Is this the best Royal Enfield ever?

Royal Enfield delights fans with the newest incarnation of Meteor

You’d be well aware that Royal Enfield has set the small- and mid-size road bike categories ablaze with their cute, retro machines that are simple, fun and easy to ride.

Last time we whipped around the Yarra Valley on the dinky Hunter 350cc single and this time we trotted out the brand new Super Meteor 650, a bike billed as a cruiser yet with that same retro appeal that is so faithful to the original Royal Enfields going back to the 1950s and ‘60s.

We’re already familiar with the 35kW 648 cc, air-and-oil-cooled EFI SOHC, 8-valve, 270° parallel twin engine first seen installed in the well-received Interceptor and Continental machines back in 2017. Super Meteor makes full use of these neat attributes in a cruiser frame that is easily accessorised for longer journeys using RE’s own MIY (Make It Yours) range of add-ons. 

Royal Enfield enthusiastically describes this latest machine thus:

A quintessential cruiser, the Super Meteor 650 combines uncluttered controls and instrumentation with relaxed rider ergonomics; rock-steady stability on highways with pure riding pleasure even on the most winding roads where it keenly changes direction. 

While we didn’t give the new Super Meteor 650 the same all-day excursion as the Hunter due to Melbourne’s fixation with rain and fog, it was certainly enough to confirm this motorcycle’s appealing characteristics, the loveliest of which I reckon is the melodic exhaust note through two shiny pipes that hums along nicely to any tune in your earphones.

Super Meteor 650 with touring kit in Celestial Red

The seat height (740mm) is forgiving for regular and shorter riders and is about the same as high-end Harley-Davidson tourers. The pillion seat is standard and a touring seat with backrest is available as an option as is the windscreen.

The “retro-inspired, digi-analog instrument panel with a floating LCD screen” does indeed deliver all the critical information and is mated with a compact ‘Tripper’ dial that connects with Google Maps for basic navigation guidance.

The beautifully styled teardrop fuel tank holds almost 16 litres of fuel, promising a respectable range for those on an all-day outing. And you can have the bike in a choice of these pleasing colours: Astral Blue, Black or Green; Interstellar Green or Gray or Celestial Red or Blue.

And if all that wasn’t enough to whet your appetite, the rideaway price is a trifling $11,990 and comes with a 3-year unlimited km warranty and three years of roadside assistance.

More: www.royalenfield.com.au