The Interceptor 650 – “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly”

On the highway, the Interceptor 650 gets a lot of attention. Possibly because I am riding the brightest of the 6 color options, and so is my ride buddy, Anshuman. The two “Orange Crush” twins remain the topic of discussion for our group of 16 riders as we make the 12-hour ride up from Delhi into the Kumaon hills.

The first impression of the bike is “wow” with a wide grin! It looks like a tastefully designed motorcycle for the more traditionally-minded biker. And I like it. That is until I notice its rear.

Unlike what you see on the Royal Enfield website, the Interceptor delivered on road has 2 major eye-sores. First, there is the mandatory “sari-guard”, a factory-fitted grill supposedly to protect ladies who will drape up in 8 meters of a sari and sit sidesaddle. No one checks that one can barely put one foot on the back peg, let alone both feet.

Secondly, there is the cheap plastic flap screwed below the rear number plate. My guess is that it serves the dual purpose of a mudguard and also wards off the evil eye.

Before you add any aftermarket parts, throw these two pieces of trash in the garbage and let the bike look like the charmer it’s meant to be.

With the superficialities out of the way, over the next couple of hours of riding, I am impressed by the response of the engine. Effortlessly smooth, there seems to be enough juice left even when you think you’re maxing out on the throttle. And when you need the brakes, they’re there too.

Sheldon, while lending me his bike the day before, had advised me to put all my preconceptions aside and ride it with a clean slate. Coming from a guy who has owned and ridden a wide range of motorcycles and has the technical know-how, I realized he was right. The Interceptor is indeed a brand new motorcycle from Royal Enfield.

As I navigate through some hot and bothersome traffic snarls, the Interceptor remains surprisingly calm. No tantrums and threats of overheating or clutch slips.

Anshuman doesn’t suffer from trying to make up for the years he wanted to ride but couldn’t for various reasons. His time is now and he adds with a smile “This is my first motorcycle and I think it’s a keeper. Well worth the money and experience…it has hooked me for sure!”

With breakfast over, we all hop back onto our bikes and immediately the novelty of how the bike looks or how the engine performs is replaced by how sore my posterior is. The Interceptor’s seat is slightly more padded than an ironing board, and a lot narrower. Thankfully this can be solved with a wider, more padded custom seat.

By midday the riding position feels a bit awkward and only when I stretch my arms out and sit far back on the seat do I save my legs from getting scraped by the front footpegs. But sitting like that makes the riding even more difficult especially once we hit the mountains.

As it happens in riding groups of our size, I keep losing some of the guys. And while making my 5^th U-turn to chase another errant biker heading in the wrong direction, I drop the Interceptor on a slope. With no leg guard, the flimsy foot brake bends easily. It reminds me of a tablespoon and both the bikes have bent foot brakes by the third day.

Interceptor in the forest

Looking at the instrument panel, a gear indicator, maybe even a clock might be helpful. And at the end of our ride, we find that the petrol gauges on both the bikes are faulty. Any more frills on this old school bike seem extravagant.

So is the Interceptor 650 parallel twin the most responsive motorcycle from Royal Enfield? Undoubtedly, yes! And with a few aftermarket adjustments, it can also be the motorcycle one can play with for a lifetime.

Get the specs on Royal Enfield’s site Royal Enfield Motorcycles

Check out Josh’s recent review of the Himalayan Review of the Royal Enfield Himalayan

Ready for Royal Enfield tour in India? Check out our life-changing rides on our Expeditions page.

Joshua John

Josh is the founder of Delhi Bikers Breakfast Run and the Shah of Client Experience at Two Wheeled Expeditions. He can be reached at [email protected]