I'm cold. No, I'm bloody freezing. It's a brutal, almost base feeling, and it's relentless. The... wait a second, I remember these words, because I've written them before, five years ago. On that occasion, I was describing being astride the new Royal Enfield Interceptor 650, on a beautiful Californian highway on a spectacular day. This time, I'm on the Royal Enfield Shotgun 650. On a beautiful Californian highway. On a spectacular day. And I'm still bloody freezing. Talk about full circles.
But enough about me; let's focus on the Shotgun, RE's latest blast across the bows of... well, its own motorcycles, for starters; the Interceptor/Continental GT and Super Meteor all have many things in common with it, beginning with their engines the 648cc parallel twin, making 46.4 bhp and 5.3 kgm. For years now, Royal Enfield has absolutely killed it in the realm of affordable, characterful motorcycles - the Bullet, the Classic, the Himalayan - each a testament to the company's legacy of building robust machines with a timeless, retro appeal. When news broke of the Shotgun 650 - a bobber based on the Super Meteor platform - we all held our breath. Could RE pull off a modern interpretation of a bobber, or would the Shotgun turn out to be a misguided departure from its core identity? That's what I went to the City of Angels to try and find out.
Denne historien er fra February 2024-utgaven av Motoring World.
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Denne historien er fra February 2024-utgaven av Motoring World.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
DESTINI REWRITTEN
With a pretty major design overhaul, has the Hero Destini 125 found a new footing altogether?
OLDIE'S GOLD?
History makes yet another comeback with the BSA Gold Star 650. Is it what you were hoping for?
THE HIGH OF THE TIGER
Triumph's big cat is in its most ferocious avatar yet
LAUGHTER HOURS
This! This is the greatest single of all time!
BULL'S EYE?
Audi's new flagship SUV — or a budget Lamborghini Urus?
DARK HORSE
The Alcazar is now available in a new avatar, and the multi-faceted SUV deserves more attention than it got in the past
CURVV-BALL!
Tata's new mass-market SUV coupe may have more than a few tricks up its sleeve
GIVEN A RAISE
The EQS SUV looks like an EQS sedan on stilts but it offers a lot more than that
FOR MUCK'S SAKE!
No scooters, commuters or old bikes... this year's Pune Off-road Expedition was serious work
ALL THE WAY UP!
Exploring the vast landscape of Ladakh with Renault India's lineup - why would we say no?!