Royal Enfield Interceptor Bear 650 incoming By Ben Purvis
Royal Enfield's transformation into a mainstream player in the international motorcycle market took a huge step forward with the introduction of its 650 cc twin-cylinder Interceptor and Continental GT models, and the range has since expanded into the cruiser arena with the Super Meteor.
Next in Enfield's plans is a retro scrambler model based around the same engine, and new trademark applications from the company suggest it will carry the name 'Bear'.
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| Siddhartha Lal, Royal Enfield CEO |
The term 'Royal Enfield Interceptor Bear 650' is subject to trademark applications in a growing list of countries including Canada, the Philippines, New Zealand, Australia, Mexico and Thailand. It's a name that leaves little to the imagination. It is clearly a 650, based on the Interceptor, and prototypes of exactly such a machine, but with a scrambler twist, have been spotted in both India and the UK over the last few months. The 'Bear' title has exactly the rugged, outdoorsy image that such a scrambler deserves.
Prototypes for the bike have used the Interceptor's frame and 47 hp engine, but with longer, upside-down forks and a higher-riding twin-shock rear end. The two low-slung exhausts of the Interceptor are switched for a two-into-one system, with the left-hand cylinder's pipe sweeping across to the right-hand side of the bike, where the two headers merge. On the spied prototypes, the exhaust runs below the right-hand footpeg then into an upswept end can, but it's easy to see that the design could be adapted for a high-mounted system, similar to the Triumph Scrambler's.
'Trademark applications point to scrambler version of RE's twin'
Along with the longer-travel suspension, the RE scrambler features a larger front wheel - at least 19 inches in diameter, up from 18" on the Interceptor - and a smaller rear. The circular headlight and the classically-styled fuel tank are carry-over Interceptor items, aligning with the new trademark's suggestion that the 'Bear' is an Interceptor variant, rather than a completely standalone model.
One place where the trademark hasn't been applied for yet is the USA. In the States, the Interceptor goes by the title 'INT650', because Honda still owns the rights to the term 'Interceptor' for motorcycles in that market. As a result, the American version of the bike is likely to be called 'INT650 Bear' or simply 'Bear'.
The scrambler isn't the only new 650 cc RE under development. The company is also working on a bobber based around the Super Meteor's platform, with styling similar to the SG650 concept from 2021. Its parent company, Eicher Motors, has already secured trademark rights to the name 'Shotgun', which is expected to be applied to the bobber.
Another new Royal Enfield trademark application, filed in the USA, brings back the classic 'Constellation' name. Historically, the Constellation was a higher-spec version of the Super Meteor with a larger, 700 cc engine, giving a clue as to what that title could be destined to appear on.
