In the last few years, especially since the launch of the Interceptor and the Continental GT 650 in 2018, Royal Enfield has consistently increased its presence on a global level, something that it has never done before.
It has been made possible primarily with the change in mentality and approach that Siddhartha Lal brought with himself years ago. Of course, with that came some vital acquisitions, such as the Harris Performance, whose undeniable expertise in chassis development has made a remarkable difference in how each of the modern Royal Enfield motorcycles handle. And then, there are the new engines that have finally ditched the age-old pushrod architecture in favour of the more performance oriented overhead cam structure.
Now, as the 2022 EICMA has begun, Royal Enfield has showcased its first all-new motorcycle that expands the company’s lineup to a whole new category of motorcycles - cruisers.
Welcome to the Super Meteor
Although all-new, the Super Meteor is based on the familiar, and extremely likeable, 650cc platform which already has the Interceptor and the Continental GT 650. Super Meteor is the third motorcycle which is powered by RE’s only parallel twin 648cc engine with seemingly no change in its state of tune.
After toying with the likes of the Thunderbird for years and the Meteor 350 more recently, the Super Meteor is Royal Enfield’s first proper cruiser. The parallel twin engine’s extremely low stressed nature, combined with nicely spaced-out gear ratios, makes it an ideal unit for a cruiser motorcycle. That said, there are clearly more motorcycles on the way that will be powered by the same 650cc engine.
The engine specifications remain the same; 47 PS at 7,250 RPM and 52.3 NM at 5,650 RPM, air-oil-cooled, SOHC, 8-valve, parallel twin. The compression is an extremely gentle 9.5:1 making it much susceptible to fuel quality, overheating, while promising a satisfyingly long engine life (at least theoretically).
There’s nothing else to talk about the engine as such. It is what it is - one of the simplest modern day motorcycle engines. There is no ride by wire system, no riding modes or throttle maps.
However, as RE’s first cruiser, Super Meteor demands attention as a whole.
Super Meteor sports the traditional cruiser silhouette, with smooth design flowing from front to rear. The fuel tank is nice, rounded at the front that progressively narrows down as it joins the low and scooped rider seat. There’s a familiar flat pillion seat that sits on a substantial curved rear fender, which is a trademark old-school cruiser design element. It is a quintessential cruiser motorcycle, yet refreshing as part of the Royal Enfield lineup.
There are some modern elements that are a first in a Royal Enfield motorcycle, such as the all-LED lighting and upside-down front forks. The front forks measure 43mm and should lend impressive handling dynamics with straight line stability and equally good cornering manners. The front wheel is 19-inch and the rear is 16-inch that should further add predictability and neutrality to overall handling.
For the display, Super Meteor gets an analog-digital console with the Tripper navigation as standard. The switchgear gets the familiar rotating ignition and headlight switches that made their debut on the new Classic 350. Hopefully, the quality and the fit-n-finish should be better and worthy of RE’s new flagship.
There’s a single 320mm disc brake at the front, while the rear gets a 300mm disc, both with twin-piston floating callipers from ByBre. The seat height is expectedly low at 740mm, although it could be quite a handful for some riders with a wet weight of 241 kg. This is the heaviest motorcycle by Royal Enfield, by far. We are eager to see how the motorcycle would ride in a variety of traffic conditions, and especially on highways.
Super Meteor should have its India launch soon in the coming days or weeks. While the prices haven’t been announced yet, we are sure it is going to be one of the most affordable 650cc parallel twin motorcycles on the market, just like its siblings.
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