Royal Enfield’s Interceptor 650 Wins MCN’s “Best Retro Bike of the Year 2020” For the Second Year Running

By motoph admin on November 14, 2020

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Royal Enfield is proud to announce that the Interceptor 650 has won MCN’s coveted “Retro Bike of the Year 2020” for the second year running.

Referencing the “Retro Bike of the Year”, MCN says, ‘the Interceptor captures the feel and attraction of traditional bikes’ and that, ‘there aren’t any rival bikes offering the same blend of then and now as the Royal Enfield’.

MCN’s annual awards cover 18 categories, celebrating all things biking. MCN draws together a panel of experts to judge its annual awards for the motorcycle industry. A team of experienced journalists and motorcycle riders debate the pros and cons of each machine and how well it meets the needs of the market and the category it sits in. Consideration is given to sales performance, reader/customer reaction, design, technical innovation, and overall performance to come out with an overall winner in each category. MCN explains, ‘it is not easy to win an MCN award and any machine that does, has truly met the needs of the market and impressed the often-sceptical judging panel.’

Royal Enfield is justifiably proud of the Twins’ success ever since the launch of the Interceptor 650 and the Continental GT in California October 2018. MCN was one of the first to test out the Twins in California and said, ‘the engine is lively without being intimidating, the handling is fun without being patronising and the finish is good without breaking the bank’.

The continued success of the Interceptor 650 has been reflected in the success of the UK sales, being the bestselling naked bike of the UK year so far, as well as being the best-selling bike across all categories in the month of June 2020.

Vimal Sumbly, Head of APAC Business for Royal Enfield says, ‘The Interceptor is a modern revival of a 70s icon, the first bike of the iconic twin and a great success from the joint venture between Chennai and the UK team in Bruntingthorpe. I am delighted to share that we have crossed 6000 units of our 650cc Twins retails in the APAC region. The Twins have been accepted very well since the launch and it is a true British-Indian collaboration. The Interceptor has won numerous awards in the last 2 years. Although we are a truly global brand who will continue to grow and innovate, we are extremely excited about the potential of the brand in South East Asia with the growth and response we have seen over the past two years.’

About Royal Enfield:

The oldest motorcycle brand in continuous production, Royal Enfield made its first motorcycle in 1901. A division of Eicher Motors Limited, Royal Enfield has created the mid-sized motorcycle segment in India with its unique and distinctive modern classic bikes. With its new manufacturing base in Chennai, India, Royal Enfield is able to grow its production rapidly against a surge in demand for its motorcycles. With more than 40% growth every year for the last 5 years, Royal Enfield is fast becoming a very important player in the global mid-size motorcycle market and is working towards re-inventing this space with motorcycles that are evocative and engaging and great fun to ride.

Royal Enfield’s motorcycle line-up includes the newly launched Interceptor 650 and the Continental GT 650, powered by a modern 648cc twin cylinder engine. Royal Enfield also manufactures the Classic, Bullet and Thunderbird models in 350 and 500cc displacement and the purpose-built Himalayan powered by the new LS410 engine. Royal Enfield operates through 18 company-operated stores and 940 large format stores and 500 studio stores in all major cities and towns in India, and exports to over 50 countries across the world including the USA, UK, several European and Latin American countries, as well as the Middle East and South-East Asia.

Royal Enfield also organizes and supports many motorcycling events and rides globally, more prominently the Rider Mania – an annual gathering of Royal Enfield riders from all over the world to the lovely beaches of Goa, and the Himalayan Odyssey, the most arduous motorcycle ride over some of the toughest roads and highest mountain passes in the Himalayas. Royal Enfield also conducts the popular ‘One Ride’ where people around the world ride out on their motorcycles on the first Sunday of April.