[surjaonwheelz]

Originally Posted by derek

Hey guys, I got my orange crush interceptor 650 last week from Surya motors, Chennai. Done about 250 kms already. Just a few observations I have. The bike makes a 'tick tick' sound, I'm guessing that mostly the tappets making a racket! Maybe that's normal I dont know.

I'm keeping the bike around 4k rpm as advised by the manual. The engine does feel a little rough. Maybe it needs a lil time to settle down I guess. Also it knocks a lot if u don't upshift fast, or u putter around in the city. I try to avoid the knock as far as possible, but inspite of my best efforts it's getting some used to!

First of all congratulations!
Wait till the first service with oil change and tappet clearance checks it should be better. I hope you're mixing it up with short spins and some longer 30-50-80 kms runs! I've observed shorter city rides creates more racket.

One thing I didn't get is why would it stall in lower gears and you need to up-shift? It should stall in higher gears and you should down-shift!

Breaking in is a vast topic with different approaches. I would suggest that don't do one thing for too long such as fixed gear, fixed rpm or fixed speed. In addition, breaking in also includes the suspension and brakes to set in. Just ride it the way you would with some restrictions that should be fine. Some bursts of rpm/speed is fine!

Petrol is a personal preference as we all know V-power, Speed etc are fuel with additives. Why would you need one in a new bike/engine? I stick to regular fuel with occasional tank fulls of V-power/Speed etc. My take is, the bike should be used to regular fuel as in long trips regular fuel is all you get, simple!

Formula X is a gel type tyre sealant. I've not used it but from the abundant YouTube videos, feeding it in the tube is a messy process. I had a local tyre sealant in my Classic 350 tubes, initial years were fine then the valves started clogging. Point here is there is no way of taking out of the sealant from the tube once filled. This is more of a peace of mind stuff.

That's a nice ADV Tribe top rack with backrest on your bike. Is that backrest effective for the pillion?

/surjaonwheelz

[derek]

Originally Posted by surjaonwheelz

First of all congratulations!
Wait till the first service with oil change and tappet clearance checks it should be better. I hope you're mixing it up with short spins and some longer 30-50-80 kms runs! I've observed shorter city rides creates more racket.

Yes I am! 10kms in the city and the next 20 odd on ECR!

One thing I didn't get is why would it stall in lower gears and you need to up-shift? It should stall in higher gears and you should down-shift!

Bike doesn’t stall. I meant to say that if I delay my up shift by even a fraction of a second it starts knocking a little bit. Every speed breaker I go I have to downshift to 1st otherwise in 2nd gear she will knock.

Breaking in is a vast topic with different approaches. I would suggest that don't do one thing for too long such as fixed gear, fixed rpm or fixed speed. In addition, breaking in also includes the suspension and brakes to set in. Just ride it the way you would with some restrictions that should be fine. Some bursts of rpm/speed is fine!

Not worried about break in. Have read plenty articles on that. Had a RD350 for 18 odd years. Also a Bonny and my brother rides a tiger. Have taken his bike out for rides as well. I guess those engines are much more refined than our interceptor.

Petrol is a personal preference as we all know V-power, Speed etc are fuel with additives. Why would you need one in a new bike/engine? I stick to regular fuel with occasional tank fulls of V-power/Speed etc. My take is, the bike should be used to regular fuel as in long trips regular fuel is all you get, simple!

I’ll keep this in mind thanks!

Formula X is a gel type tyre sealant. I've not used it but from the abundant YouTube videos, feeding it in the tube is a messy process. I had a local tyre sealant in my Classic 350 tubes, initial years were fine then the valves started clogging. Point here is there is no way of taking out of the sealant from the tube once filled. This is more of a peace of mind stuff.

I’m definitely not going the outed way. Seems like too much hassle. I thought the formula x was easier and less messy.

That's a nice ADV Tribe top rack with backrest on your bike. Is that backrest effective for the pillion?

Wife loves it. Adv tribe stuff is pretty decent. Have got a few other goodies have to hook them up later! Off right now to fix the original sump guard and collect the state plates! Thanks a lot for the input!

[starter]

Originally Posted by derek

Bike doesn’t stall. I meant to say that if I delay my up shift by even a fraction of a second it starts knocking a little bit.

You seem to be mixing up-shift with down-shift.

[catkins]

Originally Posted by derek

I meant to say that if I delay my up shift by even a fraction of a second it starts knocking a little bit. Every speed breaker I go I have to downshift to 1st otherwise in 2nd gear she will knock.

At what RPM? My Interceptor's engine is unusable below 2,000 RPM

[derek]

Originally Posted by starter

You seem to be mixing up-shift with down-shift.

Sheesh, absolutely correct, but u did get what I mean right, I have to constantly be riding in lower gears to prevent the knock!

Originally Posted by catkins

At what RPM? My Interceptor's engine is unusable below 2,000 RPM

True that! Mine too. It all begins at 3k plus rpm. Do u have to constantly down shift in the city and over speed breakers too?

[catkins]

Originally Posted by derek

Do u have to constantly down shift in the city and over speed breakers too?

A lot of gear changing, yes, and slipping the clutch until 2,000 RPM when taking off gently from standing. That was unexpected when I first got the bike, now I'm used to it.

[r_nairtvm]

Originally Posted by catkins

At what RPM? My Interceptor's engine is unusable below 2,000 RPM

Have you gone through the owner's manual etc of the bike?

From what I understand of the bike the "optimal RPM range" recommended seems to be 3000 - 6000 RPM.

Though almost good % of the torque is available from about 2500 RPM, you have to be in the right gear (meaning lower) for it I suppose. The idle RPM speed is mentioned as 1200 RPM. So probably you would have to be in lower most gears to use the engine at low RPMs or lower speeds below 20 KMPH

That's my two bits on it. My regular ride is a Bonneville and the rides on Int 650 so far I was comfortable with the bike

Best Regards & Ride Safe

[derek]

Originally Posted by catkins

A lot of gear changing, yes, and slipping the clutch until 2,000 RPM when taking off gently from standing. That was unexpected when I first got the bike, now I'm used to it.

I guess I'll get used to it too! But I'm glad I'm not the only one facing this anomaly!

Originally Posted by r_nairtvm

Have you gone through the owner's manual etc of the bike?

From what I understand of the bike the "optimal RPM range" recommended seems to be 3000 - 6000 RPM.

Though almost good % of the torque is available from about 2500 RPM, you have to be in the right gear (meaning lower) for it I suppose. The idle RPM speed is mentioned as 1200 RPM. So probably you would have to be in lower most gears to use the engine at low RPMs or lower speeds below 20 KMPH

Yes again true! Ive just done about 200 odd kms and I am keeping the bike well under and around 4k on the tacho just as the manual recommends. I guess I'll just have to adapt my riding style to the new bike! New learning!

[yesyeswe]

Got my 1 year service done recently, no oil was changed as the bike has run only 4300 kms, only 250 ml of oil was topped up as they said the level was low. I opted out of the chain maintenance yet at the time of delivery I noticed the chain was cleaned and lubed.

They said the handle is over tightened and we'll fix that, now the handle wobbles at speeds of around 80 kmph on leaving the handle, i know i am not supposed to do it, but i just did it for a while and noticed the handle moving.

Total bill: 162rs, they didn't charge me for the chain maintenance.

[Snehal Sekhar]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

Do keep us updated on the feedback from the Timsun tires

Originally Posted by nasirkaka

If i was to choose tyres for my interceptor, i would go with TS 822/823 pattern for my requirements.

So, my FNG finally got the Timsun tyres today. I got the Timsun TS 659 A. Will be going there over the weekend to get them fixed.

I was also planning on changing the exhausts. My choices are either the AEW TE 102 or the S&S. The S&S is priced exorbitantly high. Apart from the price difference between these two, is there any other benefit of getting the S&S over the AEW TE 102? I'll mostly settle for the AEWs but just wanted to know if there was any real world difference between the two before I made up my mind.

[surjaonwheelz]

Originally Posted by Snehal Sekhar

I was also planning on changing the exhausts. My choices are either the AEW TE 102 or the S&S. The S&S is priced exorbitantly high. Apart from the price difference between these two, is there any other benefit of getting the S&S over the AEW TE 102? I'll mostly settle for the AEWs but just wanted to know if there was any real world difference between the two before I made up my mind.

S&S exhaust was developed for their big bore kit for the RE Twins, if I recollect it correctly. It can be used as a slip-on end can for the twins also.

What difference are you expecting from a 50k exhaust apart from the acoustics? As you know, these exhaust mods require the following closed circuit (input to output) upgrades to make a difference:
- High flow filter with intake eliminator (open end for direct air flow)
- High performance spark plugs and or booster cables
- Free flow exhausts (more free than the stock end cans)
- ECU remap/Powertronic piggyback solutions to exploit the above

Purists will say just stay away from most of the above as it would mean more work for the engine parts (internal). In short, you're able to process more (more air can be drawn, better combustion, hot gases can be expelled quicker)

What I've observed, most of us do the the filter and exhaust changes as they're plug n play. Closed loop ECU picks up the changes and updates the processing. Hoping we have a better throttle response!
This is very common in the superbike world also and they have factory/oem remaps for a specific exhaust.

I may be wrong, please correct me, anyone!

Coming back to the AEW102, I would pick it any day over S&S as I believe changing only the end cans would give me only weight advantage and different acoustics. It has the nice extensions which cover the mounting clamps. The finish is good too. This is on my list but may be the last mod for my Interceptor!

Cheers,
surjaonwheelz

[neil.jericho]

Originally Posted by Snehal Sekhar

I was also planning on changing the exhausts. My choices are either the AEW TE 102 or the S&S. The S&S is priced exorbitantly high. Apart from the price difference between these two, is there any other benefit of getting the S&S over the AEW TE 102? I'll mostly settle for the AEWs but just wanted to know if there was any real world difference between the two before I made up my mind.

Honestly, the first time I had heard of the AEW brand itself was after the Royal Enfield 650 twins got launched and videos of the AEW exhausts started coming out on Youtube. And this is despite AEW only offering Royal Enfield based exhausts for a long time and me being a Royal Enfield GT535 owner who has researched for hours on all the possible performance upgrades! The thing with most of these Indian made aftermarket exhausts for the Royal Enfield bikes is that long term reliability of the exhaust, build quality, actual gains etc are not a given, unless you go in for something like Red Rooster Performance exhausts. For comparison, the regular Indian brands were offering aftermarket exhausts for the GT535 in the price range of Rs 4,000 and the RRP was double that at Rs 9,000. However, if I had to spend money on it for my own bike, I would have gone with the RRP without a doubt.

In comparison to AEW, S&S is a proven brand that gives you the dyno reading output as well, so there is no snake oil science, feel the gains in your mind at play here. Knowing how much you enjoy your motorcycles, I would say the S&S is an easy recommendation and worth the big investment. I believe the price is close to Rs 46K, I had seen one here in Cochin that was awaiting installation.

If the price is understandably a little steep for the wallet, I would say go for the Red Rooster ones instead of the AEW, they are around the same price. I occasionally spot a 650 twin here in Cochin which has the RRP exhaust and it sounds absolutely perfect. You might be able to pick one up on Olx for a reduced price, I recall having seen some ads.

[Snehal Sekhar]

I changed the tires on my i650 (Lady Marmalade). Finally found the reason why air was leaking from the rear tire. The old Pirelli was damaged at the bead area. Not sure if this happened during the outex installation or the several times that they removed the tire to check on the leaks or if this was a product defect. I'm shocked that this was not noticed by the mechs when I gave the bike there multiple times to get the air leak fixed.









Anyway, my FNG fellow bought new Timsun Tires for me and I took an off yesterday to get that installed and also get other things done on Lady Marmalade.

The rear now sports a 150/70-18 (TS 659A) and the front is 120/80-18 (TS 659). I've gone back to tubes and used the existing tubes that I had. I wanted to get the 120 section tube for the rear, but the multiple tire shops that went to didn't have stock of them. I also put in tyre sealant in the tubes as well in the hope that it can prevent punctures.

The front and rear Timsun tires. The tires set me back by Rs. 15,500.


The rear tire after installation on the bike


Tube sealant


I also got a couple of other things installed on the bike and changed the engine oil too.

Got RRP Exhausts. Cost 19k for the set.

The product came in a neat packed and sealed box.


The difference in size between the stock and the RRP exhaust.


One thing I didn't like was that the small cover like thing provided by RRP should have been a bit bigger. That could have covered the joint area instead of how it is right now.


Also changed the engine oil to liqui moly and put in a new BMC air filter and easy clutch.



Easy Clutch


The things I got installed on Lady Marmalade.


Lady Marmalade.

[yesyeswe]

Originally Posted by Snehal Sekhar

I changed the tires on my i650 (Lady Marmalade).

Can you give a short review of the easy clutch? Is it a worthy investment?

[surjaonwheelz]

Originally Posted by Snehal Sekhar

The rear now sports a 150/70-18 (TS 659A) and the front is 120/80-18 (TS 659).
I also got a couple of other things installed on the bike and changed the engine oil too.
Got RRP Exhausts.
Also changed the engine oil to liqui moly and put in a new BMC air filter and easy clutch.

Lady Marmalade is ready to rock and roll!

After seeing Torino's near stock bike, your bike is pretty kitted up! Apart from the above you seem to have installed the following:
- Aux lights
- Bar end lever protectors
- AOM handlebar
- Modified seat
- ZANA saddlestays + top-rack with backrest
- Topbox (do you have to remove the zana backrest to fit it?)
- Charger
- Mobile holder

Great value and purpose added to the machine

This is one of the easiest bike to modify/add accessories due to its simple design. Do share your feedback of the filter + exhaust change.

/surjaonwheelz