[ninjatalli]

Originally Posted by Alka panwar

Isn't the always on headlight a new norm for two wheelers already?

Could be. But as @Torino also highlighted below, having it is better than the absence of it.

Originally Posted by Torino

Congrats Ninja! I didn't expect your review to come out so quickly and so does the first service, looks like you are enjoying your new ride.

Regarding finding the neutral, it will become easier once you get used to the gear shifts by the time you reach the 1000 kms mark. The screeching sound from the brakes must be due to accumulation of tiny stone particles between the disc and pads, it will go away as you use the brakes.

Thanks; well look at it this way. Over the last two weeks, I have done 500 kms on this bike, 0 kms on the Vento

And yes, I'm already getting to the neutral half the time; just need a few more weeks for it to become normal for me. Wrt the brakes, the engineer more or less highlighted a similar point, and that this sound has occurred on many new bikes (initially).

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

Congratulations on your new Interceptor 650. I enjoyed reading your thread and the origins of your Royal Enfield fascination.

Thanks - the old Bullet @Trichy was offered to me (on a conditional basis). I told them I'll come back for it later once I get to own one of these of my own for a while!

I agree with bblost's advice, please try to avoid riding a two wheeler with shorts and slippers.

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

Do check with your dealership if they are conducting similar sessions in your city.

In addition, they also have DIY sessions for all RE owners that are conducted in their SVC. I have made it a point to join the next one that they organize.

Nice! Will inquire at the dealership here. Have to visit them for the leg guard over the next week.

Originally Posted by MaheshY1

This is to prevent a resale
...
Legally, they can't set this as a condition.
...
I see no reason for the consumer forum to side with the manufacturer should the second owner choose to pursue the case. I doubt people who represent RE would be willing to formally confirm this.

Exactly! These seem to be more of a verbal/veiled threat than a real condition. I doubt if they'll even put it in writing if one asks them.

But I kinda agree with them in principle; it's not a great situation for all parties, if new Twins start landing up on the used market so early.

I can already see OLX ads like these selling brand new Twins with 0 kms on the odometer and "directly from the showroom", using @CrAzY dRiVeR's detailed test drive based pictures.

[Chillout]

Congrats on your new ride and wish you niggle free Happy rides. A colleague bought one and I had a test drive, boy it's just too good in terms of power and delivery.

But one thing that scares me are those silencers, especially for pillion riders, other day say a guy taking his mom who was wearing saree and the ends were dangerously close to the silencer. Overtook him and told him about the same. For me this bike is a strictly no no for pillion riders in Sarees

[ninjatalli]

At the RE service center, once the servicing is done, the SA asks you to do a short ride to try out the bike and get an understanding; however that's too short a timeline to get a proper feedback. So another short ride to Kovalam beach was construed this Sunday with a friend; at the risk of bypassing the local Chennai Tbhp meet.

I had recorded two aspects earlier post the servicing on the short ride back home :
1. The rear brake squeaks were there to stay; with the assurance of the RE engineer that this was normal
2. The clutch had been made harder

Today I was able to test the properly on a decent ride and both the above are now turning out to be a niggle/pain, from a secondary aspect; like the pebble that enters your shoe and makes its' irritating presence felt every few minutes.

The squeaks seem to have marginally increased now, and the gear shifts that used to be butter smooth are a little grainy; especially when I'm downshifting. At times, I feel I'm back on my brother's 5-year-old Pulsar

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On a different note, the bike runs fine otherwise; with the ~70 kms round trip ride to Kovalam beach done effortlessly! And a good way to spend the Sunday it was at Covelong Point - Surf Turf. While I did kayaking in the ocean, my friend took up the surfing (beginner) lessons. The place is gorgeously beautiful, unlike the rest of the beaches across Chennai (and the main Kovalam beach which is less than a km away).

A great place to spend a few hours over the weekend; or even a longer period if you are interested in taking up the rooms offered there (or nearby 'resorts')


Now that's a spot I can sit for hours!


The kayaking/surfing options start at 7am and open till sunset



With boardings and a nice quaint cafe on the first floor

Originally Posted by Chillout

Congrats on your new ride and wish you niggle free Happy rides.
...
For me this bike is a strictly no no for pillion riders in Sarees

Thanks. And yes, it's quite risky because the average 2-wheeler pillion hasn't sat on a bike with twin silencers; so there will be some habitual adjustments required over time. Considering Jawa (twins) and other bikes are too coming out with twin silencers, hopefully it will become normal.

[ninjatalli]

Originally Posted by ninjatalli

Accessories Planned:

1. Leg Guard (/Engine Guard)
2. Sump Guard
3. Tank Bag (Magnetic)
4. Riding Jacket
5. Riding Pants

Accessories Purchased:

Image source
SCIMITAR Razor 2 L-2 Jacket; comes with a detachable rain liner and thermal vest. The mesh jacket with level 2 armor works brilliantly; tested it in 39deg weather on a long ride. Negative design aspect - both the liner and vest are internal; so you can choose to ride with them or take it off and zip it on later (when it starts raining) Cost: 6k INR



Image source
SCIMITAR Mars Riding Pants; the basic riding pants with level 1 armor and an internal (detachable) rain liner. Again this worked perfectly in the heat without the rain liner, but it comes with the liner attached inside. Cost: 6k INR



Custom seats, yay!
So the stock seat sucks, big time. The softness is a problem; also the linear and shorter width doesn't do the honors for our honorable bottoms! Within the first week of ownership, I realized the seat had to go; and the search began. Thankfully Bulu Patnaik came to the rescue with a good seat option that I liked (refer to the video below on the custom seats; skip to 8:28 for end results). Headed to Rao Motors (No.88, Chandni Chowk Road, Shivaji Nagar / +91 8892400350). Seems like his popularity has surged after the video surfaced, and he always has a few pieces ready for customers.

video link

The default design of this seat comes with a slightly raised level by a few (3-4) inches; so one can choose to get a normal sized seat if so preferred. I opted for the elevated one as it suited me much better (5'10 height). The new seat works like a charm; already rode a ~600 km ride on the bike with this seat. Much, much better than the stock seats! Cost: 3k INR



Rear seat backrest with a rear rack
Got this nifty rear backrest and rack from RE authorized shop Fixwell Motors. Although the height seems off due to the elevated seats, the backrest does serve the purpose for the pillion Cost: 1.2k INR



Engine guard
Again sourced this from Fixwell Motors. Cost: ~1.2k INR



Rear footrests
This is available in chrome and black from Fixwell Motors. Haven't got it done but am planning to get it done later Cost: ~0.4k INR



And that's how the bike looks currently; taken on a late night ride to Rasta Cafe.

[kesh4munni]

Purchased the backrest only from Fixwell - The finish is poor and the black paint wears off easily.

However, for the price of 1000 rupees, it is ok.

Also, the backrest with carrier does not serve the purpose - I looked at the smallest Studds top box which does not fit the carrier and hence went for the backrest only.

[ninjatalli]

Originally Posted by kesh4munni

Purchased the backrest only from Fixwell - The finish is poor and the black paint wears off easily.

That is really bad to hear; how long before the paint started peeling off? Did you go back to the shop to give feedback? The main guy at the store is a (dormant) bhpian. Not that it might help though.

As for my backrest, it's been just a week; so far the paint's holding up.

Also, the backrest with carrier does not serve the purpose - I looked at the smallest Studds top box which does not fit the carrier and hence went for the backrest only.

I agree; it would have been better if it was longer. Definitely, this is going to be a stop-gap arrangement for probably a year; I expect a lot more after-market options to develop by then. I liked this product from Zana but found the price a bit higher than to my liking.

I wanted something for the Coorg trip I did over the weekend, and the carrier option at Fixwell served the purpose. This is how my bike was over the weekend trip. Had a pillion for about 100-200 kms and she was happy with the rear seat and backrest.

[kesh4munni]

Originally Posted by ninjatalli

That is really bad to hear; how long before the paint started peeling off? Did you go back to the shop to give feedback? The main guy at the store is a (dormant) bhpian. Not that it might help though.

As for my backrest, it's been just a week; so far the paint's holding up.

It probably chipped off in transit. Realized when I was getting it fixed at the shop and he readily replaced it with another one. However, the second one also had some marks and the paint was worn off at places and caked up.

I also preferred the Zana but felt the price to be high and the backrest design not so aesthetically pleasing.

[ninjatalli]

So we finally have the odometer at the crucial 2000 km mark. Or so we are meant to believe wrt the run-in period for the Twins. During this period, the restrictions may seem quite severe, considering the range of torque & power that you have at your service; and to keep it under the speed limits, one needs to have sufficient self-control.

But while I attempted to stick to the speed limits for the initial ~200 kms, post that I focused more on the bottom table that gives the RPM limits; which is more than sufficient for your needs. 4000 RPM let's you go upto 100 kmph on the 6th gear while 6000 RPM will allow you well into the ~130 kmph range (on the 6th gear).



My Experience
0 - 200 kms: Mostly city roads, within suggested speed limits (max 75kmph)
200 - 500 kms: Highways + city roads, within suggested rpm limits (max 4000 rpm)
500 - 1000 kms: Highways + city roads, within suggested rpm limits (max 4500 rpm)
1000 - 2000 kms: Mostly highways, within suggested 6000 rpm limits (max 5000 rpm)

The last 1000 kms have been spent on the highways on an awesome Chennai - Bangalore - Chikmagalur - Bangalore trip; most of it coming on state and national highway roads in temperatures ranging a hot 39 deg to mid 20s. Surprisingly (to me), the heat exodus does not go up when riding for long under the hot sun; in fact on the way from Chennai to Vellore, while the bike rode just fine in constant temps of 39 deg, it was me who required the breaks every 40 mins

While I have been able to validate the bike in multiple conditions (city traffic, state & national highways, rural roads, broken/off-road); however, the one area I'm extremely interested is to vet the tires in the rains. While the bike allows one to handle curves very well, doing the same in wet conditions is going to be the litmus test for me.

And with a few parting images (more details on this travelogue (Trails of a Biker: A ride to Kemmangundi & Hebbe Falls))


After reaching Bangalore from Chennai


Somewhere in interior Karnataka

So what's next on the list? The option to go for an Outex tubeless conversion kit installation to make the tires tubeless is definitely on the cards! And maybe more rides while the rain gods finally decide to unleash their fury on us

[ninjatalli]

The Interceptor's center of gravity is oriented towards a single rider; one understands that very well when you compare a similar ride with a pillion on any of the earlier Enfield bikes. While the pillion feels very comfortable on the previous versions (say a Classic or the Thunderbird), the pillion on this bike feels disjoint with the motion of the bike; a situation that is very much visible the moment the driver presses the brake or accelerates. Add an extremely soft seat with a lack of a backrest, it makes it somewhat unreliable for the pillion rider on speeds exceeding 50 kmph. Something that @Hammer&Anvil shared a long time ago.

And that's where the two changes that I did in my bike has had some success. The new seat has a much firmer, slightly wider setup and goes very well with the short backrest. This was confirmed by a friend who did ~140 kms over a 300 km long ride at 3-digit speeds.

However a few days back I realized that I had never sat in the pillion seat; a situation very similar to my Vento where I had probably sat for less than a week cumulatively over the 8 years of the ownership, in a car that was made for a chauffeur-driven setup. So whenever anyone requests to drive the bike, I happily take up the pillion seat to understand the difference. And I find that my friend wasn't wrong at all

- the center of gravity still hasn't changed, so as a pillion, I get pushed back/front when acceleration or braking happens; but now the backrest gives me some security so I don't have to hold on to the seat handles
- the backrest with luggage bounded on the carrier provides me even better back-rest facility; something that does help over the longer rides
- the lack of a broader foot-rest becomes more prominent; something I plan on installing over the next few days immediately

So this is something I would recommend all Interceptor owners to get done at the earliest; especially those who have a higher frequency of pillion riders.

[scopriobharath]

Is it possible to fit heel and toe shifter like that of thunderbird or classic on the interceptor?

Planning to buy one as a daily rider but am not comfortable with toe only shifter

[ninjatalli]

Originally Posted by scopriobharath

Is it possible to fit heel and toe shifter like that of thunderbird or classic on the interceptor?

Planning to buy one as a daily rider but am not comfortable with toe only shifter

Yes and no. One can't do a direct switch from the Classic/rest to the Twins; the setup is very different across the bikes as seen below.

But if someone is able to fabricate a dual up/down shifter similar to the older REs with a curved handle over the footrest, then yes it is possible.

A month back, I had inquired about a fabricated brake lever similar to the older RE bikes; and I was informed there were attempts being made for the same. I'm sure in due time, we might see options for the gear lever too.


Interceptor


Classic

[keshav1426]

I am getting my Orange Crush next week. I wanted to get the stock seats changed and wasn't very convinced with the touring options. I looked around and finally ordered it from Sahara Seats . It costs about 4700 INR and resembles the conti GT seat setup. The seller has mentioned that its water proof with extra padding. I am leaving the link below in case anyone is interested.

https://saharaseats.com/royal-enfiel...-d2-1706640887

[ninjatalli]

So the bike's been chugging along, with a few short rides in and around Bangalore and primarily for city/office travel only.

Then the work situation changed a shift to Mumbai was on the cards. The initial plan was to transport the bike via logistics; after all the company was paying for the shift, so why not take the easier option.

And then the Junta curfew timelines kicked in with full impact on the ground situation. Things had to be put on immediate gear; the travel dates were preponed by over a week before the Junta curfew was in place. The movers & packers assured they would be able to take the bike too, but then that left me no personal vehicle for travel, and I really did not want to take the flights or train for the trip from Bangalore to Mumbai. So a more simple option was sorted out - why not do the bike ride!

So a plan was put. Saturday was spent completely in packing up the house luggage and shipping it out with the packers in the evening. The idea was to move out of Bangalore city early in the morning; much before the Junta curfew timings of 7 a.m. kicked into action. It was a calculated risk I opted for;
- I presumed (correctly) that the highways would be left open
- I presumed (again, correctly) that this was just a trial (curfew) run and either the states or the nation would kick into a higher gear of lockdowns post the Sunday junta curfew event
- I hoped (proved wrong) that some of the highway dhabas and restaurants would remain open
- I had never ridden more than 500 kms in a single day on a bike (in recent years); so due precaution had to be taken

The plan was kept fluid - break up the 1000 km ride into two sets of 600 kms (for Sunday) and 400 kms (for Monday) while ensuring I cross the state border within the first day itself for sure. I also made some food late in the night and boxed it for the ride; just in case the restaurants and dhabas were not open.

Trip Summary
Distance: 1016 kms
Time: ~13 hours (travel time) / 15 hours 45 mins (total time)
Avg Speed: 78 kmph
Fuel Used: ~42 liters
Mileage: 24 kmph (approx)

Went to sleep early, but could hardly sleep but somehow dozed into a hazy sleep at 11ish. Woke up at 2:45 a.m. thanks to the alarm and was out of the apt/society by 3:45 a.m. Bangalore was dead asleep and it took me a very short time to get to the highways asap.

If I thought Bangalore was empty, the highways were even more! A few trucks made the only other vehicles running on the highways; with a few fellow bikers with bags and pillion riders who probably reached the same conclusion as me were giving me company on the highway till I reached Tumkur; where most of these activas and motorbikes veered off as they had probably had reached their destination.

I went on non-stop; easily hitting 3 digit figures with the bike running flawlessly, passing city after city till I had to finally stop just outside Chitradurga for my first fuel stop. Although a lot of petrol pumps had closed up, still there were sufficient number of pumps open across the highway. Filled up the tank and I moved on; as the sun was just coming up.

The first proper halt took place an hour later; and unfortunately I did not find a single restaurant or hotel that was open to customers. The home-cooked food finally came to the rescue when I realized I hadn't packed any spoons But hunger won and let's just say I managed somehow.


Hardly any humans on the road, but a lot of flies for sure!

That was the first time I checked the logs; I had done more than 1/4 of my entire distance and it was just a shade after 8 a.m. I was surely going to hit the border by afternoon; and with it the idea was set to see if I could do the whole distance today itself! So I went on; stopping very briefly for short 2-3 min breaks during the latter part of the morning.


Somewhere midway near the highways



The hours went by and the odometer just went running; and I had crossed the border by lunchtime. Till now, the ride had been without any constraints from the local public or the cops. While I passed several of the cities in Karnataka, I did see a few cop cars patrolling the roads. But I always saw them stopping local bikers and vehicle owners; someone like me with full-on riding gear and luggage tied up in the back did not cater to the target segment they were supposed to stop (probably).

But I did expect some trouble at the borders; especially with regards to questioning on why the move to MH from KA on a day when there is nation-wide (voluntary) curfew. And my only hope/escape was the point of the curfew being voluntary.

But my worries turned out to be a non-starter; as there were a few cop cars in Karnataka, there were hardly any on Maharashtra side. Kolhapur came and went; but there wasn't a soul to be seen anywhere on the roads; even the minimal truck traffic I had seen during the morning turned to zero under the afternoon sun. The only consistent pattern seen was the closed shutters on all the restaurants across the highway in both states.

I stopped soon for a lunch break near a stream that passed under the highway and also took a short nap. It made sense as the temps had gone up to mid-30s; MH was much much hotter than KA.



Passed Satara and Pune in the late afternoons without much ado; and soon reached Panvel later in the evening by 5+; when I was finally stopped by the cops. Turns out Mumbai is running completely different than the rest of MH; with every (city) border gate being monitored by a bunch of cops diligently.

The looked at my documents; gently chided me for traveling on a curfew day but allowed me to continue ahead. And in that manner, just as the sun was setting, I finally reached home around 7:30 PM. A good 16+ hours of riding on near-empty highways with minimal breaks and 4 fuel pitstops.

[neil.jericho]

ninjatalli, that was quite some mile munching indeed! It is good to hear that your slightly modified Interceptor is able to maintain such a good pace for so long without any issues whatsoever. How would you rate the headlights on the bike? I have done some pre dawn riding on my GT 535 (I think the bulb and dome are shared with the pre clear glass 650s) and I needed the help of the aux lights to maintain triple digit speeds on the highways.

[ninjatalli]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

ninjatalli, that was quite some mile munching indeed! It is good to hear that your slightly modified Interceptor is able to maintain such a good pace for so long without any issues whatsoever.

Thanks. This was the first long trip on this bike; the longest the bike had undergone prior to this was ~350 kms, Chennai to Bangalore at similar speeds. I think the bike can easily do much more with sufficient short breaks every 2-3 hours. The pain point is the soft suspension; on the numerous diversions between Chitradurga and Hubli, I wish I had much stiffer suspension to deal with the numerous speed breakers.

How would you rate the headlights on the bike? I have done some pre dawn riding on my GT 535 (I think the bulb and dome are shared with the pre clear glass 650s) and I needed the help of the aux lights to maintain triple digit speeds on the highways.

Not very good, IMO. On a completely night driving setup (like 3 - 6 a.m. on this trip), the headlight on full-on beam worked pretty efficiently; low beam did the job only when there was sufficient street light.

But during dusk/late evening driving; the stock bulbs (& dome glass) turn out to be pretty sad; hardly any illumination is available. I need to upgrade to better lights soon; that's one of the items on my list of to-do. Not urgent, but will be required to be done eventually.