Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 | An Owner's Practical Review 

A lot of effort goes into your reviews. Very well done. I blame the internet for stampeding the herd from one bike to the next.. buyers are always searching for the unicorn but come up short. Spending $ is easy, not losing it is difficult. I sense the winds of MC change are blowing.. maybe you'll end up back on a TU. 😁 I'm at the age where anything beyond a stupid grin on my face is more bike than I need. I still have the TU, a Himmi and the Interceptor. They're different enough, the Interceptor has been referred to as a grown up TU. I do agree about the awkward peg location, so I moved them dwn and fwd.. the pillion pegs too, my wife agrees. Being well balanced with enough clearance, the Interceptor is pretty good at navigating potholed PNW logging roads.. mr. Himalayan would of course disagree, that's his domain. 👍👍

I looked at the Guzzi. I agree, the Guzzi fit & finish is superb. But, for the price, the Int 650 is just fine. My pocketbook had a ceiling, so I went with the Int. I don't need power. It is fast enough. Big enough, smooth enough. Confort? Yes.

6th gear is merely an over drive to lower the revs to save fuel. Its a true Ton-up bike folks i own one also and have has it for years now a 2019 model. Its light and zippy it has the Slipper clutch which is great as it won't lock up the rear wheel if too lower gear is accidentally selected. A lumpy 270 degree twincam air cooles fuel injected 2 cylinder motor that has been detuned via factory mapping so near impossible to stress beyond its limits mechanical wise. Nice suspension if set up right for the rider an if correct riding methods ie trail braking etc are practiced. Beautifully designed and styled with the twin cradle chassis where the under rails can be removed to lower and remover the entire motor for bench work. The tank design with the Monza style cap and easy cable seat removal are great a nice practical tool kit comes with the bike. Yes it will wheelie if thats your thing, Yes it can wheel spin if thats your thing. Its a comfortable ride for me at 5'11". Mods ive done are- Hooligan cans, High flow DNA air intake filter and a booster plug. I only modify other things as they wear is when i decide to upgrade things like pistons and cams etc. I don't do anytbing else unless its needed anyway. So stage 1 is where it will stay for a long time i imagine. Its a pleasant machine to ride and you can most certainly lose your licence on it if that is your thing, the hardest stunt these days imo is keeping that bit of plastic (License) and your cash in your wallet. I work on my own bikes so i know to well the consequences of abuse and showing off etc. Id much rather ride them then be working on them. This bike will go down the highway all day long for sure at Highway speeds and beyond. Its the rider who has limitations not the bike. Raise the front gaurd and put knobby tyres on it and it will also go off road but ABS may be an issue there so be carfull off road. Most riders should be able to do 5-6hrs plus on this bike with a couple of stops for fuel and a break. I could do a 10hr ride on this but i would have to call it a day after that for sure, I know and i have back issues already amoung other health problems. But when im riding i don't think about it all. I enjoy the moment and the journey and the spirit of it all. Thats what riding is about. Its not the destination is the journey, aif taht means a few extra rest brakes take em and enjoy them. I do have a mini screen on mine and im sure it helps. You still get the breeze in your face but not against your body so much and it to would be a slight fuel saver so worth doing. This bike was designed to give the vintage feel and that nostalgic vibe and beats the hell out of buying a rusty old barn find for $10,000 + that doesn't even go.

This is a perfectly good motorcycle and there’s nothing really to complain about. Check. Also, this WILL be my next bike. No doubt. This is all I need.

I took a 2019 for a test ride today, just under 3K miles, and committed to buying it. Pricey Corbin seat. It was still solid and smooth at 80 mph, faster than I usually go on the interstate. Some twisty back roads, including packed gravel. Just a lovely modern classic. I have my Road King for the long hauls, but this is ideal for the country road scoots. I was impressed. I’m paying half of what a Triumph T100 of the year would cost me (yes, it’s fit and finish is better on the Bonny, but not $4K better). As they say, horses for courses.

Not using 6th is not very economical, the bike can manage 40mph it 6th with ease. I get 80mpg UK gallon regularly. And cruzes at 80mph.

Hi. I just bought the same bike used 2020 with low miles. I also live in NYC. Your review covered every point precisely.

Cool bike. For a quick second I thought you had got another TUX. I have a 2015 and considered selling a few times, I always then recall previous TUX owners say they wished thay hadn’t sold. Thus, mine is still with me and I love it. Keep videos coming. You gotta nice relaxed style.

If you still have your Interceptor, I think some shortcomings can be turned into great opportunities. For example, I know that it has very thin grips, but these have a very useful texture to receive an overgrip, which I imagine twisted, like a tennis racket, but made of leather, suede or some synthetic material that looks like those materials, so In this way, you give the grips more thickness, while adding personality and, above all, comfort in those situations of constant acceleration over long distances. Another aspect to mention is that with the same criteria of adding detail, quality and a functional solution, a guard can be placed from the seat to the tank cover, which on one hand protects the tank from scratches and on the other can hold the cap when refueling. This way you can find many more solutions to small problems and even increase the aesthetic, visual and sentimental value of your motorcycle. I hope my comment is useful to you, unfortunately one year after this great review! Greetings from Argentina!

Best review of this bike ever. Thank you.

Thanks for the review very informative. The upper speed limitation took it off my list. Its not that I am riding 75-80 all the time in TX but when you are on the freeway you need the option to have it. I may consider it as a second bike later. I switched bikes with a friend one weekend, he took my Ducati I took his INT650 for a short trip from MA to Brooklyn. I was pleasantly surprised how well it did. he did have some mods that gave it a little more pep. and the wind screen was very helpful. The Touring seat did well and it was enjoyable .

Good review! Once the engine has 3-4 thousand miles on it, and has broken in, any vibration presently felt in pegs, grips, mirrors, or seat will be significantly reduced. I have a plastic clip-on device on my Himalayan that let's you use your lower palm to roll throttle on and off, and it has removed 90% of the throttle wrist cramps, that are primarily due to the small diameter of the hand grips. " Grip puppies" removed this issue on another friend's Int. With regard to fuel mileage, play this gentle man's review back at 2x speed, and you will quickly hear (and see) that riding in New York traffic is nothing like in my case riding in Wyoming, where I can often ride on state highways for 20 miles without encountering another vehicle. Frankly comparing the Interceptor to a Moto Guzi is like comparing hot dog, to a T-Bone steak.

Отличный,обстоятельный обзор!Удачи!!!

Absolutely great and unique review with a wide range of biker soul criteria!

1994 BMW K 100 2014 Guzzi Grisso and this one special Classic is my next addition .

What an awesome review thank you very much. I'm in New Jersey I'm looking to pick up an Interceptor in about a week. You definitely helped me make my mind up. Amd the insurance full coverage $125 in NJ

Muchas gracias. Muy instructivo. Respondió algunas de mis dudas

Interesting video. I had really planned on getting one, they're beautiful bikes and a lot of what I want to do is just noodling around back roads, but I also intend to do some touring, and my thing there is kind of 6 to 10 hour days on 75 MPH interstates. I think maybe I'll up my aim to a Triumph Tiger Sport 660.

The day you sell this bike it will be a Huge Mistake! Mark my words! Great review

This is such an honest review. 💪

Awesome review and thanks for sharing big love from Australia 😊😊😊

Sorry, but you are talking absolute Rubbish, I have owned one since August 2021 And its capable of 105 mph And it will cruise all day at 70/ 80mph And I have a 16 tooth cog replacement fitted as well, 😊 You are selling it short, It's brilliant. Best bike I have had in 48 years of riding motorcycles. Bye the way, Mpg average is closer to 61mpg Not what you are telling people I'm afraid. And Royal Enfields are Out selling Triumph, Just thought I'd let you know. 😊 Cheers Paul

Awesome video, thank you! Can you share which bar end mirrors you use?

Thanks for the insight on the int650. I have not rode in 18 years but looking to get back in. Interesting comment on wanting more power. I also was looking at the Moto Guzzi V7 III do to it being unique and different with a larger motor. Previously Ive had a vstar 650 and ninja 500. The Vstar 650 was very comfortable however I wanted more within a few months of ownership. I'm thinking now it might just be bettter to stick around the 800 - 1000CC range. I'm not a speed demon but its nice to have the power when you need it. Also I'm sure the resell market is not very hot for these bikes yet. Do I buy it right or buy it twice? Going to sit on a MG V7 again this week. Cheers from FL

Hello, Reluctant Biker, Cheers from Brazil. I´m into the process of getting myself a 2023 RE Interceptor 650 and I´ve been looking for some customization itens on the web. I really loved your LED front light. would you please share with me where did you buy it at ? Thanks

The brakes are not consitant. I have watched many review videos of this bike. Sometimes the they are great like you have reported and sometimes they are very squishy and this has been reported in both the front and the rear. Luckily it was only one of another.

Interceptor price is very attractive and its easy to maintain.........how much is your motorcycle insurance in NYC?

Good review..might go for it

Thank god i found a NYC review of this bike. How was the break in process in the city?

Great video

Great review - dont be too quick to sell it, if you havent already and if you did what did you move on to ? cheers

So do you still have the bike, great review

could you link the LED headlamp ?

Love the goose a bit

i find the 650 interceptor very unstable at speeds above 80km/h im not sure if this is the bike fault or me because im a new rider. do you find the same? there is just so much wind buffeting at those speeds it doesnt feel comfortable at all

Do you still have the bike? Are you planing to sell it? I’d love to buy it from you!

What highway has a speed limit of 55 mph in NYC???

The 'bars look a bit higher than on my bike, Are they standard? my bike does worst mpg 68, best 83 [English]

Why are you reluctant though?

A good budget bike

Black mudgaurd?

so - how does the harley dyna compare to z900rs power wise? feels less scary? smoother?

How is the seat height compared to the TU250X?

You obviously don't know what a slipper clutch is.

Stop the bike in the middle of highway to rest your hands as they become numb? Really? An outrageous view certainly! Not an experienced biker it seems! A city kid perhaps! We would have thought you clever if you had kept your mouth shut!