Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650 Long Term Review

The Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650 is the manufacturer’s most premium motorcycle yet and we are using it every day in the city and for the occasional long ride. Watch this space for timely updates about this motorcycle’s progress.

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Royal Enfield’s superstar joins our long-term garage. We expect the next few months to be nothing short of brilliant

In my opinion, a motorcycle needs more than one cylinder to be able to cruise effortlessly. Although our market did have options in this segment, Royal Enfield rewrote the rules of the game by launching the Super Meteor 650. By offering a purpose-built cruiser below Rs 5 lakh, they have made the act and joy of cruising accessible to a larger number of riders.

Even so, this is the manufacturer’s most premium model ever. The Super Meteor shares its parallel-twin engine with the Interceptor and Continental GT but boasts of a higher level of equipment, including an LED headlamp and a Showa USD fork. The motorcycle did impress us the first time we rode it in Jaipur, though none of that matters when one sets one’s eyes on the Super for the first time.

With a dual-tone paint scheme lending colour to an all-metal bodywork that is not shy about flaunting its curves, the Super Meteor looks the part of a large motorcycle from any angle. On that count, I believe it scores points among cruising enthusiasts even while standing still.

Life with this big and burly twin-cylinder cruiser has just begun and, given only a few days’ delightful experience, the future looks promising. More updates will follow in the forthcoming issues of the magazine. Short excerpts will also be featured on our website and social media channels. So, do please stay tuned in.

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Tenure: Three months
Ridden: 2,500 kilometres
Like: Smooth and powerful engine, comfortable riding position, high speed stability
Dislike: Weight, innacurate fuel gauge

The Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650 spent three months in the Bike India fleet as my long-term. It was not enough time, to be honest. Primarily because it was a motorcycle than encouraged me to ride more, so, perhaps, even a year may not have been enough. For its size, one would expect me to avoid narrow roads and just stick to wide ones but that was never the case. Within the first couple of days of riding it, I was confidently opting for the shortest routes to places, most of which passed through tight roads that were sometimes overrun with errant traffic but the Super Meteor never felt like a handful.

This is the most premium and without doubt, the most flambouyant Royal Enfield ever and it is commendable how they fused form and function. The LED headlight has good illumination and throw along with easy adjustability while the Showa USD fork adds to the motorcycle’s stability in addition to looking the part. As comfortable as it was within town, the Super Meteor was best enjoyed out on the open road and as a result, I rode to many places around Pune. In addition to keeping me entertained with its crisp throttle response and smooth power delivery, it was equally comfortable for the pillion as well and just as enjoyable. Furthermore, throughout its tenure there was never any mechanical or quality issue.

I am not someone who is new to cruisers and in this job I have been fortunate enough to ride some of the best in the world. Even so, I have never felt the need to have one in the garage but the Super Meteor may just have changed that and it is without doubt my favourite long-term motorcycle yet.