Royal Enfield Interceptor 650: Review In Pictures

The Interceptor turns the notion of mid-capacity twin-cylinder bikes being expensive on its head. Check it out in this detailed image gallery

For years, large capacity motorcycles have commanded big money. Even more, if they possess more than one cylinder. So when Royal Enfield brought in the Interceptor 650, it made manufacturers do a double, nay, triple take. The reason being the astonishing starting price of just 2.5 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi) which meant you could own a 650cc parallel-twin motorcycle for under Rs 3 lakh on the road. However, the burning question is if the Interceptor cuts corners for the sake of killer pricing or does it teach a lesson to other manufacturers about balancing cost and quality? Let's talk about design first. 

The Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 looks unmistakably British. There is no outlandish design here. Rather, Royal Enfield has played it safe with the design. In a sense, the bike reminds us of the much more expensive Triumph Bonneville T100. 

The Interceptor gives out 70’s Californian surfer beach vibe with its warm colour shades. Paint quality is of the highest level with immaculate welds to seal the fuel tank lip, the best we have seen on a Royal Enfield so far. 

The round headlight and basic instrument cluster not only help Royal Enfield keep costs low, but it also offers a more authentic retro experience. While we would have loved a clear lens headlamp, the stock one does a fine job of lighting up the road as we experienced on our ride down to Goa, despite leaving our HQ in Pune at an ungodly 0400 hours. It, however, could do with a wider beam spread.

Despite its basic look, the twin-pod instrument console provides all necessary information like speed, engine rpm, distance covered and fuel level. 

The switchgear too does not disappoint in terms of quality. Its large buttons are easy to use even with gloves on. 

Ergonomics:

The riding position is fairly upright with a hint of sportiness. The wide bars have you lean slightly forward while the mid-set footpegs offer a comfortable posture. 

The saddle height of 804mm is accessible to most riders. The seat padding is extremely soft and narrow. While you will not feel the effects during city commute, it does take a bit of a toll on you on the highway. Royal Enfield offers an optional touring seat with a thicker foam setup though, which should ideally solve this issue.

One issue we found was the footpegs that sit beyond the large crankcase. At crawling speeds or while slowing down with your feet down, the footpegs tend to hit your ankles. This, however, is more of a nuisance than a flaw and just needs getting used to. 

Engine and performance:

This 648cc air- and oil-cooled parallel-twin motor makes 47.65PS at 7250rpm and 53Nm at 5250rpm. While they are not much, the performance is accessible for those looking to step up from 350cc and 500cc Enfields. It gets a counterbalance shaft to reduce vibrations and a 270-degree crank for better low-end performance and also that signature V-twin exhaust note. We were mighty impressed by the motor's lack of vibration or buzziness at any rpm. 

For the first time in Royal Enfield’s history, you get a six-speed transmission with a slip-and-assist clutch. Shift action is extremely smooth with one hardly requiring the clutch for quick upshifts. Needless to say, clutch action is light and there’s no strain on your left hand even in bumper-to-bumper traffic.

Considering it weighs more than 200kg with fuel on board, the performance figures are pretty impressive. 0-60kmph takes 2.87 seconds, while the 0-100kmph dash is done in 6.54 seconds. To put that into perspective, it’s actually 0.1 second quicker to 60kmph and 0.4 seconds slower to 100kmph than the torquier Harley-Davidson Street 750. Nearly 80 per cent of the Interceptor’s torque is available from 2500rpm and begins to taper off at around the 6000rpm mark.

Therefore, it does manage impressive in-gear acceleration figures. The 30-70kmph run in third gear is completed in 3.9 seconds, while it takes 4.85 seconds for the 40-80kmph sprint in fourth gear. Here’s where the Street 750 has a distinct edge. However, when compared to something like the performance-oriented KTM 390 Duke, the Interceptor is just a whisker away.

More importantly, it does not feel stressed at low revs, unlike the 390 Duke, on which you need to continuously work the gearbox. You can potter around town doing speeds as low as 30kmph in fourth gear without the engine bogging down.

It shines on the highway too. Slot the bike into sixth gear and you are able to pull off from speeds as low as 50kmph, all the way up to 170kmph. Yes, it cracks the ton (British term for doing 100mph, roughly equating to 160kmph) but you will need to brave the strong windblast that you will experience due to the upright seating position and lack of aerodynamics. We found that cruising at around 120kmph, with the revs hovering around the 5k mark, the Interceptor sings a sweet tune.

Speaking of singing a sweet tune, the distinct rumble of a British twin is eloquently delivered through the twin exhaust. Unlike the Bonnies, the Enfield’s exhaust isn’t a two-into-one-into-two, but a direct two-into-two configuration. This gives it a deeper rumble which is really appealing. But the end cans which are spread far too wide out do look a little bit odd.

A fuel efficiency figure of 26kmpl in both city and highway is fairly decent for a motorcycle of its size and cubic capacity. With a range of close to 350km, thanks to the 13.7-litre fuel tank, the Interceptor will be more than happy to go cross country.

What surprised us greatly are the brakes. In terms of components, it gets a 320mm front disc and a 240mm one at the back with Bybre dual-piston calipers and double-H sintered braking pads at both ends. Steel braided lines and ABS is standard. While we would have liked a little more lever feedback, the bite as well as progression is phenomenal. You can feel the ABS kicking in, but it doesn’t deter you from grabbing on to the lever when braking hard. The result? It takes 47.21m to come to a dead halt from 100kmph - extremely impressive considering it weighs well over 200kg.

Ride and Handling:

There is no doubt that Royal Enfield had a brilliant starting point for their twins, as the Continental GT 535’s chassis was perhaps the brand's most capable one. To accommodate this new engine, RE has had to rework it a fair bit and it is safe to say that the frame is essentially all new. The double cradle frame in which the engine sits, though, is bolted on and not welded, for ease of servicing. Several tubular cross-sections have seen thickness revisions to improve rigidity as well as flex.

The suspension units are sourced from Gabriel. They are set up on the softer side as they really need to handle a variety of road condition. Both the 41mm conventional fork up front and the rear dual piggyback shocks do soak up bumps nicely when going over small, broken sections of tarmac. The rear shocks get six-step preload adjustability with the stock setting on the Interceptor set to the softest. The suspension tended to bottom out when going over sharp bumps. We would have liked the rebound to be a bit slower as well. So, on the twisties, the Interceptor is happier when you are chasing wide sweepers, rather than quick directional changes.

The intention to run 18-inch wheels was right there from the inception of the 650 twins. This was addressed by Royal Enfield by working alongside Pirelli to tune their Phantom SportComp tyres specifically for the Twins. They aren’t the grippiest of the lot, but do hold their own unless pushed really hard. While the tyres are of the tubeless type, they are running tubes inside as the rims do not support tubeless mounting.

Verdict:

Royal Enfield has managed to not just offer the Interceptor 650 at a low price of Rs 2.5 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi), it has also delivered an exceptional value-for-money product like none other. Small issues, like no clear lens for the headlight or wide exhaust layout, or the narrow and soft seat, can be overlooked or fine-tuned. This is virtually half the price of the Harley Street 750 and it sits precariously close to the KTM 390 Duke, the Austrian being just four grand cheaper. Hence, with this pricing strategy, Royal Enfield is giving you a class product which seems to be built more solidly than anything it has ever produced. It is not as premium or modern in many aspects, but this motorcycle has brought back the joys of simple motorcycling - just what Royal Enfield set out to achieve.