00:00 We just got back to the Cycleworld offices after riding the new Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650.
00:06 Going into it we wanted to know, are cheap cruisers any good?
00:10 And when I'm talking about cheap, I'm talking about cheap in price, not cheap in quality.
00:23 The Super Meteor 650 starts at $6,999, making it one of the most affordable and lowest priced bikes in its class.
00:32 And what you get for that money is high build quality.
00:35 The craftsmanship, the fit and finish is like nothing I've seen on a Royal Enfield before.
00:40 It was really reminiscent of a Triumph motorcycle, a brand that I believe holds the highest standard of build quality in the industry.
00:48 Some of the quality components you'll notice on the Super Meteor 650 is the paint.
00:52 It's deep, it's rich, it's a sparkle finish and there's no blemishes.
00:57 The gas tank is a teardrop shape with just over 4 gallons of capacity.
01:02 And to top it off it has a metal gas cap, which again just continues that classic cruiser styling throughout the entire bike.
01:10 Going off that point, the switch cubes on the handlebar are aluminum plated, again just giving it that classic look.
01:17 The levers are fully adjustable so riders can push them out, pull them in, depending on hand size or rider preference.
01:24 A first for Royal Enfield on any motorcycle they've ever produced is LED lighting on the Super Meteor 650.
01:31 The headlight and the taillight are full LED, the turn signals are not.
01:35 But riders can upgrade the LED turn signals through the Genuine Motorcycle Accessories catalog.
01:41 Royal Enfield also spec'd the Super Meteor 650 with their Tripper Navigation Pod.
01:46 This is a turn-by-turn navigation system that riders can link to via Bluetooth through their smartphone.
01:52 The Super Meteor 650 is fitted with Royal Enfield's 648cc parallel twin.
01:59 The same engine found in the INT 650 and Continental GT 650.
02:04 The last time we had one of those bikes on our dyno it produced roughly 41 horsepower.
02:09 So you can expect similar results out of the Super Meteor.
02:12 The Super Meteor does have a different intake and exhaust system so power delivery may be a little bit different.
02:18 But overall the characteristics we came to love in the INT and GT 650 are the same in the Super Meteor 650.
02:26 It has really good usable torque right off bottom.
02:29 A super flat torque curve that just maintains a really nice broad power delivery all the way through the RPM range.
02:35 And when you get high into the RPM range it still puts down power but it doesn't get vibratey or buzzy.
02:41 So it's just a really nice comfortable cruiser engine.
02:45 The Super Meteor 650 features a six-speed transmission, chain driven with a cable actuated clutch.
02:51 Shifting through the gearbox you can grab that next gear really quickly.
02:55 It doesn't have the same sort of heavy or clunky feel.
02:59 More reminiscent of sort of a sport bike where you can just sort of bang through them quickly.
03:03 But that being said I didn't miss any shifts today.
03:06 Moving on to the suspension the Super Meteor 650 features a 43 millimeter Showa big piston inverted fork.
03:13 With 4.7 inches of suspension travel.
03:16 This is the first Royal Enfield motorcycle to be fitted with an inverted fork.
03:21 At the back it has twin shocks with adjustable five-step preload and offers right around four inches of suspension travel.
03:29 Out on the road they're on a little bit more of the stiffer side for me at 125 pounds.
03:34 But what this translates to is you know just a really nice even ride height.
03:39 No matter you know what forces are being applied to the chassis.
03:42 Whether you're on the gas or on the brakes you hit a bump in the road.
03:46 The entire balance of the bike just stays very neutral.
03:50 The Super Meteor 650 features an all-new tubular steel frame designed by Harris Performance exclusively for the Super Meteor.
03:59 It has a claimed wet weight of 531 pounds and that includes a center stand which is great for fixing flats out on the road.
04:06 Once you are riding out on the road the handling characteristics are really relaxed and neutral.
04:12 It's not super quick steering but it's not a hog either.
04:15 You need to lean over onto the side of the tire you can do so pretty effortlessly.
04:20 And once you're there because of the stiff suspension settings it maintains a corner arc really nicely without any drama.
04:28 Stopping the Super Meteor 650 is a 320 millimeter disc up front a 300 millimeter disc out back.
04:36 Both systems feature a twin piston floating caliper.
04:39 Pull on the lever and you feel the wheels start to slow down.
04:42 Increase that pressure and the braking power progressively gets better.
04:46 The Super Meteor 650 comes standard with ABS on all three models.
04:51 Which is just a great feature to have especially on a bike at this price point.
04:55 That being said the brakes were nothing you know revolutionary or knock your socks off of.
05:01 Just very adequate and enough to get the bike stopped.
05:04 The ergonomics on the Super Meteor 650 put you in that classic cruiser stance.
05:08 With forward controls a slight sweep back on the handlebar it puts the rider in a really comfortable position for an all-day ride.
05:16 The seat height is just over 29 inches and at my height of roughly 5 foot 8 inches I could firmly put both feet flat on the ground.
05:24 And because of its low center of gravity with that low seat height.
05:28 It's a motorcycle that I feel really confident putting a passenger on.
05:32 Because it just seems like something I can easily manage at low speeds or coming up to a stoplight.
05:38 The Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650 is available at three different price points.
05:42 Starting off is the Astral model available for $6,999.
05:47 Then the Interstellar model which includes a two-tone paint scheme available for $7,299.
05:53 And finally the Super Meteor 650 Tourer which includes a two-tone paint scheme, a windscreen, a deluxe touring seat, and a passenger backrest all for $7,499.
06:06 Overall the Super Meteor 650 is a good cheap cruiser but cheap in price not cheap in quality.
06:12 The Super Meteor 650 is the new benchmark for Royal Enfield moving forward.
06:17 Royal Enfield has delivered a level of quality we have not seen from them before.
06:21 This classic cruiser offers quality craftsmanship, a versatile engine, and comfortable ergonomics.
06:27 Any rider entering the middleweight cruiser market must consider the Super Meteor 650.
06:33 [wind howling]
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