Back in December, 2021, Royal Enfield introduced its extremely limited-edition 120th Anniversary 650 Twins to the world. It is, after all, not every year that an OEM celebrates such a momentous birthday. So, in collaboration with some of India’s best artisans, Enfield planned to release just 60 Continental GT 650s and 60 Interceptor 650s for each region. India’s launch went first, in December—and sold out in mere minutes.
It’s now March, 2022, which means Enfield has had a little breathing room since the Indian-market 120th Anniversary 650 Twins sold out almost immediately. That also means it’s very nearly time for the next phase in Enfield’s 120th Anniversary celebration: the European launch. Reservations will officially open for all of Europe and the U.K. on March 7, 2022.
As was the case with the first run of these limited-edition 120th Anniversary 650 Twins, the tanks on the European ones will be finished in a stunning Black Chrome, which sits atop a beautiful black paint scheme for the remainder of the body. Hand-painted pinstripes, an anniversary emblem, a handcrafted brass badge, color-matched special brown seat and grips, and unique serial numbers on their tanks are all part of the package.
Gallery: Royal Enfield 120th Anniversary 650 Twins
The brass badge on the 120th Anniversary 650 Twins is particularly special. To create them, Enfield collaborated with the Senthil family—a renowned family of sculptors that have made exquisite brass effigies for some of India’s greatest temples for generations.
As for the black chrome finish on the tanks, Enfield credits development at its original Thiruvottiyur factory plant in Chennai for using what it says is “a chrome which is an alternative sustainable trivalent (graphite) chrome—an environmentally friendly process.” While it’s not clear how much of that description is just marketing, there’s no arguing that they do look very nice.
The beautiful brown plush saddle and color-matched grips really help set off all those rich shades of black and gold throughout the rest of the composition. While plenty of other OEMs and aftermarket craftspeople utilize contrasting stitching on their saddles, the brown-on-brown diamond pattern stitching on the sueded seat cover looks particularly elegant in this visual application. It’s a bit like choosing the perfect hat to accompany an already-fire outfit, so nice job, Royal Enfield.
European pricing will reportedly be € 9,850 (about $10,910) for the Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 120th Anniversary Edition, and € 10,050 (about $11,131) for the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 120th Anniversary Edition. If you’re interested in learning more about how you can get your hands on one, we’ll link an official signup page in our Sources.
