This Eye-Popping, Affordable New Motorcycle Is a Time Machine

Royal Enfield’s Bear 650 will transport you back to the 1960s California desert racing scene.

By Steve Mazzucchi

Published October 29, 2024

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Updated October 29, 2024

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“When you got out on the track, the green flag dropped, and the bullshit stopped.”

So said Eddie Mulder, aka “Fast Eddie,” who in 1960, at the age of 16, shocked a field of nearly 800 motorcyclists to win the gnarly AF California desert race known as Big Bear Run.

As someone who has watched too many funky ’60s and ’70s motorcycle movies — including the bonkers, Joe Namath-starring C.C. and Company — I look at the silhouette and colorways and the vintage moto vibes just wash over me.

It is in honor of this moment that Royal Enfield has announced its latest motorcycle, the Bear 650, a bike that’s light on frills, high on thrills, evocative of sunny ’60s California adventures and easy on your wallet at a starting price of $6,849.

bear 650 beauty — The Fast Eddie-honoring Two Four Nine edition is one of available colorways.

Numbers game

What do you get for that chunk of change? There are two main ways to explore the question, the first of which is to just look at the spec sheet.

The beating heart is Royal Enfield’s 650cc parallel twin, an engine we enjoyed putting through its paces on the Super Meteor 650 last year. It’s a scrappy beast that out-punches its weight and surprises with its ability to smoothly take your speed into the triple digits.

With 47 horsepower at 7,250 rpm and a max torque of 56.5NM at 5,150 rpm, this iteration cranks up the mid-range juice and delivers a broader powerband. Combine that with the fact the Bear weighs 55 pounds less than the Super Meteor (576 vs 531), and we imagine it’s zippy as hell.

The Bear boasts a mullet-style set-up with 19-inch front wheels and 17-inch rear wheels, plus 130mm of suspension travel upfront and 115mm in the back and more than 7 inches of ground clearance.

Wide bars, a roomy scrambler-style seat, neutral footpegs, chunky dual-purpose tires and the option to switch off rear ABS all signal this bike’s intention to thrive a bit off the beaten path.

bear 650 action — The Bear 650 has the chops to go off-road when the situation calls for it.

Vintage vibes

All that being said, let’s get real: From an off-road perspective, it’s not like the Bear is going to compete with a BMW GS, Harley-Davidson Pan America or even Royal Enfield’s own capable adventure bike, the Himalayan. That’s not the intent.

But that brings us to a second way to evaluate what you are getting for your money here. Because when it comes to a bike like this one, at some point you just have to cast the numbers aside and touch base with the feelings you get gazing upon it.

As someone who has watched too many funky ’60s and ’70s motorcycle movies — including the bonkers, Joe Namath-starring C.C. and Company — I look at the silhouette and colorways and the vintage moto vibes just wash over me. I mean, one version even references Fast Eddie’s 249 number board right on the side, for Chrissakes.

It’s way too soon to say whether the Bear 650 can live up its intangible yet evocative promise, but know this much: I would sure as hell love to give it a test ride … and maybe not bring it back.

bear 650 rear view — The feelings the Bear 650 evokes may be just as valuable as its specs, if not more so.

Availability and pricing

The new Royal Enfield Bear 650 will begin arriving in North American dealerships on November 5, 2024.

The bike will be available in five colorways — Boardwalk White (below), Petrol Green, Wild Honey, Golden Shadow and Two Four Nine (above) — at a starting price of $6,849.