Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 - peak retro cool or just slow and old-fashioned?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 26 มิ.ย. 2024
- I've never ridden a proper retro bike ... until now, that is! Join me on a journey of discovery into chrome, air-cooled engines and a world away from rider modes, TFT screens, quickshifters and the other gizmos you get on modern motorbikes for a more relaxed vibe on the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650. But is it cool? Or just slow?
Time to find out!
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It was the success of the 650s and the 350s from RE that made Triumph realise they couldn't ignore the small-capacity market!
No experienced rider needs a gear indicator. Just look at the rpm if you are in doubt. With more riding you will get the idea just by the beautiful engine sound. If it sounds stressed, you need to shift up. I really don't understand the fuss about the gear indicators
Absolutely - seat of pants is all the gear indicator you really need!
I own one and it does not bother me I have never owned a bike with one. You hear and feel the engine and know by instinct if you need to shift up or down.
Revs and sound are all you need, you are spot on.
Neutral
I've had around 13 different motorcycles in my life and I have never had one with a gear indicator. I really sort of want one though and yet I don't know why since you really don't need one. My next bike, and probably my last bike will most likely be the Interceptor and so I most likely will never experience the wonders of a gear indicator. Oh well...
Had mine for 4 years now and covered 7000 miles, quite a few on motorways too. I find it to be a very relaxed capable machine which cruises at 75 mph easily without even getting out of breath with quite a bit left for overtakes. That's because it's under stressed, whereas the little Triumph with much less cubes would be buzzy and need to be revved alot to accomplish the same velocity. The forks have adequate travel and the shocks can be changed out quite cheaply for a pair of Wagons or similar so it's no big deal. RE should be commended on these twins I believe they have been a game changer for them and rightly so. 🤔🙄
Its great no shitty electronics to go wrong, no reliance on tec, thank god. Cars should follow suit.
Gotta love fella's who have never rode a bike without all the gizmo's, give it a month of riding you'll never go back to mode riding, this is what riding is all about, knowing your bike not the computer, enjoyed your video
Thanks! And being able to enjoy this bike is why I avoided using the quickshifter too much on the Hornet I was running previously - wanted to be sure I'd be able to change gear properly and not get sloppy relying on the tech! Paying dividends here.
Took my training on a bike with no special anything, then bought a bike with special everything. As far as I can tell, they drive the same.
I didn't even know bikes had computers, been riding daily for 25 years, had to
Google" Mode Riding"
Great review. I have done 23000km on my bike. Great, reliable fun. Had a 68 Triumph Trophy.. A 69 Norton Mercury, and a 72 Commando. Iff retro feel is what your after, then this is bike for you.
For every day riding, there’s a lot to be said for an understressed engine. Not every bike has to be race oriented.
Today just did 442 ks today on my interceptor, 32,000ks all up..bike is brilliant and beautiful..it's all you need.
I chuckled at the generation change observation. I have ridden for 50 years and have only ridden one bike with a gear indicator, my BMW RT 1200. The direct inversion to the presenter's experience. By the way, I have ridden an Interceptor for 3 years. Love it! One of the best bikes I have ever had.
I agree, everyone will say they should have bought one in ten years,, and I will say,, why didn't you? 🤠
@@DANTHETUBEMAN The Interceptor only came out around 2019 in my area. I bought one in April 2021.
Had mine 2 years and it still feels good. I thought they had changed to Ceat tyres now to support Indian suppliers but obviously not any more. I have them on mine and they feel fine, well they do in summer when its dry anyway. Hagon shocks tighten up the rear well.
I had mine just 3 days... i am loving it.
I ride in a RE group and i have to say thats the best best paint scheme i have seen to date.
Great video. Thanks for the insights.
Pleasure - more instalments to come on this bike as well. Stay tuned!
It's fast enough for anyone who wants to keep their licence.
Great bike look forward to seeing some more videos nice colours 👍
It's a SLOW but cool retro. Those aluminum cases are a nightmare to maintain because they don't properly seal them.
After polishing, seal the cases with a coat of good paste wax. I wax mine about twice a year.
You make your own nightmares. Just use Solvol Autosol.
Apparently the cases have minor machining marks (to keep the costs down). On another channel the owner fine polishes the cases with 1200 wet and dry with good results. If it were my bike I'd then smear a thin layer of oil or grease on it in the rainy season's. old Brit bikes never had sealed casings, but polishing them was part of the thrill! You could always use VHT clear coat.
I’m really liking that colour scheme
Great Video ride and discussion 😊
Good video. Thank you.
Thanks, and more to come as well so do the like and subscribe thing to keep in touch - got some interesting and varied bikes to share in coming weeks so stay tuned!
Great review. I have never owned a motorcycle that has had a gear indicator and to be honest I don't think that I've ever needed one. The Interceptor come with a Rev Counter and that is all that I need. I have had my Interceptor for coming up for two years now and I absolutley love it. It does all that I ask of it. Sure, it's no Pocket Rocket, but I knew that when I bought it. It looks the business and it is a doddle to work on, which was one of the attractions for me as I prefer to do my own maintenance. There are plenty of after market parts available to give it a unique look and feel, should that be your preference.
Absolutely - rev counter for the win!
Every bike should have a rev counter. Those who don't undestand them need to buy automatics or DCTs.
Very well commented, enjoyed a lot.
That's one of the most beautiful Int.'s that I've seen. Yeah the little triumph s are hot look good too. Carry on!
Thank you, that's the plan!
All my bikes have never had a gear indicator .
Dont see why one is so important.
One down five up I know what cog im on .
Neutral is handy but not essential .
Thanks for the video, it was good to hear what you think coming from a non retro bike background. I thought what you said was very fair and I can assure you that even after 3 years of ownership mine still puts a smile on my face every time I ride it. What you perhaps hinted at is that it is a good bike for wet or slippery conditions, very smooth and controllable although the cleaning afterwards keeps you busy 😂. If you really do want a slow experience might I recommend the Himalayan 411? 😉
Good to hear, thanks for the insight and glad to hear you're enjoying yours. Hoping to try the new Himalayan soon but I appreciate this is a very different beast from the 'proper' one, and I know people love those for their old-school vibe. More on that, this bike and others I'll be riding as the channel hopefully grows so chuck us a sub and stay tuned for more and maybe I'll see you out there on your Enfield some time!
On my second Int now, excellent bike for an oldie like me. The only other bike like it is the Bonnie. Love them both.
Bought mine in June 2019 and the only breakdown was the speedometer cable. Over 38,000 miles from sea level to 10,232 ft altitude and it runs impeccably well. I'm dragging pegs and pipes on mountain roads and itll actually just reach 100 mph
Thanks for the review. I've got the GT version. I've been riding motorcycles since 1963 but, like you sir I'd definitely welcome a gear indicator for this 6 speed bike.
I had one of these that I only let go of to make room in the garage for another bike 😂
I’ve been riding a long time and have had many bikes, including Triumph T100. I’d rate the Interceptor 650 as MORE fun than the Triumph, chiefly because the Royal Enfield was much more reliable.
The only thing I found the Royal Enfield wanting for was modern butt support. That seat was a plank and the touring seat upgrade was barely better.
I wouldn’t recommend this bike as a beginner bike. I think it’s too powerful off the line for beginners. But a great bike for any rider at any stage of experience past the first season of riding on a less powerful bike.
Interesting, and thanks for sharing the insight, appreciated.
Ive been riding a 21, Interceptor for the better part of 3 years , and about 6,700 miles or so.
I bought it for all the reasons you referenced. It is, in its own way a trip back into the past. Reminds me of what motorcycling was about back in the 60s-70s.
It draws a lot of attention and positive comments from young and old alike. So far, no real complaints. Hope you like yours as much as I do mine.
Streets ahead of the Triumph 400 in my opinion that's not a modern retro at all. I tried both the Interceptor and the GoldStar and loved both but because the BSA was a single with bags of character i chose the GoldStar but would have been happy with the Interceptor.
i've got an upgraded 350 classic and it is a dream to ride
Lovely stuff, hoping to have a go on one at some point.
What are you filming with , excellent filming.
Thanks - currently just a battered old GoPro5 and DSLR for the statics/fly-bys, all with separate sound recording for vox.
I´ve got to drive the RE Interceptor twice already in Brazil, in ride tests and I must confess that I was really impressed ... Not the faster or most nimble bike I´ve driven, butttt, for the sticker price, you get a lot of bike for fun at the weekends rides ... I had a HD883 and two GS´s ( 800cc and 1200 cc) in the past, but now, getting older, I really like this bike concept ... More than just riding, caring for her, cleaning and polishing, what a way to spend the weekends .... Here in BR the T100 and T120 are basically twice the price, they are fantastic and far superior in every corner, but the $$ draining on them if compared to the RE, it´s a deal braker for me .... Awesome review and I wish you a succesful campaign at the TH-cam. Cheers !!
Nice vid you seemed to be jumping around a bit going over Cock Hill. Or as we say in these parts "tha don't know if tha's coming or going". But I will say you are braver than me at this time of year.
Haha, busted by your local knowledge there! I need to get another camera so I can do my forward and face view footage in one take but, for now, with limited time and battery life in the cold it's a case of artistic licence to string together an edit that works. And, for now, it's between us, OK? 😉
Starts at 5:02
The pirelli sportscomp tyres are horrible if you like grip. Came with the bonnevilles as well. Will get rid this week from my interceptor. Good review sir.
Thank you! And with a few more winter miles now I think I agree with your assessment on the Pirellis - big brand tyre or not if it were my bike I’d be swapping them out just like you!
Mine came with the Ceats. Swapped them out after a couple of months. Now on Michelins (road classic), huge improvement.
@@wallyinvalencia The Ceats don't inspire confidence, there's very little feedback through the bars. I'll change mine this summer.
I got a new s1 continental, which had pirrelli phantom sports comp tyres fitted. However, they were crossply! Apparently pirrelli made radial phantom sportscomps too - confusing, huh? The replacement seat tyres were radial, so I imagine the handing in bends was better (at least in the dry). I had to get rid of mine because I couldn't stand the handling, 50p'ing every bend, tram lining and a few tank slappers, so it had to go, since there were not many alternatives in the wheel sizes at the time and I also thought the power to weight, build quality and brake feel were also very underwhelming. It sounded great tho! I hope you get on better with yours.
Never had a problem with the 2 sets of Pirelli’s I’ve had on. Price was the reason I then moved to Bridgestone, sadly in my opinion, whist great tyres, I don’t think they suit the Interceptor. Just had a pair of Michelin classics fitted, but not been out on them yet.
I get the "power to weight " ratio comparison within the RE twin´s and the new T400´s, but I do not consider that someone looking for a modern classic would even compare these bikes ... I would never do that, personnaly .. I was very excited at a glance with the new 400 cc T´s, but afterwards, I figured out that the only thing that attracted me, it was the brand ... it´s a mono cylinder bike and I do not like the looks ..... I keep with the RE´s twins and I´m saving money to buy my RE Interceptor 2024 .... Cheers !!
Looks way better than triumph, isn't that important?
If your into classic bikes but can’t afford/maintain one (like me😂) a modern retro is the way to go. No, the interceptorisn’t a performance bike. I also own a 350 and the uk roads/conditions/traffic don’t even allow me to ride that flat out.
i have a gt, ive replaced the exhaust with a stinger 2 into 1,saves about 12kg,yss rear shocks saves 2kg,lithium ion battery saves 4.3kg,removed grabrail and footpegs, toolkit, anything not really needed, so saved probably over 20kg,the difference in acceleration is really noticeable, the bike looks great, paint on tank would put many automotive manufacturers to shame, falls down a little with dodgy ignition switch and having to replace the shitty relays with bosch items, would i buy another RE, yes definitely
Sounds mega, and quite the machine. Amazing how much weight you can strip out of them as well, seemingly. Bravo!
About the Pirelli tires on this bike, I´ve learned that even being the same model sold around the globe, these are actually made in India ... to be cheaper and more competitive in the local market ... so you can not compare to the same pirelli ´s sold elsewhere ... I was astonished when I read that ..... but it makes sense ... even considering that the italian brand should never compromise quality for affordability ....
Yes, I have heard the same thing. I wouldn't trust that so-called Indian Pirelli tire to keep me safe on a wet curve. In fact, I saw a guy take a curve at a reasonable speed on wet pavement on a new Interceptor with those knock off Pirelli tires and the front tire slipped and he crashed. He wasn't hurt too badly but I bet he went out and bought some real Pirelli tires or some other reputable brand.
i bet the brakes are not even scuffed in or the engine run in yet... with all the new speed restrictions...this is all the bike we really need...the race rep has been a fantasy toy for decades..where can you use them properly on crowded roads..?
How many gears does it have!!? Never ridden a bike WITH a gear indicator. Had an Enfield dealer over here in the states tell me they shouldn’t sell anything smaller than 1000cc here because they’d be run over by everyone else in suvs and trucks. Funny how that was never an issue in the UK on my 125 - faster drivers just went round me. There’s a fair amount of unsubstantiated fear in the US, is all I can say.
The UK is not the place for motorcycles is it. Wet damp cold depressing . Mate you count gears in your head like rounds in your magazine.
It's not a bad bike if you can leave it alone, but many owners very quickly change the exhaust, and add a power commander, uprating the suspension and brakes, change the seat because its uncomfortable after 40 minute's, Then it doesn't ad up, you might as well buy a Triumph 900,
Fair points; if it were mine I'd probably want to improve the damping and make it a bit louder but hopefully you could do that without, as you say, ending up spending Triumph money on a bike that's fundamentally some way behind.
What you have just said is what I did to my triumph scrambler expensive great engine but the rest was crap.
Thing is we would probably do the same thing to the Triumph 😂
No, you need to upgrade to the scrambler 1200, the only proper scrambler.
The engine is wonderful, the suspension is cheap junk. I've owned my gorgeous Continental GT for four years and I dread bumpy roads.
I’d add… if performance is your main motivation, get something like an MT-07 instead and be happy with the ugly bike that can really go.
Oh absolutely - if it's about the speed this is the wrong bike, and I'm fine with the chilling out and enjoying the vibes on this.
The xsr is a nice bike. More neo retro than modern classic
Road my RD350b 1000 miles with no antilock brakes, fuel gage, gear indicator and had to add oil regularly to the oil tank. We dont need all of the excess crap on the new bikes. Learn how many miles you can run on you tank, watch your tach and listen to your motor to know what gear you are in. Have you driven any stick shift car with a gear indicator?
I don't think the 400 single competes with the 650 twin.
A good rider should know what gear they are in , a gear indicator is unnecessary and shouldn’t be found on a retro motorcycle. Just saying 😅
I must suck at driving, since I frequently lose track in a 10 or 18 speed rig.
I usually ignore the speedo and go with traffic, picking the right gear by glancing down once at the gear indicator is good in light traffic
Never had any problems with my Fuller 18 speed , the engine told me when it was time to change gear.
This video is only two weeks old and you mention the RRP of the Inter as £6500, but with no mention that for weeks now it is possible to buy new for only £5300 at various dealers. It puts the little Triumph buzz box in a different light. Even at full RRP, the Inter is much more bike.
d/n matter gear. Run the engine.
If you want a race bike there are plenty of offerings already - except they are uncomfortable, ugly , expensive, sound like a buzz saw and when they wear out they aren't economically feasible to rebuild. A Royal Enfield on the other hand is relatively inexpensive, allows for a more relaxed style of riding, sounds sweet, can be modified by the user, and because parts are cheap this bike will be serviced forever and thus will always have some resale value. Nobody wants a well used racer style bike because they are too complicated and expensive to rebuild. Whereas a 40 year old Triumph or Harley in pieces in boxes still has value cause someone will want to bring it back to life.
I don't think the Triumph Speed 400 looks retro at all. I laugh that they call it a modern classic. There weren't allot of bikes rolling with blacked out engines and gear boxes in the 1960's. Gold forks not retro. Cast wheels not retro. Shape of exhaust not retro. Single clock with lcd panel, not retro. The saddest day for me was the day I sold my RE Interceptor 650 Glitter and Dust(sellers remorse). If I could find one used I would re-purchase it in a heart beat.
Don't make me laugh 🤣😂🤣
The Triumph 400
Isn't even a contender for the Interceptor LOL 🤣
The Interceptors Provenance alone would blow the Triumph away LOL 🤣
Are you aware Royal Enfield are nearly selling in one month what Triumph Sell in a Year world wide,
That's some food for thought for you.
Cheers Paul 👍
You're right, I was just putting the Triumph in there as a reference because it was the last bike I rode before the Interceptor, and with roughly equivalent power and from a brand with similarly evocative history. But, as you say, as many differences are there are similarities.
They sound like tractors,build quality poor,very slow,pensioners bike I suppose.
"pensioners bike I suppose"...yup, I have one(amongst others) …however over the years I've owned approx. 40 different bikes & you...??...😎...have a nice day, go bake some cookies.
It's not the kind of bike you'd be riding if you have more testosterone than braincells 😉
@@markpavlowski7223 well said Sir!!!
Oooh, Donna's making cookies???
Just slow.