Getting under the skin of the Royal Enfield Bear 650 with the team that built it | MCN Review

#royalenfield #mcn #retro

Chris Newbigging has been out on the launch of the new Royal Enfield Bear 650. He's also spoken at length to the development team and you can watch exclusive interviews above.

We'd love to hear your views so get them down in the comment section!

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[Wadders]

Royal Enfield are absolutely killing it at the moment. So many options catering for everyones needs.

[Brian-qgbm]

I'm really cheering for R.E.
Love the way they're taking the company. The bikes are gorgeous; they actually look like motorcycles, instead of angry space insects.
Improving reliability and keeping the bikes "bikes" is making R.E. a hard push for my parking spot.
I want one of these things.

[erickonigsdorfer]

That bike is going to be the No1 selling bike EVER, for RE!
I want one, so bad!

[kenhoward]

What a smart move Royal Enfield made by partnering with English designers and engineers, beginning with the 650cc road bikes. They're producing a lineup of really attractive bikes, in all ways, including price. It is very unusual and refreshing to listen to a suspension engineer talk candidly about the Scrambler's limitations, both in power and in the dirt. 'Simply honest commentary you rarely - if ever - get from a factory rep, and speaks well of the company.

[axellness]

Honestly, never thought I'd buy a Royal Enfield until I saw how they transformed the Himalayan 411 to the, now, Himi450. Incredible machine. And this bike has caught my attention as well.

[hamzahurahman]

Test rode this bad boy, an absolute rocket! With pillion weighing 100kgs, it managed to reach 110kmph in just couple of seconds. What a beast 🐻

[donaldelder]

Great review. This is the first review I’ve seen that actually gives positive and negative points. Great to see a journalist with balls. 👍

[urbanstrencan]

Royal Enfield is doing such a great job lately ❤❤.
Great video keep it up 🤟

[argieessex]

Have a RE dealer nearby and love the bikes but always been put off by all that chrome to rot. But the Himalayan, Guerrilla 450 and now this actually has turned my head for potential option for my next commuter. I don’t need loads of power for a run down the motorway filtering and likewise in town.

[PositiveMovingImages]

What was already great (Interceptor) has become even better!! Congrats!! I'll get one as soon as the Bear 650 is available here in Brazil.

[rodneyyoung]

I've been looking at motorcycles on YouTube and the showroom floor .
Back in the nineteen seventies I had a friend I grew up with that had a dad that enjoyed racing.
They made what they called desert handle bars, expansion chambers, lengthened swing arms, and purchesed cherryonie forks and fox shocks on the rear suspension. And the 21" front wheel.
Ported out, milled the heads. Larger carbs and jets for adaptation to different elevations of mx tracks here in the southern California area. Three Expansion chambers . Low end, mide range and top end could be changed by the choice you wanted for the track or desert conditions.
All do respect, I'm probably going to buy this bear 650.
I'm sure I'd be right at home on it.
Definitely not for the dirt unless it's easy and your enjoying the environment you're riding in.
I'm old. My last bike was a 1984 Yamaha 490 YZ . They ran like crap. $ 1, 500.oo
Took it to Don Jones racing.
He lowered the compression and did great things with the carburetor.
Ran so good after that.
His sons were on team honda back in the day.

[chrisbatten]

1:58 Some Very impressively Graceful Reasonably High Speed

[ogasi]

you should have asked why we are not getting the yellow version - it is by far the prettiest and yet....

[cowmath]

They should really release a “tracker” version with dual 18inch wheels. Would be the perfect aesthetic.

[johnDukemaster]

If it only had 75bhp-ish. I know people say "47 is enough" For them yes, not for me. Make a 650 with 75 that can be tuned down to 47 if that A2 is so important. Come on RE!
Thank you for a very well made review.

[stevegee]

We say in Colorado, "Some of the best twisty roads are got to by a gravel one."

[markb]

Love the look of the Bear 650 scrambler, however for me I'd use it for road use only, therefore alloy wheels and tubeless wheels are important to me please Royal Enfield give me this option!

[ianmcdiarmid]

Loved the 70's when each engine had just 1 bike style, now loads of slight variations using the same motor...

[frankpinion]

well obviously chris the suspension dynamics didn't get sorted when you were initially testing the bike because the reviews so far have all come back & said the suspension is too stiff at the rear by a country mile. The description I heard mentioned was that it might be ok if you had a pillion on the back & a load of luggage. But surely it should be adequate of a say 65 kg rider on softest setting & for a heavier rider they may need to adjust the pre load. The same could be said for the 65 kg rider with his girl friend on the back with luggage for a weekend away-he should need to adjust the preload on the back for the extra weight. However that isn't the case & the standard suspension doesn't work as it should which would tend to suggest that the test rider didn't know what he was doing or they chose to simply put it out with sub standard suspension. My Meteor 350 suffers from exactly the same problem-it's practically rigid in the back end.

[tomoates]

Really wish they would've kept the dual analog gauges instead of the new lcd screen. A retro styled scrambler bike just doesn't look quite right with that modern screen