[ThePatientMan]

Originally Posted by sukiwa

Congrats on your BE, however, we won't believe you till you post photos of the bike.

Is 'parking in rains' a reason for whimsical sensors?

Hi @Sukiwa - will surely post a couple of pics asap. Have been extremely caught up with work (i know that's not an excuse) but didn't want to put up pics of my mud-caked bike (i have been riding it almost every day). I do try and keep my rides spic n span (I not only get my car & bike washed every week but also clean the engine bay every Sunday) but even though I would like to follow the great achievements of senior BHP-ians in cleaning & polishing their rides I have realized the futility of keeping mine clean in the midst of mad Mumbai rains.

With ref to the Sensors – yes that seems to be the reason. The Int is extremely hydrophobic I have realized. I don’t have a covered parking (neither at home nor at work) so the bike is exposed to the elements throughout the year. Thankfully with a change of the fuel tank cap rubber line the water in the tank issues seems to have been taken care of.

A couple of more points of observation after riding the bike for more than 1000 kms now.

1. The stock Pirelli’s are a disaster in the wet grip – They are ok ok in dry surfaces but their wet grip is horrible – I can tell you from my experience of riding in potholed Mumbai roads. There is a sharp 90-degree turn (concrete with potholes – rains add to the fun) near the Kings Circle railway bridge (Mumbai) which is a good surface to test tyre grips. The Pirelli’s scared me the very first time I tried the stretch and I lost some of my confidence. The MRF’s on my Dominar used to ace this stretch. A tyre change is a must in some time.

I know tyres have been discussed at length throughout this thread (my apologies – I have managed to go through the first 50 pages out of the 200 odd pages in this thread). So my request to the esteemed and senior members of the Int 650 club – pls suggest me a tyre brand I should change to. My primary running will be tar/concrete (potholed city roads over dry and wet surfaces). I checked with my tyre dealer and Michelin’s still seem to be in short supply. CEAT’s would be my last option.

2. Thak Thak noise from the front / soft front dipping on hard braking – This has been discussed at length also. Will go through the relevant sections in the thread. Mentioned this to my service advisor at RE. He said (expected) that this comes from the “Floating Disc” brake. I know it’s a misaligned triple clamp / rusted bearing. Will get it checked during my next service.

3. Engine performance & heat – In a word – amazing. I crawl in bumper-to-bumper traffic most of the way on my way home (worst was recently when I covered a stretch of 1 km in 30 mins). The heat never became a bother. As for the power – enough for a lazy biker like me – I really like the smooth torque delivery.

[neil.jericho]

ThePatientMan, though I am not a 650 owner, let me throw in my replies before the other regular contributors to this thread do.

Originally Posted by ThePatientMan

I know tyres have been discussed at length throughout this thread (my apologies – I have managed to go through the first 50 pages out of the 200 odd pages in this thread). So my request to the esteemed and senior members of the Int 650 club – pls suggest me a tyre brand I should change to. My primary running will be tar/concrete (potholed city roads over dry and wet surfaces). I checked with my tyre dealer and Michelin’s still seem to be in short supply. CEAT’s would be my last option.

Well, the problem is that the OEM Pirellis that came with the 650 twins are good but not great. And with the Government of India's tire ban and what not, Royal Enfield has shifted to Ceats. From what I hear, the Ceats are pretty good. Ill let other 650 twin owners who have ridden the bikes with the Pirellis and the Ceats chime in for actual on the ground feedback.

I got this on Whatsapp over the weekend and Ive been told that these tires are pretty awesome. I dont know anyone who has used them, so please do your due diligence on these tires. The 150 / 70 specification, instead of the OEM 130 / 70 size, will result in a higher sidewall and will tilt the weight balance forwards. This will make the soft front end of the stock 650, even more loaded in usage. But there are some ways to deal with that, in theory, which Ive explained below.

Also, if you are going with any imported tires, do your due diligence on the tire dealerships before parting with your money. There are several stories of reputed dealers selling restamped old tires and passing them off as brand new ones to unsuspecting buyers.

Originally Posted by ThePatientMan

2. Thak Thak noise from the front / soft front dipping on hard braking – This has been discussed at length also. Will go through the relevant sections in the thread. Mentioned this to my service advisor at RE. He said (expected) that this comes from the “Floating Disc” brake. I know it’s a misaligned triple clamp / rusted bearing. Will get it checked during my next service.

Ive been told that this sound comes from the bottoming out of the soft front suspension on hard braking. Changing to a thicker fork oil should help eliminate a lot of the front fork dive and this tak tak sound as well. The other option to deal with this is to install preload adjusters but see if you really need it at this stage.

In case you go with the taller rear tire, I would definitely suggest a thicker front fork oil like a 7.5W or a 10W. If that doesnt make the front firm enough, then a preload adjuster will be required to remove the inherent softness from the front end.

This might seem like a lot of over engineering for a tire change. I have heard of owners installing 150 section Timsuns and so on with no other changes to the bike and enjoying the experience. So, see if what I suggested is needed or applicable, and then take the plunge.

[Axe77]

Originally Posted by ishan12

Looks like the wait will soon be over for people like me who have been waiting for the OEM alloys. I really do not trust the aftermarket, made in China alloys and the tubeless kits are mostly what one would call a jugaad. Have been eagerly waiting for the alloys to launch. Got this from one of the riding groups.

Does anyone know if this got launched already? Has anyone made the conversion?

Seems the single most important change to be able to tour with peace of mind on the puncture front.

[stewie]

Pleasantly surprised to see an Interceptor 650 pop up quite prominently in a British TV series "Midsomer Murders". Was featured in quite a few scenes.

[man_of_steel]

Picked up a preowned Ravishing Red Interceptor 650 a few weeks back. Picked up the INT650 as a daily commuter and was planning only some fun cosmetic mods at first only to soon realize that there are far more important issues to be ironed out first. Don't get me wrong, the INT650 is a brilliant VFM motorcycle with a brilliant engine and frame, unfortunately cant say the same about the suspension and other bits of the motorcycle.

Below are some of the mods and repairs I have done so far. Some might be already discussed in this mega thread, pardon my excitement.

1. Royal Enfield Touring seat
Switched to this the first day of ownership. This is the new touring seat for the INT and is much firmer and thicker (read higher) than the stock one. It held up real good till about 150kms in a go and am yet to put some serious miles on it. One thing I likes was there were no pressure points that were created and the foam density feels just perfect as of now.



2. PoweRage long Exhaust
Quite simply wanted some drama while puttering around. Went for PoweRage as I liked the bassy sound and feels like the quieter one of the lot. It is sufficiently loud while throttling and has a deep growl to it. Loved it! the build quality and finish is superb. Also, it doesn't get too hot and burn everything in the path like the stock exhaust. With DB killer it is real quiet and has a shreiky sound while throttling it out (Sound very similar to a T120 with the cat removed! #JustSayin). Feels perfect for the city with overenthusiastic cops. BMC air filter and an ECU flash in the pipeline.




Was able to hold the exhaust like this after a 20kms city run. Wouldn't have dared to do this on the stock one.

3. Headlight
Mine is a BS4 with diffused headlight lens and was pathetic. I was expecting a brilliant throw like that of the Classic 350/500s. Had one H4 LED bulb lying around and gave it a try. I never thought LEDs would work well with the diffused lens but there is an improvement in the throw. So keeping the setup for now!



4. Front end/suspension
Okay, this is going to be a long one. Right from the moment I took a test ride of this particular bike before buying, something felt very very wrong with the front end of the bike along with a prominent wobble from the front end which translated to a tankslapper when you take the hands off the bar even for a second! Also, the action of the front suspension was very weird with the front end bottoming out every now and then (I am at my prime of bellyfat and weighs 90Kilos)!

Lets talk about the suspension first. The problem with the front suspension is that there is too much of static sag for its travel and the fork is working overtime in the upper part of the stroke and bottoms out at the slightest hint of undulation. The travel is only 110mm and the sag itself comes to a good portion of it (exact figure later). There seems to be a problem with the damping as well, especially the rebound, and that will be addressed in the future. Coming back to the sag, I was surprised to see that RE has used 2W(weight) fork oil which is kind of softest of the soft. So the first thing I set out to do was to order Marsh Auto preload adjuster (as recommended by neil.jericho) and upgrade the fork oil to LiquiMoly 7.5W. However, last minute stock mess up ensured that 7.5W was out of stock and I had to try out 10W!

While dismantling, thoroughly inspected the wheel bearings and cone set to rule them out as possible culprit of the wobbling. Both were in good condition and were regreased and put back.


Good to see tapered bearings being used.

The internals were cleaned and fork oil was replaced with 10W and it made quiet a noticeable difference. The static sag was reduced and the suspension was now working happily in the middle part of the stroke and I haven't experience any bottoming out since then. Also, the front end dive was considerably reduced. However, now the suspension is on the firmer side (not bone jarring!) and I reckon 7.5W would be the best of both worlds. At this point of time, the preload adjusters were still in transit and I think the adjuster is not a must have if you are upgrading to 10W, but installed it anyway once I received it.


This is the stock fork cap and adjuster side by side. The length of both are same when the adjuster is dialed out completely (The smaller washer at the inside of the adjuster goes inside the stock spacer tube).




You will need to raise the stock handlebar at least by an inch to fit the preload adjusters.

Still in the rough tuning and research stage and I don't have the sag numbers yet (Wobbling issue has taken the front seat now). Will get my hands on a stock INT650 and check the sag and also post the current sag with the setup I have.

Now to the wobbling part. My bike used to have a violent headshake whenever hands were taken off the bars at any speed and wobbling was also felt while cornering. While changing out the front fork oil noticed that both front and rear wheels were having a noticeable bends. So, both the rims were straightened and trued to the best and tires were reseated and noticed that the wobbling while cornering and the headshake at speed till 80kmph has vanished but the issue persisted at speeds north of that. Tires are having quite a bit of wear (8k in the ODO) and that could be a culprit, but have ridden bikes with tires worn down to the belt and also which has bend alloys like a snake but never experienced this violent headshake. So, the root of the problem has to be got to. Playing around with the wheels, fork internals, tyre pressure and all sorts of things has to be done.

5.Valvetrain
Wanted to check where the valve clearances were at since there was an audible valve clatter when the engine was hot. And almost shockingly, the intake side was almost at double and exhaust was at triple the recommended clearances. Dialed everything into the recommended values and there was an obvious difference in the throttle crispiness at low speeds. The valve train did quieten down but is still slightly audible when the engine is heated up. Just for research purpose, probably I can dial in the valve a bit more than the recommended setting without overtightening it and see if it quietens down the head.





6.Brakes
The rear brake is a dud and doesn't have any feel to it. Bleeding didn't improve it much, will look into it later as its not used frequently. Front brakes were spongy and I wanted to have better bite and adjustable levers for it. Was looking at Frando and Brembo RCS15 for it, but didn't quite wanted to spend that much. Then saw one current gen D390 and thought why not go for that brilliant master cylinder with lever combo. This would probably be the best ever Rs3000 spent on the bike! The initial bite and progression of the brake is just stupendous. Although I wish the adjustability range of the lever could have been wider, it turned out to be a brilliant upgrade.



The KTM Part number for the Front Master cylinder and lever combo is 36JP0017. You will have to get the Banjo bolt from KTM as well, don't have the part number for that though. I also got the clutch adjustable lever as well, this will need the lever holder to be changed as well. I got the RC390's holder which does not have the mirror mount so either I will have to get the RE bar end mirrors (which I was planning anyway) or get the D390's holder. But TBH, I have no problem with the clutch pull or the lever and I kind of love the adjuster mechanism of the stock one so, MIGHT just powder coat the stock clutch lever to black and leave it at it.

[deepfreak15]

Originally Posted by man_of_steel

Picked up a preowned Ravishing Red Interceptor 650 a few weeks back.
Below are some of the mods and repairs I have done so far....
Then saw one current gen D390 and thought why not go for that brilliant master cylinder with lever combo.

First off congrats on your new bike and I am really glad you picked this up . Now that you have the exhaust why not the non restrictive air filter swap ? That should be pretty straight forward no ? Those brake levers are by far the best mod I have ever seen till date (based on cost and ease of sourcing vs perceived improvement).
Ok, now that you have taken some time off to update the thread kindly get back to your day job and work on the 17" rim conversion project

PS: Not a plug but the only reason I am prodding man_of_steel is because he is the man behind a popular Superbike service center in Trivandrum and he has the means to test some of the mods on the 650 twins that would only benefit me/us in the long run.

[ashwinprakas]

Originally Posted by man_of_steel

The KTM Part number for the Front Master cylinder and lever combo is 36JP0017. You will have to get the Banjo bolt from KTM as well, don't have the part number for that though. I also got the clutch adjustable lever as well, this will need the lever holder to be changed as well. I got the RC390's holder which does not have the mirror mount so either I will have to get the RE bar end mirrors (which I was planning anyway) or get the D390's holder. But TBH, I have no problem with the clutch pull or the lever and I kind of love the adjuster mechanism of the stock one so, MIGHT just powder coat the stock clutch lever to black and leave it at it.

Just adding some info.



DK151069 the one on the Left in the above pic is what you'd need to go along with KTM/Bajaj MC's, the one on the Right is what comes stock on RE, TVS and Yamaha Motorcycles.

The Clutch Yoke and Brake Holder are shared amongst Pulsars, sourcing either is not an issue at all though if wider meatier levers are what you have in mind then get the brake and clutch lever from the Avenger, they are of a polished texture and if memory serves me right the Avengers clutch lever and Yoke come as a single kit including clutch switch.

And Kudos for the new acquisition!

Cheers,
A.P.

[man_of_steel]

Originally Posted by deepfreak15

First off congrats on your new bike and I am really glad you picked this up . Now that you have the exhaust why not the non restrictive air filter swap ? ....
Ok, now that you have taken some time off to update the thread kindly get back to your day job and work on the 17" rim conversion project

Haha, thanks saar! Performance filter and ECU flash are definitely on the cards. And yes, the 17" rim conversion is going to be a PIA as far as I can tell!

Originally Posted by ashwinprakas

Just adding some info.
..DK151069

The Clutch Yoke and Brake Holder are shared amongst Pulsars, sourcing either is not ..
And Kudos for the new acquisition!

Thanks for the wishes and adding the part number. Also, note that the clutch and brake holders for adjustable KTM levers are different from regular ones.

[ashwinprakas]

Originally Posted by man_of_steel

Thanks for the wishes and adding the part number. Also, note that the clutch and brake holders for adjustable KTM levers are different from regular ones.

Do double check cause the below is a KTM Adjustable Lever fixed to a Pulsar 150/180 Yoke installed in a friend's P220.



It was a direct fit.

Didn't bother with the brake lever as it wasn't available separately, very strange, what would one do when they snap the lever? Buy a new MC?

Anyways would share if I find anything more about it.

Cheers,
A.P.

[man_of_steel]

Originally Posted by ashwinprakas

Do double check cause the below is a KTM Adjustable Lever fixed to a Pulsar 150/180 Yoke installed in a friend's P220.

Interesting! The older KTM holders were not compatible with these levers, this is good info!

You do get the adjustable brake lever separately without the MC. Costs around 1800 bucks. Let me check if I can find the part number.

[sandeepmohan]

Originally Posted by man_of_steel

Picked up a preowned Ravishing Red Interceptor 650 a few weeks back. Picked up the INT650 as a daily commuter and was planning only some fun cosmetic mods at first only to soon realize that there are far more important issues to be ironed out first.

How much has your bike run?

With regard to the front suspension, I experience nose dive only under emergency braking which is rare. I've not managed to bottom out the front suspension though. I ride on a mix of chip seal and tar seal roads with lots of undulations. There are times I intentionally push the bike into a pot hole or a man hole cover to know how the bike responds. Aside from the occasional clunk that I hear, which I am guessing is from the T fork, recovery is good and the bike is stable.

I have quite the opposite experience with the rear brake. The D390 for me had next to no pedal feedback and they were generally weak. You had to reign in the bike with the front mostly, which is how you should be doing it. In comparison, the Interceptors rear brakes are superb. There is good feedback and it is possible to shed speed with just the rears, if you are too lazy to lift your fingers to grab the front.

Anyway, some of these problems surface over time and my bike is less than a year old so lets see how it goes.

Enjoy your new motorcycle. There ain't anything like it in our market for sure.

[dinu2506]

Originally Posted by man_of_steel

Attachment 2192123

Curious to know if you're wearing Grip Puppies. Just installed them couple of weeks back on my Bonnie and find them good and nice to grip. However, had a tough time sliding it in especially the throttle side as the stock grips were folding. Ended up with a sore hand for couple of days. But was worth it, I would say.

[TheHelix0202]

Rode a couple of Royal Enfield bikes for the first time ever; what better way to start off the Enfield experience than with these lovely bikes?

Continental GT 650:



This one felt awkward to ride, and the Neutral was a bit problematic. Didn’t get to rip it on an open stretch.


Interceptor 650





What do I say? This is probably the best bike I’ve ever had the pleasure of riding! The torque and power on tap were awe inspiring. I had to hang on to the handlebar for dear life as the monster surged ahead on an open stretch. The Parallel Twin’s lovely exhaust rasp is still resounding in my head.

Will definitely pick one of these babies up once they’re available for cheaper in the used market.

I went to test ride these machines on a whim yesterday, after a sudden 3 AM inspiration. I always liked the 650 twins, but now I just like them more (well, at least the Interceptor ).

Bonus:



Such a comfy bike, but the handlebar position wasn’t to the best of my tastes, in the city.

[man_of_steel]

Originally Posted by sandeepmohan

How much has your bike run?

With regard to the front suspension, I experience nose dive only under emergency braking which is rare. I've not managed to bottom out the front suspension though.

I have quite the opposite experience with the rear brake.

Mine is an early 2019 and is currently at 8500kms. You wont feel much of brake dive because the major portion of the travel is taken up by the sag . I have tried a recent BS6 Interceptor briefly and felt that the front suspension was a bit better than the earlier ones. May be they changed something.

Regarding the rear brake, I am sure mine has some problem. Will explore it later.

Originally Posted by dinu2506

Curious to know if you're wearing Grip Puppies. Just installed them couple of weeks back on my Bonnie and find them good and nice to grip. However, had a tough time sliding it in especially the throttle side as the stock grips were folding. Ended up with a sore hand for couple of days. But was worth it, I would say.

Grip Puppies are great! Though the diameter is a bit too big, the grip is very good. The key is to use thick soap water solution to slide it in or else you will have a very hard time and sore hands for a couple of days.

[dinu2506]

Originally Posted by man_of_steel

Grip Puppies are great! Though the diameter is a bit too big, the grip is very good. The key is to use thick soap water solution to slide it in or else you will have a very hard time and sore hands for a couple of days.

Here’s mine after a whine