ROAD TEST – 2024 ROYAL ENFIELD SHOTGUN 650 - JUST BIKES

ROAD TEST – 2024 Royal Enfield Shotgun 650

Words: Phil Suriano

Photos: Tom Fossati & Royal Enfield

ROAD TEST – 2024 Royal Enfield Shotgun 650

Full credit must go to Royal Enfield for wringing ever variant possible out of their platforms. In the case of the 648cc twins, what started with the Interceptor 650 naked and Continental GT 650 café racer has been joined by the Super Meteor 650 cruiser and Bear 650 scrambler. More recently, the modern, bobber-inspired Shotgun 650 was added to the ranks, while the impending release of the Classic 650, an unashamed retro throwback, will take the platform back to its roots.

While the Classic 650 will show what the Royal Enfield brand was, the Shotgun 650 is all about what it is now and what it can be in the future…

Having ridden the Interceptor, Continental GT and Super Meteor, I had some idea of what I was in for at the Australian launch of the Shotgun 650 last year, which followed the global launch in Los Angeles at the start of 2024. At that LA event, an array of Shotguns, customised by major names in the industry like Roland Sands, made it clear what Royal Enfield intends this bike to be – a base for owners to make it unique, either through factory accessories, products from the aftermarket or their own bespoke additions and modifications.

The Basics

While it is very much its own animal, the Shotgun 650 is based heavily on the Super Meteor 650, which in turn takes much of its componentry from the Interceptor and Continental GT. The air/oil-cooled 648cc parallel twin is common across the range and produces the same peaks of 34.6kW (47hp) and 52.3Nm, too, which means it remains within LAMS parameters to suit learner riders. The only difference is, in the Shotgun 650 (and Super Meteor 650), the maximums are reached slightly higher in the rev range – at 7250rpm and 5650rpm – and the Shotgun feels torquier.

The wet, multi-plate clutch and six-speed transmission are the same, as is the steel spine frame.

Where the Shotgun 650 starts to separate from its siblings is with its suspension and geometry. Showa SF-BPF 43mm forks and twin Showa rear shocks are shared with the Super Meteor 650, but the USD forks are 33mm shorter and the rear shocks 20mm taller on the Shotgun. Despite this, there’s less travel at the back end - 90mm compared to 101mm on the Super Meteor 650. Front travel is 120mm.

A bigger contributor to the Shotgun 650’s riding character is its sharper steering head angle, shorter wheelbase and wheel combination. At 25.3 degrees, the rake is more than two degrees steeper than the Super Meteor 650, suiting the sportier, more aggressive riding that this bike is intended for. That cuts the wheelbase to 1465mm, with the 18-inch front and 17-inch rear wheel adding to the nimbleness of the finished package (the Super Meteor 650 runs a 19/16 combination).

Rider ergonomics differ greatly from the laid-back cruiser positioning of the Super Meteor 650, as the Shotgun 650 has mid-mount pegs, a flat handlebar and 795mm seat height that puts the rider in a forward-leaning position, but far from a sportsbike crouch. By way of comparison, the Super Meteor 650 seat height is 740mm, the Interceptor 650 has an 805mm height and the Continental GT 650 seat is 820mm high.

Sitting on the Shotgun 650 ahead of the launch, I found the riding position comfortable for my 1.78m (5’10”) height, aided by a well-padded solo seat that’s standard. If you want to ride two-up, a pillion seat is available as part of a clever, removable subframe that can also be configured as a luggage rack.

Is it a Bobber?

Royal Enfield studiously avoided using the word “bobber” in their press material and at the pre-launch presentation for the Shotgun 650, but that’s clearly the genre it slots into. However, as with other bikes in their range, Royal Enfield have interpreted this styling trend in their own way.

The Shotgun 650 is far from the Indian Scout Bobber or Triumph’s Bonneville Bobber (arguably the purest modern interpretation of the form), but all the cues are there, like the solo saddle, flat bars and cut-back rear mudguard.

Opinion will vary on how successful this bobber styling is on the 650 platform, but few would argue that the SG650 Concept from 2021 that inspired the Shotgun 650 was a stunning bike. Its low, muscular look, aided by disc wheels with fat tyres, had echoes of Harley’s Fat Boy about it. However, in taking that concept to production, the skinny, tyre-hugging front guard seems at odds with the high and valanced rear guard. If I had a Shotgun 650, the first thing I’d do is trim those valances off, then fit shorter shocks, but that’s the sort of thing Royal Enfield want you to do – customise and modify. Front and rear guards are steel, as are the side covers, making such modifications easier.

Other styling elements unique to the Shotgun 650 include a headlight surround that has echoes of the casquette used on the original Royal Enfields, and a reshaped fuel tank that, at 13.8 litres, is almost two litres smaller than the Super Meteor 650, but larger than the Interceptor 650 tank by 100ml.

Side covers are almost identical to those on the Super Meteor, while the wheels are similar - but not the same - to those used on the Guerrilla 450. Indian-made CEAT tyres are standard.

The Shotgun 650 is offered in four colours – Sheet Metal Grey, Plasma Blue, Green Drill and Stencil White – each with unique graphics. Sheet Metal Grey is the base offering, with the others adding price premiums of either $200 or $400. Regardless of colour choice, which is applied to the tank, side covers and mudguards, everything else is given the blackout treatment, from the bars and mirrors to the engine and peashooter exhaust.

I spent most of my time at the Australian launch on a Plasma Blue version and liked its aesthetic a lot, but they all looked good and I’d be happy to swing a leg over any of them. A Green Drill version at the launch had optional bar-end mirrors fitted, which worked well, surprisingly.

ROAD TEST – 2024 Royal Enfield Shotgun 650 [Click and drag to move]

First Impressions

The launch ride took us from the heart of Melbourne’s CBD to Hubert Estate; a winery, restaurant and events venue at Coldstream in the Yarra Valley. Normally, this run would take about an hour, but it seemed like we were stuck behind every slow-moving truck and hit every red light on the way. While a bit of a bummer, these riding conditions did prove the comfort level of the Shotgun 650 and its usability for daily commuting.

From start-up, my Shotgun 650 settled into a nice, but muted burble. Clutch action was a little tight, but I put that down to the launch fleet being brand new bikes. The switchgear was simple to operate and the instrumentation – analogue speedo with an LCD insert and separate Tripper navigation pod alongside – was quite easy to read. Some of the LCD info (fuel level, clock, odometer, gear position) is small, but the low amount of tech on this bike means you don’t spend much time screen-gazing anyway, which is a good thing.

FYI, there are no riding modes, traction control, cruise control, etc., on the Shotgun 650; only the mandatory dual channel ABS, which can’t be switched off. A USB port (behind the nearside side cover) allows you to charge your phone while on the move. LED head and tail lights are standard, with LED indicators optional.

The Shotgun 650’s 240kg (wet) weight is significant, but wasn’t really evident in stop-start traffic, or at speed for that matter, while that sharper geometry could really be explored on some tight twisties as we approached Hubert Estate.

Hello Hubert

On the open road, reaching and holding freeway speeds with the 648cc twin was easy, with enough in reserve to overtake with confidence. While the front suspension is non-adjustable, there is pre-load adjustability at the rear, so I fiddled with that to find the happy medium between firmness and comfort. Despite that reduced travel in the back end, it never bottomed out for me, even on some potholed sections that were a test of the suspension’s abilities and would be quite jarring on bikes with less.

On a bike that has sporty pretensions (at least sportier than Royal Enfield’s other 650 twins, except the Continental GT), the Shotgun 650’s brakes are perhaps its only negative. For most riders, the combination of a 320mm front and 300mm rear disc with floating, two-piston calipers for both will be more than adequate. But for those who want to push this bike to its limits, they’ll be wishing there was a second disc up front, or some meatier calipers than the ByBRE units fitted. It certainly wasn’t a deal breaker in my assessment of this bike, though, and like the clutch operation, the brakes will probably improve when bedded in.

On the twisties, I was able to ground out the pegs on occasion, as did others on the launch, showing how the Shotgun 650 can be taken into corners with confidence.

After time to rest, eat and assess the first part of the launch ride at Hubert Estate, the run from Coldstream back to Melbourne was much of the same, but thankfully with less traffic. As we were riding in convoy, I didn’t really get a chance to explore the capabilities of the app-based Tripper navigation system, but I think it’s a feature, like our smartphones, that will become invaluable with regular use.

One for Everything

Overall, the Shotgun 650 ticks a lot of boxes for the rider who wants a punchy, practical and affordable urban commuter that can also handle the highways on weekends without being a mobile chicane.

Against the Super Meteor 650, the seemingly minor changes in steering geometry, wheelbase and ergonomics have a far greater impact than you could imagine, and I found myself being able to do things on the Shotgun that I wouldn’t even consider attempting on the Super Meteor.

While the Shotgun 650’s bobber look didn’t fully gel with me, the riding experience was great and it was comfortable without being too plush. Fit and finish was first class and perhaps the best I’ve seen on any Royal Enfield to date. Along with the well thought-out colour choices, other touches that caught my eye included the gloss black switchblocks (in aluminium, not plastic) and ‘Royal Enfield’ identification on the engine casing. There’s also a centrestand, which is an underappreciated item these days and one that should be on more commuter bikes.

In my view, the market for the Shotgun 650 is narrower than that of the Interceptor, Super Meteor and even the Continental GT, but it’s younger, too, which is important for a LAMS bike and just as important for Royal Enfield in bringing new riders to the brand.

A starting price of $11,590 ride away is great value, so if the local market switches on to the Shotgun 650 and its modern, forward-looking character, I can see it doing very well.