New 650 Twin

madass140

madass140

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New 650 Twin
 
That’s not a lot it’s true, but I’d also hypothesise that it will be heavier than your average old Brit, so it ain’t gonna be no Thruxton R contender!

Still a nice bike though, and there’s obviously a place for it in the Enfield world as it’s at least 50% more powerful, than their current finest.

And it will certainly be attractively priced.
 
We will wait patiently and see how the quality works out. It may be interesting and different but then
can it compete with the japs? They are a tough act to equal much less beat.
 
I think they’re aiming for a gap between the niches where they basically don’t compete head on with the Japanese. Just like the singles, they don’t really compete head on with them with those either.
 
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Spoke to a RE rep at Barber about this bike. he was pretty tight-lipped.

The machine looks a lot lighter than the original Interceptor. It'll likely be a lot more oil-tight, too.
 
I saw it up close today. It’s ‘OK’. Not my cup of tea though. It’s not in the same league as other higher end retros, but then, neither is the price.

But given their market dominance in India, I’m sure they’ll sell numbers that Triumph et al can only dream of!
 
Gives me hope that there is still some sanity remaining in the world. 46 BHP is about what a 1963 Bonneville turned out - quite enough for anyone with a big right fist. And by the look of the frame and brakes, it might actually handle better. I'd much rather see a kid on that than a Fireblade. They might actually learn how to fix their bike. It looks like it might be rebuildable.
 
if price and build quality is right this bike can be a succes, looks much better than that silly 650 contraption lately introduced by Norton anyway.
 
That price brings long-term inflation into perspective. When I left N-V in the spring of 1968, I could have bought a factory-fresh Commando for 1200 UK pounds. My total net worth at the time was about 25% of that, so I declined since I knew surviving our first two weeks in the US without my first Boeing pay-check would be difficult enough with such meagre resources.
 
I rather like it. But £5999 translates to about US$8000, and for that I can get a lot more of everything except nostalgia in modern bikes. Of course, I could say the same about my Commandos, and I'd never trade them for modern bikes. I hope the bikes are a success for them. Maybe I can find one in the used market in a few years, if I'm not too feeble to ride by then. With some head work, better cam, etc., they should be good for at least an honest 60 hp, and that's enough for serous fun on the road.

Ken
 
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I could get excited about the RE 650, but I'll wait to see what bugs surface, then, if I'm still a player I'll look for a used example and let the person who purchased it new suck up the depreciation and break it in.

I do have a 2000 Kawasaki W-650; I found it in a barn about 60 miles west of here about 6 years ago, with 571 miles showing; it now has about 7200. It is a sweetheart, and very comparable to the RE 650 in just about every respect. I sure hope the RE is as pleasant to ride.
 

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