Royal Enfield Bear 650 (2025) – Technical Review

Royal Enfield’s new-for-2025 Bear 650 hosts a familiar engine in the shape of the company’s popular, frugal and rider-friendly 650cc parallel twin being wheeled out for another outing in this Interceptor 650-inspired scrambler. What’s more, we’re promised that the Bear’s road performance won’t be sacrificed by its more off-road appearance courtesy of the knobbly tyres and, I quote, “kicked-up rear loop”.

Given the popularity of the Interceptor and Continental GT since their introduction to the world back in 2019, an evolution of the sales-chart topper was somewhat inevitable. A set of different sized wheels moving from 18” front and back to a set of 19”/17”, plus a scrambler style seat, updated suspension and 10mm more ground clearance are among the differences as the sub £6750 Scrambler aims to attract a younger audience to the Eicher-owned brand.

The model’s name comes from the Big Bear Run, a brutal Californian desert race that was won by a 16-year-old in 1960 by the name of ‘Fast Eddie’ Mulder riding a 500c Royal Enfield Fury. So now you know.

Pros & Cons

2025 Royal Enfield Bear 650 - Price

How much is the 2025 Royal Enfield Bear 650? £6749, and it’ll be available from UK dealers from February 2025. Adding to the appeal is Royal Enfield’s three-year, unlimited mileage warranty too.

Royal Enfield is bringing three colour choices into the UK, each with a different price point: Petrol Green starts us off at £6749, whereas opting for Golden Shadow will add an extra £100 to the price, and the range topping Two Four Nine is another £100 on top, at £6949, and relates the race number worn on the aforementioned Big Bear Run by Fast Eddie. PCP deals have yet to be confirmed.

2025 Royal Enfield Bear 650 - Engine & Performance

The now-familiar Royal Enfield air-cooled 650cc parallel-twin platform with its 270-degree crank launched back in 2019 when packed into the Continental GT and Interceptor models, and latterly in the Shotgun and Meteor 650 machines lives on and finds its way into the Bear 650. A robust, A2-licence friendly lump that has, during our testing of those models, never seemed overly stressed. A laid-back approach with low grunt that’s easy to manage is the goal here.

However, for the Bear 650 a revised 2-into-1 header exhaust system offers a different aural experience and makes the silencer and cat much more compact. In fact, Royal Enfield says it contributes to the 8% increase in peak torque, up to 41.7lb-ft (56.5Nm) @ 5150rpm. Peak power remains the same at 47bhp (34.9KW) @ 7150rpm.

A 13.8-litre tank with an estimated economy of 62mpg should offer a range in excess of 180-miles before it starts to cough.

2025 Royal Enfield Bear 650 - Handling & Suspension (inc. Weight)

Handling on the new Bear 650 is perhaps the one most significantly updated areas versus its Interceptor 650 stablemate. An emphasis on the bike’s height is mitigated with the foot controls having been moved backwards, the handlebars being taller and wider, plus the suspension longer which in turn has meant the bench-style seat is more contoured to lessen the height differential.

Ground clearance has increased up to 184mm from 174mm which therefore enhances cornering clearance so those hero blobs on the bottom of your foot pegs stand more of a chance of remaining intact.

The Showa USD big piston forks suspend the front of the bike with 130mm travel (vs. the Interceptor’s 110mm) and Showa Twin tube RSU at the rear with 115mm travel (vs. 88mm). Even the rear BreBre-enabled brake disc has grown from 240mm to 270mm, and there’s the option of switching off rear ABS.

6’4” Morgan Gales, who reviewed the bike for Cycle World, said of his ride, “(The) Rear shocks were adjusted to the lightest possible preload, but still are a bit stiff and any mid-turn bumps will affect the intended line. That stiff suspension is just a little too reactive when you’re leaned hard into a turn and tests the rider’s skill. If there was more rebound damping, we could live with the stiffness. As it is now, suspension performance is unbalanced front to rear. Yet it’s wildly fun to ride this way and just let it sort of wiggle beneath you.”

A wet weight of 214kg isn’t massive but equally there’s not much bike where that mass is assigned. And with just 47bhp available as a peak power figure, rice pudding skins the world over remain unworried about their future (®Martin Fitz-Gibbons!), as the Bear 650 will struggle to thrill any performance seekers. However, the peak torque figure arrives 2,000rpm earlier than peak power thus demonstrating both the engine’s grunt and focus on a more relaxed ride.

As mentioned, a 19” front and 17” rear wheel size combination replaces the 18” front and rear set-up of the Interceptor and are shod with a set of MRF dual purpose, chunky, block tread, tubed tyres. Incidentally, MRF happen to be the largest tyre manufacturer in India with MRF standing for Madras Rubber Factory. Fact.

2025 Royal Enfield Bear 650 - Comfort & Economy

In addition to the updated suspension, the riding position has been altered slightly too with the footpeg and handlebar position alterations. The seat height is on the taller side at 830mm, +26mm over the Interceptor in fact. A bench seat fits the Scrambler look though minimal padding might cause bum or back-ache on a longer ride. The footpegs contain removable rubber pads for added feel should you have the urge to dive off-road.

Accessories include a more padded seat, soft luggage, headlight guard, radiator guard, and a wind deflector.

A 13.7-litre fuel tank is said to offer an economy figure of 62mpg resulting in a range of 185-miles from full to empty.

2025 Royal Enfield Bear 650 - Equipment

Er, there’s not a lot to write about here. Why? Because the bike has been priced to entice a wide audience which, once again, means less is more. A limit on rider aids means a more straightforward and uncomplicated riding experience so there’s no need to worry about engine modes or traction control.

However, the Bear is the first RE 650 to receive the smart, compact, round TFT dash as seen on the 450 Himalayan, known as the ‘Tripper’ and is equipped with Google Maps. Full LED lighting is a first for this platform, and there’s a USB-C port. That’s your lot.

2025 Royal Enfield Bear 650 - Rivals

Royal Enfield’s core customer will appreciate the value of the proposition, and while the scrambler moniker has become somewhat reinvented over the last decade with a focus more aligned to style over suitability, the Bear 650 has the potential to cover both. Direct rivals come with a wide range of price tags, power figures and weight. The latter being most relevant if you did want to take on a light trail or two. In fact, one could argue a case for the firm’s own Scram411 and Himalayan being close competition.

Otherwise, we’ve chosen the 2024 Triumph Scrambler 400X as the nearest. A far more modern machine with its rider aids and engine, plus a significantly lighter machine to manoeuvre both on-and-off the bike.

Triumph Scrambler 400X | Price: £5595

Read more

Power/Torque

39.5bhp / 27.7lb

Weight

179kg

Ducati Icon Dark Scrambler 800 | Price: £9495

Read more

Power/Torque

72bhp / 48lb-ft

Weight

185kg

Fantic Caballero 500 Scrambler | Price: £6599

Read more

Power/Torque

40bhp / 31.7lg-ft

Weight

150kg (dry)

2025 Royal Enfield Bear 650 - Verdict

Traditional in appearance and operation, yet appealingly simple with style, charm and ease-of-use, not to mention its price tag, all of which are attractive qualities that will surely see this scrambler heading up the sales charts along with its similarly branded brethren. The Royal Enfield Bear 650 has a limited amount of power to haul its weight around which is down to its A2-licence complicity, but sometimes less is more, and we’re looking forward to seeing how the latest RE copes when we get in on UK roads in early 2025.

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2025 Royal Enfield Bear 650 - Technical Specification

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