Royal Enfield Bear 650: 2,000km Touring Review

Likes

India’s most famous 650cc engine, the one powering all of Royal Enfield’s big bikes, continues to work like a charm. Whether navigating through the maze of trucks while exiting Mumbai early in the morning or riding along the smooth stretches of the Goa highway, this 47bhp motor performs effortlessly. It offers ample low rev torque, and as you twist the throttle, the needle hits the redline smoothly without much fuss. The refinement level is top-notch. There is no sign of buzz till you hit 120kmph. Beyond this speed, you might feel slight buzzes on the handlebar and the pegs, but they’re subtle and nothing to be concerned about. I liked the throttle response, which made the ride smooth and enjoyable, and the fuelling was also spot on.

The Bear 650 is a scrambler, and its seating ergonomics are well-suited for both city and highway riding. The handlebar is easily reachable, requiring minimal bending of the upper body. Combine this wide handlebar with the centre-set footpegs, and you get a neutral seating triangle. I’ve spent nearly nine hours at a stretch on the Bear 650, and not once did I find the ergonomics improper or uncomfortable. Surprisingly, the seat offered excellent comfort as well, something typically associated with touring seats, which are often sold as an accessory.

I thoroughly enjoyed exploring the off-road world with the Bear 650. Being a scrambler, it inspired me to tackle some off-road sections of the Mumbai-Goa highway, and the bike performed exceptionally well. Standing up on the pegs was effortless, as was maintaining a firm grip of the handlebar. While it might not be fully comfortable for taller riders, average-height riders won't face any issues. The absence of a second exhaust benefits the Bear 650 with a lower kerb weight, which improves its overall weight distribution. This allowed me to ride a bit faster on dirt.

Dislikes

One thing that bothered me throughout was the ride quality. NH17 is now fully concretised, and as a result, the roads are uneven, blame the poor work done by contractors. However, this is a common issue across the country. Consequently, the Bear 650 struggles to handle India’s concrete roads, offering barely any comfort during long rides. One way ride lasted nearly 9 hours, and my body wasn’t happy about it. The kickbacks from the rear suspension were occasionally quite harsh.

While the 650cc engine is undeniably brilliant and capable of impressive speeds, the stiff suspension limits the bike’s comfortable cruising speed between 80kmph and 100kmph. To be honest, this is a bit disappointing, as it drastically hampers the average speed during long rides of 600-700km. The dynamics around the corners are also not confidence-inspiring. While the bike allows you to get through some of the finest corners decently, you won't be able to go aggressively. Every time you plan to do that, the hard and bouncy rear suspension will make you think twice. The tyres work fine, however, the constant bumpy ride doesn’t inspire confidence to go fast around the corners.

Another drawback is the Bear 650’s limited luggage-carrying capacity. There’s just enough space to install a top box and a small tail bag, but a large tail bag isn’t practical. I used the Rynox Navigator tail bag with a 50-litre capacity, which was placed quite close to me. Anything larger would touch the body during rides, making it unsuitable for extended journeys.

Conclusion

I’m someone who loves the concept of long-distance touring and can tour on any motorcycle. However, the majority of Indian consumers are new to the world of touring, and for them, comfort and practicality are extremely important. Due to this, the Bear 650 doesn’t make much sense for someone just entering the world of high-performance touring. While the 650cc engine is fantastic and can keep you excited for days, one key aspect of this motorcycle serves as a major spoilsport, the suspension. Its stiffness will bring in a lot of fatigue, draining a lot of your energy, and as a result, reducing your overall enjoyment of the trip.

The Bear 650 will be fantastic to tour on some excellent roads around, which are unfortunately hard to find in India. Such roads are more common in Europe and the US, where this 650cc platform truly finds its relevance.