Royal Enfield Bear 650 Review | LAMS Motorcycle Te...

Royal Enfield Bear 650 Assessment

With the motorcycling world embracing the journey bike craze, Royal Enfield has lastly launched a 650-twin with some off-road intent. Meet Royal Enfield’s Bear 650.  Slightly than a giant model of the Himalayan or a full-fledged journey machine, the Bear is extra of a scrambler-style motorbike.

This implies capitalising on the strengths of the 650 platform by sustaining glorious highway manners whereas including slightly off-road functionality—probably all that the majority aspiring “journey” riders are realistically going to make use of.

On the one hand that does imply this bike is a reasonably clear by-product of the Interceptor, even displaying the moniker on the quantity boards. Nevertheless, the Bear comes with useful updates and scrambler-specific tweaks that make it a particular possibility.

Impressed by the historic Massive Bear Run within the USA, famously received by Eddie Mulder on a Royal Enfield, the brand new Bear 650 kicks off from a aggressive $11,490 ride-away. That’s first rate worth.

We spent two days testing out the brand new mannequin, heading out of Melbourne and right down to Lorne with some gravel roads thrown in. We stayed on the Cumberland River Tenting cabins in a single day, adopted by a day down the coastal highway earlier than looping again as much as Melbourne.

Navigating out and in of Melbourne concerned some inevitable site visitors and tedious freeway stretches—simply managed by the bike—earlier than transitioning to gravel and unsealed roads to check its off-road capabilities. Add in some implausible twisty sections, and it was the type of an journey you would possibly plan for a weekend escape.

So placing apart the puzzling ‘Seize the Bear by the horns’ catch-phrase, which appears to have misplaced one thing in translation, and onto general impressions.

The Bear 650 is undeniably a good-looking machine. The race plate, beefier tyres and blacked out exhaust all add as much as a superb look. A particular notice going to the ‘inexperienced body’ Two 4 9 livery, whereas the Wild Honey (as examined) was my private favorite.

Trying on the practical facet of issues, there’s slightly further floor clearance; spoked rims – 19 inch entrance, 17 inch rear; switchable ABS on the rear; full LED lights and a few fairly large ‘bars.

When launched in 2018, the 650 platform marked an enormous step ahead for the Indian model and construct high quality has been bettering additional with every mannequin launch. Nonetheless, the 650 fashions all the time appear to be a step above their smaller capability siblings relating to high quality of end and dare I say it, panache. The parallel-twin engine itself additionally provides a little bit of charisma into the combination.

The 830 mm seat peak is slightly taller than the Continental GT, however fairly a bit taller than the usual Interceptor. That did shock me slightly, with the bike solely lifted about 10 mm within the floor clearance division. At 184 mm that floor clearance determine is fairly cheap for a Scrambler, however it’s over 40 mm lower than offered by the extra off-road oriented Himalayan.

The large handlebars are instantly noticeable. Some riders on the launch had them rolled again slightly to lower the attain and supply a extra relaxed higher physique place. I used to be fairly pleased with them.

The massive check for me was whether or not I’d have the ability to simply and naturally stand on the Bear 650 when getting on to gravel roads, and that did fairly comfortably show to be the case. At the very least for my 180 cm or so body, maintaining in thoughts I’ve been accused of getting orangutan arms by my important different. In fact T-Rex shouldn’t throw stones!

The bars are slightly low and require a little bit of a hunch to be comfortably reached when standings.

Whereas doubtlessly not the case for everybody, physique proportions various so broadly, that is what I search for, as you possibly can guess I’ll be standing within the off-road stuff, because it simply provides me extra confidence and really feel on the bike.

The tank cut-outs have been additionally best for my knees, though greedy the seat between my knees wasn’t so comfy. I’m no off-road professional although, so take from that what you’ll. The foot controls, significantly the shifter, aren’t ideally suited to standing whereas driving.

The largest boon for a lot of can be the truth that the Bear is learner authorized, that means you can begin on one as a brand new rider, leaping into the deep finish considerably, with simply shy of fifty hp. That’s within the candy spot of getting loads of ‘have enjoyable’ energy, however not ‘tremendous straightforward to lose your license immediately’ energy, no matter your license sort.

The air-cooled engine has been tuned for extra torque, partially because of the brand new exhaust boosting that determine by eight per cent. Shorter gearing additionally provides it a bit extra pep.

Peak energy figures could also be bandied about, however broad usable torque is the place it’s at on a highway bike and the Bear doesn’t disappoint, with easy fuelling backing that up.

The suspension package deal is notable at this value level with Showa offering the forks and shocks. Nevertheless, the shocks on this mannequin miss out on the exterior reservoir seen on another fashions.

I used to be fairly impressed after the gravel roads of day one, sufficient in order that I wouldn’t have minded doing extra gravel, which I’d say is a very good testomony to how comfy I felt on the bike.

Clearly we’re simply getting a style of sunshine off-roading on the pretty road-oriented commonplace tyres, however it’s clear the Bear doesn’t have the off-road chops of the go anyplace Himalayan.

Regardless of weighing simply over 200 kg, the Bear 650 is manageable on the gravel and the ample torque of the air-cooled twin-cylinder provides loads of drive.

I actually wasn’t spinning the wheel by way of the corners, or locking the rear to show, however my confidence shortly constructed up for the situations, that means I may additionally decide up the tempo – all the time a superb factor while you’re the slowest of the group.

Entrance finish confidence and monitoring was good. Whereas I usually like a wider ‘peg for standing on a motorbike, they nonetheless did the job, and the suspension dealt with the situations simply.

Brakes are from Bybre, with a single entrance 320 mm rotor and two-pot caliper. A generously sized 270 mm rear rotor and single-pot caliper present a reasonably first rate quantity of stopping energy on the rear, particularly with the leverage that standing provides you on the lever.

We did one barely tough part, with a steep downhill, solely to show round and head again up the identical part. That did have me a bit apprehensive (about my talents), however maintaining the facility on and letting the bike do its stuff had the hefty Bear 650 climb up and onto simpler sections very quickly in any respect.

The ergos labored, the torquey engine was forgiving and simple to maintain momentum up, that means much less gear adjustments, and people tyres gave cheap confidence.

I’m no off-road guru, however I believe for brand spanking new riders significantly, this can be a straightforward machine to discover on. Which is essential as a LAMS machine. I’d be fairly joyful choosing considered one of these over an ADV if I didn’t intend to do way more than the odd hearth path or straightforward gravel roads.

Our tarmac journey then gave a glimpse into simply how succesful the Bear 650 can be on the extra on a regular basis roads for many riders. Effectively, not your commuting roads, however the nicer rides that the majority of us actually get pleasure from on a time off or a weekend.

The Nice Ocean Street had the bike in its ingredient, effortlessly linking collectively these corners, simply flicking backward and forward, the Bear shining on the authorized and pretty reasonable tempo of 80-100 km/h… or so.

You may actually have a hoot on this bike at these speeds, cracking on slightly, having enjoyable and a little bit of a go whereas additionally not likely being too far within the hazard zone for pace cameras. That could be slightly conservative for the sportier rider. Nevertheless, this can be a Royal Enfield, so it’s fairly true to kind.

I’m nudging in direction of 40 now, however I nonetheless discover that there’s loads of enjoyable available on a motorbike ‘solely’ pumping out round 47 horsepower. Nonetheless, you possibly can stretch it as much as greater than 160 km/h, when you actually need to.

Contemplating the MRF Nylorex-X rubber isn’t a model or sort I’m accustomed to I felt they have been okay. I’d have an interest to see how they deal with the moist, however for the dry, they bought a tick of approval. For straightforward gravel or hearth trails they need to be as much as the duty.

A lunch cease at Duneed heralded the tip of the good roads earlier than the slog into Melbourne in 35 diploma warmth. Fortunately, my Dririder Exo 3 jacket and the dearth of wind safety afforded by the Bear gave me loads of air-flow and made the summer season metropolis drudge bearable. The quantity of warmth coming off the bike wasn’t too dangerous both, contemplating that is an air-cooled machine.

I did discover the shocks slightly harsh on tough situations. After I’d checked the pre-load on day one I’d discovered it on the bottom setting, that means there was no remaining vary of adjustment for me to again it off additional for my 75 kg weight.

It did really feel harsher than the Interceptor, Continental GT or Tremendous Meteor, which is shocking because the Bear truly has extra suspension journey. 115 mm nonetheless isn’t all that a lot journey, however maybe these Nylorex tyres play their half within the harshness equation.

Seat consolation is nice for an hour or two at a time, and there’s good mod-cons like a USB port within the sprint for system charging, a TFT show and onboard nav (through the app).

Total I believe the Bear 650 has loads to supply. The pliability of a scrambler, powered by the hottest iteration of Royal Enfield’s 650-twin, and nonetheless very competitively priced. End up some enjoyable gravel roads or hearth trails to discover and a few likeminded riders to share the expertise with and also you’ll be in cloud 9 on the Bear.

What I like concerning the Royal Enfield Bear 650:

• Styling is on level.
• Good mixture of efficiency and dealing with.
• Competitively priced.

The Royal Enfield 650 may enhance…

• Rear shocks a bit harsh (for me at 75 kg).
• ‘Bars could also be too ahead for some.

Royal Enfield Bear 650 Introductory Pricing & Colors

• Boardwalk White – $11,490 Experience Away
• Petrol Inexperienced / Wild Honey / Golden Shadow – $11,690 Experience Away
• Two 4 9 – $11,890 Experience Away

See the Royal Enfield Australia website for extra info or your native supplier.

2025 Royal Enfield Bear 650 Specs

2025 Royal Enfield Bear 650 Pictures

Pictures by Tom Fossati & Matthew Hayman