Royal Enfield Bear 650 To Get Competition From Mahindra Soon: Details
Scrambler motorcycles are getting increasingly popular due to their practical ergonomics and rough road-friendly nature. These days, these aren't limited to high-end and litre-class segments alone. There are a slew of compelling mid-capacity models as well. Having taken note of its potential, more manufacturers are now foraying into the scrambler space. The latest such news comes from BSA. Mahindra-owned Classic Legends revealed their B65 scrambler at the Birmingham NEC Show, in November 2024. If launched in India, this could compete with the Royal Enfield Bear 650, which currently enjoys a monopoly here. But will it come to India? We'll take that question towards the end of this article...
BSA B65 Scrambler: Top Things To Know About It
To start with, the B65 is a derivative of the Gold Star 650 with a major flip in character. It ditches the Gold Star's classiness and goes for a design that is more utilitarian, rugged and 'urban'. Even in its character, the B65 isn't a hardcore off-road spec scrambler and prefers to be more on the lines of an urban rough-roader. This makes for a desirable proposition.
It has an LED headlamp setup with a grille for added protection and character, high-set and chopped mudguards, slim grab rail and a flat seat- iconic of most scramblers.
The side panels would resemble those of the Royal Enfield Bear 650 to some extent, and feature scrambler-style racing number plates- which will likely have 65 written on them, denoting the motorcycle's name. It remains to be seen if the company would offer customisation options for this. The show bike was seen in two dual-tone colourways- White-Grey and Yellow-Grey.
The B65 Scrambler will reportedly have the same underpinnings and mechanicals as the Gold Star 650. The same 652cc, single-cylinder engine will likely produce 45 bhp and 55 Nm. These need to be confirmed by the brand officially. Several tweaks are expected, which will improve the rideability and rider ergonomics.
The frame and suspension components are almost similar to what you see on the Gold Star. Considering this is a scrambler, the chassis could be reinforced to better handle rough roads. The suspension is also expected to offer significantly more travel than the Gold Star.
The scrambler will likely have a seat height of 820 mm. This would be nearly 40 mm more than the Gold Star's. So, how has BSA managed to achieve this height gain? By using larger wheels and tyres mostly. The front will have 19-inch wheel while the rear will get a 17-inch unit. These could be shod with Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR rubber. The ground clearance and suspension could be set higher as well.
B65 vs Royal Enfield Bear 650 Fight Incoming!
Royal Enfield currently dominates the 650cc scrambler space. The Bear 650 enjoys a monopoly there. It was launched in India in December last year, and currently has its ex-showroom prices in the range of 3.39- 3.59 lakh rupees. Royal Enfield's 650 platform and the 648 cc air/oil-cooled parallel-twin engine aren't new to Indian buyers. The motorcycle is also sold in multiple international markets.
The Bear 650 will face stiff competition from the upcoming B65. The Bear has a seat height of 830mm, roughly 10 mm higher than the B65. The ground clearance of the Royal Enfield Scrambler is 184mm. The wheel sizes too are identical.
The Bear 650's engine produces 46.8 bhp and 56.4 Nm. This is slightly higher than the B65's output. It remains to be seen how this battle evolves.
BSA B65 Scrambler: Will It Come To India?
The shortest answer to this question will be ' Not so soon'. Initially, the B65 will go on sale in global markets like Europe. When asked about the India debut, BSA said that there are no plans for an immediate domestic launch. However, considering the market and its potential, it makes sense to assume that BSA would launch it sometime in the future. Should that be the case, the B65 would likely sit above the Gold Star and have a slight price premium as well.