Team-BHP - The Royal Enfield Interceptor & Continental 650. EDIT: Launched @ Rs 2.50

Quote:

Originally Posted by LazyGunner (Post 4497914)

Tried sitting on the bike and pushed it off the stand. Voila! half of my foot was on the ground.

If it is not too much of a personal intrusion, What is your inseam measurement?

Could you do the community a favour. Next time you go to the RE showroom, sit on each of the bikes in turn, and note the seat height - flatfoot relationship. Or how many inches you are away from flatfooting.

Regards
Sutripta

Guy's in how many dealerships is the Interceptor 650 sold at ? When I checked online at RE website, in TN the vehicle is being sold only in Chennai at few dealership's. Is this the case or will all dealerships in other districts also receive the bikes ?

I haven't approached dealers directly yet because I'm planning to book after few owners take delivery of their bikes first so that I can get some feedback from them.

This is a nice and interesting 1000kms review of the Interceptor by Bikewale. I wanted to know about the engine heat management in traffic and this review has a convincing answer until I get to test ride the motorcycle.

Some notable points from the Bikewale's Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 1000km Test Ride Review.

Pros

Cruises at three digit speeds with the calm, stability and potency of a large capacity Japanese motorcycle.
There are no vibes. Nor ugly mechanical noises. The gearshifts are precise and effortless.
The INT refused to cook our thighs. Not only was it game to cruise effortlessly at three digit speeds, it was equally happy to just sit in traffic, idling.
If you push it hard around a bumpy corner, the INT does weave and wallow a bit. It isn't scary, just a little unnerving.
Easy release seat and decent clearance under it.

Cons

Old-school round headlamp with a weak bulb inside did us no favours.
88mm rear wheel travel, which is low even for a road bike. It easily bottoms out too. The rear is prone to bottoming out in the stock setting as well.

Verdict

So, yes, in our book, the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 is really THE do-it-all modern classic.

The Cat has been let loose among the pigeons.

After facing brickbats about the appaling quality and delivery on the Himalay and the Classic 500s (C5). RE has thrown the Kitchen Sink at the Indian cruiser buyer.

What delightful looking motorcycles. And what pricing. Anybody thinking about the KTM, am sure is now atleast thinking about the bull.

I have booked my test ride for this weekend, will share a detailed report on the same.

cheers,
ac

Quote:

Originally Posted by ac 427 (Post 4499023)

Anybody thinking about the KTM, am sure is now atleast thinking about the bull.

I really doubt about that. If someone is confused between KTM and RE, then they are really confused about what they are looking for from the bike. According to me, those who are looking for KTM and RE’s have a completely different mindset and expectations about their rides.

Zigwheels is at it again with a new video for those souls who are probably confused between the RE twins. Though I doubt, there would be any confusion as both demand pretty different riding positions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeWf5vxBci8

Quote:

Originally Posted by R-Six (Post 4499043)

Completely agree with you out here. There is no need to sound the death knell on other bikes like Dominar, D390, etc. which are completely different type of bikes and so are the customers that they attract,with a few crossover sales taking place. And not to forget, this is almost an INR 3 lacs OTR price tag bike, so it is doubtful that it would sell like hot cakes akin to the RE C350. The only probable bike makers who would feel a bit nervous would be the Triumphs and the Harleys but they too would wait & watch when the twins actually start hitting the road and then probably think of getting their feet on the ground when serving customers out here.

Quote:

Originally Posted by r0ckstar.1 (Post 4497760)

Next , it was Continental GT turn. WHen i sat on this model, it felt like I am sitting on a totally different bike. SLightly forward posture, not too much as the advertisements seem to indicate..It has that amazing mix of a modern bike with the DNA of a classic. Suddenly, the bike didn't feel huge like the interceptor and I quite liked it. The clip-on handle bars and the position of your foot is quite comfortable. I ride quite long distances (75-100kms) during weekends on my Bicycle and I am fine with a forward riding position. Compared to the posture on my bicycle, this is pretty much nothing.

Wifey loved it and said that this looks better on me, in comparison to Interceptor for my personality. I am 5' 11" and weigh about 78Kgs. Infact, she's wondering if she can ride them too... :-D

The interceptor is a head turner for sure but the moment I sat on it, all my dreams of owning it were shattered. I am 5'10" and no way I think I can ride it comfortably. Interesting to see someone with a similar height finding it comfortable. Goes on to show why one needs to ride/drive a vehicle instead of relying on online reviews.

Interceptor's closest competitor purely in terms of styling and performance is the Bonneville T100. The price difference is 3 times. Go figure. Even before the pricing was announced it was a hit. At this price point Interceptor is going to smash the Indian touring bike market.

Truth is no other bike manufacturer will be able to produce a similar twin at this price point. To top it all it looks absolutely gorgeous and has the go to match it. RE has won this war even before they've sold their first bike.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MonsterPatrol (Post 4499235)

While it is true that Royal Enfield has pulled off a coup of sorts by keeping the prices of these two motorcycle so low. However, it would be naive to underestimate the capability of the Bajaj-Triumph combine. Bajaj is known for its frugal engineering capabilities. Match that with the solid engineering and quality of Triumph & you should have an extremely competitively priced, well engineered and capable competitor to the RE twins.

Not to forget Mahindra who also have the BSA brand under their belt. IMO, they will leverage this brand to launch large engine capacity products. Given that Royal Enfield has already set the benchmark for pricing for middleweight Indian manufactured motorcycles I am sure Mahindra will more than try to match it. Already they have taken on RE in the 300~500 cc segment where all the action is. Now with them soon launching Yezdi along with the great looking Jawa bikes, they intend to hit RE where it hurts the most - the cash register.

Royal Enfield of course has the first mover advantage in this segment and they will rake in all the moolah:) till a worthy, similarly priced competitor appears on the scene. What Mahindra and the Bajaj-Triumph combine will have to do, to gain a toehold in this market will be to offer better technology and more features at a similar price point to counter the Royal Enfield twins.

Cheers !

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ironhide (Post 4499298)

Royal Enfield of course has the first mover advantage in this segment and they will rake in all the moolah:)

Which is a good thing for us because that will make others move in with local production faster. Now the world knows that the Indian market is ready to pay for a well priced twin cylinder motorcycle.

But totally agree with you - Royal Enfield can't take it easy from now on! The war has only started.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jaguar (Post 4499227)

I am 5'10" and no way I think I can ride it comfortably.

Well, I’m 5.7 and ride a GT 535 almost every day to work. On slow speed, you will find some weight on the handlebar but apart from that, it is pretty easy to work through the traffic. On the open road, the weight or the height have never really mattered.

If you are 5.10, I don’t think there is any reason to sweat over the saddle height. I’d suggest that you take a test ride and try it yourself.

Ride safe,
R-Six