Royal Enfield has pulled the wraps off its new Bear 650, a scramblerized model of the favored INT 650 with longer-travel suspension and a brand new exhaust system for its air-cooled parallel-Twin engine.
Inspiration for the 2025 Royal Enfield Bear 650 was drawn from a victory within the prestigious Large Bear Run in 1960, when 16-year-old rookie Eddie Mulder used a Royal Enfield to outrun greater than 700 riders within the grueling endurance race across the California mountain city of Large Bear.
“The Bear 650 channels the identical spirit of uncooked intuition, sheer impulse, and relentless dedication – it embodies the ethos of a real scrambler ‘full-send’ mindset,” stated B. Govindarajan, CEO of Royal Enfield. “It’s constructed to ship confidence and management throughout all terrains – whether or not you’re navigating city streets or dusty trails.”
Profitable the Large Bear Run was the launching pad for Mulder’s venerable racing profession, incomes flat-track victories on Triumphs and profitable the Pike’s Peak hillclimb 9 occasions earlier than happening to change into one in every of Hollywood’s finest stunt riders.
Fittingly, Mulder was with us for the Bear 650’s unveiling in Palm Springs, California. After pulling off the duvet from the top-of the-range Two 4 9 mannequin – 249 being Mulder’s race quantity when he gained the Large Bear Run – he remarked with teary eyes, “I’m very, very proud.”
Scrambler Components | Royal Enfield Bear 650
Though the Bear has a lot in frequent with the INT 650, the revisions made to create a scrambler model had been substantial.
First up is a suspension with longer journey to deal with gentle off-roading. As an alternative of the INT’s standard fork, the Bear is fitted with a 43mm inverted fork that includes Showa’s Separate Perform Large Piston (SF-BP) expertise as seen on Enfield’s Meteor and Shotgun fashions. The nonadjustable legs present 5.1 inches of journey, whereas new Showa shocks ship 4.5 inches and have preload adjustability.
To deal with the additional forces exerted from the longer and stiffer inverted fork, engineers bulked up the body’s steering head space for extra rigidity. The body revisions are enhanced by a larger-diameter entrance axle that’s stated to enhance dealing with responses.
Up entrance is a 19-inch spoked wheel, whereas a 17-incher rolls in again. Each hoops are shod with tires produced by Indian producer MRF specifically for the Bear 650. Classes had been discovered inspecting tires from different producers, and the tread blocks within the MRF rubber look just like Pirelli’s Scorpion Rally tires. The 100/90-19 entrance tire is backed up by a radial-ply 140/80-17 rear, each ends requiring tubes for pneumatics.
Additionally distinctive to the Bear 650 is its 2-into-1 exhaust system. A stylishly small muffler is made potential by the exhaust pre-chamber tucked in forward of the rear tire, which homes the catalytic converter and does some muffling of its personal. The exhaust is claimed to ship an 8% enhance in torque (to 41.7 lb-ft at 5,150 rpm), whereas horsepower stays static with 46.4 hp at 7,250 rpm. There aren’t any different modifications to the air/oil-cooled engine other than its black finishes.
Visually, you’ll discover a scrambler-style bench seat atop a kicked-up body loop that permits strapping on heavier masses for light-duty touring. Aiding the bike’s scrambler look is the panel beneath the seat that resembles a classic quantity plate. The INT’s 3.6-gallon gasoline tank stays however is augmented with a brand new flip-up lever on the filler cap. For the primary time on Enfield’s 650cc platform, all lighting on the Bear is by way of LEDs.
One other improve over the INT is the adoption of the round TFT instrument panel used on Enfield’s Himalayan and Guerilla. Dubbed Tripper Sprint, the 4-inch pod gives readouts for rudimentary gadgets (gear place, gasoline, time, temperature) and is topped with an analog-style tachometer. The panel features a USB-C charging port and might be linked to your cellphone to combine with Google Maps for navigation and to stream music or obtain calls and messages.
Bear Scrambles | Royal Enfield Bear 650
Royal Enfield deliberate what I’ll assume was an superior loop across the city of Large Bear for the Bear 650’s launch. Sadly, the realm suffered a devastating wildfire a couple of weeks earlier than the launch occasion, forcing relocation to a hub close to Palm Springs. Irrespective of, as our route would take us from the desert flooring by the quaint mountain city of Idyllwild to twisty roads greater than 6,000 ft above sea degree.
The Bear 650 seems to be great in individual, leaning into the vibe of bikes from the desert racing scene of the Nineteen Sixties. Royal Enfield nailed the look, making a scrambler that embodies the fashion of a bygone period that many look upon wistfully. A key ingredient is the air-cooled lump resplendent with cylinder fins and with no clunky radiator and fugly hoses.
Whereas a 650cc scrambler may sound unintimidating, the Bear requires a good bit of oomph to carry it off its sidestand. At 476 lb with 90% of gasoline, it’s kinda porky for a midsize streetbike. Riders brief on inseam size may discover the Bear’s 32.7-inch seat top lofty, nevertheless it was a very good match for me, and I appreciated the additional legroom provided over its INT sibling.
Firing up the Bear, ears are greeted with a throaty rumble from its parallel-Twin motor and 270-degree firing order. It’s not loud, however it’s authoritative. Palms are greeted by barrel-shaped grips tastefully embossed with Royal Enfield logos and capped by chrome bar-ends. Each hand levers are adjustable for attain, and the massive TFT display screen is simple to learn.
Contrasting with the Bear’s hefty feeling are its management inputs. Clutch pull is mild, the transmission swaps gears with fluidity, and throttle response is easy. Round city, the motor feels peppy if not potent.
Leaving the mid-century-modern stylish of city Palm Springs squirted us westward for a freeway stint. The Bear purrs alongside politely, with a counterbalancer quelling vibration from the docile motor, aided by a tall Sixth-gear ratio. The brand new fork felt compliant and well-tuned, however the brand new shocks appeared stiff underneath my 140-lb physique, particularly for a tallish scrambler.
The handlebar is significantly larger than the INT’s, opening up the cockpit whereas nonetheless retaining a slight ahead lean to assist minimize by 80-mph air. The Bear’s further legroom alleviates knee crimping on longer rides, however your butt should endure a thinly padded saddle. Pleasingly, the seat’s flat profile permits loads of room to scooch round to mitigate stress factors.
For me, the rider triangle was excellent, however I had a couple of ergonomic quibbles. The fitting-side engine case bulges out awkwardly and limits foot room, and when using on the balls of my ft, the muffler shielding prevented my proper heel from totally tucking in.
Bear Canyon | Royal Enfield Bear 650
The Bear 650 was a good freeway traveler whereas droning alongside I-10, and our pulses quickened once we reached Banning and took the exit for State Route 243 for the twisty southbound climb up Mt. San Jacinto to Idyllwild.
The Bear 650 leans into sweeping corners confidently if not briskly, and it requires a good shove on the within bar to lever the bike over in tight turns. Chassis geometry (26.1-degree rake angle and 4.6 inches of path with a 57.5-inch wheelbase) is pretty center of the highway. The Bear’s taller suspension yields 7.2 inches of floor clearance, which saved the pegs from dragging irrespective of how laborious we tried.
Carried over from the INT 650 is a ByBre braking system with normal ABS. Up entrance is a single-action twin-piston caliper paired with a 320mm disc, whereas a 1-piston caliper bites on a 270mm rear disc. Braided strains present a reassuring agency really feel on the levers, and the brakes are as much as the duty of slowing the Bear from the modest speeds it will possibly attain, however they’re not as robust as what’s out there on pricier journey bikes.
As we ascended the mountain, the tempo of our group hotted up into hooligan journalist mode. At larger velocities, I started to really feel the entrance tire’s tread blocks squirming, however not almost sufficient to make me again off. Nonetheless, a couple of mid-corner bumps at velocity precipitated the shocks to rebound too rapidly and prime out on the finish of their stroke, indicating a spring price too heavy or rebound damping too mild.
GEAR UP | Royal Enfield Bear 650
At a mid-ride cease, I checked the shocks and was shocked they had been on their minimal preload setting. Actually, the shocks on all of the bikes had been at their lowest quantity of preload. Engineers defined to me over lunch that they chose a spring price to make sure the Bears had been in a position to carry further weight for baggage and/or for pillion riders. Heavier riders complained in regards to the shocks lower than I did, however lightweights like me may wish to “spring” the cash for softer springs for a extra compliant, better-balanced journey.
Soiled Bear | Royal Enfield Bear 650
Any scrambler price its salt deserves a while within the dust, so we pointed the Bear onto a gravelly and rocky two-track path to learn how it performs off-road. The torquey and keen motor meted tractable energy for good traction from the rear tire, and a button on the right-side switchgear disables rear ABS so riders might be in full management of what the rear finish is doing in low-traction conditions.
Whereas the Bear did properly off-road, it falls wanting what a real dual-sport or pukka journey bike can accomplish within the dust. A 19-inch entrance tire can’t ship the identical degree of confidence as a 21-incher in sandy situations, and the gentle motor is unable to loft the entrance finish to keep away from obstacles until you’re in 1st gear and have robust arms. That stated, the Bear is ready to deftly navigate non-technical dust roads and trails.
Again on the pavement, the Bear’s throttle cables had been stretched once more. Though the mildly tuned motor lacks top-end lunge, it was in a position to nudge the speedo over the 100-mph mark regardless of the skinny air atop the mountain. Braking energy was ample, and the enjoyable issue was stellar.
Sizzling Springs | Royal Enfield Bear 650
The contemporary air at 6,000 ft grew 25 levels hotter as we descended the mountain into Palm Springs. The Bear 650 once more impressed with its usefulness in metropolis site visitors, and it additionally impressed a number of bystanders with its classic scrambler fashion.
It’s normally hyperbole when somebody states a few new bike that there isn’t one other bike available on the market prefer it. However with the Bear 650, it’s a real assertion, as there aren’t any different scramblers with an air-cooled motor within the 650cc class. It not solely seems to be terrific, it additionally seems to be genuine, which isn’t all the time the case with another retro bikes.
As a lot as motojournos wish to imagine {that a} cautious examination of the best particulars of each bike they evaluate will make the distinction to clients’ buying selections, we all know that nothing sells bikes higher than its picture. In that respect, the Bear 650 is a homerun – a scrambler with fashion and perspective and flexibility, all at an inexpensive worth.
Essentially the most cost-effective method to get a Bear 650 is by selecting the Boardwalk White colorway, priced at $6,849. Add $150 for Petrol Inexperienced or Wild Honey. The Golden Shadow model we examined retails for $7,099, and the Eddie Mulder tribute Two 4 9 stretches as much as $7,199.
Royal Enfield claims its bikes are “participating, uncomplicated, accessible, and enjoyable to journey; autos for exploration and self-expression.” Essentially, that assertion completely sums up what the Bear 650 might be for its new house owners. We predict will probably be a gross sales hit.
SIDEBAR: What’s In A Title?
Royal Enfield’s INT 650 has a clumsy identify – do we are saying “Int” or “I-N-T”? It is a query riders exterior North America by no means should ask. Their bikes are known as Interceptor 650s.
If the Interceptor identify sounds acquainted, it’s most likely since you keep in mind Honda’s Interceptor sportbikes from the Eighties. Though Honda now not sells a bike with that designation, it nonetheless owns the trademark to the identify on our shores. Therefore our INT 650.
Apparently, Royal Enfield previously owned the worldwide trademark for the Interceptor identify as a result of it bought a 736cc Interceptor within the Nineteen Sixties. However rights to the trademark within the U.S. ultimately lapsed, opening the door for American Honda to grab it up.
Mockingly, it’s not the primary time Honda has plucked Royal Enfield’s previous catalog for names. The Hornet and the Fury had been earlier Royal Enfield fashions earlier than Honda nicked the names for their very own bikes.
2025 Royal Enfield Bear 650 Specs
- Base Value: $6,849
- Value as Examined: $7,099
- Web site: RoyalEnfield.com
- Guarantee: 3 yrs., unltd. mileage
- Engine Sort: Air-cooled, parallel-Twin, SOHC w/ 2 valves per cyl.
- Displacement: 648cc
- Bore x Stroke: 78.0 x 67.8mm
- Horsepower: 46.4 hp at 7,250 rpm
- Torque: 41.7 lb-ft at 5,150 rpm
- Transmission: 6-speed, cable-actuated slip/help moist clutch
- Last Drive: Chain
- Wheelbase: 57.5 in.
- Rake/Path: 26.1-degrees/4.6 in.
- Seat Top: 32.7 in.
- Moist Weight: 476 lb (with 90% gasoline)
- Gas Capability: 3.6 gal.
