Royal Enfield Bear 650 Review

Royal Enfield now has six machines powered by its 650cc parallel twin engine. The latest is this, the Bear 650, a scrambler.

So when I went to pick up the Royal Enfield Bear 650, the chap tasked with the handover commented, “I’ve done 80km over the weekend and fell in love with it.” Which of course you take with a grain of salt, given the guys sells these. But remove the hyperbole and it’s clear he liked it. 

Then really doesn’t surprise either because from the outset when the Interceptor (great name) and Continental dotted down six years ago, they kicked off an uptick, a surge even, in Royal Enfield sales. Why? Because they’re good and great value.

And with their popularity they’ve just been adding to the 650 twin line-up ever since. There’s now a Cruiser, a Classic, the natty looking Shotgun 650 and this, the Bear 650. There’s even talk of another coming, in the form of the Himalayan 650, the adventure bike of the range. They’ve been so successful for the brand that Royal Enfield is now selling over a million bikes per annum. Not that it is all down to the 650s; their single-cylinder offerings are even more important for overall numbers. The Indian brand, which has seen a lift in quality as well as numbers, is now a serious force to be reckoned with. It claims global leadership in the middleweight sector.

Bear named after desert race

So now there’s this 650 beastie as well, another sharp looker  that’s as happy doing soft-road stuff as it is plying sealed thoroughfares or commuting. Plus it has the retro look to match, with round lights at each end, a 19-inch front and 17-inch rear, and spoked rims for that authentic Scrambler look. The one you see here is the 249 model, the most expensive in the line-up (price differs according to paint jobs which is the usual RE way). 

And the number refers to a famous desert race that took place 65 years ago. For roughly 40 years the Big Bear race was run in the California desert. And the last was won by a 16-year-old, “Fast Eddie” Mulder who beat over 700 others to the finish line after 240km of hard-out racing. He, of course, was riding a Royal Enfield. So the Bear – in miniature on the tank – was the logical name for the latest addition to the 650 twin line-up. 

With its Scrambler styling it has the look that just seems to stop people in their tracks. Or maybe it’s the 249 race plate that does that. With white bodywork and green frame, it really does look tasty.

Good performer and thrifty

The one I picked up was brand spankers. And I couldn’t for the life of me work out how to change the dash layout. It was pretty much blacked out initially, with no numbers for the rev counter and just a digital readout of speed. Eventually, after mussing with the left bar set-up lever, I discovered that pushing it up led to the main menu where we could then select the classic screen with a proper rev counter, and a few other trip data on offer. Like instantaneous fuel use that suggested around 20-25km per litre on the open road ( 4.2L/100km overall). Not bad for a bike that wasn’t run in and features no air protection. Range is around 250km from its 13.7L fuel tank.

The engine is LAMS legal, and has undergone a bit of a rejig for the Bear application, with no less power (35kW) but a bit more torque, up by 8Nm to 57 in total, thanks mainly to its two-into-one exhaust. Gearing is a shade shorter too, so 100 uses around 4300rpm in sixth. Put another way, 4000 is 90km/h, 4500 is 108 and 5000rpm is 120. Throughout this rev band, which is the one you use primarily out of town, the engine is virtually vibe free. And with the added torque it will pull cleanly from 2000rpm, which is 50km/h in top, handy for urban work. Best power is above about 4500rpm but good torque is on tap from 3000rpm.

Compared with the last RE we rode with this engine, the Shotgun 650, the Bear 650 is noticeably quicker. That’s because it carries rather less bulk (214 vs 240kg) and has shorter gearing and more torque. That makes it almost a second quicker on both performance criteria, and managed an ABS stop from 100 in 38.46m, pretty nifty for something with a single two-piston disc up front and dual purpose rubber. The front brake, caliper by Bybre works okay on its own but adding the rear, this genuinely slows well. ABS is switchable (back wheel) for off-road riding.

A few other points. Unlike some tall off-road ready bikes, the seat height on this is 830mm, and it’s no effort to swing a leg over. The riding position is easy with high and wide bars, and midmounted pegs. While the seat looks good, the comfort wanes some after an hour or so of riding but there’s generous room for two.

Handling over ride here

For learner riders and those more experienced, the handling on road is a gas. There’s oodles of ground clearance and this tips into corners virtually by just weighting the pegs. Suspension is extended travel – for GC of 184mm – and fixed up front, with Showa forks while the preload adjustable long travel rear springs seem set just a bit firm at their softest, no doubt optimised for off-road work. So best to avoid the big hits on road or weight the pegs in anticipation where possible, as they can be jarring. For off-road work primarily, you’d probably want to check out the Himalayan 450 but for a mix of the two and mainly road work, the twin will be a better overall option. Bear 650 is around $2k more expensive.

The dash features a tripper unit for navigation, all within the main screen, and nav is possible via Bluetoothing your smartphone. There’s a USB outlet up front for device charging too. The dual-tone horn is strong, and lights are LEDs all round. We appreciated the span-adjustable levers, lightweight and positive six-speed gearbox and clear instruments, once we’d found the classic layout. Each RE we ride just seems to be better in build quality too.

Our particular 249 model goes for $11,890. However, the start price is $11,490. So love at first ride? It will be for some. Gotta love the price point too. For us, after a few hundred kays, love is perhaps a big call but it’s certainly a great LAMS machine (that never feels nobbled like some do), and a competent all-rounder.  

Royal Enfield Bear 650
$11,890
0-100 km/h 5.93s
80-120 km/h 4.79s (138.4m)
100-0 km/h 38.46m
Speedo error  98 at an indicated 100km/h
Engine Capacity  648cc
Format  Air-cooled / fuel-injected / IL2
Max power  35kW@7150rpm
Max torque  58Nm@5150rpm
Cylinder head  SOHC / 8v
Gearbox  6-speed
Drivetrain  Chain final drive
Suspension front  43mm USD forks, unadjustable
Suspension rear  Twin shocks, preload adjustable
Brakes front  Twin-piston calipers, 320mm discs
Brakes rear  Single-piston, 270mm disc
Safety systems  ABS
Tyre size  f-100/90B19, r-140/80B17
Tyre type  MRF Nylorex
Wheelbase  1460mm
Seat height  830mm
Rake/trail  26.1° / 117mm
Fuel capacity  13.6L
Measured weight  214kg
Weight distribution  f-103kg / r-111kg