Royal Enfield Shotgun 650

With the Shotgun 650, Royal Enfield took a route never followed before – classic bobbers. This middleweight motorcycle from Royal Enfield has a low-slung stance with its lowered seat height and ground clearance, which coupled with its muscular looks make it look stunning. 

The Royal Enfield Shotgun 650 has a classic rounded LED headlamp, which it shares with other 650cc motorcycles from the brand. However, here, the headlamp sits within a stylised cowl. The rounded turn indicators are mounted on the sides of the headlamp, with the Shotgun 650 getting rounded sweeping front and rear fenders.  

The beefy essence in the overall design of the Royal Enfield Shotgun 650 is due to the simple but large fuel tank, triangular side body panels with rounded edges, broad rear fender, and wide tyres. Even the inline-twin engine of the Shotgun 650 contributes to the muscular appeal of the motorcycle, which unlike in other Royal Enfield 650cc motorcycles, is finished in a gloss black theme here. 

The Royal Enfield Shotgun 650 comes with a single-seater configuration as standard, though there is a provision for a pillion seat which is fixed over an extended bolt-on frame member. Behind the long and wide handlebar, the Shotgun 650 has a part-digital, two-pod instrument console.

The primary pod includes an analogue speedometer and an LCD screen within it for fuel gauge, odometer, trip meters, and other riding data. The secondary pod is essentially Royal Enfield’s Tripper navigation unit, which displays turn-by-turn navigation. 

The Shotgun 650 is also the first Royal Enfield motorcycle to get dual peashooter exhaust pipes, which, unlike the beefy-looking pipes of Interceptor 650 and Continental GT 650, have a slimmer design, and a lower rake angle. The tail lamp is mounted on the top of the rear fender, while the turn indicators are mounted on its sides. The alloy wheels and rearview mirrors are also blacked out in the Shotgun 650. 

Based on a steel tubular spine frame, which is an altered version of the tubular double cradle frame of Interceptor 650 and Continental GT 650, the Shotgun 650 also gets a different suspension setup sourced from Showa. The separate functioning inverted telescopic fork at the front has 120mm travel, while the dual coil springs with preload adjustability at the rear have a 90mm travel.

The low suspension travel makes the ride quality quite stiffer but also gives the Shotgun 650 excellent straight-line and cornering stability at higher speeds. With a 320mm disc at the front and a 240mm disc at the rear equipped for braking, the Shotgun 650 also has a different set of tyres compared to other Royal Enfield 650s – a 100/90-18 tyre at the front and a 15070 R17 tyre at the rear. 

The Royal Enfield Shotgun 650 is powered by a four-stroke, air-cooled, inline-twin, 648cc engine, which is paired with a 6-speed transmission. Shared with other 650cc Royal Enfield motorcycles like the Interceptor 650, Continental GT 650 and Super Meteor 650, this engine produces a maximum power output of 46.4 bhp and a peak torque output of 52.3 Nm. 

The Royal Enfield Shotgun 650 does come with a dual-channel ABS as a standard safety feature but misses out on other modern-day electronic riding aids, which is a big miss for a middleweight category motorcycle. 

The Royal Enfield Shotgun 650 prioritises form over function, with practicality taking a back seat here. This authentic bobber might not be a comfortable motorcycle for daily riding due to its stiff ride quality and long turning radius. However, with its beefy and low-slung looks and punchy 650cc engine, the Shotgun 650 has a lot of character and exclusivity.