Royal Enfield makes such good use of its two air-cooled engines that customers are almost spoiled for choice.
The 350 single engine powers four different models while the 650 twin goes into six motorbikes, all of which have a charm and character of their own.
But in the company of the Continental GT and Interceptor and more recent Super Meteor, Bear and latest Classic, you could overlook the Shotgun retro custom cruiser.
One reason is that, unlike most other 650 models, the Shotgun has black exhausts and engine casings rather than chrome and shiny alloy. For me, that is a plus point for this biker who would rather ride his bike than polish it!
The finish is black on my 350 HNTR too and cleans up easily with a quick wash.
But ride the Shotgun and its talents shine.
One thing Royal Enfields have in common is they are a doddle to ride with simple technology that is easy to use and understand.
The Shotgun has a lot in common with the Super Meteor but the riding position is very different. The Super Meteor is more legs stretched forward ‘easy rider’ but you sit upright on the Shotgun with your feet directly below you.
The rider’s seat is big and comfortable and, at a low 795mm, even short riders will get their feet flat on the ground.
The Shotgun is surprisingly sporty to ride with the 47PS 648cc twin pulling willingly from low revs and giving strong mid-range performance accompanied by a deep burble from the black peashooter pipes.
With 52.3Nm of torque at 5,650rpm you can plonk along happily in top gear at 40mph but the six-speed gearbox’s light, precise shift adds to the fun on a twisty road.
The ride is supple and copes well with most bumps and lumps which is just as well as the front forks have no adjustment, but 120mm of travel, while the twin rear shocks have five-step preload and 90mm of travel.
Considering the Showa suspension’s simplicity, the Shotgun handles confidently, with decent grip on wet roads, and is good fun on country roads.
The single 320mm front disc brake is adequate but needs a good squeeze. By comparison, the 300mm rear disc is sharp with huge stopping power to help bring the Shotgun to a halt pretty quickly.
What also caught my eye was the clever seat set-up.
Behind the rider’s cushion is a separate pillion seat which can be unlocked with the ignition key and removed to reveal a sub-frame where you could strap an overnight bag on to the grab handles.
You can also unbolt that sub-frame’s four fixing points to create a single-seat bobber.
With so many Royal Enfield 650s to choose from, that versatile three-in-one seating could be the clincher for me.
A single dial speedometer has an inset digital display for fuel, time, gear indicator, mileage and eco monitor. A smaller separate turn-by-turn Google Tripper navigation display works via the Royal Enfield smartphone app.
The Shotgun is priced £6,699 to £6,899 depending on colour scheme.
With its black engine and exhausts, Royal Enfield’s Shotgun is a bit of a dark horse that is a pleasant surprise to ride. In fact, this Shotgun is a blast.
