2022 Royal Enfield Interceptor 650: An owner's perspective

For me, getting a twin cylinder bike at the price the Interceptor sells at, was a bargain when compared to what other similar or lower capacity twin cylinders were selling at.

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A short purchase and 500kms review of my 2022 BS6 Canyon Red Royal Enfield Interceptor named 'DoubleHeader'.

This bike was long time coming.

To be exact, since 2015 after I sold my 1996 Bullet 500. The 500 was a bike that I had picked up second hand, rebuilt completely at a RE Authorized workshop and used it just for long rides and trips and ran around half a lakh kms in 8 years. Towards the end, I realized my 350 Electra which was already 12 years old then and run almost a lakh kms, felt better and less troublesome. I found a enthusiast who was looking for a Cast Iron 500 and he was happy to buy the bike off me. I happily let it go knowing that I will pick up a new bike very soon. How wrong I was.

My 96' Standard 500 which I had got rebuilt with a make over.

Back then, the only upgrade I had in mind was the Triumph Street Twin which was way out of my budget. The other motorcycles that came into mind were as per their respective launches. In other words, I wasn't serious yet on a motorcycle purchase. The KTM Duke 390 was a serious contender for a long while, but the main negative for me was the seat. Even after the Adv was launched, I felt this is not the right bike for me. It wasn't the bike, but there was that feeling that I won't be growing old with this bike. Both the ways.

I put off the bike plans and was content with my Bullet Electra which was being used just for city rides and chores. I didn't get the chance to do rides like I used to earlier once my daughter was born, and this put the bike purchase another step behind.

The Interceptor was launched and I thought, this is the right upgrade for me in all ways and that was three years back. I even got the test bike for a couple of days, but still didn't go ahead with it thinking, something else may come out which will suit me better and it was back to my 350 and me doing some day rides whenever I got the chance. The Bullet had crossed 1,25,000 kms and I knew I couldn't use it on the highway much unless I was happy riding at 60kmph, which I couldn't anymore and I had always had the thought in mind, only if I had a faster bike, I could have done longer rides and exactly then a 100cc commuter bike with two locals would over take me.

Just like how I used to keep pushing other things in my life saying, let's see how it goes or what happens, I did the same for the new bike purchase, thinking I can pick up one later. That is when my wife reminded me that if I don't get one now, I won't be able to at all and probably have to wait till I retire and my Bullet would have grown tired of me by then.

So come new year and I decided I needed something exciting in my life to change my mundane lifestyle and maybe that will trigger some other changes in me as well. No harm in trying that with a motorcycle.

Other motorcycles in contention

I really didn't have a specific segment or type of bike I was looking at, just like my car purchase. It was mainly down to a powerful engine, decent looks and basic safety features I was after. And of course if there was a new bike launch and it looked good with good figures, that automatically was added to my list.

The serious contenders were ;

• Honda Highness
• New Classic 350
• KTM 390 Adv
• Himalayan
• Interceptor 650

The common downside for me in all these bikes were that there were all single cylinders except of course the 650. Since this purchase would be my last for a long time , I wanted to a multi-cylinder bike. Something that I wouldn't feel less powered as the years go by and at the same time would last mechanically.

The Honda Highness was one bike that I felt at home in the few kms that I test rode it and I know being a Honda, it will probably outlive me. That exhaust note was perfect ,the smoothness, the way it revvd, the simplistic but good looking design, the overall package, ticked all the right boxes for me. But, it was a single cylinder and a 350 at that and I knew there was a good chance of getting bored with it in a short while.

It was more or less the same reason for discarding the Classic 350. I liked how the bike looked and with that modern engine, it would compliment my Bullet Electra from four generations ago. It was the perfect modern retro motorcycle in that sense.

The KTM 390 Adv was in contention for it's modern technology and design. All those electronics, the digital screen and safety features were something like night and day between my Bullet and the Adv and that is what attracted me to it. Not to forget that high revving single cylinder engine that produces close to what the RE 650, does on paper. I had ridden the first gen D390 quite a bit on the highways, so I knew what I am getting into if I went ahead with this. I did go and check out the bike one day last December and as always, there was no test bike available. When I sat on the display bike, it felt comfortable and I could imagine myself doing long relaxed rides on it . But, I wouldn't do justice to the bike as I knew, it will mainly see asphalt. The other reason being, as the bike is tall, I would be comfortable on it, but not the wife who would have to climb onto the pillion seat.
I also got a chance to ride the Adv for around 15 kms on a small downhill section as well as straight roads, after I got the 650 in my garage. Since I was riding my Interceptor just before that, I could easily feel all the differences and I don't think it would have justified paying a lakh more for it over the 650. That is just my choice as I liked the character of the 650 more.

The Himalayan. When it was launched, I rented one and took it for a long ride on bad roads, non existent roads, and six laned highways. I loved the way it ironed out rough patches without having to slow down much, especially coming from a Bullet, everything else felt like riding on a carpet. I was disappointed once I hit the highway though, for obvious reasons. The 390 Adv made a better case here.

In all the contenders, one thing I wanted was a fast bike for the highway and majority of them ticked that box as well. But, I wanted one that was torquey and at the same time feels effortless in picking up speed and cruising.

Enter the 650 Twins.

The Interceptor 650 was the perfect bike for people like me who were sitting on the fence as to which bike is right for them and with a limited budget.

The first time I rode the 650 was on the day of the launch and I got the chance to ride the GT on the new Airport road without anyone as pillion and I ended up ripping it and realised this is not just a twin for the feel and sound, but its torquey and when required, a fast bike, at least for me, coming from a 350/500 Bullet. Few months later, I got an Interceptor from the RE brand showroom to use for a couple of days. Took it out on the highway, to Nandi Hills and rode it around in the city as well to get a good feel of it. That bike was from the media batch of bikes when launched and I remember, the gear shifts weren't as smooth as my BS6 bike. At the times, the gear never slotted and jumped gears. Unfortunately, I experienced it once on my bike after the first service.

I enjoyed the two days with the bike, except for the stock seat and returned it to the showroom and forgot about it. The thing was, I could have picked it up back then, I didn't want to go for a EMI and instead waited to have enough funds to pay the full amount and be done with it.

Finally, I did that and had enough to spend on a bike and double checked with my cousin who works with RE Sales, if there are any new launches apart from the Super Meteor this year. Since it was confirmed it was only that and I wasn't interested in a full blown cruiser, I decided to pay the booking for the Canyon Red Interceptor.

The booking and delivery experience

The bike was booked at the Royal Enfield brand showroom in BTM layout. Although I had visited this showroom earlier, I never visited the showroom for booking or delivery. Everything was done over the phone, payments done online and bike allocated to me. I did have plans to visit the showroom to take delivery, unfortunately getting infected by Covid, put a spanner in that. I requested for the bike to be delivered home and after couple of repeated requests, they obliged. Their major concern was that they won't deliver the bike without the number plate fitted, so I had to wait few more days for that. There was another few more days of waiting after I completed all the payments when there was no news from the showroom at all. It was after I called and asked for the status, things started moving again. Apart from these, there were no actual hiccups and it was a smooth affair.

Although I wanted to go to the showroom and ride it home, just for that celebratory feeling as it was after 20 long years that I was buying a brand new bike, I was too fatigued after the Covid infection to ride back and heavy traffic for 15 kms. The bike was brought home by two showroom personnel along with the stock seat since I chose the touring seat to be fitted before delivery. There were few documents to sign and a handing over the keys customary photo taken and it was all over in fifteen minutes. The fact that I couldn't go to the showroom was a dampener for sure since I couldn't feel that excitement that I had when I had bought my previous two bikes and cars. The showroom kind of creates that atmosphere. I didn't do a PDI for the same reason and since my cousin had overseen the booking of this bike, I didn't bother either.

Accessories

The first thing on my mind was the seat since I knew how painful the stock seat was. There were mixed reviews about the touring seat and so I went for the premium touring seat. I checked with the accessory guy if it actually makes any difference from the stock one and he said it is softer and more cushioned. I knew that the pain in the backside will be there because the seat is narrow and I was right, but on the positive side, I felt it suits the bike more than the stock seat from the looks perspective.

Along with the touring seat were the sump guard, fly-screen and leg guard fitted at the showroom.

The week after I got the bike, I took it to BikenBiker, which I later learnt was co-owned by a Team-Bhp member whom I had met few years ago to compare our Figo's. I was looking for a backrest and rear footrest extensions.

Both these were of immediate need as anyone sitting behind can either melt the base of their shoes or worse, fall off the bike when I accelerate.

They had the backrest from Zana which was just a broad backrest which wasn't to my taste and they referred me to HTRZ Mods in BTM layout. Being a Saturday, the place was crowded, but the customer service was good mainly since the number of employees was equivalent to the customers there. It took them a while to fish out a backrest which had a small carrier as well which looked good and a pair of cast iron rear foot rests. The good thing was, the fixing was done outside the shop and nominal fee charged which was good for me since there was no way I could carry these to another workshop to fix.

The rest of the accessories were purchased online;

• Pair of yellow glass H4 Minda bulbs. This was mainly to try different ways to increase the headlamp brightness and this helped to an extent and also complimented the Canyon Red color of the bike during the day.

• TripMachine Mini pannier and a headlight X, basically two perforated leather straps in a X to be stuck on the headlamp. Anyway the brightness was nothing to write home about, so I thought may as well go after the aesthetics.

• GripPuppies hand grips since the stock grips were hard for even short distances.

• Last but not least, being a sound nut when it comes to exhaust notes and having modified and fitted aftermarket exhaust systems on all the vehicles I have owned, I went for the AEW Classic pipes. Being a twin cylinder, there has to be some good exhaust note to enjoy the ride and I liked the non-upswept design the pipes have. The stock exhausts do sound good, but that was only at low rpms and they also had a nice soft rumble in low revs compared to the BS4 bikes.

Although I picked up the pipes, I will be fitting it only after the running in period or if I have the patience, once I hit 5k kms. The reason I picked it up now was because there was a sale going on AEW pipes on their website.

500 kms and the first service was completed with few short rides and below are my likes and dislikes of the bike.

Likes:

• The torque. Part of it can be due to the restricted mufflers, the way it pulls in low revs is something very addictive. I remember when I got my Bullet 500, the torque on that was something when compared to my 350. The 650 was another level. With just the torque, the bike can hit some decent speeds.

• The pricing. For me, getting a twin cylinder bike at the price the Interceptor sells at, was a bargain when compared to what other similar or lower capacity twin cylinders were selling at.

• The design. I prefer simple designs although I appreciate modern design and technology and don't mind them. The Interceptor reminds me of the RD350 from some angles, especially if it did not have upswept exhausts.

• The paint scheme. The Canyon Red is one of the options I liked apart from the Blue. I felt the blacked out wheels and fork covers compliment the red perfectly, along with the fork gaitors which I think comes as standard fitment now.

• The twin cylinder. The only other multi cylinder bikes I had ridden were the Jawa350 Twin, the RD 350 and a late 90's model Honda VFR400 and test rides of few Triumph and H-D's models. The feeling of riding these bikes were different from a single cylinder bike and the way it pulled is what pulled me towards owning one and with the Interceptor, it made sense as the right upgrade for me.

• Fuel efficiency. Got an average of 26.5 kmpl over the last 500 kms which I think is good for a 650 Twin since my Bullet 350 has been giving that same efficiency for a long time too. The last refill was 28 kmpl.

Dislikes:

Most of the dislikes are common to what other members have mentioned, so I won't dive into them.

• Headlights. After changing the bulb to a yellow glassed bulb with the same specs, I felt it was slightly better and headed out for a late night ride on the outskirts. The road I took was a state highway which normally doesn't see heavy traffic, but as I realised, it was being used by inter-state trucks during the night, none of them who dimmed their lights. Either they were asleep or they didn't think dipping their lights for a two wheeler is required. After all, my headlamp would have been like a candle passing by. It was luck and prayers that I didn't go off the road every time a truck came along.

• Seat. Enough has been said about it. The premium touring seat only delays the pain.

• Suspension. It reminded me a lot of the Bullet I have. It is hard at the same time soft. Some bumps sends a jolt through me and the front is all over on uneven roads. I am looking at changing the fork oil later as some of the members have done. I don't think I need handlebar risers, at least from the 500 Kms I rode.

• Tyres. The CEAT does a good job while hard braking as well as corners, but I have noticed that it tends to skip and jump during a turn if the road is uneven, if the speeds are bit high. Tram-lining is something else that is very annoying, but I guess that is because of the design of the tyre. Tubeless tyres were something RE could have added at least as an option and one of the reasons I delayed my purchase as well thinking it would be introduced.

• Meter console. This was something that RE could have easily made a bit more interesting to look at and something they could have easily added was the gear position indicator. Almost every time I take the bike out, I end up riding in 5th for a while till I realise there is another gear left or I try shifting one up from 6th. And it doesn't look like the fuel gauge is fixed either. The last block starts blinking with more than 3 liters left in the tank.

Coming from a very basic motorcycle which I still enjoy riding around and has it's own charm, the Interceptor was a perfect way to compliment it. To do a basic comparison.

• Carb - FI

• Drum brakes - Discs with ABS

• Kick start with de-compression to electric start

• Down shifts which has to be timed right to just smooth shifts without having to blip the throttle.

These are the changes that makes the Interceptor, a not so basic bike for me, although RE has done a fair share of cost cutting in order to sell the bike at the price it sells at. For example; the poor headlights, tailights and indicators that could have been LED and the tyres which could have had a tubeless option.

First service

First service was completed within a month and the oil and oil filter replacement as per schedule. The bike doesn't seem to feel different probably because the oil is synthetic. The only complaint I had was the front brake squeaking when applying light force on the brake lever, which seems to have been fixed. The service advisor also noted that gearshfts were hard after he took it for a test which I didn't feel. Sadly, the experience I had on the test bike from BS4 showed up after the service, which was the gear not slotting fully and jumping to the lower gear. The total bill was 2,500/- and the next service in 6 months or 5k kms which is just a check up as far as I understand.

Next on the mods list- get the stock seat modified to make it comfortable for long rides.

My 2002 Bullet Electra which has crossed 1,25,000kms and passed on the baton to the new garage mate.

I had asked the accessory guy who was more than helpful in clicking a picture of the bike when I was sure I couldn't go to the showroom any time soon.

The day after I got the bike is when I had a good look at it.

After the first short ride to get the backrest and footrest fitted.

After a breakfast ride with my cousin on his 390 ADV

The yellow candle light.

To many more rides.

Hitting the highway by myself on my motorcycle still gives me sleepless nights and I can't wait to do it on this bike. My 500 had that sweet spot at around 80-85 kmph when the motor is running perfectly with the least noise and a perfect exhaust note. That feeling is like a high and that is something which my 350 couldn't do as it grew older. Doing a ride on the 350 was more of a chore rather than a ride. I enjoyed short rides, but doing a 300-400 kms ride was not possible. I can't wait to hit the road now with this bike and cover more distance.

I will keep updating this thread as I do rides, mods and other experiences as I go through them.

Thanks for reading.

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