Royal Enfield Interceptor 650: City & Commuting Review
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- Опубликовано: 3 авг 2024
- So we all know that The Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 is a fantastic bike out on the open road. But what’s in like in the city, in a stop-start urban environment where control and precision is everything. In this episode, we take the INT650 on a ride through London to find out!
**Full list of mods on my Royal Enfield Interceptor 650**
**Disclaimer** I have no affiliation with any of these companies or products. Please feel free to use these links as part of your research :)
Performance Mods:
- DNA Air Filter (stage II with open bracket)
www.tecbikeparts.com/product/...
- Booster Plug fuel system
www.tecbikeparts.com/product/...
- Scorpion Red Power pipes (please note this link is for the BLACK version, I can’t see the sliver anymore)
www.royalenfieldshop.co.uk/ho...
- YSS Top Line rear shocks
www.wemoto.com/bikes/royal_en...
- YSS fork upgrade kit
www.wemoto.com/bikes/royal_en...
- Motone Customs Up and Over Risers
www.motone.co.uk/triumph-bonn...
- Domino XM2 Throttle
www.ukracesupport.com/product...
- Brembo RCS15 / with TWM clutch
www.omniaracing.net/kit-coman...
- Brembo SA Sinter Pads Front
www.omniaracing.net/pastiglie...
Other Mods:
- LSL SuperbikeBars
- Big Port Grips
- Highsider Montana Mirrors
- BAAK Side Pannels
- BAAK Tank Pads
- Motogadget MoBlaze LED Indicators (front and rear)
- BAAK Rear Indicator brackets
- BAAK front Indicator brackets
- Motone Customs Headlight Bracket
- Tec Bike Parts Rear Pegs
- Tec Bike Parts Chain Guard
- Tec Bike Parts Bash Plate
- Domino Switch Gear
Future mods in the pipeline include
- New tires (TBD)
- Excel rims
- Talon Hubs (if possible)
- 4 Piston Calipers (TBD)
- Free Flowing Twin Headers (TEC Bike, when released)
- LED headlight bulb 
Авто/Мото
Booked my Interceptor two days back , love from India❤️
Congratulations sir! Enjoy :)
Any update on the delivery?
How long did they take to deliver ?
Really enjoyed watching you tackle City traffic. I find my interceptor ( Baker Express ) a very good all rounder, stands up to all types of riding. Thanks for your efforts with the channel.
Cheers Jeremy, thanks for watching.
Great video and tips.
My Ravishing Red Interceptor was delivered two days ago. Beautiful machine👍
Amazing! Wishing you many happy rides.
I'm from London, own the Interceptor but live in Tennessee. Loved the video, took me back home. However, I would take the twisty roads of TN over the big smoke on this bike. Thanks for the videos, I'm enjoying your series and for me, the nostalgia!!!!
Cheers Julian. Yes i'd pick the open road over a city ride any day, but good to know this bike is sweet in town too. Thanks for watching.
I haven't got an Interceptor yet but this vid has illustrated nicely that when I do get one this bike will easily slip into city riding as well as the countryside riding (which I'll be mostly doing). A very useful video once again. Thanks!
Cheers John, yes it;s great in the city and out on the open roads. Just brilliant all round.
Well said about the tyres. Totally agree leave the sizes alone they do work very well. 😎
👍
Just bought a 650 interceptor pickup on Thursday very happy with the deal I got.
I don't envy you commuting round London!!, love what you've done with your bike keep the vids coming 👍👍
As a born ( Islington , 800 yards from the old Highbury) Londoner living in New Jersey a really enjoyable vid. I'll miss London more when it finally opens up again! I used to commute from here to there every other week which suited me. Alas no more. Best, Pete
Glad it brought back some memories. I've been in Islington for a few years now.
OMG, the sound from those pipes! Awesome.
Excellent! First review I've seen specifically for city commuting, great idea. Plus it's nice for someone like me from the States to see London. Cheers
Nice to see you finally on your bike. Here is to Hoping things will get better soon.
Fingers cross mate. Thanks for watching.
Very good review perspective
Great, practical video mate! Loved the reference to the traffic on the streets of Mumbai 😀
Yes, I can't imagine how stressful that must be
Nice review mate. Can't wait for my Baker Express to get delivered
Really enjoying your rides and enthusiastic commentary, made me want to get my on Interceptor and start modding. A visit to Copperb will be coming soon 😊
Thanks John, get a test ride in. I think you'll love it.
Awesome review mate and thanks for sharing big love from Australia 😊😊😊
You are welcome
Really enjoying your vids mate ……loving my interceptor…..
Lovely tone and like the retro clocks
Enjoyed that time out with you
You had it easy with the traffic today '
. Visitor to your city a few times over ,, From Australia Chris
Thanks Chris, yes London is very quiet at the moment. I think everyone moved back to the countryside.
@Steve H That's a bit sad as it's obviously Covid driven,
BUT What a Beautiful place to Land ! ...
Just a side thought
Hope it doesn't cause housing crisis for the locals
That's bikes for you. I love the clutch on my Interceptor and hate the rear brake. Good to hear your comments though as l have never heard anyone mention the rear brake, good or bad. I expect we both just have issues with the set up and will have to look into it.
All easy stuff to fine tune. Did you try a sintered pad on the rear?
Great video, my interceptor is my first bike in 25 years, I commute from the cost occasionally and ride the same streets as you, I.e The mighty Islington 💜 A fantastic bike
Pipes sound awesome too.!
Thanks Richie. It actually quite enjoyable as 40% of the London traffic has gone.
You are soooo right about this bike, its a bike that feels good in the city, country and even on the highway at 120KM/h. I must add that the bike handles even better after i upgraded to YSS front and rear. Thanks from Holland for the nice London view video :-)
Thanks Dave. Yes the YSS really changes the bike for the better.
YSS?
@@VishnuVardhanS YSS is a premium brand for suspension. I changed the springs and dampers in the front fork and my rear shocks for YSS.
Even slow city ride is so relaxing in London. Riding on Indian city is real hustle. On the other hand if you go for a early morning ride, you can open her up to your heart's content. No one's handing out speeding fines that time.
Nice informative review.
Glad you enjoyed it
Sounds so good.
Great video J your interceptor sounds amazing 👌
Cheers Dale, yes it bring big smiles! Please tell me you'll be getting a pipe too :)
@@WildlifeMoto oh yes definitely sometime next year 👍🏻
Great sound from the pipes👍
Thanks 👍
Well done for a real world bike test , those pipes have sold that bike to me 😁
Yes, they make it much more fun. Enjoy!
You ride in the city like a boss🙂
Ps i have changed my brake lever round end piece to a bolt on flat plate type plus raised it higher found it a bit low down
Great review and commentary and thanks for reminding me why riding across Dartmoor is preferable to London.
I'm lucky to have it on my doorstep and maybe why I might be buying an Interceptor in the near future. 👍
Perfect bike for those roads mate. Do it!
Enjoyed that vid Doood............and it made me soooooo glad that I don't live in London.
Thanks again WM.
Thanks mate. This was London on a good day too :)
Liked your comment about the clutch cable I’m having the same issue , tried oiling it which helped but still feels like there’s something catching but only occasionally, as if the cables a bit frayed ( I know it’s not ) so I’ll be watching with interest if you replace your cable, if this fixes it. Love the videos keep up the good work 👍
Thanks Andrew, i'll get a video up with my findings.
Enjoyed this video. Inspired me to do something similar on the Indian Roads! :D Where traffic is much much more!!!
Thank you. Glad you enjoyed the video
Love your mods i think you should also try powertronics
I live in London riding daily through many of the roads you went in the video. I am thinking of getting a used interceptor as my first big bike after riding a 125cc scooter. It looks like it is a good choice!
Great city bike.
Finsbury Park, Highbury, Islington - my old manor - love it!
I understand the video was to see if RE 650 is good in town ✅, but I reckon if you don’t leave towns for commuting a 300cc bike/scooter is plenty. I’ll never cease to be amazed when I watch cars sitting in busy traffic how UK drivers have not grasped 2 wheel travel (where practical of course) . Great video as always 😎👍
True, in fact I recently got an eBike for city journeys. It's the best way of getting around quickly. Because I live in the middle of London, I have to ride the bike through the city to get out to the good roads. Thanks for watching mate.
HaHa 500th Person to Like this Video. Very Very good content. Need more of these London City Rides. I miss London a lot and it's good to see the city in videos. Keep up the good work. Also, planning to pick up the Interceptor 650.
Woo! Thank you, and hope you enjoy your new Interceptor :)
@@WildlifeMoto I seriously cannot decide between Ravishing Red or Baker Express haha. Your content quality is very good. You deserve way more subscribers.
I got headache just watching City riding. You're strong.
💪💪💪
You are right though, the stock pipes get hot enough to burn the skin! In the kind of traffic that we have in the second largest populated country in the world, it’s really tough. On one occasion a guy got burnt because he was just too close to the pipes in traffic!
Yes, I think the after market pipes help keep the bike a bit cooler.
Great real world review! I agree that you can't find a much better bike for that kind of riding. Adequate power, nimble and narrow.
A few years ago I was commuting through San Francisco on an SR400 and it was very good, but with the RE's extra-but-not-excessive power I think your bike is ideal.
Thanks Joel, yes the power is just right for the city.
Great insights on ridging in a city with the Interceptor. Bike looks and sounds amazing. What helmet were you using on this ride.?
There you have a idea...Testing the types of MC's in city/commuting : a cruicer,adventurer,sportster,dirtbike,scrambler and more...Had been fun too see.. :)
Good idea :)
Thanks!
Hi. Many thanks for the donation. Very much appreciated. Happy New Year.
Killing 2 birds with 1 stone. Nice view & great review, plus.... Great content.
Hey mate, recently enjoying your videos, cuz I might consider an INT 650. Anyway, I wanted to comment because of the Tuono City Issue. I am not sure about your Tuono Mods, but if you remove the exhaust flap, it rides 10x better in low RPM. Its just a noise-flap, so no engine issues. You dont even need an elimantor, you can just pretighten the lower string and you would be fine :)
keep up the work :)
Thanks mate, great tip. I did this a while back and it did make a big difference. I'll do a video on the Tuono mods soon. Thanks for watching :)
Man, where do you bought that jacket? Its awesome dude!
Btw, nice video man!
Thanks - it's the Oxford Hardy wax jacket
Another excellent video. You essentially did my old commute - N16 to Bloomsbury... look forward to the clutch cable upgrade. I find my clutch super light and smooth. But am always looking to improve on things. PS. Do you have a Booster Plug installed?
Thanks Vishal, yes I have the Booster Plug installed. The bike was very smooth out of the box, but this does help a little (not a massive difference).
@@WildlifeMoto Totally agree. I have the AEW Triumph style pipes installed and have found BP to make a good difference. The throttle is crisper. Overall the engine also runs cooler. I have a temperature gauge installed where the oil filler cap was, and it is clear the see the differences. Perhaps a little consideration for your machine: the made in Germany oil filler cap temp gauge.
Hey! Really great quality content buddy, keep up the good work. I don't know if you ever going to read this but i have been thinking about owning this type of bike for many years now. The reasons why i haven't was 1)the price (triumphs tend to be much more expensive) 2)the practicality. I have owned a 400cc Scooter which is great for commuting and after that i changed it for a Yamaha Tracer 700 because i wanted a more fun experience. And i do not regret it whatsoever.
The thing is, that with the RE 650 i do not have the expensive bike issue. But, i can not seem to picture myself in one of these bikes because the Yamaha is a very good all arounder. It has more power (maybe more than i am ever using), great wind protection, many options for luggage support and maybe a comfier ride than a naked bike? Probably so...
In conclusion, i am in love with these type of bikes. But i am using the bike mostly for commuting and getting around, than trips and twisty roads. Should i consider changing it? I am also riding with my SO, am not always riding alone so this would might be a problem too. I wish i could justify the change somehow..
Any input would be much appreciated.
This is a bike that you buy with your heart. There are more practical bikes around, but this is just so much fun to ride. Take one for a test and see how you get on. It's not fast, but I bet you love it.
@@WildlifeMoto thank you for this. will try to get my hands one one :)
Great video, in fact a great video series!! - I was a long time Norton Commando owner and fell in love with the parallel twin - why add more cylinders? - I just loved the purity and character of that bike but it was maintenance heavy and I switched out to Harleys for an easier, if somewhat more expensive, life. But I sure do miss that 'Norton'! never got over that love affair despite all the bikes I've owned before and since. - But the Enfield has me thinking?! The mods you are making , looks and sound make me feel this would be a modern day equivalent to my beloved Norton. Any thoughts anyone?
Hi Martin. Sadly I never experienced that bike, so I can't compare. What I can say, is if you cherish purity and character, you'll love the 650. Thanks for watching.
In july this year 1 sold my 2010 Harley FXDC Super Glide. I loved the toque but i hated the extreme heat on my right leg. Now drive the Interceptor since july,... and i know it sounds like we all get payed for this line...this bike brings back the smile on my face. I also have the loud slipons and the YSS front and rear suspension and it handles great. If i were you i would rent or testdrive this bike.....but be careful...you might fall in love again ;-)
Nitin is now owned by an Indian company. Do you should have one in a year or so.
@Steve H Mine was a 750 Interstate - and loads of low down grunt which you mention. I'll just have to get a test ride on one of these - after nearly two years, I finally spotted one in a car park in Sheringham - very nice!
@@martinroberts333 Norton is now owned by the INDIAN company TVS they already announced that they are releasing the pre order bookings that the previous management agreed in the first place in 2021.
Nice vlog men and love your points and how gently you put your opinion like a real English men 😊 (I mean mature person)
Love your interceptor series or i say tastefull way to make it yours Cheers men 😎 keep rolling this series
Thank you for your kind words Krishan. More videos on the way :)
@@WildlifeMoto umm yee 😍
Great video mate. Just stumbled on your channel. I live in London and am going to purchase either the Interceptor or the Continental GT shortly hopefully lockdown eases soon. I'm quite tall 6'4 and wonder if you think this bike would work for tall peeps? And did you look at the Continental too? Also I have had my motocycle license for 25 years but haven't ridden in 20, and never in the UK. But it soulds like this is a good bike to get back into it.
Great choice if you are getting back into biking after a few years, they are super easy to ride and offer the perfect power profile for the roads here in the UK. I got mine from Central Bikes in Shepherds Bush, friendly bunch and will let you test ride. Personally, I don't think the GT warrants that tucked up position (it's not a race bike), and you being taller, the Interceptor will probably work better for you. These bikes are also very easy to work on, so you'll be able to muck around with bars, risers and pegs until you find a good combo. Thanks for watching.
@@WildlifeMoto thank you for replying. Yeah, I have been umming and ahring on which to get. I live in Chiswick and went to central bikes in October to have a look but they didn't have any in stock at the time. I was mainly looking at the continental for esthetic reasons and what you say makes sense. Also the mods you've done really makes interceptor look amazing, so I may just copy a few things. Anyway great content, subscribed.
Nice video, fun to ride around London with you. What is the brand of your helmet?
Hi, it's a Nexx XG100.
@@WildlifeMoto Thanks! How do you like it? looks cool.
Nice video! What helmet are you wearing? Can you put a link to your gear in the description? Thanks
Nexx G100, absolutely wonderful lid for city riding (not so good at high speed). www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk/motorcycle_parts/content_prod/385482?gclid=Cj0KCQiAtqL-BRC0ARIsAF4K3WHoTzguYX_A5V5qwg9B-j0fCfYrNPf8cMEiE8SEsUOLjVyQMYLRYB0aAsoTEALw_wcB
i totally know what you mean by the 'crunch' of the clutch cable. i feel it every once in a while. its almost like it snags for a split second or something. its weird! i also wish you could turn off abs.
I came from watching your Top Five Mods video, the one about practical mods, which I enjoyed. Having seen that, I wonder if the bike as you are riding it in this video already has the exhaust pipe swap in place; I say so because it sounds uncomfortably loud (to my taste). The other question I have is that in this video you comprehensively praise low-down fueling performance of the bike out of the box from Royal Enfield; yet in the other video you modified the fuel line and replaced the airbox, saying that these mods helped fix something that was less than satisfactory about low-down fueling. That's a touch confusing. Thanks for the well-presented videos; I will subscribe.
It might be because I had my backpack mic quite loud, I also had the baffles out for this ride. When it comes to fuelling, this bike is very good out of the box (very smooth). The fuel plug adds a bit of extra smoothness low down, but it’s not a huge difference. I still think it’s worth buying though.
@Wildlife Moto Hello great vid! I'm going to get the glitter and dust soon I'll be riding round London soon, also what cam are you using with your Nexx helmet? I have the same helmet with yellow coach lines love the styling. Anyhoop thanks in advance.
Very nice! Love the Glitter and Dust scheme! I’m running a Hero 8 with a cheap mount from Amazon (not sure of the brand). It works well with the Nexx, but you do need to leave the visor slightly open for the straps. Cheers for watching :)
Fantastic thank you mate.
I'm considering getting one for daily commute and I'd love to know how you've found things like the paint and chrome hold up against the wet salt etc of winter rides? Do you have to do a lot of work keeping it up to snuff ?
My one major complaint about the Continental GT 650 is that in a lot of stop and go city riding the bike's simi aggressive riding stance is hard on the wrists after 30 minutes or so. That bike really likes open twisty roads more than city blocks with frequent stops.
This is one of the reasons I went with the Interceptor. Love the look of the GT though.
Gosh, I miss ol London Town! This bike is appealing to me so much & your not helping! The sound of your pipes are great! Period.
It would be interesting if you can re-do this exact city travel video when you get your suspension sorted for a comparison. Cities with speed humps, traffic lights every 20 metres, buses everywhere & oblivious pedestrians & tintops... I give you kudos. I traveled through the city for 12 years without an issue only to be sideswiped by a hoodie wearing tradie 1 morning smashed me to pieces. Stay safe & get out of lockdown. Rubber side down mate🙏👌💪💪
Yes, London is a real test of a good suspension set-up. I’ll do this video again once everything is tuned up. Sorry to hear about your accident. There are some right idiots about! I’d recommend you test ride an Enfield, I honestly think you’d love it. Cheers for watching mate.
Nice review, what area of London are you riding through?
North from Islington, down through Farringdon, over Blackfriars bridge, over to Waterloo, over Waterloo Bridge, Covent Garden, Euston Road, Kingcross. Kind of all over.
@@WildlifeMoto OK It all looked pretty nice but I did not recognise any of it until you mentioned Smithfield and I was not sure where that was until I looked on the map.
Do you have a hero 9 or 10 on the chin mount? Looks crisp!
You spoke about a feeling in the clutch lever. My bike does this with standard levers. It's due to the lever sliding up and down it's pivot pin by a tiny amount. Problem is as you supply tension to lever when pulling the clutch, the lever will suddenly jump up and hit the top of the pivot housing. The same when releasing. If I press downwards when pulling lever I can stop this happening. Question is, do your after market levers have this upward travel on the pivot pin? If they do, shim it and try before replacing cable. I'm a fan of the back brake too when commuting at slow speed bits. 👍
Hi. The aftermarket levers are rock solid with no up and down movement. I agree, a couple of shims might fix the factory levers.
Did you record on a Sunday ? Traffic very light know the area well.
Yesterday morning. London is very quiet at the moment.
My least favourite part of London has to be around Chealsea, especially during the morning school run, when the tractors roam free and no one looks around them for beaky two wheeled types!
what exhaust do you have? it sounds awesome
Scorpion Red Power. Check out some of the mods videos on my channel if you want to see it :)
Didn’t realise you also had the bonkers Tuono. Can I ask if you could only have 1 bike for your weekend cruising would you take the RE or the Tuono or would get something else ?
Tough choice. I’d probably take the Royal Enfield as it’s more versatile and relaxed. The Tuono is unbeatable for short blasts on the open road, but it has terrible fuel economy and not great for low speed chilling.
Wildlife Moto that’s the biggest compliment to the RE, the best supernaked ever made according to MCN , many multiples of the RE cost to purchase and if only 1 bike allowed you would take the RE.
Bit of an odd question, but debating ordering an RE new now or around Feb time. Anyone know if brexit will have any likely effect on prices (no deal/deal dependant)? thank for any help.
I can't see why it would. It's made in India
Is the ABS switchable at the rear? Just a thought as it is on my Ducati Scrambler and that would sort that little niggle out.
Unfortunately not on this bike.
Fun 🎉 Job
@wildlifemoto kindly do a DETAILED video on HOW TO INSPECT A PREOWNED INTERCEPTOR. All the necessary checks for same.
Kindly do it, & I promise it'll be popular
Have you been to The Bike Shed? 384 old str Hackney
Yes I know Vicky and Dutch well. Love the place
What's the mpg buddy?
Very odd how yours runs so cool, mine is extremely hot, hotter than any sports bike. I have the same scorpion exhaust and DNA air filter, I did the idle for 10 min after fitting. I only have 350 miles on it
How odd, maybe get RE to look at that. Mine is very cool.
This bike has a Booster Plug installed - which could well account for the lower temps at low rpm.
15:21 lmao 😂😂
Shame you never went down the kingsway underpass bet that would of been extremely loud 👍🏻
I’ve been through it before. Nice sounds.
What is your mpg
Hi bro
A friend of mine told like the gear position is uncomfortable, like it's not proper mod controls, rather it's sort of pushed back..and you get uncomfortable after long rides..is this true???
I’ve not noticed that issue. The pegs take a bit of getting used to. You can also adjust the position of the gear leaver if you want. Thanks for watching :)
@@WildlifeMoto oh ok, so you can adjust the gear lever to mids??
@@soorajsaikumar yes sir 👍
Do you know if those Scorpion exhausts are street legal in Europe aswell? EU marked I mean. Thanks!
Yes they are E marked
Yes I believe these are E marked.
Oh hey . Hitchcocks got free flowing headers in oem looks.
You just made my day mate. Shame they are not in stock, but i'll be getting those the second they become available. Thanks for the heads up.
@@WildlifeMoto lil mod . You can use your gopro screw ( the one with the plastik end) for the side Cover. This way you dont need tools to remove it
Surely undertaking at 10:10 on that single carriage way is not legal and potentially dangerous 🤔 I'm all for making progress, but that always makes me think when I see it in these videos.
Hi Kevin. I often play back my own videos and kick myself for mistakes and errors, i'm always learning. If we are honest with ourselves, we all pull moves that we know we probably should have. In this case, filtering past traffic on a motorcycle is legal here in the UK. Yes there is a very small chance that the driver might have moved over to the left, but I considered it to be a low risk. It's much higher risk filtering past traffic on an open road, where the drivers have space to throw a random U-turn and take us out. Thanks for watching mate.
I’m contemplating a pair of fairly wide bars from Baak. If I lived in a city that permitted lane-filtering the extra width would probably be a deal-breaker but here in the US the only state that allows you to pass between cars is California (as long as you don’t exceed the flow of traffic by more than ten mph). I lived in Los Angeles for years and being able to lane filter on congested freeways probably shaved a half hour off my five mile commute. Now I live in NYC where I can’t say the drivers are any more aggressive but the truckers are murderous and regularly kill pedestrians and cyclists (motorcyclists to a somewhat lesser degree) rarely facing any consequences. Every time a cyclist dies the NYPD responds by issuing more citations to cyclists. London appears to be more enlightened in several respects.
London is fairly civilised 90% of the time, but you never know when you are going to encounter and absolute psycho, stoner, drunk or hooligan behind the wheel. I can't imagine not being able to filter, and yes, wide bars wouldn't be a good idea for me.
So... what, no Billingsgate?
Im using mine for the commute... i need heated grips..
Or heated gloves?
In the city, I would use a scooter, for weekends the interceptor.
I couldn’t haha
@@WildlifeMoto Yes you are still young, I have a Forza 350 for the town, it's perfect not having a clutch, gears & so much storage.
Exhaust?
Scorpion Red Power.
@@WildlifeMoto baffle in or out pal?!..sounds fab 👍
Swapping exhaust reduces weight with alot! So your bike is more like 190 something kg.
Yes those factory pipes are heavy and huge, so my bike is probably around 190. I'll probably loose a bit more weight when I change the headers (coming soon).
@@WildlifeMoto Look forward to that!
Best town bike is any ktm duke. Super narrow, light, nimble. Good mirrors. Goes like a bullet.