2025-on Royal Enfield Bear 650 review | affordable scrambler version of the popular Interceptor 650

The Interceptor 650 is the bike that truly relaunched Royal Enfield after years of keeping post-war designs on the books way past their use-by date (although we’ll admit to enjoying the charm of those old chuffers anyway). Classically styled, with air-cooled charm and a welcome uplift in fit, finish and riding experience – yet very, very affordable.

They were an instant hit in 2018 and remain so now within the retro bike market, with further variants and updates consolidating the initial popularity. However, there has been an obvious omission from the Interceptor family, a scrambler.

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Not that owners waited – plenty have been built as home-brew customs to good effect – but the official version is finally here. The Interceptor Bear is named in homage to Eddie Mulder’s 1960 victory in the Big Bear Run across the Californian desert, where a 16 year-old unknown rode his privateer Enfield Fury to victory in the tough point-to-point desert race. It was the launchpad for his career, and a win that gave Royal Enfield serious clout in the north American off-road racing scene of the time.

The changes to the road-only Interceptor seem subtle, but also the most significant derivation from base spec since the bike’s launch. Core frame geometry remains unchanged, but there is a longer swingarm, and the rear loop/subframe is new to give a gentle upwards sweep from just behind the rider.

The shock mounts have moved a little, and front-end geometry changes courtesy of new triple clamps, longer Showa USD forks (very similar to those on the Meteor and Himalayan 450) and the 19” front wheel.

Higher bars give a more elbows-out feel when seated, and allow a certain amount of ability to stand up and stay in control off-road. Slightly more forward-set footpegs and a new seat further adjust the riding positiom to match. It’s no rally bike – think fire roads, dusty tracks and gentle, dry-weather green-laning – but the intention is to give it enough ability to dive off the highway and enjoy unmade roads.

The result is predictably similar in feel to the Interceptor: 47bhp isn’t blowing your socks off but it gets up and going early on with a thumpy, torquey delivery that has a certain classic feel without vibes becoming excessive. Cable-actuated throttle is a rarity on a big bike, but it’s here and still giving decent response, with just a touch of lean-fuel grab at the very first touch: nothing you don’t adapt to and ride-around after 30 minutes.

The chassis is the surprise: despite looking like a throwback to appeal to riders of advancing years, it’s firm, willing and stable when you avoid the brakes and keep speed up for corners. There’s only preload  adjustment at the rear, but the seemingly-basic Showa components are set up for lively riding as they come – arguably, they’re a little too firm, with a lot of high-speed compression that gives you the occasional jolt over broken surfaces.

The launch demo bikes still had less than 500 miles on at the time of test, so they may bed-in and develop a little more cush, but it’s unlikely it’ll ever float through potholes and scarred asphalt.

You do appreciate it when the going is smooth: what it lacks in outright speed it makes up for in momentum. 40-70mph curves are its happy place, sweeping along in total security. Braking performance is average at best: but it’s enough.

Comfort is OK for shorter rides, but the seat isn’t supportive, and it’ll hold a motorway speed as long as there’s no headwind: we ran into one and suffered in the breeze. The optional accessory seat has deeper padding (an extra 15mm, which also gives it a more commanding riding position), and there’s a small deflector screen that should help without ruining the looks. Almost essential, we’d say.

Off-road performance is… minimal. It might have extra suspension travel over the Interceptor, but it’s still less than an MT-09 (for example). The geometry isn’t suited to anything really tricky, and the 19in front wheel similarly gets flustered if there’s anything more than smooth-ish, dry fire roads to deal with. We spent a limited amount of time on a dusty trail in California, but even there it was prone to following ruts and getting loose in any kind of free surface.

The MRF (Madras Rubber Factory) tyres claim to be 50/50, with a tread pattern very closely mimicking Pirelli’s Scorpion Rally half-and-half fitting, but they ride more like an 90/10 road-biased fitting in either scenario. Consider it comfortable on unmade, but designated roads, and riding the kind of track that leads you to a nice camp site on your riding holiday…

The economy associated with producing bikes in India (and for India too – the home market has embraced the British-founded brand as their own over the years) can still feel like an awkward conversation in a Western market context, but it’s something that Enfield exploit to good effect. The sheer production volume, and economies of scale, means they’ve been able to specify perfectly good Showa suspension (albeit with just rear preload adjustment).

Don’t let the lack of damping screws fool you – the critical parts are good quality and benefit from plenty of R&D between the Indian mothership and R&D centres in the UK and and Spain, so the fixed settings are pretty good.

The off-road image is barely skin-deep: we rode a short section of dusty, sandy trail, and it felt uncomfortable tackling anything more than moderately rough surfaces – any bigger hits were transmitted to the rider, and loose sand or stones upset the Bear’s poise if you hit it with any gusto.

Unpaved roads and dry forest fire roads are the limit – think genteel, off-highway sightseeing, looking for an Instagram-worthy view to snap, or to find a spot to pitch camp, puttering along in second, rather than blatting along in fourth spraying gravel and jumping dunes like Eddie Mulder: the 1960 winner of California’s ‘Bear Run’ desert race on an Enfield, and the inspiration for the name/theme of the bike.

It offers a more serious proposition on-road, with the increased rigidity, firmer damping and longer wheelbase making it feel incredibly secure when you sling it around some tighter roads. The motor suits corners between 30-60mph best, but the chassis is stable and supportive at any speed you’re able to muster.

It’s a little slow to turn initially thanks to the 19in front wheel and lengthened swingarm, and the 50/50 MRF Nylorex tyres don’t offer fine feedback to inspire confidence, but they never gave any worrisome moments: some of the ride, following a Isle of Man TT competitor leading, got pretty hot and way beyond the design brief, but none of it flustered the Bear…

Most 50/50 tyres are similar on the road – a certain amount of blind faith is needed until you know they’ll work, although the dirt side of that half-and-half brief doesn’t feel like it has been fulfilled. At least they’re decent on the road, though most of the ride was on warm tarmac, with only a few miles in the highest reaches of the San Bernadino mountains presenting us with cold tarmac and damp patches. Again, no moments of worry or terror – but slimy winter roads in the UK will be another challenge altogether for a brand not recognised in Europe.

Brakes: yes, two of them. There’s little more to say about the Bybre (Indian-manufacturer Brembo subsidiary). They do enough to get the bike stopped acceptably, with middling power, feel and progression.  The ABS doesn’t needlessly interfere, and the Bear has the ability to disengage the rear for trail riding (or skids), which also adjusts the settings for the front anti-lock response to be even less restrictive, so it’s worth hitting the button for sportier rides even if you don’t touch the right pedal. It can only be done at a standstill, though.

The 650 lump with its discreet oil-cooling it may only make an A2 licence-friendly 47bhp, but the lugging, torquey delivery delivers both charm and satisfying – if not blistering – progress. It’s not meant to be thrashed and tear your face off – it’s about instant smiles, and warm, nostalgic satisfaction. And it delivers, too.

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Internal components and state-of-tune are untouched, but the black 2-1 exhaust with accompanying tweaks to the map fatten the low to midrange power further compared to the Interceptor. Surprisingly, the 650 meets Euro 5+ emissions criteria without ride-by-wire throttle, so your wrist still has a direct mechanical connection to the twin throttle bodies (otherwise knows as a Bowden cable).

Low-revs, soft cam profiles and gentle timing keep the digital wolf from the door. There’s no ill effect either – any lean-fuelling snatch that can afflict bikes without electronic throttle control more acutely in recent years is damped out by the inertia of the old-fashioned, longer-stroke engine.

Once you accept the limitations of a bike with this power and weight, you’ll find the engine offers charm and acceptable torque below 70mph, at its best in the low to mid range around town, and on sub-60mph back lanes. It’ll sit at 75mph comfortably, but it’s straining beyond that, taking its time getting to the topmost reaches of the rev-counter in sixth. That’s not the vibe though – take it a little easier enjoy it for what it is.

There are no ride modes related to the engine or throttle response, and no traction control, so there’s no farting around trying to find a setting that suits, or stopping to disengage TC every time you want to turn onto a trail. It lets you focus on the simple joy of being behind a set of handlebars.

An observation/desire, rather than a direct criticism, is that the engine lags behind what the chassis can handle, particularly in the Bear’s sportier guise. Sticking to accessible, A2-compliant power is admirable in its way for the 650, but the aftermarket offers 865cc bore kits that add another 20bhp and plenty of torque with no reliability trade-off: it feels like the factory are missing a trick by not offering a big-bore variant with more power and a price premium: although the Bear in particular is looking to tap into a more youthful, style-conscious market, we’ll be the greater number of potential buyers are still older full-licence olders. A bit more oomph would serve their needs better…

Preconceptions and stereotypes regarding Indian production are silenced when you drink in the detail of a modern Royall Enfield in the metal. Everything from paint, through fasteners and bracket to detailing, is superb, and only getting better with successive models.

The triple clamps are a case in point – a simple alloy casting would work, but they’re forged to enhance both form and function, with a more robust anodised finish to hopefully ensure it looks as good years down the line as it does from the showroom. The retro-style switchgear, and flat-faced levers for the Bybre brake/clutch give it a reassuringly robust finish from the behind the bars, too.

Historical reviews of the revitalised 2018-on Enfields broadly paint a good story – core reliability is strong (the 650 engine is understressed for longevity in the harsh environments, and sometimes unforgiving owners, of the Indian home market). There’s no fear of outright structural failure or catastrophic breakdown as some fear with bikes built in emerging nations, and other issues tend to minor niggles, which have also receded in the six years of previous Interceptor production.

Enfields are loved by long-standing riders with traditional values for their low running costs and simple ownership prospects. Warranty concerns aside, they’re easy to work on yourself if you like, or a shorter, less costly job if you leave it to a dealer to care for. It doesn’t put much stress on skinny tyres, and even premium-brand tyres won’t cost drastic amounts to fit when the originals wear out.

The £6749 base price is for the Petrol Green model (which looks great in real life, with a metallic fleck in the green, rising to £6849 to Golden Shadow (black/silver – arguably a little dull for a stylised bike like this) and the Two Four Nine Eddie Mulder tribute topping the price list at £6949.

There is also a white/orange blue option, plus a black/yellow for other markets: both look great, but neither will be coming to the UK. The ‘premium colour’ pricing structure is strange: there’s no apparent uptick in quality for the extra £100s – the top-spec Two Four Nine is actually a flat colour, not a metallic. That grates a little.

That aside, less than £7000 for a twin-cylinder middleweight scrambler is unmatchable value, to the extent there is no direct rival for it. Triumph’s Scrambler 900, the Ducati Scrambler 800 and Fantic Caballero 700 are visually similar (albeit more powerful to the tune of around 20bhp) but cost another £3000. There is Fantic’s Caballero 500 at £6500 (RRP – deals were available offering a £1000 saving at the time of writing), but the 40bhp single is less suited to higher speeds than the Enfield.

The Bear is the first 650 to receive the neat round TFT dash, complete with Bluetooth/Google maps connectivity, as seen on the Himalayan 450 and Guerilla 450. The size means it’s not the easiest to read, but it does the job without detracting from the clean lines. ABS is standard, traction control is not.

There’s precious little else on the Royal Enfield not responsible for basic function, but that’s to be expected. Fripperies like cruise control, big iPad-like screens and other modern-age creature comforts would detract from the simple, robust charm – and hike the price. The Royal Enfield showroom is the wrong place to go if you want to spend your life cycling through menus, or having yoru ride managed by digital aids. But for the price, the hard parts and features are perfectly acceptable.

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There is an accessories list accompanying the bike, broadly focusing on luggage: revised 13-litre soft bags that are waterproof with new support rails in a black rubberised coating that not only holds the bags more tightly, but should resist the finish wearing through to leave unsightly bare metal.

Previously, Enfield only offered chrome pannier brackets for that reason, but they are confident the new finish will maintain the almost-invisible looks when the bags aren’t fitted for years to come: a small but mandatory request from Enfield’s MD, Siddharta Lal. The bike had to have luggage options, but also look good whether they were mounted or not…

There is a tank bag to come, and an Arrow slip-on silencer should be available by mid-2025, fully-homologated for road use but hopefully changing the exhaust note a little too.