Copyright Casper van der Ven 2025
Royal Enfield BEAR 650
Putting the BEAR between the bears
In July Royal Enfield DACH invited us to test and review the new Royal Enfield Bear 650, an invitation we most happily accepted. The availability of the press model coincided with the annual Craftwerk Berlin trip, so instead of testing the bike for a weekend, I got the chance to put it to the wringer: 3500km in 10 days, in all conditions. This year, the trip went to Romania, the perfect destination for highways, mountain passes, back roads, and unpaved roads, and the perfect place to put the Bear between bears.
Copyright Casper van der Ven 2025
The Bear 650 got its name from the Big Bear Motorcycle Run in the Californian desert. It originated in Los Angeles in 1921 as a bet between two blokes. Who could make it the 100mi to Big Bear Lake first? The motorcycle is built around the 650cc parallel twin, and shares its heart with the Interceptor, Continental, Classic, Shotgun, and Super Meteor. However, it sounds a little different the minute you fire it up, and it feels a little different the minute you let the clutch out. The Bear is the only model that features a two into one exhaust, which has a nice rumble, without being obnoxious. When you ride off, you realise that this new feature also bumps its torque from 52Nm to 56Nm. Combined with the changed geometry (shorter wheelbase 1400 vs 1475mm), the raised suspension, and the wide handlebars, this retro bike feels like a true scrambler.
Copyright Casper van der Ven 2025
Time to put it to the test
On the first day, I covered 500 km, 350 on the motorway, and 149 on secondary roads. The last kilometre? Loose gravel, uphill, to our cabin. And the Bear does it all. The wider handlebars and the wider pegs (with removable rubber inserts) allow for stability when the 19” front wheel dances over the rocks, and for easy maneuverability when you’re holding 130km/h on the motorway. The power delivery is smooth and reliable, and shifting between the six gears is smooth and simple. At 4000rpm, the parallel twin’s parts vibrate at perfect frequency and there are no vibrations in the handlebars. With the upright riding position, and the slightly taller seat (an official RE accessory), I could do this all day. And I did! On the weekend, I dropped down into Bulgaria, to attend the Traditional Fuel Fest by Cafe Racer Club Bulgaria, adding another 1000km on the paved two lane motorway. At 185cm/6ft tall, a few more centimetres would have helped with the sore knees on those really long days, but realistically, how often do you sit in the saddle for over 8 hours?
Copyright Casper van der Ven 2025
Does this scrambler scramble?
Copyright Casper van der Ven 2025
In the Balkans, most navigation tools do not shy away from sending you down unpaved roads. Gravel roads are official roads here, also in Romania, so when we planned to visit a lake in the mountains, my heart jumped when the last 10km turned out to be a gravel road. In second gear, on my feet, the Bear 650 took me most of the way comfortably. I never made it to the lake, because the MRF dual sport tyres found a nail that was a little tougher than the rear tyre. Until then, switching off the rear ABS and the USD suspension allowed me to have all the fun braaping and sliding between the pine. With 75kg, the stock suspension is a bit too stiff for me personally, but the 130mm in the front and 115mm in the rear are sufficient to tackle the potholes, the rocks, and the occasional log on roads like these. The optional RE engine guard and radiator guard on this bike gave me the confidence to throw up some dust and rocks. A heed of warning: do not mistake it for a dirt bike though, it is still a 215kg bike, ride it too fast and neither the tyres nor the suspension will keep up. So, yes, the scrambler scrambles, hard!
Copyright Cäthe Pfläging 2025
When in Rome(ania)
Copyright Casper van der Ven 2025
Petrol heads, whether passionate about two wheels or four wheels, associate riding in Romania immediately with the Transfăgărășan pass. Famous for its hairpin turns, especially after Jeremy Clarkson called it “the best road in the world” in one of Top Gear’s episodes, it connects northern and southern Romania over the 2042m via long S curves and sharp descents. The Bear took them all with pride and confidence. And the bears, they did not feel threatened and let me pass without any issue. 
Copyright Casper van der Ven 2025
However, on the Transalpina, the highest and longest mountain pass in the country, 2145m and 149km, my confidence in the tyres faded a bit when it rained the entire 3h of this stretch. I would recommend replacing them with the Pirelli Scorpion Rally tyres, it won’t change the look ;)
A quick note on the tech
Copyright Casper van der Ven 2025
The Bear features LED lights all around, a first for Royal Enfield, and a clean TFT dash that tells you trip, gear, fuel, speed, revs. No ride modes, no obnoxious menus, a clean menu for clean bike, so you can focus on riding. And with the built in navigation display, backed by Google Maps, navigating is made easy! Either the full display navigation, or the turn by turn, both work well with the RE app. Room for improvement, if you lock your phone, the app stops transmitting the navigation instructions to the dash.
Copyright Casper van der Ven 2025
In all, the Bear 650 exceeded my expectations in terms of rideability, comfort, and capability! It is a true scrambler in its class, with a lot of potential to customise to your needs.
Copyright Casper van der Ven 2025 
Copyright Casper van der Ven 2025
