In recent years, Royal Enfield has rebirth in a fashion that's nothing short of astonishing.
The company has begun building bikes that finally compete on the world stage, and bikes which the world actually wants. Case in point, the Himalayan 450 I just can't seem to stop thinking about, nor writing about, in the hopes that Royal Enfield will see fit to give me one for a long-term test (HINT, HINT, WINK, WINK). And the latest motorcycle, the Bear 650 Scrambler debuting today, looks to follow that same methodology as it looks awesome and seems to have all the right specs.
However, I must admit that when I first opened up the pictures that Royal Enfield sent over, I couldn't help but notice the striking resemblance the Bear 650 had with Triumph's Scramblers. I mean, I get imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but that might be taking the old adage a little too far.
Just look at the two side by side and tell me the designs aren't almost carbon copies.
I will say, it's hard to design a modern scrambler motorcycle and make it look wholly distinct from all the other scrambler models on the market. However, I think there's a case to be made with the Royal Enfield and the Triumph that goes beyond that as the whole gold "Ohlins-style" forks, horizontal stripe across the tank, and some of the other smaller elements made me do a double, if not triple, take on the two bikes.
I feel like it's that joke from "The Office" where Pam gives Creed two pictures and asks him to tell the difference between the two, only that they're the same picture.
Other than the similary in design, the Bear 650 Scrambler seems to have all the right parts and do the right things. Powered by the same 648cc inline twin in the 650 Shotgun, the engine makes 46 horsepower and about 41 pound-feet of torque. It's coupled to a 6-speed gearbox, and has Royal Enfield's new Tripper dash which combines the best of analog and digital into one place.
There's also dual-sport tires for off-road shennanigans shod on a 19-inch wheel up front, with a 17-inch wheel handling the rear. The Bear name though comes from a desert race called the Big Bear Run, which was conquered by "16-year old rookie from the Checkers Motorcycle Club - Eddie Mulder, a.k.a. Fast Eddie - who in 1960 became (and till date remains) the youngest Champion to tame the brutal Californian desert race." He did it on a 500cc Royal Enfield Fury.
And like the Himalayan 450 and Shotgun 650, the Bear 650 is priced so incredibly reasonably, you'd think Royal Enfield missed a zero. According to the press release, MSRP is $6,849 and will get you Boardwalk White. If you want other colorways, say Petrol Green or Wild Honey, they'll set you back $6,999. And Golden Shadow and Two Four Nine will cost $7,099 and $7,199 respectively. Triumph's 400cc scramblers have a starting price of $5,595, by the way.
Either way you slice it, while the two look remarkably similar, I love seeing another small displacement motorcycle on the market that's properly affordable. Because in a world of big-budget cruisers, tourers, adventurers, and baggers, we need more inexpensive, fun options. Otherwise, you're gonna end up like Harley, Can-Am, Polaris, or KTM. And no one wants that.
