You may have remembered we tested the Royal Enfield Super Meteor earlier this year, which was a two-day launch in Victoria.
Well, now we had the opportunity to test the SM650 over a few weeks, which included bopping around town along with a couple of trips away.
The biggest drawcard with the SM650 is its price, coming in at around the $12k mark, which is the very reason Royal Enfield continues to rule the roost amongst all the players in the global mid-level cruiser market.
In only a few short years, the UK marque has upped the ante when it comes to quality and performance, all while still managing to maintain that extremely competitive price.
Unveiling Royal Enfield SM650, Where Affordability Meets Rideability, Bragability, and Looks
After spending just over a week riding it around town, we passed it onto Jonesy for his input, and considering we didn’t get it back for over three weeks, I think it’s fair to say he was more than impressed with Royal Enfield’s new cruiser.
So once again, I’ve put together my Sled for the Shed feature, which is where I try to make it easier by breaking it up into four easy categories:
Affordability – Speaks for itself. What’ll it cost ya, how much to service it and how much fuel does it chew?
Rideability – Big rides, small rides, can you commute on it? Could you ride it every day?
Bragability – Someone asks you what do you ride? Are you happy to unashamedly tell them about it?
Lookbackability – This is purely about love! When you park it, do you hesitate and look back over your shoulder before going about your business?
And finally, each category gets a ‘Miles of Smiles’ rating, with 1 being the least and 10 being the most.
So let’s go meet our baby – today we have the Royal Enfield Super Meteor SM650;
From the moment I took it for the first ride, I loved the 650cc motor, what a peach, it just hummed along smoothly in every gear.
Effortless to ride though the city traffic to, which is where I spent most of my time riding it.
I did take it for a quick burn up to the Central Coast one weekend, proving that it’s just as comfortable for a trip away as it is roaming around the city streets.
But the all-important question is how did it rate amongst the categories?
Affordability (10)
It’s as cheap as chips! And it’s not only ideal for a first bike, but maybe even a second or third.
A tank of juice will last you ages and any competent home mechanic could easily service it themselves.
The centre stand was a bonus too.
Rideability (8)
This is a traffic weapon!
I was actually looking for traffic jams, just so I could test out lane filtering, which to me, is what motorcycles are all about.
Fun! And it’s as nimble as jack with his candle stick in all conditions.
Bragability (4)
It’s not like you’re telling people you ride a Meteor unsolicited.
Someone at work asked me what sort of bike it was, and when I told them, the reply was, ‘That’s nice!’
Lookbackability (4)
There’s a degree of lookback ability here, but truth be told, I’d look back at a postie bike if I was riding one – but that’s just me!
Royal Enfield’s Comfortable Embrace for All Riders
And even though it’s a Learner Approved Motorcycle, don’t be surprised to see a lot of more experienced riders buying them too, especially how effortless and comfortable they are to ride.
For this very reason, it’s a motorcycle that appeals to quite a diverse group, including women.
When it comes to colours, the standard version will is available in Astral Black, Astral Blue, Astral Green, Interstellar Grey and Interstellar Green, while the Tourer version comes in Celestial Red and Celestial Blue.
And, as always, there’s a wide range of apparel and accessories available to make those personal changes.
So if you’re looking for a rock-solid cruiser at an extremely competitive price, why not get down to your local dealership and take the Super Meteor 650 for a test ride
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