The Budget Bonneville? 2021 Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 Review | Daily Rider

The Budget Bonneville? 2021 Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 Review | Daily Rider

Saddle up for a ride across LA on Royal Enfield’s INT 650, India’s take on a retro British twin. Is it a true challenger for Triumph, Kawasaki, or Moto Guzzi?

SPECS:
MSRP: $5,999
Engine: 648 cc parallel twin
Measured weight: 469 lb. / 212.7 kg
Fuel tank: 3.6 gal. / 13.6 liters
Seat height: 31.6 in. / 803 mm
Claimed power: 47 hp @ 7,250 rpm
Claimed torque: 38.4 foot-pounds @ 5,250 rpm

Zack’s gear:

[jfro]

India should be rightly proud of these 650’s and the success they are, RE is doing great stuff.

[xapaiz]

In 2020 it was the 12th most sold bike in France, they're selling these like hot cakes (or baguettes lol)

[surferdude]

Funny thing about no wind protection and an uncomfortable seat is that you can easily say that about many $15, 000+ high end motorcycles as well.

[morrisminor]

In the UK, it's in the top 3 best selling bikes all last year. The engine is designed by 2 ex Triumph guys. Had mine for 18 months and no regrets.

[arunnambiar]

Revzilla:Royal enfield
Indians: So you have summoned us

[regorschneid]

Besides a great starter bike, it"s also a possible final bike. I'm still riding at 83 and added the Int650 along side my HD Road King. It really puts a smile on my face while enjoying the ride on our wooded back roads here in Washington.

[Sergio_Math]

Interceptor owner here! Reporting from South America. I have that same color.
almost 7000km now, no reliability issues. Probably one of my best purchases ever.
I was going to buy a Triumph, but recently, the dealer here had a falling out with the brand and they ceased to represent them. Then this came along and I could get a new one for basically 60% of what a used Bonneville would have been. I wasn't fully sold on the brand either, because of their reputation. I ended up test driving it and I loved it.
This bike is competent in first world markets, but I think it truly shines in more developing ones. on the one hand, they can sell more numbers (just think of how crazy high sales in India can be), on the other hand, these ambitious warranty claims make a lot of sense in places where finding a Triumph part can be a nightmare.
The bike is the best daily rider I can think of, specially, for the money.

[cisium]

I have become a dyed-in-the-wool Royal Enfield fanboy. Buying a new RE is the transportation equivalent of buying a new, one-bedroom shotgun house: you've got what you need, you love what you've got, and you didn't have to break the bank to get it. That feels really good.

[jayfitvlogs]

I own this motorcycle since last 18 months, few things you need to do after you buy this bike: Change the seat, its too soft for the long rides,
install windshield if you want it,
Good quality mirrors if you want it.

Am I happy with this bike?
Trust me am more than happy! Just buy it if you have a tight budget, it won’t upset you.

[privateparty]

9:38 The interesting thing about measuring zero MPH is that it's something we can do by eye pretty well. When the ground stops moving under you, you have officially reached zero mph. No digital display required.

[jamesemerson]

The bike is heavy on paper but if you're wondering how it rides, it feels light as a feather, handles great and the gear box is smooth as butter. It's made like an old British twin but with ABS and is a lot smoother with barely any vibrations. There were too many cons mentioned early on in this video that are just such a non issue. Of course you feel the wind, it's a naked bike! yes they went on the cheaper side with the indicators and a few things like the controls and the mirrors. The main thing is, the bike freakin rides great! I owned a 2015 Bonneville. It was nowhere near as smooth to ride and felt way heavier. Sold it and bought this bike. Couldn't be happier. This bike won't go 300km/hr or even 200km/hr, but Royal Enfield is showing us that you don't need all of that power to enjoy riding. There aren't many places where you can go faster than 110km/hr legally, and in my opinion, it's way more fun pushing a slightly lower powered bike to it's limits than not even scratching the surface on an over powered modern machine.

[astruga]

-“All specs listed in both imperial and metric”:
-Torque listed in burgers per eagle

[markjames]

Royal Enfield owns Harris Engineering, so they have pretty accomplished people designing their frames. Not surprised that the handling is good 👍

[Logdawg]

I have a 2020 Chrome Inty 650 and watching this test ride in LA was so painful. This bike is made for rolling over back country roads...Sunday morning cruising to the beach...Winding along a river into the sunrise at 5:30am...no other bike today offers the value and smiles per mile as the Inty does. I love this bike and I have the bugs in my teeth to prove it.

[frankhall]

Can't beat the price. Half as much again for a Triumph and all the parts that betray it's budget price can be changed easily. As for performance, as Jay Leno says, "sometimesyou just want to go for a ride.", and this bike is great for that.

[timgomez]

This bike is selling like crazy in the UK. It brings back memories of old bonnevilles.

Everyone buys them, with the touring seat and screen, up rates the suspension, ecu, and tyres. Then it's better than most classic bikes, and tops triumphs bonne.

Also the power is low because it makes it A2 legal in the UK. You can remap it and get more grunt out of it.

[jonyoung]

I bought a 2020 INT650 last summer and live in the Blue Ridge Mountains of NC. The roads are super twisty with ample hairpins and the bike handles them with ease. Very happy with it.

[chrisfitzmaurice]

I've had an Interceptor for 9 months and about 2, 400 miles. I'm still happy with it. It checks quite a few boxes for me: it looks great, sounds great, great gas mileage (about 55-60mpg) handles well, lots of aftermarket stuff. It'll cruise all day at 75mph no problem. Power and torque are plenty for most purposes. The six-speed gearbox is nice. The brakes work fine, the ergonomics are fine. It has a likeable personality.

But it's not a bike I'd want to ride to Alaska on. Or probably even 200 miles. The reason being that the suspension and seat are both stiff and kind of cobby. Around town it's fine but it wouldn't be fun riding it all day long. That and the right mirror vibrates... and it's hard to impossible to read the digital gas gauge in bright sunlight. Those are my only complaints.

[mishko]

Simple, reliable air-cooled steel steeds like this are what we toured the world on back in the 60s and 70s. Heck with fuel injection you don't even need the little tin box with jets and needles I had to carry on me for different elevations. needless to say that if you know what these are, you're likely a geezer like me. Safe riding everybody.

[scottlance]

He’s trying so hard not to like it. I’ve never heard anyone complain that zero mph is needed to tell you that you are indeed stopped. That’s picking fly shit out of pepper.