[Varun Ramesh]

Originally Posted by rajeevsulu

Good choice on going for Centauro tires. I understand the feeling about the spokes. That is the reason I didn't go for the alloys.
The stocks lasted about the same for me, 13,500 kms. No flats whatsoever but the back was squirming all over.
Cheers
Rajeevsulu
I humbly request the admins to merge these threads which I inadvertently posted.
Cheers

Faced the same ordeal! the rear was fishtailing on the painted dividers and reflectors too. It was getting too unsafe to ride the motorcycle, happy to note no wobbling with the Vredestein whatsoever.

[V0rtex]

Originally Posted by rajeevsulu

Good choice on going for Centauro tires. I understand the feeling about the spokes. That is the reason I didn't go for the alloys.
The stocks lasted about the same for me, 13,500 kms. No flats whatsoever but the back was squirming all over.
Cheers
Rajeevsulu
I humbly request the admins to merge these threads which I inadvertently posted.
Cheers

What are some of the best pair of tyres you can get for 650s that are cost effective.

[rajeevsulu]

Originally Posted by V0rtex

What are some of the best pair of tyres you can get for 650s that are cost effective.

I went for the ceats again. I was/am very happy with the Ceats. At that price point, Rs. 4000/, the ceat tyre performs pretty decent. It lasts 13,000 kms and that is good enough for me.
Cheers

[V0rtex]

Originally Posted by rajeevsulu

I went for the ceats again. I was/am very happy with the Ceats. At that price point, Rs. 4000/, the ceat tyre performs pretty decent. It lasts 13,000 kms and that is good enough for me.
Cheers

In most of the reviews I've seen of the 650s most reviewers were complaining that the stock ceats given in 650s are very poor. What is your opinion regarding this.

[rajeevsulu]

Originally Posted by V0rtex

In most of the reviews I've seen of the 650s most reviewers were complaining that the stock ceats given in 650s are very poor. What is your opinion regarding this.

This is my personal opinion. They are not as bad as they are made out to be. My usecase is strictly highway and very good highway at that. I had no punctures and tyres performed very well till 13,000 kms. It started squirming at that point but that was because it was bald. I was/am very happy with the Ceats
Cheers

[V0rtex]

Originally Posted by rajeevsulu

This is my personal opinion. They are not as bad as they are made out to be. My usecase is strictly highway and very good highway at that. I had no punctures and tyres performed very well till 13,000 kms. It started squirming at that point but that was because it was bald. I was/am very happy with the Ceats
Cheers

Is it worth spending extra 4k to get RE's Road side assistance.

[rajeevsulu]

Originally Posted by V0rtex

Is it worth spending extra 4k to get RE's Road side assistance.

I purchase RSA for all my vehicles as a rule. My bike turns one on February 5 th. Last week, my bike refused to start and I used RSA to get the bike to the showroom. It was a simple battery discharge issue, but, you never know. I have RSA for the next year too. I always get extended warranty and RSA for all my vehicles.
Cheers

[V0rtex]

Has anyone added vinyl strips or anything like that on their int 650's tank to replicate the stripes in the gt's tank.

[surjaonwheelz]

Dec-Jan rides and crossing 21,000 kms on my 4 years young Interceptor.

After my last set of updates which you can read here (Ridden: Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 & Continental GT 650 Twin)

We went to Goa which is documented here (Suzuki V-Strom SX 250 Ownership Review | My Kaali-Peeli)

Winter is the best time to ride with big bikes and I was riding with fellow bikers in and around Pune on as many weekends possible for me without getting thrown out of the home!


Let's start with some coffee.


Winter sun above a Gurudwara.


Kamshet.


Patas-Baramati road with bhpian ashtorque and his beautiful Honda VFR1200 DCT.


This stretch is untouched and deserted, ride responsibly. I was privileged to ride the VFR for a short distance, what a beauty of a machine, well ahead of its time. The size just disappears on the move and handles elegantly! Though one needs to be adaptive to ride an automatic bike.


Bhuleshwar, again with bhpian ashtorque, this time with his GS1200(W), another legend!


The Man and the Machine.


Veer dam with Nilesh5417 and his spanking new Himalayan Hanle Black.


Dive ghat


Last ride of 2023 got us to 20,000 kms


Panwadi with ashtorque, he has a suitable weapon for every battleground!


This section has some nice narrow winding country roads with decent road surface. Need to revisit in the monsoons/post-monsoons.


Purandar Fort with bhpian Waspune, first ride of 2024.


Red bikes twining!


Madhe Ghat was an epic ride.


Bhpians jomson13 and sukiwa took out time for this ride from their busy schedules.


My crown, MT Revenge 2.


Bhigwan with bhpians ashtorque, Ricci and Nilesh5417. Smooth cruise to stretch the legs of your bike.


Tamhini ghat on the return leg from Harihareshwar ride with bhpians Waspune and sukiwa. Nilesh5417 joined on his Monster 821 but was too fast for us to catch him! We went to the beach to have fish for lunch and return the same evening. Hope sukiwa shares a photologue on his Kaali-Peeli thread. It was a nice experience.


In the process crossed 21,000km milestone just within 4 years of ownership.

That's all for now, cheers to all for being part of this journey. I'll share the annual service and parts changed/upgraded so far in a future post.

Happy riding,
surjaonwheelz

[rajeevsulu]

Hi
Today marks exactly one year of me taking delivery of my Interceptor 650 Chrome. A lovely motorcycle which gave me so much of peace and kept me sane through this very tumultuous phase of life.
One year and 14,250 kms later, all i have to say about this bike is one word. Awesome. I agree this could have been better and that could have been a little different. I have no regrets at all.
I have changed just three things on this machine. I bought a pair of bar end mirrors from @tharian, fitted Powerage exhaust cans and changed the rear Ceat tyre. Everything else is stock and will be stock.
I have consistently recorded a mileage of 26 kmpl throughout this period and that is very good as per me as I accelerate very hard through the gears. The motorcycle was always serviced at Royal Enfield and I have had no major issues other than a little noise with the front shocks and battery draining out recently which was ultimately nothing.
This bike kept me sane along with my Thar RWD through this very disturbing phase of my life. Love you, my Interceptor.
Cheers

[V0rtex]

Originally Posted by surjaonwheelz

Dec-Jan rides and crossing 21,000 kms on my 4 years young Interceptor.

Has your bike retained its initial appeal after covering 21,000 km, or has it lost some of its refinement , charm etc along the way? If so what difference do you feel. The reason I ask this is because I was considering to buy an Interceptor with similar km odo reading.

Originally Posted by rajeevsulu

Hi
Today marks exactly one year of me taking delivery of my Interceptor 650 Chrome. A lovely motorcycle which gave me so much of peace and kept me sane through this very tumultuous phase of life.
One year and 14,250 kms later, all i have to say about this bike is one word. Awesome. I agree this could have been better and that could have been a little different. I have no regrets at all.
I have changed just three things on this machine. I bought a pair of bar end mirrors from @tharian, fitted Powerage exhaust cans and changed the rear Ceat tyre. Everything else is stock and will be stock.
I have consistently recorded a mileage of 26 kmpl throughout this period and that is very good as per me as I accelerate very hard through the gears. The motorcycle was always serviced at Royal Enfield and I have had no major issues other than a little noise with the front shocks and battery draining out recently which was ultimately nothing.
This bike kept me sane along with my Thar RWD through this very disturbing phase of my life. Love you, my Interceptor.
Cheers

Why did you choose the powerage exhaust over other popular options like Red Rooster, Gursewak etc…

[rajeevsulu]

It is a very good exhaust in its own right.It also helps that it is manufactured in Coimbatore which is very close to where I live.
Cheers

[ex-innova-guy]

Question to fellow RE 650 owners-

1. What made you decide on the model- Interceptor or Continental GT respectively?
2. How has your ownership experience so far been?
3. Spokes vs Alloys is a never ending debate. What made you decide on either of them? I prefer the looks of spokes over the RE alloys.
4. I don’t plan to take long rides but is the stock seat comfortable enough or should I switch to the touring seat?
5. Which RE accessories would you recommend- bar end mirrors, sump guard, etc?

I am yet to take a test ride of both but am heavily biased towards the Continental GT. Also, I am not in a hurry to get it. Any idea if there any updates incoming on both? Thanks in advance for your inputs and any other suggestions.

[sandeepmohan]

Originally Posted by ex-innova-guy

Question to fellow RE 650 owners-

It was the riding position for me. I could not see myself drop low with the arrangement of the GT's handlebars. Both models have a committed riding position and offer slightly different styling. Its down to what you are after. As a City runabout, you'll be fine with the GT. If you are thinking of combining extensive touring, the Interceptor is the way to go.

Ownership has been great. Cost to own and maintain the bike is reasonable. Its a bike thats simple enough to work on, if you are into DIY.

When I bought the bike, alloys were not an option. I think I will stick to the spoke wheels. In over 3+ years I've had the bike, I have not experienced a single flat. Your situation maybe different, that might warrant an alloy configuration. Yes, I too prefer the spoke rim when it comes to looks but one must think about the practicality side of it. If you have a flat on a spoked rim, you're probably going to be stuck for a while and may need to flatbed the bike. With a tubeless (or alloy) configuration, its possible that you can mend a flat all by yourself with a tire repair kit and a portable inflator. The alloy rim is a no brainer, if you are buying the bike today.

The stock seat is fine for short runs. No real need to get the touring seat.

I don't see the point of a sump guard, unless you are going to use the bike off road. The only gain of the sump guard for on-road conditions is if you want to avoid muck and mud caking up on the oil filter, lower engine section. It has happened to me and I don't bother washing that off. Bar end mirrors does add to the aesthetics. I don't know if its better or worse than stock mirrors. If you see yourself use public parking spaces a lot, you probably want the stock mirror setup.

A useful and almost must have accessory is the Engine guard.

I doubt if there are any further updates around the corner. RE just did one so its going to be a while before they roll out the next. Besides; I don't know what really needs updating on this motorcycle other than the meter console. Some users want smart functions and more information. I most definitely don't want them fully digitized like the Himalayan.

Ride both and decide what suits you. For some, the GT riding position works even for touring long distances. As for accessories, I would buy the bike bone stock + engine guard. Add, upgrade components later. One other thing that is a no brainer will be an after market exhaust.

[bravo82in]

Originally Posted by surjaonwheelz

Dec-Jan rides and crossing 21,000 kms on my 4 years young Interceptor

Congratulations on completing 4 years and covering 21,000 kilometers with your Interceptor. The bike's aesthetic appeal is impressive, and it appears to be meticulously maintained. I'm curious to know whether the alloy wheels are OEM or aftermarket. If they are OEM, have you encountered any challenges in obtaining them from the company? If aftermarket, could you provide details such as the brand, cost, and size of the wheels?