Wednesday, June 5, 2019

Sweet sounding S&S mufflers for Royal Enfield 650 twins

Sleek looking S&S muffler for Royal Enfield 650 twins.
S&S slip-on muffler for Royal Enfield 650 twins adds looks, performance and sound.
"Well, I've got to have those!" I thought to myself when I saw the tapered S&S mufflers on the Royal Enfield 650 twins at the Long Beach, Calif. motorcycle show, way back in 2017.

Gorgeous. And now I know I can have them with my Royal Enfield INT650 or Continental GT 650.

"Royal Enfield will be offering S&S performance slip-on mufflers exclusively through Royal Enfield dealers," states a press release from Royal Enfield North American, dated today.

"After the successful collaboration between Royal Enfield and S&S to create a record-breaking motorcycle for the Bonneville Salt Flats, we feel that this is a natural step," the release quotes Royal Enfield North America president Rod Copes.

Sleek looking S&S muffler on Royal Enfield INT650.
Royal Enfield INT650 with S&S slip-ons.
The mufflers are 49-state legal (California still pending), comply with the Royal Enfield warranty, are easy to install, and cost $674.99 MSRP for a set of two, the press release stated.

Go to the S&S Cycle website for charts, diagrams and specifications showing what the slip-ons can do for the performance of Royal Enfield's new 650 twins.

It claims a 13.5-percent increase in horsepower in the rpm range "where you ride" — 2,250 through 5,000 rpm — with combined slip-ons and S&S air filter fitted.

The website also has links for international and race-only versions of the mufflers. These aren't available yet but if you'll leave your email they'll let you know when they are.

Sleek looking S&S muffler on Continental GT650.
Royal Enfield Continental GT650 with S&S slip-on mufflers.
Royal Enfield says the S&S mufflers weigh 10 pounds less than the standard items, have a catalytic converter and a removable dB reducer.

S&S posted a YouTube video giving you some idea of how the 650 twins sound with their mufflers on.

It's an OK video, but I think they have their captions reversed — the motorcycles sound quieter in the segments claiming they are running without the dB reducer!

The segment with the motorcycle idling doesn't properly capture the sweet sound of these mufflers, which I liked much better when I heard them live during the U.S. launch for the 650 twins in California.

At speed, they produce "a deliciously visceral snarl," wrote Geoff Hill, of London's Daily Mirror, who was there.

Take his word for it: the YouTube clips don't do them justice.

Here's the S&S sound bite:


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