[ex-innova-guy]

I had some work in Dahisar today, and while returning, I decided to drop by at RE Palladium Automotive in Borivali West. I wanted to take a test ride for both the Interceptor 650 and the GT 650. They only had the GT 650 available for the TR. Gave my license, and they were quick to give me the bike. It was parked outside, and a bird had marked its territory on it. The SA quickly brought a cloth and cleaned it before giving me the keys. The TR was for around 3-4 km.

As soon as you sit on the bike, you notice how committed the riding position is. Coming from a Classic 350, the foot pegs catch you off guard. Coming from a heel-toe shifter, even the toe shifter took me a minute or two to get adjusted. Had to press the ignition button very hard to turn it on, and this was when the bike had just below 4000 km on the Odo. You feel the weight of it while manoeuvring it, but it is point-and-shoot on the go. The less we talk about Pillion Comfort, the better it is. I had a nice arms, especially triceps workout, after this brief TR. All in all, I loved it. The adrenaline rush was so intense while opening the throttle in the couple of gears, and that’s all I could ask for.


Have to give a proper wash to my bike.

Took a quotation for the same colour Dux Deluxe (important later) from the dealer and went onto RE Voyage Motors Kandivali West.

The customer experience was 10x better here. Even though Palladium Automotive had no customers, they seemed least interested. Even after the TR, I had to ask them to give me a quotation.

Voyage Motors had both the bikes available for TR. SA Aniruddha noted my license details and gave me the keys of Interceptor first. Coming from the Classic 350, I immediately felt at home on the Interceptor. The foot pegs and riding position felt very comfortable on this since. Somehow the adrenaline rush wasn’t felt on this and the brakes severely lacked bite; maybe because this had more than 13000 km on the Odo and most importantly because I am biassed towards the GT 650. ;-)



I could never get a back-to-back TR of both the bikes, and luckily I managed to get one today. The adrenaline rush is just too strong while on the GT 650, and since I had taken a brief TR earlier, the toe shifter wasn’t much of a problem this time around. Loved the whole experience and came back grinning.

I asked my SA Aniruddha to give me a quotation for the GT 650 in Rocker Red since to my surprise that the Dux Deluxe colour has been discontinued since almost a year. Imagine the surprise I got since I just got the same colour quotation less than an hour ago!

I also casually asked about my fantasy (tubeless spoke wheels), and he mentioned that it wouldn’t be coming. Alas, I asked him if they have received the Tubeless spoke wheels for the Himalayan 450, but he replied that they are available only in the international markets. Had to tell him that RE indeed has launched it here in India when another senior SA stepped in to cover up and mention that they have not been briefed about the same.







Thank you for your suggestions and reading.

[rajeevsulu]

I had the same dilemna between the Interceptor and the GT ,but,it was the other way around. I found the GT too aggressive for my liking and the Interceptor suited my likes to the T.

Do what your heart tells you. We all live only once.

Cheers

[John316_WRC]

Originally Posted by ex-innova-guy

As soon as you sit on the bike, you notice how committed the riding position is....You feel the weight of it while manoeuvring it, but it is point-and-shoot on the go. The less we talk about Pillion Comfort, the better it is.... All in all, I loved it. The adrenaline rush was so intense while opening the throttle in the couple of gears, and that’s all I could ask for..... Somehow the adrenaline rush wasn’t felt on this and the brakes severely lacked bite; maybe because this had more than 13000 km on the Odo and most importantly because I am biassed towards the GT 650....I could never get a back-to-back TR of both the bikes, and luckily I managed to get one today. The adrenaline rush is just too strong while on the GT 650, and since I had taken a brief TR earlier, the toe shifter wasn’t much of a problem this time around. Loved the whole experience and came back grinning.

I have to completely agree with you.
I'll try to quantify this purely as a GT vs INT comparison.

Seating position:
The GT is easily 20-25% more committed than the INT. What this does is it keeps you that much more alert and that much more connected to the bike, that much more "in the moment" than the INT.

Handlebar:
While riding the INT you almost have to reach out for the handle bar, almost. I'm 5'10" and I don't have small hands but coming from the GT the INT felt like a "small reach". No such issues with the GT as the natural riding position just falls into place.

Steering/traffic filtering:
I felt steering the bike was much more organic on GT than the INT because you hug the tank with your legs/thighs and with the clip-ons steering felt very intuitive and a lot of fun. Steering the INT feels like 15% more effort than the GT. On the GT you just lean in effortlessly.

Foot peg position:
On the GT I didn't have any issues but on the INT it did foul with my legs a couple of times.

For you and for me, the GT is definitely the one to go for. (No offense to INT650 owners) prospective buyers please try to take a longer test on both bikes and as the song goes "listen to your heart..."

[aargee]

Originally Posted by Cyborg

Please understand having spoked wheels on these bikes doesn’t make any difference at all in comparison with alloys

Alloy wheel does make one positive difference - Lesser weight

All the remaining points

[amods]

Originally Posted by SithDefender

A year later, the honeymoon was over. No matter what I tried, I could not address the basic ergonomic issues of the Interceptor. I loved her like a temperamental mistress, but there comes a time when you must put your foot down for your own sanity. And there was no question of it remaining a garage queen just for status.

Even a small ride would hurt my wrists, shoulders, back and legs so much. The Wife was also not happy with the hard seats and the suspension.
Attachment 2648935

I sold mine for the same issue. Hip joints, thigh muscles would hurt after every ride due to bench seats and hard suspension. Had to take a 1L+ hit in just 8 months.

[rajeevsulu]

25000 km Update

Today my Interceptor touched the 25000 km mark. A very eventful journey of 18 months. I hardly have any complaints.

A few things could be better,but, they are what they are.

I have owned a few bikes in the last 35 years. The original RX100 ,the original Shogun , the initial Apache 150 , the Honda 350 and now the Interceptor.

The first two were hooligans and I enjoyed the most on those bikes. I was in college and not averse to taking a lot of risks. The Shogun was sold of in a year. The Rx was with me for 17 years.

The Apache was just used for commuting and, frankly,I never liked the bike. The Highness was a very big disappointment and was sold of in 6 months via Tbhp marketplace.

The Interceptor has given me a lot of joy. I am 54 now. Probably a little bit more mature than earlier, I am able to enjoy the character that this bike has.

What I like most about the bike is you feel the bike responding to every input of yours albeit the throttle, the brake or even from the road. Less electronics is always welcome for me.

Looking to a lot more good times on the bike.

Cheers

[Bijlee 650]

I am a corporate lawyer in my mid-twenties who has never owned a bike ever but has always dreamt of owning one.

Back story (this might bore some, you can move to the next section if you’re not interested in my journey to finally getting a motorcycle)

First dream bike (and when I say dream, I do not mean fantasy, but something achievable with the available means), way back in 8th standard, was Hero Impulse. Soon the charm of Royal Enfields took over and I was smitten with the Bullet (it is apt to mention that the first few days I did not know the difference between Classic 350 and Bullet. What I actually liked was the Classic 350). When I got into the college of my and my parents first preference, my father offered to buy me a classic 350 but did not seem practical given the fact that I would be in another city for most of the time and did not know how the logistics of getting a bike in another city would play out. Ogling bikes on the streets never stopped. Fast forward to fifth year - me and my roommate (who also shared a penchant for motorcycles), both having been placed at decent places, started test riding Royal Enfields, just to get a feel and to fantasize that one day we’ll also buy motorcycles. Both of us moved to different cities after college. Again, I thought about buying a motorcycles but that never happened. One year later my ex roommate got a Triumph Speed 400 and man, did it look good. One year from that, about two months ago, I had a serious conversation with my girlfriend, family and friends and finally made up my mind. But I did not want to go for the classic anymore- this time I wanted the Interceptor 650. I saw tons of videos, read uncountable reviews and made a decision that interceptor is the bike for me

Test Drive:

I test drove 4 motorcycles: (i) Classic 350; (ii) shotgun 650; (iii) interceptor 650; and (iv) continental GT. Shotgun was the worst of all- did not give the boost of a 650cc engine and was extremely uncomfortable for the pillion (I understand that it’s a bobber but the makeshift seat locked into the rear bumper was extremely uncomfortable). Classic 350 was a stable, comfortable and smooth ride. The twins that the showroom had were quite dated and had some gearbox issues- not maintained properly. Regardless of that, the adrenaline rush was very high, the engine was very refined and pillion seat was relatively comfortable (unpopular opinion). The GT’s riding position was not at all for me- so knew the Interceptor was the way to go. Booked it on the first test drive day in a Barcelona Blue color, was promised a 30-day delivery. Frankly, my favourite color is Cali green it does not have tubeless tyres. Had also heard some wobbling issues with the spoke wheels.

Delivery experience:

Delivery took place in 20 days from booking so I was obviously very happy with that, especially having read multiple reviews about how RE showrooms have kept people hanging between the range of 2-9 months. The team was very helpful and had no complaints in this regard. Got a 3 ltr pass for fuel, a free helmet on the delivery day and was walked through all the documents, functionalities etc.

15 first days (pun intended)

The ride back home from the showroom was a very busy route so did not really enjoy it that much. Plus as I said, I have never really owned a bike so taming this beast was a bit overwhelming. However, I got used to it in 3 days. I named her Bijlee and sent numerous pictures to my colleagues, family and friends. All I could talk about for the next few days was the bike.
The driving experience has been extremely smooth. The bike balances beautifully, sounds sweet, and everything becomes a blur once I open the throttle. It is easy to maneuver in traffic and does not feel heavy while driving.

However, I was facing an issue with the neutral of the bike. With the engine off, the bike would go in neutral easily, however, with the engine on, it would just not go into neutral- would directly go into the second gear and sometimes, if lucky, it would go into neutral from the second gear. This was frankly quite frustrating for a bike straight out of the showroom. This issue got resolved when I took Bijlee to the showroom for the number plate- the clutch wire was fixed and issue completely disappeared.

You feel the weight when the bike is stationary and you want to put it on the main stand, or reverse it out of some place. Bit of a decline against you and you won’t be able to budge the vehicle. It does get heated but nothing unmanageable. A 650cc engine is bound to heat up this much. The instrument cluster is minimalistic, but you get used to it quickly and does not feel like it is missing something. Looks very classy.

Way ahead:

I will it take out to the highway soon after my first service. I am also reading up about bike maintenance in between services, so please give recommendations about good chain lube, cleaning advise etc. How do I protect the body of the bike? Full lamination seems quite expensive, anything in the 4-5k range? I am also planning to buy some minimal gear, give recommendations for must-haves within a budget!

[rajeevsulu]

Congratulations on the bike. Enjoy your new purchase. I use this lube for my Interceptor. It is a clear dry lube. It does not attract dirt and grime,nor,does it throw all over.

I have used all the other lubes. This one is miles ahead of the others.

I got mine from Bikester Global. It was not available locally.

Cheers

[aargee]

Originally Posted by rajeevsulu

I use this lube for my Interceptor. It is a clear dry lube. It does not attract dirt and grime,nor,does it throw all over.

Sir, from your last post, I had got to know something new, thanks for enlightening. It seems there're 2 types of chain lubes to be used {like the old days of seasonal engine oil & tire changes}
1. Dry: To be used during non rainy season, like Putoline or Wurth. Not sure about Putoline, Wurth uses dry, non sticky film layer based on Polytetrafluoroethylene that enables the chain area cleaner & low-friction & hence attracts less dust keeping the chain clean

2. Wet: To be used during wet weather or monsoon, like Motul. Provides excellent protection during rains using calcium sulfonate providing strong adhesion to the chain & offers excellent water resistance

Originally Posted by Bijlee 650

How do I protect the body of the bike?

when the novelty fades off, turns into something else, all the money spent on PPF & ceramic coating wanes. Having been there done that, I would suggest to get full detailing once a year & no protection really needed

Originally Posted by Bijlee 650

I am also planning to buy some minimal gear, give recommendations for must-haves within a budget!

Not sure about the budget; buy a good quality helmet that has right fit initially; there're plethora of options from gauntlet gloves to CE2 armored jackets to knee guard to Kevlar jeans to CE2 knee protection riding pants to ocean of riding boots. Today we've wide range of options starting with local manufacturers compared to what it used to be 10 years ago where the only choice was to import outside our Nation.

Start with RE or the same from Amazon or Rynox or from both my favourites ViaTerra and Store4Riders

[aargee]

Breaking some myths on fixing punctures on tubeless tires with Interceptor - Here's a post that doesn't have pictures, but a lot to think about

[tharian]

Originally Posted by aargee

Breaking some myths on fixing punctures on tubeless tires with Interceptor - Here's a post that doesn't have pictures, but a lot to think about

I thought the mushroom puncture can be done without removing the tyre as it is pushing the mushroom through the puncture and the head of the mushroom expands to seal the puncture.

[aargee]

Originally Posted by tharian

I thought the mushroom puncture can be done without removing the tyre as it is pushing the mushroom through the puncture and the head of the mushroom expands to seal the puncture.

That is this one. I'm in the verge of ordering one to see how it fairs.

[ninjatalli]

Originally Posted by aargee

Breaking some myths on fixing punctures on tubeless tires with Interceptor - Here's a post that doesn't have pictures, but a lot to think about

Answering your seemingly rhetorical question in that post with regards to my views/opinion. The tubeless tires enables me to drive the vehicle to a reputed tire puncture shop to get the job done by a professional. I don't plan on repairing it myself. This view aligns for both my bike as well as my car. In the past, having been stranded with a puncture, with no puncture shop around for kms; it's been a pain to push the 200+kg bike to the nearest available shop or wait for someone (on call) to come and repair the tire. Imagine this situation with a pillion and the benefit turns out to be a lot more.


Historically, I have done puncture repair on my previous cars but only when the other option is not on the table. Else I have always taken my car to a professional and got the work done by them. I do carry a puncture kit in my car but the only situation where I have done the repair myself was overseas - where the cost of getting it done from a professional was almost as much as the cost of the tire.

Originally Posted by aargee

We prefer to switch from spoked tubed wheels to alloy tubeless wheel on the nightmare of fixing the punctures by removing the wheels. If it still requires to remove the wheels for mushroom patch, does it even make sense to switch to alloy wheels? Perhaps low weight? Not requiring to true the wheels often? Are these the only benefits?

Edit: @aargee/others with the tubeless tires - when you have had a puncture, did the tire not retain some minimal air to allow the usage for short distances? Or did it deflate completely like a tubed tire?

[aargee]

Originally Posted by ninjatalli

Edit: @aargee/others with the tubeless tires - when you have had a puncture, did the tire not retain some minimal air to allow the usage for short distances? Or did it deflate completely like a tubed tire?

I might've ridden for 5-6 Km in the suburban traffic before the tire deflated completely although I did notice some insignificant inconvenience during the ride. FOR SURE, tubed tire cannot withhold so much.

Does that answer your question pls?

I think this MAY be a solution instead of using a rubber strip to fix the puncture. Cannot confirm if its a blessing over rubber strip unless I use it myself.

[pachchu77]

Originally Posted by aargee

Breaking some myths on fixing punctures on tubeless tires with Interceptor - Here's a post that doesn't have pictures, but a lot to think about

I always carry a portable tyre inflator so that I can inflate the tyres and ride to nearest puncture shop. So, at the very least that is the advantage I'm getting.

My Inty (with alloys/tubeless tyres) is only 6 months old and I've not had a puncture yet. But my previous bike - Classic 350 reborn had 2 punctures within 2 weeks of purchase and in both the instances above approach/strategy had come to my rescue !

Also, in the case of Classic 350, puncture guy didn't have to dismount the tyre btw. In your case, if you hadn't enlarged the hole with the driller, may be mechanic himself could have been able to use the normal approach i.e. using the rubber strip ?