Royal Enfield Shotgun 650—First Look
Custom motorcycles—some riders like them, some dislike them, and some would like to like them but getting started with one can be daunting. Royal Enfield’s machines have always been fertile ground for customizations, thanks to their intentionally simple design. Now, the company is making it even easier to hit the road on your personalized set of wheels with the new Royal Enfield Shotgun 650.
Granted, the bike isn’t all new. After all, we did already see the exclusive Shotgun 650 Motoverse Edition during the 2023 Motoverse event in Vagator, India. But Royal Enfield is now releasing the production version of the motorcycle, aiming to make riding a custom simpler than ever. “The Shotgun 650 is our attempt to bring niche and newer categories of motorcycles to growing enthusiasts of self-expression,” summarized Siddhartha Lal, managing director and CEO of Royal Enfield’s owner Eicher Motors.
The Shotgun in Numbers
Before we get into the customization aspects of the machine, let’s take a look at what this double-barrel offers straight out of the box. The Shotgun 650 is based on Royal Enfield’s 650 platform, like many of the company’s other models. As such, some of the specs will look quite recognizable to the brand’s older fans.
At the heart of the bike thrums the same 648cc air/oil-cooled four-stroke SOHC parallel-twin we all know from the Super Meteor 650, INT650, and Continental GT 650. The engine pairs with a wet multi-plate clutch and a six-speed gearbox. In power delivery, Royal Enfield promises the familiar 47 ponies at 7,250 rpm and 38.5 lb-ft of torque at 5,650 rpm.
The motorcycle sports a tubular steel spine frame, similar to that of the Super Meteor 650. The new Shotgun 650 is marginally smaller than the Super Meteor in every respect, including length (87.4 vs. 88.9 inches), wheelbase (57.6 vs. 59 inches), and curb weight (529 vs. 531 pounds). The Shotgun’s 31.2-inch seat height is taller than the Super Meteor’s, though. With that, it is more expansive than the INT650 and Continental, but the center of gravity should stay low for confident control.
To smoothen the ride, the Shotgun sports a Showa separate function big piston fork with 4.7 inches of travel, while the rear shock (also Showa) travels 3.5 inches. Braking power stems from a twin-piston floating caliper at both ends of the bike that grabs onto a 320mm disc in the front and a 300mm disc in the rear. This is all once again more or less in line with the rest of the 650 line, with small deviations one way or the other between the units.
Load Your Boomstick the Way You Want
Right, but what about that custom aspect? That comes in the form of the Shotgun 650’s modular design. By simply turning a key, you can turn the bike from a single-seater to a two-seater for rides with that special someone. Or, if you’re heading on a longer tour, you can swap the rear seat for a luggage rack. The bike offers an upright riding stance that Royal Enfield claims comfortably accommodates all the seating arrangements.
For even more customization options, Royal Enfield is releasing a 31-piece aftermarket accessory collection. Add to that the four color options—Stencil White, Plasma Blue, Green Drill, and Sheet Metal Gray—and there should be plenty of opportunities for making the bike your own. Finally, the bike comes with the new Royal Enfield Wingman, an in-app feature that informs the rider of the bike’s location, fuel and fluid levels, service reminders, and more.
The Royal Enfield Shotgun 650 is set to launch globally in early 2024. At the time of writing, pricing and other such details were still a mystery. We’ll find out later and hopefully get a chance to pump this shotgun ourselves.