The Budget Bonneville? 2021 Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 Review | Daily Rider 

Try TVS Apache RTR 200 4v. Another bike from India I think you will like it at least give it a look.

Thanks for reviewing RE... I hope you review more bikes that have good quality but don't cost a pretty penny

Any chance you fellas might be able to procure a klx300sm for the daily rider? Its got me questioning if its time to make some changes to the stable.

Try getting a pulsar or an Apache. Both naked street bikes from India. Not very high in power but definitely fun!

in south east Asia there aren't many options in this type and segment

Thank you on behalf of Royal Enfield and India. Really glad you enjoyed it.

@@gauravm. Hi Gaurav, you are very welcome.

We are also proud of the petrol price making this Cheap ride very Rich...😂

@@akhilgeorge1723 its less than 1.50 USD bro

Lol actually yes and year after year re is improving in terms of quality as well. As Indians are getting more n more experience in manufacturing vehicles things are getting better. India have huge army of engineers they need to get train. This is a kind of phase is going through. But i bet made in India stuff is not cheap n unrelaible. Coz in India even its cheaper it has to be relaible. Terrains n traffic is lot more than europe.

In india you have a 6 month waiting for these enfields.

@@oblivion_007 They never thought people would go crazy over it.

So you're Chris brown ? Lol

@@sahilsagwekar THE REAL ONE,NOT SOME SINGER FROM USA.

@@morrisminor56 😂

Regards to all Indian riders out there. Plenty here in the SF Bay Area. Very respectful riders and people in general.

@@cruya2x640 aww that's so wholesome

Royal Enfield should have sponsored Itchy Boots. She really 'sold' the Himalayan with her adventures. I really like the retro aesthetic of all of Enfields.

@@Nexus-6 can agree. They should've!

@@Nexus-6 Disagree. Let her be independent and express herself with REH. Else it would be a conflict of interest, something itchy wouldn't want to get into.

But how does it sell in Muncie?

Wow

Which begs the question, what were the other 11 bikes before this? My comment when someone mentions this is the MOST POPULAR sold whatever, "Minivans are the most popular sold vehicle, and I would never buy one".

@@49Roadmaster Lol same as what I was thinking. 12th is suppose to mean it's amazing I guess.

How do you even look up that info? Is it the 12th most sold NEW bike, or the 12th most overall?

I once had a MV Agusta Brutale 910 cost around $18,000 when it was new and has absolutely no wind protection and only the suggestion of a seat. I didn’t last long with it, the windblast above 75mph was absolutely brutal, and my butt couldn’t survive more than an hour on that seat

It’s always the underdog that is scrutinised the most.

I'm pretty sure there's an option for that.

@@rishavganguly92 Absolutely, lots of custom seats and after market windscreens to choose from.

That's why aftermarket parts are a godsend for bike longevity.

Then again for the same money what could you buy super low mileage pre owned? Does not work with real estate but it often DOES with vehicles! Just saying and WHAT in the HELL is a "shotgun house" BTW?? LOL a house one shot shell peppers every square foot? A house in such a high crime area you must keep a loaded shotgun handy? Seriously WTF is that??

@@nigelwolfe6150 A Shotgun house is a term for a simple, inexpensive house commonly seen in the Southern United States in the early to mid 20th century. It is a utilitarian structure that provides cheap basic housing. They are long, narrow houses and it it said that if you opened the front and back doors to the house, you could fire a shotgun through the front door and it would go through the house and out the back door without hitting anything. With the crazy price of housing, it would be nice if there types of small, inexpensive houses were still being built, but the profit margins are a lot higher when you build McMansions in gated communities.

@@nigelwolfe6150 Maybe a used Rebel?

@@charliekiger Why would you even want a Rebel in the first place?! 🙄

They’re gonna launch more colour variants for the same with alloy wheels and gonna add some accessories based on the feedback that this one has got. Also they’re launching 650cc twin cruisers, built for highways especially! The leaked footage of those bikes being tested by the company on road caught everyone’s attention here in India. I would say they would be the best ones to purchase compared to the overpriced Harleys with oil leakage problems. These might not be powerful as a Harley cruisers which are around 1200-1800cc but they probably will be the best in their 650cc twin cylinder category with half the price.

How the hell do you put 7000k miles on a year old bike

@@blackksabbath 7000km. Typo, he missed the m.

Sergio, I honestly think the engine on the Interceptor makes a bit more than 50 HP. I test-rode one while a friend went along on my Honda CB50OF. The Honda could not keep up with the Interceptor, even though the CB500F is also supposed to have 47 HP. I think RE claims 47 HP so the bike will be eligible for beginners in Europe, where they have a tiered rider license system. Beginners are not allowed to ride bikes over 47hp. I also test-rode the Continental GT. I really liked them both.

@@blackksabbath Because I bought it in July of 2019! also, I forgot to mention 7000Km! I think in metric and forgot to specify.

Sir, are you 83. I am very happy. Regards from India.

83 ! Well done you. I'm heading toward 70 and riding a Yamaha XV1000 (TR1..1981) I also thought it (int650) might be my final bike . A mint low-k one here goes for 8k (NZD) cheap for a bike that is still under warranty and a lot of bike for the money. David Aotearoa nz

@@kdsowen2882 Be 80 soon so maybe have to trade up from my CB100, and yes I had a 71 Triumph TR6R Tiger, brand new $1,300.

@@robertklein9190 Legend ! Riding 'Anything' close to 80yrs-young, is inspiring. Life is for Living

I am 60, and thanks for the inspiration!

rear foot pegs and mileage?

Same story here too👍

Funny story, royal enfield knows all these quirks, and offer better parts as paid accessory upgrades.

@@VicariousxD true but at this price I am happy to install it if I ever happen to travel to the hills. However I love that slap of the wind on my face 🤣

If I was to by one I'd have the GT and stick on some bar end mirrors.

Yep. I test rode both the Interceptor and the Continental GT. I was surprised at how smooth the engine and gearbox were. They both seemed like great bikes to me during the test ride.

Stuff like the indicators, stamped parts, etc doesn't bother me at 6k. They look cheap, but they work and it's not important enough to me to pay extra for. But I know from reading around the net that there are a lot of older riders who do care about all that...but at $6k USD, they just buy replacements. I haven't ridden one of these yet, but for me I still like the Street Twin. Tubeless wheels, an extra 20hp and 20 lb/ft of torque, 4 piston front Brembos*... those are harder to make up aftermarket. But still, $6k USD and easy maintenance make this RE awfully appealing. *Yes, I know ByBre is a Brembo subsidiary, so they're not junk, but also not good enough to say Brembo on the side.

@@matthewjayjack8143 yes I agree with all of those things. I suppose it also depends on where you live and what you will be using the bike for. For me, I just wanted a bike to ride for leisure, so I don't need riding modes or any of that. I love my interceptor because it's just so simple! No fiddling with any controls or any of that. Just switch the bike on and you're away. They just got the basics right with this one. I am slowly making tweaks to mine to personalize it a little. The tail light will be changed and the indicators. I have also changed the bars and the mirrors. New air filter and s&s slip ons. However it rides great straight out of the factory.

@@jamesemerson4102 The simplicity is certainly appealing!

So true, I got mine in 2019 and there is just no better bike in this category for the price. I was looking also on Triumphs, but they are just much more expensive and not that much better.

Haha!

😂

Nope, you're still spinning through space at a zillion mph! 😅

cracked me up

Add triumph engineers and a RnD center in the UK, they nailed the bike.

I'm pretty sure the bulk of the engineering was done about a hundred years ago on that bike.

The hundred year old design and new design aint the same, first new RE has tubular frame designed by RE owned harris engineering who specialises in racing frames which RE bought for specific purpose of making a modern frame worthy of competing with international big brands. Then they offered a job to top bosch engineer to design ignition system for their bike (their old bikes use carburetor while new REs have injectors). They made their R&D centre in england close to triumph R&D centre, stealing some of their engineers in the process to come up with this bike. I think RE have built decent bike as their first international release.

My only problem with this bike is that I can have a TU250x for less money.

@@aka_pierre Yeah, with 400 less cc’s, there’s a reason it’s less money

No way, this is the truly all terrain bike! You can use it in anywhere with glory!

literally any bike can do what you're asking lol. if all you're doing is going down country roads once a week, a suzuki tu250x will do that just fine for way cheaper and looks exactly like it with even better fuel economy.

@@notstevelam I ride a TU250X and that Sir, is exactly what I do🤣🤣

@@rosemarylindop335 nice! i used to have one. i miss it!

@@notstevelam what do you ride now. I'd like to add a larger cruiser in a few years as my Suzuki's getting lonely 🤣

For those of you who DON'T come from a country that has nuclear aircraft carriers. . . Use metrics.

Actually every single scientific organization and gov all over the world use Metric.(yes even nasa) Eg speed of light is scientifically measured in meters/sec² and not miles. And so is the torque in newton meters and not pound feet. Also the actual 1 lbs/2 lbs literal weight to establish lbs is always measured with 1 Kilograms weight at American imperial standards lab.😂 Thats ironic.

@@khaccanhle1930 Ask the guys who designed it, and those who run it, if it's metric or imperial.

it's no big deal. if you can play this video, you can use google to convert also (~52.1 nm btw)

😂

Know of any lists online that breakdown the stock int650 budget parts worth swapping out? I’m a new rider that just picked up an int650, so I’m not sure what is worth swapping

@@noabatle3591 There are a couple of channels here on YT that have good videos on various mod's with sourced links to the parts. Check "TEC Bike Parts", "Stuart Fillingham", "TheMissendenFlyer" & "Wildlife Moto" for some inspiration. My Interceptor is arriving this Thursday... 8)))

Parts are good on re i have old 1980 re bullet shit runs like new i do highway rides on it and its pretty good

@@noabatle3591 - It's different for each of us… In Europe, some go for a custom seat, others for YSS or Hagon shocks (stock shocks are from American manufacturer, Gabriel). I changed mine for YSS only because I wanted shorter shocks ’cos I'm a shortarse. Yes they do handle a little better, but not enough to justify the expense unless you're a scratcher in the twisties.… likewise different handlebars if you want to tailor the riding position (I fitted home made 40mm risers and different bars ’cos I get carpal tunnel issues with any weight on my wrists (I'm an old fucker). I've had mine nearly 2 years. She's been thrown around the mountains of SW France (perfect in the mountains) and ridden regularly on my local Wessex (UK) rural lanes. It's as steady as a rock cruising at the 130kph/85mph limit on an autoroute (though a bit breezy) with my lardy arse in the saddle, yet it's nimble enough to mix it with all the commuter scooters and lightweights filtering in European city centre rush hour traffic (we do that here… It's encouraged, to reduce congestion). Don't bother changing stuff ’til you've ridden at least a thousand miles and know what you want changing (if anything). Nothing's un-useable, and they've already given you the one thing most brands need changing… braided steel brake hoses.

came to say that. but you made it clear enough. in europe, 47cv is the limit for the a2 drivers license. thats why lots of bikes come "cut" at those hp.

I remember it being the most sold bike in the UK some month last year

No hate buddy ..but Honestly i would choose continental gt over interceptor anyday

@@rishupandey4307 well it all depends on if youre riding alone or youll have a passenger

@@rishupandey4307 To each his own. What's your point?

So true my friend 👍

A properly jetted 4 stroke can handle sea level to 10,000ft. Most folks over size the main jet.

I'm right there with you 👍.

Modern mikes are incapable of travelling al places you want if u love touring world..... U need a good reliable easy to repair fun machina to roam the world

carburetors are still around, alot of custom shops still use carbs, and older models of motorcycles have carbs, motorcycles tend to last a few years. alot of people prefer carbs for their ease of customization, as EFI is usually not workable in the home garage, as you need special tools and some training. oh, also, most lawn equipment have carbs. you may be old and this might be above your understanding, but we can still tell time even though we don't wear watches daily anymore. lol

we see enfiels's of the 90's zipping arroundhe streets in India its very common here

Always wanted one of the military Bullet 500s with the tin boxes

Dealer's what?

@@youwinbrown2087 drug dealers

He reviewed this when he was over at CycleWorld and he liked it just fine then too.

Well put..

That's the kind of review you want to hear.

" picking fly shit out of pepper " comment made me lol! thank you Scott Lance!

And when I rode one over a year ago on a chaperoned ride, I thought it had impeccable fueling. Much better than the 790 KTM I rode an hour later. It was horrible. Both had stock exhaust.

RE does offer a wind wisor tho. he should have mentioned. maybe he didn't knew.

@@naws69 he did not mention slipper clutch, touring seat option, mirror options but Indians are happy at least our bike made it to video ;-)

@@harshavardhanmp2031 it’s a damn good bike. If I decide to get into riding motorcycles my first choice will be a Royal Enfield because they are the best for the money.

@@TSL73 check out the hero xpluse 4v Best 2000$ adv imo

yep & we like those as well & i m not from that era

@@SouravAcharya9444 I recognise you from shammie pubes

@@Strdyaftrnoon a what & where 🙄🙄

@@SouravAcharya9444 (yammie noob)👀

@@Strdyaftrnoon ok what there

We both think the same way! Even I love this bike especially for the wide range of customisation it supports and it won't break your bank too.

same! I've done all kinds of little cosmetic and ergonomic tweaks (up and over handlebar risers are the best upgrade I've done, hands down), and am currently saving up for new exhaust (I can't WAIT to get rid of those ugly, heavy, massive cans that block any decent luggage). I love how it's build simpler too, so I can learn to do my own maintenance.

I'd love to get the Continental GT with the single seat, cut down the rear of the frame and stick some tiny minimalist lights on it. Maybey a bikini fairing as well. Some slip-ons and new fork internals. Unfortunately at 6'5" I simply don't fit on it.

@@gerardmontgomery280 what about the interceptor?? Pretty sure that would fit ya and you can get a single seat on that one too.

Air and oil cooled.

If you got the bank sure.

All engines are oil cooled. As a mechanic I hate that the manufacturers have turned that into a thing. LOL

You got that right.

I agree. If we really are looking for a daily rider/commuter. Is it the best bike out there? Absolutely not but for the price and 50 mpg its perfect. Sometimes I think people forget the title of this series.

The only issue, seat is one tank full range before going medieval slicing you in two... Oh and my arthritis loves me some grip puppies slid on the paw ends....

Yeah, seems very practical and so-to-say sensible bike. Especially if one likes retro looks and isn't aiming for all the bells and whistles.

Bloody hell, its a 650cc twin with nearly 50 hp can do more than go around town............ people have been around the world on a lot less....... ..

@@clutchpedalreturnsprg7710 Yes thanks, know of the site, and TEC bike parts, Hitchcocks etc - lots of FB pages with mods to the Interceptor - this guy as probaly done more than most ru-vid.com/show-UC5feAV8rWnKY6kFOrr7QZUQ .

Overpriced interceptor, well said!

I noticed that almost immediately. I’ve been researching this bike for almost a year now and I’ve noticed that many people have huge biased because of Royal Enfield’s previous performance, but this new bike is a completely new design from the ground up, so to dismiss this bike for the old stuff is harebrained. I’ve watched a lot of reviews and many people enjoy this bike for what it is, a classic throwback that has no gimmicks, TFT screens, multiple drive modes and an array of technologies, which is part of the reason this bike is swinging in this price bracket. But what seems to be the case for other people is that they’re trying to fit it in the mold of what a bike should be nowadays, but this bike is not those things. You have so many options for a technology loaded bike, but this bike wants to go back to basics, and it seemed like Zack wasn’t a huge fan.

I think Zack should do a follow up review after living with it for some time. Be good to see how much he likes it now...

I'm glad I wasn't the only one who thought so. I thought this review was pretty rubbish, tbh. For a start, there should be no mention of the wind being an issue on a naked bike. How ridiculous. There are windshields made for it, anyway. He wasn't very positive about it from the start. Every single other review I've seen has been honestly weighing up the pros and cons but I didn't find this review very true and honest at all.

Seems like RE owners are pretty sensitive. He seems to say great things for most of the video and all people are doing is getting upset when he says ANYTHING negative.

@@JoshuaTootell He does seem to like the bike overall but I think the objections are to him raising issues that aren’t actually issues when you take the bike for what it is. Wind on a naked bike is, clearly, a nonsensical point to bring up as an issue. It’s like saying “well you know, swimming is great exercise, but you’ll get all wet and that’s a shame”.

they are making a cruiser with the twin to compete with the likes of harley davidson. but first they will put the 350cc single in it.

Absolutely, wonder when that's gonna happen but that my friend would be a sweet combo. Plus it will take away some of the pain points related to seating comfort and suspension setup. I own both, and in all honesty would like to have just one - performance tourer

@@VigneshV-lo6fi fuck Harleys man, too fucking expensive what they are

It would ruin the Himalayan - it is what it is. The weight of the twin would make it too heavy. Les in UK

Who still watches that douche? Damn!

He’s a troll who basically makes click bait videos. There’s an essence to riding bikes. All he looks at is specs on paper. That means exactly 0% to anyone who truely loves a motorcycle for the sake of motorcycling. Otherwise we would all be riding the same bike with the same 200HP, a million degrees lean angle, fully adjustable suspension, etc, etc, etc....

He is a clickbait fraud.

Funny how I thought I was was the only one who thought the noob is a fraud and only runs a RU-vid channel to make money. Bikes are just a means for him, 80% of bikes sold are below 4000 dollars, so it's really not a channels for the majority.

He’s transforming.. He has been kinder to Kawasakis these days.. There’ll surely be a day in our lifetime when he rides an Enfield !

@@shadowred1980 I put the S&S mufflers on and had no issues at all, no need for booster plug. I also have their low restriction air filter. When adding mods the recommendation is to just start the bike and let it idle and run about 15 min without revving to give the computer a chance to learn and reset. At any rate my bike runs perfect and the fueling is perfect and smooth without hesitation or popping or backfires. I have since gone to a 2-1 exhaust and again no issues.

Yep you could easily turn this into a srambler, cafe racer, brat bike, hell probably suits brooks handlebars and turn it into a 1950s cruiser with the right bits. Like the idea of a street scrambler like triumph, there are some high zard exhausts at Hitchcock's for the interceptor, some offroad tires, change the shocks...voila!

@@julianperry5141 voila

Lots of scrambler modded bikes in the UK.

@@julianperry5141 Continental GT is already bulit like a cafe racer 🤷

A Scarambler would be best, if u want a cafe racer just buy the continental gt

Well these are totally different from the British ones...

Not just a centre stand - twin walled pipes, stainless braded hoses, slipper clutch, fantastic gearbox and looks fantastic!

@@MarmiteTheDog Absolutely valid point -- there's a lot on this bike for the price point. I have a special obsession with center stands, though. If Royal Enfield can manage to put one on this bike why can't -Yamaha- Honda put one on the $15K Africa Twin???

@@evanjohnstone1270 Same with my Z900RS - about $180 for one from Kawa here.

@@evanjohnstone1270 because Yamaha would rather sell you one out of the accessories catalog!

@@evanjohnstone1270 maybe because the Africa Twin is a Honda?..😉

Came here to say this haba

I had an '01 Bullet 500ES in the mid 2000's and loved it. It was purely an urban bike as it was very unhappy going more than about 55 and I wasn't very happy above that speed either. But on 2 lanes in the 45mph sweet spot it was a joy. And everyone, even the Harley guys, loved it and had positive things to say. Since then I have shifted to old Honda 4's, currently a '76 CB750F, it makes similar power to this bike and I never feel like I need more. I owned an FJ1200 after my Bullet, so I know what power feels like.

Price and ease of maintenance. Two big reasons to avoid Ducati

Same here

Me too

God for you enjoy !

Same, I just love the air cooled parallel twin look but hate the triumph price point

Mine's arriving on Thursday. 8))

Seems like he is reviewing it as a commuter, which all these videos have been. Who cares about cool for commuting if it's not useful? A Lambo is cool, but a hatchback is far more useful driving to work every day.

@@JoshuaTootell Because people buy Lamborghini and motorcycles to be practical 🙄

I'm shopping for a bike right now as a practical vehicle, so yes. Every bike I have owned, except my track bikes, were commuters.

you're shilling the RE pretty hard there, bud

@@Chubby_Lemon Ha ha, I’m just saying it’s cooler than the CB500R, and that that should count for something. This rating is all about practicality, comfort, reliability, and suitability as a commuter. I will absolutely concede that the Honda beats the RE on every one of those fronts. The RE is still cooler, and would probably make me happier, but that’s subjective.

I had a Kick-starter and electric start in my 79 Honda. Kick-starting is overated. Other than trying to look cool in front of others I always used the electric start. When the battery went weak kick starting still didn't do it, had to have a friend push me and dump the clutch in gear to get the bike going. Oh, and when I screwed up the carb tuning one spring (and maybe didn't have the valves to spec) the kick back on the kick-starter nearly broke my leg.

@@whatarethose2202 that's pretty pathetic not gonna lie

My friend inherited his dad's interceptor 700 series 2, boy broke his ankle with the kick starter😂😂

Kick start on the Kawasaki W650 got me going when the battery gave up. Also handy if any problem with the starter motor. What's not to like on a 60's retro.

Jay and silent bob?