This is probably not the first time you've read or heard news about the Royal Enfield 650 twins. Indeed, it did launch a while back an had been in development for what seems like ages. But upon launch it generated a great amount of interest due to EXTREMELY competitive pricing and value.

This article is going to be a review/first impressions of the bike. (And my first article on DT!)

The Interceptor 650 The Interceptor 650

Royal Enfield is a British Motorcycle manufacturer that was established in 1901. They built some excellent bikes during the middle of the 20th century but due to financial crisis and lack of resources, their lineup was rather lackluster until recently. It is currently a subsidiary of Eicher Motors Limited, an Indian automaker.

Now about the heart of the matter, the 650 twins:

They had been in development since late 2015-16ish and boy did everyone love the idea of a mid segment, affordable, British cruiser and cafe racer. They spent a lot of time developing the product as their previous endeavor wasn't as reliable as everyone hoped it to be (*koff* Himalayan *koff*). They have been claimed to be totally ironed out, and maintenance is cheap too

Back to the Twins:

47 bhp (at 7100rpm) and 52 Nm of peak torque (at 4000rpm)

The Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 and Continental GT 650 mark a major leap for the brand technologically. The bike uses a newly developed platform (chassis) developed by UK's Harris Performance, while the engine is a 649 cc parallel-twin motor, a first-ever for Royal Enfield. The air/oil cooled motor is tuned to produce 47 bhp (at 7100rpm) and 52 Nm of peak torque (at 4000rpm), while paired with a 6-speed gearbox and also gets a slipper clutch. The bike also comes with dual-channel ABS and a 320 mm disc at the front and a 240 mm rear disc across both versions. It does 0-100kph in 6.5 sec (as tested) and tops out at 175kph.

The GT650 is the more hardcore cafe racer with a somewhat aggressive seating position while the Interceptor is the more laid back cruiser. The only mechanical differences are rear set footpegs, clip on handlebars, slightly lower weight (198 vs 202kg) and a stiffer rear suspension on the GT650.

The best bit is the pricing: £5,499.00 on the road in the UK, $5,799 in the USA, and 2.5lakh ex-showroom in India.

Since I am still not 18 (16 soz) I was only allowed to ride it around a small private block, but my dad and I took a full fledged test ride too.

The surge of torque in the midrange is FANTASTIC

What it "feels" like:

The bikes are extremely refined with minimal (almost negligible) vibration. The ride quality is superb even on the pothole ridden and uneven Indian roads. The bike stays stable well above 100kph, it gets a little uncomfortable past the 150kph mark (which is acceptable tbh). The surge of torque in the midrange is FANTASTIC! It pulls hard all the way till the redline. 1st to 3rd gear pulls are well, addictive. The exhaust sounds great too, it has a Bonneville kind of burbly sound to it which I really like.

Conclusion:

If you're looking for a (dare I say) beginner bike or want a fun and quick runabout with the retro charm, basically a budget Bonneville, go for it. A fantastic value for money proposition! So much so that we have planned to order one as soon as the huge (4month) waiting period reduces haha!

​^An extremely excited lad, me! Also always wear gear while riding.

Hope you liked this article! It's a first of many to come, so share it with anyone who you think may like it!