The 2024 Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650 is a mid-size cruiser for new riders and anyone who wants the cruiser experience without spending five figures. Designed in Britain and built in India, it is handsomely finished, with a teardrop tank and stylized meteor badge, metal switchgear housings, round LED head- and taillights, and the high-quality paint Royal Enfield is known for.
It shares the 648cc air-/oil-cooled parallel twin used in the Continental GT and INT650, in a cruiser-focused tune. The SOHC, four-valve engine makes 47 horsepower at 7250 rpm and 39 ft-lbs of torque at 5650 rpm. Power delivery is smooth, the powerband is broad, and the 6-speed transmission shifts seamlessly, with sixth gear feeling like an overdrive on the freeway.
Forward foot controls, an upright seating position, and a wide handlebar set the cruiser tone. The 29.1-inch seat height is accessible to many riders, and the low center of gravity makes the 531-pound Super Meteor easy to handle at slow speeds. The cable-actuated clutch has an adjustable lever, though no assist function.
A 19-/16-inch wheel combination gives it a laid-back look while keeping the seat height in check. A non-adjustable 43mm inverted Showa fork, the first upside-down fork on a Royal Enfield, has 4.7 inches of travel, and spring-preload-adjustable twin shocks provide 4.0 inches. Ceat Zoom Cruise tires deliver a predictable, steady ride, and there is a decent amount of cornering clearance.
A 320mm front disc with a twin-piston ByBre caliper and a 300mm rear disc handle braking, with 2-channel ABS standard.
The analog-style speedometer has a half-moon LCD inset with a gear indicator, odometer, and clock. Next to it, a navigation pod gives turn-by-turn directions through the Tripper app.
The 2024 Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650 is $6999 in Astral Black, Astral Blue, or Astral Green, and $7299 in Interstellar Green or Interstellar Grey. Celestial Red is exclusive to the touring version.
Benda motorcycles are beginning to make a ripple on US shores with four intriguing and competitive models, courtesy of its partnership with Keeway Group. We were impressed with the Napoleonbob 500 and have now gotten our gloves on the persuasive, entry-level 2026 Benda Chinchilla 300, with its modest MSRP of $4999. It would be difficult to design a more welcoming entry-level cruiser than this easy-handling, visually appealing boulevard bobber. Editor Don Williams and Associate Editor Kelly Callan discuss the Benda Chinchilla 300 and how it actually rode for them.
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Our guest this episode is Jesse Merriman, Chief Technician for Jeremy McWilliams at the Arch Motorcycle racing project. Arch Racing was founded by Gard Hollinger and Keanu Reevs to compete in the Moto America Super Hooligan race series. Teejay Adams chats with Jesse about the Arch motorcycle and the challenges of extracting the absolute most from an air-cooled V-Twin racing engine and custom chassis.
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Here’s quick reminder to check out our monthly digital magazine. It’s filled with everything you want to read on motorcycling, including some things you’ve probably not seen elsewhere. It’s absolutely free and you will find it on the Apple App Store and of course on Google Play as well.
Don’t forget to leave us your comments on our social media—we’re on all the usual platforms at Ultimate Motorcycling. We love hearing your feedback… so good or bad, please let us know what you think. If there’s something you’d like us to cover, we’d love to hear those ideas too!
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