[parrys]

Originally Posted by livyodream

Beautiful color and a high maintenance one too.


Wish RE offered alloy wheels option/model to other low maintenance colors too.

This is motorcycle #9 for me, and except for the KTM 390 ADV & the Honda Navi, everything was in black. Even my Thar & Verna (now sold) were black. So I am mentally prepared.

I really, really wanted a chrome RE 650. But then, buy alloys separately, just not worth the time. And this stealth look isn't too bad either.

[parrys]

Took the motorcycle for first service, exactly at 500 km reading on the odometer.

Here's how my day went - Sunday, 7th April, 2024.
Serviced at Soniya Motors RE Centre in Thane. The same showroom from where I purchased the motorcycle. Booked the service appointment online. That selection allowed for 9 am slot. Reached on time, only to note that the service centre opens only at 9:30 am. Never mind that.

The advisor who assisted me & the technician who performed all tasks; both of them, very well & soft spoken. Heard me & my inputs clearly. Love it!



Bike was taken on the ramp within minutes after a quick trial and after filling the job card.



I think the service centre can be made to look & feel more premium (aesthetic & clean)





Engine oil was drained. I was told that the first fill is also full synthetic. Oil filter was replaced, air filter was cleaned.



Heartbreaking moments, to notice paint peel on a brand new engine. The motorcycle is barely 10 days old, and washed only twice.



Paint peel is seen on multiple spots. I will live with this for now, and then touch it up when time permits.



Who's willing to try these Ceat tyres to the claimed limits? Not me.



Final bill after first service. I paid INR 3,000.02 for the first service.



Then went riding down to the Shell fuel pump which is far away from home, got the tank full, had a chilled beverage at the very neat & clean cafe housed in the Shell pump. I always prefer filling up at Shell.



Premium price at Shell, but then I have noticed that the fuel quality is so good, in the long run, your fuel filters last much more. I have also noticed that the floor at Shell pumps is well swept. Never dusty.



It was a really hot and sunny day in Mumbai / Thane today, and before heading to my friends garage, had a mug of sugarcane juice from the same place where I would enjoy it when I was a kid. Little Things.



I made time just to get the first 500 kms completed quickly, only because I was very excited to fit AEW exhausts. These are the 102 units, finished in black.



Fixed the poorly aligned fly screen. 95% done I would say. Will try again another day.



Here's the final output. I had been dreaming about this for a year. Just read the thread from day 1. This is a love affair.



Notice the exhaust & seat angles. No sissy bar, no saree guard = weight loss. The bike feels noticeably lighter, also thanks to the lighter & louder pipes.



These AEW 102 exhausts are so neatly finished, they almost look like OEM. Also, at idle, and idling speeds, the exhaust sounds just like the stock one. Get on the gas, and you get a nice rumble. I don't plan to get the baffle out for daily use. May be on a long highway ride someday, I might pop it out for some distance.



There's nothing more satisfying than a shiny new black motorcycle, or a car.



I will try my best to keep it in the best & shiny state & shape for as long as I will own it.



Can't wait for my next weekend ride around the hills, listening to the exhaust, and enjoying that smooth twin. What a change this has been, compared to the KTM 390 ADV. Not rapid fast, but ultra smooth. Not angry and agile, but flowing.

[parrys]

Updating the final cost, for this purchase:

Sold my old KTM 390 Adventure - INR 2,60,000/-

RE INT 650 Purchase Cost:
3,24,061 (ex-showroom)
+40,224 (road tax)
+7,500 (choice number)
+28,455 (insurance)
+9,000 (extended warranty)
+20,475 (accessories)
+8,000 (graphene coat)
+14,500 (aew exhaust + fitting)
Total = INR 4,52,215/-

So this swap, has overall cost me INR 1,92,215/-

[svsantosh]

Originally Posted by parrys

Heartbreaking moments, to notice paint peel on a brand new engine. The motorcycle is barely 10 days old, and washed only twice.

This is powder coating, should not peel off if done correctly. You cannot touch up with paint, adhesion will not happen, better to leave it as is.

PS
The 1st 'free' service is still a loosely used word in the Car/Bike sector I see, chain lube + chain lube again and top of that consumables! 500Rs spent in the name of free service. They do know how to make their money dont they

[parrys]

Originally Posted by svsantosh

This is powder coating, should not peel off if done correctly. You cannot touch up with paint, adhesion will not happen, better to leave it as is.

PS
The 1st 'free' service is still a loosely used word in the Car/Bike sector I see, chain lube + chain lube again and top of that consumables! 500Rs spent in the name of free service. They do know how to make their money dont they

Well, clearly not done correctly.
But I will try to find a fix, I have to.

The chain lube, they did hand over a fully sealed can to me. So I did not ask anything about the charged amount. The next service seems long away for me, as the event load in the coming months is not going to allow for too many rides.

[parrys]

So, first wash after the expensive graphene coating. Topped it up with the Turtle Wax Graphene spray additionally, it’s a quick rinse and apply procedure. Will repeat this once in a month or two months (As and when I get time). I think I’m going nuts.

Few observations after 10 days of ownership.

1. The bar end mirrors are actually useful. So this was worth the price paid.
2. The side leather bag, I use mostly to store a micro fibre cloth.
3. The brace pad holds really snug, so it does not keep rotating and moving under acceleration.
4. A few of my friends owning the INT 650 tried this MIY optional touring seat, and they said this is far more comfortable than stock / GT 650 touring seat.
5. The horn is amazing. The loudest unit ever on any of my motorcycles from the past.
6. Not yet confident to lean and hang on to the motorcycle. Need to spend a couple of weekends around the ghats. This should also give me an idea if I should invest in the Vredestein tyres sooner.
7. Engine heat is a concern, especially at city speeds. Full length socks compulsory for comfort.
8. I wish RE offered a round LED indicator & tail lamp setup as an optional extra via MIY. I would have surely picked it.
9. Clutch is heavy in feel. Release transition and momentum gain is fine. Not choppy, not jerky. Just the feel, heavy.

Also touched up all the all the spots where the black coat was off, with a high temperature matte finish paint. Hoping it holds for long. I don’t wash my bike daily, so I’m keeping my fingers crossed.

[kaza]

Does installing a slip on affect your warranty?

[parrys]

Originally Posted by kaza

Does installing a slip on affect your warranty?

Ideally, they can reject claims. Let's hope that day doesn't come.

Here's all the warranty related info available on the BSVI owners manual.
PS. RE does not provide a physical owners manual or service book.

[parrys]

So Tanners Pride is working on a custom piece for the Interceptor 650 tank, like I said before.

This is how the first rough draft was. This was cut only for measurements, so we could decide what needs to be tweaked.


My suggestion was the yellow line. That area also needs to be covered / protected. This would be placed on the tank using magnets, so we can wash the tank / bike effortlessly by simply getting this protector off. I am hoping the final output is ready by or before mid-next-week.


I have ordered 2 pieces. One black, one in a shade of brown.
Will share images once I receive the product.

I did order the Sahara Seats tank cover, just to try it out. While it was soft to touch, I just could not get around to tie it, as the seat would not lock in place (where the seat meets the tank, it was taking too much space).

[Sebring]

Will RPC customs install the Outex on my Himalayan 450? Or are they just Interceptor focused? I want a great job

Originally Posted by Fred The Head

The spoke wheels bothered me - So i got the outex conversion done. I could not find a single person who will do the outex conversion in chennai. I finally sent it to RPC customs in Bangalore and they did the outex conversion for me (with a 6 month warranty). It's been 3 years now and I am riding a tubeless spoked wheel. Only RPC customs knew how to do Truing to a spoked alloy wheel. RE showrooms didn't have a clue how to do it - 9 months after releasing the bike. Now, all showrooms who service are trained to do truing and alignment on the spoke wheels for the INT/GT, so shouldn't be an issue but this frustration for the 1st 18 months has made me dread spoked alloy wheels forever.

[Abeer]

Originally Posted by parrys

But today, I got this fixed on my Black Ray Interceptor 650.
Side panel leather pouch. Looks dope. This was not even on my mind.
It is from Tanners Pride. He just put it up to show me, and then I kept it on because it looked great.


Attachment 2589970

Can you please share more details about this bag? My Black Ray will be coming next week and this bag looks very good.

[parrys]

Originally Posted by Abeer

Can you please share more details about this bag? My Black Ray will be coming next week and this bag looks very good.

Congratulations on your purchase.
Plan to protect the tank well in advance.

The guy has his own website & instagram page by the name Tanners Pride.
You can say you saw it on my bike, or share the same image, for his / your reference.

I guess there are more colour options for the bag too.

Click Here.

[parrys]

So, finally received my custom magnetic tank protector from Tanners Pride.
This is genuine leather, with a suede finish at the back. There are multiple magnets at the back, to keep it in place.

The leather will eventually take shape of the tank in a few weeks time.

Have also ordered a brown unit, with contrast stitching.

This should serve my purpose, of protecting the paint from scratches while on the go. Also, it can easily be removed for washing / detailing purpose. It was crucial to have a straight cut at the bottom, so that it meets / matches the seat line.

Here are some pictures:

[surjaonwheelz]

Originally Posted by parrys

So, finally received my custom magnetic tank protector from Tanners Pride.
This is genuine leather, with a suede finish at the back. There are multiple magnets at the back, to keep it in place.

Dear Good Sir,

This is not looking nice, even if it takes the shape of the tank! It's your bike, I know but thumb rule is nothing should touch your paint specially the shiny ones.

Over time dust will accumulate between the leather and the tank which will prematurely wear off your ceramic/graphene coating!

Enjoy this till the Mumbai monsoon kicks in but reconsider this stuff!

Happy riding,
surjaonwheelz

[parrys]

Originally Posted by surjaonwheelz

Dear Good Sir,

This is not looking nice, even if it takes the shape of the tank! It's your bike, I know but thumb rule is nothing should touch your paint specially the shiny ones.

Over time dust will accumulate between the leather and the tank which will prematurely wear off your ceramic/graphene coating!

Enjoy this till the Mumbai monsoons kicks in but reconsider this stuff!

Happy riding,
surjaonwheelz

Agreed that it is not at all aesthetically appealing.

But the scratches I saw after just 1 ride, I cannot live with that at all. It plays with the mind mid-way through the ride.

I’m not a fan of PPF etc.

So as long as this prevents short term / daily ride damage, the long term fixes I can think of in the long term.

Hoping that it looks better, with some wear. Raw & rugged. But who knows.