RE Interceptor 650, ...ANY GOOD?
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- Опубликовано: 23 ноя 2023
- I have tried to cover everything I could think of at the time. Handling, Tyres, seating, riding position, fuel consumption, modifications, Performance, braking, back roads and major roads, speed. likes, dislikes.....Probably more!
Link to the vid where I explain what happened to the engine.
• Royal Enfield interce...
#Royal Enfield #Royal Enfield Interceptor # Royal Enfield 650 #Interceptor.
One day, I will own a RE. Just not in the cards right now. Thanks for the ride 😊
57,000 kilometers so far on my 2020 750INT, I put WiseCo 83.5mm pistons and S&S cam in it after 3 years as a 650.
A 750 & S&S cam very nice.How does it go?
@@ruahinesrider I have a Thruxton 900 and Bonneville SE, both 2012's to compare it to. They aren't any faster, the RE is quicker in the lower gears...lighter and more nimble.
@@frederickwoods5943Nice ! I always thought a 750-kit would be a nicer-option than the 865 Dave nz
@@kdsowen2882 the 90mm pistons with the RE 67.8mm stroke is 863cc. Only Triumph can claim 865cc
I just love the Interceptor 650. What can I say, it is just my kind of bike, especially in modified form. It is partly the primitive and visceral nature of the yet smooth engine and partly the slick gearbox and handling (with YSS shocks and front fork kit). I found that flushing a replacing the rear brake fluid made a big difference when the rear brake became soft. Thanks for your thoughts on the Interceptor👍👍. I get 80 to 90 mpg (UK) on the country roads and 60 to 75 mpg in the city of Bangkok, so I am hoping that your mileage will improve over time.
@GapBahnDirk A great comment! Thanks! It's a good bit worse on fuel than the original engine and ECU, I will keep an eye on it as the miles roll by and see if it improves.
I suppose that fuel type is a factor. I run on 95 Octane unleaded with 10% ethanol here and both my bikes are Euro 4 spec'. @@Volcanicbrown1878
I would get about 185-190km per 10L of fuel going hard out & I always leave about 2L in tank & Interceptor has 13.7L tank so 11-11.5L is what I used maximum.The most I did was 215km & put 11L in tank.A mate did 250km on HIS & on fill up put 11.9L in & his fuel sender got stuck so I told him to jump up & down on front forks with key off & it came right after a couple of goes.That's why I don't run them low fuel sender gets stuck & can bend in which tank only fill up to ¾ of a tank & need new fuel sender.Also can suck up crap into fuel system.If you ride fast on a RE650 they're thirsty probably due to torque delivery getting 80% of Nm at 2100rpm.My Trident 🔱 660 is more economical than Interceptor.
@@ruahinesriderGot about 1200 m[les on the new engine now and fuel consumption is still dismal!
I put a touring seat on mine off EBay - royalspares. Very comfortable. Also has a nice profile rising a bit to the back.
I have bought the exact same seat from the same seller! Just haven't fitted it yet!
Great honest review, m8. Thanks for that very helpful. 🍻
Absolutely spot on with the tires. Downright shite in the wet and cold.
@katsas1396 I was beginning to think I was on my own when I made that comment!
Same mileage I got on my hopped up rejetted totally insane 1137cc '97 Blackbird! Something is wrong somewhere!
bit shocked at the mpg ,my 2016 street twin triumph averaged 65mpg for 18 k miles , the st has a single throttle body maybe this is the reason
The Triumph water cooled twins all seem economical there all pretty much same engine 1200/900 , got Thruxton 1200 it averages 55mpg
Great allarounder 😊
Hiya, we were in Gloucester yesterday and nearly had the same thing happen. There are too many clowns in this world!! Looking forward to the changes you are planning on the Interceptor 650. All the best for 2024👍
Great review of the Interceptor, or as we call it in the states, the "INT 650". (Honda has rights to the Interceptor name over here). I was looking at one before I bought my Triumph T120 but it wasn't really comfortable just sitting on one at the showroom. I'm sure they make better seats though. People complain about the Pirelli tires on the Bonneville, but I'm not going to replace them until they are worn out, plus I don't ride like Valentino Rossi either. 😁😁. Nice sounding motor though. Just Subscribed! Cheers!
@2wheelvintage361 Thanks for subscribing! I think with the interceptors, you have to look at them as a basic platform to improve. Seating, handling etc etc. The price point makes allowances to do this. I don't think the basic bike is bad, just improvable!😁
I have only sat on one of these bikes in Completely Motorbikes and didn't feel it was for me. I prefer the look of the Continental but I doubt if I will buy either 650. Have you had any problems with the relays on your new RE's, they seem to have been filled with cheap grease. Other than that, I think the engines seem good. I do enjoy your down to earth look at your bikes and those mopeds did turn the clock back for me. Back in the 1960's I was riding my Velocette when these mopeds along with NSU's and Honda 50's were everywhere. I am now 75 and ride three bikes, not all at once but still keep looking, you know what I mean. All the best John.😊👍🏍
@johnimmins7302 No problem with the relays John, just the engine! But all sorted now (Hopefully!)😁
I think the report card for whoever designed the seat should read 'could do better'. Other than that; a perfect bike for a bit of tweaking.
Hi, I don't understand your fuel consumption. I've just completed 22k miles and average mid 60's to over 70mpg on a long run. That is with the standard gear ratio
At 70mph I'm doing 4400 revs but most journeys are fairly short on local Devon roads.
@adediver It is nowhere near as economical as it was with the original engine and ECU for sure.
So do what I did... Get the large crash bars bust out your little MIG welder and weld one inch pipe coming out from the sides of the crash bars. Then tack on little pieces to move your shifter and brake up to make it a heel shift & a heel brake. I actually like the shifter better now! An Italian company makes something called the ranger windshield works like a charm I can do 90 and it doesn't vibrate at all. I put heated grips on it handlebar risers 40 mm, new tires you got to get new tires or else those cheap ones will wobble. Of course it needs a new seat The seats like a plank of wood I got that nice gel saddle I even got their new comfort seat but the gel saddle is actually more comfortable it was cheap I think 166 bucks. Hand guards bar end mirrors Oh and the battery is super unreliable so I got a decent gel battery. Also I got to heavy duty rack and put a luggage you know like a trunk on it.
I've ridden mostly Kawasaki but this is the nicest bike I've ever had and I think it's a better cruiser now than the super meteor cruiser but I have to ride one and check it out. I don't think it needs the 865 kit I think it goes plenty fast enough I just cruise around on the back roads with it waving to people in their yards and other bikers then I stop and get a meatball grinder or maybe an onion pizza and a couple of beers.
Life's good!
@runtosatan-nl1te Sounds like you are having a ton of fun with it! Life's good indeed!
Thanks for a candid evaluation of the Interceptor .
No doubt a capable bike , but lacks the " wow " factor to make me want to put my money down . I was going to test ride one but I noticed the twistgrip was falling apart , nobody seemed bothered to fix it and I was expected to ride the thing .I declined .Then I looked her over and I thought a Triumph was better built for a bit more money with more performance .
There's winter sales specials over here and the RE price is now where it should be , in my opinion . But when I think of the old Interceptors and how they look and perform , well they were a red blooded , no compromise stomping machine .
The new Interceptor is too " nice " , if you know what I mean .
I wish RE would make a bike of 1000cc + with 100 HP + .
I suspect that you will get better mpg with your machine after the first service when they have recalibrated the fuel system and dumped the engine break in oil .
@dungspreader Yes Triumphs have better quality but at a MUCH higher price tag, ya get what you pay for! (Sometimes!) I have put over 800 miles on the new engine now and serviced it at 270. The dealers cannot alter anything on the ECU as it is tampering with Euro 5 emission controls after the bike has been sold and is highly illegal if they get caught doing so!
Fuel consumption hasn't changed since it's first service.
I am not so sure a bike of that capacity and power would sell too easily over here with our plethora of speed camera's and average speed checks. How many Triumph Thruxton's actualy get sold here? I have never seen one on the road although TAYM has one but he is the only guy I know who has one. If RE were to produce such a bike, there would be no market for it In the Indian home market and that is where most of their sales come from.
@@Volcanicbrown1878 .Point taken and I guess prices vary so much around the world . Here in Canada late last year I could have bought a RE 650 for $9,000 , a 900 Bonnie for $11,000 or an 850 Guzzi for $11,00 , all from the same dealer . So ,to me the latter two looked better deals .But at this very moment they have 2022 650s for sale at $5000 . There's lots of 1200 Bonnies around here as well , a few Thruxtons but more Speed Twins and Scramblers and unless my memory is playing tricks on me [ highly likely ] the Scrambler is their best seller . Triumph are selling more bikes worldwide than ever .
As regards fuel consumption it may not be the ECU per se , my Tiger 1200 was running weak and kept cutting out , the dealer [ apparently ] wiped the unit and reloaded the data 3 times before the bike would run correctly , no problems since then ,thankfully .. It may just be a sensor on your bike . But then again ,what do I know ? I have a non digital brain and only understand carburetors and points and stuff that you can see and use a spaner or a screwdriver on . [ or hit with a hammer ]
Anyways , enjoy building your Interspecial ,it'll be very interesting to see what you come up with . All the best .
@@Volcanicbrown1878 Think a 900 RE would sell quite well, as I,m sure RE could undercut Triumph 900 speed twin price , 900 Triumphs seem to be selling ok . I have Thruxton 1200 (not the R) I see plenty of 1200R's about but never seen a standard 1200 , TBO the Thruxton is wasted on me but I like the look's
Keep the good work with videos , I found this channel via TAYM he got me into Thruxton,s " remember The one that got away "
I did seriously look to buy an interceptor this year, especially one fitted with the touring pack, but unfortunately, I didn't get on with the demo bike that I borrowed. My observations were the seat was rock hard, the footpegs were in the wrong position, the handlebars were also in the wrong position coupled with the previous it give me cramp in my hips after 10 mins riding. The suspension seemed all over the place on poorly surfaced roads. I agree about perched on rather than in the bike. However, the engine was great, and I loved the looks . With the new switchgear and headlight, i feel the quality has taken a lift. It is strange regarding the Ceat tyres as the ones on my Himalayan had been great with no issues, just didn't last very long. Maybe the tyres had an influence on the handling that I've blamed the shocks for?
I've had a 2021 Interceptor, both the tires and suspensions are not good. Regarding the budget spent to own this bike you have to add on top an YSS suspensions kit (front and rear) plus two tires you can call tires rather than the hazardous original CEAT. Another seat is also very welcome. Finally the budget isn't as tight as planned 🙂
Consistent 60-80 mpg range out of mine. Something very wrong with yours IMO. Have you checked the spark plug electrode colour as guide to air/fuel mixture?
@nicholasfox3670 Yep, had the plugs out of it and they are both light grey, bordering on white.
A shame to hear all the problems but hopefully will be OK now. It does look nice but I'm glad I decided to keep my Kawasaki W650.😊
"Sitting on a five bar gate", exactly what I thought after having a test ride. I'll be honest, I simply didn't like it, nothing like the Meteor which was so comfortable but lacked power. If the Super Meteor had been out at that time, it would most certainly have won the day, that or a Gold Star which never appeared when promised. Ultimately I bought a Kawasaki VN800 Drifter which I love. I thought the Meteor was an excellent town bike but it was very much overshadowed by the Rocket lll I owned up to having a stroke and it being too heavy for me.
You said you have the baffles out does it need to be set up for that?
@justlookingaround9834 No, the ecu adapts accordingly.
Apparently you can remove factory stickers underneath clocks & helps moisture run out.
You can forget you're in 5th sometimes & bike running sweet then you change up to 6th.
I wore my Ceat tyres out & put Bridgestone Batlax BT 46 tyre's on & was a improvement.I also did the YSS fork upgrade as I thought it was one area that needed upgrading & afterwards was heaps better.A Featherlight Clutch Cable was another upgrade.I also put Hitchcock's chain guard & Radiator guard & alot of RE parts.I had the logo painted black in a week & swapped out the cast mudguard fender for black one which you could paint yourself.I replaced the headlight brackets for flashy Twinton hinge headlight brackets & bike & looked fantastic with ugly grey cast bits gone.Fuel consumption is high due to low torque delivery of 80% at 2200rpm & if ride fast & do 70-90mph use a bit of fuel 10L get you about 190km & never did over 200km per tank as like to leave 2L in tank.
@ruahinesrider Interesting, I'l have to look at that.
@ruahinesrider Always good to hear someone else's comparison. I find the front forks to be OK and didn't think the YSS fork upgrade was needed, although I am fitting the classic 350 fork legs to the inter......They have a bit more travel.
@@Volcanicbrown1878 Another way to do forks is to get progressive springs from Hitchcock's & use a 10wgt fork oil.RE fork oil is super thin probably a 2wgt.Could also add Preload adjusters too.Also add 2 clicks at least to preload on rear shocks at your size 6'6" big boy🤣.
The clocks have factory stickers underneath clocks peek them off.
Peeled my stickers off and I haven't noticed any misting since
RE are very-commited to this engine-platform , I wouldn't be at-all-surprised if they meticulously-assembled your new-motor rather-than just grabbing-one off the Production-Line . This might explain your poor fuel-economy , Kwaka W650-owners have noticed better fuel-economy and more-free--revving-motor after 30,000ks ! Plus as others note , the Service where they check your ECU and Re-Flash-it , could change a lot . Id-imagine they've been-instructed to keep a careful-eye on-things , they really-don't want Bad-Press on these motors Dave
Another-thought is they might think the original-motor was too-lean , nipped-up and THEN broke the oil-pump-chain, so erring on the side of caution ? Flush the rear-fluid , others have said this cured-things (plus new-pads )
@kdsowen2882 Unfortunately NONE of the dealers perform any service where they check and reflash the ECU! As the dealer told me when he did the reflash on the original ECU. It was a one off program that Royal Enfield came up with to deal with the stalling problem that one in 300 bikes were suffering from They were very, very cagey about this program as it was tampering with Euro 5 emissions controls after the bike had been sold and highly illegal. Even the dealer had no idea what the reflash actualy did, he just knew how to use the RE program on his laptop. When RE had the bike to fit the replacement engine and ECU, they told me they had tweeked the new ECU to match the Enfield precision pipes and DNA air filter I had fitted. This new motor runs very much cooler than the original one.
No, they said it was a faulty oil pump drive chain to blame, as it was a lubrication seizure, not heat.
@@Volcanicbrown1878 That's interesting , in India they have experienced some-problems with engine-temps during the-hotter-months but not on All bikes. Maybe a Power-Commander or other programmable ECU is a good-idea on these-bikes . Even running-them-up on a Dyno could be a good peace-of-mind option for owners ( one that has All The Bells and Whistles )
@@kdsowen2882 I have a FuelX to go on the inter, that will take care of any leaness!
Do these things still snap the drive dogs off gearbox pinions? Or have they sorted that ' minor ' issue out now ... put me off buying one I'll say that. 😂
@damiantuttle1348 Not mine, had a new engine and box with the updated 3rd gear.
Breathe bro
@Shubham-hk6yf The microphone was resting just above my top lip! Going to have to sort it out!
My Interceptor will easily do 70mpg
@colinjarvis2739 38mpg for mine and not improving!
I want a Meteor 350 , a Himmy and an interceptor..! But all i have is a Suzuki GD110.... I'm broke 😂
*BARRY* 🎉
@barry5580 One bike is better than no bike!
Rivetting voiceover.