The Royal Enfield Interceptor and Continental GT 650 turned five years old in 2023, and they have yet to receive a notable update since their debut. Finally, however, it looks like Royal Enfield is on course to make amends as a new faired version of the Continental GT 650 has been spied testing on RE’s home turf. This news comes just months after Royal Enfield’s investor presentation showed a cafe-racer silhouette listed as a "variant" of the Continental GT.
The New Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 Will Wear A Sporty Half-Fairing
The spy shots from GaadiWaadi show a Continental GT 650 wearing a sporty fairing that extends to the crankcase. The upper half is just like any cafe racer with an old-school bubble windscreen and headlight mask, while the lower half has angular edges and houses the indicators. Interestingly, two halves are finished in black and white (respectively), hinting the final production variant could come with dual-tone finishes. What we don’t see here, though, are the rearview mirrors, and we look forward to seeing where RE houses them, now that there's a fairing in place.
Besides the aesthetics, a closer look at the test mule reveals a redesigned crankcase that is no longer cylindrical like the current model. Plus, the twin exhausts have a more conical tip, likely to make the GT 650 louder. But the 648cc, parallel-twin engine itself will probably remain as it is, and continue to thump out 46 horsepower.
Like the engine, the faired Continental GT 650 will carry forward the underpinnings from the current GT 650. This is backed by the spy shots that show the same telescopic forks, gas-charged shock absorbers, 18-inch spoke wheels, and single disc brakes at both ends. The only difference here is the black-colored shock absorber cylinder and silver spoke wheels (the current GT 650 has a golden cylinder and black spoke wheels).
The Faired Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 Will Be A Variant
Yes, you read that right. The faired Continental GT 650 spied will be a variant of the Continental GT 650 rather than a replacement and will go on sale alongside the existing motorcycle. This will widen the target audience for RE’s 650cc lineup, as it’ll lure in faired bike enthusiasts who’d otherwise skip the Continental GT.
When’s the launch expected, you ask? Well, there’s no official word on this, but given the increasing test mules, we believe the new variant could break cover at the 2023 EICMA. There’s also a chance that Royal Enfield will launch it locally in mid-2023, as EICMA is usually reserved for the company’s entirely new products.