[turboNath]

Congratulations on your new machine and thanks for a great write up !
I have been a proud owner of the int650 since June 2019 and it has been a joyride so far. My heart was sold in favour of the GT but my mind preferred the int due to its practicality. I do really long tours on two and four wheels (900+ kms in a single day) and the int' s riding posture is really good. That along with the main stand pretty much sealed the deal for me !
I had my tank laminated right after delivery. It costed me about 1200 bucks in Kolkata ( with 3M 'grade' film as per the technician). The lamination job was pretty neat and you would have a hard time telling the plastic film from the tank metal if it's squeaky clean ! You could try that out as well.
I am yet to experience noticeable power loss in stop and go city traffic even though I commute to my office on my 'Nemo' regularly. And yes you're absolutely right about the tire being a 'nail magnet'. The first thing I did after getting delivery was to fill the tubes with Seelin(anti tire puncture liquid). I have been using it on my classic 350 for the past 3 years and it has been holding up pretty strong !
Ride safe and ride hard brother !

[drive_angry]

Originally Posted by CarManMotorcycl

Thank you very much! Whereabouts do you live in Pune?

Indian manufacturers have a long way to go before they can reach the levels of international manufacturers.

I have recently moved to Pune and for now, I am putting up in Kharadi. Where are you located?

Drat! I really loved those gloves ever since I saw them on this Ryan Gosling movie poster (pic credits to the movie makers)

[CarManMotorcycl]

Originally Posted by turboNath

Congratulations on your new machine and thanks for a great write up!
Ride safe and ride hard brother !

Thank you very much for your kind words! I was also in a dilemma choosing between the Interceptor and Continental GT, but I felt the Continental GT is not as uncomfortable as people think. It may not be in the league of the Interceptor but you can easily do 500 kms a day which i think is pretty decent so I chose the Continental GT and it looks better too. I plan to turn the rims to tubeless rather than putting slime, I've heard complaints about rust forming in the inside due to those gels.

Originally Posted by drive_angry

I have recently moved to Pune and for now, I am putting up in Kharadi. Where are you located?

Drat! I really loved those gloves ever since I saw them on this Ryan Gosling movie poster (pic credits to the movie makers)

I live in Kothrud a long way from Kharadi if you include the traffic jams. I have seen some leather vintage gloves in the Triumph showroom, not exactly tan but they were sweet. I am not sure about who produces the riding gear for Triumph.

[Hamza123]

Congratulations on the bike! I too bought a Thunderbird 500 and loving every bit of it. Nice to see fellow riders from Pune. Maybe we could form a WhatsApp group for morning meets/rides? I also have a Kawasaki Ninja 650 which I use only for weekend riding and the Thunderbird is my daily ride.
Regarding the gloves check out the new Rynox gloves. They have a tan option in them and look really nice. I plan to buy a pair soon.
Also if u need a contact for ppf let me know. All my vehicles have them and it’s a must if you want to keep it scratchless.

[RedTerrano]

Wow!
An RE 650! I wasn't even aware they made those! I am old enough to have ridden the 350cc with the "wrong sided" gears!

Your Black Widow is a beauty! Reminded me of the BMW shaft driven 500 cc, which I was once fortunate enough to ride. If possible please post a video rather an audio of her growl. Very much curious to find out how she purrs!

Keep on riding!
PS. 10/10 for taking her to Pratapgad!

[CarManMotorcycl]

Originally Posted by Hamza123

Congratulations on the bike! I too bought a Thunderbird 500 and loving every bit of it. Nice to see fellow riders from Pune. Maybe we could form a WhatsApp group for morning meets/rides? I also have a Kawasaki Ninja 650 which I use only for weekend riding and the Thunderbird is my daily ride.
Regarding the gloves check out the new Rynox gloves. They have a tan option in them and look really nice. I plan to buy a pair soon.
Also if u need a contact for ppf let me know. All my vehicles have them and it’s a must if you want to keep it scratchless.

Thank you very much! Congratulations on your Thunderbird 500! Yeah we can form a group, I love to go on a lot of motorcycle rides but my friends don't really own them so I have gone solo for two rides till now. Till June 1st week no rides considering the rising temperature.

Originally Posted by RedTerrano

Wow!
An RE 650! I wasn't even aware they made those! I am old enough to have ridden the 350cc with the "wrong sided" gears!

Yup, RE have certainly stepped up their game. I was their no. 1 hater till the 650 twins came along!

Originally Posted by RedTerrano

Your Black Widow is a beauty! Reminded me of the BMW shaft driven 500 cc, which I was once fortunate enough to ride. If possible please post a video rather an audio of her growl. Very much curious to find out how she purrs!
Keep on riding!
PS. 10/10 for taking her to Pratapgad!

Thank you very much! Can I ask which BMW 500cc was this? I am not too informed about BMW motorcycles as much. I'll post a video tomorrow if possible.

[RedTerrano]

Originally Posted by CarManMotorcycl

Thank you very much! Can I ask which BMW 500cc was this? I am not too informed about BMW motorcycles as much.

I think, it was this. The episode I mentioned happened in the 90s !!


https://www.yesterdays.nl/product/bm...-cc-2-cyl-ohv/

[turboNath]

Originally Posted by CarManMotorcycl

Thank you very much for your kind words! I was also in a dilemma choosing between the Interceptor and Continental GT, but I felt the Continental GT is not as uncomfortable as people think. It may not be in the league of the Interceptor but you can easily do 500 kms a day which i think is pretty decent so I chose the Continental GT and it looks better too. I plan to turn the rims to tubeless rather than putting slime, I've heard complaints about rust forming in the inside due to those gels.

Yes you're absolutely right ! The Conti is absolutely a stunner when it comes to looks and I feel it handles better as well.

As for the rusting thing, that slime/seelin fluid is pushed inside the tube and not applied directly on the tire inner wall. I didn't face any issue (changed my rear tires twice in my classic) with seelin till now. However with this tubeless tire conversion kit, I am getting mixed feedback from our kolkata based twins group. Some are complaining of a sudden wobble at speeds in the range 80-90kmph after the conversion.

[CarManMotorcycl]

Originally Posted by RedTerrano

I think, it was this. The episode I mentioned happened in the 90s !!

Attachment 1975142
https://www.yesterdays.nl/product/bm...-cc-2-cyl-ohv/

Woah, I expected a motorcycle from the 80's but this is way back. She is a looker!

[rahulskumar]

Even I am looking out for alloys wheels for my Interceptor. Has anyone researched whether the front wheel from Triumph is a direct fit ?

We might be able to use the rear alloy wheels from Thunderbird 350x. The wheel design's even though they are from different manufacturer, does not look that different and will be difficult to notice

[CarManMotorcycl]

Originally Posted by rahulskumar

Even I am looking out for alloys wheels for my Interceptor. Has anyone researched whether the front wheel from Triumph is a direct fit ?

We might be able to use the rear alloy wheels from Thunderbird 350x. The wheel design's even though they are from different manufacturer, does not look that different and will be difficult to notice

The peace of mind that come with alloys is not comparable to the tubed spoke rims, but there is something a bit charming about the 650 Twins having spoke rims.

The Triumph alloys will cost a bomb, so I would look at options which turn the Tubed spoke rims to Tubeless.

[rahulskumar]

Originally Posted by CarManMotorcycl

The peace of mind that come with alloys is not comparable to the tubed spoke rims, but there is something a bit charming about the 650 Twins having spoke rims.

The Triumph alloys will cost a bomb, so I would look at options which turn the Tubed spoke rims to Tubeless.

I am still exploring new methods. Once I get back to TVM, will try this experiment. Check out this link

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kx_yvln1Kus

.

[neil.jericho]

Originally Posted by rahulskumar

Even I am looking out for alloys wheels for my Interceptor. Has anyone researched whether the front wheel from Triumph is a direct fit ?

We might be able to use the rear alloy wheels from Thunderbird 350x. The wheel design's even though they are from different manufacturer, does not look that different and will be difficult to notice

If memory serves me correctly, the Thunderbird's alloys will not fit the 650 platform due to a mismatch of the hub sizes. I had a discussion with someone in Royal Enfield and this is what he told me. I didnt pursue it further after that.

[SNOWY227]

Amazing write-up. Also, wanted an update on the PPF coating, and a few close up shots of the black tank if you don't mind. I have the bike in the same paint scheme.