2026 Royal Enfield Bullet 650 Road Test Review

There aren’t many more famous names in motorcycling than this. While Triumph has the Bonneville, Norton the Commando and Harley-Davidson its Sportster, historic British brand Royal Enfield (which now, like Norton and BSA, is Indian owned) has the Bullet – and in some ways it’s the best of the bunch. 

Originally launched way back in 1932 (making it now the motorcycle model in longest continual production), the Bullet, for most of its long life, has been either a 350 or 500cc single.

For 2026, however, following the dropping of the last 500 single in 2020, the bigger Bullet (there’s also still a 350cc single) becomes a 650 twin via the adoption of Enfield’s 647cc engine, which debuted in the 2018 Continental GT and Interceptor and has since spread to the Classic 650, Shotgun, Bear and more. 

The result, with ‘signature’ twin-stepped seat, revised riding position, traditional black and gold livery and ‘50s styling, looks just as authentic a retro roadster as ever but now has more long-legged performance. We took a day’s ride on it to see how it measures up…

In reality, the new Bullet is effectively a modified Classic 650 (which has a different frame to the Continental GT, Interceptor and Bear, plus 19/18inch wheels not those bikes’ 18s) courtesy of a new, stepped double seat (a Bullet ‘signature’, incidentally, while the Classic has a solo perch), matching new rear mudguard, modified riding position and classic Bullet black paint with gold pinstriping and badging. 

It delivers the desired result for minimal effort, but the look is convincing. The new Bullet 650 also has bags of character and delivers a credible middleweight, twin-cylinder retro roadster experience, even if I can’t quite shake the feeling I’ve been slightly shortchanged…

The new Bullet 650 has been launched with a price of just £6799 and, as Henry Ford famously said, ‘You can have it in any colour you like as long as it’s black’.

That price is on par with, or slightly less than, Enfield’s other 650 twins and also significantly undercuts obvious rivals such as the Triumph Bonneville T100 (at £9699) or Moto Guzzi V7 (from £8540), although both those have more cc's, power and equipment.

Like all current Royal Enfields, the new Bullet 650 is now available through the Indian-owned brand’s UK network of 40 dealers. You can find your nearest dealer on Royal Enfield’s UK website, which includes a dealer locator.

Although new to the Bullet, Royal Enfield’s air-cooled 648cc twin is well-known and proven, having been introduced, as mentioned, in the 2018 Interceptor and Continental GT, before subsequently spreading to the Super Meteor 650 cruiser (2023), Shotgun hot rod and Classic 650 (both 2024) and Bear 650 scrambler (last year). 

It’s a decent rather than outstanding unit, too, producing an A2-compliant 46 hp at 7,250rpm along with 38.5lb-ft of torque at 5,650rpm and a flexible and friendly midrange, all transmitted by a six-speed transmission with a chain final drive. There are no riding modes.

Admittedly, none of that will exactly upset any apple carts, but it is enough for the new Bullet to pretty much keep up with, say, Triumph’s 64hp 900cc T100 Bonneville and also cruise at a steady 70+mph. 

And when you compare that to the old 500cc single-cylinder Bullet’s 27 hp (never mind the current single-cylinder 350 Bullet’s slightly feeble 20hp) that’s quite a big deal and gives the new 650 the extra long-legged performance that makes it more practical and viable for modern riding.

The new Bullet, as mentioned earlier, is based upon the Classic 650, with its lower rear subframe than that of the Interceptor/Continental GT/Bear, plus a bigger 19 (not 18) inch front wheel. 

Being a retro-inspired design means cycle parts are slightly basic and budget, too, comprising non-adjustable (shrouded) 43mm forks at the front and preload-only adjustable twin rear shocks. Wheels are pleasingly authentic alloy-rimmed wires wearing budget, Indian-made MRF tyres, with its brakes also being on the basic side in being a single 320mm disc at the front grasped by a non-radial caliper and a smaller disc at the rear.

But although a little basic, it’s all appropriate considering the Bullet’s retro style and, by also coming from many of the design team responsible for previous Triumphs (Enfield former project lead Simon Warburton and design chief Mark Wells are both ex-Triumph), it’s also better than you might expect. 

The ride’s more than acceptable; the big front wheel and fairly cute proportions mean steering is light, intuitive and immediate. It tracks well enough, is decently stable and the only real aspects worth criticizing are the cheap OE MRP tyres, which notably don’t like greasy roads, and the brakes, which are slightly lacking.

The front is just about enough, especially when used in conjunction with the rear, but it’s borderline competent rather than impressively immediate.

At the end of the day, the new Bullet 650 is a retro-style roadster and a fairly budget-priced one at that, so you wouldn’t expect much in terms of lavish equipment – but nor does it need it, either. 

The single dial in the headlamp nacelle is impressively authentic yet also boasts a small LCD panel for extra information. The switchgear is to Enfield’s latest design and is slick and better quality than most. There are LED DRLs, a smart ‘Monza-style’ filler cap, a USB charging point and… that’s about your lot. 

Yes, it does seem a little basic next to the ‘modes and more’ of the Triumph T100, but that bike is also nearly £3000 more. In isolation, the equipment offered with the Bullet 650 is not only appropriate… but sufficient.

The Bullet’s bespoke, deeply padded dual seat and slightly lower handlebars give it a classically upright riding position that is comfortable and makes it an easy round-town or Sunday ride, even if it’s less good over distance. It’ll even take a pillion with ease (something the Classic can’t claim) – at least over short rides.

And although it lacks equipment and colour options, Royal Enfield quality and sophistication have come on in leaps and bounds in recent years, and the new Bullet is a good example. Its pinstripes are hand-painted, its switchgear is solid-looking, and its new 650 powertrain is proven.

It also comes as standard with a manufacturer-backed warranty lasting a full three years (compared to the two of many) while its service intervals are also typical, being required every 6000 miles or annually, whichever comes first.

As mentioned at the outset, if you want a truly authentic, mid-range, British-style retro roadster twin, the actual choice isn’t as big as you might think. Triumph’s T100 Bonneville impresses…but costs £9799. Which means the new Bullet 650, at £6799, is very tempting indeed. The added performance of the 650cc twin makes it far more versatile and viable than the old 500 single; its ‘look’ is as authentic as ever and its dynamics are pleasing, too. 

In short: if you like the look and spec, you won’t be disappointed. But watch out, there are also now so many similar Royal Enfield 650 twins available at similar prices (Interceptor £7099, Continental GT £6949, Bear £6899, Classic £6699 and Shotgun from £6849) that, unless you’re completely convinced by the Bullet’s 1950s styling, you might be better off with one of them instead.

By Phil West

Pictures by Phil West/Royal Enfield