisers and used to dream about owning a Harley 48 or Fat Boy. But since this bike is already a thing, the HD 48 or Fat Boy can wait for a very long time (or even forever). Luckily, Royale Enfield has re-opened their stores in country (Vietnam). I'm now saving up for this bike.
Really good looking bike 👍
RE is not just the bike in India but it is emotion to own RE in India .
Very happy for India and Indians, Enfield is something you can take pride in, they listen to their customers and deliver quality products.
@@ΑναστάσιοςΠαπαζαχαρίου I am a proud owner of RE meteor 350 🙂
RE *out-Triumphed* Triumph with the Interceptor, now they *out-Harley* Harley-Davidson with the Super Meteor.
Will they *out-KTM* KTM with the 450cc Himalayan that is in the works?
I don’t think they’ll out KTM KTM, I can’t see a Himalayan 450 spending that much time in the shop with the owner still saying it’s the best thing since sliced bread.
@@adamlanglois563 🤣
Good point. Hope the LC is not too big a step up for them.
Good video with well thought out commentary. Right now in my garage are two Harleys and a Triumph. I'm getting the itch to buy another motorcycle and the current frontrunner is a RE Himalayan, followed closely by a Meteor 350. It's the simplicity and back-to-basics vibe of the Royal Enfield that draws me to the brand.
Wanted to purchase a second KLR but after watching this vid, I may wait to see what this Super Meteor looks like up close and personal. Thanx for this well made vid guys!
I kinda laughed when you said "It's not going to break any land speed records soon" - Well they kind of did it already with that same 650 engine in the M-F 650 class in 2021 with 132 mph in Australia
It’s anything like the media 350 in terms of build quality acceleration and sound it’s a winner.
I own the meteor 350 and absolutely love it
Allan
SO Cali USA
Royal Enfield have really hit the market at just the right time, producing affordable, economical and stylish bikes at a time when fuel prices are skyrocketing and pockets are getting shallow. There are dozens of reviews on UA-cam of the Meteor 350 and Scram/Himalayan in which they praise their styling and economy with barely a mention of the lack of power, with roads as congested as ever and with speed traps everywhere, large capacity bikes with ludicrous HP are going to become less common. Harley are digging themselves a grave by adopting a "Premium" business model.
Exactly!... spot on
I love the Royal Enfield motorcycles and it is great to see this brand making such a valuable resurgence. However the bike Harley should have build is the Benelli 502c
Moto Morini 350 and 500...
The Royal Enfield can really move into this "kid with a part time job" market segment to where they can use normal tools to fix, tune and modify their bikes. Harley used to have a starter bike, but abandoned that market segment in order to grow old with their customer base. If RE built a plant in the United States, it'll dominate this segment because not everyone wants a crotch rocket, they just want to enjoy the ride.
The Super Meteor is a beautiful bike and without any doubt the best value for money.
I did demo rides yesterday at a local dealer, and was pleasantly surprised. Yes, a declaration of war, 3 (RE) bikes to 1 (HD) bike in sales is a significant figure, and HD does not feel it needs to be fighting this battle by keep prices high, and not manufacturing any competing models sold in the US.
I had a test ride on an INT 650, really fun bike. Not sure what the advantage would be of this new model, I think the INT 650 looks good as it is.
Super Meteor 650 will have comfortable riding posture and company fitted alloy wheels and other aesthetic changes. Engine in both bikes is same....
Meteor is a cruiser. Built for a different purpose.
This is the first decent review of RE I've seen so far
Thank you
😊👍🙏🇮🇳
On the street, a broad flat torque curve is better than high peak horsepower. Harley used to understand this.
Yeah, I hear the Nightster is a bit peaky. They should have put the 1250 in it.
Every home in India has a Royal Enfield.
Why?
Because of their
par excellence after sales service for over the years
Superb quality bike
Light on the pocket
Affordable replacement parts
Fantastic service
👍👌🙏🇮🇳
RE seems to be doing it right. I'd like to see a 2WD side car rig to beat out Ural.
That's pretty niche but it would be cool to see.
Bought a new 350 Classic, love it for the simplicity and charm.
I think that those that like building custom chops out of old XS 650 Yamaha and old school 650 Bonneville bikes will find the Royale Enfield Super Meteor 650 one of the first platforms hosting a 650 parallel 270 degree British thumper that has the proper geometry straight out of the gate. I can see this bike selling quite well in the states. Nostalgia for old school sound and feel is on the rise and with the moves that American V-Twin manufacturers have been making and the lack of bare bones entry bikes sub 10k, RE more than fills a gap they totally own an entire segment of consumer.
You will see people comparing RE bikes to Triumph and BSA saying that they are a "clone or poor man's version". Truth is RE did it first and the other British Bike companies followed suit borrowing design cues and tech from them. I will be getting my Continental GT in March and then I will be building my retro custom Cafe dream bike. I could buy an Indian or another Harley but unfortunately I don't want to fit into the crowd I want to be the odd man out.
If the Super Meteor does make it to American shores, which I believe it will, I may buy one for a custom chopper build. I had a 650 Triumph chopper back almost 35 years ago now and it was a blast. It got a lot of looks and compliments and was the only non-Harley/non-Indian bike allowed to park in the club lineup back then. If you tried parking anything Japanese in the line it was guaranteed to be stripped to bare bolts before you went to leave lol! I love where RE is going with their bikes and the pricepoint makes it an attractive option for someone looking for a retro inspired build. Basically it is a simple no frills motorcycle with good bones and plenty of untapped potential. The dealership in my hometown is also a full-on speed shop and the performance numbers these guys have been squeezing out of these RE 650 machines reliably at that are insane, which has me even more excited to get one because they are truly a sleeper bike in waiting.
Looks fun, be a good 2nd bike for me. I would probably go for a Janus 450 first though.
Those Janus bikes are fine looking, well made, handcrafted bikes, but you pay a premium price too!
Yep, the Janus is nice. That thing looks less like it's from the 60's and more like it's from the 30's. Super unique.
@@PineyRider I'd happily pay the premium price for a handmade motorcycle
@@blackbuttecruizr I agree. No problem paying for quality. But I'm a big fella, 300 lbs. Sure they would both pull me around. My TW200 does without complaining. I might have one someday. They are works of beautiful craftsmanship. And small business. Would be an honor to ride one.
Proud that RE is a brand who has a cult following in India for those who like it. Proudly Indian Brand.... ❤️🇮🇳
i would get the meteor 650 over a harley, honda or kawasaki vulcan s. i dont need the overpriced power the others offer. A motorcycle is not a "need" and with that, cost is a huge factor. RE all the way.
I would absolutely be the target of this bike if I were to go up a license class and relearn manual transmissions. RE's 350's turn me off because they make 10hp less than the 330cc commuting scooter I ride at the moment. But a 650 making 40+ hp? That is enough of an upgrade for me.
*May the spokes be with you*
I have a 2022 650 interceptor. Nice bike (retro) for cheap price 7k US
As a 70 year old, I can get in all the trouble I need with 48 HP. Haha
Beautiful bike. Especially the green color.
Agreed!
A cool video… and, to answer the question: I‘m definitely on the classic side 😻
By using aluminum wheels they can use tubeless tires. Much more reliable. Smart.
you're so right Bill - I sure wish they could be the same, but with spokes though.
I'm in India. I've been shopping for the Super Meteor. I agree with every bit of your assessment.
Since I sold my Speedmaster I am in the market for one of these. My only concern is the closest dealership is over a 100 miles away for service.
Easy to self service and the valve clearances are screw & locknut. Home mechanics perfect bike.
I hear ya. I have a dealerships about an hour and a half drive, but that's pretty far.
Then there is a business opportunity for you, start a dealership ;-)
The classic 350 is in my shortlist of bikes to buy next year. The other one is the Benelli Imperiale 400
Look out Harley, these guys are coming for your lunch...
Granted, they have a long way to go, but it's not impossible..
(Great video by the way.)
(You always get a like out of me)
Thanks as usual. I think RE is on the come up for sure. Harley will continue their dominance in the big displacement market for a while, but that market is shrinking.
Hero is making a baby HD which is expected to launch next year
Harley did try with the street 750 but it was so cheap looking and so over priced it inevitably flopped. RE are doing so well. I took out the Continental 650 in the summer from my local dealer, I was so impressed especially considering the price, lovely to ride too!
I rode a street 750. I didn't love it, but mechanically there wasn't too much wrong with it. The ergonomics were horrible but that could have been fixed. My belief is that it was the dealer's reluctance to sell it that caused Harley corporate to lose faith in the concept.
@@martymcfly1776 the street had a good engine but the rest was horrible did they not ride any of the bikes competitors.I am surprised that HD didn’t put the engine into a cruiser frame . The super meteor if priced well should be a winner HD should try again with this size of bike.
Yeah, the smaller bikes were an afterthought for Harley where RE is putting serious thought into the bikes. An air-cooled 750cc Harley that actually looks=ed good would have been more successful. But then no one would have bought the 883.
That no XR750 did really well so did the Street 750
@@johnludmon510 I think that Harley tried to keep a cruiser vibe with the street.
India is single handley dominating the two wheeler industry. Indian brands provides quality bikes at affordable prices.
Twin or single cylinder, RE produces super quality products, RE fro. 1968 is still running great here in India (considering Indian roads back in days) it has done impressive job. So quality wise RE is AK47 of bikes.
A belt final drive would have made me a buyer.
Wow. I am surprised HD sell that many bikes.
There's obviously more divorced Dentists around than you realised...
@@tsubadaikhan6332 😁
Royal Enfield are becoming popular in the Philippines, they're competing Japanese here.
nice ! any video on RE filipina on this topic ? please share i will watch it
@@SJ_new You can search "Makina" here, he review motorbikes in English, especially on Royal Enfield. I often see a group of Royal Enfield bikers in our highways on weekends.
@@alphajed7700 I saw his videos earlier , has he posted video on SuM650 ?
@@SJ_new you mean, the SV650? He did, watch his previous videos
@@alphajed7700 i meant super meteor 650 (SuM650) 👍🏻
I'm already on the list here in San Diego to trade in my 350 Meteor when they get here, Lord willing.
I own an adv and a RE 🚲 totally agree what the veterans mean 😇 : simple purchase , customized experience & a unique bond.
What maverick said in TG "It's not the plane it's the pilot" stands true for every man machine bond & experience .
When i went to buy the Adv , they said it has traction control , switchable ABS , ride modes etc ..........the 🧠was like "ah ! that's innovative , safe & good" but the 🖤was like "nah ! where's the fun in that " . I am going for the seas , not the harbor with each experience . I am keeping my scars .....& both the bikes and the 3 scars after 7 years look fine to me.
It's so funny that the V-Twin Japanese Cruisers look better than Harley's new bike. They're also cheaper and more reliable.
LOVED my Connie GT! Can’t wait to get home and get another!
Royal Enfield is very good at customer service, so if you shoot them an email they may tell you what the prices are world wide. Or at least in country next door.
STARTED with RE 350 at age 19 ended up with BMW RT 1200 at age 67,yes looks like Meteor 650 will be my next bike or BSA GOLDSTAR
My whole family (Siblings) ride Harley accept me, my wife & I have 2 Moto Guzzi & we have 2 Royal Enfields 350cc Meteors amongst others...
Would love the RE 650cc.
If I were not under Hospis care I would get a Super Meteor and cruse as far as my pocket book would take me.
Any viewers remember Sam Avellino's Royal Enfield dealership in Revere Beach, MA back in the early 1960's? The Enfields were 750 cc, bigger than Triumphs and BSAs at the time. The Enfields had a nicer look and ruggedness over the other British bikes of the time...Queasyrider
The used Sportster market is thriving. No voids.
just watch. People who want a mid sized air cooler cruiser that does NOT handle like crap will end up buying these. Parts and service on RE is easy and cheap. RE old tech at low prices. HD old tech at ridiculous prices.
Harley built the OHV Sportster from 1957 until this year, so after 65 years of production there are a lot of used Sportsters to choose from
F spokes. You can plug and ride a tubeless tire on a cast wheel. Good for them. I will be checking this bike out when it arrives.
I have the RE 535 Continental GT and 650 Interceptor. I'm not a cruiser guy but my wife is an is planning on purchasing the 650 Meteor as soon as its available in N.A,