Bought the Interceptor 2 weeks ago in San Diego California and this bike is marvelous. I'm 64, retired and could afford any bike on the planet but I bought this one because it's the British bike I lusted after in 1971 but couldn't afford. I love everything about it but my old posterior could use a more merciful seat.
Glad you are enjoying the bike buddy! I was over in France 2 weeks ago and saw a few of them over there. Such a great bike for the price. Stay safe buddy
@@SandeepJha2626605 The 650s were designed and develop in the UK. RE has invested heavily in a Research and Development facility in Leicestershire,England and allegedly have recruited several Triumph and Ducati engineers and stylists. Personally im really looking forward to more models from RE. Im sure that 650 engine would suit a middleweight affordable adventure bike
Man, that is a compact looking, muscular machine. That is not just an old man's bike; it's all that 90% of motorcyclists will ever need! Beautiful bike and a great review! Thanks.
@tony Wyatt, I'm 10 years younger than you, but really starting to feel my age. However, these beautiful RE650's make me feel like I'm in my 20's again! I'd love to buy the Interceptor, but 38% Customs Duty in Armenia (Eastern Europe) is the killer. Regards, Mitch
Thanks for the review -I have watched it twice! 65yo, last rode a bike 30 years ago! Placed NZ$2000 down as a deposit - awaiting next shipment in 3 weeks time. Going for the Interceptor Found it so easy to ride and at ease straight away. Previously had a heavier bigger bike - Yam 750 2D Shaft drive triple. Now a perfect bike to get started again :)
Wow, what a great bike, that Yamaha XS750 2D! Wish I had seen that bike before. Shaft drive and a triple. Like the K75, just a traditional engine position. K75 has a laying engine, which I think brilliant. It's just like half a 6 piston Goldwing boxer engine. Same concept.
REs were hated in India as much as they were loved, thanks to not so good Quality control, BUT this bike changed it all !!! Glad they were able to deliver such a quality machine at an affordable price.
@शिरीष ರಾಮಾಯ you are a complete Muppet the w800 is made in Japan and every review say they are better built I have owned a Enfield and i have a w800 cafe, sorry but the w800 is ten times the ride that an Enfield is. Indian made motorcycle not good even Indian made KTM are crap too. I know this from first hand experience
I rode a Honda CB-350 when I was a kid. I loved that bike. Had many adventures with it. I first saw the Interceptor 650 on Jay Leno's channel, and it was like recognizing an old friend. They will begin delivering to my area of the USA mid to late spring. It is the orange one that draws my eye. The engine, and exhaust sounds are like music, unlike that street warrior that rode past you on the highland, which was...not.
@@cyrilelanjithara6284 Wrong , under UK law as long as the service centre uses manufacturer approved parts and is a reputable place then you can have the bike serviced anywhere . The manufacturer cannot invalidate your warranty under these conditions by law .
@@cyrilelanjithara6284 3000 miles from what I have seen, which is a bit shit on any modern bike, tho the first is more of a overall check but the 6000 one is valve check and adjust as needed, so I'm thinking service won't be that cheap.
Really good review over Rivington. It’s a very unforgiving area to ride with the potholes and odd cambers. Well done avoiding bad language. My grandson likes to watch these with me sometimes so thanks for avoiding that pitfall. Ride Safely
Appreciate the comments matey. Yeah it's a wonderful part of the country but it's amazing how bad the road conditions have deteriorated. Was my first time over there in 4 years and it certainly has got worse. Haha thanks, I wanted to make sure everyone could watch the video. I have a lot more reviews planned so hopefully they get as good a reception as this one did. Ride safe buddy
Obviously a huge improvement over my 535 Continental GT even though I hotted it up with Hitchcock parts. RE really listened to their customers when bringing out the 650. I will ordering one very soon.
We are all surprised that at £6k its so reasonable and I agree it is......It seems to be that other brands are almost charging a ridiculous amount of money. I recently paid nr as damnit £17k for my BMW GS. Bikes should be a fraction of the cost of the cars but they really aren't. Well done RE for making a great bike at a fair price
Amazing review mate! I've been sold on the Continental GT for a little bit now after watching a copious amount of reviews. I've been waiting for a ton of negative things and complaints but I've yet to hear/see any for it at all. As soon as I get back to the states when this whole Coronavirus pandemic is done, it is the first thing I'm going to do. Fly over to Michigan's RE dealer network down in Detroit and ride all the way back up to Traverse City with my new ride 😁👍 Thank you so much for your review, insight, skill, and information. Be safe, stay healthy mate!
Means a lot that buddy. And you can't go wrong with them. I'm going to get an interceptor next year I think. Just a great all rounder. Stay safe yourself and safe travels
@@joelawrencetheboy4929 Absolutely mate, you deserve the highest praise for your content👍I wish you and your future Interceptor the best of adventure, safety, and enjoyment.
Congratulations and wish you many happy miles! They are having production issues due to ongoing labor unrest but they are also doubling the production of twins, so hopefully the waiting period should come down.
I ride the RE Classic 500. It is not fast, it is not smooth but there's character to it. In 5th gear I can cruise (100kph) all day, don't have to stop down a gear unlike other bikes. When travelling I want to soak in the scenery and enjoy the ride than go fast. I do wish RE makes a classic style with this engine or the Himalayan with this engine. That'll be fantastic. I have no desire for really fast supersport bikes, so RE's product range is just perfect for me.
Great video! I live in Idaho, USA and saw the new Royal Enfields on Jay Leno's Garage. I rode Triumphs and BSAs way back when as well as Sportsters and was looking for a nice retro, go-for-a-nice-ride bike. Eight days ago I got a Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 and love it so much. It's a great value! It's not a radical cafe position and feels very comfy for me at age 60+. The seat is not so comfortable, but I'm sure there will soon be after-market alternatives. A fabulous, modern bike with the style of my old '69 Triumph Trident clubman (which didn't work so well. 😊)
This is a fine motorcycle,.In the day 1964 my second gear took the Norton Atlas up to 70mph on the clock which did most work around town.I also owned the Norton 1966 650ss a much nicer machine tham the Atlas 750 except two up up hills ,I loved my SS 650 Norton most of all.In later years I found the Yamaha 2001 600 Fazer with the 95 PS the closest bike to my earlier Norton SS 1966.Biggest difference was I could jump onto my Fazer 600 or my previous 600 Bandit or even my earlier shaft drive GT 750 Kawa.and drive across Europe and back without haveing a pocket full of cash for repairs .in fact neither of the three Japanese bikes ever broke down even over 100thou Kilometers.PS, the Fazer had double headlights similar to the superbike racers and the motor was based on the race motor but detuned down to 95 PS. plenty for a good topspeed of slightly more than 230 KMPH. six speed box and it pulled and accelarated well in to when the speed was right.Always reminding me of the 650ss and with a steel tubed frame,love steel tubed frames,just like Nortons with the reynolds 301 tubed frames.The Enfield is glorious must have one b efore I go underground.Guys and dolls BUY Them. Be Blessed.
I've never done a vlog and have no idea what tech you use to do this but having watched hundreds now I find yours the best TBH. Apart from your narrative which is great, the way you have the camera fixed it makes you feel like I am riding it not you. Weird but great 👍👍
Appreciate the feedback matey! I have old school equipment. Basically what I used for my on boards when I raced. My old gopro hero 3 black. But instead of having it fixed and mounted as per FIM regs to the bike I just put the camera on the chin bar on my lid with the mic wired under the chin bar up unfront of my mouth inside the lid. Thanks for the feedback. I'm looking forward to getting back out testing the new 2020 kawasaki models once this is all over. Thanks again and stay safe buddy
best intercepter and gt 650 reviews on RU-vid . Iv watched tons of them . Urs is best ! Love ur perspective from a consumer angle. And everything u said is genuine. Really appreciate it. However , I’m so struggle to choose one out of the two. So hard!
I'm in love with gt650, but Ice Queen 2020 was sold out. So I decide to take Interceptor Mark Tree + add any moods. I think in future, easier to rebuilt Interceptor in Cafe style bike.
Nice review. Cant wait to pick mine up. I have been riding for 50 years and am very impressed with this bike. Looking forward to a long trip in Australia with it. Cheers
My grandad payed £50 in 1976 for a 60s continental gt in need of some minor repairs, it was still in his garage until he died over 10 years ago, along with a BSA 650 gold flash, aswell as many other old british bikes he bought in boxes throughout the 70s and 80s, and 3 old sidecar kits that looked like tiny caravans, both bikes still run and have since been restored, my uncle has the enfield and another uncle has the bsa, its great to see these classics revived in there modern form and i cant wait to get my hands on an interceptor to turn into a scrambler soon, at that price its a great base for a project, great review, thanks.
Love this bike (on the fence about waiting for a 650 scrambler or to go with one of these and put my modifying hat on)! Note on cyclists - The highway code says "never ride more than two abreast, and ride in single file on narrow or busy roads and when riding round bends" which is why they feel the need to ride two abreast. It is bloody irritating though :D
Brilliant! Glad you like it! After 4 years I've finally got one too. Just finished building it making it my own. Can't wait to ride it. Many happy and safe miles buddy!
Thanks Martin. It really means a lot. You've chosen a great bike. Enjoy it and ride safe buddy. Hopefully another few reviews coming up in the next few weeks
The only thing I don’t get is everyone talking about the price like it’s amazing. There’s loads of bikes that offer this level of performance etc at this money. Most 500s are about the same price and have the same power and torque, the sv650 can be had for the same thing. The difference is just the styling. Which is fine, but we should really stop pretending this is the cheapest thing on two wheels
Usually a "modern classic" is based on an existing modern bike with added bits to make "look" classic ... and then sold at a premium. This is a classic upgraded with modern bits ... and offered at an affordable price that even new riders can justify. What's not to like ? :)
Thank you for the practical review.I have seen some reviews mention Interceptor has weird footpeg geometry. Few things missing are clock, gear indicator, clear lens headlight.There are few issues which have come up like rusting on ends of exhaust pipe, fuel gauge giving out weird reading, rusting of front disk, seat too soft. In India, Interceptor starts at approximately 3300 pounds but that's still lot of money. I hope they iron out the issues soon.
Thank you for the comment buddy! And I agree with you with the metal pitting etc. I mentioned about having to look after the metal and clean/polish to keep it looking nice. The lack of clock and gear indicator doesn't bother me too much as I like the fact they have kept it old school, however for modern day riders I get where you are coming from definitely. Wow £3300!! Even in the UK £5500 is cheap for a new bike! Stay safe buddy and again thanks for the feedback and comments! I think I'm going to have to make a trip to India and have a ride over there to experience it haha
@@joelawrencetheboy4929 Oh you should visit India. You will know what traffic means :) I mean at 27 ish mins, you say 'Traffics brilliant' and I was like what traffic ..hahaha. There are import duties which make it costlier for you. Its actually £2700 ex-showroom without local taxes for base Interceptor 650.Similarly, Triumphs are way too costly for us due to import duties. Thanks for your reply and have a great day ahead 👍!
I really hope they come out with a 650 bullet or classic. I fell in love with the bullet but I dont think the 500 is going to work for me here in the US where an hour stretch of 70+mph is a normal occurrence and multiple hour stretches at over 80mph is normal for a little trip.
What a brilliant review! Just good, honest opinions and none of the crap that you see on some other vloggers’ posts. I’m looking forward to testing a GT soon to see how it compares with my Triumph Street Cup. Safe riding, Mate!
Thanks buddy! I think you'll enjoy the GT. Great little bike for a sunny blast around the countryside. Sounds and looks awesome! Stay safe chief and thanks again!
I rode both bikes and chose the Continental primarily because of the foot peg positioning. I’m also 5’6” and found the pegs on the Inteceptor awkward, with my shins behind them when stopped compared to having my calves in front on the Continental. I can’t get my feet flat on the ground on the GT, I’m buying new boots so that might help. I love the look of the GT, mine is the Black Magic colour, fitted with loud pipes, the sound is orgasmic, and I love the riding position. It feels like riding instead of sitting on a mobile lazy boy.
looking at getting one of these for my first bike before a Trumpy Bobber. having grown up on mini bikes decided to get back to motorcycling and these look beaut. geat review
Thank you! Now things are going back to a somewhat normal I'm going to get a few more reviews done soon if work permits. Stay safe and enjoy the test ride!
I've pondered back and forth on long-distance on my GT 650, but ultimately I think I could. It's really pretty comfortable once I learned how to properly sit on this style of bike (coming from a Triumph America cruiser.)
don't get them out in the weather, the bikes will turn to rust pretty quick, look good new, i do agree, like to have one if someone or some good looking woman wants to buy me one.
I live in WA state, and have the same problem with the bicycle riders on the back country roads. They take up the entire road, acting like they are the most important thing on Earth, and nearly causing severe head on collisions of cars, for no reason. They allow bike races here in the middle of rush hour traffic on back country roads. If they are going to hold bike races, it should only be during the early hours, or late hours of the day, not during peak traffic. Nothing makes me more angry than seeing a bicyclist out in the middle of the road in a 50mph highway. With all the tax dollars we spend, they should be able to build bike lanes on every road on Earth. Hopefully this will happen in our lifetime. Bikes and cars don't mix.
Good review. Ideal for older boys like me returning to biking. If I didn’t already have a fairly new T120 I’d have a close look at one of these, keep it simple and save some money.
TheBoy 888 - agree, totally different. It was really on what you got for your money rather than someone choosing between the two. I’m not sure Triumph will be too worried, different market segments to my mind. Quality 900cc Vs Budget 650. There is merit and space in the market for both.
Funny thing I was thinking along the same lines. You won't have the retro look with the Suzook but I'm sure the SV650 would conquer on the performance and quality department.
@@allenparsens5279 unfortunately with the bike so new and the motor so new, without me doing 1000s of miles I can't address the reliability. This will come with time once the bikes have been out for a bit. But with the 3 year manufacturer warranty and breakdown cover....they must have faith in their product
TheBoy 888 Your right. I do have some concerns due to the reputation of the company with the Indian people. These bikes and the Himalayan have been extremely well received. They have actually received higher ratings than the Japanese bikes. I am confused how this has come about given the reputations of the companies involved.
Hey Jay I,m from Boston and I,m sure you remember the Avelino bros. Who sold Royal Enfield s out in Revere.Back in 1970 or so I bought an Indian enfield which was a 1956 I think but it was when Indian was going out of business and there was this strange mixture of Indian body parts and the costellation 700 motor with the big fenders, and 5 -16 tires I
Who remembers the Avelino brothers.. They were the last ,along with. a shop whose name escapes me at the moment from who u could still get parts from.Back in late 60,s and early 70,s they called them Royal Oilfield,s which was an aspersion that it didn,t actually deserve .The Triumph and BSA left many more puddles .I think it was guilt by association thing. Anyway I had really loved that Indian Enfield and I would love to Jay do a shoe on thestrange
Thank you so much. Sorry I've not done any uploading for a while, work has been manic. But I promise to do some more uploading soon! Stay safe out there and happy riding
Absolutely love that 270-crank aircooled inline twin, tons of character and sounds absolutely wikked with aftermarket exhausts. Rubbish forks though coz they dive at the slightest provocation and there was some weird clunking when they do... and the tube tyres are a cause for concern in this day and age. The real dealbreaker for me is that, where I live, this bike is pricier than modern middleweights i.e. Honda CB650, Triumph Trident etc. And that's just pure bollocks.
Superbe vidéo, très intéressante. Your video is extra and very interesting, thank you for sharing. Defintively I chose the Interceptor and your video help me to make my choice. Thank you very much. I ordered a blue ventura
What do you mean by you won't get Triumph quality? Many reviewers have rated RE 650 better than Bonnevilles in built quality and reliability. Even from a personal experience (Since I own one) these machines extremely well made.
The switch gear isn't as well built as triumph or have the feel of triumph. Also the metals (fork legs, frame etc) takes more looking after than the triumph. I never mentioned reliability being bad, I actually said that was good, especially with the manufacturer warranty and breakdown cover!
From The Black Dog over the Lancashire Moors down in to Rivington Village, I'm amazed you didn't call at the Barn, ( Top or Bottom ) for a nice hot drink!! magical area.
the only thing i dont like is the logo, R logo on white version for example. Royal Enfield writing is so nice, why they have chosen to put that R on 2 black wheel versions GT650 is beyound me. Also versions with black wheels looks so stunning, if the GT650 will be in ravishing red, that would be a killer combo ( also like white baker version, shame that one is not in GT650 version)
I like the look of the GT as well but I think comfort wins. Will the arms and back suffer in the GT's position if they tend to on a CBR? It can't be as aggressively forward as that? My arms do tent to go numb on that position.
Excellent review, just the info I was looking for, many thanks. I think Royal Enfield are in the ascendancy at the moment, they are doing really well with these and the Himalayan. Mind you, I used to have an RE bullet, and it was terrible.........
Thank you! The 500 bullet you had to work very hard but the 650 is really good. Looks spot on too. I think they are on the up like you say. Good to see
They have lots of cruisers out there from different companies . We see Bullet or classic because they want old retro looking bikes and now these twins . Thunderbird is not vintage looking bike. They have Honda rebel newer version. In India we don’t have much choice in low range cruisers . Earlier was thunderbird , Yamaha enticer , eliminator then avenger .
@@Mr.Sofishticated MATLAB classic Electra Himalayan continental interceptor sab old retro hai and Thunderbird is a newbie.. Ek Baar launch hone do market me fir dekhna..
A test ride is crucial. I found the seating position on the Conti GT very comfortable and similar to the Honda 900 Hornet. Yet the Interceptor felt foreign with the foot controls location quite unnatural, and the bike more top heavy. This is very subjective and others have found the Interceptor suits them better.
Right side of the road buddy 🤣 you guys need to catch on with the trend 😉. Yeah the roads on some of the country lanes need a lot of improvement over here in the UK. My 2020 KTM 790 Adventure R is much more suited to our roads. Hope you're safe and well! Stay safe
Oh a 2017 CB1100R or either of these as a virgin ride (and being able to take it apart and put it back together unlike the Honda)... A R S E still can't decide.
What a great video, plenty of information, road speed vs engine speed, handling etc And you rode the bike not just a gentle bimble down the lanes. If you want to see bad road conditions that the Enfield might have to suffer have a look at....... 'India on 2 Wheels'
