India-Bound BSA Scrambler Compared With Royal Enfield Bear 650: What's Better [Video]
BSA launched the new Scrambler 650 in the UK in July this year. Priced at £5,999, it primarily competes with the Royal Enfield Bear 650. A video shared on the channel ‘Mr Darcy & The Ol' Man’ shows a detailed comparison between the two. The hosts test both bikes on city roads, highways, and even on off-road paths.
Bear 650 vs BSA Scrambler 650: Suspension And Handling
For the uninformed, the Bear 650 is Royal Enfield’s scrambler based on the popular 650 platform. The Bear used in this video isn’t really stock. It has been fitted with an aftermarket exhaust and an aftermarket handlebar, which is taller and wider than the stock one. The BSA Scrambled featured here, on the other hand, is completely stock and only has accessories like saddle bags and bar-end mirrors.
The host starts by comparing the suspension of the two models. Many users have already raised concerns about the Bear’s setup, saying that it is too stiff and unforgiving. The host here seems to like the setup and its results. He says that the handling is exceptional on twisty, windy roads. ’It’s fabulous. Absolutely fabulous. Love it to bits’, he says.
He says that the BSA Scrambler’s suspension setup is equally brilliant. Even in terms of stiffness, he says the two are fairly comparable. The stiffness actually makes the ride more engaging, and is therefore no big concern. Even the riding positions are identical between the two motorcycles.
Engine Specifications
The biggest difference between these motorcycles is in their engines. Even though the displacement remains identical, the Royal Enfield comes with a twin-cylinder unit while the BSA has a big single. These thus have extremely different characters. Talking of outputs, the BSA’s engine produces 46 hp and 55 Nm and comes mated to a five-speed gearbox.
The Bear 650’s twin cylinder engine, on the other hand, generates 47 hp and 56.5 Nm of torque- marginally higher than the BSA’s output. Furthermore, the BSA Scrambler 650’s engine is water-cooled while the Royal Enfield motor gets air/oil cooling. On the roads, both perform equally well.
The host goes on to say that both bikes are comparable in terms of quality. The Royal Enfield, however, has a slight upper hand over the BSA when it comes to the quality and finish of components, especially the switchgear.
The throttle response differs slightly between the two motorcycles. The Bear 650 seems to be the smoother and more linear of the two.
Off-Road Performance
Later in the video, the two hosts take the motorcycles to a farm. They ride through unpaved paths and terrains. They say that both the BSA and the Royal Enfield performed well on the off-road track. The difference between them was negligible, and both are very capable for ‘unpaved explorations’. The suspensions on both took everything that the riders threw at them.
More About The BSA Scrambler 650 And RE Bear 650
In the UK, the BSA Scrambler 650 costs less than the Bear 650. It has a price of £5,999 (roughly Rs 6.98 lakh). The Bear 650, on the other hand, is priced at £6749 (Rs 8.05 lakh). The BSA Scrambler weighs 218 kilograms, while the Bear 650 has a weight of 216 kilos.
Doing suspension duties on the BSA is a setup that consists of 41 mm telescopic fork and twin-shock absorbers at the rear. At the front is a 19-inch wheel while the rear has a 17-inch unit, both shod with Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR rubber. BSA has given the Scrambler a fully-digital reverse LED cluster.
The Royal Enfield Bear 650 is based on a modified version of the platform found in the Interceptor and Continental GT. The suspension consists of a Showa USD forks at the front and Twin tube RSU at the rear. The front offers 130mm travel while the rear gets 115mm. Like the BSA, the Bear 650 rides on 19-inch front and 17-inch rear wheels, and has disc brakes at both ends.