2025 Royal Enfield Bear 650 Review With Videos

The 2025 Royal Enfield Bear 650 ($6,849) is a parallel-twin-powered scrambler that pays homage to the Anglo-Indian brand’s storied past, in this case, the 1960 Big Bear Run victory by young California racer turned Hollywood stuntman, Eddie Mulder.

Editor’s note: Check out the Everything You Need to Know - Royal Enfield Bear 650 and the Top 5 Features of the 2025 Royal Enfield Bear 650 Scrambler for added quick insight on this motorcycle.

“It changed everything,” Mulder remembers of his first big race win 64 years ago at the age of 16. “It changed everything for my mom and dad, changed everything for me, and changed everything for our whole family.”

“It took the barn doors off [my career],” says Mulder, who would go on to race motorcycles professionally through the ‘60s and work as a stuntman for actors like Clint Eastwood. “You know in those days, I would just pick up the phone and I could call like Bates Leathers or Bell Helmets, you know, hey, ‘This is Eddie Mulder, is there any chance I can get a new helmet?’ And you know, you get three or four of them delivered to you,” he laughs.

Related: Top 5 Features of the 2024 Royal Enfield Shotgun 650

“And it was, really it was, a race of attrition, wasn’t it?” he chuckles. “I mean 765 racers began and only 197 finished exactly.”

“There were broken bikes scattered all over the desert floor, broken bodies, people shipped away in ambulances…” the racer turned Hollywood stuntman recalls.

The Bear 650 exudes a vintage scrambler charm, featuring a traditional seat, a 2-into-1 exhaust system, and a rear frame loop. It’s available in five colors: Boardwalk White, Petrol Green, Wild Honey, Golden Shadow, and the special Two Four Nine edition, which commemorates Mulder’s race number. The design captures the spirit of old desert racers, with a modern twist.

“There’s an awful lot on this bike that is brand new,” says RE’s Glen Corbett, global product strategy lead. “So in comparison to Interceptor (INT 650), if we think about the engine, clearly the engine is shared with Interceptor with the exception of finishes on the engines; the finishes are different for this model.”

“When we started this project,” adds Mark Wells, chief of design, global product strategy and industrial design at Royal Enfield, “one of the things that we were really keen to do was create a bike that actually was a step further than a customer could do in their shed.”

Powered by Royal Enfield’s tried-and-true 648cc air-cooled parallel-twin engine, the Bear 650 delivers around 47 hp and nearly 42 lb.-ft. torque at the business end of the 17-inch MRF rear tire. The exhaust system contributes to an 8 percent increase in torque compared to its INT 650 sibling, enhancing low-end performance.

Related: Top 5 Reasons We Like Riding Royal Enfield’s Shotgun 650

“The new 2-into-1 exhaust has allowed us to get more power and torque from the engine,” Corbett continues. “In development there was the option to increase the power and the torque. We chose to major on torque, so we left the power at 35kW (47 hp, at the crankshaft) to meet with regulations in certain markets. But what that allowed us to do was really pump the torque up, so we’ve got an 8 percent increase in peak torque. That is across the range increase; we’ve effectively lifted the torque curve, not made a peak in the middle of it.”

The engine’s smooth power delivery and pleasant-sounding exhaust note provide an engaging ride suitable for anyone seeking a simple motorcycle that can tackle urban and backcountry rides with style. It’s enough power to put a smile on your face but not so much that it’s going to intimidate a novice.

The Bear 650 features a reinforced tubular-steel double-cradle frame, accommodating a 43mm inverted Showa Separate Function Big Piston fork with 5.1 inches of travel and twin Showa shocks offering 4.5 inches of rear travel.

“The front end is reinforced largely because of the longer, stiffer fork,” Corbett tells us. “So when you put an upside-down fork into a frame that’s used to having a right-way-up fork (telescopic), that strengthening is required in order to regain the dynamic capability of the motorcycle and to deal with those additional forces.”

“We spent a lot of time optimizing the performance of the fork,” he shares. “So increasing small bump sensitivity, so that initial movement of the fork as you’re crossing small imperfections in the road. Big bump impact, so lots of out of control is really good. And there’s a really nice level of support in the mid-stroke.”

This setup provides a quality, well-sprung ride for a 190-pound rider. It’s capable of tackling both paved roads and light off-road trails with ease and generally fits the bill for a midsize scrambler. The 19-inch front and 17-inch rear spoked wheels are fitted with Indian-branded MRF dual-purpose tires which perform well and offer name brand performance.

“We built these in collaboration with MRF, specifically for this motorcycle,” Corbett tells us. “Note how close together the tread pattern is in certain dimensions. So around the tire, the gaps are quite small. And that’s to increase the stability of the tire. So when you’re leaned over a twisty road and you’ve loaded the front and rear of the motorcycle in a sporty way, you won’t feel the knobs of the tires moving. You won’t feel any movement in the tire. It doesn’t feel like a dual-purpose tire. It feels like a road tire.

“And in the sand, because of the spacing of the tread pattern around the tire, there’s a bit more space; the grip they offered in the sand is pretty impressive,” he says. “So again, a true dual sport tire, which is great to see. The tightness of the tread pattern reduces road noise as well.”

Braking duties are handled by a 320mm front disc and a 270mm rear, both equipped with dual-channel ABS. Notably, the Bear 650 allows riders to easily disable rear ABS with a simple handlebar-mounted button.

“There’s a new front disc and a different ratio between the master cylinder and the slave cylinder on the rear brake,” Corbett shares. “You will notice a difference in braking performance if you’ve ridden an Interceptor. That’s primarily due to the fact you’ve got an upside-down fork, so you’ve got more torsional stiffness. So any force that’s going into that caliper is going more directly into the front wheel of the front tire. That plus the hollow front axle, which has a massive impact on the front end stiffness of the motorcycle.”

The Bear 650 includes full LED lighting and a 4-inch circular TFT instrument panel with smartphone connectivity, enabling turn-by-turn navigation with Royal Enfield’s iOS- and Android-powered smartphone app. Our only gripe is that the switchgear feels cheap and lacks tactile function.

With a seat height of 32.7 inches and an almost fully fueled 476-pound curb weight, the Bear 650 offers a comfortable and manageable ride for a wide range of riders. However, with its well-sprung suspension and big handlebar, the Bear 650 clearly favors larger, taller riders. The seat provides ample space for both rider and passenger, making it suitable for short trips.

The 2025 Royal Enfield Bear 650 successfully marries retro styling with contemporary features, offering a versatile and fun ride. Its homage to Royal Enfield’s racing heritage, combined with practical enhancements, makes it a compelling choice for American riders looking for a scrambler that stands out both in appearance and performance.