[NitNac]

This a summary of me and a detail ownership experience of my Interceptor 650

Hello esteemed members,
Happy to be a member and after lot of delay finally was able to share my journey and introduce you to my “Summer Orange.”

My interests:
1. Motorcycles
2. Mechanical wrist watches
3. Cars
4. Travelling
5. Bicycle

Love and passion towards motorcycle began with a big bang, yes literally a big bang in a Mission Impossible movie when Tom Cruz zipped through a fire on Triumph speed triple. This was love at first site. That day I realized the trill and adrenaline rush while watching the move is when the craze on motorcycle began.

Image from google.


Every bike on the street that is in the year 2000’s, Suzuki Samori, RX100 and Pulsar owners are considered living legends, at least as per my dictionary.

Initial days:
During my school days, uncle used to own a red Suzuki samurai and each morning used to fill me up with passion. The sound and feel of the pull of the bike is what happiness feels like.
Days and years passed, and life moves on. I was able to sit on a bike and could touch the ground with my feet and its 2019 and my dad own a Hero Honda CD Dawn silver color. This till date is my favorite bike because it’s a retro and a reliable machine compared to two stroke Suzuki Samori and RX100.

My Dad's motorcycle and learning to ride:
In 2014 my dad had purchased a Honda CB Twister. Initially planned for Unicorn but my dad wanted a better FE, since Twister was 110cc and was newly launched a quick test drive and feedback from new owners, the decision was finalized. The bike was great, good pickup, FE, looks and easy on the pocket. Only issue was the gear shifts which even Honda ASS couldn’t do anything.

My first bike - Suzuki Gixxer 155:
In the year 2016 I started my career and was able to budget some amount for a brand-new bike. My ideal plan was to buy a KTM RC390, well as ideal plans doesn’t mean its goanna happen, right? and it’s hard to negotiate with parents. Hope everyone agrees on this.
Hell ya!, my ideal plan was to buy a KTM RC 390 was shot down and it fell from a 3 lakhs rupee to 90 thousand rupees and in February 2016, bought a Suzuki Gixxer silver color. But it’s okay, God has its own plans.

Sadly after 10 days, I met with an accident at a round-about, I applied the front brake suddenly when an auto-rickshaw appeared in front of me out of no-where; wasn’t major but learnt a hard way about breaking. The bike was restored back with an insurance claim. The accident made me think of the disastrous configuration of the breaks. At that time all the bikes front brake were disk brakes and rear were drum brakes. Why the hell would the govt. approve on this.

Let’s move on, the bike was as gem. Looks, handling, acceleration, gear shifts were great, only downside were the break. The bike is stress free till 80kmph. Done couple of long rides max round trip was 300ish kms in a day. This was mostly for office commute.

Aprilia SR150 for my dad:
My dad wanted to buy a moped and on 2018, purchased Aprilia SR 150, my dad loves this a lot as its nimble, awesome breaks, acceleration and reliable (Yes, you read it correctly “an Italian brand is reliable”), downside is the mileage and hard suspension.



Saw the big daddy Aprilia Tuono 1100 while checking out the SR 150.



Other bikes:

My uncle purchased RE Bullet, first time riding an RE. The build quality and FE was great, till 80kmph the ride was smooth and vibe free, yet it wasn't my type of bike. At 1.8lakhs OTR in 2017 this was worth it.



Riding my friends RE Himalayan. Suspension and looks was great, the engine was lousy to my liking but its best for a relaxed long trip.



Riding rental Harley Davidson Street 750 in Kochi for 120km. Sweet power and torque, head turner, can ride it all day in open roads or highways. Lots of heat.



Back to my Suzuki Gixxer and a kiss goodbye:
After 30,000 kms and 4yrs of ownership, in August 2021 sold my bike via Facebook marketplace as it was sitting idle during covid-19 period and no sign of work from office. Selling this was more of a learning curve for me and a tedious task than ever. My dad who prepared a written agreement with Aadhar card photocopies, but I made a mistake of handing over my original RC by blindly trusting the buyer as he promised me that he will do the transfer with in next two weeks. This proved to me a big mistake and haunted me till 2023.



Each time I called the buyer of Suzuki Gixxer, he used to convince me with a reason that it will be done in a few weeks. He used to pick up my calls and I used to convey the importance of transferring the ownership yet there was no progress.

Parallelly:
I had short listed Hero Xpulse 1st gen because its new and OTR was just 1.2 ish lakhs and KTM 250 Adv looks stunning. As usual this was shot down by my beloved parents as there is no use due to work-from-home and if needed Aprilia SR 150 and Honda City car could fill in.
I was occupied with work, don’t know what to do. Yes, the itch to buy a new bike was always there as soon as I sold the bike, all this led me to this beautiful forum during covid lockdown time.

Finding Team-BHP:
It’s actually when I was casually googling for Ninja 1000 review (not sure why) and the google search suggest me to Kartik’s magnificent review. Since that day I was glued to Team-BHP. Every day a break was well spent reading reviews, travel logs and fill my days with passion and motivation to explore the world and yes motorcycle and cars.
There were lots of topics of my interests which led to be a blog on pre-worshipped purchases. This gave me lots of in-site on how to push the buyer on transferring the ownership of the bike.
One fine day with all the necessary details I have on the buyer, I visited the local police station. To my shock nobody was interested in registering a FIR nor taking any action. I guess a strong influence does move thing quicker but as I don’t have any, yet with my stubborn nature, after an hour, I managed to convince a police officer to at least call that guy (buyer) and threaten him. Finally, there was a traction, the buyer started taking things seriously and I kept putting pressure and within 3 weeks the RC transfer of the bike was done. Phew! Felt peaceful.
Sorry for the long wait, but this was really an important part of my life and wanted you all to know.

Journey to my 2nd motorcycle "RE Interceptor 650":
The itch for owning a bike kept growing and casual search for bike reviews and OTR price kept increasing. MotoGP and Ride 4 games on Steam PC did help me understand the dynamics of riding but owning a bike in real life is something games cant fulfill.

On January 2023 I got married and I definitely needed a bike for city and long rides with my wife, hehe.
But this time I am looking for a long term, reliable, easy on the pocket, performance and help me prepare for big bikes in the future.

Shortlisted bikes
1. KTM 250 or 390 Adv
2. Bajaj Dominor 400
3. RE Continental or Interceptor 650
4. Jawa Bobber (two seats to be added mod later) or jawa 42
5. Benelli 600 or Leoncino 500 (Pre-owned)
6. Harley Davidson 750 (Pre-owned)
7. Other old school 600 cc Honda bikes (pre-owned)


My requirement for the bike - minimum FE of 30kmpl on highway, performance oriented, usable in heavy traffic and daily office commute, reliable and low maintained cost.

The above bike list was just in my mind, days and weeks passed to analyze the cost to upkeep the bike. The real short list started when I started discussing with my dad about my plan. Discussion turned into debate, drifted towards purchasing a car and I just can’t win, FYI my dad is a car person.
Yes, being practical is necessary for a burden free life. With home loan already on my shoulder an additional financial burden is not healthy, but bike is happiness. So, I decided to listen to my mind and find a way, which is time-consuming.

First, I decided on the budget which I can pay without any loan, and which doesn’t empty my pockets, with that I won’t have to deal with additional EMI. Next comes the bike suitable for my budget of 2 lakhs. For this only option were 150-200 cc bikes and RE Hunter at least to my liking.

I was sold on RE Hunter, but the engine was boring at least for me. Does not sound good, heard that the suspension is stiff, and ECU issues. This felt too much of a compromise.
Few weeks has past, and I was unable to decide any. Only option I could see is the RE Interceptor 650. Yes, I need to stretch a lot as OTR was close to 4 lakhs.
My mind didn’t approve of this hence my dad suggested to check for a pre-owned bike. Dam! I forgot about this pre-owned market. A pre-owned RE interceptor 650 will save a lot of my money and fulfill my middle weight bike dream.
I stared off searching Continental 650 as its more attractive with the cafe style than Int 650, but the price listed were too high and only 20-30k less than OTR. As interceptor 650 was more practical, relaxed and has same engine and chassis as Conti 650, my focus shifted to Int 650.
I had then started looking for used Int 650 only so that i don't diviate my plans and also because spy shots with alloy wheels were floating around the web and there are lots of local service center, easy to maintain, FE and parts availability.

Final short listing for RE Int 650:
I have sort listed 4 owners ranging from 2.20 lakhs to 1.7 lakhs.

Option 1: 2.20 lakhs – 2019 Orange crush – 10,000kms on odo with AWE exhaust and ZANE backrest
Option 2: 2.20 lakhs – 2019 Baker express – 19,000kms on odo with RE helmet and additional tank (red flags)
Option 3: 2.20 lakhs – 2019 Grey – 19,000kms on odo with additional touring seat
Option 4: 2.00 lakhs – 2019 Baker express – 700kms on odo (red flags)

The red flag ones had signs of accidents, yet the owners didn’t want to accept that. Int/Cont 650 is a heavy one, as I wasn’t riding any bike for the past 3 years, in order to be a bit confident, I rode my friend’s RE Bullet 350 and then started test driving all 4 bikes listed above for close to 5 kms which involved narrow lanes and open roads where 80kms can be reached easily. The Int 650 engine was a gem and gear shifts are butter smooth, head turner and exhaust note were lovely.

For a tension free pre-owned experience, I followed the blog available here and all the pros and cons in this forum. Known cons where the soft front suspension, weight and intermittent electronics issues.
I want to follow my dad’s opinion to wait for the best deal and it took me nearly one month to finalize. Option 1 and 3 were tie breaker as I have to choose between money and kms on the odo.

Here she is My Summer Orange | Interceptor 650:
After lots of thinking and re-evaluating the options 1 is the winner. below is the summery of the options.

Option 1 – love the color, with AWE exhaust, visible rust, though ODO shows 10,000 kms there was a speed sensor issue which as per my understanding led to incorrect kms reading. Probably the actual kms could be 13,000kms as the owner doesn’t ride much and temporary lives in Pondicherry for MBA, but it’s still less kms then others, also the owner will be accepting the payment only after ownership transfer is initiated at RTA office.

Option 2 – well maintained, can be purchased without breaking a sweat but odo is 19k kms. Thought the owner offered 2.00 lakhs after negotiation additional 9K kms on odo is almost 2 years' worth of kms according to my riding, hence settled with option 1.

The ownership transfer was smoothly done and paid the seller the sum. On Feburary 2023 comes home my gorgeous “Summer Orange” and the bike is flaw less, no front-end wobble issue, YAY!! Done the Vahan pooja at Tarbund Hanuman, Hyderabad and off for a long city ride with my better half. On the same day my Team-BHP membership was approved, double YAY!





Few Niggles and fixes as mentioned below:

Speedo error: A quick YouTube search on the speedo error suggested that the speed sensor cable is at fault and the youtuber suggested to cut the wire and solder the wire with a proper thin gauge wire. When I cut the wire, I did notice that the gauge is too high for a small piece of sensor. So, I had purchased sensor cable and heat sleeves and soldered two ends one at sensor and another at the connect near headlight and it started working as expected.







Misaligned handlebar: Few kms went on and while riding the bike I felt that my left hand was further away than my right hand. To resolve the issue kept searching this forum and google and decided to check the rear wheel axle, after a DIY adjustment the issue was resolved.

Oil change and backrest: After riding the bike for nearly 700kms I noticed that, when I de-accelerate I felt lot of engine breaking and when I check the oil it was in black color, so, decided for a maintenance (engine oil and brake pads) and accessories change (didn’t like the ZANE back rest hence purchased a new one at local store) as it was necessary.

Cost of items as below:
1. Pillion back rest – Rs 1,100/-
2. RE Engine oil 10W 50 - Rs 2,380/- (shop owner over charged me of Rs 300/-, too late to realize this)
3. Rear brake pad (RE Classic) – Rs 190/-

With above items me and my buddy who own RE Bullet visited a known mechanic and he charged Rs 600/- for the maintenance and accessory fitting.





Me and my buddy's RE .


The mechanic suggested to replace the engine oil after 5000kms or early as the oil was too dirty, not sure if the previous bike owner skipped this. Anyways it okay as I eventually planned for this before purchasing the bike.
After this the bike pickup and the smoothness increased. I and my better half did our first long trip of 200kms from Hyderabad to Mahbubnagar to attend one of my buddy's wedding. Enjoyed the ride, the exhaust note with a big grin on my face. My wife complained about the rear footrest position, so I have ordered footrest extender via Amazon for Rs 888/- and fitted it on my own.
Work from home was still intact, I used to wait for weekends to ride this beauty on night city rides with my wife or my buddies.

DIY rear footrest extender installation.




AWE to Stock exhaust: One day I decided to change the AWE exhaust to OEM exhaust, which turned into a mistake. I and my wife planned for a 120 Km long ride was stuck in heavy traffic. Took me 1hr to cover just 5 kms! The bike felt heavy, the clutch lever was heavy, and the heat was unbearable. I believe the highly restricted stock exhaust made the bike heat up at an unbearable rate at least in heavy traffic. Which this I immediately switched back to AWE exhaust, phew!

After completing 1000kms, I had changed the front brake pads and rear brake fluid reservoir.

Front brake pad from NIKAVI DP15 which is 270/- on Amazon. I dont like the OEM pads as they are too sharp for me. For City and 200kms commute NIKAVI brake pads does the job. Note that more pressure needs to be applied and might not suite your braking style.





Replaced the brake fluid Bosch DOT4 for 54/- per 132gm bottle and reservoir as it was cracked.





Washing the bike and I had cleaned the engine with WD40 and a scrubber (used) I don't like the mirror finish a YouTube search help me decide on this. The results are satisfactory.







After wash, this angle looks hot.


Installing RPC tank lid O-ring, a must for Int/Cont. 650.


Applying vinyl DIY:
The tank is too plain for me, hence applied two strips of vinyl. My wife helped me with this. Looks cool.





DIY installed bar-end mirrors. Purchased from Amazon for 800/-. Looks good, functional, problem during traffic as it makes the handlebar wide.

[NitNac]

Changing Tires: Rainy season was about to start and rode the bike close to 2000 kms, so far so good. No problems, no major issues.
Tire replacement was needed now, though it wasn’t urgent but finding a suitable one was a lengthy process, deciding a pair was more challenging than buying a pre-owned bike.

My requirement was simple “cheap and best” for city and short 200km rides, I didn’t consider tires from CEAT due to the bad reviews and Vernestine, Pirelli's are too expensive. Felt like experimenting things on my own. Yes, I am not a well experienced Pro racer to use each and every millimeter of the tire dimension. Hence kept the speed and weight rating in mind decided for downsizing the tires a bit and the best I got were from JK Tyres.



Front tire: 90/90 R18 51 P – JK Tyres BF41 for Rs 1940/- (Amazon)


Rear tire: 120/80 R18 62P – JK Tyres BR50 for Rs 2200/- (Flipkart with free installation)


Tubes – 90/90 and 120/80 R18 from CEAT for Rs 300/tube approx.

Actually, opted for BF41 and BR41 as I wanted to keep the same pattern same, but seller from Flipkart messed it up. Initially I was provided with rear BR41 r17 tire which I returned and then a wrong tire model that is BR50 which I kept as my patience ran out as it was already 3 weeks since I had ordered.
I was skeptic with the rear tire pattern as the ride might feel bouncy, but a quick google search and official JK tire website mentioned it can be used on city roads as well.

Filpkart has a free installation with was sourced to 3rd party ‘ReadyAssist’. The mechanic showed up late night at 9:00 PM after 2 days of escalation and messed up the rear.

Tire replacement at night hours.






The rear disk was in contact with the pads and the rear would hardly move, even when I insist on checking the rear axle alignment multiple times, he simply ignored like an idiot, l let it pass as it was getting late, next day I have aligned the rear axle by properly measuring with a tape and the issue was resolved. Front tire was fitted without an issue and is fine.

Done a 100km test 10kms on city road and rest was highway.






The bike felt very nimble, maneuver in traffic felt easier now and riding on muddy surface felt confident. There was slight bounce due to rear tire pattern but settled afterwards. The tire pressure for both must be between 37-40 psi else the ride feels like riding on low pressure tires.


Wobble issue post tire change:
After changing the tire, the front wheel wobble (not aggressive) started at 70-80kmph speed. I initially thought that wheel balancing and alignment was needed.
Checked on my own by sticking two toothpicks to check if the rim was true or not. But, there were negligible deviations.




I removed the wheel balancing weights as it came with stock setup. Good to notice a slight improvement, but the issue still persists.


I suspected that the tire was the issue, I doubted that downsizing the tire might led to this, not sure as there are many reasons for this issue and I just wanted to get this sorted as there was no sign of any wobble earlier. Hence I gave the bike to RE service center Attapur which was a waste of 590/- rupees as there was no balancing machine which was not informed to me earlier and I was unable to gauge if wheel alignment was actually carried out or not.

I searched the entire Hyderabad for wheel balancing and found only two places which has the machine, to my bad luck at one location the wheel balancing machine stopped working and another at RE service center Bowempally, Hyderabad where wheel weights for Int 650 wasn’t in stock hence unable to perform the activity.


I requested the mechanic for a reference but there weren't any, the mechanic wanted to help so, he took a test ride for few kilometers and informed that the issue was with the steering bearing. He even showed me by putting the bike on center stand and rotated the steering slowly. While rotating, the steering settles at a certain degree indicating issue with the bearing. They quoted Rs 2600/- (800 x 2 for bearings + 1000 labor) this will take two days for replacement and my house was 30kms away and I need to start working from office from next week, due to this, I planned to get this done at nearby mechanic.

Pic of RE Super meteor 650 at RE Service center


Interceptor 650 uses SKF 30205 roller bearing as stock and I have ordered the same in SKF official e-market. With the help of local mechanic, the steering bearings was replaced.


Cost of the item:
1. Two SKF tapered roller bearings 30205 J2/Q (Single row) – Rs 768 /- (300 x 2 bearings + GST + Shipping)
2. Mechanic charges – Rs 850 /- (took 3hrs to complete the work)









Removing the bottom steering bearing,

YouTube link

.

After installing the bearings, the front forks were installed as per earlier setup, couple of test rides later the front was aligned correctly. After this a short test drive of 20 kms was done which involve city and highway ride and the change was massive! The steering was much easier while turning in traffic and the front wobble disappeared and was stable YAY!



My Summer Orange runs like a charm and is the best thing I own.

Below are random pics. Enjoy

At a parking lot.


At a parking lot with RX100


After a wash.


Chilling at night.


In front of Secretariat Hyderabad.


Conclusion: Though this is not a perfect bike, but one of the best bike to own and learn a lot about DIY stuff on maintaining a middle weight, easy on the pocket bike maintenance wise and insurance. This will help you prepare for the next big bike. Customization options is limitless and most importantly you don’t have to depend on RE ASS, there are several local mechanics who are knowledgeable and happy to fix the issue in front of you. The weight of the bike is something which needs to be worked on. I do 10 squads every morning which help me while maneuvering the bike.

Need suggestions:
1. Are there any known wheel balancing shops near Mehdipatnam, Hyderabad?
2. Will 10W40 engine oil be better than 10W50 in terms of reducing the engine breaking?

Thank you all for taking some time off to know about me and my Int 650.
"Ride hard, stay focused!"

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[aviator1101]

Originally Posted by NitNac

Though this is not a perfect bike, but one of the best bike to own and learn a lot about DIY stuff on maintaining a middle weight, easy on the pocket bike maintenance wise and insurance.

Since you are so passionate about your bike, may I suggest a few modifications?

Opted for BF41 and BR41 as I wanted to keep the same pattern same

Both BF41 and BR41 are tubeless tyres. May I suggest you buy a pair of alloys which RE is providing with the new Interceptor 650. They don't cost a fortune and are a direct fit. You will be able to use the same tyres and be a lot more tension free in case of punctures.

The tire pressure for both must be between 37-40 psi else the ride feels like riding on low pressure tires.

You may install a TPMS. Again easily available and DIY installation. It will help you monitor and keep a check on the Tyre Pressure.

Will 10W40 engine oil be better than 10W50 in terms of reducing the engine breaking?

The change of grade of oil to 10W40 is not recommended during break in period for a simple reason. The OEM recommended 10W50 won't thin out as quickly as 10W40 when oil temperature goes up, which is more often the case with a new engine.

[ThatBalenoGuy]

Man your review surely gives me the same feeling my interceptor gives. It's going to be 5 years in February, I think it's time I make a ownership experience thread as well

[NitNac]

Originally Posted by aviator1101

Since you are so passionate about your bike, may I suggest a few modifications?

Thank you. Yes please!

Originally Posted by aviator1101

Both BF41 and BR41 are tubeless tyres. May I suggest you buy a pair of alloys which RE is providing with the new Interceptor 650. They don't cost a fortune and are a direct fit. You will be able to use the same tyres and be a lot more tension free in case of punctures.

I don't have any issues with tube tires. Before opting for JK tires, I did enquire about the alloy rims and seen it in person at RE. The 18-inch rims are too plain giving me Hero Splendor vibes, little bit of design on the rims like KTM or Baja and 17-inch size would have been a piece of cake also there are lots of tire options.

Originally Posted by aviator1101

You may install a TPMS. Again easily available and DIY installation. It will help you monitor and keep a check on the Tyre Pressure.

Thank you. I have an electronic tire inflator with which I check and fill for every 3 days.

Originally Posted by aviator1101

The change of grade of oil to 10W40 is not recommended during break in period for a simple reason. The OEM recommended 10W50 won't thin out as quickly as 10W40 when oil temperature goes up, which is more often the case with a new engine.

Confused here, I have purchased a pre-owned Int650 at 10,00kms on odo and break in period is for new vehicles, right? or is it applicable after engine oil change as well? I fell that RE's 10w50 oil produces lot of engine breaking when hot (not urgent or something to worry about), hence wanted to know if anybody opted for 10w40.

Originally Posted by ThatBalenoGuy

Man your review surely gives me the same feeling my interceptor gives. It's going to be 5 years in February, I think it's time I make a ownership experience thread as well

Thank you. Start drafting your ownership thread now!

[aviator1101]

Originally Posted by NitNac

Confused here, I have purchased a pre-owned Int650 at 10,00kms on odo and break in period is for new vehicles, right? or is it applicable after engine oil change as well?

Yes, break in period is applicable to new vehicles, upto first 2000 kms for the RE 650. You may refer to the schedule below.


After the first servicing at 500 kms when engine oil is changed, subsequently it is supposed to be checked for top-up every 1000 kms, inspected during periodic servicing every 5000 kms and replaced every 10000 kms. Please refer the schedule below.

However, for good engine health it is best changed at 6000-7000 kms max.

I fell that RE's 10w50 oil produces lot of engine breaking when hot (not urgent or something to worry about), hence wanted to know if anybody opted for 10w40.

I think there is actually some confusion.
Are you referring to engine break-in or run-in period? Or are you referring to engine braking? Which means downshifting gears to reduce speed instead of using brakes. Generally resorted during downhill stretches. Kindly clarify.

However, in either case, 10W50 will retain its viscosity till a higher temperature as compared to 10W40 and hence protect the engine better.
Hope this helps.

[NitNac]

Originally Posted by aviator1101

Please refer the schedule below.
Attachment 2524011
However, for good engine health it is best changed at 6000-7000 kms max.

Thank you . This is clear.

Originally Posted by aviator1101

I think there is actually some confusion.
Are you referring to engine break-in or run-in period? Or are you referring to engine braking? Which means downshifting gears to reduce speed instead of using brakes. Generally resorted during downhill stretches. Kindly clarify.

I am referring to "engine braking" which occurs when de-accelerated. As per my understanding this is when engine oil is thick (high viscosity) which creates some resistance in the engine.