The Royal Enfield Classic 650 Review | The Gentleman

Hey Freddie, I couldn't help, but to draw parallels with your piece on the R18 months ago or whenever that aired. For sure not a a fair comparison, but I think all of us who are looking into options of owning these kind of bikes, it's about the soul, the experience, the potential of magic happening when riding this sort of kind of bikes. So to my question, a hypothesis of having the option of owning one new retro bike, would you choose the Classic 650 or the R18, money no object? I had my fair share of experience on a Classic 500 and I know it to be a very manageable bike. You having had the experience with both, is the R18 just too much of a bike to do what you could on a 650 if price was just a number on a paper? Thank you for a wonderful episode as always, much love from my armchair.

Hi Freddie, nice little review - RE’s tagline isn’t ‘Built like a gun’ for no reason! I still think the 350 would be my apocalypse bike - it’s so frugal, manoeuvrable, and over engineered, it gives you the feeling you could ride it everywhere plus the all-day comfort just ticks all the boxes. I am interested to see what the Bullet 650 looks like if it actually materialises…!

Freddie should be the next Bond!

Saw the turquoise version in the showroom , looks stunning .

Great review Freddie. This might make you laugh but the exact same guy that sold you those blue linen trousers outside Cafe Leopold in Mumbai collared me and walked me round the corner to his shop. I couldn't believe it. I didn't buy anything !

Great vid Freddie, I love the entre line up of RE , problem Is the metal that they use on he frame, Is too soft. On the other hand the BSA uses a diferent More subsancial frame, AND Brembo brakes with Pirelli tires.....its a clóse match.....love both bikes...! By he way, the triumph worth every penny... 3k plus over the RE is a reasonable amount of money

The modern dandy has a few requirements...

Are you related to Rick from The Young Ones ?

What about kawasaki w800 compared to this?

The gap between the mudguard and the tyre was instantly cured by sitting on it.

Whish I had one,have to do with my virago 750,greetings Hans fromHolland

Freddie that is one of your very best most eloquent reviews 😅. You nailed it regarding the styling flaws that just naggingly spoil that beautiful image ...the slope of the engine and that gap between the rear wheel and mudguard. The rear wheel/tire looks one size too small.. Otherwise that is a beautiful bike but it just does not come close to your old Bonneville. I owned a new Continental GT 650 recently but after a year or so I sold it...the magic just wore off as I could always see where RE had cut corners to create that tempting price, and I went back to my trusty 1987 K75 which exudes quality and has its own unique style. Still rides like a new one but has over 100k miles on the clock.. Very well done Freddie , you are in a class of your own😂

Difference between 99 and 100 is just 1 which looks so negligible. Being Winner and Runners Up is just a shy of 1. Catching the Train or not is just short of 1 Minute. Starting the motorcycle or not is just about 1 second. this little 1 has no significance until you compare it between YES or NO.
In my Opinion, Bonneville (Which both me and you have the same Motorcycle :) ) is 100 and Classic650 is 99, it is just about that 1.

As handsome as this bike is, that rear mudguard needs refinement - it seems RE hands out bikes to custom shops fairly freely, so I'm interested to see what shows up online as far as custom versions. That stock chrome/black and gold looks great, the same scheme as my Bullet 500

I love my Classic 350, but man, you have me tempted to look seriously at the 650. Here in the US the 350 isn’t suitable for the interstates, so the slower backroads are the only option, which is not a bad thing at all. But to have the extra power for big roads if one had to go that way, it would be nice. Well done Freddy, another excellent review, thank you

I had the choice and wasn't keen on the looks of the 650, side by side with the 350 it just doesn't look right. The 350 is in perfect proportion. So I bought the 350. I do agree that the extra power would be nice though, and for touring the 650 is a much better bike, but there's just something about that 350.

Lovely review Freddie beautiful locations and nice camera work.
I have this bike in the same colourway and I too absolutely LOVE it. Regarding good looks the T100 can't hold a candle to it.
With bikes like this, when it comes to power - enough is plenty - if backed up by plenty of low revving torque, this bike delivers that beautifully. If you want dash around like crazy, get a Ducati Panigale (another beautiful bike), but that's obviously not what this bike is about.
Every time I park it up I just have to stand back and gaze at it, as do a lot of people who are passing by. The exquisite backdrops that Freddie has selected make the perfect foil for this bike. 🧡

Out on my 350, classic today. Literally at the first red light, a gentleman, even older than myself waved at me and said “that’s a real motorcycle“. 650 is too heavy for me.

Those 350 engines are sweet. Just back from a two up 1200 mile tour of northern Spain all the way from the Isle of Man on my Meteor 350- I actually had a number of guys on big adventure bikes come over and shake my hand, they were so surprised that I had gone with a 350 over my Triumph Street Twin.

Hello are you going to do a review on the 650 Bear ?

Such a good watch Freddie. Ive absolutely no interwt in a 650 Classic as my 500 is a keeper but i thoroughly enjoyed the watch

I only started riding a couple of years ago and I learned on an interceptor 650. I didn’t know how nice that gearbox is until I started riding my Honda trail 90, or my friends Yamaha dt175.

Freddie , what helmet are you wearing in this video?

Just buy a used Triumph T100 if you only have £6000 to spend ..only my opinion

For me it's the 350, it's an absolute brilliant bike I've ever ridden. Every time I ride my classic 350 I don't want the journey to end, it puts a smile on my face every time! Go with your , buy a classic reborn

I hope they launch a signals version, I love those in the classic 350. But I have to admit that I really like this one too, I could move from my meteor to this in the future.

I love retro and classically styled bikes, but I also enjoy a bit of the modernism. So the angled engine not only doesn't bother me, but I actually prefer the look of it. I'd be more apt to buy a Super Meteor if I got a RE though, so the classic lineup aren't really aimed at my particular tastes to begin with. Great video as always Freddie! Nothing like having a cup of coffee and relaxing while I watch, I haven't missed a single video of yours for several years now lol. Ride safe!

I still ride the original scram. I love the single cyclinder engine and its versatily. I like all bikes. And id love a 2nd RE. But i think id like one of the standard 350s... Too many bikes not enough money 😂

Muz from oz

Ps... 5deg in Geelong last night.. you just reminded me to buy a bottle of good Port.😅

T100, not even a thought about it, Freddie. Brilliant, simply brilliant, convincing analysis of the RE...just sold on the T since 1965. Personal Bike: 1992 Honda CB750 Nighthawk.

I had my heart set on one of these but eventually ended up buying a Harley Sportster 1200 custom. I do not regret it. Not for a second. I used to own an Interceptor before. The Harley just has that much more character and makes me grin more. And the oomph of that 1200cc engine is also something else in comparison. Weightwise with its very low seat, the Harley does not feel heavier.

I think the Interceptor is the right frame & look for that engine. I don’t blame Royal Enfield for re-using existing frame and components to keep costs down but the Classic 650 looks exactly like what it actually is: A Shotgun with a classic suit/costume. And once you have seen the gap between the rear mudguard and the wheel, you cannot “unsee” it…

I like the Kawasaki W800 myself, long stroke 180 degree parallel twin.

Freddie, every week another bike, but the one and only Monica! That's so adorable! 💞

Hmmmm,

I just cant help but feel RE missed a massive 500cc single cylinder shaped trick here. I cant see these selling.

I may be proved wrong but we shall see. Its that 'soul' thing you mention.

A Classic 500 with a re-engineered J-Series engine, lazy power, put-put-put, capable of 90ish mph, a comfortable 80, I think would have sold like hotcakes and kept the bike true to its heritage.

The 650 twin looks out of place, the frames not right...

Theres something a little cynical, something lazy, something of the branding exercise, about the Classic 650.

I love the 350, I wanted to love this but its missed the mark...for me at least.

My eye is always drawn towards the rear mudguard, just too much on show. Would like to see a small square pillion seat or parcel rack.

These videos increases my love & appreciation for RE.🎉

Freddie, you could sell Igloos to Eskimos😂

Great video. I have a a Harley Low rider S and the 650 would be ideal second bike for me. I thought you did this video really well.

40 seconds in and Freddie has doubled the RE sales for this month 😂😂😂

I just don't know how you do it Freddie Dobbs. Part of me wants to dislike your reviews but my ears can't stop listening to you and even though I agree wholeheartedly about your assessment of the Classic 650, you could have been reviewing a toilet roll and I would have still listened in awe at your presentation 😮😊❤
I only Wish that I could present half as good as you, in my mother tongue on my Channel @meandjimi2 😢
Thank you for inspiring me to keep trying 👏👏👏

Sorry Freddie but gotta disagree with you on this one.

Freddie, you called the Super Meteor 650 RE's best bike. would you take it over the classic 650?

I’ve taken look at some other reviews and this is the problem: because the Classic 350 is such a great bike, there is a big 350 fan club out there – and they basically wanted the same bike with a bigger engine, and that's where all the disappointment comes from. This 650 ‘Classic’ is not being judged on its own merits, but from a 'why isn't it what I wanted' point of view. So this excellent bike is getting an unjustifiably bad rap. However, I’ve seen various comments with people suggesting there should be a 500cc Classic, and therein lies the answer:- RE should simply take the existing Classic 350 and, with the minimum necessary adjustments, drop a 500cc single cylinder engine in, taking it up to say 40-43 hp. A choice of 350/500cc aligns historically with the Bullet and the original Gold Star. Then RE should rebrand the 650 twin as something other than ‘Classic’ - taking their cue from their own marketing photos, and also from Freddie’s title for this video, why not the 650 ‘Gentleman’ - I do get an inexplicable desire to kit myself out in tweed plus fours, and brown leather gauntlets, when I ride it. 🤔

for simplicity, air cooling, sound and style - I would choose the 350.

Freddie is type of salesman, that can make broke guys buy. We love the enthusiasm and love for motorcycles Freddie. I wish for your channel to blow up.

Torque is more important than HP. Every buyer how choose this Bike know this befor. This is for Cruise not for Speed, this is for capture the moment not to chatch up the next fastest. This is lile smoke a cigar not breathing a cigarette.

I just love thay bike omg❤

🙇🙇🙇

Where would you put your stuff for a “long” trip? Intercontinal trip

The rear mudguard looks awkward on an otherwise beauty.