This 2023 update gives Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 a much needed shot in the arm and brings it up to date
First displayed in the UK last month, the updated Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 has now been launched in India. Starting at ₹3.19 lakh, the prices go up to ₹3.45 lakh for the top-end Mr Clean chrome version (which gets wire-spoke wheels), while the alloy wheel-equipped versions are priced at ₹3.39 lakh (all prices ex-showroom, India).
The Continental GT 650 was an impressive motorcycle when it was first launched in 2017, and has remained a potent value-for-money package through the years. However, the lack of any major updates has meant that the bike has been showing its age, even being surpassed by RE’s more affordable single-cylinder models in terms of features and attention to detail.
Now, this 2023 update gives the GT a much needed shot in the arm and brings it up to date. It replaces its halogen reflector headlight with the LED unit from the Super Meteor 650, and borrows its new switchgear design from bikes such as the Super Meteor. Like on the cruiser, the switch cubes are crafted from aluminium, seriously upping its premium quotient.
And finally, the most asked-for update also makes its way onto the GT, in the form of alloy wheels. However, alloys are only offered on two of the six colour options (many of which are new for 2023) — Apex Grey and Slipstream Blue. Even Royal Enfield’s MiY configurator does not allow you to equip alloys on any of the other colour options.
Sizes continue to be the same — 18-inches at either end — but the wheels now come wrapped in new Vredestein tyres, as opposed to the earlier Ceats. The final new feature is the addition of a USB charging port on the left handlebar.
Aside from these changes, the fundamentals remain the same, so the 648cc parallel-twin is untouched, and continues to produce 47.5hp and 52Nm. The chassis around it is also unchanged, as is the suspension.
The effect of all these changes is a ₹14,000 price hike across the line-up, which seems reasonable. Prices earlier ranged from ₹3.05 to ₹3.31 lakh, and now sit between ₹3.19 and ₹3.45 lakh. The Interceptor 650 has also received a very similar update.
