Royal Enfield briefly showed off the next model in development, the Meteor 650, in one of the videos released in preparation for the brand's expedition to the South Pole. The motorcycle, based on the Royal Enfield 650 platform, was shown very briefly in the video "Team Rider Dean" from the series of videos that Royal Enfield published on its social networks regarding the expedition to the South Pole.
On December 20, 2021, riders Santhosh Vijay Kumar and Dean Coxson reached the South Pole on their Royal Enfield Himalayans. As a senior engineer at Royal Enfield, the value of Dean Coxson on such an ambitious journey cannot be underestimated. The engineer's role during the South Pole adventure may have included technical support, but usually the engineer works primarily on the development of prototype engines.
During the pilot presentation video, we see a photo of Dean Coxson visiting his workstation which is none other than a garage. At 33 seconds, the engineer walks past several test prototypes that bear a striking resemblance to Royal Enfield's next model.
From what we can see, the bikes appear to be relatively close to the production models, including inverted forks, the first appearance of this technology on a Royal Enfield. Add to this a flat and wide retro-style handlebar, as well as an instrument console with a smaller dial, which should be the navigation module. There's plenty of chrome and brushed aluminum finishes, especially around the headlight, headlight brackets and turn signal brackets etc.
The upcoming Royal Enfield 650 model will be based on the 650 twin-cylinder platform, so it will be powered by the same 648 cc in-line twin engine that develops 47 hp at 7 rpm and 150 Nm of torque at 52 5 rpm. At the EICMA 250 in Milan, Italy, Royal Enfield also showcased the SG2021 concept, based on the same platform. But this one is more of a design concept for now, and if Royal Enfield expands the platform, the SG 650 Concept will likely be introduced as a different production model, in the future.
