Royal Enfield Bear 650 (2025) – Review

Royal Enfield’s 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 jaunt 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.

Style over substance, or a specced-up super scrambler-styled shale swapping street surfer? BikeSocial’s Mr Mann spends a fortnight riding a Bear.

Pros & Cons

2025 Royal Enfield Bear 650 - Price

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

Royal Enfield is bringing four colour choices into the UK, each with a different price point: Petrol Green starts us off at £6749, whereas opting for Golden Shadow or Wild Honey (in limited numbers, and it wasn't originally part of the UK line-up) 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.

At the time of writing (June 2025), Royal Enfield’s three-year PCP offer looks like this:

Servicing, however, is worth noting. First service is after 300-miles or a month and a half, whichever comes earlier. Your next service is at 3,000-miles or 6 months, and from then it’s intervals of 3,000-miles or 6-months whichever comes first. Oil and filters (oil and air) are replaced every 6,000-miles. Spark plugs, fuel filter and brake fluid are replaced every 12,000-miles.

2025 Royal Enfield Bear 650 - Engine & Performance

The now-familiar Royal Enfield air-cooled 648cc 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 the aforementioned models, never seemed overly stressed. A laid-back approach with low grunt that’s easy to manage is the goal here.

For the Bear 650 though 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, yet that’s barely noticeable. Peak power remains the same at 47bhp (34.9KW) @ 7150rpm to comply with those A2 licence regulations.

The retro-styled engine looks good in the frame, is easy to get along with and is accompanied by a user-friendly clutch action making it a simple machine to get off the line and trundle about in town, whipping the clutch lever in where necessary and out again with ease that defies the bikes’ mass. Fitting with its styling and ethos is the good old-fashioned cable-connected throttle - it too offers an unthreatening and direct response. There’s a big turn required from zero to maximum throttle from the thick and wide grip.

A wet weight of 214kg isn’t massive but then again the Bear is not a big bike so that mass becomes noticeable. Some, including me, might call it sturdy, tough, or even stable when on the move, but less experienced riders might have their confidence zapped when manoeuvring at low speed, for example. And with just 47bhp available, rice pudding skins the world over remain unworried about their future (®Martin Fitz-Gibbons, Front End Chatter), 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. This parallel twin has been around for seven years now and is a lovely thing. It doesn’t need to be worked hard and is more than comfortable at the speed limit on His Majesty’s highways.

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. More on that in the comfort section below.

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 43mm 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) that is adjustable for preload. Even the rear ByBre-enabled brake disc has grown from 240mm to 270mm, and there’s the option of switching off rear ABS. Despite that brake disc size increase, I still found the bite a little soft for a bike weighing 214kg plus me on top. Maybe ‘soft’ should read ‘1980s’, and the lever almost stiff to pull.

Speaking of soft, that’s the opposite of the rear shocks which are adjustable for preload but even at the minimum setting the bike still gets a little upset should you come across any mid-turn bumps when riding energetically. It shakes its rear with more vigour than Beyonce but there’s something interesting about that too – the Royal Enfield, not Mrs Jay-Z, wink – because if it were too plushy sprung, I think some of its character would be lost. You almost want it to be a trifle wobbly.

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. They are perfectly acceptable and once I’d spent a few corners getting familiar with their pros and cons, I didn’t pay too much attention, which is a good thing. They might not inspire confidence to an inexperienced rider but I wouldn’t expect them to be pushing to the limit of the MRFs. Their style fits the Bear.

See the large engine cover, budget-yet-effective heat shield, and minimal gear lever

2025 Royal Enfield Bear 650 - Comfort & Economy

In addition to the updated suspension, the riding position has been amended 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, though at 6ft tall with a 34” inside leg, this author found it to be ideal. A wide one-piece bench seat fits the Scrambler look may have the appearance of minimal padding = bum and/or back-ache but I found it nicely sculpted and superbly inviting for my rump. The footpegs contain removable rubber pads for added feel should you have the urge to dive off-road.

A 13.7-litre fuel tank is said to offer an economy figure of 62mpg resulting in a range of 185-miles before it starts to cough. It’s a little ambitious based on my figures because by adding 10.25-litres to top up the tank when the trip showed I’d covered 116-miles, by my calculations that’s a range until empty of 150-miles with an economy of 57mpg. Either way, the Bear 650’s motor is still frugal enough, and it’s styling (and wind protection) isn’t best suited to long stints.

On one 60-mile trip on a balmy Sunday afternoon I did find the gear lever a little small for my size 11s and hidden a little by the gearbox/clutch cover. And right where my left knee wanted to rest, the heat from the cylinder head was recognisable but not too hot courtesy of the simplest black heat shield protector.

Handlebar-mounted mirrors are big and easy to adjust making them ideally suited to their one job. Accessories include a more padded seat, soft luggage, headlight guard, radiator guard, and a wind deflector. The latter should be first on your Christmas list.

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.

The BMX-style brace bar between the left and right handlebars is a suitable place to mount your phone or sat-nav holder in case the Tripper isn’t to your liking.

Many have more patience or inclination than me but I didn’t find the interactivity between the app, TFT dash and the operational buttons on the ‘bars that simple to work out or familiarise myself with.

The retro red ignition dial, in the conventional position to fire the bike into life, is matched on the left side by a similar (yet black) dial for the headlights, though they don’t match the more 21st century joystick used to interaction with the TFT’s displays and information. While on the right-hand side of the bike, use the ignition key to remove the side panel and you’ll not only find the seat release pull cable but also a small tool kit and access to the battery.

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.

There’s a definite and undeniable charm about a motorcycle that doesn’t try too hard. The Royal Enfield Bear 650 is exactly that—a scrambler that doesn’t shout, but rather nods politely to its heritage while quietly impressing with its capability.

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Do you own a 650-twin Royal Enfield? Tell us what it’s like, or ask us questions about it at bikeclub.bennetts.co.uk.

2025 Royal Enfield Bear 650 - Technical Specification

What is MCIA Secured?

MCIA Secured gives bike buyers the chance to see just how much work a manufacturer has put into making their new investment as resistant to theft as possible.

As we all know, the more security you use, the less chance there is of your bike being stolen. In fact, based on research by Bennetts, using a disc lock makes your machine three times less likely to be stolen, while heavy duty kit can make it less likely to be stolen than a car. For reviews of the best security products, click here.

MCIA Secured gives motorcycles a rating out of five stars (three stars for bikes of 125cc or less), based on the following being fitted to a new bike as standard:

• A steering lock that meets the UNECE 62 standard

• An ignition immobiliser system

• A vehicle marking system

• An alarm system

• A vehicle tracking system with subscription

The higher the star rating, the better the security, so always ask your dealer what rating your bike has and compare it to other machines on your shortlist.