Bare facts about the new Bear 650

The new Bear 650 comes looking ready to race.

 Two things impress me about Royal Enfield's new Bear 650 scrambler. 

First is that Royal Enfield once again stays true to its commitment to honor its long history. 

This time the new motorcycle is a tribute to a long-ago race won by a child rider against long odds. The surprise victory at Big Bear, in 1960, was reputation building at the time for Royal Enfield in the United States. 

Second is that Royal Enfield faced the fact that it now has six versions of its 650 parallel twin motorcycles available or coming soon: the Bear, the Interceptor, the Continental GT, the Shotgun, the Super Meteor, and, soon the Classic. A seventh, a Bullet 650, seems certain. 

Why? Standard M&M'S come in six colors but they're all the same milk chocolate inside. Are the 650 twins like that? 

It's a  fair question. So Royal Enfield sat down and published a Q&A explaining why it builds the Bear 650, and why you should want one. The frankness of this approach amazes me.

Let's start with the answer to why one color variant of the new Bear 650 carries the number "249."

That was the race number of the Royal Enfield Fury ridden by "Fast Eddie" Mulder, of Lancaster, California. 

From the press release:

"In 1960, the unforgiving Mojave Desert served as a backdrop for the Big Bear Run, the biggest, baddest race the California desert had ever witnessed... Eddie Mulder shocked the racing world as he surged first across the finish line."

Ed Mulder made Royal Enfield a winner in 1960.

Mulder was 16 years old at the time, is still alive, and you can meet him in this short video.

More from Mulder, in the press release:

"I was in 30th place when I lost control and took a tumble down a ravine. I hauled up the bike and inspected the damage. The handlebars were bent right back, the header pipe had been wrenched out of the cylinder head and one shock absorber was bust. I heaved the bars into shape and kicked the header pipe back into place. Couldn't do anything about the busted shock absorber so I rode the rest of the race on just one."

There's more. In 2017 Mulder told Cycle News about his ride:

"Just after the second loop I broke the right footpeg off... I came back and told my crew and they found a footpeg and when I came back in to get gas to start the third loop they put on a new footpeg." He had ridden 50 miles without a footpeg.

Royal Enfield made its U.S. reputation at this race.

Guts.

That's how he got a big trophy with a bear on top, his picture on the front of magazines, and in Royal Enfield advertisements of the time.

But Mulder told Cycle News that, as photographers took their picture at the race celebration, Frank Cooper, the Royal Enfield distributor, reached over and gave him a $20 bill.

Twenty dollars. "For winning the Big Bear!"

So much for glory.

Now, why would you want a Royal Enfield Bear 650 scrambler. Here are answers, excerpted from the Royal Enfield's Q&A:

What are the unique features of the Bear 650?

-Performance (+8% peak torque).

-Two-into-one exhaust.. 

-Upside-down fork.

-Big-screen instrumentation featuring Tripper Navigation.

Big-screen navigation is a selling point.

-19-inch front/17-inch rear wheel.

-High, wide handlebars.

-Frame with kicked up rear loop.

-Bench scrambler-style seat.

-Spacious ride triangle, sitting or standing.

-Full LED lighting.

Shouldn't a scrambler have high-level exhaust?

There are no rules. We chose a low-level silencer to allow fitment of soft luggage and to reduce discomfort from heat near the right leg.

What performance can riders expect?

The 650-twin engine is tuned for more torque over other twins models. Thanks to suspension and specific tire and chassis development, the Bear 650 is a road machine while also capable on broken roads and light trails.

How does the Bear 650 compare to other Royal Enfield 650 platforms?

Retro-scrambler aesthetic. The riding triangle is very open with an aggressive elbows-up attitude. The sound is unique, thanks to the unique exhaust system.

The Bear 650 is the first to get a two-into-one exhaust. What does that do?

It contributes to the 8 percent increase in peak torque compared to other 650s. The compact single silencer and cat box with stainless headers reduces weight and pulls mass closer to the center of the motorcycle.

What sets the Bear 650 apart from the INT650?

The 19/17-inch off-road tires give it a scrambler look. The scrambler seat allows the rider to move around easily. There's big-screen navigation and digital instruments and switchable rear ABS for rough-road riding. The number board gives the motorcycle an authentic scrambler appeal. 

Ed Muller and his race winning Royal Enfield Fury 500 single.
(RoadRider.com.au)

Royal Enfield 120th Editions grabbed

It only took a minute. 

 UPDATE: By my watch it was about a minute between the "Sale Is Live" message from Royal Enfield and "Pre-Orders Are Now Closed." That's how long it took for Royal Enfield's 120th Anniversary Edition 650 twins to sell out in North America. It went live at 1:40 p.m. Eastern time, rather than 1:20, as announced and by my watch was over at 1:41. 

 This is it! Your chance to purchase one of the very few Royal Enfield 120th Anniversary Edition Continental GT or INT 650s in North America starts today at 1:20 p.m. Eastern time. 

Your chance will END as soon as the first 30 of each of the unique Royal Enfield 650s are reserved. Customers who nail down a reservation will then have only five days to contact their Royal Enfield dealer to complete the purchase. 

It's first come, first served to get those reservations. 

MSRP is $9,749 for the 120th Anniversary Edition Continental GT and $9,359 for an INT 650 version. MSRP means "suggested" retail price.

Serious about it? Log in here.

What's going on? 120th Anniversary Limited Edition Twins information here.

Limited edition GT 650 left, INT 50, right.

Royal Enfield asks trademark for 'Constellation' name

Restored 1959 Royal Enfield Constellation recalls past glories. 

 Royal Enfield applied to trademark the name "Royal Enfield Constellation" for motorcycles and apparel in the United States. Application for a "mark image" and "word mark" was filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Feb. 8, 2022. 

New applications are assigned to an examining attorney approximately six months after filing. 

So don't go down to your Royal Enfield dealer tomorrow expecting to find a powerful, shiny new "Constellation" waiting for you to buy. 

A forerunner of the Royal Enfield Interceptor, the original Royal Enfield Constellation was a 700cc parallel twin, introduced in 1958 with more power than any previous Royal Enfield, and gearing that gave it more top speed. 

The first Constellation secured Royal Enfield's claim to high performance when Motor Cycling magazine took one to Belgium for a 115-mph run. It averaged more than 80 mph from Brussels to Ostend, gobbling up slower traffic on the way.

"Royal Enfield Constellation," ran the company's advertising, "For Sheer Performance."

Zigwheels.com first reported Royal Enfield's application for the Constellation trademark in India and suggested that a new Royal Enfield Constellation could be anything from a no-frills version of the Royal Enfield 650 twins to something even more sporty, with alloy wheels and better suspension.

Either way, it wouldn't arrive until late 2023 or early 2024 the website guessed.

One thing to note is that the trademark application applies not only to motorcycles and scooters, but to electrically powered motorcycles and scooters. Could a new Constellation be electric?

Yes.

In fact, it could be a lot of things. Including a T-shirt.

The trademark would also cover pants, trousers, jackets, footwear, hats and caps, jerseys, sweaters, sweater dresses, jumpers, pullovers, leg warmers, legging, gloves and belts.

Reader John Donlon of Illinois wants to see Royal Enfield market a motorcycle, not a ball cap.

John has emailed  Royal Enfield executives urging action to trademark the Constellation name and develop a motorcycle worthy of it. John specifically asked for a premium upgrade on the 650 twin,  bored out all the way to 700cc, like the original.

Earlier than that, he emailed me (in 2015) suggesting that Royal Enfield roll out a Constellation for 2016!

He isn't alone in wanting to see Royal Enfield bring back the great old model names. I wrote about it myself just last week.

Royal Enfield's application for the Constellation trademark notes that it already has U.S. trademark approval for "Flying Flea," "Meteor" and "INT650" in hand.

One reason I'm happy that Constellation will join those trademarks is my near disbelief when the new Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 had to be branded as the INT650 in the United States. (Honda has the "Interceptor" name trademarked for the U.S.)

The name "Interceptor" seemed so central to nostalgia for Royal Enfields in the U.S. that I guessed there would be an active business in selling "Interceptor" stickers to cover INT650 on those examples sold here.

I don't think that has happened; everyone seems to know what "INT" means.

1960 advertisement for Royal Enfield Constellation touted speed and looks.

Hopefully, someday soon, Royal Enfield will remind us what "Constellation" meant. The 1960 U.S. advertisement for it read like this:

"CONSTELLATION - 52 hp - 115 mph - A specially developed model for the discriminating sports rider who demands the utmost in performance and appearance."

The pretty 1959 Constellation shown at top was found covered with cobwebs but with low miles by a British enthusiast. He restored it with painted fenders rather than the original plated mudguards, as a matter of personal preference.

"Performance wise she pulls like a train," he said of his Constellation. "Definitely puts a smile on your face when you hit the gas."

Royal Enfield INT650: A good bike for a new rider?

It's a Royal Enfield INT650 and its name is "Edwin."

Dacia, of California, wrote asking my opinion of the 2020 Roytal Enfield INT650 twin.

She's a new rider, and just bought the motorcycle, which she named "Edwin."

"I wanted something that I knew was not going to immediately break down (so I could take my time learning how to work on it), was easy to use (bells and whistles are not for me right now), and that was unique and comfortable for me," Dacia wrote.

She was looking for reassurance that she had the right motorcycle. What would you tell her?

Here's the reply I sent:

What a lovely motorcycle, and I will not hide the fact that I am jealous.

On the other hand, I do not miss the months of learning when I was a new rider. I was scared sometimes, uncomfortable often and felt clumsy always.

Of course, I was riding on an old Royal Enfield Bullet. You have the brakes, smooth gearbox and power to be more confident on the road. As one rider in my beginner motorcycling class explained, adequate power is not a waste: you don't have to use it. It's there when you need it. It actually makes riding easier.

This sets you up well. Often other traffic will expect a motorcycle to accelerate to where it wants to be, and get out of the way. You can do that when you want. Take the initiative and clearly demonstrate your plans, so the cars know what to do. Don't leave them in doubt.

On the other hand I've only recently come to realize how making tight turns and U-turns means going slow. A saying: fast riders are not fast IN corners. They are only fast OUT of corners.

Don't feel you have to race through corners to keep up. If you add speed in a corner the motorcycle will think "oh, now I can sit up and go straight," which means you won't turn as tight as you need to.

One other little bit: when waiting at a stop sign to turn onto a big street, the guy behind you might honk. Drivers don't realize how loud and piercing their horns are to someone who is not also inside a car, so this will be unsettling.

Keep calm and don't be rushed into turning out into traffic until you are ready: you can not afford to get your timing wrong when merging with traffic, whereas Mr. Big Horn behind you can bull his way in if he likes.

As a woman, I think you may have an advantage. It's unusual enough to see a woman riding on the front seat of a motorcycle that drivers might (might) cut some slack in traffic. I hope so.

Basically, my advice is ride, ride, ride. I was a commuter, so I had to ride twice a day. I think that was good for me. One old-timer told me it took 4,000 miles of riding to get comfortable on a bike.

Here's my review of the Royal Enfield INT650.

I quoted from various other reviews I liked in this item.

I've written about women riders, but none yet (you will be the first) on 650s. Here's my story about one woman I thought had the right attitude.

All best,

David in Fort Lauderdale

Best photos from Royal Enfield 650 twins launch tour

Find yourself or your friends in photos from the Royal Enfield 650 launch events.
Or just appreciate my picks of the best photos from the eight-week, eight-city tour, below.

Royal Enfield North America introduced the new Royal Enfield 650 twins in an eight-week launch tour across the United States and Canada this summer. Now they've posted photos of the demonstration rides from all eight cities. Find yourself or your friends in the links below.

Are these just a bunch of pretty photos? No, the photographers did a professional job, producing a staggering number of photos.

"Those photos from the nationwide roll out are terrific," commented John Donlon, of Illinois, who rode an INT650 at the Milwaukee event.

"I sure hope all the effort translates into solid sales figures. I think the Royal Enfield people went above and beyond to promote their machines, did an extremely admirable job and I hope this really pays off for them and the company.  For years, it was only the enthusiasts carrying the torch and now a solid corporate effort with real marketing expertise can do the job the rest of the way."

Royal Enfield said the tour hosted more than 2,000 demonstration rides by more than 1,000 riders.

"The North American riding community did not disappoint, and we are honored to have so many new memories with you," the company said in an email.

My choices of the best photos are here, but go to the linked city names to see the whole take from each event. All photos here courtesy of Royal Enfield North America.

Miami, Fla. May 11.

Summit Point, W. Va. May 18.

Milwaukee, Wis. June 1.

Toronto, Ont. June 8.

San Jose, Calif. June 22.

Brea, Calif. June 29.

San Diego, Calif. June 30.

Denver, Co. July 21.