Royal Enfield Interceptor - The Low Down From An Owner!
Rider's Opinion
We had a bit of interesting and really positive feedback about the Royal Enfield 650 from a happy owner, after the Bike of the week story we ran a little while back. So many thanks for that, we love to hear what people think, and here's what he said about his bike:
"When I first started reading good reports about the keenly priced and gorgeous retro-styled new 650 Enfields with their three year warranty and free breakdown service I couldn't see how they could fail, in fact a 20 minute test ride at Eddys was enough to have me handing over the cash.
So two years on I can say hand on heart this bike is a joy to own and has been TOTALLY reliable. It never uses any oil and averages out for me at around 70mpg.
Yes the dual seat could do with a bit more padding (I bought a replacement single seat and cowl) which is actually a tad more comfortable. The ride does get a bit bouncy once you start riding quicker but I found a set of Hagon rear shocks, some stiffer fork springs from Hitchcocks, and the fitment of some much lighter aftermarket silencers soon made my bike handle better although Lucy's right you still have to watch out for potholes.
The light slipper clutch and positive gear-change are a joy to use and I find myself going up and down the gears just to listen to that gorgeous exhaust note. There are no nasty surprises with the Bybre abs brakes either, unlike a certain German manufacturer's upmarket offering I once owned which was either on or off with nothing in between!
The clocks are simple and easy to read although I wouldn't rely on the fuel gauge.
The standard fit mirrors are best for doing your make-up. I sourced some lovely bar-end mirrors which screw straight into the standard end weights. Some well engineered bar risers from Tecparts were also worth fitting.
Unlike many bikes the Interceptor comes with a centre stand as well as the prop. which makes cleaning and servicing a whole lot easier.
My one and only gripe is that I find the positioning of the footrests slightly odd particularly when 'paddling' in stop start traffic.
All in all if someone wants an inexpensive bike for the daily commute, a high 60's A-road bop or just a saunter down to the biker cafe an Interceptor will not embarrass you."
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