Gianluigi Mango GM MOTO Vlogger
It never ceases to amaze me just how much fun it is riding the Interceptor.Royal Enfield has made it Euro5 compliant and with that comes a whole range of new, fantastic colours. But it was able to keep it's nature of a truely pure modern classic.
Comfort
It's all very plush on the Interceptor 650. Although the stock bench seat is quite comfortable, there's also an optional touring seat that is even better.
The handlebars are kept at the same position, wide but far enough to provide an almost perfectly straight seating position. Also the foot pegs are in a lovely neutral zone that can suit almost every rider.
In town you can hardly feel its weight of 217 kg in running order. In fact it seems to pull just a little bit harder from stop light to stop light than the very similiar spec'd but more expensive Kawasaki W800.
The only time I felt a bit unconfortable was when pushed really hard. The front-end doesn't seem to enjoy it very much, however this is not the way this bike needs to be ridden!
Even though the stock mirrors are a bit small, I could pretty much see everything I needed to see behind me. But if you want just a little bit more you can always fit the touring mirrors. They are longer and offer better visibility.
Not only that but you can pretty much make the Interceptor whatever you please. There's an amazing range of accessories that can be fitted to the bike. From windscreens to panniers to make it more touring focused.
Performance
There's nothing more I'd want from this parallel twin engine. It's near perfect, at 648cc the air-cooled unit makes just about 47 horsepower and 52 nm of torque. But it actually feels like it makes more. Royal Enfield has done a pretty amazing job this year, not only by making the engine Euro5 compliant but also keeping the same performance and (most importantly) sound.
It's the easy going rocker that is just powerful enough to keep up with traffic or getting away from it. The 6 speed gearbox is smooth and the engine has quite the lazy attitude that makes it effortless to get up and go.
I would be lying if I said I didn't want any more power. Obviously I do and hope that the next gen will keep the engine's character to go with a bit more oomph.
Handling
The conventional forks at the front are pretty good up until you push the Interceptor a bit more than it's meant to. The light feeling at the front at high speed makes you want to slow down and take a breather. It reminds you to appreciate the scenery rather than care about speed.
At the rear the shocks are set up for a plush ride. The suspension in fact soaks up bumps very easily for a comfortable ride.
Although if you're looking for a sportier and more focused ride better check out the cafe racer Continental GT 650. It uses the same engine and chassis but it has a more aggressive seating position and stiffer suspension, promoting a sportier ride.
Low speed handling is just as good as any other bike and thanks to its chassis there's very little vibrations. This encourages you to take the Interceptor for longer rides that you initially intended. Great feeling from the handlebars and controls that adds to the character of the Enfield.
Prices start at £5,890 and there's beautiful colour options to choose from that will bump up the price a little to £6,399.
You can now find this amazing Interceptor 650 at Bolton Motorcycles as a demo and I highly raccomend you take it our for a test ride. I guarantee you'll love it just as much as I did!
Gianluigi Mango
GM MOTO
