When Royal Enfield debuted the SG650 concept bike at the 2021 EICMA show in Milan, it was greeted favorably by the public for its unconventional styling that lifted elements from the bobber, retro, and roadster worlds and mashed them together. Given that the world was waiting for more versions of the Indian manufacturer’s new 650 parallel-twin engine platform, it was pretty much a foregone conclusion that a production version of the concept bike would be forthcoming. Three years later, the Shotgun 650 arrived, using the same 650cc engine as the Super Meteor 650 but in a more minimalist environment, surrounded by custom cues like chopped fenders and blacked-out parts, and then tweaking the geometry and ergos. Although it shares lots of other bits with the Super Meteor—the frame, gearbox, brakes, and some suspension elements are a straight swap—the Shotgun couldn’t look or feel more different, with a shorter wheelbase, tighter rake, and taller seat.
New wheel sizes—18 inches up front and 17 inches for the rear, fitted onto tubeless 10-spoke alloy rims—also change the bike’s stance, dropping the front end and raising the rear compared to the Super Meteor. Although the 43mm Showa SFF-BP fork is shorter than the Super Meteor unit, it uses the same nonadjustable internals, and offers the same 4.7 inches of travel. The shocks, on the other hand, despite being 20mm/0.8 inch taller, offer less travel; 3.5 inches versus 4 inches on the Super Meteor. Braking is a straight swap over, with a twin-piston ByBre caliper and 320mm disc up front and another twin-piston caliper with 300mm disc in the rear. One neat feature with the Shotgun is that the rear subframe can be easily swapped out with four bolts to change from pillion seat to rear rack to single-seater.
The result is a bike with a more performance-oriented personality, with a saddle that sits higher, flatter bars positioned lower and forward, and footpegs set in the middle rather than forward compared to the Super Meteor. The Shotgun felt more stable and responsive than you’d expect for a 530-pound machine, even in high-speed corners, yet the bike handled the pothole-strewn urban streets just as well. The engine won’t pull anyone’s arms out of their sockets, but it’s a ready and willing partner, with power building in a smooth, progressive manner.
The 2024 Royal Enfield Shotgun 650 is available in four trim levels: Sheet Metal Grey for $6,899, Drill Green or Plasma Blue for $6,999, and Stencil White for $7,099.
