i’ve been eyeing this bike with rose colored glasses for a LONG time now, and now that i’ve almost got the funds saved to snag one outright, i really appreciate this video, putting my feet back on the ground. Still gonna get one, but now i know what i’m actually getting myself into. Good vid big dawg.
This is the type of video that needs to be produced. Either the companies (RE in this case) can step up to the plate and improve the components or go belly-up. Thanks for the tip on the campground as well.
Thanks for sharing. Love the chrome tank. I have fond memories of a dealer poster of the 1969 RE Interceptor on my bedroom wall. Nowadays we are pretty spoiled by how little daily/ ongoing maintenance modern vehicles require. Good to see someone out using their "toy".
Actually the bike is my main transportation, I own a car but it's just my work vehicle. So I tend to look at bikes from a slightly different angle than the typical buyer these days. I love most of the modern efficiency we get from bikes now but I hate to see simple things that should last a long time get over looked and even cheaped out on.
Had the Interceptor as my last bike, then they brought out the new Classic 350. In red and chrome it was to beautiful not to buy, 18 months later no regrets.
Sr, greetings to you, from Somerton Az. Always sunny here, Lil cold in the mornings but nicer later, I ride an RNinet, but considering a second everyday bike that's why I been watching R.E. continental 650 gt videos. And your videos are great, you are chilled, cool, nice and simplistic. My respects go to you and your ways. Greetings and keep up the good work.
Yep, this was an informative run-down of the R.E. quality control. It also says something about your motorcycle storage. It’s a shame that you don’t have a garage to park your bikes in. If you did, it might mitigate some of those corrosion & rust issues you’re having. I’m lucky enough to have a garage that’ll hold my wife’s car, plus both of my motorcycles. I’ve been riding my ‘06 KLR 650 for sixteen years, and have put 82,000+ miles on it with none of the problems you’ve described here, or any other issues. Regular maintenance by my local Kawasaki dealer, plus the afore-mentioned garage have worked wonders. Happy Trails!
My 2022 GT has been in the shop since JULY because of an electrical issue that neither the authorized shop neither RE have been able to figure out, it worked flawlessly for 5000 Km, and then it just went all to hell, so yeah, its fair to say the electrical components are unrealiable.
All these tales of woe is why i could never buy one. I don’t trust RE or TRiumph. Triumph because of friends bikes and electrical. RE because of tales on u tube
@@volt8684 Oddly while I haven't had any problems with my REs, I personally have had problems with new Hondas and Harley Davidsons. All mfrs are known to have some issues.
It's terribly bittersweet for me, because had you asked me 3 months ago, I would have told you the bike was flawless, a joy to ride, no issues (Not blind to some details like the ones mentioned by @UncleVoodo but no REAL issues and tons of fun), but now It is really hard for me to recommend buying one, mainly because inspite of everything been taking care under warranty, I don't feel RE has been up to the task, I mean it's been THREE MONTHS and still no fix nor replacement. @@volt8684 Sitll, In their defence, after checking all the forums under existence, issues THIS bad, don't seem to be too common, It seems I'm very, very, very unlucky.
Will do, I can tell you already that they changed the entire electrical wiring, changed all the relays, tried with a different ECU and still no cigar. It's a 2022 Conti.@@UncleVoodoo
Sweet looking bike. Like you I've heard about all sorts of problems, similarly I've not experienced any. My 955 Triumph bought new had a rubber boot near the rear brake reservoir perish. My '01 Bonnie had furry fasteners. Being retired I've got the time to polish my brake and clutch levers and replace the original mirrors with stainless bar ends. Had my Interceptor 4 years now, spent loads on treats for it but it's still cost me way less than a Triumph and it's a joy. Hope you like yours enough to want to hang on to it. Nicely produced and entertaining video, thanks.
Thanks, I absolutely love the bike. Nothing I pointed out is a deal breaker or anything, at worst they are annoyances that could solved pretty easily. I knew about all of this going into the acquisition, but I figured a video pointing things out may help others not in the know.
Great video, I test road a RE several months ago. I was really concerned about the quality of the bike. I ended up buying a 26 year old, 1997 Honda CB750 Nighthawk. The motor still runs great, very powerful. I love the bike and enjoy it everyday. Thanks for making the video.
If you want to see what the big bore "750" kit does to the Enfield 650s I am about 40 miles north of you in Fishersville, I get to BV often when at milepost 46 on the Parkway (Route 60). My 2020 Interceptor has over 34,000 miles, 7,000 of those miles with the WiseCo pistons and S&S cam. The bike is totally biserk with 60 hp, but not finicky. Keeping the aluminum shiney is part of the joy of owning one of these.
Always good to see another "local", I work in the Fisherville / Staunton area a lot. I'll probably keep my engine stock, my hooligan days are pretty much over! I do need to head up that way and do a Skyline drive video, just got to figure out how not to make it boring while only being able to do 35mph for 100mi.
@@UncleVoodoo yes, the Skyline Drive is heavily patrolled, the Parkway is a bit more lenient on infractions with the higher 45 mph limit. Better pavement also; more Federal dollars, the Shenandoah National Park (Skyline Drive) is itching for revenue compared to the George Washington National Forest. My fuel economy at 648cc was always in mid to upper 70's, the last ten tanks were an average of 76.92mpg before tear-down. Now it is between 72-73mpg using a FuelX Pro optimizer on map number 4 of the 10 available settings.
I bought a Royal Enfield Continental GT650 in Rocker Red last week. I like the bike. One thing that you have missed in the fuel gauge. It suddenly goes from 4 bars to a single flashing bar. So you go to the service station, where the tank will only take 6.85 litres, yet the fuel tank capacity is 12.5 litres. Now I use the trip meter as my fuel gauge.
Motorcycling to me is not just riding. It’s also working on my bike when I get a few minutes. Yes the electrics are a bit iffy, but they tend to be the same issues. Relays for example. £35 from hitchcocks and ten minutes work. What is the problem? I also enjoy when locking the garage door ,you look back and smile at your machine because the Royal Enfields look so good. All these issues can be remedied and the satisfaction that gives you is off the scale. Royal Enfields , in my opinion are the best value for money bike on the road. Smiles per mile is off the scale.
Good-one Mate , you reminded-me I'm out of rum and coke . While these-bikes are amazingly-cheap , you are right to point-out how little it would have cost to have made them a little-better . Dave nz
I have a 2019 Interceptor. Regarding the fuel cap, I turn it upside down and place it in the space between the triple clamp and the speedometer dial. The long hinged section of the cap rests between the speedometer dial and the clutch cable which holds it there🙂
This is the type of video that rrally helps a prospective buyer. Just solid fscks so you know exactly what youre getting into. Well done, and good to see Jobu getting aired out a bit. 🙌
@@UncleVoodoo. Very true! I am glad I found your channel. I heard about the cases needing some TLC or they corrode. And well most bikes can be victims of electrical issues, but the cheap foot brake on the GT is new to me. 😢
I have a 2022 Royal Enfield GT 650, a 2022, Royal Enfield Himalayan, and a 2023 Ducati Diavel V4. I love the Royal Enfields. For the price I think they are great motorcycles. Slow Rider out.
Great video sir. I’m about to buy this bike (I think) and the first mods going in will be swapping to 17” wheels, installing a Brembo RCS15 master cylinder. Any suggestions for electrical mods?
Us old Bikers are well aware of modern bikes being built down to a price ,seems a shame that some are ruined just to keep the price - low ?. I was a big supporter of Triumphs but my last Bonneville was a complete nightmare as I had a big Kawasaki at the time and that was bulletproof ,so when I needed a new bike I bought a Harley ,something I promised myself I would never do again ,but I was surprised and impressed it"s been very good .But my younger brother ,who has had many big bikes has just bought a Royal Enfield and he loves it ,I looked at some models at the dealers and they felt a little small for my 6ft + & 18 stone frame ,however I have had a 1967 Interceptor in the day and a couple of Super Meteors in the early 60s which were a underrated bike . Nice video with quite a lot of truth involved ,Royal Enfield will probably come around and & let your tires - down ?.
Nice hack with the fuel cap Uncle. As for polished cases then I remember my Hondas in the 1970s had lacquered or varnished engine covers that would corrode UNDERNEATH said coating. We used to strip them back and polish them and as long as you stayed on top of the cleaning they would always look better. Neat video though, I've wanted an Interceptor since sitting on one at the launch but I'm also interested in the Himalayan Mark II as I'll call it. Whatever; it will take a special bike to replace my Himalayan mountain goat.........
Not just Royal E. but also my Honda VTX 1300 has the same problem with the fuel cap. When I get gas I never quite know what do do with the cap. I usually just balance it on one of the saddlebags. In the future I think I will try your option.
I never had a problem but i cleaned and reinstalled the original relays. The cap on the brake light switch i just applied black rtv. My speedometer cable cracked at 36k miles but i spliced new wire for $2.02 cents. Stamped steel levers saved my butt when i bent them instead of broke the shifter. Place gas cap behind your instrument gauges
It really wouldn't take much effort on their part to get the bikes "right", nothing I pointed out is expensive or even deal breakers in my book. Just sourcing a few electronic pieces of better quality and some better rubber bits would go a long way.
Well Jaboo , glad to see ya back in action with uncle Voodoo . Would you tell uncle V that he is spot on about the electronics etc.. you should also recommend that uncle voodoo wear a shock collar while you are holding the activation button , just to see if there's any electronic problems with that product . Good video as always . 😅😂
I love Royal Enfield although I fully appreciate you get what you pay for. I own a Classic 350 signals. Desert Sand. Owned it about 5 months. Done about 3000 miles. Absolutely love it. I really like the Continental GT. Thanks for the honesty. I haven't seen your other stuff yet but I will check it out. I have no money. But if I did, I'd get a Continental GT. 😊 p.s after I wash and dry my bike, I drown it with GT85 spray. I live in the UK so damp and rust is always an issue. Cheers mate! 😅
i would have possibly gotten the 650 gt.. but i take my partner out with me 95% of time... so i got the interceptor 650 dark... mainly for the mag wheels.... it has the blacked out engine i think id prefer the Alloy its easy to shine with powertools/airtools and right attatchment .. .. .. ... enjoying your vids...
I just hate that I have to do my karate kid crane kick every time I try to get on the bike. Im looking at some decent side luggage but it's looking to cost me about $1000
@@UncleVoodoo hmm, maybe I could weld on a higher "kick out" on the kick stand that would be in front of the foot peg? then maybe it would be easier to fold out? worth a try and if it doesn't work we can grind it off lol. But I'm down to try to fab something up for ya. I'm always down to weld/fab stuff!
Nice reasoned criticisms. Some Japanese bike have had their electrical gremlins, my Suzuki gs550 is on it third reg/rectifier set up. When ever I see a cigar cutter I always think mafia 😂
Well, stamped steel foot controls on old dirt bikes allowed them to be bent back into place after a set-down rather than snapping off an alloy one. Done right, it’s not offensive to me. The triple clamp tree on the continental and interceptor looks a little rough to me. But I don’t think I care. Seems fine. When you see 30-40 year old Bullets plunking around terrible roads and traffic in India with serious reliability and fixability, handling 2,3 even 4 people aboard and watching the skill of those riders… well they are made to survive, be put back together and work, over and over, and I really respect that. I bought a new bike just before the RE renaissance started and I’m not in the market until that thing dies. But it is a Moto Guzzi so it may out live this old man as they are both strong and fixable as heck. But if I were in the market, I’d be seriously looking - at least that - at RE.
Being an Indian, I can say the music you've got in the background can't be used to represent India. Just my opinion, we got a diverse culture, and there can be half of our population that don't recognize with what you've got on. But this can't take away from the great video that you've made, absolutely love your content. Cheers!
Coming from bikes from the mid 70’s and still riding 45 years later- the Continental GT is as exotic and has as much character as the last of the British bikes, with a not small amount of improvement in reliability and quality. And at an affordable price. I take character over anything- and the Continental GT is my first choice (soon to ad the Shotgun).
I wanted to make sure I was "keeping it real" and not just gushing over the bike, plus a lot of RE videos just mention things broadly like fit&finish but don't actually say or show what is lacking. Felt it needed to be done.
Agree with you about the rubber parts.... My 22 Himalayan fork boots and all the vent hoses ect. have cracked and dry rotted, replaced a few things that you should not have to.
Thanks VooDoo. Apparently the cheapy parts is how Royal Enfield keeps the price a little lower than theirs. My fork boots and brake cylinder rubber piece are all disintegrating also. Already ordered fork boots and a throttle position sensor for the 22 Himalayan. I guess if I had paid over 9k for that sweet Triumph Tiger, I may not have the same issues. Difference is the price. Pay me now or pay me later. Harley Davidson has the new 440X and Triumph...2- 440's road and enduro. Noraly introduced the new Himalayan 450 yesterday and we all know how she help to transform RE's image. ( maybe once again) Good info though Uncle. You dont sugar coat your opinion. No wonder the Cub comes at a sweet little price also.
1st world problems, I appreciate this motorcycle because I want to have a motorcycle like in the 1960s without having to constantly repair it. I had a BMW from 1986 and I messed with it more than I rode it, so on Saturday I'm picking up my RE Conti 650 and I know it's not a perfect motorcycle but I'll be able to ride it more than my BMW
I have a2019 interceptor I didn't like the footpegs so replaced them with those off continental the other problem I found is its hard to get additional keys the fuel cap I Place this on the tree adjacent to the tacho
Ur mirror vid looked like ur at Lake Elsinore California. beginning of this one looked like Santiago road? thx for the tip for the gas cap ive been putting mine on the ground :( haha saw the end ur not in cali -perfect camp setup . ive had that with one of those extending fishing poles (thier super cheep) catching trout --and some roman. Styling!!!!
Yeah, pretty much kills the point of camping. Thanks for the RE info 2 days after I bought one. Although, the discount for a '22 classic makes Lucas-like gremlins almost acceptable....
All valid points, but to be expected when you buy a budget bike, and to be fair to royal enfield my 20k ducati has rusty bolts too. I look at it like this, for the price of a ducati scrambler with a few extras i could by 2 interceptor gt's, ride one and keep the other in the lounge as an ornament.
I totally expect shortcomings at this price point. Im mostly just being nitpicky, as I haven't had any real problems with my REs. I have had problems with brand new Hondas and Harley Davidsons (my Ducatis were actually fine). Im kind of amazed that I actually have only about $3600 wrapped up in this bike... and it really is something to behold.
@@UncleVoodoo Yep i totally agree, i thought your comments were very fair, i was just looking at the numbers. I've got a test ride on a new interceptor on tuesday, which is probably just a formality, and i've allowed myself £1k for upgrades and bolt ons etc. so your views were very useful, thanks. I'm in the uk, there's a company here called tec bike parts that do loads of RE parts. Also i've found that a wipe with red rubber grease on fork gaiters and plug covers etc. prevents age cracking. Maybe i should have used it on my face before i got to 60 🙂
Handsome bike and great video -- thanks. As for Joe Lucas's bad reputation for his electrical systems, in my opinion it's due mainly to the passage of time; decades of use, storage and a succession of previous owners whose understanding of electrical systems was limited to screwing in light bulbs have taken a toll on Lucas-equipped classic bikes - it's no wonder the electrics fail. For much of the 50s and 60s, Lucas components were the world standard and found use in cars and bikes as diverse as Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Aston-Martin, Austin, MG and Triumphs. This is an excuse Royal Enfield can't use -- could do better eh!
I can give RE a pass on some things but these electronic problems some people are having is inexcusable in my opinion. I understand the price point argument but cheaping out on vital electronic components is entirely RE's fault.
I had booked this bike and have cancelled jus cuz it gets way too hot here in India in the summers and lack of liquid cooling is sort of a deal breaker. I have booked the Aprilia RS457 now which is made in India too.
The one thing i DO like is when something goes wrong you can get after market parts cheapish. my last bike ...well i have to wait till pay day.. lovely bike but just the up keep was killing me.. So with all that in mind i CAN LIVE WITH BIKE..
With my Interceptor the foot pegs are right in the way when you put your feet down. If I were shorter or had poor balance I’d think carefully before buying one. You should at least sit on one and try to move it around. Some put the Continental pegs and brake and shifter on their Interceptor to resolve this. I just live with it. Do you trust your neutral light? As they say, I trust but verify. I spooked a guy in the crosswalk a few days ago when I thought I was in neutral but wasn’t. Actually spooked both f us. Overall, I’m not really disappointed in my bike. It’s actually better than I expected. I’ve put over 4000 miles on it and once I cleaned out the relays, haven’t had any serious issues. It runs like a clock.
Is the gas tank swap an easy job ? I note that the gas tanks on eBay don’t come with all the wiring ? Can you just put on the old wiring on the new tank is it pretty simple job ?
It wasn’t too difficult. You need to swap the fuel level sending unit and the fuel pump between tanks. The most tedious part is the fuel pump o ring seals and manipulating the fuel level float so it doesn’t get bent. I was able to do it with no problems, just take your time. I placed the tanks side by side to keep everything oriented properly throughout the procedure. I probably should’ve done it on video to show how it’s done.
@@UncleVoodoogreat thank you! By the way your fuel cap idea is brilliant. I always thought it was annoying about to wear to put it when filling up. It’s too big to fit in my pocket and I don’t want to get gas on me or my bike
I’ve got the cigars and bourbon but I’m still weighing what bike I want as a 55 year old man, currently considering the Triumph Tiger 850 or 900 but it’s hard for me to turn loose of my money.
The cigars and booze are the important bits! After that it's just a matter of finding the right bike. Believe it or not Ive only got about $3600 wrapped up in this bike and accessories.
I've just bought a 2012 Enfield 500 EFI about two weeks ago, the speedo cable snapped and a complete failure of the timing. I have now booked it in to a dealers to fix it as i have spent a week trying to fix it and used a scanner and i'm done with it!!
@@mojin699 I did a video talking about how I could never bring myself to buy one of those models due to the build quality being so hit and miss. I wanted to like them but just couldn’t pull the trigger on one.
@@UncleVoodoo I love the bike but it's the ECU and Injection thats playing up, i will put a carb on it and if i buy another one carb only. I'm not a fan of electronic stuff, i will stick with analogue.
The rear brake lever is crap. Interceptor owners can buy an aftermarket replacement but we're stuck with that eyesore. Had a regulator/rectifier fail under 500 miles but it was addressed by warranty. You get used to the kickstand. Keep it garaged, don't ride in rain, annual detailing and its looks hold up well.
@@UncleVoodoo Ooh, i meant to unpacking from the shipping "crate" and assembly done by the importer. Not anything related to the customer firther down the chain. Surely they don´t ship them fully assemled from India!? My reason for asking is: Can some of the faults you have found stem from that step?
@@RiderOftheNorth1968 I'd assume the dealers would only have to install wheels and handlebars at most. There is supposed to be an inspection center that checks everything before the dealer receives them but Im a bit dubious of that claim just due to the number of bikes sold. The only issues they might be responsible for would be maybe cable routing. A friend had an issue where his bike came with no grease in the swingarm pivot, the dealer took care of it but obviously no one applied the grease and no one checked it. RE isn't alone with issues of this type, I've personally had issues with brand new bikes fromHonda and Harley Davidson, but none so far with RE myself. At the price point, I expect to find little niggles here and there, my biggest gripe is the relays and the rectifier. Relays are easy to swap but the I need to find a solution to the rectifier if it ever goes out. To me these are the biggest problems RE needs to fix right now even though failure is rare.
@@stanleylawson9015 I’m wanting this to be my last bike that I buy so I wanted it to be something special, so I pretty much ignored all Japanese bikes this time. There is nothing wrong with Japanese bikes but they lack a bit of character, which I wanted this bike to have in spades. My Himalayan was kind of the same way, it was pretty ideal but just lacked character. Just a personal thing for this particular purchase.
@@stanleylawson9015 pa. I did some looking at the parts manuals for the current models and part numbers on the bits in question are the same as mine. So there hasn’t been any updates in that area.
Harley Davidson does the same thing. Mexican made wireing harness,chinese cam plate etc. All bikes should have dual discs for safety. Maybe they should use adequate to describe Royal Enfield.
The engines are developed in the UK and apparently they test them for 50k miles to test that long term reliably it's up to scratch. I've not heard of owners with big bore kits complaining either (as long as they beef up the clutch).
I believe that the Intercepter has a known issue with the rectifier being sited in a dumb ass location which can lead to over heating, I heard of a guy who was changing the thing every 5000 k😮
Great looking bike, but the lack of horsepower and dubious reliability made me look elsewhere. I bought a new Yamaha XSR 700. It has some low-end components also, such as crappy switch gear and mediocre suspension, but oh, that engine. It rips.
I'm going to have to do a video on HP, I don't find this bike lacking in power in any way. I think all of the "underpowered" stigma comes from reviewers comparing apples to oranges.
I really like, wanted and still want a 650 Interceptor. Instead I opted for a Kawasaki Z650. Love the Royal Enfield but only able to have but one motorcycle the Z650 is just a better motorcycle for me for not much more $$. Hopefully one day I will be able to grab one.
I actually intended to mention as a positive that but I forgot, I intended to say that it’s fine for the off road oriented bikes like the Himalayan and scram. I did bend the rear brake lever on the Himalayan and just bent it back into place.
Lucas... Prince of Darkness... The British motorcycle industry started to believe they own propaganda about being the best in the world, well, maybe they were once. But by the time the sixties arrived they patiently were not...l remember the beginning of the Japanese invasion....'Jap Crap' was not only the watch word for many Brit bike owners but the industry as well, the rest of course is history.....To be fair the Indian company turned Royal Enfield around and made it a successful business, however cheap skating on some component parts is a big mistake in terms of Brand loyalty
Oddly enough i never had an electrical issue in 80,000 miles on my T140 bonnie, apart from a series of blown Tail lights which was traced to a bad batch.
While I agree with what you say, take in account that an int650 cost 6500 (here in Mexico) and a triumph bonnevile costs 17000 us dollars (also here in mexico)I think the rust is caused by galvanic corrosion Triumph use very exotic and expensive alloys while RE use crap and mix metals yet that is expected for 6500 dollars. I am poor so I will buy the int650😢 (being a toy) I do wonder if you truly get what you pay for with the triumph (BTW the thruxton is more than 22000)
and i thought That the pommies are whiners !! Mate sell that bike and buy something that is 4 or 6000 dollar more expensive ( by the way you will still have something to whine about ) beause you will pay a lot for the name on it . i ride bikes now for over 40 years (everything that is and was under the sun ) , got my Interceptor 650 now for four years (45000 km) and i can tell you it is good value for money , and something else RE does give you 3 years unlimited km warranty . how many others do that ? 👎
