Riding the Budget Cruiser Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650 - Review

Am gonna test ride one soon hopefully! I agree dont like this colour scheme, and rest of review is fair I think.

P.s I'd love a cruiser with a 20 litre tank but they did add a bit more on the Sup Meteor. And tripper I think a bit gimicky. Weirdly my new Himi doesnt have it.

For future RE offerings, i wouldn't be surprised if they released a variant of this one but with a slightly narrower tank, pegs that are more under the knee and a bench seat (like the interceptor).

Give a colourful paint and call it a HNTR650.

If you like HD sporters this is the closest thing to getting one now by the looks of it. Proper air cooled cruiser. Hopefully this bike will take off and loads of custom parts will be available for it. Maybe it'll get a following.

What do you expect from the untermensch Indians!

Hi just simple question what’s the story about over heating?

I really like the looks of this bike! And being 72 years old with a knee replacement, I think the forward controls would work good for me. But does anyone know the valve adjustment interval for the bike?

It's a nice looking bike!

Thank you Mr. Flyer. I always enjoy joining you for a test ride and this was no exception. I actually love the style of this one but also am not a "Cruiser bike guy" The upgrade of suspension and brake parts is interesting and a good thing I'm sure, and the bike appears to ride very nicely indeed, especially for it's price point. All in all I'm beginning to think that Royal Enfield will eventually get some of my money lol. :>)

It hasn't arrived here in the US yet, but it looks like strong competition for the very popular Honda Rebel 500 ABS.. The three year warranty is a big plus for a marque that is still not well known here, but RE would be wise to ditch those feet-forward controls for mid-mounts in this country. This isn't a Harley after all, and it's an easy switch out.

I bought a meteor two years ago, I can't ride it much now because the cruiser style forward footpegs put all of my weight on my lower back. Also the rear shocks are ...shocking

Colour can Make a Difference to a
Bikes Look. I Think the
Super Meteor in Green looks Better
I always thought the Same about
Suzuki Hayabusa paint Schemes
As Well, a nice Paint Job
Can Transform a Bike

The only thing lacking on my interceptor was some decent front shocks. Shame they never addressed it on the earlier bike

I had the 350 meteor did 1200 miles from new great little bike but just lacking in power , I saw this at the show
And it just don’t do it for me . Your right quality wise..I might go for the Vulcan 650 .🤔 I am bike less at the mo and missing it 🫣
So will be looking at the market.. great reviews tho 🥂

I would like to see how this class of bikes (600-900cc) cope with a mature pillion passenger, I do most my riding two up.

To me ,it reminds of an older Japanese cruiser. That being said ,I kind of like it.

1 vlog on compare between super meteor and interceptor pls

The price you quote is incorrect Andy, just for clarity. The bike you are testing is £6780, while the tourer you refer to with screen and dual seat is £7250. None of them come with panniers. I have this bike and I totally agree on the clocks, which is the biggest negative. If they had kept the same clocks as the meteor 350 it would have been far better. Also I don't particularly like the cable clutch where often you can feel the cogs catching right up through to the lever when changing down the box. You didn't mention that, so presume you didn't feel it? Otherwise an excellent bike.

Really you have to be really short or love cruisers otherwise the Interceptor is vastly superior as a motorcycle

my concern is with the frame welding i mean they had peoblems on himalayan that the frame cracked , whats your oppinion on this subject?

Really want a Royal Enfield for my city work, and so I can take part in the Distinguished Gentlemen's ride, but 350 Classic or 650 Meteor? Many reviewers have said the quality on the bigger Meteor is impressive and a step up.

I wish they would put larger gauges on motorcycles

The 350 meteor is s dream to ride, 650seems lacking to me. Get a 350 meteor for a test mr flyer if you can .

I really don't like cruiser style bikes and this does nother to change that
Thanks for the review though

Wanted a Royal Enfield since I was 15yo. Finally got a beautiful, '08 Bullet classic Black 500, 55 years later w/ only 4500 miles. Babied it for 500 miles then had a catastrophic transmission failure, doing 5 mph in my driveway. People say " oh there really reliable now!"...YEAH RIGHT! I'll stick w/ my Harley. I'm too old to WALK home.

Nice review. It looks like this bike is coming to the states soon. I look forward to checking it out.

Now I would really like to see Hunter 650. THAT would be RE for me 😊

Not as good as the Kawasaki Vulcan s and about the same price.

Old guy here. Short - 5'4" at best. No inseam. Forward pegs just don't do it for me. That alone would prevent me buying one of these. I also don't like the gauges. Prefer old-style twin analog clocks. Eliminate the tripper. From what I've read about them, I 'll stick to separate GPS. It is nice that RE is offering a great choice of reasonably-priced bikes. Kudos to them for that.

So what you’re saying is that the instrumentation looks a bit ‘Fisher Price’😂

That is one of the ugliest bikes I've ever seen !!

Like you I'm not really a cruiser fan but having bought an interceptor a few months back as my first retro which I love I thought this would also be a good machine for people wanting a budget cruiser like I wanted a budget retro and it seems like it is.🙂

Though I love Enfields and own a Harley Sportster, I think the Super Meteor is bloody horrible. The finish on the frame looks terrible, the brackets for the forward controls look like I made them in my shed, overall it just looks like one of those Chinese Harley copies. What were they thinking with those exhausts?
The Interceptor is an absolutely cracking bike, rides brilliantly, looks great. Somehow I don't think the cruiser style lends itself to RE very well.

You can't put a set of forward controls on and call it a cruiser. I can't get into the new Enfields. Cheap and nasty is the first thing I think. Just my opinion.

I think this is just an alternative to a Harley. In India the Classic 350 is quiet literally the cruiser. Because its literally set up like a 100cc commuter bike because of which you can travel for days and not get tired. I think Harley made a very good decision with the new x440 which is the India made single cylinder harley. It also has that classic 350 sort of rider triangle and you can literally travel for days on end with that sitting position while still getting nice handling characteristics.

Having test ridden the bike about 5 times now, I really think everyone should test it to see how far Royal Enfield have progressed in their journey of learning and growing for over 120 years. This motorcycle is a testament to that, and it feels as though it was made for me. I am a cruiser guy for sure, with preferences to the bobber style of bikes. I would certainly make a lot of changes to the motorcycle to suit my riding and aesthetic style, but for all intents and purposes right now, I think it is one of the finest cruisers for the Indian market ❤

This bike reminds me of the Keyway Superlight.

good vid dometimes a surprise

Thanks for this review MF! When might we see your reviews of the updated 2023 Ducati Streetfighter V4S, and the new Ducati Diavel?

sat on one today and being 6ft 3ins tall it struck me at how high my knees were with my 33 inch inside leg and how heavy the bike is for a 650 twin, However it was very well balenced and easy to get on the centre stand, ive ridden lighter 750cc bikes, not entirely happy with the weight of it. each to their own.

It’s so weird that people can park facing the wrong way on the side of the roads. It just looks so weird having someone facing you on your side of the road. That would get you a parking ticket in the states.

My pausing skills are improving daily. Really enjoying "The Small Print V5" 🤣

the british summer, still i am waiting for the heatwave and cold is starting to creep.. specially at night. 🤣🤣🤣

the kawasaki 650 vulcan is the closest to this i think ;;

Poor welds I can fix. I have a degree in welding.

I like it including the appearance. Obvious you wanted to hate it and although you still didnt love it in the end, at least you grew to appreciate it. ATVB'

Cruisers are not my cup of tea either, but I totally get this bike & if were in the market for such a bike I would take this over the Honda Rebel easily. Good honest review - thanks. Royal Enfield are getting better & better. Recently I was on a mini-tour in the Pyrenees on my BMW R 1250 RS, when I was overtaken by a RE Himalayan!!!! Actually undertaken - I was stationary waiting for a flock of sheep to pass & he snuck up my inside - however I'm sure his ride was as enjoyable as mine overall - it makes me think🤔

$7k is a lot of money for some people, buddy! 😠

Enfields best bike to date , it's definitely a step up in build quality to the interceptor. They really are making great progress. They have a nice little line up of bikes