Agree with every word Stuart. In 44 years of biking on everything from a Bantam to a Ducati I have never found a more totally satisfying bike than my Interceptor. If ,God forbid, i had to sell all of my bikes this would be the very last to go. Love this machine!
I have had my Royal Enfield for just over a year. And before buying it, I'd informed me with your channel. I never thanked you for that. I think that after a year and that the Motorcycle has exceeded all my expectations, it is time for formally say thank you. I really appreciate your videos. I sincerely say goodbye, from Buenos Aires, Argentina, Antonio Martinez (P.D. Sorry by my bad English.)
Over 12k miles on my Interceptor, mostly above 5,000 ft in the mountains of San Diego California but in the desert to the Mexican border as well. It's also been well above 10k ft. It runs impeccably well except for the time it was 115F degrees and refused to idle until we got cooler above 5k ft. This bike handles well enough to grind the pegs, center stand, and lately both horizontal sections of the exhaust pipes.
@@wardmontgomery9259 now over 21,000 miles and the only warranty item gone wrong is my tail light bulb burned out. I pulled one out of my 88 Toyota until I found another.
@@burtvhulberthyhbn7583 Thank you for posting this and your original comment on trouble free miles. I've got just 3900 miles on my '20 INT and always appreciate hearing of reliable long- term service. Happy New Year!
Just bought an Interceptor Glitter&Dust last weekend, after seeing all your videos on it. It's just a lovely bike, and for me there is none more beautiful on the market - especially for the price. It will be my first bike, at now 25 years old, and I also must thank you for all the work you put in the videos. Great knowledge and research, thanks Stuart 👍🏻
There is a Glitter and Dust sitting at a local dealer...and I went to look at it last weekend. Could not bring myself to talk to them seriously, because I was afraid I might just pay full price and sign the papers. I keep watching Stuart's videos......he should get a commission from Royal Enfield for each one he sells!
I purchased an Int 650 instead of a Bonneville T120 after watching your videos. After having it for 3 days I rode it from New Jersey (right outside NYC) to Memphis. It performed flawlessly. The only gripe would be wind protection (there is none) but I bought the bike knowing this. 2300 miles later I only have good things to say. Thanks for the helpful videos. 3 weeks and almost 2500 miles and happy so far.
exactly same here....i had to choose between these two and after watching and researching everything about these two, i have booked int 650 and two more months wait to get my bike.
I'm 63 years old and I've owned 41 bikes since I started riding in 1973 including Harleys and 1000cc plus superbikes. I was deliberating between this and an Indian Scout Bobber at the dealers and actually chose the Enfield and it is my absolute favourite bike of them all so far apart from my 1973 Triumph Bonneville that I have owned for many years but in truth, the Enfield is a far better bike to ride. It is certainly quick enough for highway riding and fun and flickable through the twisties. I did fit a DNA airfilter. I recently took it on a road trip recently in the company of friends on other and generally faster bikes and even at near 100 mph speeds on the main highway, it was stable and smooth even if it was near it's limit speedwise but it remained quite un-flustered mechanically and handled faultlessly and didn't lose ground or face. Even the riders of harleys stop to talk to me about the enfield- far more than do about my old T140. Mine is black but paint looks perfect and flawless. Turn signals and headlight are different in n.America and turn signal lights are a bit cheap and nasty and so might swap those out. Switchgear is better than it looks but I lubed the inside of mine when I got the bike with contact cleaner and silicone based oil. The only fault is that my speedometer fogs over in the rain sometimes but my Triumph has always done that and I really don't care. The seat was a bit too hard but I have erm 'modified' that. I love the fact you can adjust valves without having to mess about with shims. It starts on the button, the motor is a smooth as silk. Despite some seriously hard riding just recently at times, I've only adjusted the chain once so far but lots of lube. When I first got the bike, I took a lot of time to break it in ( 1500 miles before full throttle and revs) , I wax polished it about three times and lubed every pivot point I could find. I even squirted chain lube around the ends of the mufflers to prevent corrosion and there is none anywhere at all. I just love it and still go out to the garage and gaze at it on an almost daily basis. I cannot praise these bikes too highly; they are perfect for people wanting to return to motorcycling after a long break; Enfield really got it right with this one..
Nice BMW 2002 at 3:13! Just ordered myself a Black and Red Interceptor - due for delivery on the 2nd of Dec. Your videos have been a great source of information. Many thanks👍
I stumbled onto your channel and fell in love with the Interceptor due to your videos and love for the bike. Happy to say that I've bought a 2020 Ravishing Red Interceptor and TOTALLY love it!
I have owned mine for 9months and 2000 miles and the only issue I had once the bike wouldn’t tick over, it would ride fine and then stall at junctions, a quick call to RE dealer and he said he had had this one before, a new set of spark plugs cured the problem, might be worth noting to the RE viewers, Great video as usual
Having just retired I have a little cash and a fair bit of time on my hands to I have become a “born again” motorcyclist. I’d not ridden for 35 years since and many things have changed over this period. However, some some things have remained constant and one in particular: “Knowledgable” bikers speaking out of their arses. With absolutely no evidence to back up what they say they tell as all what is wrong with everything. No tyre is ever good enough for them, no brakes are powerful enough, no engine performs as it should and let’s not go into tyre pressures, oils, fuel or frame design. These gobby idiots know everything! The reality is bikes, like cars, have never been better. The basic design, components, raw materials and the technology used, even by manufacturers in the developing world, has never been as good as they are now. Next year it will be even better. What we need are more Stuarts, Andys, 44 teeth and Dels etc. to put some reality into things, people who actually have some hands on experience. People who have spend the money and actually done things. Like it or not, each and every bike has some good things as well as bad. Some represent poor value for money and others are outstanding bargains. I’ll will agree that some manufacturers have been a little backward at coming forwards when they have made some design, specification or production errors but that still doesn’t mean all of their products are bad. It just means they have discerning customers. So thank you very much for your fact and evidence based approach to your reviews and an even bigger thanks for not recommending yet another product I have whizz off and buy. You have save me some money this week.
Agreed. But, if you are making a vid review of a bike, it's hard to just produce a glowing report with no negatives at all. You sort of feel like you have to include some minuses as a matter of course. Yep, vehicles are obviously much better now than back then. I learned to drive in a '57 Nash Rambler that used more oil than gas. And that was the least of it's issues. It had no second gear and two cyl had bad rings and burned valves. Still ... it ran... sort of.
Thanks for all your reviews on the modern Enfields Stu. (last one I owned was in 72) It will be my last bike before hanging up the gloves due to age . Thanks again.
Greetings from Australia. I am 64!and currently ride a very nice VTR1000F Honda Firestoem. The Endield 650 is appealing and if purchased would probably be my last bike Have some funds set aside however I am not quite sure. The VTRvwould stay for some fun though.
Picked up a ravishingly red Interceptor and only got slightly over 550 miles before winter hit the streets. I have a 650 Triumph (1965) and two Xs650 Yamahas...so I have a idea about twins.. the Interceptor offers excellent performance, handling and is very smooth. Great brakes. It puts the " fun " into motorcycling. The only problem is.... I do have to remind myself.. it's a six speed. I also have a 2011 RE Bullet 500 with a sidecar... loaded with, either the wife ( she did a 600 mile weekend ) or all my camping gear.. it rolls along at a steady 55mph all day long. Prefect for wave at the farmers speed. I look forward to spring when I can get the Interceptor out and about and use... 6th gear. ! A tip of the cap to the folks at Royal Enfield... they provide a excellent machine at a great price.
You’re so right about the paint quality. I was pushing my gt650 in to my garage and the zip in my trouser pockets took a chunk of paint from the tank along with it lol.
A very underestimated bike, other manufacturers need to take heed. Ride it in slow moving traffic or on the edge of the tyres and you won’t be disappointed trust me.
I try to explain to the doubters, that this RE motorcycle is just a bloody good bike. And arguably unbeatable at its price point. Thanks for your efforts with the channel.
I bought a new 2020 INT650 last June. I absolutely love it. Pure fun. I have upgraded to Ohlins Rear Shocks & fork kit. Absolutely GREAT machine. I wanted a new bike BUT there was NOTHING that appealed to me. Sport bikes are Off my list as are HD and any cruiser. The INT650 was EXACTLY the bike style I had in mind. I have NO complaints and Your videos are great!!
When I was researching bikes, the RE 650 kept coming up in the top rung. Price - ride, etc. When it came down to decision time 1. 3 yr warranty 2. Price 3. Confort 4. Quality - endurance 5. Ease of handling. RE int 650 hit on all cylinders Just before going in, went over lo g term reviews/reports by owners. Test rode my bike. Found the dealer has only had a single one off - a sidestand monitor fault. Now a proud and happy owner. 😊 Side note: unintended, but get positive looks and comments from other motorcycalists and general public. Engine and exhaust sounds (stock) are soothing (for me). Not only practical but fun to ride. Two wheeled therapy dialed up.
Consistently excellent information and delivery. Thank you very much it is appreciated. Putting aside any questions it is a pleasure to listen and view. So honest , so reliable, respect. Always quality. Gratitude. Regards Gareth Wiltshire UK. Thank you.
Great review as usual. Watched your channel a lot before taking the plunge on my Interceptor, no regrets and it'll be the last one out the door if my collection has to be rationalised.
Excellent reviews. I feel the same way about my interceptor. Have had all kinds of bikes since I was 17 and now I'm 68. This bike is the most fun hand's down. Handles great . Engineered spot on. Well done Royal Enfield team!
I've painted both cars and motorcycles. Orange peel is a sign of the paint being too thick when sprayed, but that could be a good thing. If you scratch the paint after owning it a while there will be plenty of paint to wet sand and buff out without going down to the primer. Soft paint, as you already mentioned, is also a good thing. I own a 2020 Harley Davidson TriGlide Ultra and the paint is too hard which has resulted in many chips in the paint after only 18,000 miles. Thanks for the video, ride safely and enjoy the journey.
Hi had my intercepter since Feb 2020 and love the bike , only issues I have had have been small it needed a new speed sensor under warranty and I’ve had to rebuild the indicator switch twice but this is probably down to my heavy hand . Fitted lighter exhausts an are much louder made a big difference , lifted the bars helped my back on long distance,opened the air filter. Overall fantastic bike handles well worth the money. Always like your reviews Stuart.
Thank you for the video Stuart, very informative as always. I've had my Interceptor since July and the only problem I've encountered is with regard to the gearbox. While I concur with every review regarding the smoothness of the gearbox, I've been experiencing difficulty with sixth as it doesn't always go in properly. It has got better the more I have ridden the bike, but is still occurring (though not as often) after 1200 miles. I suspect there is a burr of metal on the cog that is causing the problem; when it had its first service, the dealer could find no problem with it, though they didn't strip it down and only test rode it. I also suspect it is intermittent due to the positioning of the cog. It will be going back to the dealer at the next opportunity as it still has plenty of warranty on it and my concern has been recorded. It's taking a little bit of pleasure out of riding it at the moment as it's always in the back of my mind. I have put a few accessories on it and found your videos invaluable to aid installation. The only performance enhancement I've fitted is the air filter you referred to. I am looking to change the silencers, so will look forward to your video on that, particularly regarding your choice of pipes; the bike I test rode had Scorpion silencers fitted and it sounded very nice indeed. Cheers, Andy.
You may not see this as it's been a year since your post, but I wanted to share my similar experience. I had rather notchy 5th to 6th shifts and even very occasionally the same with 4th to 5th on my '20 INT650. With further running (3900 miles) the frequency and intensity of notchy feeling 5th to 6th shifts has diminished significantly. No problems now with 4th to 5th shifting. I have found that if I make my 5th to 6th shift at 4000 rpm or higher no notchy shifting ever occurs. Adjusting the shift lever up one inch helped comfort during shifting as well. If you haven't already changed exhaust pipes, I installed a pair of the Indian made Powerage slip- ons and am very satisfied. They are stainless steel free flow pipes that are 9 pounds lighter for the pair, slimmer in profile, come with removable db reducers, are reasonably priced comparatively, run MUCH cooler and sound terrific compared to stock.
Much appreciate all the fine videos. Your videos on this bike have been most useful for me. I now have an Interceptor parked in my garage as of last week. I come from Royal Enfields of the older generation, that is, the cast iron ones. I still own a 96" 500. I've clocked just a couple of hundred miles on my Interceptor and I love it. Royal Enfield have taken their Motorcycle design and building skills to another level with this one. It is hands down the best modern vintage (if you can call it that) cruiser money can buy. I am sure it will remembered like the Interceptor did from back in the day.
"Wracked my brain all weekend trying to find things that really pissed me off" lol. I love the sentiment. My only gripe at all really (Ive had mine for 3 weeks and 500 miles) is the cosmetic appeal of the turn signals and tail light. I struggle with "hey it's honest to the modern classic style" and "man, they could've done something a LITTLE more contemporary here."
I'm seriously considering buying this bike and putting a sidecar on it. I found a sidecar available here in the USA at a reasonable cost and they have a hardware kit to attach the sidecar to the Interceptor designed just for it so no cutting, drilling, and welding is required I'm old and need a 3rd wheel to continue riding.
I love your comment about paintwork, I thought I was the only one! My 1996 Triumph has a very high quality paint job. Despite the price and reputation for quality my BMW 1200RT has crap paintwork - that is the only word I can use to describe it. I'm going to have to remove the centre and side stand and repaint them, rust coming all over the frame too. Another grouse is the brakes on the BMW that are very prone to pistons sticking. I fitted new pistons and seals in 2018 but had to thoroughly clean them up this year to get through the MOT. Apart from bleeding the fluid and fitting new pads from time to time I have never had to touch the brakes on the Triumph.
Great video as always, also thank you for the discount code for Motone Customs in the last video, finally pulled the trigger on a few items I wanted for my EFI Thruxton 900, Cheers.
I used to have a specialist machanic/race mechanic and car restorer look after my Alfas, I once asked him about getting more grunt / performance from a car (in general) and he said 'yeah it's dead simple get a bigger engine.'. I totally agree, I have never 'fiddled about' with engine maps, via a power commander /rolling road/downloaded tunes. However I have put a Booster Plug on my Speed Twin to give it (fool it) a bit more fuel, EU regs ect, as you know this is instantly reversable and doesn't mess with the engine management unit to an extent it needs a visit to a diagnostic unit in Monza. Keep in up Stuart 👍
Thanks for the update the only things I’ve had a problem with are corrosion on the inside upper parts of rear suspension & exhaust gouge which was replaced under warranty. The suspension they wouldn’t, which was disappointing, as I hadn’t ridden it in any salty road conditions. The paint work I’ve not noticed any orange peel anywhere. Enjoyed the report & looking forward to see which exhausts you’ve settled on. Safe riding 👍🏻
Nice video Stuart ! I bought my Interceptor in June with my redundancy payout and have clocked up just over 3000 miles on it without fault ! I viewed this bike as a blank canvas and have changed it a little cosmetically by powder coating some parts , not because they were rusty but because I didn't like the silver ! New cans ( S&S ) DNA filter , different seat ( GT) and best of all the Motone indicators which I sent you pics of ! This bike really shouldn't be this good for that price and really is hard to knock it although there are plenty of people that do because they need channel content and think this bike is low hanging fruit .....you're wrong ! Buy one and find out or shut up !
an easy bike for fiddlers, those that can't leave well enough alone.. the pegs placement was ok.. with a little fabricating they're now perfect. Even my pillion agrees. I adapted a single saddle and added a custom carrier.. so now it has 2 distinct looks. Next I'll work on the suspension then maybe the exhaust.. it's a great canvas.
Yesterday I saw a Triumph rider ogle at my Dad's Chrome Interceptor... This is in India, where the Interceptor is 1/3rd the price of a Triumph... Best Bike my Dad has owned in his life and he chose it over a Harley Street Rod 750... Incredible Content as always Stuart Sir... :)
I've had my Int 650 since late spring and have put a little over 4000 miles on it. In general, I love the bike and it has exceded my expectations. I do have 2 complaints. First is the seat. I found it unacceptably uncomfortable. Due to the covid shutdown, the RE touring seat was unavailable. I purchased a Corbin seat and it's the most comfortable motorcycle seat I've ever owned. My other complaint is the switch gear. It does it's job but feels so cheap while doing it.
Sir, on the lots of videos that I saw on Royal Enfield Interceptor 650, you are THE most common sense ever. Thank’s for the job! You helped me a lot to make my final décision: that bike will be my next one! From Switzerland, cheese! 😜
I bought my Interceptor in October 2019 and, despite Covid lockdowns, have managed to put over 3000 miles on it. It’s been 100% reliable and has no rust or corrosion, but, like my other bikes, it is regularly cleaned and polished. I’ve also fitted a DNA filter but have not needed to change any parts of the fuel or ignition system. I’ve found the fuelling and throttle response to be perfect. I’ve had no problems with brake corrosion but will have the new calliper fitted under warranty when RE notify me, simply to keep the DVLA recall records correct. I’ve left the suspension stock and find it perfectly adequate for the type of riding I do. For me, the bike is all day comfortable, has plenty of real world performance and handles very well indeed. In summary, I’m very happy with the bike and would strongly recommend it to anybody who’s looking for an ‘old school’, classic looking bike at a bargain price.
In days gone by I think motorcyclists (and car owners for that matter) were more used to doing regular maintenance and keeping on top of stuff. Probably our newer generations don't know how to do it or even that it is necessary to keep on top of things. Nice vlog Stuart.
As you have rightly said, there is very little to complain about the Interceptor and it’s a bike made with practicality in mind along with the experience that RE has! The paint work is not the best in class but far better than the other RE models. They are also improving the paint work on the lower cc models, with the new launches like the new ‘Meteor 350’ that they launched has a better paint job done. I won’t complain though as it’s a bargain for me as it’s the cheapest 650cc that you can own (that too only price wise). In my 4,500kms I have really seen the bike morph into a smooth machine which I can rely on whether in peak traffic or on the highway or even on the high mountains!
I really hope that they can get more bikes to the US at some point. I have been to some local dealerships and none of them have one. They seem to sell as fast as they come in. The price will get more of them sold here. It seems that most manufacturers are going away from a low priced bike in order to maximize profits. The quality they have is a big bonus as well
Agreed re the paintwork. on the top of the tank there always seems to be a rough area. we have had quite a few warranty claims straight out of the crate. Interesting to hear it can be sorted with some compunding!
Yeah I managed to improve mine to the point where it just about vanished, looks to me like there's a seam there which hasn't been prepped properly. I do hope they get it sorted!
Glad to hear your still enjoying the interceptor and there are no issues , can't wait to get mine on the road just needs a good detail and protection , great video Stuart 👍
I believe only Stuart's narration on Interceptor is as honest as Interceptor..he is not biased by any sort of influences whatsoever ..this is the only channel I can see more videos on Interceptor which shows how much trust it has drawn from Stuart
Thanks for the Video Stuart. I am new to motorcycles and am cutting my teeth on a Herold Scrambler. I have visions of owning a Royal Enfield, once I past my full bike test. So your reviews on them is keeping my brain ticking over.
Great Video 😊👍.....I have an 2015 Continental GT 535 and just L💛ve it and haven't made the move into the twins yet...yes I would love more HP ..but who wouldn't....keep up the great video's ❗
Thankyou for another great video I dont own an Interceptor 650 I did test ride one and i found it to be superb. I thought the riding position was perfect and the handling faultless on twisty roads and the motorway. I have a Pegasus edition bullet and a Honda CB 1100rs Wish i had space for the Interceptor as well LOL. I really enjoy all your videos Thanks again.
Thanks for this Stuart, though my bullet is looking rather nervously over my shoulder- he’s safe until spring ,or at least until a 650 Himalayan comes on the market..
Just waiting on my Interceptor to arrive, can’t wait! Have to say that you get to ride in one of the the most beautiful places in the planet, love the Dales. Enjoy the rides and thanks for the vids.
Hi Stuart I have an Enfield 650 continental GT which oddly enough I got from the potteries I bought It Brand new and have owned it now for 3 yrs my reg is only 1 letter different to yours the final letter of the three only being different. Mine is in the Ice Queen colours and the paint shows no orange peel.Have had no problems at all but the only problem I found was with the tyres the original tyres used to follow any grooves and twitched when crossing white lines changed the tyres to bridgestone BT 46's which seem to have solved the problem overall a great bike.I would recomend this bike to anyone great channel love the vids
Good stuff as usual, Stuart. Very happy with mine, over 6k miles now & no problems at all. Even the seat, which could become uncomfortable quite quickly has bedded in nicely. My only minor niggle is the indicator switch which occasionally is very stiff when pushing to the right.
And the best way to deal with paint issues on the tank is the Glitter & Dust version! 2,000 miles so far on mine, except for a slightly notchy ignition switch, no problems!
The brake calipers are a recall for the 650 twins. Areas that use salt and grime cause this problem. I have a 2020 interceptor that has the calipers hanging up. My dealer is approximately 80 miles away that would be unsafe to ride to so u have to get it shipped to. This should be covered by roadside assistance I will see. This problem should have been solved before it was put on the market. I understand that this was corrected on the 2021 models. I am not pleased with this problem I have lost a few months of riding due to it. Hope u better luck. I am concerned about brake fluid damaging the paint surfaces also at warranty replacement.
Really good comprehensive video. I too am at the year and a half mark now and so far I've only had to replace the voltage regulator rectifiers replaced under warranty. Otherwise the bike has never missed a beat and I still feel there's nothing else at this price that is nearly as good.
"... hadn't bargained for with that video was the stupidity and laziness of a lot of viewers..." Stuart, will you never learn?! Nice footage of said viewers at 5:30 though...
11:37 Beautiful shot and coloring! This makes me love this style (one which might normally not be at the top of the list for me). It looks almost like burnt umber. I need to arrange to see one (and ride one) in real life. Two weeks - After I get that second shot...
Been riding for 64 years . Bought my Intersepter this year cannot falt it in any way. I wanted the Silver Gray and found the Paint perfect. In all my years this bike for pleasure and price is the best yet.
Thank you, Stuart for your comments regarding the placement of foot-pegs. Currently I ride a Classic 500 and have been toying with the idea of getting myself an Interceptor, but so much is being made about this issue back here in India, that I continue to sit on the fence. Hopefully I'll jump the Interceptor way now!
excellent review as always - i got mine in the US this past summer unfortunately getting aftermarket parts ( fomr india or the UK ) has been impossible and the local dealer seems also to have problems sourcing parts. this sucks becasue i am rather a hefty 6'3 220 lb and need to improve the suspension . Also one thing i noticed wiht the tyres was that after 500-600 miles they got much better. cheers
Interesting I had to get my tank swapped under warranty due to paint defects. There pockmarks in it and someone had tried to polish it out leaving scratches in the tank. It was only a small area and tricky to spot but I had no issues getting the tank replaced.
Great objective and unbiased yet informative video. I have sort of the same biking history that involved sports bikes followed by adventure bikes and now am looking for a cruiser type motorcycle. I will still own a small Honda CRF250 rally too as over the years i tried to search for an adventure bike that would do tough technical terrain and be light enough but still have enough power and stability to do decent road mileage at reasonable speed on fast A roads. You know this unicorn bike does not exist which is why i have been looking at the Royal Enfield Interceptor as my road bike to complement the lightweight adventure bike. Your videos have swayed me to make a purchase. I owned a Royal Enfield Himalayan which was a fantastic bike and much better off road than you would think and made a great little road bike too.At 199kg kerb weight it was a little heavy for trail riding and not much lighter than the Interceptor! Royal Enfield can come in for a slating but this is generally from people who either do not know how to look after and maintain a bike and expect a cheap Honda or worse still people who have never owned or ridden a Royal Enfield. At the price they come in at i think they are unbeatable. My fear is that everyone starts buying them and they are no longer our little secret and Royal Enfield works out they could charge a fair bit more for them than they currently do.
Another great piece, still find the valve check at 6k a bit annoying, I had a t100 and got rid of it purely because the chrome and polished metal demanded too much work to keep minted, also hated wire wheels, I find the interceptor intriguing and it's on my list of maybes for my next bike, thanks again
I really enjoy your videos, so I'm a big fan of your channel. I've always had big heavy powerful bikes, but I'm getting on in years ( I currently ride a Honda Pan European 2004, 320kg with a full 29 litre tank !) You've persuaded me to swap it for a beautiful RE. 😊😊👍
Is this back to the future? In my youth I obsessed over bikes and in the 70’s what would you draw? When I finally acquired a bike my Dad insisted I maintained and serviced it and lo and behold feeler gauges, locknut and screw. Acquired an Interceptor this year and it is so cool, dare I say that whenever I take it out I have a permanent Henry Cole smile. My Tiger 800, with all the touring kit, is on notice that it may not join me in the Pyrenees next September! Plus amazing savings on future servicing costs!
Dear Stuart, thank you for the great content! I bought my Interceptor in March 2020, a decision in which your videos played no small role, and after my first season of riding, I couldn't agree more with your experiences and opinions of the RE 650s. After years of riding off-road, on-road, old, new, fast or relaxed motorcycles, I feel like I've finally come home. Today on the road I had my very first bit of trouble, and I was hoping, that maybe you have an idea where I might begin trouble shooting: After having parked the bike in my garage for 4 weeks, I took it out today for a brief cruise. After it the engine had properly warmed up, I revved it to ca. 5.000 rpm (5th gear) and as I got off the trottle the engine just died. I pulled the clutch, rolled to a stop, turned off the ignition. Scratched my chin, ignition on, and sure enough it fired up and I kept on riding - though a bit unnerved. After a few kilometers the same thing happened again. I believe this time a below 5.000 rpm in 6th, but I don't remember if I was on or off the gas at that instant. It started up again right away and I went home at a crawl. All riders know, this is no fun at all. Plus not the kind of thing you like to provoke over and over in order to narrow down the precise circumstances that may trigger this behavior. I could not make out any other unusual behavior on that brief ride. I am at a loss because all my previous bikes had carburators (which I would inspect for crud, though dirty carbs tend to act up more at start or idle) and no or minimal electronics. Stuart, do you - or anyone - have any idea where to start looking or how to narrow down possible causes?
PS: understood if you don't have the time to take this up :) got a first idea from other comments already: sparkplugs. And (sorry, should've done this before writing such a massive comment) some chatter on the forums about side stand sensor, roll-over sensor and fuel pump relays ...
@@smac7320 Some RE Twins built early in 2020 had excessive di-electric grease applied to the prongs of the 4 relays accessible behind the left side cover aft of the air cleaner. Pull and wipe off much of the white grease on relays and their sockets. Reinstall gently and try running. There have been several reports of this problem on the RE forums.
Top blog as always Stu. Never understood how someone can comment on a video but not actually watch it but there you go👍. Got to agree about the paint my Street Scramblers paint is incredible.
Hello, thank you for your feedback. I've been thinking about getting one of these for a couple of years now and this year might be the one. However, there's only one potential issue that is currently preventing me from buying one. Indeed, I've read that interceptors are prone to rust. I know any bikes require to be taken care of but is the interceptor rusting more than other bikes ? If yes, is this a material quality problem ? I've noticed that the new ones have black coated engines and exhaust and it makes me think this has been done to address this issue. To all interceptor owners, have you observed abnormal rust problem on your machine ?
I've had a similar experience thus far with my 6 month old Interceptor... the bike performs flawlessly, I'm continuously impressed by the handling, it's quick enough, and it's easy to wrench on. My one complaint also involves the quality of the paint... I have the chrome tank version, and the black center stripe down the tank has a couple of visible flaws. All in all, it's a wonderful bike, and I could spend thousands of dollars on customization, upgrades, or maintenance without ever touching the price tag of a Bonneville.
There was no dealership in Dublin when I bought mine. I simply asked my regular mechanic to order me one. He contacted the uk suppliers and got one shipped to Ireland. Happy days. A dealer soon opened up and turns out I payed 200 less than they’re price.
The Himalayan had a few issues uncle Stu , cylinder head leaks, headstock bearings, and corrosion . For a few extra pennies why don't they fit stainless fasteners and wheel spokes, as the spokes go furry rather quickly .
Agree with every word Stuart. In 44 years of biking on everything from a Bantam to a Ducati I have never found a more totally satisfying bike than my Interceptor. If ,God forbid, i had to sell all of my bikes this would be the very last to go. Love this machine!
Thanks extremely for the reply. I've heard a lot, but that was the Best !!!
I am with you Harris.....all the way !
No no, don't sell in any case as these are the one time chance to keep them in garage
Great
I have had my Royal Enfield for just over a year. And before buying it, I'd informed me with your channel. I never thanked you for that. I think that after a year and that the Motorcycle has exceeded all my expectations, it is time for formally say thank you. I really appreciate your videos. I sincerely say goodbye, from Buenos Aires, Argentina, Antonio Martinez (P.D. Sorry by my bad English.)
You write better English than most native English speakers,
It's not a goodbye comment. It's a Hello comment.
Over 12k miles on my Interceptor, mostly above 5,000 ft in the mountains of San Diego California but in the desert to the Mexican border as well. It's also been well above 10k ft. It runs impeccably well except for the time it was 115F degrees and refused to idle until we got cooler above 5k ft.
This bike handles well enough to grind the pegs, center stand, and lately both horizontal sections of the exhaust pipes.
At 115’ my iphone quit working and the radio in my Buick also quit - over 100’ anything can give at anytime … NorCal
@@wardmontgomery9259 now over 21,000 miles and the only warranty item gone wrong is my tail light bulb burned out. I pulled one out of my 88 Toyota until I found another.
@@burtvhulberthyhbn7583 Thank you for posting this and your original comment on trouble free miles. I've got just 3900 miles on my '20 INT and always appreciate hearing of reliable long- term service. Happy New Year!
Just bought an Interceptor Glitter&Dust last weekend, after seeing all your videos on it. It's just a lovely bike, and for me there is none more beautiful on the market - especially for the price. It will be my first bike, at now 25 years old, and I also must thank you for all the work you put in the videos. Great knowledge and research, thanks Stuart 👍🏻
I am just loving to see the RE cult growing. Appreciation for the machine is always welcome!
There is a Glitter and Dust sitting at a local dealer...and I went to look at it last weekend.
Could not bring myself to talk to them seriously, because I was afraid I might just pay full price and sign the papers.
I keep watching Stuart's videos......he should get a commission from Royal Enfield for each one he sells!
I purchased an Int 650 instead of a Bonneville T120 after watching your videos. After having it for 3 days I rode it from New Jersey (right outside NYC) to Memphis. It performed flawlessly. The only gripe would be wind protection (there is none) but I bought the bike knowing this. 2300 miles later I only have good things to say. Thanks for the helpful videos. 3 weeks and almost 2500 miles and happy so far.
exactly same here....i had to choose between these two and after watching and researching everything about these two, i have booked int 650 and two more months wait to get my bike.
I'm 63 years old and I've owned 41 bikes since I started riding in 1973 including Harleys and 1000cc plus superbikes. I was deliberating between this and an Indian Scout Bobber at the dealers and actually chose the Enfield and it is my absolute favourite bike of them all so far apart from my 1973 Triumph Bonneville that I have owned for many years but in truth, the Enfield is a far better bike to ride. It is certainly quick enough for highway riding and fun and flickable through the twisties. I did fit a DNA airfilter. I recently took it on a road trip recently in the company of friends on other and generally faster bikes and even at near 100 mph speeds on the main highway, it was stable and smooth even if it was near it's limit speedwise but it remained quite un-flustered mechanically and handled faultlessly and didn't lose ground or face. Even the riders of harleys stop to talk to me about the enfield- far more than do about my old T140. Mine is black but paint looks perfect and flawless. Turn signals and headlight are different in n.America and turn signal lights are a bit cheap and nasty and so might swap those out. Switchgear is better than it looks but I lubed the inside of mine when I got the bike with contact cleaner and silicone based oil. The only fault is that my speedometer fogs over in the rain sometimes but my Triumph has always done that and I really don't care. The seat was a bit too hard but I have erm 'modified' that. I love the fact you can adjust valves without having to mess about with shims. It starts on the button, the motor is a smooth as silk. Despite some seriously hard riding just recently at times, I've only adjusted the chain once so far but lots of lube. When I first got the bike, I took a lot of time to break it in ( 1500 miles before full throttle and revs) , I wax polished it about three times and lubed every pivot point I could find. I even squirted chain lube around the ends of the mufflers to prevent corrosion and there is none anywhere at all. I just love it and still go out to the garage and gaze at it on an almost daily basis. I cannot praise these bikes too highly; they are perfect for people wanting to return to motorcycling after a long break; Enfield really got it right with this one..
Switchgear “difficult to put your finger on”, brilliant comment at 10:56 made me chuckle.
Nice BMW 2002 at 3:13!
Just ordered myself a Black and Red Interceptor - due for delivery on the 2nd of Dec. Your videos have been a great source of information. Many thanks👍
Just want to say, that was the best Patreon self promotion plug (8:02) I've ever heard, and accurate as well. Good on ya matey.
I stumbled onto your channel and fell in love with the Interceptor due to your videos and love for the bike. Happy to say that I've bought a 2020 Ravishing Red Interceptor and TOTALLY love it!
I have owned mine for 9months and 2000 miles and the only issue I had once the bike wouldn’t tick over, it would ride fine and then stall at junctions, a quick call to RE dealer and he said he had had this one before, a new set of spark plugs cured the problem, might be worth noting to the RE viewers,
Great video as usual
Having just retired I have a little cash and a fair bit of time on my hands to I have become a “born again” motorcyclist. I’d not ridden for 35 years since and many things have changed over this period. However, some some things have remained constant and one in particular: “Knowledgable” bikers speaking out of their arses. With absolutely no evidence to back up what they say they tell as all what is wrong with everything. No tyre is ever good enough for them, no brakes are powerful enough, no engine performs as it should and let’s not go into tyre pressures, oils, fuel or frame design. These gobby idiots know everything! The reality is bikes, like cars, have never been better. The basic design, components, raw materials and the technology used, even by manufacturers in the developing world, has never been as good as they are now. Next year it will be even better.
What we need are more Stuarts, Andys, 44 teeth and Dels etc. to put some reality into things, people who actually have some hands on experience. People who have spend the money and actually done things. Like it or not, each and every bike has some good things as well as bad. Some represent poor value for money and others are outstanding bargains. I’ll will agree that some manufacturers have been a little backward at coming forwards when they have made some design, specification or production errors but that still doesn’t mean all of their products are bad. It just means they have discerning customers. So thank you very much for your fact and evidence based approach to your reviews and an even bigger thanks for not recommending yet another product I have whizz off and buy. You have save me some money this week.
Welcome back to motorcycling, what machine have you purchased?
Absolutely agree with you 👍
Agreed. But, if you are making a vid review of a bike, it's hard to just produce a glowing report with no negatives at all. You sort of feel like you have to include some minuses as a matter of course.
Yep, vehicles are obviously much better now than back then. I learned to drive in a '57 Nash Rambler that used more oil than gas. And that was the least of it's issues. It had no second gear and two cyl had bad rings and burned valves. Still ... it ran... sort of.
@@kentishman5698 I bought a T120 Bonneville.
I m a proud owner of RE Interceptor 650 too. Love ur accent, love ur insight about the bike.
I am from Argentina, incredible that so many thousands of kilometers we are enjoying the same motorcycle !!
Thanks for all your reviews on the modern Enfields Stu.
(last one I owned was in 72)
It will be my last bike before hanging up the gloves due to age .
Thanks again.
Greetings from Australia.
I am 64!and currently ride a very nice VTR1000F Honda Firestoem.
The Endield 650 is appealing and if purchased would probably be my last bike
Have some funds set aside however I am not quite sure.
The VTRvwould stay for some fun though.
with you LB. I hung up my biking gloves due to age.
After watching uncle Stu's videos I now give expert opinions & advice to my friends.
And I don't own an INT.
You can't help being educated watching these videos.
I try to share or at least give a link to relevant videos if it can help someone.
Picked up a ravishingly red Interceptor and only got slightly over 550 miles before winter hit the streets. I have a 650 Triumph (1965) and two Xs650 Yamahas...so I have a idea about twins.. the Interceptor offers excellent performance, handling and is very smooth. Great brakes. It puts the " fun " into motorcycling. The only problem is.... I do have to remind myself.. it's a six speed.
I also have a 2011 RE Bullet 500 with a sidecar... loaded with, either the wife ( she did a 600 mile weekend ) or all my camping gear.. it rolls along at a steady 55mph all day long. Prefect for wave at the farmers speed. I look forward to spring when I can get the Interceptor out and about and use... 6th gear. !
A tip of the cap to the folks at Royal Enfield... they provide a excellent machine at a great price.
09:03 Ducati 899 does not come with clear coating on the red ones beat that for paint issues .....
You’re so right about the paint quality. I was pushing my gt650 in to my garage and the zip in my trouser pockets took a chunk of paint from the tank along with it lol.
A very underestimated bike, other manufacturers need to take heed.
Ride it in slow moving traffic or on the edge of the tyres and you won’t be disappointed trust me.
I try to explain to the doubters, that this RE motorcycle is just a bloody good bike. And arguably unbeatable at its price point. Thanks for your efforts with the channel.
I bought a new 2020 INT650 last June. I absolutely love it. Pure fun. I have upgraded to Ohlins Rear Shocks & fork kit. Absolutely GREAT machine. I wanted a new bike BUT there was NOTHING that appealed to me. Sport bikes are Off my list as are HD and any cruiser. The INT650 was EXACTLY the bike style I had in mind. I have NO complaints and Your videos are great!!
When I was researching bikes, the RE 650 kept coming up in the top rung.
Price - ride, etc.
When it came down to decision time
1. 3 yr warranty
2. Price
3. Confort
4. Quality - endurance
5. Ease of handling.
RE int 650 hit on all cylinders
Just before going in, went over lo g term reviews/reports by owners.
Test rode my bike.
Found the dealer has only had a single one off - a sidestand monitor fault.
Now a proud and happy owner. 😊
Side note: unintended, but get positive looks and comments from other motorcycalists and general public.
Engine and exhaust sounds (stock) are soothing (for me). Not only practical but fun to ride. Two wheeled therapy dialed up.
You are a beautiful speaker living in a beautiful place.. having a beautiful bike....and not to forget those beautiful shots.
Consistently excellent information and delivery. Thank you very much it is appreciated. Putting aside any questions it is a pleasure to listen and view. So honest , so reliable, respect. Always quality. Gratitude. Regards Gareth Wiltshire UK. Thank you.
Great review as usual. Watched your channel a lot before taking the plunge on my Interceptor, no regrets and it'll be the last one out the door if my collection has to be rationalised.
Excellent reviews. I feel the same way about my interceptor. Have had all kinds of bikes since I was 17 and now I'm 68. This bike is the most fun hand's down. Handles great . Engineered spot on. Well done Royal Enfield team!
Thanks Stuart. Im about to get one im from Argentina and got awesome tips from you men
Thnaks for your time
Good one Stu -and yes, some members of the general public read things only superficially. I guess that is how certain politicians were elected....
"Switchgear, it's difficult thing to put your finger on"..............Love it!!!!!! :-)
Liking the videos Stuart. I like the Interceptor 650 a lot. What a great bike.
More i watch... More i felt love with this bike❤️
I've painted both cars and motorcycles. Orange peel is a sign of the paint being too thick when sprayed, but that could be a good thing. If you scratch the paint after owning it a while there will be plenty of paint to wet sand and buff out without going down to the primer. Soft paint, as you already mentioned, is also a good thing. I own a 2020 Harley Davidson TriGlide Ultra and the paint is too hard which has resulted in many chips in the paint after only 18,000 miles. Thanks for the video, ride safely and enjoy the journey.
Haha I shared your ‘5 reasons why the interceptor is unbeatable’ video to my parents, praying that it convinces them to buy it for me😅.
Here to update, I just booked a Ventura Blue INT yesterday, can’t wait for it😎
Hi had my intercepter since Feb 2020 and love the bike , only issues I have had have been small it needed a new speed sensor under warranty and I’ve had to rebuild the indicator switch twice but this is probably down to my heavy hand .
Fitted lighter exhausts an are much louder made a big difference , lifted the bars helped my back on long distance,opened the air filter.
Overall fantastic bike handles well worth the money.
Always like your reviews Stuart.
Thank you for the video Stuart, very informative as always. I've had my Interceptor since July and the only problem I've encountered is with regard to the gearbox. While I concur with every review regarding the smoothness of the gearbox, I've been experiencing difficulty with sixth as it doesn't always go in properly. It has got better the more I have ridden the bike, but is still occurring (though not as often) after 1200 miles. I suspect there is a burr of metal on the cog that is causing the problem; when it had its first service, the dealer could find no problem with it, though they didn't strip it down and only test rode it. I also suspect it is intermittent due to the positioning of the cog. It will be going back to the dealer at the next opportunity as it still has plenty of warranty on it and my concern has been recorded. It's taking a little bit of pleasure out of riding it at the moment as it's always in the back of my mind. I have put a few accessories on it and found your videos invaluable to aid installation. The only performance enhancement I've fitted is the air filter you referred to. I am looking to change the silencers, so will look forward to your video on that, particularly regarding your choice of pipes; the bike I test rode had Scorpion silencers fitted and it sounded very nice indeed. Cheers, Andy.
You may not see this as it's been a year since your post, but I wanted to share my similar experience. I had rather notchy 5th to 6th shifts and even very occasionally the same with 4th to 5th on my '20 INT650. With further running (3900 miles) the frequency and intensity of notchy feeling 5th to 6th shifts has diminished significantly. No problems now with 4th to 5th shifting. I have found that if I make my 5th to 6th shift at 4000 rpm or higher no notchy shifting ever occurs. Adjusting the shift lever up one inch helped comfort during shifting as well.
If you haven't already changed exhaust pipes, I installed a pair of the Indian made Powerage slip- ons and am very satisfied. They are stainless steel free flow pipes that are 9 pounds lighter for the pair, slimmer in profile, come with removable db reducers, are reasonably priced comparatively, run MUCH cooler and sound terrific compared to stock.
Much appreciate all the fine videos. Your videos on this bike have been most useful for me. I now have an Interceptor parked in my garage as of last week. I come from Royal Enfields of the older generation, that is, the cast iron ones. I still own a 96" 500. I've clocked just a couple of hundred miles on my Interceptor and I love it. Royal Enfield have taken their Motorcycle design and building skills to another level with this one. It is hands down the best modern vintage (if you can call it that) cruiser money can buy. I am sure it will remembered like the Interceptor did from back in the day.
"Wracked my brain all weekend trying to find things that really pissed me off" lol. I love the sentiment. My only gripe at all really (Ive had mine for 3 weeks and 500 miles) is the cosmetic appeal of the turn signals and tail light. I struggle with "hey it's honest to the modern classic style" and "man, they could've done something a LITTLE more contemporary here."
I'm seriously considering buying this bike and putting a sidecar on it. I found a sidecar available here in the USA at a reasonable cost and they have a hardware kit to attach the sidecar to the Interceptor designed just for it so no cutting, drilling, and welding is required I'm old and need a 3rd wheel to continue riding.
I love your comment about paintwork, I thought I was the only one! My 1996 Triumph has a very high quality paint job. Despite the price and reputation for quality my BMW 1200RT has crap paintwork - that is the only word I can use to describe it. I'm going to have to remove the centre and side stand and repaint them, rust coming all over the frame too.
Another grouse is the brakes on the BMW that are very prone to pistons sticking. I fitted new pistons and seals in 2018 but had to thoroughly clean them up this year to get through the MOT. Apart from bleeding the fluid and fitting new pads from time to time I have never had to touch the brakes on the Triumph.
Great video as always, also thank you for the discount code for Motone Customs in the last video, finally pulled the trigger on a few items I wanted for my EFI Thruxton 900, Cheers.
Love my Interceptor - it is also tricked out with a fair bit of Motone goodness thanks to tips from Uncle Stu 😉
I used to have a specialist machanic/race mechanic and car restorer look after my Alfas, I once asked him about getting more grunt / performance from a car (in general) and he said 'yeah it's dead simple get a bigger engine.'. I totally agree, I have never 'fiddled about' with engine maps, via a power commander /rolling road/downloaded tunes. However I have put a Booster Plug on my Speed Twin to give it (fool it) a bit more fuel, EU regs ect, as you know this is instantly reversable and doesn't mess with the engine management unit to an extent it needs a visit to a diagnostic unit in Monza. Keep in up Stuart 👍
Thanks for the update the only things I’ve had a problem with are corrosion on the inside upper parts of rear suspension & exhaust gouge which was replaced under warranty. The suspension they wouldn’t, which was disappointing, as I hadn’t ridden it in any salty road conditions. The paint work I’ve not noticed any orange peel anywhere. Enjoyed the report & looking forward to see which exhausts you’ve settled on. Safe riding 👍🏻
Nice video Stuart ! I bought my Interceptor in June with my redundancy payout and have clocked up just over 3000 miles on it without fault ! I viewed this bike as a blank canvas and have changed it a little cosmetically by powder coating some parts , not because they were rusty but because I didn't like the silver !
New cans ( S&S ) DNA filter , different seat ( GT) and best of all the Motone indicators which I sent you pics of ! This bike really shouldn't be this good for that price and really is hard to knock it although there are plenty of people that do because they need channel content and think this bike is low hanging fruit .....you're wrong ! Buy one and find out or shut up !
LOL couldnt agree more. getting a bit fed up of ignorant uninformed comments from people who have never even ridden one.
an easy bike for fiddlers, those that can't leave well enough alone.. the pegs placement was ok.. with a little fabricating they're now perfect. Even my pillion agrees. I adapted a single saddle and added a custom carrier.. so now it has 2 distinct looks. Next I'll work on the suspension then maybe the exhaust.. it's a great canvas.
Yesterday I saw a Triumph rider ogle at my Dad's Chrome Interceptor... This is in India, where the Interceptor is 1/3rd the price of a Triumph... Best Bike my Dad has owned in his life and he chose it over a Harley Street Rod 750... Incredible Content as always Stuart Sir... :)
I've had my Int 650 since late spring and have put a little over 4000 miles on it. In general, I love the bike and it has exceded my expectations. I do have 2 complaints. First is the seat. I found it unacceptably uncomfortable. Due to the covid shutdown, the RE touring seat was unavailable. I purchased a Corbin seat and it's the most comfortable motorcycle seat I've ever owned. My other complaint is the switch gear. It does it's job but feels so cheap while doing it.
All I can say is I'm looking forward to owning my own next year 😊 Keep up the good work Stuart
Sir, on the lots of videos that I saw on Royal Enfield Interceptor 650, you are THE most common sense ever. Thank’s for the job! You helped me a lot to make my final décision: that bike will be my next one! From Switzerland, cheese! 😜
Great honest review! Thank you. 👍😎
An Interceptor following a BMW 2002; The 70's are back!!
I bought my Interceptor in October 2019 and, despite Covid lockdowns, have managed to put over 3000 miles on it. It’s been 100% reliable and has no rust or corrosion, but, like my other bikes, it is regularly cleaned and polished. I’ve also fitted a DNA filter but have not needed to change any parts of the fuel or ignition system. I’ve found the fuelling and throttle response to be perfect. I’ve had no problems with brake corrosion but will have the new calliper fitted under warranty when RE notify me, simply to keep the DVLA recall records correct. I’ve left the suspension stock and find it perfectly adequate for the type of riding I do. For me, the bike is all day comfortable, has plenty of real world performance and handles very well indeed. In summary, I’m very happy with the bike and would strongly recommend it to anybody who’s looking for an ‘old school’, classic looking bike at a bargain price.
In days gone by I think motorcyclists (and car owners for that matter) were more used to doing regular maintenance and keeping on top of stuff. Probably our newer generations don't know how to do it or even that it is necessary to keep on top of things. Nice vlog Stuart.
As you have rightly said, there is very little to complain about the Interceptor and it’s a bike made with practicality in mind along with the experience that RE has! The paint work is not the best in class but far better than the other RE models. They are also improving the paint work on the lower cc models, with the new launches like the new ‘Meteor 350’ that they launched has a better paint job done. I won’t complain though as it’s a bargain for me as it’s the cheapest 650cc that you can own (that too only price wise). In my 4,500kms I have really seen the bike morph into a smooth machine which I can rely on whether in peak traffic or on the highway or even on the high mountains!
I like your videos a lot! Thanks for sharing your thoughts and advice. Your accent is pleasant too 🙂👍
I really hope that they can get more bikes to the US at some point. I have been to some local dealerships and none of them have one. They seem to sell as fast as they come in.
The price will get more of them sold here. It seems that most manufacturers are going away from a low priced bike in order to maximize profits. The quality they have is a big bonus as well
Agreed re the paintwork. on the top of the tank there always seems to be a rough area. we have had quite a few warranty claims straight out of the crate. Interesting to hear it can be sorted with some compunding!
Yeah I managed to improve mine to the point where it just about vanished, looks to me like there's a seam there which hasn't been prepped properly. I do hope they get it sorted!
Glad to hear your still enjoying the interceptor and there are no issues , can't wait to get mine on the road just needs a good detail and protection , great video Stuart 👍
I believe only Stuart's narration on Interceptor is as honest as Interceptor..he is not biased by any sort of influences whatsoever ..this is the only channel I can see more videos on Interceptor which shows how much trust it has drawn from Stuart
Thanks for the Video Stuart. I am new to motorcycles and am cutting my teeth on a Herold Scrambler. I have visions of owning a Royal Enfield, once I past my full bike test. So your reviews on them is keeping my brain ticking over.
Great videos on the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650! Thank You!!
Brilliant video as always Stuart and I’m still toying with the idea of swapping the Himalayan for an interceptor 🤔👍🏻
Get a GT and keep both
@@RaviRJoshi money is in short supply at the moment 😜👍🏻
Great Video 😊👍.....I have an 2015 Continental GT 535 and just L💛ve it and haven't made the move into the twins yet...yes I would love more HP ..but who wouldn't....keep up the great video's ❗
Thankyou for another great video
I dont own an Interceptor 650
I did test ride one and i found it to be superb.
I thought the riding position was perfect and the handling faultless on twisty roads and the motorway.
I have a Pegasus edition bullet and a Honda CB 1100rs
Wish i had space for the Interceptor as well LOL.
I really enjoy all your videos
Thanks again.
Thanks for this Stuart, though my bullet is looking rather nervously over my shoulder- he’s safe until spring ,or at least until a 650 Himalayan comes on the market..
Just waiting on my Interceptor to arrive, can’t wait! Have to say that you get to ride in one of the the most beautiful places in the planet, love the Dales. Enjoy the rides and thanks for the vids.
Another nice informative video Stuart, many thanks for your efforts. .....
Hi Stuart I have an Enfield 650 continental GT which oddly enough I got from the potteries I bought It Brand new and have owned it now for 3 yrs my reg is only 1 letter different to yours the final letter of the three only being different. Mine is in the Ice Queen colours and the paint shows no orange peel.Have had no problems at all but the only problem I found was with the tyres the original tyres used to follow any grooves and twitched when crossing white lines changed the tyres to bridgestone BT 46's which seem to have solved the problem overall a great bike.I would recomend this bike to anyone
great channel love the vids
tracking or tramlining is normal with any bike.
Good stuff as usual, Stuart. Very happy with mine, over 6k miles now & no problems at all. Even the seat, which could become uncomfortable quite quickly has bedded in nicely. My only minor niggle is the indicator switch which occasionally is very stiff when pushing to the right.
And the best way to deal with paint issues on the tank is the Glitter & Dust version! 2,000 miles so far on mine, except for a slightly notchy ignition switch, no problems!
The brake calipers are a recall for the 650 twins. Areas that use salt and grime cause this problem. I have a 2020 interceptor that has the calipers hanging up. My dealer is approximately 80 miles away that would be unsafe to ride to so u have to get it shipped to. This should be covered by roadside assistance I will see. This problem should have been solved before it was put on the market. I understand that this was corrected on the 2021 models. I am not pleased with this problem I have lost a few months of riding due to it. Hope u better luck. I am concerned about brake fluid damaging the paint surfaces also at warranty replacement.
Your editing skills improves video after video! Congratulations and thanks for the review!
Really good comprehensive video. I too am at the year and a half mark now and so far I've only had to replace the voltage regulator rectifiers replaced under warranty. Otherwise the bike has never missed a beat and I still feel there's nothing else at this price that is nearly as good.
"... hadn't bargained for with that video was the stupidity and laziness of a lot of viewers..." Stuart, will you never learn?! Nice footage of said viewers at 5:30 though...
11:37 Beautiful shot and coloring! This makes me love this style (one which might normally not be at the top of the list for me). It looks almost like burnt umber. I need to arrange to see one (and ride one) in real life. Two weeks - After I get that second shot...
Been riding for 64 years . Bought my Intersepter this year cannot falt it in any way. I wanted the Silver Gray and found the Paint perfect. In all my years this bike for pleasure and price is the best yet.
Thank you, Stuart for your comments regarding the placement of foot-pegs. Currently I ride a Classic 500 and have been toying with the idea of getting myself an Interceptor, but so much is being made about this issue back here in India, that I continue to sit on the fence. Hopefully I'll jump the Interceptor way now!
Perhaps socks were pulled up on the classic 350 ? My paint on halcyon gray is fabulous .
excellent review as always - i got mine in the US this past summer unfortunately getting aftermarket parts ( fomr india or the UK ) has been impossible and the local dealer seems also to have problems sourcing parts. this sucks becasue i am rather a hefty 6'3 220 lb and need to improve the suspension . Also one thing i noticed wiht the tyres was that after 500-600 miles they got much better. cheers
I think some 2000 grit sandpaper then a cut and polished will go a long way to making the paint finish nicer
Stuart,
I enjoy your excellent videos !! I am considering purchasing a RE Interceptor.
I appreciate your honest appraisals.
Dave Wentworth
USA
Problems with mine. Fuel tank had to be changed under warranty due to poor paint finish and the clutch cable is crunchy. Otherwise all good.
Interesting I had to get my tank swapped under warranty due to paint defects. There pockmarks in it and someone had tried to polish it out leaving scratches in the tank. It was only a small area and tricky to spot but I had no issues getting the tank replaced.
Thankyou Stuart...........................
Nice informative video sir. I personally see the suspension of the Royal enfield twins the biggest concern for slightly spirited riders.
Hi Stuart,
Can you please make a video on how your interceptor looks now and the mods done.
Great objective and unbiased yet informative video. I have sort of the same biking history that involved sports bikes followed by adventure bikes and now am looking for a cruiser type motorcycle. I will still own a small Honda CRF250 rally too as over the years i tried to search for an adventure bike that would do tough technical terrain and be light enough but still have enough power and stability to do decent road mileage at reasonable speed on fast A roads. You know this unicorn bike does not exist which is why i have been looking at the Royal Enfield Interceptor as my road bike to complement the lightweight adventure bike. Your videos have swayed me to make a purchase. I owned a Royal Enfield Himalayan which was a fantastic bike and much better off road than you would think and made a great little road bike too.At 199kg kerb weight it was a little heavy for trail riding and not much lighter than the Interceptor! Royal Enfield can come in for a slating but this is generally from people who either do not know how to look after and maintain a bike and expect a cheap Honda or worse still people who have never owned or ridden a Royal Enfield. At the price they come in at i think they are unbeatable. My fear is that everyone starts buying them and they are no longer our little secret and Royal Enfield works out they could charge a fair bit more for them than they currently do.
love my Interceptor and your videos! I do have a squeaky front wheel so will be taking it in to be looked at. Has anyone else had that problem?
Another great piece, still find the valve check at 6k a bit annoying, I had a t100 and got rid of it purely because the chrome and polished metal demanded too much work to keep minted, also hated wire wheels, I find the interceptor intriguing and it's on my list of maybes for my next bike, thanks again
I really enjoy your videos, so I'm a big fan of your channel. I've always had big heavy powerful bikes, but I'm getting on in years ( I currently ride a Honda Pan European 2004, 320kg with a full 29 litre tank !) You've persuaded me to swap it for a beautiful RE. 😊😊👍
Is this back to the future? In my youth I obsessed over bikes and in the 70’s what would you draw? When I finally acquired a bike my Dad insisted I maintained and serviced it and lo and behold feeler gauges, locknut and screw. Acquired an Interceptor this year and it is so cool, dare I say that whenever I take it out I have a permanent Henry Cole smile. My Tiger 800, with all the touring kit, is on notice that it may not join me in the Pyrenees next September! Plus amazing savings on future servicing costs!
Excellent as normal, greetings from Easoft.
Dear Stuart, thank you for the great content! I bought my Interceptor in March 2020, a decision in which your videos played no small role, and after my first season of riding, I couldn't agree more with your experiences and opinions of the RE 650s. After years of riding off-road, on-road, old, new, fast or relaxed motorcycles, I feel like I've finally come home. Today on the road I had my very first bit of trouble, and I was hoping, that maybe you have an idea where I might begin trouble shooting: After having parked the bike in my garage for 4 weeks, I took it out today for a brief cruise. After it the engine had properly warmed up, I revved it to ca. 5.000 rpm (5th gear) and as I got off the trottle the engine just died. I pulled the clutch, rolled to a stop, turned off the ignition. Scratched my chin, ignition on, and sure enough it fired up and I kept on riding - though a bit unnerved. After a few kilometers the same thing happened again. I believe this time a below 5.000 rpm in 6th, but I don't remember if I was on or off the gas at that instant. It started up again right away and I went home at a crawl. All riders know, this is no fun at all. Plus not the kind of thing you like to provoke over and over in order to narrow down the precise circumstances that may trigger this behavior. I could not make out any other unusual behavior on that brief ride. I am at a loss because all my previous bikes had carburators (which I would inspect for crud, though dirty carbs tend to act up more at start or idle) and no or minimal electronics. Stuart, do you - or anyone - have any idea where to start looking or how to narrow down possible causes?
PS: understood if you don't have the time to take this up :) got a first idea from other comments already: sparkplugs. And (sorry, should've done this before writing such a massive comment) some chatter on the forums about side stand sensor, roll-over sensor and fuel pump relays ...
Hi, i had the exact same thing happen to me, any answer yet???
@@smac7320 Some RE Twins built early in 2020 had excessive di-electric grease applied to the prongs of the 4 relays accessible behind the left side cover aft of the air cleaner. Pull and wipe off much of the white grease on relays and their sockets. Reinstall gently and try running. There have been several reports of this problem on the RE forums.
Thank you for your excellent videos, they reassured me about my choice of getting a gt650. Cheers
Very informative, thank you so much.
Top blog as always Stu. Never understood how someone can comment on a video but not actually watch it but there you go👍. Got to agree about the paint my Street Scramblers paint is incredible.
Hello, thank you for your feedback. I've been thinking about getting one of these for a couple of years now and this year might be the one. However, there's only one potential issue that is currently preventing me from buying one. Indeed, I've read that interceptors are prone to rust. I know any bikes require to be taken care of but is the interceptor rusting more than other bikes ? If yes, is this a material quality problem ? I've noticed that the new ones have black coated engines and exhaust and it makes me think this has been done to address this issue.
To all interceptor owners, have you observed abnormal rust problem on your machine ?
I've had a similar experience thus far with my 6 month old Interceptor... the bike performs flawlessly, I'm continuously impressed by the handling, it's quick enough, and it's easy to wrench on. My one complaint also involves the quality of the paint... I have the chrome tank version, and the black center stripe down the tank has a couple of visible flaws. All in all, it's a wonderful bike, and I could spend thousands of dollars on customization, upgrades, or maintenance without ever touching the price tag of a Bonneville.
I hope they bring out a tubeless tyre option, keep up the good work. I always enjoy your videos.
Unless you want to get alloy wheels there's a tubeless conversion kit in market
@@jimmyjam8795 alloys on the Interceptor would be a crime against the motorcycle gods!
How about a nice clean reliable belt drive and how about hydraulic valve adjuster to shave doing all the valve crapola
so sad RE doesn't have dealership in poland
There was no dealership in Dublin when I bought mine. I simply asked my regular mechanic to order me one. He contacted the uk suppliers and got one shipped to Ireland. Happy days. A dealer soon opened up and turns out I payed 200 less than they’re price.
The Himalayan had a few issues uncle Stu , cylinder head leaks, headstock bearings, and corrosion . For a few extra pennies why don't they fit stainless fasteners and wheel spokes, as the spokes go furry rather quickly .
They do on the interceptor!