Lets not get too carried away with this Triumph 'premium brand' stuff, I bought a brand new T120 Black that had a number of quality control issues. I was very dissapointed with it TBH. I sold it because I was fed up with it. Any bike that can survive roads in India should have a very easy/happy life in the UK. Well done RE 👍
Indeed the RE twins can't be compared with the Bonnies from Triumph in terms of fit finish and quality...but here in India an Interceptor 650 costs less than 3k UK pounds on road for the base variant whereas the Bonnie costs over 9.5k UK Pounds.... More than 3 times... And the difference is even greater when you consider the service, maintenance and parts cost. For 3k pounds this is a solid bike... Bang for buck..... In India at least.
Triumph always seem to be pretty shoddy imo while the intercepter and continental are less powerful they are the most you can have for an a2 anyway and i have heard a lot of good things about the finish and quality of them.
Here in Malaysia, i have test ridden both bikes and liked them both. However, the base version of both RE models are only around 20-25% cheaper than the Triumph Street Twin. It's tough to decide on the RE's without thinking of the Triumph.
RE will start to take business from Triumph at this rate improving rapidly and prices keeping reasonable. Triumph now a premium brand with premium prices.
Agree great value, but half the HP of a Triumph, remember you get what you pay for, I will stick to my Bonnie but for my wife the RE could be a good fit.
The Royal Enfield is cheaper than all other makes not only Triumph. The Street Twin is £2000 more but is 900cc, better build and has better dealer and spares back up.
For mainland Europe at least, I disagree, these are simply not good value over here. The fact that in India they sell at 1/3 the price of an equivalent Triumph, shows what you are really getting in terms of underlying cost/quality of the product. Buying this at 70% of the price of a Street Twin, which is much more powerful (900 CC of torque), better equipped and finished twice as well, does not add up - especially if you give depreciation even half a thought. Combined with a minuscule dealer network, these will remain very much a niche. A realistic price to really start shifting them would be closer to 4.500 EUR, not 6.500.
A very nice bike that regular people can afford without a second mortgage. One of the reasons Japanese bikes took off in the sixties is because you could buy them on hp at the dealer, and not have to go cap in hand to the bank manager. Same idea here really. Affordable equals sales. It's why Chinese bikes are selling well in southern Europe. And this is a good bike too. I expect to see more and more of them. Happy travels
You hit that squarely on the head. Motorcycle prices have jumped and the tech they're lauding on them hasn't helped the pricing. I can't say much about being above the fray though, with a 17 H-D Ultra Classic in the garage with the" infotainment" system and the price associated with those. But I very much see the place for a bike like this as a solo bike or as a second bike, easy to scoot around town for errands or just a bit of fun.
Its been a long time coming but RE are now in the ascendancy and starting to live up to their potential , offering decent desirable bikes that people want to own, at real world prices. Im a fan.
This is going to be my first brand new bike. 45 years old, grew up with YAMAHA XS 650 this is exactly what I have been looking for!! Fort Lauderdale, USA
When you say you're looking for things to dislike about a bike but are finding it hard I think is fantastic. Because there's been so many of these reviews now across various styles of bike and you say that quite a lot. Shows us just how far bikes have moved forward in terms of their quality. Who needs wikipedia for knowledge when you've got these reviews eh haha!
Hey saw the exact bike 2021 model and same color at a dealer on Saturday love the cafe racer style for years have an sv650s built as a cafe racer .you have this bike sold to me thanks I don't even need to test drive a new one you,ve done it great job.
very nice good to see some affordable new bikes. Simplicity is also a winner for enjoyment rather than piloting a space shuttle with a myriad of tweaks on hand..👍🏻☮❤
@@ojastushar8123 hope they do as i think this will be the global big seller they're after. Just wondering if the Himalayan frame will be easily adaptable to the twins mounting points?
@@captainaverage721 You may be right, the 650 engine is a little too big gor the Himalayan frame which will affect ground clearance. I guess RE are planning to come out with an upgraded 410cc engine for the Himalayan
So much to like about Royal Enfield. They’re such amazing value for money and being an A2 compatible bike they’re fantastic for the beginner and oldies alike. I’m very undecided regarding the Intercepter and GT Continental. Great review as usual. Great to see Harris Engineering’s input to make Royal Enfield what is today. Looking forward to to seeing what’s up RE sleeve in the future before the onslaught of electric bikes comes to haunt us petrol heads. Great to see that RE have sold thousands of their bikes worldwide too.
I bought a GT Continental 650 in Ice Queen White about six weeks ago and I absolutely love it (got rid of the 'Mickey Mouse' mirrors and put some bar end ones on the bike ;-) ). It's my first motorcycle and I didn't want to spend too much or buy too powerful a bike from the start, but I'm loving it to bits. Bought it for the occasional weekend ride, but in reality, riding this motorcycle has made me fall in love with biking so I just went ahead and ordered myself a Himalayan for commuting ; which means I'll only be taking the car in extremely bad weather conditions from now on. Have already taken my GT to work a couple of times and I find, as one is more concentrated and focused on a bike in traffic, you tend to arrive at work with a different state of mind, and the whole ride is less stressful than just driving the car to work. Overall, highly recommended ;-)
I hotted up my 2015 535 Cont GT with after market Hitchcock parts and probably has very similar performance to the new 650. Certainly not any slower and more genuine retro cool than the new bike with the mods that were done, and loved making the single as fast as a twin, but I've never been ever to ride it comfortably for anything more than about 45-60 minutes before my body starts to ache. Looks like it'll be up for sale and there is a new model Cont GT in my near future.
If I were in the market for a retro, the new Enfield models would be far preferable to the overly expensive faux Triumphs. Enfields aren't really "retro", they're originals with minimum development to comply with modern legislation and reliability. In my opinion there are no good test routes around Watford. You need to blat one junction up the M1 (which is right by the shop) and you'll be at Hemel. I think you know your way around there. I'm sure they'll let you have the bike for an extra half hour. 😁
I took one out for a test ride, really impressed and seems good value for money considering 3 yr warranty. I am undecided and also want to try the old model 2016 Triumph Bonnie Scrambler which is similar money. When the GT650 hits the second hand market I am sure they will be even more of a bargain!
Royal Enfield had test bikes at last weekend’s Phillip Island World Superbikes and I test road all of them including your test bike. I though they were ok bikes, definitely built to a price and not the same as Triumph’s build standards, but ok all the same. I can’t really see them being in competition with Triumph. The one thing I find strange with the new twins is that the primary side and timing side of the engines are reversed compared to the original RE twins from the ‘50s and ‘60s. Looks weird to me being so used to the old British bikes. Getting back on my Z900RS was a bit of a revelation lol.
gm16v149 lucky man ,I’m leaving it a year or so ,let the price come down a little, but gona have a Z900RS absolutely stunning bike. Don’t think you’ll be giving it up for a Enfield any time soon .😀🇬🇧🏍
I think you're wrong about that. My wife was serious about a Triumph Street Twin but know is leaning towards the Interceptor. Just more value for the money.
Alot of people like standard style bikes like Triumph makes but don't want to pay $10,000 dollars. That or just don't want a 900+cc 500+ lb machine. For me its both. I'd never have a Triumph on my radar but the Interceptor is #1 on my list for this season. I like scrambler style machines, but if its 500 pounds it kind of defeats the purpose. 400-650cc is the perfect range for most these days i think. Enough to have alot of fun but dosen't feel heavy. Might trade in my shadow for one if i can find a dealer close enough. Also might wait till the next model year to hear about any major issues if they come up. But it will take some sales from Triumph i can almost gaurantee. Alot of people will see the same style, but smaller, lighter, cheaper and really more unique and standout-ish, and they'll opt to save, what, 4,000$ on a bike that looks, sounds and rides just as well.
I found my palms getting sore after ten minutes or so on the GT. I'm a tad bit taller and heavier than you I suspect. The GT is much more grin inducing than the Interceptor I found especially if you get over the front on some quick corners but ultimately as an alrounder the Inter wins. I notice you get less exhaust note on the GT as you are a bit further away from the pipes so it could definitely do with the S&S system. Just sold my old bike waiting for my Ravishing Red Inta to get into the country now.
Saw one of these for the first time on the road the other day, fantastic looking bike. I see this as a great bike to fill the gap left when I sold my 72 Commando a few years back.
Nice review as ever TMF, Enfield's are really great value and good bikes in their own right. Be interesting if they put the new engine in the Himalayan. Cheers, Steve
TMF!! I/WE should all thank you for pointing out (On many occasions BTW) how important the feel or ergonomics of controls, buttons and various toggles are on switch gear and the like. As you (And many of our generation) have pointed out often is the fact that many manufacturers have gone the cheap route and created (PCB- as you call- and thank you! Cuz I never knew WHAT to call these lousy type buttons) the lowest feeling and functioning buttons on SO MUCH equipment. I can tell you that as a musician- I have wasted, re-sold and abandoned many pieces of electronic musical equipment because it was such nonsense to control and/or entirely hurt your hands to press! IRONIC! I wish younger generations understood the difference in these type quality feel(s) and manufacturer and will come to expect better! It truly makes the difference between wanting to USE gear or leave it behind! Way to go!- Cheers!
I couldn't agree more! Anything you touch has to feel top quality - and those PCB buttons don't....car manufacturers seem to get this and pay a lot of attention to the feel of a button (and even the sound of a shutting door for that matter!)....
Going through my late mid-life crisis at the age of 54! I used to ride motor bikes to get around when I was young, stopped when i was 20 because I got company cars as a salesman and ended up never taking my bike test! Now I regret it as back then it was so easy, now there is so much more to do and it cost a lot and my reactions are slower now I older. However, it is on my bucket list to pass my bike test and ride a big bike along some of Route 66 (the nice bits). So where am I, got my CBT in April 2018 and have been riding a Sinnis Hoodlum 125cc for the last year. i have done around 2500 miles and just LOVE riding again! Passed my theory on the 12th April this year and have booked my Mod 1 test for next Monday. My old school mate who does not like riding as much as me has taken and past both mod 1 & 2 behind my back as he was worried he might fail, so he let me know after he passed both - now more pressure on me! Any way going back to you reviews on the GT & the one you made on the Interceptor - LOVED THEM, Great reviews on the bikes and you are a very good presenter for motorbikes and you have a lot of experience with all the reviews that you have done. With these two bikes you have made me very interested, however, because of my tummy I feel the Interceptor might be the better riding position for me! Can these bikes take a 20 stone 6ft guy? or will I be after more power. I feel sorry for my poor Hoodlum, it's only 11.5 bhp and it just manages to pull me around! Love your reviews & KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK YOUR DOING GETTING OLD GITS LIKE ME BACK ON THE SADDLE!
Morning TMF, thanks for a great review as ever. At last, a new bike with a half decent front mudguard! Compare that to the virtually useless one on the Triumph Speed Twin you reviewed a couple of days ago - the Triumph's radiator was full of crud and the front of the engine looked like it had been sandblasted.
Brilliant as ever! I hope you get to keep one of the twins for a long-termer. Meanwhile, the take home is .. .surprise, surprise .. . the Interceptor looks better but the Cafe Racer is more fun. Many thanks for the review. Cheers!
I have been waiting for this review. I really hope you are able to do a longer term review on it as I am actually considering buying one in the future. However, I am a little concerned because passed Royal Enfield have had issues and this being a totally new bike and new engine only feeds my concerns.
Hopefully they end up being reliable and not problem ridden like other enfields. If they last, theyll be a huge hit. I'll buy one myself, but i don't trust Royal Enfeild enough to buy the first model year haha.
@@TheMissendenFlyer Absolutely! Cant wait, they're a long time coming... I've been hassling the poor bike shop every two weeks, only to be told another two weeks.. Placed my order in March / April.. Hopefully this is my last two weeks waiting, there has apparently finally been a load of containers delivered in the UK.. :)
I have a W800 and I love it. However, I am going to be keeping my eyes open a few years down the road for a GT650 on the secondary market. It looks great, and I haven’t seen anything negative about them yet. Adding one to my fleet would make sense.
Wow 75-80hp bracket! Talk about bang for buck hey! Tremendous bike I've ridden both this and the interceptor and I must say too they give more grin factor than my 70hp cfmoto 650nk, RE have got the tune right for the road 👌🙌
Great review mate. Just have to wait for my gt to be delivered then. Shouldn't be difficult to coax out a few more horses from this motor. The drag bike designed by s&s using this engine is apparently making around 2X more power than the stock engine.
I'm guessing this is aimed at our elder gentleman riders. So much retro interest atm. Thanks for your work as ever, always a quality review from your good self. I can never catch the real sound of a motorbike from TH-cam but thats not your fault. Ride safe sir.
@@TheMissendenFlyer I really like the way you choose the appropriate tool for the job. The phone view of the bikes is super for the overall appearance with no distortion. They call them mobiles for a reason you know!
Hi there, recent subscriber, and also very chuffed new owner of a 2008 GSA, having graduated from a Honda TransAlp. Loving the videos, especially all the GS stuff. If you ever get the chance you should try to make it out to Japan, where I live and work; it’s a real bikers’ paradise.
Riding position looks better than the Interceptor, but too sure about the different shaped of the fuel tank on the Continental. I wonder if the tanks are interchangeable? Apart from the Mickey Mouse mirrors, it's a nice tempting package. Certainly a rival to Triumph's 900cc range, in terms of styling and price.
You get what you pay for, triumphs are much better in terms of power and torque. Also you get a lot of new safety features. That said, I think there's nothing wrong with this bike, and does offers what it promises to be, fun and plain simple biking experience.
Another good looking product from the Royal Enfield stables. Things are definitely looking up for their "new age" retro style models. Though I would like to see the traditional logo on the tank rather than the "RE" thingy. Another informative video. Thanks for sharing.
One point that I through was a negative was 18 inch rear wheel size* ( tyre choice ) front being 18 as well is not to bad as Ducati Scrambler is also 18 front and other bikes TDM 900, Indian FTR 1200
Dear Mr Flyer, I would enjoy seeing some B-roll footage of you riding using your drone on its following mode. Just a few seconds of it tracking you floating across a B road in the moors or something would really be cool! Keep up the good work.
So would I!! So far I've not found a way of getting it to work! ...the issue is what to do with the controller whilst I'm riding the bike, putting it in my top box causes signal loss....
Great review. I'm in love with the new RE twins. Cannot wait to see them locally. Maybe I manage to decide between Interceptor and Continental GT. Gonna be a though call!
I like the look of both Royal Enfields. I think they've been very clever in the way they haven't tried to directly compete with Triumph; most people, after all, buy a retro for the styling rather than the performance. Be interesting to hear your thoughts on the similarities and differences between the Royal Enfields and the Triumph Bonnevilles, TMF.
Great review of the bike. I've been watching the RE for a few years and really liking what I am seeing. As I get older the need to have a multi cylinder engine with a large displacement is diminishing. The new 650 twin looks to be a perfect size. If there are any panniers available it would be just right I think. Thanks for the review.
Yes that is another I very much have my eye on - I actually got invited to the launch for that one but sadly couldn't go as I was away skiing at the time (tough life I know...)
Good review as usual. I am a fan of the cafe racer look and impressed with this. Looks like it might be popular with aftermarket mod scene, esp. with a £6k starting price. Whilst still not ‘cheap’ to start chopping a 6k motorcycle, it might allow smaller custom shops to demo their skills rather than on a (10k+) Triumph, R9T
I'll look at it and see if it is anything like the Norton 750 Atlas with the Featherbed frame .....already don't think it's going to handle as well ...But for the money it looks good ...👍
Another outstanding review I must say! What experience have you had with the 120th anniversary bikes that have been available since this review? I always look forward to your opinions and highly value them by the way! Thanks!
Now all I need is £5700 and I'm good to go... Also maybe a little extra for the riotous aftermarket S&S pipes you can buy for this. Superb beginner bike with plenty of torque and loads of feeling.
Unfortunately I don't have any contact with Royal Enfield themselves, just the dealer (who is very helpful), so it's difficult for me to get any long termers via say a press fleet which is how I deal with other manufacturers...but I do keep asking and maybe one day I will!
Another great review as always and favourable to Royal Enfield. Love the look of both these bikes and the price, just a wee bit too small for my frame when siting on them at the bike show. But then my first proper bike was a Honda CB200 and size didn't seem to be an issue then! Maybe a scrambler version or Himalayan version could be my perfect bike :-)
I thought it might take some time before you review the Continental GT since you just finished reviewing the Interceptor 650, but seems like you liked both the bikes, and you definitely are not on the procrastinating side of habits anyway... Kudos!!!
Another good review of a nice looking bike, only thing I didn't like the look of was the black rims but that's easily solved with a set of chrome or silver ones.
Lets not get too carried away with this Triumph 'premium brand' stuff, I bought a brand new T120 Black that had a number of quality control issues. I was very dissapointed with it TBH. I sold it because I was fed up with it. Any bike that can survive roads in India should have a very easy/happy life in the UK. Well done RE 👍
agree like rust pitting and electrical gremelins
Indeed the RE twins can't be compared with the Bonnies from Triumph in terms of fit finish and quality...but here in India an Interceptor 650 costs less than 3k UK pounds on road for the base variant whereas the Bonnie costs over 9.5k UK Pounds.... More than 3 times... And the difference is even greater when you consider the service, maintenance and parts cost.
For 3k pounds this is a solid bike... Bang for buck..... In India at least.
Triumph always seem to be pretty shoddy imo while the intercepter and continental are less powerful they are the most you can have for an a2 anyway and i have heard a lot of good things about the finish and quality of them.
Triumph is more expensive and probably better and more reliable but the continental gt 650 is learner legal (AUS) so that helps :(
Here in Malaysia, i have test ridden both bikes and liked them both. However, the base version of both RE models are only around 20-25% cheaper than the Triumph Street Twin. It's tough to decide on the RE's without thinking of the Triumph.
@@azwariemustapha6540 Continental GT in the UK is currently about £5,700
@@azwariemustapha6540 because of the tarrifs plasted by ASEAN on NON-ASEAN manufactured bike!!
RE will start to take business from Triumph at this rate improving rapidly and prices keeping reasonable. Triumph now a premium brand with premium prices.
Yes I agree 100%
As of Today:
US $11737 -- STREET TWIN
v/s
$ 4235 -- RE 650 (BOTH ON-ROAD|Approximately)
SO CHOICE IS CLEAR FOR MOST OF INDIANS.
Agree great value, but half the HP of a Triumph, remember you get what you pay for, I will stick to my Bonnie but for my wife the RE could be a good fit.
The Royal Enfield is cheaper than all other makes not only Triumph. The Street Twin is £2000 more but is 900cc, better build and has better dealer and spares back up.
For mainland Europe at least, I disagree, these are simply not good value over here. The fact that in India they sell at 1/3 the price of an equivalent Triumph, shows what you are really getting in terms of underlying cost/quality of the product. Buying this at 70% of the price of a Street Twin, which is much more powerful (900 CC of torque), better equipped and finished twice as well, does not add up - especially if you give depreciation even half a thought. Combined with a minuscule dealer network, these will remain very much a niche.
A realistic price to really start shifting them would be closer to 4.500 EUR, not 6.500.
A very nice bike that regular people can afford without a second mortgage. One of the reasons Japanese bikes took off in the sixties is because you could buy them on hp at the dealer, and not have to go cap in hand to the bank manager.
Same idea here really. Affordable equals sales. It's why Chinese bikes are selling well in southern Europe.
And this is a good bike too.
I expect to see more and more of them.
Happy travels
You hit that squarely on the head. Motorcycle prices have jumped and the tech they're lauding on them hasn't helped the pricing. I can't say much about being above the fray though, with a 17 H-D Ultra Classic in the garage with the" infotainment" system and the price associated with those. But I very much see the place for a bike like this as a solo bike or as a second bike, easy to scoot around town for errands or just a bit of fun.
People bought Japanese bikes back then(as I did) because they were reliable, fast and didn't leak oil everywhere.
@@djwarren5081 better than europea bikes.
Its been a long time coming but RE are now in the ascendancy and starting to live up to their potential , offering decent desirable bikes that people want to own, at real world prices. Im a fan.
This is going to be my first brand new bike. 45 years old, grew up with YAMAHA XS 650 this is exactly what I have been looking for!! Fort Lauderdale, USA
Nice one!
Have a 500 classic,and will have a 650 gt in a while,fell in love with RE in india and the twins...ohh man do they deliver..
Yeah they do
I am no fan of cafe racers either, but I rode one 2 days ago and absolutely loved it, thats coming from an Interceptor owner. Both great bikes.
Great review as always. Agree on the dual seat, I prefer it. Great priced, basic, fun bike. Very tempting.
Fantastic review yet again. Those new RE twins look amazing
....yes a real step change for RE as they ride really well too...
That looks very nice,enfield are getting their act together,good price too
This bike reminds me so much of what bikes used to be back in the day. I love it.
Yes that's what appeals to me - simple pleasure of riding....
Totally agree Interceptor looks much nicer. Both models so well priced and sounds like Royal Enfield really upped their game. Thanks TMF.
When you say you're looking for things to dislike about a bike but are finding it hard I think is fantastic. Because there's been so many of these reviews now across various styles of bike and you say that quite a lot. Shows us just how far bikes have moved forward in terms of their quality. Who needs wikipedia for knowledge when you've got these reviews eh haha!
Hey saw the exact bike 2021 model and same color at a dealer on Saturday love the cafe racer style for years have an sv650s built as a cafe racer .you have this bike sold to me thanks I don't even need to test drive a new one you,ve done it great job.
very nice good to see some affordable new bikes. Simplicity is also a winner for enjoyment rather than piloting a space shuttle with a myriad of tweaks on hand..👍🏻☮❤
I love the look of his bike! Still haven't made to my nearest dealer yet. I would love to see one up close.
Now lets see if RE will do a 650 Himalayan?
They sure will. Just have to wait about a year.
@@ojastushar8123 hope they do as i think this will be the global big seller they're after. Just wondering if the Himalayan frame will be easily adaptable to the twins mounting points?
@@captainaverage721 they won't want to miss out on the opportunity, people here in India are clamouring for a Himalayan 650
Captain Average challenge already accepted! Wait for the launch 😎
@@captainaverage721 You may be right, the 650 engine is a little too big gor the Himalayan frame which will affect ground clearance. I guess RE are planning to come out with an upgraded 410cc engine for the Himalayan
Nice review! Good to see another manufacturer upping their standards!
So much to like about Royal Enfield. They’re such amazing value for money and being an A2 compatible bike they’re fantastic for the beginner and oldies alike. I’m very undecided regarding the Intercepter and GT Continental. Great review as usual. Great to see Harris Engineering’s input to make Royal Enfield what is today. Looking forward to to seeing what’s up RE sleeve in the future before the onslaught of electric bikes comes to haunt us petrol heads. Great to see that RE have sold thousands of their bikes worldwide too.
I bought a GT Continental 650 in Ice Queen White about six weeks ago and I absolutely love it (got rid of the 'Mickey Mouse' mirrors and put some bar end ones on the bike ;-) ). It's my first motorcycle and I didn't want to spend too much or buy too powerful a bike from the start, but I'm loving it to bits. Bought it for the occasional weekend ride, but in reality, riding this motorcycle has made me fall in love with biking so I just went ahead and ordered myself a Himalayan for commuting ; which means I'll only be taking the car in extremely bad weather conditions from now on. Have already taken my GT to work a couple of times and I find, as one is more concentrated and focused on a bike in traffic, you tend to arrive at work with a different state of mind, and the whole ride is less stressful than just driving the car to work. Overall, highly recommended ;-)
Love RE's I own a Classic 500 and a 535 GT both beautiful motorcycles, next bike will be one of these.
I hotted up my 2015 535 Cont GT with after market Hitchcock parts and probably has very similar performance to the new 650. Certainly not any slower and more genuine retro cool than the new bike with the mods that were done, and loved making the single as fast as a twin, but I've never been ever to ride it comfortably for anything more than about 45-60 minutes before my body starts to ache. Looks like it'll be up for sale and there is a new model Cont GT in my near future.
Please upload some videos of the same with mods you have done.
Nice to see a full length front mudguard.
They always used to look cheap to buy and cheaply built. They now seem good value and well made..
If I were in the market for a retro, the new Enfield models would be far preferable to the overly expensive faux Triumphs. Enfields aren't really "retro", they're originals with minimum development to comply with modern legislation and reliability.
In my opinion there are no good test routes around Watford. You need to blat one junction up the M1 (which is right by the shop) and you'll be at Hemel. I think you know your way around there. I'm sure they'll let you have the bike for an extra half hour. 😁
Loved them she so reviewed them too. So much so ordered one.
I took one out for a test ride, really impressed and seems good value for money considering 3 yr warranty. I am undecided and also want to try the old model 2016 Triumph Bonnie Scrambler which is similar money. When the GT650 hits the second hand market I am sure they will be even more of a bargain!
Road one last night proper bike puts a smile on your face.
Royal Enfield had test bikes at last weekend’s Phillip Island World Superbikes and I test road all of them including your test bike.
I though they were ok bikes, definitely built to a price and not the same as Triumph’s build standards, but ok all the same. I can’t really see them being in competition with Triumph.
The one thing I find strange with the new twins is that the primary side and timing side of the engines are reversed compared to the original RE twins from the ‘50s and ‘60s. Looks weird to me being so used to the old British bikes.
Getting back on my Z900RS was a bit of a revelation lol.
gm16v149 lucky man ,I’m leaving it a year or so ,let the price come down a little,
but gona have a Z900RS absolutely stunning bike.
Don’t think you’ll be giving it up for a Enfield any time soon .😀🇬🇧🏍
I think you're wrong about that. My wife was serious about a Triumph Street Twin but know is leaning towards the Interceptor. Just more value for the money.
Alot of people like standard style bikes like Triumph makes but don't want to pay $10,000 dollars. That or just don't want a 900+cc 500+ lb machine. For me its both. I'd never have a Triumph on my radar but the Interceptor is #1 on my list for this season. I like scrambler style machines, but if its 500 pounds it kind of defeats the purpose. 400-650cc is the perfect range for most these days i think. Enough to have alot of fun but dosen't feel heavy. Might trade in my shadow for one if i can find a dealer close enough. Also might wait till the next model year to hear about any major issues if they come up. But it will take some sales from Triumph i can almost gaurantee. Alot of people will see the same style, but smaller, lighter, cheaper and really more unique and standout-ish, and they'll opt to save, what, 4,000$ on a bike that looks, sounds and rides just as well.
I found my palms getting sore after ten minutes or so on the GT. I'm a tad bit taller and heavier than you I suspect. The GT is much more grin inducing than the Interceptor I found especially if you get over the front on some quick corners but ultimately as an alrounder the Inter wins. I notice you get less exhaust note on the GT as you are a bit further away from the pipes so it could definitely do with the S&S system. Just sold my old bike waiting for my Ravishing Red Inta to get into the country now.
Saw one of these for the first time on the road the other day, fantastic looking bike. I see this as a great bike to fill the gap left when I sold my 72 Commando a few years back.
Nice review as ever TMF, Enfield's are really great value and good bikes in their own right. Be interesting if they put the new engine in the Himalayan. Cheers, Steve
There is a rumour....!
Thanks to reviews like this; just ordered a Mr Clean! Thank you very much for the great review!
Glad it was helpful!
I've been waiting for this one! It would be fantastic to see the long term review of this machine..
I agree!!!
great looking bike at a great price. Triumph had better watch out.
Triumphs are over priced, over hyped, it's been comming for years! HAIL the new King for us old school Rockers!
Triumph will really have to watch out when Royal Enfield decides to launch 850-900cc version of these bikes.
TMF!! I/WE should all thank you for pointing out (On many occasions BTW) how important the feel or ergonomics of controls, buttons and various toggles are on switch gear and the like. As you (And many of our generation) have pointed out often is the fact that many manufacturers have gone the cheap route and created (PCB- as you call- and thank you! Cuz I never knew WHAT to call these lousy type buttons) the lowest feeling and functioning buttons on SO MUCH equipment. I can tell you that as a musician- I have wasted, re-sold and abandoned many pieces of electronic musical equipment because it was such nonsense to control and/or entirely hurt your hands to press! IRONIC! I wish younger generations understood the difference in these type quality feel(s) and manufacturer and will come to expect better! It truly makes the difference between wanting to USE gear or leave it behind! Way to go!- Cheers!
I couldn't agree more! Anything you touch has to feel top quality - and those PCB buttons don't....car manufacturers seem to get this and pay a lot of attention to the feel of a button (and even the sound of a shutting door for that matter!)....
The video I’ve been patiently awaiting 😊
Going through my late mid-life crisis at the age of 54! I used to ride motor bikes to get around when I was young, stopped when i was 20 because I got company cars as a salesman and ended up never taking my bike test! Now I regret it as back then it was so easy, now there is so much more to do and it cost a lot and my reactions are slower now I older. However, it is on my bucket list to pass my bike test and ride a big bike along some of Route 66 (the nice bits). So where am I, got my CBT in April 2018 and have been riding a Sinnis Hoodlum 125cc for the last year. i have done around 2500 miles and just LOVE riding again! Passed my theory on the 12th April this year and have booked my Mod 1 test for next Monday. My old school mate who does not like riding as much as me has taken and past both mod 1 & 2 behind my back as he was worried he might fail, so he let me know after he passed both - now more pressure on me! Any way going back to you reviews on the GT & the one you made on the Interceptor - LOVED THEM, Great reviews on the bikes and you are a very good presenter for motorbikes and you have a lot of experience with all the reviews that you have done. With these two bikes you have made me very interested, however, because of my tummy I feel the Interceptor might be the better riding position for me! Can these bikes take a 20 stone 6ft guy? or will I be after more power. I feel sorry for my poor Hoodlum, it's only 11.5 bhp and it just manages to pull me around! Love your reviews & KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK YOUR DOING GETTING OLD GITS LIKE ME BACK ON THE SADDLE!
What goes around comes around! Back to the 70's Hurray.
Morning TMF, thanks for a great review as ever.
At last, a new bike with a half decent front mudguard! Compare that to the virtually useless one on the Triumph Speed Twin you reviewed a couple of days ago - the Triumph's radiator was full of crud and the front of the engine looked like it had been sandblasted.
Yeah those mirrors on the Interceptor I think are perfect but the GT needs proper bar end ones.
Another great review. Love the way you keep your reviews simple and to the point. Looking forward to 650 Himalayan
Its a nice thing . Some bits look cheap but can't argue at that price
Thanks again, great review, now I am in a quandary between the GT and the Interceptor. :-)
Brilliant as ever! I hope you get to keep one of the twins for a long-termer. Meanwhile, the take home is .. .surprise, surprise .. . the Interceptor looks better but the Cafe Racer is more fun. Many thanks for the review. Cheers!
I have been waiting for this review. I really hope you are able to do a longer term review on it as I am actually considering buying one in the future. However, I am a little concerned because passed Royal Enfield have had issues and this being a totally new bike and new engine only feeds my concerns.
Hopefully they end up being reliable and not problem ridden like other enfields. If they last, theyll be a huge hit. I'll buy one myself, but i don't trust Royal Enfeild enough to buy the first model year haha.
Given the warranty and lack of complaints thus far, it seems to be going well. Maybe you'll own one yet 😂
Tried the demo bike GT 650 for 2 days! love it and booked one already coming next week :)
Great review. Thank you. I've been re-watching your vid over and over again, can't wait for mine to arrive soon.. long delivery from India.. 😁
Exciting times though eh - how long have you been waiting?
@@TheMissendenFlyer Absolutely! Cant wait, they're a long time coming... I've been hassling the poor bike shop every two weeks, only to be told another two weeks.. Placed my order in March / April..
Hopefully this is my last two weeks waiting, there has apparently finally been a load of containers delivered in the UK.. :)
I have a W800 and I love it. However, I am going to be keeping my eyes open a few years down the road for a GT650 on the secondary market. It looks great, and I haven’t seen anything negative about them yet. Adding one to my fleet would make sense.
I own a Royal Enfield Continental GT650 in Rocker Red. I think that it is beautiful.
Wow 75-80hp bracket! Talk about bang for buck hey! Tremendous bike I've ridden both this and the interceptor and I must say too they give more grin factor than my 70hp cfmoto 650nk, RE have got the tune right for the road 👌🙌
Great review mate. Just have to wait for my gt to be delivered then. Shouldn't be difficult to coax out a few more horses from this motor. The drag bike designed by s&s using this engine is apparently making around 2X more power than the stock engine.
I'm guessing this is aimed at our elder gentleman riders. So much retro interest atm. Thanks for your work as ever, always a quality review from your good self. I can never catch the real sound of a motorbike from TH-cam but thats not your fault. Ride safe sir.
Try using a decent set of headphones they improves the sound quality dramatically over normal audio output of phones and laptops
@@captainaverage721 Yeah I know cheers
nice commentary on the RE GT. Many thanks
Please go back to phone for walk round, GoPro too much fish eye...
If I had remembered to take my phone with me, I would have done!
You talked us through the spec in an unusual way!
@@TheMissendenFlyer I really like the way you choose the appropriate tool for the job. The phone view of the bikes is super for the overall appearance with no distortion. They call them mobiles for a reason you know!
Thank you Sir for another good video. A great change for Royal Enfield!........Sal : )
Simplicity wins every time in my book, nice bike and surely must be a bargain.
Folk in that village must wonder why the motorcyclist is always stopping outside the church but never goes in.
:0) I'd probably catch fire...
TheMissendenFlyer leaking petrol again?
Bikes are religion enough
Hi there, recent subscriber, and also very chuffed new owner of a 2008 GSA, having graduated from a Honda TransAlp. Loving the videos, especially all the GS stuff. If you ever get the chance you should try to make it out to Japan, where I live and work; it’s a real bikers’ paradise.
Would love too Philip...
At last a bike with proper mudguards hooray.
Riding position looks better than the Interceptor, but too sure about the different shaped of the fuel tank on the Continental. I wonder if the tanks are interchangeable? Apart from the Mickey Mouse mirrors, it's a nice tempting package. Certainly a rival to Triumph's 900cc range, in terms of styling and price.
I agree all round.....
You get what you pay for, triumphs are much better in terms of power and torque. Also you get a lot of new safety features. That said, I think there's nothing wrong with this bike, and does offers what it promises to be, fun and plain simple biking experience.
I'm actually pretty keen on the GT, I picked up the Bullet Trails and I love it too! Could it be bike N#5 for the garage possibly? 🤔😅
Personally i preferred the sound of the older GT. It was glorious!!...even preferred the look. Thanks for the review!
...you won't have preferred the ride though, this one is so much better....
Haha fair enough, can’t argue with that!
Very good review Tmf .I like the look of bike and all of their bikes. Thanks danny
Always a pleasure to watch your reviews. I feal like we’re getting a fair take on your opinion.
Thank you...
It’ll be nice to see a comparison between the Interceptor and the GT side by side. It might only be cosmetic but I’m an anorak.
They are basically the same bike with some styling changes....
Another good looking product from the Royal Enfield stables. Things are definitely looking up for their "new age" retro style models. Though I would like to see the traditional logo on the tank rather than the "RE" thingy. Another informative video. Thanks for sharing.
Yes I agree on the logo (despite the designer being a viewer of this channel!!!)
One point that I through was a negative was 18 inch rear wheel size* ( tyre choice ) front being 18 as well is not to bad as Ducati Scrambler is also 18 front and other bikes TDM 900, Indian FTR 1200
Well done as always, not sure about RE only time will tell, good looking bike, thanks for the ride.
Dear Mr Flyer, I would enjoy seeing some B-roll footage of you riding using your drone on its following mode. Just a few seconds of it tracking you floating across a B road in the moors or something would really be cool! Keep up the good work.
So would I!! So far I've not found a way of getting it to work! ...the issue is what to do with the controller whilst I'm riding the bike, putting it in my top box causes signal loss....
Lovely bike, love the styling, more so with a cowl
Nice to see RE coming good after so much mediocrity
Agreed - they seem to be at a turning point - all we need now is a Scrambler version!
I like the Tank and the front end look.
Funnily enough they're the bits I'm least keen on!! (The rest is pretty much the same as the Interceptor)...
Great review. I'm in love with the new RE twins. Cannot wait to see them locally. Maybe I manage to decide between Interceptor and Continental GT. Gonna be a though call!
I stayed tuned, and stuck around, even though I was not interested in this bike...beats washing up, that's for sure....
Nice one - thanks Bib....
I like the look of both Royal Enfields. I think they've been very clever in the way they haven't tried to directly compete with Triumph; most people, after all, buy a retro for the styling rather than the performance. Be interesting to hear your thoughts on the similarities and differences between the Royal Enfields and the Triumph Bonnevilles, TMF.
The Triumphs are in a different league build quality wise - these current Enfields are like the old generation Bonnevilles....
No kick starter on this one. Gone are the days when you had to check the engine compression before using the kicker
Great review of the bike. I've been watching the RE for a few years and really liking what I am seeing. As I get older the need to have a multi cylinder engine with a large displacement is diminishing. The new 650 twin looks to be a perfect size. If there are any panniers available it would be just right I think. Thanks for the review.
Thanks for watching Ken...
Yet another good first impression.
While you're waiting for a Rocket III to test keep an eye out for the new Zero electric hotrod. Looks pretty good.
Yes that is another I very much have my eye on - I actually got invited to the launch for that one but sadly couldn't go as I was away skiing at the time (tough life I know...)
I didn't realize the sun shines in England. Anyway...nice bike. Can't wait to get my hands on one.
Good review as usual. I am a fan of the cafe racer look and impressed with this. Looks like it might be popular with aftermarket mod scene, esp. with a £6k starting price. Whilst still not ‘cheap’ to start chopping a 6k motorcycle, it might allow smaller custom shops to demo their skills rather than on a (10k+) Triumph, R9T
Agreed!
And yet another great review! I’d like to perhaps hear your opinions on the new CBR 650r. Keep up the good work!
Stay tuned!
I'll look at it and see if it is anything like the Norton 750 Atlas with the Featherbed frame .....already don't think it's going to handle as well ...But for the money it looks good ...👍
Excellent review as always, sir!
Thank you!
Another outstanding review I must say!
What experience have you had with the 120th anniversary bikes that have been available since this review? I always look forward to your opinions and highly value them by the way! Thanks!
Sadly none - thanks for the kind words though....
In vietnam Triumph Thruxton R is about 27K USD and Royal Enfield GT 650 is about 8.1K USD, that’s why RE is so hot :)
Now all I need is £5700 and I'm good to go... Also maybe a little extra for the riotous aftermarket S&S pipes you can buy for this. Superb beginner bike with plenty of torque and loads of feeling.
Great first ride Mr TMF. Hope you are able to get one of the new RE twins for a long term review.
Unfortunately I don't have any contact with Royal Enfield themselves, just the dealer (who is very helpful), so it's difficult for me to get any long termers via say a press fleet which is how I deal with other manufacturers...but I do keep asking and maybe one day I will!
Great work as always. I was surprised that you weren't covering the front brake with a finger or two.... Split seconds count. Cheers
Another great review as always and favourable to Royal Enfield. Love the look of both these bikes and the price, just a wee bit too small for my frame when siting on them at the bike show. But then my first proper bike was a Honda CB200 and size didn't seem to be an issue then! Maybe a scrambler version or Himalayan version could be my perfect bike :-)
I thought it might take some time before you review the Continental GT since you just finished reviewing the Interceptor 650, but seems like you liked both the bikes, and you definitely are not on the procrastinating side of habits anyway... Kudos!!!
Cheers!
nice bike, please go back to your phone for the close ups of the bike, the picture to me anyway looks abit rubbish from that gopro.
...sadly I forgot my phone on this occasion - that was the reason for using the GoPro - even had to shoot the thumbnail pic with it....doh!!!
Another good review of a nice looking bike, only thing I didn't like the look of was the black rims but that's easily solved with a set of chrome or silver ones.
coming from Watford I notice Aldenham, did you go over the Busy Bee (1960s biker hangout) roundabout?
Nope....
@@TheMissendenFlyer is the Busy Bee Cafe still there?
great video as always tmf, what a stunning looking bike
great review TMF , prefer the phone for the walk around though.
It seems most people did - alas I left it at home so had to improvise!
Great review TMF always enjoy them but must admit the iPhone walk around is better. Look forward to your next review 😉
If only I hadn't have left it at home on charge!!
Curious, that having bought the Royal Enfield name an associated heritage, they've built a bike that looks like a 1970s Norton!
...I'm not sure that's a bad thing!