I remember having Enfields which were built in Britain and they didn't suffer from any corrosion problems. This was due to some innovative engineering which resulted in the engine spraying a fine mist of oil all over the rest of the bike.
Still a feature on my T-140, quite clever engineering. But after it’s last pull-down session it doesn’t seem to be leaking - yet! Big offender is the impossible to access primary chain adjuster. I love Hylomar!
@@undercrackers56 If you were a poor student and the bike had passed through many other budding 'engineers' before you got it; it would have!!!! Orange Hermitite glowing as a beacon to the oil retaining issues. Ha ha. Goid 'ol days!!!!
Those were the days of faulty gaskets that leaked, typically from the rocker-covers, the clutch and the gear casings. The seals on the hydraulic front-shock absorbers were also prone to leaks, leading to flat patches on the front tyre, with the patches lying left or right-of-centre, depending on the pipe that had less hydraulic oil.
Elbow grease certainly makes a difference i remember in the 70s my old CZ was so burnished to mirror finish when I took back for service at Wells bikes in Forest Gate he offered to pay me to bull up his showroom bikes . Needless to say I declined. some of the bikes I see around look like piles of junk after a year or so , no rider pride at all, a cheap bike well looked after is much nicer to ride than even a super bike if it's a rag pile.
+1, having this for last 8 months. Have covered some 4500 kms. Loving every bit of it. It is always been a head turner. As an owner you feel pride on such a beautiful and reliable machine. Its getting pretty popular here in Melbourne.
@@jeffdean7666 hot dip galvanization has become very common over the last 30 years for vehicles made outside the US. Because the richer places like fail vehicles for rust in inspections and the poorer places appreciate the added longevity
Uncle Stu here is my experience with RE bikes. I have owned the Interceptor 650 Orange crush for 15 months and RE Classic 500 Chrome Maroon for six years todate. I live in hot tropical climes of coastal India within 500 m of the sea. The only treatment that I have used occassionally on my bikes are the Wurth paint protectant. Not a spot of rust anywhere. To all those that dismiss RE as cheap quality junk here is my advise. If you touch and feel your bike in all the nooks and crannies with your own hands regularly there will be no dust and no dust. Finally it boils down to how much pride you take in your steed. Had similar rust spotting on my interceptor 650 right hand rearview mirror and it was promptly replaced under warranty.
I have a classic 500 and also live in a sub tropical climate very near the ocean of South Africa. In 7 years I have very little rust on some of the obvious exposed parts but nothing to worry about. The bike gets washed regularly and sprayed with a silicone spray. I also have an older BMW Dakar and the rust or lack thereof is about the same as on the Enfield. I believe in a quick splash down with the hose after returning from a long Sunday ride for example, give it an hour or so to cool off and a 10 min splash off rinses the salt away. Later the fine bits can be done but the initial danger of rusting is prevented.
Had the same problem with one of my mirrors, told my dealer about it in passing, they called me the following day to say Royal Enfield have sent a replacement under the warranty ,
Like the Americans Harleys, we say the Indians Royal Enfield. It's originally built for indian terrains and weather. We never had worried over such issues.
@@dv9239 low revving, long stroke, high low end torque is what the REs are known for and people who buys them expects the same. Actually they are kind of relevant in selling their bikes. The closest competitor to them is honda with their recently developed honda h'ness cb350, like an R3 for Ninja 300.
@@dv9239 you certainly are delusional RE are a status symbol in India only the best of men could handle them since they were a beast of machines. Now since the hipster era the quality slowly deteriorated to accomodate modest riders.
Anyone questioning the build quality of RE bikes should look at the quality of those welds on the seams on the bottom of the tank. Thanks for another great video Stuart.
In the unlikely event of the tank starting to rust, it's an absolute doddle to just buy another tank and replace it anyway. I know for a fact that when I get one of these bikes this year, I'll be buying at least one more tank in a different colour so I can have a bit of variety when I get bored of the original colour. There are so many beautiful colour schemes that you can collect. I think I'm correct in assuming that all the Continental GT tanks will fit on the Interceptor and vice versa?
I never use my bikes during the Winter months, I do have my own ‘procedure’ for laying the bikes up. This consists of changing the engine oil and protecting the painted and chromed surfaces. When my garage was built I specified that it would be double skinned brickwork with insulation between the walls. The helps tremendously with keeping the temperature changes to a minimum. I also keep a dehumidifier running 24/7 to keep the moisture levels to a minimum. In my opinion the damage causes by condensation is one of the biggest issues when storing your bike over winter.
I concur. I bought a couple of Royal Enfields back in September. Given liberal use of ACF 50, before the winter salt got to them, they both looked great once I'd washed them down at the start of Spring. My Himalayan, which I used for relentless commuting during the winter, has now over 4000 miles on its clock, but all surfaces are holding up superbly. Money well spent, I feel.
Thank you for your honest, practical, and insightful thoughts about your entire experience with the RE int 650. I rode it last July in Albany , New York and was impressed .My biggest concern is the overall quality issue that the brand has struggled with here in the US. Your comments have reassured me that it is a very good motorcycle. Keep up the good work and I hope to be riding one soon after the world is over the pandemic.
I'm impressed with how immaculate you keep your bike and how detailed you are in the cleaning. Living in Vancouver BC, Canada my bike (a 33 year old Suzuki Katana 1100 with 115,000 km on it) spends it's life under a motorcycle cover at the side of the street when it's not being used. Amazingly it still doesn't look or run bad for the year. I'm torn between two bike choices if I go to upgrade to something new, ... the Interceptor 650 or the V-Strom 650. Being as I'll be 70 when my next birthday rolls around I'm beginning to think the sport touring riding position of my old '88 GSX1100F may be a bit too extreme for me now.
Hey man! Thanks for these videos and keep them up. Being eyeballing a re a long time so these have confirmed my desire to get one. Greets from Finland and love the acsent!
Thanks for making this video. I can back up everything said. I live a bit further North than you and back in November last year there was more salt on the roads than there is tarmac. My Interceptor still looks fantastic, I haven't had the mirror problem. Thank you for the service videos you've made. I did the oil and filter plus the chain the other day and I'm doing the valves tomorrow. I've watched your video so many times I could probably do the valves blindfolded. I won't thought. Regards and great respect to you. Take care and ride safe Stuart.
I've ust bought an Interceptor and value all the help available to run it in, understand it, service it, keep it clean, etc. Thanks Stuart for being there!!
Great advice for keeping the bike in top condition with the range of products. Never realised that keeping the bike in a garage could do more harm than good, but it makes sense. Keep up the good work Stuart.
Hi Stuart, I'm seriously looking at the RE range and I have been a bit concerned about the build quality and finish of the bikes given the relatively low price of the bikes. My last " classic " type bike was from a well known " British " marque that made a name for itself on the salt flats of Bonneville. After a year of mostly dry riding and being well looked after, rust was appearing in many parts, especially the frame, wheels and spokes. Your very clear and helpful video has reinforced my view that Royal Enfield machines are well built, well finished and very good value. Thanks.
Of all the bikes I've owned a Triumph Legend was the one that surprised me with its corrosion to use ratio, it needed far more care to keep it looking OK. Even my Moto Guzzi V7 was more durable!
Hats off for such a great review, wish everyone had the same degree of patience and commitment you have for the bike. Great and honest review i have ever seen on you tube, kkep up good work and keep us motivated
Epic opening shot mate, very feature film. Really like the look of the Interceptor, and a chrome heavy bike naturally needs extra tlc, like yours has received. Good to know that RE are not producing budget bikes with a budget standard.
Hi Stuart I'm so pleased the Royal Enfield interceptor has passed the winter rust test I don't own one but have test ride both the interceptor and GT and was very impressed. I don't know why but I'm really fond of the Royal Enfield company and its story and wish them success.Great vid as always mate
Having owned a 650GT for 10months, and covered 4000miles and ridden all winter too, I would say that overall the bikes seem too hold up well for the price . Mine has been covered in salt and grime a few times and has cleaned up fine ...but you must take care of it if you want it to last which is the same for any bike. Alloy engine casings suffered a little as did the the headers and other areas of untreated metals. My real concern is the paint on the tank as this is showing signs of rubbing away where the seat touches the tank mainly because the seat is not that secure in the first place. Used a tank protector to help. My bike is not a sunny weekend only bike as I use it all year round and normally cover 8000miles a year. All in all I think it will hold up as miles rack up and has proven to be a lovely bike for the money.
Love these videos but had to laugh when you mentioned a can of pledge and a bucket of soapy water, because that is all I have used since 1973. A guy who lived up the road from me owned a 350 Ducati and he showed me how to clean my CD 175 Honda. Keep up the good work Stuart.
Thanks fo the great reiew. Looking at the lineup right now for RE and this is the favourite at the moment. I'll be sure to look for some tips from you regarding the maintenance.
Another thorough video, I really fancy one of these Interceptors, I'll have to wait till April to try one for size. I currently ride a Rocket III, but I'm looking for something a bit lighter, the Interceptor seems to fit the bill.
Great video. As a relatively new owner these instructional films are excellent and much appreciated. As a side note, I owned a Classic 500 for about five years before part x’ing it for the Glitter and Dust Interceptor and in all that time rust or deterioration of any kind was never an issue.
I owned interceptor three month ago, worried about the rust. Now Happy to see your bike shining. But yes you’re putting lots effort keep the bike clean. Good luck 👍
I agree with everything you say. But in addition I have had a dehumidifier in my garage for years and it does a good job in collecting the moisture and keeping the bikes dry and rust free. I just have to make sure I empty the water collection tank regularly.
Thank you very much for your plain and wonderful English. For me, I am not English native speaker, to listen so clear English is a pleasure for the ear AND what is best, I can fully understand you!
Stuart, wonderful re-cap of your Enfield's durability. Really enjoy your sharing of experiences with this machine. I'm considering an Interceptor soon based on all of your work.
After six months there’s no rust on my Interceptor but, like you, I’ve had the odd issue with the chain inside edges, mainly because it’s more difficult to apply chain lube to that part of the chain. Overall, I’m very impressed with the bike.
Thanks for another excellent and informative video Stuart. I would really appreciate hearing your views, and subscriber comments, on preventing rust forming on a bike kept out on a driveway throughout the year. Also, what could one realistically expect to see in terms of degradation? Keep up the great work. Stay safe!
A mechanic from Canada on one forum put an old style small incandescent light bulb under each engine, and connected the bulbs to a small solar panel on the garage roof. The heat from the bulb helps prevent condensation inside and out. He did need to do more work to block mice because the warmth attracts them. I like Fluid Film for motorcycle chains, made from lanolin from sheepskin, and the chains rust a lot less compared to using a more motorcycle specific chain lube earlier.
Yes, a small heater under the bike maintains a minute air flow and keeps the bike just a touch warmer to reduce condensation from temperature changes. Mice: moth balls or a dryer anti static cloth (WITH odor) in the saddle bags and under the seat. I've used this successfully in cars too. Ronn
I have a 2013 Bullet 500 and i have to say, although i live in sunny Portugal and don't ride on the rain, my bike has a fair bit of rust, mostly on the silencer and other chrome parts. The issue seems to be the quality of the chrome plating on the older bikes, as newer ones don't seem to suffer from it. I had some parts rechormed at a local place and the diference is night and day. I'm still very happy with it, it just a bike that takes a bit more work to keep looking good.
Love the videos from Uncle Stewy...thanks for all this very helpful information b cuz honestly it's not only fun to listen to but it's also great information...
I have a large brick garage. I carpeted it for £50 with surplus carpet tiles from a flooring shop and insulated the roof for £90 with 50mm Kingspan. I use that Bilt Hamber Carnuba polish on my bikes, cars and motorhome, I think it is wonderful.
Enfield I think will have expected these new models to come under close scrutiny and therefore taken care to ensure good quality and a durable finish. This however was probably balanced against building to a low cost. I reckon they have got it about right, spending money on all the bits that count. The budget items that stand out to me are the brake and gear shift leavers, indicators and mirrors. My mirror suffered the same problem of the silver coming away around the back edge. Have replaced with bar end mirrors which are a lot easier to adjust than the stock items.
My Interceptor started rusting after 3 months, mainly the underside of the exhaust, the end of the exhaust where theres a join and where the exhaust joins the engine. Both engines cases started developing alot of marks (oxidization?) that I could only remove by rubbing with wet and dry sandpaper and then polishing. The bike gets used most days, and admittedly in those first 3 months I only ever cleaned it with a high pressure hose and I live near the ocean. Ive never had these problems with Japanese bikes though. Since then Ive been looking after the bike better and had no problems.
My Bullet 500 is stored outside under a cover. Nearly 12 months old and no rust. The aluminium did start to go furry early on in the winter due to salt and damp but a rub down with wire wool and autosol and a good coat of ACF 50 every 6/8 weeks sorted it out. I never bothered waxing and polishing during the winter just a quick hose down and a squirt of demon shine to polish up the paint work. I've polished it up now for the dry weather and the bike looks as good as the day I had it. One bit of advice is that check the welds by the swing arm and engine mount bolts. Mine went for a service and it was found to have split 50% of the way round the weld, turns out it had only been spot welded at the rear and required the frame welding at the weld by an automotive welding technician. No issue now with it just wish the weld was a bit smoother but its all sprayed and cleaned up so no problems it's just cosmetic.
I have a new black rimmed Interceptor with the red/black tank and obviously with only 75 miles on it due to lock-down, its immaculate. Stuart's report on his Interceptor after the winter is very encouraging and I will be taking his advice about maintenance. I have to say I am very impressed with this bike's build quality generally. Stuart's tip about the inside of the chain corroding slightly was interesting and something I'll watch out for. I have a Scottoiler X fitted and I'll watch to see how that protects all surfaces of the chain. I can't wait to get some miles on and get to know Harry (Harry as in Enfield - get it 🥴!) and how the Pirelli's perform. I've come down to a 650 after I had a Moto Guzzi 1200S for 12 years from new and found it got too heavy for me. Seems RE have produced a winner with this bike - time will tell! Stuart - why have you got a Continental seat on your Interceptor?
So my Interceptor has some rust around the top of the downpipe (was there when I got it but now I’m using the Full Fillingham). How would you recommend removing rust that’s already set in? I ride all year round, don’t have a garage and this is my first ‘big bike’ so just want to thank you for sharing your wisdom with us all - it’s helping me so much!
No rust on my Interceptor 650 till now. Not even at a single spot. It stood outdoors in himalayan monsoons for 3 months last year and snow early this year. It is solid.
Very well done and much appreciated. I have my eye on the Royal Enfield Himalayan, and your appraisal of the Interceptor will suffice for another RE bike. Thank you!
Got a bike cover over my Bike with a Green house tubular heater underneath, it's in a shed and constant temp under the cover, also it uses the power of a 40 watt light bulb.
I use ACF50 when storing the bike in the winter up here in the Highlands of Scotland. It’s not cheap but it’s cheaper than replacing parts that rust beyond redemption. What’s your opinion?
Stuart once again, showing us, what a great bike the Interceptor is. Its amazing for its price, and even if a few parts deteriorated ( which they didnt) it would be a good time to do minor upgrades. I must say, I could see the Interceptor with some nice Motone custom mirrors. Keep well.
Hi Stuart. Great vid. Best thing to do with an integral garage is to put a decent de-humidifier in it....circulates the air, takes out the moisture to your requirements AND heats at the same time through the ‘work’ the compressor is doing. You’re doing a stirling job in the lock-down mate! Totally outdoing some of the other popular RU-vidrs.
Couldn't agree more. I get 1.5 litres a day out of my garage from the beginning of autumn through to the end of spring. My t120 is now over 2 years old and spotless.
Hi Stuart. Great video. I have got the GT. what I love about the bike is the cleaning of it. You can get to all the parts it a pleasure to wash. Over my 42 years of owning a motorcycle. This is my favourite due to how easy it to keep it looking like new. Other bikes have been harder to clean due to being very compact. And the quality of the 650 are great to. My friend has the interceptor and said it was noisy. I had a ride of it and it was noisy. So I had a look at it. And found the rocker cover was bolted down to hard. I-Adjust it. No problem after that. Keep safe. Look forward to seeing your next video. Ian. 👨🔧
I have never seen such a great combination of experience and enthusiasm on bike and knowledge over you tube. Big fan of your presentation and content. Love and respect from India 🇮🇳
@@YashSingh-hl7xo He must be receiving many comments on daily basis. He has liked and replied to my comments in other vlogs. I am completely okay with it ☺️👍
I have had my 650 interceptor for 3 years , I live on the Sunshine coast in Australia Plus 90% humidity in the summer . No rust ,rode the bike heaps in the rain , only done 6000ks , no problems at all.I love it!!!
Forgive my faulty memory. During the full Fillingham, do you clean and detail under the seat? Even here in the colonies, keeping a bike in part of my small barn I’ve found condensation to be a problem on my bikes. Florida winters are only cold (relatively speaking) for a few weeks and those cold days are generally spread over several months. Humidity is the big problem, in addition to neglect. Thank you sir.
My experience with My Royal Enfield 650 and 500: I live in Oregon, we have wet winters but little snow. Salt is forbidden on the road. My Bikes are garaged. (part of the house, not very damp or cold) The 650 has shown no rust at all. The 500 does not have rust except on some of the nuts and bolt heads. I believe they use industrial fasteners, not those specific to motorcycles. The chrome is a bit thin and some of the edges on the mirrors are iffy. None of the critical areas show problems and the paint shows no issues.
Oregon guy here and test rode an INT650 today. I’m not great about spending hours waxing and spraying protectant on bikes. My 6 month old Softail has never been washed for example. Maybe I’ll pull the trigger on this and make it a labor of love.
Great vid Stuart! Although then Royal Enfield Classic 350 here is new, and I do live in California, I see nothing there that concerns me at all. I do detail it more than a sane person, but that's part of the joy for me. Going to tackle a polishing on the cases this week to see if I can make 'em even shinier! They can't get shiny enough for me, so a few items and dollars will tell if it's worth doing! Ride Safe 🙏🏼
Hi Stuart, great informative video as ever, one question, with upswept exhausts such as on this bike, is there any long term damage, due to rain / wash water running down into them whilst stationary? presumably when the engine is running it will blow out any wet, though water Is, I guess, a by product of the combustion process anyway.. Stay safe
One place i noticed corrosion is the rear brake reservoir bracket. Easy to remove with 1 bolt securing it. A quick rub down and proper paining process has cured that. Also the same on a friends int. The oil cooler banjo bolt has also suffered but i have a stainless item to change out at the next oil change.
I agree with just about everything you have said in this vid. The winter that has just passed was the first time I had encountered condensation on my bikes in the garage, I was horrified by it. My Interceptor seems to be holding up well, although i didn’t ride it at all through the winter. I did have some minute rust spots appear on one of the headers but it hasn’t got any worse & is very hard to spot in the first place. I genuinely believe that using a blower to dry the bikes has helped preserve the finish on fittings such as bolts & nuts etc.
I have a 17 year-old bare aluminium Caterham that has lived in an unheated garage all the time and is still pristine. However, the floor has been heavily waterproofed and the car stands on top of a tarp that acts as a further vapour barrier with a heavy car cover over the top. I also use a dehumidifier and this dramatically reduces the condensation. I think the ideal is to use two dehumidifiers - one of the refrigerant type for temperatures above about 12 C and one of the desiccant type that work better temperatures below this (but are somewhat more power consuming than the fridge types). I suspect that running costs could be significantly reduced by adding smart ventilation to the mix that ventilates the garage when the moisture content of the outside air is low enough to make it beneficial.
I should also mention that, if you are worried about the possibility of rats chewing on the wiring and furnishings of your vehicle, that peppermint oil, camphor oil and moth balls are good rat repellents. I paint the oils on the tarp the vehicle stands on and put ventilated plastic boxes containing tissues soaked in the oils plus moth balls in engine compartments and on seats and thus far it has worked despite this being a farm with lots of rats about.
I agree Stu, if you maintain your bike, use the right products, it pays dividends both with preventing rust and actually makes cleaning the bike easier. I've got a RE Bullet trial as well as a Triumph Bonneville T120. Both bikes had the full Fillingham upon delivery from new and have been bathed in all the right wax and pro prep. The Enfield is now 9 months old, was ridden during the winter months and looks like new. Not a speck of rust. Thank you. Keep up the great work.
I live near the beach in California. I discovered a wet bike under the cover I bought to prevent what had happened. I tried putting a towel in the bike from tank to tail light, then the bike cover. The Towel acts as a desiccant and I have no more moisture issues. The towel may be a little damp in the morning, but the bike is dry. your videos are helpful, thank you. I love my Interceptor 650. I can't believe how fast this bike is for a small engine.
Mine is over two years old, has done over 10,000 miles and the only places I am disappointed with the finish is the wheel hubs, the paint is bubbling a bit at the spoke holes on both wheels, and the end of the silencers have a little rust. The whole exhaust has been replaced so one issue gone, I plan to get the new RE alloy wheels when they become available, that will sort the other issue. They are great bikes.
Got my bike about the same time you got yours. Gave it a coat of quartz polymer stuff when I brought it home, and its been washed twice. Not a llick of rust on it, and shiny as the day I brought it home. Cheers from sunny California.
Thanks for sharing your views. I can see with the angle of the mufflers facing up that way, that unless you were careful you could send water down them easily and if the bike wasn't ridden for a while to dry them out, it may begin to rust at the first elbow, unless they are stainless steel of course. I suppose the water has to get passed the catalytic converter to. In my experience, there are two types of people who ride bikes, those who treat them like a temple and those who trip them like a tip (a rubbish dump). I never clean my bikes after a ride, just occasionally. But I am not bothered really about whether they look too dirty. One of my bikes has far too much chrome, and if I had thought about that before I bought it I wouldn't have bothered. It has a stupid amount of chrome, a ridiculous amount really. Keeping all that chrome looking good is extremely difficult, so I leave it under a cloth in my garage, in fact it is for sale at present. Can I ask what the code just below and behind the left fuel throttle written in white texta is please?
Hello Stuart, I love your videos and I am seriously considering an Interceptor for my next bike, Your information has even increased that desire to downsize and go retro. I am noticing in all of your videos that your bike does not show the pipe bluing many other videos show, can you shed some light as to how you keep the pipes from bluing and looking like new? Thank you, keep up the good work. I am from Ohio, and love the UK scenery!
I have moved from bullet-electra to the new meteor350. i am hoping to learn from this and make sure I avoid rusting on my new motorcycle. because my recklessness with cleaning my previous motorcycle led to a lot of rusting especially under the seat and the exhaust bent pipe. thank you for this explanatory video
Stewart can we use WD 40 as an alternative to pro prep? Since I can’t get pro prep in India. If not then are there any other alternatives that I could use?
