Royal Enfield Interceptor 650

The Royal Enfield Interceptor 650,

I have been wanting to ride one of these for a while now and never got round to it until a subscriber on our channel asked if it was possible to test ride one and give my thoughts. So i hopped on the inter web and had a look for my nearest dealer, which was in Preston Lancashire “Preston Motorcycles”. I called them spoke to a nice guy called Jock and asked would it be possible and do they have a demo, he said yes no issues Nick, so i hot footed it or took the motorcycle down from Lancaster to pick one up and see what the Interceptor was all about. See the video here: https://youtu.be/8jdWvooT-Fs

Royal Enfield The beginning,

The Enfield Cycle Company made motorcycles, bicycles, lawnmowers and stationary engines under the name Royal Enfield out of its works based at Redditch, Worcestershire. The legacy of weapons manufacture is reflected in the logo comprising the cannon, and the motto “Made like a gun”. Use of the brand name Royal Enfield was licensed by the Crown in 1890.

The India Connection,

Royal Enfield motorcycles were being sold in India since 1949. In 1955, the Indian government started looking for a suitable motorcycle for its police forces and the army for patrolling duties on the country’s border. The Bullet 350 was chosen as the most suitable bike for the job. The Indian government ordered 800 of these 350 cc motorcycles, an enormous order for that time. Thus In 1955, the Redditch Company partnered with Madras Motors in India to form what was called ‘Enfield India’ to assemble these 350 cc Bullet motorcycle under licence in erstwhile madras (now called Chennai). As per their agreement Madras Motors owned the majority (over 50%) of shares in the company. In 1957 tooling equipment was also sold to Enfield India so that they could manufacture components and start full-fledged production. The Enfield Bullet dominated the Indian highways and with each passing year its popularity kept rising.

1964

The iconic Continental GT café racer is launched to great acclaim when a team of photojournalists ride it from John ‘o Groats to Lands End in under 24 hours, by way of 7 laps at the Silverstone circuit. The GT features a racing petrol tank, clip-on handlebars, rear sets, a humped race seat, rev counter and a swept-back exhaust.

1974

Royal Enfield India begins exporting the 350cc Bullet to the UK and Europe. Sales grow rapidly as the bikes develop a following amongst classic British motorcycle enthusiasts.

2008

The 500cc UCE engine is launched in India. The retro-styled Classic version achieves cult status immediately and sales grow rapidly.

2013

Royal Enfield commences manufacturing at its second facility at Oragadam, Tamil Nadu. With increased capacity, the state-of-art factory will be the nucleus of the company’s global ambitions in the future.

2016

Royal Enfield debuts the Himalayan. With the all-new LS410 engine and terrain-tested suspension, it promises the ride of a lifetime on all roads and no roads.

2016

Royal Enfield moves into its fully operational Technology Centre in UK at Bruntingthorpe Proving Ground, Leicester.

Interceptor 650 Ride,

While the guys at Preston motorcycles rolled the Interceptor out I couldn’t but help noticing the other brands they had within their company including Kawasaki, Suzuki, Royal Enfield, Benneli, Hyosung, Lambretail, Italjet to name a few.

The Interceptor that they gave me that day had a Ventura Blue tank and with the polished engine cases and the chrome looked superb. The bikes looks came from the past but with a modern twist but still looked similar to those bikes of early years.

Colours, well the only options are 7 different tank colours and i list them below with pricing for each version, the chrome tanks my favourite, what’s yours?

The Engine,

This comes in the way of a 648cc Air Cooled, but has a oil cooler and produces 46.8bhp @7150rpm while torque figures are 52.3nm @ 5150rpm, so while not huge the engine felt great more than enough power you need from a classic bike like the Interceptor. It has 6 gears and on dual carriage ways i found the gearing to be spot on for longer runs and while the wind was clean you are riding a naked bike so you will get the full force of nature.

The ergonomics of the bike seating position was comfortable, legs not bent too much and the seat height is 805mm, I’m 6’2 tall and found it very comfortable to ride. While the seat is on the hard side i think one option would be the comfort seat which i heard is a lot better, or there are so many companies specialising in after market parts for these bikes I’m sure there are some very nice units up for grabs.

Suspension come in the way of 41mm no adjustable forks with 110mm of travel in the front while the twin shocks at the rear are preload adjustable for luggage or pillion and have 88mm of travel. One thing is for sure is that with all the aftermarket parts available most people will customise some way and even fit different springs to the forks and possibly different rear shocks, this is what i would do first then onto the tyres. While I didn’t recognise which brand they were the bike would suit some better rubber for sure and the bike uses a 130 rear and 100 front tyre.

Brakes, well they felt good and are made by BYBRE which is the same company of Brembo and you see these on lower capacity machines today. They felt strong but the back brakes ABS was too intrusive but it was a damp road. One thing i liked was they fitted braided brake lines which for the money is fantastic.

Ok so on to the mileage, the bike comes with a 13.7litre fuel tank, and Monday style lockable fuel cap. According to figures you can get 67.2mpg.

The motorcycle is A2 licence comparable with a restrictor kit and i see more and more younger riders enjoying the classic look these days its becoming cooler to ride modern day classic bikes and probably cheaper to insure too.

Final thoughts,

Would i like one, yes definitely yes, to own such a classic looking bike is cool and great for Sunday rides out in the lanes or even the commute. If you were to ask me bad points i would say Suspension but easily upgradable, Brake and clutch levers non adjustable again easy fix, seat on the firm side.

Plus points, The price at from £6,039 this is a steal for what you get on this bike. The looks of the bike are great, engine is such a beauty and that sound is awesome. The simple clocks, smooth throttle and a lovely motorcycle to ride. What other bike looks this good for £6k?

If you want to see the review check on our youtube channel here: https://youtu.be/8jdWvooT-Fs

If you would like to test ride one in Lancashire check out Preston Motorcycles here: https://www.prestonmotorcycles.co.uk

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