The 2025 Royal Enfield Classic 650 is here—and it’s everything we love about old-school charm with just enough modern muscle. In this first ride review, we swing a leg over the latest addition to Royal Enfield’s 650 lineup, inspired by the brand’s storied past and built on the proven Super Meteor platform.
With a 648cc air-cooled parallel twin, analog-meets-digital dash, and vintage styling that pays homage to Enfields of the past, the Classic 650 blends timeless design with usable performance. But how does it ride? We hit the English countryside to find out.
#RoyalEnfield #Classic650 #FirstRide #MotorcycleReview #RetroBike #cycleworld
Check out the story at https://www.cycleworld.com/motorcycle-reviews/royal-enfield-classic-650-first-ride/
Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6CLI74xvMBFLDOC1tQaCOQ
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With a 648cc air-cooled parallel twin, analog-meets-digital dash, and vintage styling that pays homage to Enfields of the past, the Classic 650 blends timeless design with usable performance. But how does it ride? We hit the English countryside to find out.
#RoyalEnfield #Classic650 #FirstRide #MotorcycleReview #RetroBike #cycleworld
Check out the story at https://www.cycleworld.com/motorcycle-reviews/royal-enfield-classic-650-first-ride/
Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6CLI74xvMBFLDOC1tQaCOQ
Read more from Cycle World: https://www.cycleworld.com/
Buy Cycle World Merch: https://teespring.com/stores/cycleworld
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SportsTranscript
00:00We're riding through this period correct town named Beamish outside of Newcastle, England.
00:05We're getting our first ride on the Royal Enfield Classic 650.
00:10This is built on the Super Meteor platform.
00:13Seems like the same engine chassis.
00:15Really liked that bike.
00:17That was an awesome cruiser.
00:18Very reasonable price.
00:19This is the Super Meteor I'm talking about.
00:21And I just really loved that motorcycle.
00:23And this feels exactly like that.
00:25It's got nice torque.
00:26It sounds amazing with these dual exhausts.
00:28The Super Meteor I think has great styling.
00:30But when I first saw this one right here.
00:33The Classic 650.
00:34Especially in this colorway.
00:35The black and chrome I believe it's called.
00:38Wow.
00:38This is exactly how I want my cruiser to look.
00:42I instantly fell in love with this styling.
00:44I love chrome.
00:45Don't like blacked out finishes.
00:47That's just my preference.
00:48So when I saw this one in this colorway with all this chrome.
00:51It hit the nail on the head for me.
00:52We're about to get out on the open road.
00:55And start breaking down.
00:56What we know about the Royal Enfield Classic 650.
00:59Very cool history of Royal Enfield.
01:01They actually were originally a needle making manufacturer.
01:05Sewing needles I believe.
01:07And then got into bicycles.
01:09And then they made their first motorcycle in 1901.
01:12They ended up supplying motorcycles to some of the forces during World War I and World War II.
01:18They had this thing called the Flying Flea.
01:20Which was I believe 125cc motorcycle that they actually dropped out of planes during World War II.
01:27So some of the troops.
01:29I believe the troops would jump out with a parachute.
01:32With their motorcycle.
01:33Would also have a parachute.
01:34And both of them would fall to the ground.
01:36And they'd be on the battlefield with the Royal Enfield.
01:39And they also manufactured firearms too.
01:42And when they started making motorcycles.
01:43I believe one of their sayings is built like a gun.
01:46And that's what I love about the Royal Enfields I've been on.
01:48Especially the 650 platform.
01:50Is it's just a classic motorcycle.
01:53I mean nowadays there's so much tech.
01:55And so much this and that.
01:56Which this thing does have some tech.
01:58This just feels just like a very analog traditional motorcycle.
02:03And that's what I like.
02:04Of course I like high tech bikes as well.
02:05But it's just nice.
02:07Royal Enfield is really an exciting brand right now.
02:10They have flat track programs.
02:11Road racing programs on their other 650 platform.
02:15And now they're just recently started producing liquid cooled bikes as well.
02:19With the 450 platform.
02:20Whether it's the Himalayan or the Gorilla.
02:22But clearly their roots still mean something.
02:25Their classic styling and classic air cooled platform.
02:29Is important to them still.
02:31Although they are starting to transition into the more performance and liquid cooled platforms.
02:35Because this classic 650 is a new model for them.
02:39I really like the whole vibe of this motorcycle.
02:42Still have some higher tech items on this motorcycle.
02:45With the tripper device.
02:47But also you have LED headlight and an LED taillight.
02:50The taillights on the bikes in front of me.
02:52They're just really sharp looking.
02:54But they have that circle design.
02:56I mean.
02:57Wow.
02:57And the paint is really nice quality.
03:00Fit and finish is good.
03:02Nice polished areas.
03:03Because it just really has that awesome classic look to it.
03:06I will say that the gearbox shifts really nicely.
03:09I remember that from the Super Meteor.
03:11It's a very slick shifting transmission.
03:14Finds gear very nicely.
03:16See right there pulling away from a stop.
03:19Really nice clutch feel.
03:20The engagement point is wide.
03:22And it just offers nice feel.
03:24But the pull isn't overly strenuous either.
03:27And really liking the bike so far.
03:29Strenuous well the engine has that nice torque hit down low that I like so much.
03:34Yeah there's nice low end power delivery.
03:37Nice little thumpy torque pull to it.
03:39Which is what you'd expect out of a cruiser.
03:42The throttle actuation is really nice.
03:44And see it's a throttle cable.
03:46Nice.
03:47I do like that.
03:48Something about just being on a motorcycle like they used to be made.
03:52It's very refreshing.
03:54And this bike has ABS as well.
03:56I should mention that.
03:56It does have dual channel ABS.
03:59I were cruising on these country roads right now.
04:01And a little bit of a bumpy road in the suspension.
04:04It has a good hold up.
04:06The thing's not blown through the stroke.
04:07But it's not overly stiff too.
04:09Just very supportive.
04:10Very balanced feeling motorcycle so far.
04:12The brakes feel good so far.
04:14You have a 320mm single rotor up front with a dual piston caliper and ABS.
04:21And in the rear you have a 300mm rotor with a dual piston caliper and ABS.
04:28Yeah there's not a whole lot of vibrations or buzzing from the bike.
04:32We're going 90 kilometers about 55-60 miles per hour.
04:38And yeah I mean you can feel you got a parallel twin underneath you.
04:41But it is not rattling your butt sore or anything like that.
04:45The seat is nice.
04:46This is beautiful.
04:47Very cool country roads here in the north of England.
04:51It is cold I'll tell you that.
04:53Little sheep.
04:56Taking a leak.
04:58Let's see we're in third gear.
04:59Let's see how well it stretches its legs.
05:01As you rev it up the power does feel like it falls off a little.
05:05And the vibrations increase a little bit.
05:07But it's not terrible.
05:08Definitely we're going to want to short shift this thing.
05:11And stay in that low to mid range.
05:13Really nice and fun torquey engine.
05:16With good character and a really nice sound from these dual exhaust.
05:20You know it has good handling.
05:21I mean of course it's a cruiser.
05:23It's not going to be some super sporty style handling.
05:26Very direct.
05:26It's not very heavy feeling.
05:28It's just very neutral handling.
05:30Has a good hold up in the suspension.
05:32It's not overly soft.
05:33We have some of these country roads.
05:34And to be honest me as a lighter rider at 125 pounds or so.
05:39The shock is actually kind of springy for me.
05:41A little bit bouncy on some of these bumps.
05:44It does preload adjustments.
05:45So maybe we can tailor that in.
05:48It just has a good planted feeling on the side of the tire.
05:51The brakes work well.
05:54Haven't done a whole lot of hard braking yet.
05:57But through the city and stuff.
05:58The rear brake is very touchy.
06:00And then the front brake is just very good.
06:02You know you have good feel at the lever.
06:04And when you pull on the.
06:06When you get on the front brake.
06:07It stops you.
06:09In a pretty good manner.
06:11Virgos are very comfortable.
06:12Not a whole lot of wind protection obviously.
06:16But yeah very neutral upright.
06:19You have mid controls.
06:20It's kind of very comfortable.
06:22Beach cruiser style bend handlebar that I like.
06:26Just puts my arms in a very comfortable position.
06:28The seat you can't really move back on too much.
06:30Kind of a single solo seat.
06:33At 5'7 my knees are bent just like perfectly at 90 degrees.
06:36So this is very comfortable for me.
06:39I feel like if you're maybe 6 foot or so.
06:42This could be or taller.
06:44This could be a smaller feeling motorcycle.
06:47For me it fits me perfect.
06:48But I think if you're much taller.
06:51This could be a little bit of a cramped feeling.
06:53With the handlebar.
06:55The rider triangle.
06:57But for me at 5'7 it's very comfortable.
06:59And then you have just the classic styling.
07:02But with a little bit of tech sneaked in there.
07:05You know you have an LED headlight.
07:06LED taillight.
07:07And then you have this little digital display down low.
07:11That shows you you know your fuel range.
07:14You have the tripper navigation.
07:15But then it has a display down there.
07:18That shows you your fuel gauge.
07:20A gear indicator.
07:22And a clock.
07:23You can see the time.
07:24And then it also when you're kind of riding low in the RPM range.
07:27It shows a eco logo pops up.
07:30Let's you know you're getting good fuel mileage.
07:31On the other side of that.
07:33I've noticed when I rev the bike out.
07:35This little hazard sign.
07:36Look a little triangle comes up.
07:38And I believe that's just a little bit of like a shift indicator.
07:41Letting you know hey grab that next gear.
07:44So I don't know if you can see.
07:45Because I can't.
07:46We are getting some pretty thick fog.
07:49So we'll try to navigate our way out of this.
07:52On these slick cold roads.
07:54And check back in.
07:56Now we're getting into some a little bit faster speedy stuff.
08:01This thing is handling itself really well.
08:04Oh that couldn't get sketchy.
08:07Especially.
08:08I still have to remind myself to be on the left side of the road.
08:11But yeah the suspension is really taut on this thing.
08:13See it's a little bit bouncy for my weight.
08:15The preload actually is on its lowest setting.
08:18The least amount of preload possible.
08:20It has a springy feeling to it.
08:21I remember the super meteor was similar in that sense.
08:24It's not terrible.
08:25See a little bump there.
08:26My seat's not really getting thrown out of the saddle.
08:29Or my butt's not being thrown out of the seat.
08:31But it just has a springiness to it.
08:33I weigh 125 pounds.
08:34So for the bigger riders out there.
08:36I think you'll be very comfortable with the suspension.
08:39It's not too soft.
08:40The fork's not overly soft.
08:42So as we get into some of this more spirited riding.
08:45The thing feels very stable and planted on the side of the tires.
08:48Plenty of hold up.
08:49The brakes are feeling strong.
08:50When we were cruising you know.
08:52It was just a really enjoyable ride.
08:55And now as we pick up the pace.
08:57It's still as enjoyable.
08:59Gets out of the side of the tire very easily.
09:01In this upright riding position.
09:03It's very comfortable.
09:04Has good pickup out of the corner.
09:07Let's see.
09:07Second gear here.
09:09Drop it down.
09:10A little bit of a bumpy corner.
09:11But it gets out of the hole nicely.
09:14Really enjoyable on like city streets like this.
09:16Just short shifting the bike.
09:17And you know kind of just throttling your way around town.
09:21Just torquing around.
09:22But then it actually has pretty good legs to carry you out of a corner into the next.
09:27And to start the day I wasn't sure if the engine would have the legs to really connect a corner.
09:33But as I was doing it there I could hold the shift off longer than I anticipated.
09:37And the thing still was making power.
09:39Still felt strong.
09:40So the engine very flexible.
09:42It's a very good well-rounded engine in power delivery.
09:45Very direct and precise throttle.
09:47Shifts really nicely.
09:49Very slick shifting even with or without the clutch.
09:52Just can kind of chop the throttle and grab that next gear.
09:55The brake performance.
09:56Let's see.
09:56Yeah pretty strong brakes.
09:58Kind of open up or tighten your cornering arc right there pretty easily.
10:02Yeah just really well-rounded.
10:04Very good middleweight cruiser.
10:06The same basic platform as the Super Meteor 650.
10:12Which is a bike that I really enjoyed.
10:14I actually might like this one better than the Super Meteor honestly.
10:18Not only just the styling.
10:19I just fell in love with the look of this bike instantly.
10:22But I like this rider position a little bit better.
10:25For someone looking for something a little less cruiser.
10:28And almost sort of standard style.
10:32Old English gentleman ergonomics as one guy referred to it as.
10:38Very nice neutral riding position that I'm really enjoying here.
10:42There's really so far nothing I'm not enjoying about this bike.
10:46This road definitely is a bit bumpy.
10:48And as our pace continues to pick up.
10:51I think my only knock on the bike so far.
10:53Really just for my weight.
10:54Is the shock and spring are just a little bit too.
10:57A little bit over sprung for my weight.
10:59As we started to pick up the pace back there.
11:02And a section with a lot of bumps in a row.
11:04And it was my butt was getting bounced out of the seat a bit.
11:07I'm on the lowest preload setting.
11:09So not a whole lot I can do there to change that.
11:12If you're a lighter rider like me you probably will experience that as well.
11:16It's really just on these bumpy roads.
11:18And as we pick up the pace you know.
11:19It's putting more load onto the shock in the spring.
11:23And it's just rebounds.
11:25It's just popping my butt up.
11:27But for the heavier riders I think it'll be fine.
11:29Alright we're going 120 kilometers.
11:31Right around between I don't know 70 and 80 miles per hour.
11:36And the thing's comfortable.
11:37Obviously you don't have a whole lot of wind protection.
11:40Feel a little bit of buzzing and vibrations through the foot pegs.
11:44Little bit in the handlebar.
11:45But nothing major.
11:47Still very comfortable.
11:48Highway speeds.
11:49The super meteor I remember being the same.
11:51Minimal buzzing.
11:52I don't feel any buzzing at all coming through the seat.
11:55Little bit in the hands.
11:57And a little bit in the foot pegs.
11:59But nothing uncomfortable.
12:00We've had to pass a couple cars.
12:02And in 6th gear when we got the engine already spooled up.
12:06You know decent.
12:07Nothing.
12:08Not the.
12:08Like in the mid range.
12:09The roll on power is pretty good.
12:11Definitely good enough to get you around a big truck.
12:15Or another vehicle on a one way road.
12:17Here's a little brake test.
12:20That was front brake only.
12:22With the clutch out in 6th gear.
12:24The front brake works well.
12:26It doesn't have a super strong initial bike.
12:28You definitely have to get into the lever stroke.
12:30You can definitely apply some pressure.
12:33A good amount of pressure.
12:34But once you do get into the lever stroke.
12:38It slows down comfortably.
12:39Like doesn't feel like oh.
12:41You're not going to stop in time.
12:43So it's not a super strong initial bike.
12:45Like very sporty like.
12:47But it's very good.
12:48Especially for a cruiser.
12:50You know.
12:50I don't really need anything stronger than that.
12:52And that was without you know.
12:53Using engine braking.
12:55Or the rear brake.
12:57So.
12:57Using all three together.
12:58Where I've been able to stop this bike.
13:00With a really short distance.
13:03Did not see that corner coming.
13:06Alright.
13:07But it looks like we're starting to get into a little bit more tighter corners.
13:11And the pavement is pretty smooth.
13:14So we'll see how this thing does.
13:16I haven't had issues with cornering clearance yet.
13:18Oh.
13:21As I say that.
13:21I just hit the foot peg.
13:23That was fun.
13:23Yeah.
13:24I mean the thing's very composed on the side of the tire.
13:26And I'm not having all that.
13:27The issues with the shock feeling busy.
13:29Now that the pavement's smooth.
13:31On those like kind of back country roads.
13:34It was pretty beat up.
13:35And it was bouncing me around a little bit.
13:36But.
13:37This stuff is smooth.
13:38And just.
13:39The thing feels very planted.
13:40And it's agile.
13:41It's a classic style bike.
13:43You might not think this thing can carve up a road as well as it does.
13:46It's a very capable package.
13:47Both the engine having good low end torque to get you out of the hole.
13:53There we go.
13:55We're on a really nice road right now.
13:58Very twisty.
13:59And extremely smooth.
14:01You get to really test the performance.
14:05Woo!
14:07On the brakes there.
14:08I will say the ABS is a little bit intrusive.
14:11That was a little fun stretch of road.
14:13The thing is.
14:14This is a very sporty middleweight cruiser.
14:16Just recently rode the Indian Sport Chief and the Harley Davidson Lowrider S.
14:23In a comparison we recently did on Cycle World.
14:25Pretty different motorcycle designs.
14:27West Coast styled performance cruisers.
14:30This one's a more middleweight.
14:31Classic styled cruiser.
14:34But man.
14:34I definitely could go faster on a twisty road on this bike than I could on those other bikes.
14:38Did get a spec sheet.
14:40Basically the same platform as the Super Meteor.
14:43And so you have the 648 cc parallel twin.
14:46Air cooled.
14:47Single overhead cam.
14:48Six speed transmission.
14:50Cable actuated clutch.
14:51You got a steel tubular frame.
14:53You have a 43 millimeter telescopic fork up front.
14:56Dual shocks in the back.
14:58The suspension is non-adjustable.
14:59The shock does have freeload adjustment.
15:01Ramp style.
15:02You have a 19 inch front wheel.
15:0318 inch rear wheel.
15:05Claimed wet weight is right around 243 kilos I believe.
15:10Fuel capacity right around 15 liters.
15:12Wheelbase I believe is 1475 millimeters.
15:16Seat height is 800 millimeters I believe.
15:19And so yeah.
15:20You have LED headlight, LED taillight, a single 320 millimeter rotor up front with a dual piston caliper.
15:27Then in the rear you're going to have a 300 millimeter rotor also with a dual piston caliper.
15:33I think the biggest surprise to me having not ridden the Super Meteor on twisty roads is just how sporty this motorcycle is.
15:40Don't be fooled by the classic styling.
15:42Yes I love the classic styling.
15:44But man this thing when you want to do some spirited riding it is fully capable.
15:48All right second gear.
15:50Actually I hit first.
15:52Let's try first.
15:54Third.
15:55Back down to second.
15:57Back down to first.
16:00The sink steered really well.
16:03And it just.
16:03The shifting is so nice.
16:05This thing is a slick shifting gearbox.
16:08Just banging through the gears without the clutch.
16:12Not a problem.
16:13It's funny because this whole time we've been ripping up these twisty roads.
16:16I keep forgetting I'm on a classic styled middleweight cruiser.
16:20I feel like we're on some naked bikes or something.
16:23It's a lot of fun.
16:24Another thing worth mentioning is that I believe Royal Enfield offers a three year warranty.
16:30So if you can get on one of these things be worry free for three years.
16:35Don't know the price range yet.
16:36They mentioned it's going to be pretty competitive with the shotgun 650.
16:41I know the super meteor is like just under seven for the base model.
16:45But I would think you're looking at about the same for this thing.
16:48I think you're looking at less than $8,000 for sure.
16:51Alright so these are kind of my final thoughts on the Royal Enfield Classic 650 has been awesome.
16:59Definitely exceeded expectations.
17:01Did not anticipate this bike.
17:04The Classic 650 being such a sporty middleweight cruiser.
17:09I mean wow.
17:10Half the time I forget I'm on a cruiser.
17:12No knocks on the bike.
17:13Maybe other than the ABS being a little bit intrusive.
17:16If you like the Super Meteor 650 I loved that bike and I love this one just as much.
17:22Maybe even more.
17:23Honestly I like this one more because I prefer this styling.
17:27I just fell in love with this Classic 650 the minute I saw laid eyes on it.
17:32Especially in this color with the black and chrome.
17:34Oh man I just can't stop just looking at it.
17:37For that reason I like it a little bit more than the Super Meteor 650.
17:41And I just like these ergonomics.
17:42I am 5'7 and the ergonomics fit me perfect.
17:46I think if you're you know maybe close to 6 foot they could feel a little bit cramped.
17:50I'm not sure.
17:51But for me they're just about perfect.
17:53I think if you're looking at a middleweight cruiser especially a Royal Enfield you can't
17:58go wrong with either the Super Meteor or the Classic 650.
18:02I am going to give a nod to the Classic 650.
18:05That's going to wrap up this onboard review.
18:07If you enjoyed this video consider subscribing hitting the like button and drop a comment below
18:12if you have any questions and we'll get back to you.
18:14Thanks for tuning in and we'll see you in the next episode.