Royal Enfield Bullet 650 (2026 – ) review

In simple terms this is a fresh twist on Royal Enfield’s historic Bullet model, which for most of its long life was either a 350 or 500cc single but now becomes a 650 with the adoption of Royal Enfield’s modern twin debuted in the Continental GT and Interceptor before rolling out across Classic 650, Shotgun, Bear and more. For the Bullet Enfield has basically amended the single-seat Classic with a stepped double seat, added a new rear mudguard to match, tweaked the riding position slightly and slathered it in classic Bullet black with gold pinstriping, badging and so on. In truth, it delivers the desired result for minimal effort and the look is convincing if, perhaps, lacking a certain something. Parking those doubts, the new 650 is the most powerful Bullet yet (it’s never been a twin before) and both more authentic than rivals like the Bonneville T100 thanks to its air-cooled engine while also considerably more affordable.

Sure, the new Bullet’s still a naked, retro roadster, so there’s no fairing and an upright riding position with all the practical limitations that comes with it. You wouldn’t fancy many motorway miles on one, put it that way. But with that said, the new Bullet is also comfortable and manageable. The Classic 650 foundations mean a lower seat than an Interceptor, Continental or Bear and a bigger 19-inch front wheel. The result is a friendly yet plush 800mm seat height, a classically upright riding position and an easy round-town ride. In terms of nailing the brief it’s hard to criticise.

As a classically styled and upright retro the new Bullet is eminently practical, at least as a bike for shorter hops. The extra performance also means the new Bullet is also a joy on sunny Sunday ride outs and it’ll even take a pillion with ease, at least on short rides. What it isn’t, however, is any kind of long-distance tourer, a high-mileage commuting tool (even at this price it’s too precious for that), or, obviously, an off-roader. But then, you knew that by looking at it!

Although new to the Bullet, Royal Enfield’s 648cc twin is well-known and proven across a multitude of bikes in the current line-up. It’s a decent rather than outstanding unit, producing an A2-compliant47 horsepower at 7,250rpm with a flexible and friendly mid-range. No, it’ll not upset any apple carts but is enough to pretty much keep up with a T100 Bonneville and cruise comfortably at motorway speeds. Which, in the context of the somewhat feeble single-cylinder Bullet 350, is quite the big deal! That does, however, highlight a lack of braking power in the single disc front brake arrangement, which is just about sufficient when you lean on the rear as well but competent rather than impressive.

Being a retro-inspired design with budget, non-adjustable and shrouded 43mm forks at the front and preload-only twin rear shocks means the new Bullet never had any lofty sporting aspirations. But with a senior design team all with previous at Triumph it’s perhaps sharper in this respect than you might have expected. The suspension hardware may be a little basic, but the ride quality is more than acceptable and, even with the bigger front wheel, the steering is light and intuitive. It tracks well enough and is decently stable, the only thing letting the side down being the cheap OE MRP tyres, especially on greasy roads.

Enfield Bullets have always been affordable, simple, workmanlike bikes, and even though this latest version is the most powerful, sophisticated and expensive incarnation so far it remains cheap and rustic. That modest output won’t trouble tyres, chains and brake pads, it’s cheap to tax and insure and the starting price is thousands less than obvious rivals like the T100 Bonneville or Moto Guzzi V7.

The days of Royal Enfields being clunky old designs built to a price are long gone. Under Indian automotive group Eicher and CEO Sid Lal the company now boasts two new modern factories back home while its UK Technology centre and the industry hands staffing it have overseen a significant improvement in quality. The new Bullet is a good example, with hand-painted pin-striping, modern switchgear and plenty of modern features like LED lighting. The 650 powertrain is also proven and reported reliability issues have been few. Yes, it’s still a bit basic, and we’d change the tyres in a heartbeat, but there are certainly no major causes for concern.

Another good indicator of the reliability and quality of the latest Royal Enfields comes with the warranty and servicing offer. To those ends the new Bullet 650 comes as standard with a manufacturer-backed warranty lasting a full three years, which is better than most. Service intervals, meanwhile, are also pretty typical and come round every 6,000 miles or annually, whichever comes first.

At the end of the day the new Bullet 650 is a retro style bike, and a fairly budget one at that. So, you wouldn’t expect much in terms of lavish equipment – but nor does it need it. The single dial in the headlamp nacelle is impressively authentic yet also boasts a small LCD panel for extra information. Switchgear is to Enfield’s latest design and is slick and better quality than most. There are LED DRLs, a smart Monza filler cap, a USB charging point and … that’s about your lot. Yes, is does seem a little basic next to the Triumph T100, but that bike is literally thousands more. In isolation, the equipment offered with the Bullet 650 is not only appropriate … but sufficient.

If you want a truly authentic, mid-range, British-style retro twin the choice isn’t as big as you might think. The added performance of the 650 twin makes the new Bullet far more versatile and viable than the old 500 single ever was and it holds up dynamically, too. If you like the look and spec you won’t be disappointed. But there are now so many similar Royal Enfield 650 twins that, unless you’re completely convinced by the Bullet’s 1950s styling, you might be better off with one of them instead.