After having read all the comments I feel compelled to add one more. I have had my RE 650 since 2019. This bike DESERVES the love. Modifying it (along with the Himalayan) is just like having your favorite girl put on her red dress and black heels and getting her hair and make up done--TOTALLY WORTH IT.
Enjoyed your video. I've gone the S&S big bore and Cam kit, ported the head, powertronic system, enhanced the air filter and went with a larger stainless header system and mufflers. I've modded the front suspension, but left the rear suspension stock at present. I've put on larger Michelin tyres as well. it's still a work in progress and i intend to fit similar bars to the ones in this video for the same reason you mentioned. So far, i haven't regretted a thing about the changes and it's the bike I take out the most. Thanks for the great video.
Thanks Michael. I really enjoy all your videos. Your style is akin to chating with one's like minded mates down the pub. Very useful for someone who whilst having ridden for years has no real knowledge of the inner workings of the motorcycle.I can't wait for the next one!
😂 Thank you . When I started , about 9 months ago , a friend asked me ,”what are you trying to do?” I replied that I wanted it to be like two friends having a conversation over a cup of tea at a motorcycle cafe . “Like minded friends , down the pub “sounds pretty close ! Thank you ..Glad you enjoy them . 👍
@@michaelmam Ah yes, a motorcycle cafe sounds much better. I must admit I did feel a bit uneasy whilst typing the word 'pub'. Not quite the right vibe.😂😂
Thank you Nigel . There are videos 4 and 5 as well . 4 covers what I did on mine and the last one, “ Living with a Royal Enfield Big Bore” covers what I have learnt in the six months since the conversion .
Another fantastic video. Watched it on my smart TV. Great ride too on roads that I'm familiar with. The bike looks fantastic after the modifications Craig has had done to it. Well done. 👍
Good review on a clean conversion. I have all the bits, just need to find an engine builder near me. Please expand on the fueling and ECU that was used. I think that placing new EDC brake pads has been shown to make vast improvements. I will also be doing the ported head and the bored out throttle bodies and the clutch upgrade, also will go up one tooth on the front sprocket. Well done.
Good to hear from you Steve . I will cover a bit more detail on the Fueling when I film my conversion but the bike has the Euro 4 model ECU . I am sure that changing the pads is a good idea for those looking to improve braking . A logical starting point . The Kings Two wheel Centre bike has an extra tooth on the front as well . Pulls cleanly through the revs in every gear 👍 Have fun with yours and hope you find a local engine builder! Where about are you?
Cheers for the 865 overview. Craig has the nicest Intercepter I've seen. Did Paul say if he had drilled out the compression ports? I've added YSS PD valve emulators, drilled the ports and added Racetech 340mm linear 0.9kg/mm springs. Has sorted out the problematic damping and the stiffer springs keep the nose up nicely.
Adding up the engine mods and factoring in some labour I'm getting somewhere near £4k. I'm thinking for me personally swapping it for a speed twin with better quality finish, more advanced electronics and superior brakes seems a better option. Yes tuning makes it more individual but is it a better bike after all that work than the Triumph?
👍 I think that is a fair question and comparison . It was actually my benchmark when considering it . I have had 3 Triumphs . I didn’t like the 2004/5 Thruxton but the other 2 standard bonnevilles were good, “honest” bikes. I suspect the suspension on the modified RE will be better than the standard T100 , brakes better on the Triumph . Power is about the same , although the RE might edge it and the electronics , for me , a personal choice at this sort of power level? I wouldn’t entertain a 150 bhp plus bike without them but part of the beauty of the RE is its simplicity . Having thought about it for a while , I have opted for the individuality and handling . I know others will go the T100 route and respect that . 👍
@@michaelmam these are questions I'm asking myself. I like the idea of simplicity and individuality but I also need to be honest and admit reliability, longevity and also a good future return are also things I need to take into consideration. I just know the cash thrown at an RE will not greatly enhance resale figures. If you enjoy all the tuning and the cost doesn't put you off then I don't see why not 👍
@@richard.c3901 I can understand that . Modifying bikes rarely enhances value to anything like the money spent . You therefore need to either keep the bike a fair few years to dilute the depreciation or do modifications that you can take off and sell, when you want to change . Big bore kits aren’t something you would normally take off .
Down under, the price differnec between the RE and the speed twin remains significant. I found with the mods, it remained quite a bargain and I preferred the handling to the Bonneville's, it also felt lighter to me. Subjective, i know, but I still wound up with an enjoyable bike for a reasonable outlay
@@resin8n Triumph Speed Twin is circa 11000GBP, RE sells around £6300 new, plus 4-5k on mods and labour. The Triumph will keep its value quite well. IMO unless being individualistic was the goal the Interceptor isn't worth blowing the budget on. Plus factor in new brakes with this sort of power upgrade. This would be ok if, as mentioned above, you planned to keep it long term. Horses for courses and all that but I still believe the Speed Twin is phenomenal value and a large step up in quality.
The only change to the Interceptor I would want is for the frame to be 6'' longer and 3'' taller. It is a great pity that RE do not produce larger frames for the western markets. They would be on to a winner if they did.
Thats interesting . Clutch was OK on the bike I tried but not sure how long it will last . My intention would be to upgrade when replacing . I have thought about valves and throttle bodies which are the next obvious constraint. Can you tell us more about what you have done to the bodies , what difference it has made and the cost? Thank you Bill
Ahhhh! At last! Just watched your video again Michael, very interesting. 1st proper chance to comment as “she who cracks the whip” keeps interrupting my viewing. What a lovely bike the Intercepter is. It’s amazing how many they have sold worldwide. Very good value for your money. I think the majority that buy this motorbike buy it because it’s just good value for money. Some that buy it will have saved themselves a bit of extra cash and may well go down that road to improve on what’s already a good bike. Yes! I know some folk will say! Well why didn’t you buy a Bonneville or a R nineT or Kawasaki W800? Like you, I think Royal Enfield have developed a bike that will sell like hot cakes and have worked hard to develop this model. For £5.500 most if they wanted to could go down the road and spend some extra cash on upgrades to make it even better. Obviously some will also say why fix it if ain’t broke! But we’re all different in our tastes. I think the Interceptor is a joy to look at and I’d quite like to have a ride on one. For a standard air and oil cooled parallel twin at a standard 648cc is the crowning glory of the Interceptor. Yes I could go on but got some conifers to trim. P.S. I’ll look forward to seeing your updated Interceptor in the not too distant future.
I think you are right Gary. The majority of owners that I speak to have come away from sportier bikes and are attracted by the price and simplicity. I am probably slightly unusual in that I mostly still ride some quite fast bikes? I like the standard bike but want to make mine slightly more dynamic without losing its core character.
@@michaelmam Hi Michael. I’ve been watching a few TH-cam videos and liked The Missenden Flyer reviewing the Interceptor 650 and the Continental GT, brilliant reviews too, he praised Royal Enfield very highly. I’d be tempted if I hadn’t already got my Z900rs. Like I said, I’ll look forward to seeing your Interceptor’s progress over the next few months.
@@michaelmam Hello again Michael. I found this video by Wildlife Moto on TH-cam. I don’t know if you’ve already seen it. Loads of comments too. Worth a look I think. I know how busy you are! 😂 still ! It’s a Royal Enfield Interceptor so I know you’ll like it. I certainly did. 👍 th-cam.com/video/TbgLQgmMmIA/w-d-xo.html
Well done! Thank you for this. I'm on the fence between this and a used 865 Bonneville. By the way, what about the clutch? Surely that needed some attention?
I have had a couple of early , modern Bonneville . Good bikes, but this time I wanted to do something a bit more personal and different . There are two more videos after 3 which you might enjoy or you can just go to the Living with a Big Bore ( that’s the bike ,not me ) which sums it all up .. clutch ended up being upgraded . I cooked the original … 😂
Thanks Alan . Glad you liked it . The bars were good and I will be fitting them to mine as well . Apologies I don’t know what they are yet but will say when do the next video as they work on mine . Hope that is not too late for you ! You could ring Kings Two Wheel Centre on 01865 842144. I am sure they could get you some 👍
Hello Michael Thank you for taking the time to do these videos! Can you identify the handlebars fitted which you mention at about 20:00? I have subscribed and will be following along...
@@michaelmam OK, thanks!! I started the installation of the ST2 turn system on my 2020 today. Not quite done yet, but a worthwhile job, in my opinion. Leaving a turn signal on can have grave consequences...
Those extensive mods should *transform* the stock bike. After going to such lengths, why not go all the way and seal the wheel rims to run *tubeless* ? There are tutorials on TH-cam for the conversion, and Woody's Wheel Works even makes the Outex Tubeless Kit with all he bits and pieces. A lighter wheel should handle the bumps better, and with less mass to spin, the bike should accelerate and deccelerate more quickly. The tires would also be less likely to over-heat at high speed and heavy loading because there'd be no friction between the tire and tube when flexing.
@@andrewslagle1974 - Having to change or patch a motorcycle tire tube "in the field" is usually a miserable job. Tubes also add to unsprung weight and to wheel moment of inertia and to heat-generating friction.
I quite fancy an Interceptor, but my concern is that if you go all the way, as per this video, you end up spending £3,000+ and end up with a Street Twin. I can understand an air filter and exhausts, but why spend all that cash to end up with something you could have just bought in the first place with no warranty issues?
A very interesting watch but for me this seems to defeat part of the reason for buying this bike. Mine cost £5,899 which I consider to be a bargain, doing all this makes the cost of the bike in the region of £10,000 for which money there are an awful lot of alternatives e.g the Ducati Scrambler or Street Triple both of which I ruled out because of there price.
We Interceptor owners are a pretty diverse group ? I like the bike because I thought it was a great platform to customise and have an interesting , unique , upright, retro twin that owes me about 10,000 . We are all different , which is good👍
865 upgrade aside, you can improve the supension, brakes and exhaust quite cheaply if you do your research (and are willing to do the work). Even the other bikes you mention will no doubt require some owner modding.
If you're looking at the twins only in terms of their price, I think you're missing the point. In their stock form, the Interceptor and Continental GT are fantastic bikes, but their relative simplicity and affordability make them ideal bikes to individualise, which appeals to people who want something a bit different.
Lovely bike but the vid would have been so much nicer if you mounted your camera on your helmet, a simple GoPro mount that sticks right on, would give an accurate look at riding it is actually like.
@@rifayahamed2640 Sorry for the delay . Craig at Kings Two wheel Centre can do the headers separately but they are all one off? Prices would be between £450 and £500 including vat but excluding delivery . .
Shame you talk about not hearing the exhaust properly due to the placement of the camera when out on the road when you could maybe have at least recorded it on start up and had more than ample opportunity in your garage with the keys already in the ignition 😟
The specification sheets I have seen show that the power for the W800 is identical to the standard 650 which suggests a soft tune . Friends who have had one , rave about them . “ bullet proof” . Do you have one ?
@@michaelmam Greeting from SoCal and thank you for your reply. No I do not own one but wish to in the future. It would be my first motorcycle if I were to get the w800. My father said he had one that looked like that one. It was a Triumph Trophy I believe though I could be mistaken. I love the look of the w800 but still am not sure it is a good first bike. I am also very tall, 6'2", so I figured a larger displacement would be better. I wonder if there is a way to give the w800 more power if it is soft tuned. I really enjoyed your video and have good day.
Listen. We're not yanks. Leave all this (so-called) customising bs to them. If you need more power, buy a more powerful bike. If handling is your thing, buy a better handling bike. This has nothing to do with biking and everything to do with consumerism.
@@michaelmamThere's a big difference to repairing or improving old or substandard bikes and building new bikes designed to be customised with a huge catalogue of bolt on consumer items. RE only offer a small range of optional extras. Their rightly proud of the bikes they make. Contrast that with Harley and their huge catalogue of crap to waste your money on. OK, if you get down to stripping parts and understanding how they work; I'm an engineer so I definitely get that, but there's a huge pile of brand new Interceptor exhausts sitting in the back of garages. Just seems like a waste to me.
@@davidbesant I can see where you are coming from . It can be a wasteful process . Modifying bikes to improve performance and more subjectively , aesthetics is a well established practise that has created some very good bikes and manufacturers have identified it as a source of additional income . It certainly isn’t just HD . Ducati, BMW and Triumph are big in accessories . Personally I think RE are supporters of customising . Their press releases seem to suggest so . Ultimately I believe in freedom of choice . If people want standard , great . If they want to modify it , feel free . Whether I like it or not is irrelevant . 👍
The american way is big and shiny. The european way is the wolf in a sheeps clothes. I’m all in for the european way with the suspension and brakes upgrades and specifically the big bore kit - which also could be the main reason for buying a Royal Enfield.
After having read all the comments I feel compelled to add one more. I have had my RE 650 since 2019. This bike DESERVES the love. Modifying it (along with the Himalayan) is just like having your favorite girl put on her red dress and black heels and getting her hair and make up done--TOTALLY WORTH IT.
Enjoyed your video. I've gone the S&S big bore and Cam kit, ported the head, powertronic system, enhanced the air filter and went with a larger stainless header system and mufflers. I've modded the front suspension, but left the rear suspension stock at present. I've put on larger Michelin tyres as well. it's still a work in progress and i intend to fit similar bars to the ones in this video for the same reason you mentioned. So far, i haven't regretted a thing about the changes and it's the bike I take out the most. Thanks for the great video.
Sounds like you are having fun Bill ! Well done .
Really like the indicators helps tidy the front and rear of the beast
Thank you for doing such an extensive and authentic video about this topic.
Hi Mike Guess i am going to be boring by leaving my interceptor standard but i like the simplicity of it. Enjoyed the video. Cheers from Queensland.
Nothing boring about that Ian! Have fun - which is what , for most of us , its all about. 👍
Thanks Michael. I really enjoy all your videos. Your style is akin to chating with one's like minded mates down the pub. Very useful for someone who whilst having ridden for years has no real knowledge of the inner workings of the motorcycle.I can't wait for the next one!
😂 Thank you . When I started , about 9 months ago , a friend asked me ,”what are you trying to do?” I replied that I wanted it to be like two friends having a conversation over a cup of tea at a motorcycle cafe .
“Like minded friends , down the pub “sounds pretty close ! Thank you ..Glad you enjoy them . 👍
@@michaelmam Ah yes, a motorcycle cafe sounds much better. I must admit I did feel a bit uneasy whilst typing the word 'pub'. Not quite the right vibe.😂😂
@@rochmel1409 😂. Good to hear from you!
Enjoyed the video, good to see some of options available together with a breakdown on costs
Thank you Nigel . There are videos 4 and 5 as well . 4 covers what I did on mine and the last one, “ Living with a Royal Enfield Big Bore” covers what I have learnt in the six months since the conversion .
Space a bit for preload and add one ounce of 5 w 40 .Stiffens it up just fine
Great video and you're doing the right thing, go all the way , no point doing half a job.........all the best Dave
Thank you Dave !
Have I found my perfect TH-camr let's hope so, a few out there drive me nuts, the big bore bike is superb. The looks wow I can drink that in all day.
Another fantastic video. Watched it on my smart TV. Great ride too on roads that I'm familiar with. The bike looks fantastic after the modifications Craig has had done to it. Well done. 👍
Thank you Julian . 👍 Enjoyed your radio show last night .
Good review on a clean conversion. I have all the bits, just need to find an engine builder near me. Please expand on the fueling and ECU that was used. I think that placing new EDC brake pads has been shown to make vast improvements. I will also be doing the ported head and the bored out throttle bodies and the clutch upgrade, also will go up one tooth on the front sprocket. Well done.
Good to hear from you Steve . I will cover a bit more detail on the Fueling when I film my conversion but the bike has the Euro 4 model ECU . I am sure that changing the pads is a good idea for those looking to improve braking . A logical starting point . The Kings Two wheel Centre bike has an extra tooth on the front as well . Pulls cleanly through the revs in every gear 👍 Have fun with yours and hope you find a local engine builder! Where about are you?
Cheers for the 865 overview. Craig has the nicest Intercepter I've seen. Did Paul say if he had drilled out the compression ports? I've added YSS PD valve emulators, drilled the ports and added Racetech 340mm linear 0.9kg/mm springs. Has sorted out the problematic damping and the stiffer springs keep the nose up nicely.
I think so , but will check when I next see him 👍
Adding up the engine mods and factoring in some labour I'm getting somewhere near £4k.
I'm thinking for me personally swapping it for a speed twin with better quality finish, more advanced electronics and superior brakes seems a better option. Yes tuning makes it more individual but is it a better bike after all that work than the Triumph?
👍 I think that is a fair question and comparison . It was actually my benchmark when considering it . I have had 3 Triumphs . I didn’t like the 2004/5 Thruxton but the other 2 standard bonnevilles were good, “honest” bikes. I suspect the suspension on the modified RE will be better than the standard T100 , brakes better on the Triumph . Power is about the same , although the RE might edge it and the electronics , for me , a personal choice at this sort of power level? I wouldn’t entertain a 150 bhp plus bike without them but part of the beauty of the RE is its simplicity . Having thought about it for a while , I have opted for the individuality and handling . I know others will go the T100 route and respect that . 👍
@@michaelmam these are questions I'm asking myself. I like the idea of simplicity and individuality but I also need to be honest and admit reliability, longevity and also a good future return are also things I need to take into consideration. I just know the cash thrown at an RE will not greatly enhance resale figures. If you enjoy all the tuning and the cost doesn't put you off then I don't see why not 👍
@@richard.c3901 I can understand that . Modifying bikes rarely enhances value to anything like the money spent . You therefore need to either keep the bike a fair few years to dilute the depreciation or do modifications that you can take off and sell, when you want to change . Big bore kits aren’t something you would normally take off .
Down under, the price differnec between the RE and the speed twin remains significant. I found with the mods, it remained quite a bargain and I preferred the handling to the Bonneville's, it also felt lighter to me. Subjective, i know, but I still wound up with an enjoyable bike for a reasonable outlay
@@resin8n Triumph Speed Twin is circa 11000GBP, RE sells around £6300 new, plus 4-5k on mods and labour. The Triumph will keep its value quite well. IMO unless being individualistic was the goal the Interceptor isn't worth blowing the budget on. Plus factor in new brakes with this sort of power upgrade.
This would be ok if, as mentioned above, you planned to keep it long term.
Horses for courses and all that but I still believe the Speed Twin is phenomenal value and a large step up in quality.
Great video series on the interceptor 👍
Thanks Kevin!
The only change to the Interceptor I would want is for the frame to be 6'' longer and 3'' taller. It is a great pity that RE do not produce larger frames for the western markets. They would be on to a winner if they did.
Oh, also fitted a stronger clutch kit and bored out the throttle bodies. The original clutch didn't last long at all. haha
Thats interesting . Clutch was OK on the bike I tried but not sure how long it will last . My intention would be to upgrade when replacing .
I have thought about valves and throttle bodies which are the next obvious constraint. Can you tell us more about what you have done to the bodies , what difference it has made and the cost? Thank you Bill
Ahhhh! At last! Just watched your video again Michael, very interesting. 1st proper chance to comment as “she who cracks the whip” keeps interrupting my viewing. What a lovely bike the Intercepter is. It’s amazing how many they have sold worldwide. Very good value for your money. I think the majority that buy this motorbike buy it because it’s just good value for money. Some that buy it will have saved themselves a bit of extra cash and may well go down that road to improve on what’s already a good bike. Yes! I know some folk will say! Well why didn’t you buy a Bonneville or a R nineT or Kawasaki W800? Like you, I think Royal Enfield have developed a bike that will sell like hot cakes and have worked hard to develop this model. For £5.500 most if they wanted to could go down the road and spend some extra cash on upgrades to make it even better. Obviously some will also say why fix it if ain’t broke! But we’re all different in our tastes. I think the Interceptor is a joy to look at and I’d quite like to have a ride on one. For a standard air and oil cooled parallel twin at a standard 648cc is the crowning glory of the Interceptor. Yes I could go on but got some conifers to trim. P.S. I’ll look forward to seeing your updated Interceptor in the not too distant future.
I think you are right Gary. The majority of owners that I speak to have come away from sportier bikes and are attracted by the price and simplicity. I am probably slightly unusual in that I mostly still ride some quite fast bikes? I like the standard bike but want to make mine slightly more dynamic without losing its core character.
@@michaelmam
Hi Michael. I’ve been watching a few TH-cam videos and liked The Missenden Flyer reviewing the Interceptor 650 and the Continental GT, brilliant reviews too, he praised Royal Enfield very highly. I’d be tempted if I hadn’t already got my Z900rs. Like I said, I’ll look forward to seeing your Interceptor’s progress over the next few months.
@@TheChrysler56 Good to hear from you . As you know I have a Z as well. Very different bikes but both very good in their own way . 👍
@@michaelmam
Hello again Michael. I found this video by Wildlife Moto on TH-cam. I don’t know if you’ve already seen it. Loads of comments too. Worth a look I think. I know how busy you are! 😂 still ! It’s a Royal Enfield Interceptor so I know you’ll like it. I certainly did. 👍
th-cam.com/video/TbgLQgmMmIA/w-d-xo.html
Well done! Thank you for this. I'm on the fence between this and a used 865 Bonneville.
By the way, what about the clutch? Surely that needed some attention?
I have had a couple of early , modern Bonneville . Good bikes, but this time I wanted to do something a bit more personal and different . There are two more videos after 3 which you might enjoy or you can just go to the Living with a Big Bore ( that’s the bike ,not me ) which sums it all up .. clutch ended up being upgraded . I cooked the original … 😂
@@michaelmam Thank you Mam! ....now that sounds odd😅
@@johnDukemaster 😂
Great video. Well done. One question I have is what bars have been fitted. I love the swept back look.
Thanks Alan . Glad you liked it . The bars were good and I will be fitting them to mine as well . Apologies I don’t know what they are yet but will say when do the next video as they work on mine . Hope that is not too late for you ! You could ring Kings Two Wheel Centre on 01865 842144. I am sure they could get you some 👍
Hello Michael
Thank you for taking the time to do these videos! Can you identify the handlebars fitted which you mention at about 20:00?
I have subscribed and will be following along...
I will see if I can get the details tomorrow 👍
@@michaelmam Thank you very much! I appreciate it.
@@wardduffield489 If you look on ebay.. Black ROYAL ENFIELD CLASSIC. Motorcycle bar HORN . Handlebars BEACH STYLE 👍
@@michaelmam OK, thanks!!
I started the installation of the ST2 turn system on my 2020 today.
Not quite done yet, but a worthwhile job, in my opinion.
Leaving a turn signal on can have grave consequences...
I do like the bars. Can you provide a link to these?
Sorry for the delay Peter . I am not sure what the bars are but will cover it in the final video - hopefully at Christmas 👍
I really like the shortened tail section - what seat did they put in it?
Its the standard seat with a plate on the back and reupholstered.
That's a wonderful seat ! Where did you get that from??
Bespoke made Nakul . Used the original base 👍
Those extensive mods should *transform* the stock bike. After going to such lengths,
why not go all the way and seal the wheel rims to run *tubeless* ? There are tutorials on
TH-cam for the conversion, and Woody's Wheel Works even makes the Outex Tubeless Kit
with all he bits and pieces. A lighter wheel should handle the bumps better, and with less
mass to spin, the bike should accelerate and deccelerate more quickly. The tires would also
be less likely to over-heat at high speed and heavy loading because there'd be no friction
between the tire and tube when flexing.
We ran tube tires for years with no problems, why fix something thats not broken!
@@andrewslagle1974 - Having to change or patch a motorcycle tire tube "in the field" is usually a miserable job. Tubes also add to unsprung weight and to wheel moment of inertia and to heat-generating friction.
Hi. Trying to get a FB group going to discuss all thing 'Royal Enfield Big Bore' internationally.
Let me know when you have a group up and I will join 👍
@@michaelmam It’s there now if you search for that name. Can’t put a link in here because TH-cam (Google) deletes it.
How is the reliability of the engine after the big bore kit?
I have only ridden 2300 miles on the bike so not a real test ? All good so far . Starts and runs very well , so far 👍
The grey 'downtown drag' livery looks like a Euro 5 bike. I didn't think you could tamper or flash EURO 5 ECU'S?
Tank is “5”, bike is “4”. Hope this helps!
Ha!
@@michaelmam Tank is from my bike (I wanted a black tank).
I quite fancy an Interceptor, but my concern is that if you go all the way, as per this video, you end up spending £3,000+ and end up with a Street Twin. I can understand an air filter and exhausts, but why spend all that cash to end up with something you could have just bought in the first place with no warranty issues?
I answer that question , and others in part 4 . 👍
but its just a street twin not an enfield!
A very interesting watch but for me this seems to defeat part of the reason for buying this bike. Mine cost £5,899 which I consider to be a bargain, doing all this makes the cost of the bike in the region of £10,000 for which money there are an awful lot of alternatives e.g the Ducati Scrambler or Street Triple both of which I ruled out because of there price.
We Interceptor owners are a pretty diverse group ? I like the bike because I thought it was a great platform to customise and have an interesting , unique , upright, retro twin that owes me about 10,000 .
We are all different , which is good👍
865 upgrade aside, you can improve the supension, brakes and exhaust quite cheaply if you do your research (and are willing to do the work). Even the other bikes you mention will no doubt require some owner modding.
If you're looking at the twins only in terms of their price, I think you're missing the point. In their stock form, the Interceptor and Continental GT are fantastic bikes, but their relative simplicity and affordability make them ideal bikes to individualise, which appeals to people who want something a bit different.
Lovely bike but the vid would have been so much nicer if you mounted your camera on your helmet, a simple GoPro mount that sticks right on, would give an accurate look at riding it is actually like.
Where you got this header pipe ?
I am not sure where the team sourced the raw material . From memory it is 16 gauge , 304 stainless ? They made the headers and connections in house .👍
@@michaelmam thanks . It’s possible to source it from you ?
@@rifayahamed2640 I will ask Craig on Tuesday 👍
@@michaelmam thanks
@@rifayahamed2640 Sorry for the delay . Craig at Kings Two wheel Centre can do the headers separately but they are all one off? Prices would be between £450 and £500 including vat but excluding delivery . .
Shame you talk about not hearing the exhaust properly due to the placement of the camera when out on the road when you could maybe have at least recorded it on start up and had more than ample opportunity in your garage with the keys already in the ignition 😟
Fair point . Not sure that my iphone sound system gives a very accurate reproduction of the sound though . 👍
I would love to see a Kawasaki w800 compared to this.
The specification sheets I have seen show that the power for the W800 is identical to the standard 650 which suggests a soft tune . Friends who have had one , rave about them . “ bullet proof” . Do you have one ?
@@michaelmam Greeting from SoCal and thank you for your reply. No I do not own one but wish to in the future. It would be my first motorcycle if I were to get the w800. My father said he had one that looked like that one. It was a Triumph Trophy I believe though I could be mistaken. I love the look of the w800 but still am not sure it is a good first bike. I am also very tall, 6'2", so I figured a larger displacement would be better. I wonder if there is a way to give the w800 more power if it is soft tuned. I really enjoyed your video and have good day.
there is very little aftermarket support for the w800 and the 5 speed trans is dated!
Sod that get a bonnie
😂😂 Each to their own Stephen.Respect your view.
@@michaelmam respect your video too sir 👍
Probably a lot cheaper !
if you want to go faster , why not buying an other bike ? buy yamaha 900 of bmx 1000
I guess if I wanted to , I would have . Each to their own .
Listen. We're not yanks. Leave all this (so-called) customising bs to them. If you need more power, buy a more powerful bike. If handling is your thing, buy a better handling bike. This has nothing to do with biking and everything to do with consumerism.
😂 The British have been customising bikes since they were first made …
@@michaelmamThere's a big difference to repairing or improving old or substandard bikes and building new bikes designed to be customised with a huge catalogue of bolt on consumer items. RE only offer a small range of optional extras. Their rightly proud of the bikes they make. Contrast that with Harley and their huge catalogue of crap to waste your money on. OK, if you get down to stripping parts and understanding how they work; I'm an engineer so I definitely get that, but there's a huge pile of brand new Interceptor exhausts sitting in the back of garages. Just seems like a waste to me.
@@davidbesant I can see where you are coming from . It can be a wasteful process . Modifying bikes to improve performance and more subjectively , aesthetics is a well established practise that has created some very good bikes and manufacturers have identified it as a source of additional income . It certainly isn’t just HD . Ducati, BMW and Triumph are big in accessories .
Personally I think RE are supporters of customising . Their press releases seem to suggest so . Ultimately I believe in freedom of choice . If people want standard , great . If they want to modify it , feel free . Whether I like it or not is irrelevant . 👍
The american way is big and shiny. The european way is the wolf in a sheeps clothes.
I’m all in for the european way with the suspension and brakes upgrades and specifically the big bore kit - which also could be the main reason for buying a Royal Enfield.
Look at HIS shed HE has more powerful bikes but none of them have this look.
You know, you can sponsor a poor American who will not get to ride a motorcycle this year for only one motorcycle.
But why should he?