Ride review on the 2024 Royal Enfield Shotgun 650. Royal Enfield was eager to showcase that the Shotgun 650 surpasses the typical cruiser category, proving its capability to navigate through winding canyon roads with agility. Its sporty nature truly comes to light as it effortlessly maneuvers through the seemingly endless switchbacks.
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SportsTranscript
00:00 Alright folks, here we are at the official Royal Enfield product launch for its new 2024
00:10 Shotgun 650 middleweight custom cruiser.
00:15 This motorcycle is based off Royal Enfield's new for the 2023 model year, here in America's
00:25 Super Meteor 650, where that bike's more of a middleweight touring type cruiser, more
00:33 basic touring type cruiser.
00:35 This is positioned as a custom cruiser, so it has a little bit more of an edge as far
00:42 as aesthetics, and it looks more like basically a Harley-Davidson Sportster.
00:50 So that is what Royal Enfield's going with this motorcycle.
00:55 It's worth noting that the American middleweight cruiser segment is, there's not a lot of options
01:03 out there.
01:04 Harley-Davidson's most entry level vehicle is $13,000 now in the Nightster.
01:10 Indian Motorcycle Company's entry level cruiser is right around the $10,000 mark in its Scout.
01:17 And then of course we have Honda's fabulous Shadow Phantom, which is pretty affordable,
01:23 but it's a lot bigger dimensionally than this motorcycle.
01:30 And that's what Royal Enfield really slots in with its Shotgun 650.
01:37 This motorcycle features Royal Enfield's tried and true 648cc overhead cam, 8 valve parallel
01:48 twin.
01:49 It's air and oil cooled, and features a 270 degree firing order.
01:56 So an uneven firing order that helps give this engine a V-twin like character.
02:02 V-twin engines are renowned for their low end torque, and their nice guttural feel.
02:11 And this engine has that type of character, but of course it's in a parallel two cylinder
02:19 configuration.
02:20 Parallel two engines are awesome because they're less expensive to make than V-twins, and they
02:25 also are nice and short from front to back.
02:29 Yes they're a little bit wider than a V-twin, but they are shorter from front to back.
02:33 And that allows motorcycle engineering team to position the engine wherever they want,
02:39 or more flexibility in engine positioning than a V-twin engine.
02:45 Let's see how this Shotgun 650 cruises at freeway speeds.
02:52 Now the 648cc parallel twin puts power back to the 17 inch rear wheel with a chain final
03:03 drive that is on the left hand side of the vehicle.
03:09 We also have a cable actuated wet clutch, and a 6 speed gearbox.
03:15 Here we are, we are in 5th gear, there is the gear position indicator, it's rather small
03:21 on this LCD backlit display, but it's okay because the gearbox has really good shift
03:27 feel, so we know exactly what gear we're in.
03:31 Speaking of shift feel, the clutch action on this bike is also excellent.
03:37 The clutch action is nice and light, yet it has a really pleasing progressive feel.
03:43 This isn't some wimpy clutch.
03:46 Of course if you're a person who doesn't have extreme grip strength, you're still going
03:51 to like this clutch because it doesn't require He-Man like forearms to actuate.
03:56 It's also worth mentioning that both the clutch lever and the brake lever, you can adjust
04:02 the position in or out based on your hand size.
04:07 I have size medium hands and I generally like the levers closer to the handlebar rather
04:14 than far away, but if you are a person with bigger hands, you might like the levers a
04:20 little bit farther away from the handlebar.
04:23 So with this bike, the choice is yours.
04:25 Ergonomics on this Shotgun 650, geez, this bike is pretty cozy for cruising.
04:32 The handlebar is nice and flat, it doesn't have a ton of rearward sweep, of course the
04:38 street bikes can have some, but the bars are certainly not in your lap.
04:43 It has a quasi-aggressive handlebar stance, which I really like.
04:48 The handlebars are not too narrow nor too wide and it has a really commanding stance.
04:54 I like this handlebar bend.
04:58 The seat is nice and cozy, nice and wide, a lot of room for me to move about the cockpit.
05:04 I'm six foot tall, weigh right around 205 pounds.
05:08 I'm a big boy right now, but so far so good in the seat.
05:14 The foot pegs are not quite real mid-controls, but they're not rear controls either.
05:23 They're kind of a hybrid between a conventional rear mount control and a mid-control.
05:28 Again, a mid-control would be a little bit farther forward, but a rear control would
05:33 be a little bit farther back too.
05:35 So a little bit of a cross.
05:37 This foot position makes for a really relaxed ride.
05:41 You feel like you're sitting in a chair.
05:43 So if you're someone with limited knee contortions or limited flexibility, this motorcycle is
05:50 going to fit you really good and be pretty comfortable for you.
05:54 This 3.6 gallon fuel tank, I like the way it's curved.
06:00 I can squeeze the tank really easily with the inner portions of my legs.
06:06 That just helps me stay connected to the bike.
06:08 Obviously, we're not racing this thing.
06:11 We're not doing anything crazy, but just being able to squeeze that fuel tank with my legs,
06:16 it just gives me one more element of control.
06:19 Let's say if I had to brake suddenly for an obstacle ahead, by squeezing the fuel tank
06:24 with my legs, I have more stability and more control on the bike and I can brake harder.
06:29 So I really like that touch.
06:31 It's a very nice ergonomic addition that I haven't really noticed in other cruiser motorcycles.
06:38 So good job to Royal Enfield.
06:40 Now we have this mixed LCD and analog style speedometer.
06:46 I love the swept face speedometer.
06:49 It's a classic styling touch and it also is easy to read.
06:53 The LCD display that's inset inside, that's a little bit more difficult to read.
06:59 Obviously, we have a fuel gauge here that keeps tabs in the capacity of the 3.6 gallon
07:05 fuel tank.
07:06 We have gear position indicator, which is a little bit small.
07:10 And then we have odometer and trip functions.
07:14 To the right, we have a nice digital instrument pod.
07:19 This instrument pod, not only does it show the time, but it also serves as turn by turn
07:26 navigation.
07:29 And that is facilitated via Royal Enfield's Tripper iOS and Android powered smartphone
07:36 app.
07:37 You download that app, you pair this display with your smartphone via Bluetooth and you
07:44 can actually navigate with turn by turn directions on that instrument pod.
07:50 Pretty neat.
07:51 It has a big arrow, it shows you where to go.
07:54 It just helps you navigate through town without having a Bluetooth headset.
08:00 You just literally see the directions, the arrows on this screen.
08:05 I think that's pretty neat.
08:06 It's cool that Royal Enfield is applying technology for us riders here in the United States.
08:14 The Bluetooth synchronization works great.
08:17 It's really easy to pair with your phone and it works really well.
08:21 Good job Royal Enfield.
08:23 Back to this engine, this 648cc parallel twin.
08:28 There definitely is some engine vibration.
08:31 You can feel the engine vibration through the handlebar and a little bit through the
08:35 foot controls.
08:36 More so through the handlebar.
08:38 I wouldn't say it's excessive.
08:40 You definitely feel it, but it just adds to the character.
08:43 Again, this is supposed to be a kind of a peppy middleweight cruiser with a V-twin-esque
08:49 feel with that uneven firing order.
08:52 So a little bit of inherent vibration is actually good for the riding experience.
08:56 I like it.
08:57 I love how nimble this motorcycle is.
09:02 With a full tank of fuel, it weighs nearly 540 pounds.
09:10 It's no featherweight by any means, but you'd be surprised how nimble this thing is.
09:15 This thing is very agile on its feet.
09:18 It's worth noting that this vehicle rolls on an 18-inch front wheel and 17-inch rear
09:25 wheel where the Super Meteor 650 is on 19-16 wheel combo.
09:31 So a little bit different.
09:33 17-inch wheels are basically the gold standard in the realm of street biking.
09:38 18-inch wheel just adds a little bit more style.
09:42 It gives it a little bit meaner profile just having that one-inch bigger diameter wheel.
09:49 And so far, so good.
09:50 We're rolling along very nicely.
09:54 The big news on this bike is the use of a Showa BPF-type inverted fork.
10:04 Showa BPF inverted fork came out maybe, gosh, it probably came out 13 years ago.
10:12 That technology is 13 years old now, but it is really nice.
10:17 BPF stands for big piston fork.
10:20 So inside the fork, there is oversized pistons that are able to flow fluid more quickly and
10:29 respond to road imperfections more quickly.
10:34 It gives you more responsive damping control.
10:37 So the fork is following the road with more precision when it encounters bumps.
10:42 So although Showa's BPF technology is nothing new, it works awesome.
10:46 I love Showa BPF forks because they always have really good response.
10:51 It's worth mentioning that this fork is non-adjustable.
10:55 The spring preload and the damping is fixed.
11:00 Up back, we have a pair of Showa shocks that mount directly between the subframe and the
11:06 swing arm without linkage.
11:09 This bike's riding pretty good.
11:11 You definitely feel the bumps, especially toward the back of the bike.
11:16 I'd say maybe the fork offers a little bit more pleasing ride than the back.
11:21 The back's not bad, but you definitely feel those bumps through the back of the vehicle
11:25 more than you do the front.
11:27 But again, the twin shocks direct mount between subframe and swing arm, that's how the cruisers
11:34 are done.
11:35 That's just kind of a styling touch almost.
11:37 Of course, there are other cruisers that have different suspension setups now with mono
11:41 shocks, but for the OG classic styling of this vehicle, the twin shock setup works really
11:49 well.
11:50 Now, this 640cc parallel twin is good for right around 41 horsepower at the business
11:58 end of the 17-inch rear tire.
12:01 41 horsepower, right around 35 pound-feet of torque.
12:07 And that's the one thing I really like about this engine is how much low-end power it has.
12:12 It really comes off the line very nicely, yet the throttle response on this bike isn't
12:17 too sharp.
12:19 It's almost a little bit muted, but for a middleweight cruiser, a little muted is really
12:24 good.
12:25 It's also worth noting that this vehicle does not employ ride-by-wire.
12:30 It has a mechanical connection between the right twist grip and the engine throttle bodies.
12:38 So no traction control, no adjustable engine power modes, none of those electronic doodads,
12:45 just a simple and effective motorcycle, and I'm a big advocate of that.
12:51 You don't always need technology in your vehicles.
12:56 It is worth noting that this Shotgun 650 does employ ABS, fixed always on ABS.
13:05 If you depress the rear brake pedal or squeeze the front brake lever too vigorously, the
13:13 ABS will ensure that either the front wheel or the rear wheel does not lock up.
13:18 So you're always going to stop.
13:20 No skids, no slides, no instability.
13:23 This motorcycle employs dual disc brakes.
13:26 We have one front disc brake up front and one in the rear.
13:32 Both rotors are pinched by a BYBRE, which is Brembo's Indian subsidiary, axial mount
13:40 caliper.
13:42 So more rudimentary braking components, but still the brakes seem to be working really
13:48 good.
13:49 The bite isn't too sharp, nor is it too soft.
13:54 I think riders out there are really going to enjoy the action of the brakes.
13:58 They work really nicely, and they have a pleasing amount of feel.
14:02 I remember back in the old days, these budget-style motorcycles always had these really crappy
14:07 wooden feeling brakes, and that goes away with this Shotgun 650.
14:13 The brake response is very nice.
14:16 All right, folks, we finally have some speed beneath us.
14:20 We are cruising at 65 miles per hour.
14:23 There is no cruise control, unfortunately, so we have to keep the speed the old-fashioned
14:28 way with the right twist grip.
14:30 65 miles per hour, the bike is riding pretty good here.
14:35 The RPMs aren't crazy high.
14:37 It has a decent amount of passing torque, even in top gear, and the rear-view mirrors
14:43 do a nice job of showing off what's behind.
14:46 Yes, they are buzzing a little bit, but it's definitely not excessive, nor is the engine
14:52 vibration through the controls.
14:54 It's still present through the handlebar, but definitely not excessive.
14:58 I'm actually very pleased with how smooth this engine runs at 75 miles per hour.
15:06 The suspension is doing a nice job of filtering out the bumps on the road.
15:12 Yeah, you definitely feel some of the bumps, but for a $7,000, around $7,000, middleweight
15:22 cruiser, I think this thing rides pretty dang good for its price.
15:26 All right, folks, we are heading north into the canyons.
15:31 We're going to do some curvy road riding on this Shotgun 650, and we'll catch in with
15:38 you then.
15:40 Yes, finally, some curvy roads on Royal Enfield Shotgun 650.
15:47 Jeez, this little cruiser does a pretty good job on this twisty stretch of tarmac.
15:55 It definitely hustles through these corners quite nicely.
15:58 It's very agile for a 540-pound motorcycle.
16:04 The suspension's a little bouncy when you start getting on the brakes with, not even
16:13 aggressively, but with some input.
16:17 The suspension gets a little bouncy, but if you're smooth on the brake, pedal, and lever,
16:24 the suspension actually works really good, and this thing hustles around corners nicely.
16:29 Of course, ground clearance is a limiting factor in how quickly you can operate this
16:38 vehicle around corners, but for an entry-level cruiser, I think this thing is pretty dang
16:46 good.
16:47 Again, I really like that handlebar.
16:51 The handlebar has a nice, pretty aggressive riding style, not overtly so, but definitely
16:57 puts you in a position to carve corners, which is pretty awesome for a cruiser.
17:05 Good job, Royal Enfield.
17:07 A lot to like about this particular vehicle, both in a straight line and in the twisties.
17:16 That uneven firing order makes this thing feel like a V-twin.
17:21 This thing is a hoot to ride.
17:25 Now, this Royal Enfield 648cc twin, this engine, after initial service, it goes 6,000 miles
17:36 between engine oil changes.
17:39 Royal Enfield also wants to change the oil filter at the same time, so engine oil and
17:45 filter changes are every 6,000 miles.
17:49 Royal Enfield also wants you to replace the air filter every 6,000 miles, which I thought
17:54 was pretty quick.
17:57 Another interesting maintenance note is the eight valve cylinder heads.
18:03 Royal Enfield recommends you check the valve clearance every 6,000 miles as well.
18:10 A little bit low on terms of the mileage duration, so you need to crack open and take a look
18:16 at that kind of stuff, but it is very interesting.
18:20 The spark plugs and the engine fuel filter are recommended to be changed every 12,000
18:28 miles.
18:29 It's also worth noting that Royal Enfield stands behind its product in the United States
18:34 with a three-year unlimited mileage warranty.
18:39 Even though these motorcycles are made in India, these bikes carry a premium warranty
18:45 that's much more premium than the MSRP would insinuate.
18:50 Well, folks, we're here.
18:52 We're going to do some more photography and videography because that's the life of a modern
18:56 power sports journalist.
18:58 It's working all the time.
19:00 We'll check in with you in a little bit, folks.
19:02 Well, folks, that was a fun day on Royal Enfield's 2024 Shotgun 650.
19:08 If you couldn't tell, we really had a good time riding this bike.
19:11 This bike checks a lot of boxes.
19:13 The engine's fun to ride, has plenty of power, a good amount of character.
19:19 The handling on this bike, it rides really well over bumps in the city, and yet it had
19:24 some pedigree in it to put smiles on her face in the canyons.
19:29 The brakes are nice and responsive, and it's a comfortable bike.
19:33 This bike, Royal Enfield's yet to announce the official pricing, but right around $7,000,
19:39 this is one heck of a deal in the cruiser segment.
19:43 It's also worth noting that the fit and finish and the build quality on these Royal Enfield
19:49 bikes has come so far since they began importing these bikes into America for the 2014 year.
19:57 These things have come a long ways.
19:59 The paint finish on these bikes is straight up excellent, and the powder coating finish
20:05 on some of the hard parts, like the frame and swing arm and the passenger footrests,
20:10 it's a really high quality, and it looks like it's going to stand the test of time.
20:15 If there was one gripe, however, in the build quality department, it would be some of these
20:19 fasteners here.
20:21 Some of these fasteners and these bolts, they could be of higher quality.
20:25 This LCD, it'd be nice if it was bigger too.
20:29 But for the money, this bike represents excellent value, and Royal Enfield is really elevating
20:37 the performance of these bikes.
20:40 So good job to Royal Enfield.
20:41 Well folks, that wraps up our official POV style review of this Shotgun 650.
20:48 As always, make sure to surf on over to MotorcyclistOnline.com.
20:52 That's where all of our written content comes to life.
20:54 Give this video a thumbs up if you liked it, thumbs it down if you didn't, because we'd
20:57 love to hear from the naysayers.
21:00 We're an inclusive organization, and everyone's opinion counts here.
21:04 And we'll see you in the next episode, folks.
21:06 Thanks for riding with us.
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