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Love affair with my RE Interceptor 650; Ownership & performance mods

24th July 2024, 11:03 by Rahul Nagaraj

The stock exhaust and headers weighed around 20-25 kgs, while the Powerage setup trimmed it down to 10-12 kgs.

BHPian rChacsf recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Prologue

For nearly two decades, I’ve been riding motorcycles—starting with the humble Hero Puch and progressing through a series of iconic bikes. Each one left its mark on my heart, but none quite like the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650, affectionately named Azula. Let me take you on this journey of passion, nostalgia, and the open road.

The Early Years
My motorcycle journey began with the silly old Hero Puch, followed by a succession of bikes: Hero Honda CD100, Hero Honda Splendor and CBZ, LML Freedom, Yamaha RX135, Yamaha Gladiator 125 RS, Hero Honda Hunk, Pulsar 180, Pulsar 200NS, Kawasaki Ninja 300, and even the Harley Davidson Superlow 883. Each ride had its own story, but it was the Interceptor that stole my heart.

My snappy little Yamaha RX135, aka, Maniac - circa 2008

The Superlow 883

Love at First Sight
In 2018, I took a test ride of the newly launched Interceptor 650. The aesthetics of its bodywork and the smoothness of its engine left me spellbound. It was love at first sight, and my wife noticed the spark in my eyes. She encouraged me to explore further, but practicality won over desire—I had plans to get the Jeep Compass, and my trusty Linea was showing its age.

Dreams Deferred
Until 2019, the dream of owning an Interceptor remained on hold. I had recently sold my Fiat Linea Emotion PK 1.3 MJD (affectionately known as Cheetara) and moved towards the Jeep life with the Compass 2.0 Sport (aka Flash). Meanwhile, my 2014 Pulsar 200NS (aka Cupcake) gathered dust. It was a reliable bike for errands, but the thrill was fading. That’s when I spoke to Vikram at Motozone, Nigadi, who suggested engine mods—headwork from the KTM 250 Duke, SOHC to DOHC conversion, USD forks, and a swingarm from the KTM 390 Duke. Exciting prospects, but life had other plans. Here is how Cupcake is slowly transforming into Muffinman.

The Want Resurfaces
Fast forward to 2022. A friend offered me a spin on his Mr. Clean Continental GT650, reigniting my passion for the Interceptor. Late-night reviews on Team-BHP and YouTube fueled the mad excitement. My Pulsar 200NS still sat with Motozone, while my toddler had started school. The Jeep, once convenient, now felt cumbersome for school runs. Fate seemed to whisper: “It’s time.”

The Need Arises
As COVID-19 subsided, life regained normalcy. Road trips in the Compass were enjoyable, but the itch persisted. In December 2022, Quikr notifications arrived—blue Interceptors with low mileage, all within my budget. Fate nudged me closer to my dream. Then, in June 2024, destiny intervened. A young man selling his 2021 Ventura Blue Interceptor caught my attention. With only 2700 km on the odometer, a 5-year warranty, and RSA, it was meant to be. We met at 8 am, paperwork in place, and by 6 pm, Azula was mine.

Here is how she looked on the D-Day.

The Desire: Naming Azula
After acquiring the motorcycle, my wife and daughter suggested we christen it with a unique name. We settled on “Azula,” the blue lightning inspired by the Nickelodeon series Avatar: The Last Airbender. The name resonated with us, capturing the essence of our new two-wheeled companion.

Upgrades and Customization
As weeks passed, I felt that Azula, this blank canvas of a bike, needed more colour and enhancements. I checked with Local RE dealers and here’s how I transformed her:

Alloys and Tyres:
I sourced alloys and Vredestein Centauro tyres from the Continental GT/Interceptor post-2023 models. These upgrades not only improved aesthetics but also enhanced performance and fixed the death wobble. Azula is eager to lean into corners and sticks to them like nobody's business.

Deluxe Touring Seat:
The stock seat left much to be desired. As an 80 kg rider, I sank into it, causing discomfort around my hips after extended rides. I replaced it with a deluxe touring seat for a more comfortable experience.

Headlight Upgrade:
At highway speeds, the stock halogen and reflector setup fell short. I sought better visibility and installed an upgraded LED headlight assembly from 2023 models.

Special mention: Finding the Parts - Local Royal Enfield dealers couldn’t provide the specific parts I needed. Fortunately, I discovered Scooter Center in Nasik (known as throttleandthump on Instagram). The owner promptly shipped the required components within three days, and they arrived via Amazon delivery—complete with tracking information.

Azula with the first set of mods.

Installation and Surprises
With the parts in hand, my trusted mechanic effortlessly customized Azula. During a routine visit to the Royal Enfield service center, I turned heads with my unique modifications. Even the RE staff were surprised to see these upgrades on a 2021 model, they took the contact details of throttleandthump, I thanked them for their time and support and admiration. I also added a bracepad and a short flyscreen from Royal Enfield’s Amazon store. The installation was straightforward, and I was pleasantly surprised by the overall experience. The RE service center won me over—I became a fan of their service quality.

The Present: Performance Mods
Simultaneously, I sought a full system exhaust and a Sprint P08 air filter. After watching Hitchcock’s review of the Enfield Precision full system exhausts and considering my Ducati-owning friends’ recommendations, I settled on Powerage. As of August 2023, only Powerage mufflers were available on Amazon, but the headers were not. Nevertheless, I proceeded with the performance mods. The stock exhaust and headers weighed around 20-25 kgs, while the Powerage setup trimmed it down to 10-12 kgs. The result? Azula became a joy to ride. I joined Royal Enfield groups for exhilarating rides, so far across Pune and Maharashtra.

And as I write this blog, I’ve made a couple more additions: Tripmachine’s Cherry Red leather handlebar wraps and the Royal Enfield LED Fog Lamp kit. The pièce de résistance? The Powerage performance headers, completing Azula’s full system exhaust setup.

Epilogue:

Thanks for indulging with me in this little fantasy on two wheels. Here are some parting shots, I will try to keep this ownership blog as simple and updated as possible. I would like to thank Team BHP for all the good they have put out in this world of short attention spans and spoon-fed confusion. Sometimes all we need is fewer wheels and more cylinders for realizing how lucky we are to share this world with people who are passionate about mundane mechanical wares that transform our experience of this life.