Image courtesy: gokul_easwaran
Lately, Royal Enfield has been in the news for testing numerous vehicles in the country and most recently another test mule from the brand was spotted in the wild. The most recent encounter with a Royal Enfield test vehicle took place at OMR, Chennai and from the pictures, it can be easily figured out that the model is the much anticipated Scrambler 650. The first sighting of this vehicle occurred in the United Kingdom and now it has been seen testing on the Indian soil.
The company’s 648cc parallel-twin engine is most likely the powerplant that will be employed to power the Scrambler 650, which also seems to have some minor bodywork modifications. From its first appearance in the UK, the bike seems to be mostly the same although there are a few noticeable changes. The side panels, which formerly included a substantial oval part like what you see on dirt track racers, are one of the most obvious examples of changes in the newly spied model. This time, the panels are a lot more traditional with a conventional upside-down triangular shape that closely resembles that of an Interceptor 650.
Another major talking point of this new test mule was the addition of a small flyscreen present up front, the same was absent from the test vehicle spotted in the United Kingdom. As of yet, it has not been confirmed that if this flyscreen will come available in the production model or not, however, one possibility is that it could also be a test product for the company’s accessory line-up that it has co-developed previously in new models for the last few years now. In the same line, this Indian test mule also features a little protrusion right below the front indicator. For the most part, this could be some sort of auxiliary light based on its size, shape, and location, however, there are several peculiarities present.
In terms of the powertrain as mentioned earlier the same 650 air/oil-cooled 648cc parallel twin that powers the Royal Enfield flagship motorbikes the Interceptor 650 and Continental GT is anticipated to power the scrambler as well. However, the scrambler will likely have a new two-into-one exhaust routing system, which should ideally be a lighter layout than what is present on the 650 twins. The twin-cylinder machine will continue to produce 52Nm and 47.65PS. Apart from it, the spoked rims and single discs (front and rear) will also be offered in the forthcoming motorcycle.
In other Royal Enfield news, the new-generation Himalayan 450 has also been spotted on many occasions during test drives on Indian roads. We were able to see the disguised Himalayan 450 in the most detail yet in the most recent round of spy photos. The new Adventure Tourer from Royal Enfield is now undergoing extensive testing, and we anticipate its release in the first half of 2023. The Himalayan 450 will have a sizable fuel tank bordered by a noticeable crash guard, as shown in the spy photos. The two-standard wheeler’s round headlamp, tall windscreen, and round rearview mirrors make up its standard front profile. It comes equipped with split seats and a top rack for attaching baggage.