Spied: Are these the new Royal Enfield Bullet 650 and Meteor 650 pairing?

Two new Royal Enfields have been spied out during testing, suggesting the firm are expanding the range to fill the void left by their 500s going the way of the dodo.

Prior to the release of the 650 twins, the 500 singles were Enfield’s biggest sellers in Europe and continued to do well in India until tighter emissions regs put the final nail in their aircooled coffin.

Until now, riders have had to make do with the new 350 single but now it looks like two new more powerful models are on the way.

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The one that appears to be a new Meteor is the one closest to production and arguably the most exciting. It’s clear the new bike is powered by a blacked-out version of  Enfield’s popular 650 twin, which instantly gives it a more modern look.

Paired with the new-style engine are a set of straight pipes, rather than the upswept items of the Interceptor and Continental GT.

Just like Enfield have done with the Meteor 350, the new 650 version is sporting cast wheels, swept back bars and mid-mounted footpegs.

It also appears to have gained other ‘modern’ touches from the 350 model including LED lights at the rear and the dash, which combines large retro gauge with a small satnav using their ‘Tripper’ software.

One of the biggest and most surprising changes is the clear upgrade to the forks, with large diameter USD forks in new triple trees clearly visible. The front brake is also mounted on the other side to the current 650s.

Clearly Enfield want to give the bike a performance update, along with the more modern styling associated USD forks.

The second bike, which appears more like a Bullet, shares many of the new features of the Meteor but sticks with conventional forks and spoked wheels, alongside the new tank shape and straighter pipes. Being a cruiser styled machine, the biggest competition the Meteor 650 is going up against would be the Honda CMX500 Rebel, which produces a similar amount of power. The Rebel costs £5849 in the UK, so Royal Enfield will likely want to sneak it in around £5400 and get a jump on the Honda.

Fast facts 

1. The 649cc twin appears unchanged bar the colour so expect an A2-friendly 47bhp

2. The subframe area has been modified to give it the classic hoop behind the rider but the front-end is the same

3. 19in front and fat rear tyre are both classic cruiser style cues 

4. Enfield will likely launch with plenty of accessories including engine guards, screen and foglights 

5. Gone is the flat tank from the existing 650s, replaced with a classically-styled teardrop again for more cruiser style