[nasirkaka]

I test rode the interceptor almost 6 months back during a test-ride event organized by RE where we given bikes for 30 full mins and complete freedom to ride it without anyone sitting as pillion. Bikes were new as well. The ride was on airport road in Bangalore, mostly open good wide roads. As expected, i liked the bike very much. Few months down the line, in dec, i also booked a baker express.

Now that the delivery time is nearing, this Saturday, i went and test rode the Interceptor again. Post the test ride, i am not sure if i really want this bike. This test ride bike had 5K kms on odo, so would have been abused for sure and the area was outer ring road, bellandur, which is infamous for traffic all around. And i also had a showroom rep. sitting pillion. First thing first, the bike is heavy. I am moving from heavier to lighter bikes so not sure if i want another heavy bike. secondly, the ergonomics. In slow moving traffic, the foot peg position is definitely a hindrance, crawling ahead with a leg down. The foot pegs also seem to have been placed wider and the right side engine case is too close to rear brake lever. That is when i keep my foot over the rear brake lever, my shoe is almost touching the engine case. Handle bar: definitely sporty. I even found the exhaust note to be very so-so and unimpressive. The seat as well felt too soft, and in general that wow factor was missing which i has felt during the first test ride.

Coming back and looking at a larger picture, i am not sure if i really need this bike. I have a 310GS and happy with it as my daily commuter and for weekend rides around town too. Just did Kolli Hills yesterday (550kms) and bike performed very well. Usually, at any point, i feel comfortable to keep two bikes. The interceptor decision was more as a fallback from selling my Versys. Even if i get it, i dont really see myself riding it much. And after the second test ride, this feeling is only gotton stronger. Interceptor is here to stay and am sure in future they might iron out some of the issues and provide alloy options, etc. SO can be picked anytime, the later the better.

I must admit that all these thoughts are getting stronger in mind post the launch of the Xpulse 200. Maybe at subconscious level, there is always a soft corner towards off-road capable bikes. could this be my 2nd bike? a test ride will should bring in some clarity.

[Abhi_Automobile]

Originally Posted by nasirkaka

I test rode the interceptor almost 6 months back during a test-ride event organized by RE where we given bikes for 30 full mins and complete freedom to ride it without anyone sitting as pillion. Bikes were new as well. The ride was on airport road in Bangalore, mostly open good wide roads. As expected, i liked the bike very much. Few months down the line, in dec, i also booked a baker express.


I must admit that all these thoughts are getting stronger in mind post the launch of the Xpulse 200. Maybe at subconscious level, there is always a soft corner towards off-road capable bikes. could this be my 2nd bike? a test ride will should bring in some clarity.

Hmm...interesting. I'd say give a second thought (against) to the X Pulse thing too. Will you really enjoy an 18bhp 200cc bike after riding Bonnies and Versys? Also, you already have the GS for off-road + daily commute needs. If I were you, I'd consider a 'different than' GS bike, which is what interceptor is. I will have said that you consider Triumph Street Twin, but you've owned a Bonnie before. What about Speed Twin - uber high quality + sporty + Retro? It's obviously very expensive and 1200cc...so, an overkill for you needs.

Not sure what a good pick is - but it's not XPulse according to me..��

[Motard_Blr]

Originally Posted by Abhi_Automobile

...

Will you really enjoy an 18bhp 200cc bike after riding Bonnies and Versys? ...

Haven't you heard of the expression " Riding a slow bike fast is more fun than riding a fast bike slow"? In my experience that's absolutely true! My experience experience is limited to mostly Indian bikes but even in that group the fun factor of small bikes is great. The only condition to this statement would be that the slow bike has to inherently fun - good handling, reasonable performance, etc. I'm not sure about commuter bikes but a fellow member @ashwinprakash rides a Bajaj CT 100 and I'm sure he finds his bike a lot of fun.

But ultimately it's about horses for courses. Riding any bike in the environment it was optimised for will be most rewarding.

[nasirkaka]

Hmm...interesting. I'd say give a second thought (against) to the X Pulse thing too. Will you really enjoy an 18bhp 200cc bike after riding Bonnies and Versys? Also, you already have the GS for off-road + daily commute needs. If I were you, I'd consider a 'different than' GS bike, which is what interceptor is.

Precisely. The 310gs and Interceptor 650 compliment each other well and that was exactly my line of thought to begin with. Also having a relatively powerful 650 twin is good for those days where one just wants to sprint to kirshnagiri for a yummy murugan idli breakfast. It wont replace the void created by versys but a decent consolation. Just that my 2nd test ride raised a few concerns and doubts in mind. Its Not yet completely out of mind, just a thought. The xpluse 200 is again very similar to 310gs in nature, except for cheaper running, maintenance and spares cost, wont benefit much there. I love street scrambler and got a long ride on it too. Too expensive to buy, run and keep. :( Idea is to get back to relatively basic bikes.

[dinu2506]

Originally Posted by Motard_Blr

Haven't you heard of the expression " Riding a slow bike fast is more fun than riding a fast bike slow"? In my experience that's absolutely true! My experience experience is limited to mostly Indian bikes but even in that group the fun factor of small bikes is great. The only condition to this statement would be that the slow bike has to inherently fun - good handling, reasonable performance, etc. I'm not sure about commuter bikes but a fellow member @ashwinprakash rides a Bajaj CT 100 and I'm sure he finds his bike a lot of fun.

But ultimately it's about horses for courses. Riding any bike in the environment it was optimised for will be most rewarding.

Hmm, interesting thought. Somehow, I feel exactly the opposite. I feel riding a fast bike slow is bigger fun than vice versa. Same for me, in cars as well. Riding a slow bike/car fast really tires me out mentally and you reach the destination pretty tired. Just my observation, though.

Originally Posted by nasirkaka

Precisely. The 310gs and Interceptor 650 compliment each other well and that was exactly my line of thought to begin with. Also having a relatively powerful 650 twin is good for those days where one just wants to sprint to kirshnagiri for a yummy murugan idli breakfast. It wont replace the void created by versys but a decent consolation. Just that my 2nd test ride raised a few concerns and doubts in mind. Its Not yet completely out of mind, just a thought. The xpluse 200 is again very similar to 310gs in nature, except for cheaper running, maintenance and spares cost, wont benefit much there. I love street scrambler and got a long ride on it too. Too expensive to buy, run and keep. :( Idea is to get back to relatively basic bikes.

Why don't you look at a used air-cooled Bonnie. Being a Bonnie owner, I might be biased, but I guess it will meet your needs. And, you've owned one, so you know it better.

[HandfulOfHell]

The Twins on Jay Leno's Garage is here! I know a lot of us were waiting for this one. Enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgVxOZvDj6I

[nasirkaka]

Hmm, interesting thought. Somehow, I feel exactly the opposite. I feel riding a fast bike slow is bigger fun than vice versa. Same for me, in cars as well. Riding a slow bike/car fast really tires me out mentally and you reach the destination pretty tired. Just my observation, though.

I can completely relate to Motartd_Blr. Just to put it in perspective, i am really enjoying pushing the 310 gs closer to its limits most of the time, but could never do the same with versys 650. On the 310GS i feel in control of the bike, whereas on Versys, i felt i was at the mercy of the bike. If that makes any any sense. Power was still manageable, but the weight, height etc, is just too much for a non-skilled rider.

Why don't you look at a used air-cooled Bonnie. Being a Bonnie owner, I might be biased, but I guess it will meet your needs. And, you've owned one, so you know it better.

Bonnie is a lovely bike and my personal take is that the old 865cc air cooled engines still have an edge over the modern 900 liquid cooled ones. But after crashing a bonnie, just dont feel confident to think about another NON-ABS one. And the idea is get back to basics where prices are justified for what we get, the spares are reasonable well, we dont have to pay 21000 rs for a center stand, services/labour costs are reasonable. And the RE 650 twins have hit a sweet spot with the pricing. The RE service is known for not so good reasons, but its not like other imported bikes treat their customers like god. There is just one kawasaki service for whole of karnataka, and its not a pretty scene there either. Same story with BMW service. RE is a known devil.

BTW saw a shiny baker express on road for the first time and its looked nice.

[sukiwa]

Originally Posted by nasirkaka

BTW saw a shiny baker express on road for the first time and its looked nice.

Looking at all your past posts, 310GS and baker express INT650 would be better combination for you. I am assuming that Versys650 has been sold and that money can be used for INT650. If you hadn't bought 310GS, then xPulse200 could have been a consideration only for off-road trails. You can continue to use 310GS for daily commutes & INT650 for touring on weekends.
Please don't delay any further for baker express.

[nasirkaka]

Originally Posted by sukiwa

Looking at all your past posts, 310GS and baker express INT650 would be better combination for you. I am assuming that Versys650 has been sold and that money can be used for INT650. If you hadn't bought 310GS, then xPulse200 could have been a consideration only for off-road trails. You can continue to use 310GS for daily commutes & INT650 for touring on weekends.
Please don't delay any further for baker express.

Yes, the versys is been bought by one of our own teambhp member. And my thoughts are aligned with yours as these two being good mix of bikes to carry on for a while. Its just that this test ride which i had last saturday brought some doubts in mind. Could be that particular bike as well. And i am not delaying, its RE which is delaying the delivery.

[surjaonwheelz]

Someone wanted to see the Interceptor in Speed Twin colors.



Location: Mods own Country


Source: Instagram

[Snehal Sekhar]

Originally Posted by r_nairtvm

I understand that the same scenario happened with a TBHPian in Bangalore today morning.

The tube - same size and brand as mentioned above, suffered a joint failure.

RE RSA or Puncture Assistance attended the vehicle and set him on his

Ram, this wasn't because of a joint failure or the tube being smaller. This was an actual puncture. A nail got embedded in the rear tyre and had punctured the tube on NICE Road.

I was more surprised by the supposedly 24/7 RSA that RE was supposed to have. When I called them at 7:45 AM, I reached an IVR message saying to call back after they open at 9 AM. Since this was a group ride, the ride organiser from RE called the showroom and they sent their mechanic to get the puncture fixed. During my wait for the mechanic to arrive, I tried my luck again by calling the RSA. They picked up the phone but then refused to arrange for a mechanic or a tow truck since for them this was a minor issue. After a heated conversation they finally agreed to send in a tow truck to drop off the bike to the nearest RE showroom. I declined the offer since the mechanic from RE had come in the meanwhile.


I've now decided to get an Outex tubeless conversion kit installed on both my tyres. It's much more easier repairing a tubeless tyre than a tubed one. The Outex itself cost me Rs.14,000 and the installation charges quoted was Rs.5,000.00. It's a time consuming process and they need at least 24 hours after they install the Outex to check for any air leaks. I'm also getting the bike touring ready. I've purchased a RAM mount and an X Grip, getting a USB charger installed which will be connected to the ignition. Got Zana Saddle stays as well. Hopefully with all this in place and the bike touring ready, I'll travel a lot more places and visit newer destinations this time around.

[Motard_Blr]

Originally Posted by Snehal Sekhar

...

I've now decided to get an Outex tubeless conversion kit installed on both my tyres. It's much more easier repairing a tubeless tyre than a tubed one. The Outex itself cost me Rs.14,000 and the installation charges quoted was Rs.5,000.00. It's a time consuming process and they need at least 24 hours after they install the Outex to check for any air leaks. ....

Does the RE 650 twins come with rims with safety humps? Their purpose is to prevent the tyre bear from unseating when the pressure is low and an external force pushes the tyre sideways, such as when you take a sharp turn at super or when you got a bump.

Here are the humps: https://www.bartfactory.com/wp-conte...4865502651.jpg

This Italian company https://www.bartfactory.com/bartubeless-en/?lang=en also offers tubeless conversion kits but they will only do the conversion on rims with humps.

[ashishk29]

Originally Posted by Snehal Sekhar

I've now decided to get an Outex tubeless conversion kit installed on both my tyres. It's much more easier repairing a tubeless tyre than a tubed one. The Outex itself cost me Rs.14,000 and the installation charges quoted was Rs.5,000.00. It's a time consuming process and they need at least 24 hours after they install the Outex to check for any air leaks. I'm also getting the bike touring ready.

Getting an outex, vs getting alloy wheels, which is overall more worth it? Outside of the aesthetic differences? I believe a good set of alloy wheels might cost about 20k as well.

Taking into consideration that RE themselves are planning to come up with oem alloy wheels some time in the near future?

[schitre05]

Originally Posted by Snehal Sekhar

I've now decided to get an Outex tubeless conversion kit installed on both my tyres. It's much more easier repairing a tubeless tyre than a tubed one. The Outex itself cost me Rs.14,000 and the installation charges quoted was Rs.5,000.00. It's a time consuming process and they need at least 24 hours after they install the Outex to check for any air leaks.

I agree with you, having gone through the same drama of a puncture. I also gave a very serious thought about getting the outex treatment done, however two things have stopped me from going ahead. Firstly the cost, and secondly the fact that RE themselves are getting the alloys.
Slime or puncture resistant liquid is another option that can be explored in the meanwhile.

[ninjatalli]

Zigwheels team seems to be suggesting that RE is planning on two things in the near future

1. Increase the price of the Twins (possibly with cosmetic upgrades; maybe alloy wheels, tubeless tires, etc)
2. Launch a new VFM version "Meteor" with a lower price tag with some edits to the current version of the Twins.

More Affordable Royal Enfield 650 Twin In The Works?

Any views on this? Seems a bit too far-fetched. Considering RE has already registered the "Meteor" trademark, I'd probably think RE is looking at a more customized bike based on the Twins platform at a more premium price; while the current Twins remain priced at the current levels.