Things are clearly hopping over at Royal Enfield’s R&D department. It’s no wonder, considering that the company set itself the ambition to produce a new bike every quarter for the next few years. I mean, even if you’re working from existing platforms, that’s still a lot of bikes.
With the Hunter 350 just around the corner, it seems that the Shotgun 650 has been spotted out and about on Indian roads by the fine folks at Zigwheels. While it wasn’t totally clear what Enfield would be working on next, it was a good guess that this bike (and variants thereof) were somewhere in the pipeline. Now, it seems, we get a little bit of a peek at what we can expect.
Interestingly, it bears a strong resemblance to the SG650 Concept that Enfield debuted—to much acclaim—at EICMA 2021. Current expectations are that it will come in at least two flavors, such as the bobber shown as the OG concept, in addition to a roadster. The headlight, side panels, and fenders all bear a striking resemblance to the concept, though—which is definitely a great thing to see!
EXCLUSIVE: We spied the Royal Enfield Shotgun 650 in production ready form. Find out what this bike packs here. https://t.co/1DWXjCqkqu
— ZigWheels (@Zigwheels) June 24, 2022
There’s also an upside-down fork up front. The sights of ByBre brakes at both ends, as well as twin rear shock absorbers, aren’t really much of a surprise if you’re familiar with Enfield’s current catalog. There’s not really much in the way of mystery about the engine, either, as the Shotgun 650 will be yet another 650 Twin-based machine. That’s certainly no bad thing, by the way—but it does at least take that potential for speculation off the table.
As for when we can expect to see the Shotgun 650, Indian media is currently speculating that it will likely appear sometime in the first half of 2023. Since there’s a half-year to go between now and then, chances are excellent that we’ll learn plenty more about it in between now and its official release.
In recent time, Enfield test mules have frequently been spotted making the rounds in India, at various points in their pre-production process. There’s no reason to expect that things will be significantly different in this case, so we look forward to gathering the breadcrumbs like a flock of bike-happy pigeons. (If you’re picturing a pigeon on an Enfield right now, you’re welcome for that delightful mental picture. Enjoy.)
