Proof That Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 Is Vibration Free

We’ve devised the chai cup test to prove that the Interceptor’s refinement levels are unlike any other RE bike before it

We recently rode the new Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 in Goa (read first ride review here) and came away quite impressed. Royal Enfield has managed to pull the proverbial rabbit out of the hat not just with the killer pricing but also with the level of refinement. The word refinement is not something you would associate with Royal Enfield. But with the 650cc twins, the company seems to have outdone itself. The Interceptor is a surprise. So much so that if we take off the badge, you might mistake it for a Honda instead of an RE. And that’s quite high praise. 

Yes, we agree that it’s tough to believe that Royal Enfield has produced such a refined motorcycle. One without vibrations. So, in an attempt to convince you, we devised the first-ever ‘Chai Cup Test’. It involves filling a cup with tea and placing it on the parked bike’s fuel tank before turning the ignition key. Then we rev the bike right upto the redline. Logic says that the engine vibrations will make the cup move around, and in extreme cases, topple over. 

If you watch the video, you’ll be as surprised as us. We revved the Interceptor right up to its redline but the chai cup barely moved. How did Royal Enfield manage this level of refinement?

The answer lies in the parallel twin layout. With the prospect of a completely new parallel twin engine layout, Royal Enfield essentially had a clean slate to start with. So they went with a parallel twin layout with a 270-degree crank angle as this gives good low-end grunt and is refined as well. Triumph uses this layout for its Bonneville series and that large 1200cc motor is refined despite having two massive pistons, larger than any of the ones which Royal Enfield makes, moving inside. As an added measure, Royal Enfield also added a counter balancer to reduce vibrations. The result is what you see in the video.

The video test aside, the lack of vibrations make the Interceptor a joy to ride in the city as well as on the highway. Given its lack of vibrations and relatively unstressed but torquey motor, the Interceptor should make for a proper tourer. And it is a fantastic departure from the vibrations produced by Royal Enfield’s single cylinder engines that are loved and loathed in equal measure.