SPY SHOTS! Royal Enfield Continental GT 650-R Cafe Racer on the way?

A bikini-faired version of Royal Enfield’s much loved Continental GT 650 has been spotted testing out on the roads. Here’s what we know so far…

It’s all go at Enfield. In the last 12 months or so we’ve seen the Meteor 350, the Classic 350 and the Hunter 350, and we’re expecting to see a Bullet 350 added to the roster soon.

We’ve also seen the arrival of the Himalayan-derived Scram 411, in addition to confirmation that the 650 twin motor – used to power its much-loved and hugely successful Continental GT and Interceptor – will be used in its Super Meteor 650 cruiser and Shotgun 650 bobber.

Oh, and we’ve also had official word from the factory that it’s ramping up its research and development efforts on electric bikes (with bikes already undergoing early testing). And that’s without mentioning the long-awaited ‘big’ Himalayan that we’ve been talking about for years.

But it actually looks as though there’s another bike that could be making it to market even sooner, as it’s just been spotted out on the road.

Tipped to be called the GT 650-R (or maybe the GT-R 650), the new bike takes the Continental GT’s café racer styling one step further with a funky bikini fairing that wouldn’t look out of place on a Sixties racer.

It’s actually not a massive surprise that Royal Enfield’s going down this route. It’d already done a lot of the hard work, as a similarly styled model already exists and has been taking part in the one-make Royal Enfield Continental GT Cup (which runs in India and is expected to make it to Europe and the USA in the not too distant future). Factor in that the current Continental GT (and Interceptor) are getting a bit long in the tooth, and we think it’d certainly make sense that Royal Enfield would want to come up with a funky new bike to remind everyone what a cracking range of 650 twins it has in its roster.

Details are of course still vague at this stage, but the image does reveal that we can expect its bikini fairing to be complemented by some clip-on handlebars and a slightly sportier riding position, in addition to some adjustable rear shock absorbers.

We’re probably going to have to sit tight for just a little bit longer to find out the full story, but with the EICMA show happening as we speak, there’s a chance all could be revealed soon.

If not, it’s likely we’ll have to wait until the start of 2023 when the big bike reveals happen in India and Japan. If the first look is anything to go by, it’ll be worth it.

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