Named after the Big Bear run desert race, which Royal Enfield won back in 1960 with 16-year-old racer Eddie Mulder, the Bear 650 is a softish street scrambler, based on the Interceptor 650. The Bear uses the same air-cooled 47bhp 650 twin as the firm’s other classically styled upper middleweight machines, but with a scrambler restyle, slightly different frame, longer-travel suspension and 19” front wheel. I rode the Bear 650 on the riding launch in California, and it worked well, in the vein of Enfield’s other modern bikes.
The styling is sharp, build quality impressive, and on the back roads around Palm Springs, it was easy to get on with. The engine is a bit underpowered for the mass (214kg) and the front forks quite firm over potholes and catseyes, while the brakes could do with another disc up front. The off-road performance is largely nominal, thanks to that mass and the road-biased tyres, but some gentle, dry green lanes would be fun for sure. The best part of the Bear, after the styling and finish, is the price: around £6750 for a brand-new, stylish retro scrambler. Pick one up on finance, park it next to the S1000 RR, and use it for sunny backroad bimbles. You’ll have a ball.
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