[pjbiju]

Originally Posted by aravind.anand

...

Few points I noticed -

...

- There is a heft when getting the bike upright from the side stand, and that makes the twins feel solid, and imagining myself backing it out of a parking space, while taking care to not knock other bikes with the dual exhaust pipes was intimidating.
...

This is exactly what I felt. The weight of the bike is more apparent on the GT since the handlebars are much lower (and hence lesser leverage for the user to push the bike upright) than that of the Interceptor. The interceptor feels lighter because of the higher handlebar position.

Originally Posted by R-Six

...

Dislikes:

• On the interceptor, the footpegs were coming between your legs and the bike when you try to put your foot on the ground. May be, I’m used to the GT style footpeg position but this is that I felt.
  
  ...

This was an issue for me and could be an issue for people with heights of 5'.5'' to 5'.8". The legs (shin/calf part) come in between the foot pegs and the gear shifter when you put your foot down. For tall people they may be able to place their legs away from the bike and this may not be an issue. Need to see how this is during the test ride.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Of the dozen something RE showrooms in Bangalore, did any of them start the test rides yet?

Checked with two showrooms and now they claim the test rides will start by December first or second week only.

[nasirkaka]

What do you guys think? Love to hear your views. Thanks much.

Depends on your expectation from the bike which would differ from person to person. If i was in your shoes, i would go with the RE, but after waiting for the initial batch to pass without much issues. Which means i would have to pass this ST at 6.5L but then there will me more of them in the used market.

Triumph is a Triumph with a solid build quality, almost proven and super torquey and smooth engine, electronic aids, and retro classic looks. But at more then double the cost for a used one, it does not make cut for me. The street twins lack the presence compared to the T100s or the 120s, posture is not really upright but a bit towards sporty, ground clearance is not generous, small tank for that engine, single point service, expensive spares and maintenance, etc. The bike is capable, but being a naked, one cant really ride it fast and for long.
coming to RE interceptor, at less then half the cost, the bike intends to offers almost similar experience which is a torquey engine, retro classic looks, similar engine and exhaust configuration and even the exhaust note. There is ABS and slipper assist clutch, and not to mention generous ground clearance. Service, spares and Maintenance would be much economical and you would not have to wait for 6 weeks for any non regular parts to arrive.



SO unless i am looking at the brand value, exclusivity and bragging rights, the interceptor makes more sense to me as not just as a value-for-money proposition but also similar level of experience. All this considering the twins are true to what they have been described as so far, and there are no major deviations from this image in near future. Ride them both if you can, and go with your heart.

[ranjitnair77]

Originally Posted by HandfulOfHell

I have a proposition to buy a well maintained, Apr'18, 1500 kms run Street Twin for 6.5L.

I have a 2013 Bonnie A3 and I took a very short spin on the Interceptor so I guess I could offer a perspective.

If I was looking at a brand new Street Twin and the Interceptor, I would buy the Interceptor. At almost 1/3 the cost, you would get a bike that gives you 80% of what the Twin offers. That's a no-brainer. Don't wait for the new Triumphs to release.

However a used Twin makes a case for itself. At 6.5 lakhs and if you are not strictly bound by a budget, you should get the Twin. It's a lovely bike and it's built better and has got significantly more power. The shocks are perfectly adequate. Budget around 10-12k for every service on average. The service interval is every 10k kms (or is it 12k for the Twin?) or once a year. The bike is very reliable.

Ultimately you will know the answer once you have ridden both bikes back-to-back which you must do as soon as possible.

[joeblack]

Originally Posted by vikramvicky1984

Related question:
Is RE going to come out with new line of riding gear with the twins?
I guess I had read about it somewhere but cannot find now.

The darcha (made with Rev'it) cannot be found any longer.
I believe all 650 buyers are being sent discount offers on riding gear (I got one on email, coupon code will come on delivery). 25% is a lot of discount and if the gear is good, we may not look elsewhere

True! i got my discount in mail.

Avail special discounts on our latest range of urban and protective gear.*

15% discount on buying Gear merchandise worth Rs.2000 to 5000
20% discount on buying Gear merchandise worth Rs 5000 to 7000
25% discount on buying Gear merchandise worth Rs.7000 or more

[sreejith.pish]

Would like to update that few dealers in Gurugram have been offering TDs from last Sunday onwards. I had already booked the interceptor online through one of the dealers here. Got an opportunity to test drive it later. It was a quick drive for like 5-7 kms and this is what I felt of it.
Good bits:
1. It's unlike any other royal Enfields. There are NO vibrations. I hope that solves many issues related to loosening nuts and bolts.
2. Gear Shifts are slick and without false neutrals. A huge improvement.
3. Power delivery is quick and not intimidating. It felt awesome to drive.
4. Build quality is a step up from the other REs. I hope they maintain.
5. I liked the rumbling gentle sound from the stock exhausts too
6. The handling is very nimble and brakes are performing well.

Down sides:
1. Pillion will have a scary ride. The seat is too soft and when the rider pushes the accelerator there is a great thrust and with the soft seats the pillion feels like sinking and falling down every time you push the throttle. The dealer had suggested that the flat seat from conti gt would fit in the interceptor. I felt those seats are better than the stock ones in interceptor.

2. Engine heats up. Of course it was a test drive bike being frequently used and possibly harshly revved continuously. Again dealer told that the oil cooling takes some 15 kms to kick in, is it so? I was confused. I took it through bumper to bumper traffic and it dint stop once. I was happy for it.

3. It is not a head turner. The small twin cylinder rumble and gentleman looks don't turn heads, if you would count it as a down side for a twin cylinder Royal Enfield.

4. Tyres are great on road. But the tubes inside them do not inspire confidence while riding. A small nail could take you down.

I had been to Brawn Motors. I hope many dealers are offering TDs by now. My bike would be delivered in Feb. So waiting.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Thread moved to Superbikes & Import section by moderators!

Never thought a day will come when an Enfield could be called a 'superbike' - but here we have it. Now hope they go ahead with the KX 838 VTwin concept too!

[neil.jericho]

No test rides here in Cochin yet, I had checked at the company showroom in Edapally. It looks as though the RTO approvals havent come through as of now. There was a decent crowd to check out the bikes. I overheard one of the sales guys telling a potential customer that they have over 100 bookings. Without test rides. Despite being a Royal Enfield! It just goes to show how value conscious Indian riders are, even in the higher segments.

Originally Posted by sreejith.pish

1. Pillion will have a scary ride. The seat is too soft and when the rider pushes the accelerator there is a great thrust and with the soft seats the pillion feels like sinking and falling down every time you push the throttle. The dealer had suggested that the flat seat from conti gt would fit in the interceptor. I felt those seats are better than the stock ones in interceptor.

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

In comparison the Interceptor seat appeared to be a little shorter in length. My first impression (and I could be wrong here) is there might be Interceptor owners opting for this GT seat as its longer and would be better suited to larger pillions.

That is exactly what I felt when I first checked the bikes out at the launch.

[//M]

I took a test-ride of the Interceptor 650 from Manzil Motors in Sohna Road, Gurgaon the other day. Some observations -


Things I liked :
+ It is extremely vibe-free, I was hard-pressed to imagine if I am actually riding a Royal Enfield. It almost felt as butter smooth as some of the bigger motorcycles at a much higher price range.
+ For a twin, it has a sweet throaty exhaust note.
+ The INT650 handles really well and the weight is hardly felt on the move.
+ The riding position is spot-on for straight-up motoring.
+ Brakes have a good bite.
+ The stock tyres have excellent grip levels.
+ Quality levels are excellent, never-seen-before quality levels by RE standards. Dare I say it, the INT650 feels better built than some of the bigger bikes.
+ As everyone else would agree, RE has hit it out of the park with the superb pricing of the 650 twins.
+ For those who wish to fly low on the radar, it is the perfect big bike to own.


Things that could have been better:
- The footpegs, specially the brake pedal, felt too close to the frame of the motorcycle.
- The saddle is narrow, a slightly better bolstering on the sides would have been excellent.
- For those who wish to be noticed, the RE may not attract as much attention as other 600/650cc motorcycles in the market.



As its evident, I could hardly find cons on the Interceptor 650. After facing niggles on my Classic 500 during the 6.5 year 65000 kms ownership, I had sworn not to buy an Enfield ever again. But after riding the Interceptor, I am sure that the efforts gone behind making this motorcycle has really paid off. I would have surely considered the INT650 if I have had enough resources to do justice to two motorcycles. I hardly get the time to ride these days, adding another motorcycle in the garage would be quite pointless.

Royal Enfield, though, deserves a pat on its back for this one. With the Interceptor, RE has tried to iron out all the issues that Enfield customers usually complained about. One thing that remains to be seen is the long-term reliability of the 650 twins.

However, I am pretty sure that the Interceptor will succeed in changing a lot of perceptions against RE. This wait was well worth it !

[R-Six]

It looks like everyone is getting the test ride of the Interceptor 650. Apart from the media drive and the test ride organized during the Rider Mania, I haven’t heard about any dealership that has started giving test rides of the Continental GT 650.

The dealership here mentioned that they are still working on the insurance and some other documentation to register it with the RTO. If it is true for the rest of the cities as well, it is probably going to be a while before we can actually test ride the beauty.

Anyone from our Forum had the luck to take the GT 650 for a ride?

Edit:

Mods, similar to how we had a detailed review of the Dominar, can we arrange a similar report for the GT Twins as well? Given that we have so much interest in both the bikes, and as a matter of fact, RE has launched two beautiful machines, we can do some justice by delivering a high-quality review as well.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Less vibrations than Yamaha's super smooth R3? Cartoq claims this video proves it.

https://www.cartoq.com/royal-enfield...nk-test-video/

[vishu2xll]

Continental GT650 dyno run

https://youtu.be/qtFyH2buYNU

[//M]

Originally Posted by R-Six

It looks like everyone is getting the test ride of the Interceptor 650. Apart from the media drive and the test ride organized during the Rider Mania, I haven’t heard about any dealership that has started giving test rides of the Continental GT 650.

The Continental GT650 test-ride bike is available with another RE dealer in Gurgaon. I wanted to ride the Interceptor 650 so I went to the Manzil Motors Sohna Road showroom. I might go ride the Continental GT650 this saturday with a friend who is about to finalize between the two 650s and make a booking.

[roy_libran]

I took both the Interceptor and the GT on short test runs yesterday evening. Few observations:

Riding Ergonomics - GT is much more comfortable due to better riding triangle. On the GT, when placing both feet on the ground, the foot pegs don't touch/pinch your calves. The Interceptor necessitates a wider stance when stopping to avoid the foot pegs. While the bikes look big, they don't feel as big when you're on top, which is a good thing. The GT windshield is very narrow. You'll need to buy a wider one, for it to be any real use.

Handling - Exceptionally long wheelbase. Slow traffic handling wasn't very pleasing. But, I can expect the bike to be pretty enjoyable on traffic-free straights. Didn't get an opportunity to try at higher speeds.

Power Delivery - A lot of hesitation. Doesn't at all feel like a 650, at least not in traffic. the hesitation meant that you can't shoot into that gap that just opened up, and is now gone... if you know what I mean.

Vibes - Incredibly smooth. I couldn't believe this is an Enfield. This, to me, is the most attractive thing about this motorcycle. I couldn't take it on a longer ride, but I do hope that it gives a little bit of roughness at higher speeds.

Design - The basic design of both bikes is beautiful, but the upswept, long tail pipes confuse me a wee bit. On the GT though, the design still integrates better, but not on the Interceptor, to my eyes. Also, the tail pipes flare out a lot at the rear; not too sure I like that - somewhat like a toad.

Ride quality - Quite nice. GT is a bit stiffer than Interceptor and I liked it more.

Heat - The inner thigh and calf is VERY near to the Engine. I could feel the heat in close proximity on both bikes. BTW I was wearing Riding Jeans, which work well for my KTM.

In summary-
Fit and finish/quality wise, both bikes don't seem to be typical RE's - which is a good thing.
They ARE giving a lot of 'motorcycle', for South of 4 lakhs on road - again great.
If I decide to pick another bike (head office approval pending), I might just pick the GT, but then again the z650 at 5.6 on road isn't all that far away.

[PrasannaDhana]

Originally Posted by roy_libran;4502661

[B

Handling [/b]- Exceptionally long wheelbase. Slow traffic handling wasn't very pleasing.

Power Delivery - A lot of hesitation. Doesn't at all feel like a 650, at least not in traffic.

.

Well, I was bowled over by the looks and exhaust note of the 650 twins and even had a thought of replacing my 2017 RC 390 with the CGT 650. But then my highest priorities are handling and performance. Now that I know that both aren't that good as the RC390, I may just live with it and keep grinning every corner.

Thanks for the feedback !