[ashwinprakas]

Originally Posted by Romins

I noticed the brown color at the end of exhaust, your pictures and at the showroom. Is that rust?

Noticed rust inside the exhaust of a brand new RE today, not sure what the model is called but its one of those numbered models with ABS.

Guess, RE skips coating the insides of their exhaust as I've not seen the same on any other motorcycle I've owned with the Exception of the P220, which has a SS exhaust.

[R-Six]

Originally Posted by ashwinprakas

Noticed rust inside the exhaust of a brand new RE today

This is what I noticed when I had gone to check out and test ride the Twins.


R-Six

[n.devdath]

Originally Posted by timuseravan

Hopefully they put this engine in the Classic frame.

They won't, the classic frame cannot take the stresses this engine has and will not perform. It will also increase wind blast significantly on medium to high speeds.

What they will do, however, is launch a Himalayan version of this engine as the next variant, on a modified frame.

Also, the posture isn't as different as it looks in pictires, take a test ride and you should be happy.

As a last resort, one can always raise the handlebars and pull them back.

[Axe77]

Hell - I assumed this IS an offcial review. Super detailed review. My personal experience (which no way involved any careful scrutiny the way you have put in) was that the engine was delightfully smooth and refined. Power delivery was very linear indeed. All in all, this is definitely a winner that RE has on its hands and I am tremendously impressed at what they've pulled off. I have owned a CL 500 7 odd years ago and it really put me off the RE brand back then.

This is a machine I would have no qualms in purchasing if I was in the market for a similar product at this price.

[Rocky_Balboa]

Originally Posted by VishJ

Very detailed review. I couldn't believe that this is not an official review until I red all the way down. Great coverage of the bike. My only concern is can we mount saddle bags and do two up touring with comfort considering the exhaust pipes' design?

There are official accessories, though the saddle bag capacity is low, which should give an idea of mounting.

Saddle bags
Mount

[ssingri]

Hi Guys,
Went out and had an unplanned short test ride of the Interceptor today at Whitefield Motors Bangalore. Mainly in rush hour traffic, the objective was to see how easy or difficult it is to handle in city conditions.
Background: I ride a 2004 AVL Thunderbird 350 KS which has been serving me well and is not much used now. I have not ridden any other bike in the last say 10yrs other than maybe an Activa. This is the first motorcycle that has driven me to the showroom to have a look in the last so many years. I was always interested in the Triumph Bonnieville but kept away because of the price and the superbike maintenance costs.
I am 5' 4" tall so this will be a good reference for smaller shorter riders. I weigh just 50Kg and was concerned about the reach and seat height.
My Observations:
Finish: It is finished well but the frame paint or the chrome is not in the league of Harley or a Triumph. The paint on the tank is a lot better than the current finishes they offer. As mentioned the only ugly part is the grab handle weld which sticks out like a sore thumb. Further even the aluminium bits are not finished to a full a polish like they used to be on the earlier export models (easily remedied by some polish and a buffer though). Contrary to a lot of people I have had a good experience with my TBird on the finish, there is no rust anywhere and the silencer and bend pipe still shine bright.
Engine: The engine is the star of the motorcycle. It was idling at about 2000 RPM on a cold motor (the motorcycle had about 400KM on the clock) and settled at 1500 when warm. The good thing is that usable torque is available right from 1500 rpm and will not stall if you release the clutch gently from idle; bumper to bumper city riding is definitely possibly. The engine response is very linear and the fueling is spot on, it is not intimidating at all. While the engine does not run away from you like a 2 stroke with a power surge it does not complain when revved and I suspect it will go all the way to the redline in the same fashion.
Weight: It feels a little heavier than my TBird to pick off the side stand and a little taller but requires the same effort to move mainly because availability of a better handhold at the rear. The center stand is solid and requires some effort to throw but keeps the wheel off the ground. Once rolling it feels quite easy to manoeuvre considering we rode mostly in jam packed traffic at 10.00 AM in Whitefield which is the office rush hour.
Ride Posture: For me, owing to my stature it is more forward leaning than I would like. I would like a handlebar riser or a higher handlebar. I generally can sit on my TBird with my hands crossed across my chest at signals but it would not be so comfortable on this bike. On the reach of my legs I can just about manage but it is a little higher than my TBird.
The Ride: Riding in traffic and snaking through gaps meant I hardly got a chance to open the motor up but the overall impression is the suspension handles the weight well and is plush in city rides but may wallow when pushed hard because of the weight of the motorcycle. I suspect this can be fixed with the preload at the back and maybe the fluid viscosity in the front suspension. Keep in mind that I am lighter than the average rider and had to setup my Tbird suspension when I first bought it as it would bounce around after 100KMPH.
Gearbox and Clutch: I will not comment much on this as I have been spoiled by my current gearbox which will shift without a clutch and it is what I generally do (the GB felt much the same as what I am used to and could do clutch less shifts both ways without blipping the throttle and with just 400KM on the ODO). The slipper clutch works as downshifting thus did not cause any wheel lock up.
The clutch and brakes I did not take notice of much that means they worked as expected and were not intrusive like a sudden engagement or brakes being grabby.
Overall: This bike looks to be a keeper, it will do what you need it do but without a lot of HO HA! It will look better as each year goes and you will never tire of that burble. It is not for the hotheads, as there will be faster better handling motorcycles with better brakes etc. It for those folks who will want to keep it, ride it and maybe add a few small bits every year, yes it is a solid base for upgrades.
Hope this helps...

[mohansrides]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

Likes -

• Perfect pricing, attracts both traditional customers and existing 'superbike' owners alike.
• Smooth parallel twin engine with a very linear torque delivery. A 'Bullet' that can take on modern highways.
• Excellent slip and assist clutch + 6 speed gearbox combination.
• Nice exhaust note for a parallel twin motor.
• Build quality is leagues ahead of any RE till date. Well built for the price.

Dislikes -

• Riding stance and also other new age improvements may not appeal to the traditional Enfield fans.
• Bit heavy and wide for those upgrading from smaller machines - will take time getting used to.
• Straight line stability and suspension not the best, but not a dealbreaker either.
• Some elements follow retro styling more than function - the instrument cluster, headlamps, mirrors, spokes + tube tyres as examples.
• If making heads turn with looks and sound is your thing - this one pretty much flies under the radar.

Absolutely lovely contribution. I myself paid the twins a visit. But, my observations were merely topical compared to your deep-dive. Very nicely done. Thank you for taking the time.

I am not a fan of any of the machines in the RE stable, except for this pair of bikes. My personal preferences aside, one has to hand it to Sid Lal. It may be a slight exaggeration; but Sid Lal is to RE, what Jobs was to Apple. These people understand their customers and markets at a visceral level, and know the right investments to make.

RE has pulled a coup of sorts in pricing these twins. Everyone and his brother is now going to be riding these bikes over the next 5 years. We are going to see our roads absolutely flooded with these twins, especially the Interceptor. The only question is if RE has inadvertently cannibalized its other product lines. Only time will tell, I guess.

[Rajeevraj]

Great review CD. Thanks for sharing. Looks a really VFM proposition. Had been to a VW showroom recently for some work. There was an RE showroom next door. I actually had couple hours to kill and although I did spend some time outside the RE showroom admiring the bikes, did not think to go in and do a TD.

[Joxster]

Here is an interesting video from Autocar India:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YQZxm8jql0

And for anyone that was wondering about the performance figures of the Interceptor 650 in comparison to some seriously quick bikes around the same price range, here you go:

I'm very surprised to see that it is faster than the Ninja 300, and almost as fast as a Duke 390 on all the acceleration performance measurements they did, and has the best braking performance from 60-0 as well

Cheers

[Steeroid]

Good review, CD. Priceless for a person like me who booked the bike sitting outside the country without look or feel.

Sounds good overall, especially factoring in the price - should be a nice occasional use rider, I hope. Yes, there are a few rough edges - but being an Enfield one doesn’t expect perfection. Reliability is the big question, though. So am still a bit of a fence-sitter. Besides home ministry questions as to how many vehicles will one rounded bottom sit in/on when in India for a few days.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by GTO

Thanks for sharing, CrAzY dRiVeR! [/b] This is like an Official Review .

Thank you GTO. You know the humble origins of the thread.

@All: Thanks for the kind words. Worth the time if it helps anyone! The thread actually started off as a launch report, which I had compiled in the assembly lane, just the same time as this beautiful post from BHPian neil.jericho. Post which I was wondering if taking a separate thread live makes a value add to the forum, when GTO stepped in and suggested to add a ride report as well.

Have to thank the five Royal Enfield showrooms once again, particularly SSS Motors, Peenya for making the rest happen. The report is only because they allowed me enough time to get familiar with the motorcycles - as long as its not affecting business hours.

Originally Posted by Red Liner

I thought it was one

Originally Posted by SJM1214

official review of motorcycles?

Originally Posted by R-Six

This one was nothing less than a Team-BHP official review.

Originally Posted by //HB

I really did think I was reading the OFFICIAL REVIEW

Originally Posted by Axe77

Hell - I assumed this IS an offcial review.

The value of Team Bhp official reviews is not just in the presentation, but the amount of time spent by moderators in understanding the vehicle. Can't even come anywhere close to that even if an individual like me spent a whole month visiting all dealerships for TDs.

Hence I am always the first in line standing with the below request to GTO.

Originally Posted by R-Six

Mods, I seriously think that we should start having official reviews for bikes as well.

[mithunvvijayan]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

Yes. Seems to have been removed. Moderators are editing it out. However, here is a screenshot I had shared in the earlier thread last week.

I also had seen the video earlier. Even now it is available. Pls check out the link below. 44 hp is really good isn't it. Which means the losses are only about 7% from the crank.

https://youtu.be/qtFyH2buYNU

[jpcoolguy]

Thanks Crazy Driver for this wonderful review of the twins.

I was wondering whether we will have a review like what we had earlier for the Dominar, considering the twins are more important in the context of Indian Motorcycle scene and here it is!

The initial reaction to the launch suggests that the bike has been well received, however we need to wait and see whether these will do the numbers in 5 digits considering the non-RE nature in the most important aspect of most buying public - the thump!

[sen2009]

Awesome review Crazy Driver. I have watched tons of reviews on youtube, but this one's really the one I have been waiting for.

One question -
If the Interceptor was available when you got your Versys, would you have considered it instead?

Please assume the following three things while answering -

1. You know that you will not find the time to ride as crazy much as you'd have imagined before buying.

2. The price difference matters to you.

3. Its OK if you cannot make a round trip to KL in 24 hours on this bike.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by Red Liner

Chetta, if you were in the market at this instance for a new bike, considering all your riding requirements remain the same - would you buy the interceptor as your one do-it-all bike?

Ramana sir - There are many ways in which our Versys 650 is much superior to the Interceptor 650. Straight line stability at highways speeds is in another level, power is surely more, ride quality is excellent, seating posture is exactly how I love it, and even though many won't believe it due to the size - I actually like cornering the Versys - come down from 2nd floor to 1st floor in corners as a friend recently described it. I always loved the Street Twin and was one of my top picks before deciding on the Versys - just didn't excite me as much - I had decided back then (and written it down) that I will buy one some day when I was mature enough to enjoy it the gentlemanly manner it is meant to be.

But then again - there is the price difference - which changes all those equations. Interceptor costs less than 40% of the money and might cost only a similar amount when it comes to maintenance and accessories. Finances being one of my main limitations when it comes to enjoying the Versys fully - I surely would have given it a hard thought atleast if the same opportunity presented itself, and I was wise enough.

As for your interests - it could take you to remote places like your last trip and not be out of place still!

PS: A good friend has booked one, so I should get to ride with this one anyways. Also, as you know - I'm not much of an offroader - neither can afford to risk dropping the Kawasaki off-road, so that is not a big factor in my purchase decisions. A Himalayan 650 sure sounds exciting though - but again - I wouldn't be in the market looking for a new bike again for a long time!

Originally Posted by ianuoui

I wonder how they hold up against a regular wash, and the elements in general...

Only time can tell. I think many would be looking for answers from the early adopters before jumping in themselves.

Originally Posted by sukiwa

Is this due to tyres? Riding on white markers are anyways best avoided on any bike due to slippery surface.

Agreed, but haven't felt a noticeable effect on other bikes, or I've been spoilt by the Versys. Will check on few other machines if possible and revert.

Originally Posted by sukiwa

Even interceptor 650 gets a heel protector/guard

May be as an aftermarket option? Will check on this. Thank you.

Originally Posted by sukiwa

How much distance did you cover in your ride? Is riding position comfortable enough for continuous riding of 2 hours or so?

About 32kms on both bikes on the four/six lanes, Around 10 kms of Bangalore outer ring road on the Interceptor, 10 kms of ORR again on the GT but with a much longer time due to traffic block, city bylanes roundabout run on the Interceptor for a couple of kms and a 4 hour window with both the bikes including an hour or so for the photoshoots.

So technically, can't really answer that question (and thats why we need official reviews) - but I don't see why not. The posture is not very demanding at all - just that its not the proper upright stance of a Bullet or even the Duke for that matter (Footpegs might be a bit more rearset in the Duke though, if i remember correctly)

Originally Posted by sukiwa

Did you ride with GT650 seat on interceptor 650?

No, I didn't. Sorry.

Originally Posted by ssingri

Hope this helps...

Very much. Thank you.

Originally Posted by VishJ

Very detailed review. I couldn't believe that this is not an official review until I red all the way down. Great coverage of the bike. My only concern is can we mount saddle bags and do two up touring with comfort considering the exhaust pipes' design?

I was speaking to the owner of a known superbike accessories website, and he was pointing out the volumes involved. Anyone and everyone in the accessories business will be keeping a keen eye on the Twins, because any first mover advantage that clicks among users will fetch good money with the numbers involved - compared to any other vehicle in the 500cc and above space.

So even if the official accessories catalogue doesn't excite you - it won't be long before many options arrive.