Royal Enfield 650 Interceptor

The first thing that struck me about the Royal Enfield 650 Interceptor was its size, or lack thereof.

After a few years hanging around adventure touring bikes, this thing looked tiny.

I immediately turned my thoughts to the people who often turn up on our ride days on road bikes and swear they had a good time, regardless of the poor surfaces we had encountered throughout the day.

Hmmm! Could this be a platform for those that want to be involved in backroad touring but refuse to give up the chrome and the ability to fit in at the local latte venue every Saturday morning?

In a bid to find out, I dusted off my trendy black open face helmet (with peak), slipped on my black t-shirt and blue jeans then headed for the hills. I’ll spare you the selfie, as I’m sure you get the picture.

Another thing that strikes you when you first meet the Royal Enfield 650 is the size of the engine, Wow! In modern terms this thing is huge. Clearly the British design team tasked with bringing the interceptor to fruition in the years leading up to its unveiling in 2017, stuck to their guns with the notion of producing a true retro.

The big shiny lump contributes to the majority of the bikes 202kg, but not in a bad way….at all. The engine is perfectly positioned to keep the C of G low and this gives the bike an extremely sure-footed feel.

Before I get away from the engine, I have to say this is one of the smoothest bikes mechanically that I have ever ridden.

We’re talking chocolate milkshake smooth, satin sheets, peach skin kind of smooth, anyway…… The gearbox is pretty damn sexy too. I found myself second guessing the box to start with and quite hesitant to release the clutch because I literally felt nothing as I changed. Clearly, I found that easy to live with very quickly.

Ok, back to the hills. To me the bike felt super light, well grounded, but light. The handling is fantastically neutral and although it sports 18” wheels front and rear, the 24-degree fork rake keeps it quite “flickable” in tight corners. I think even your average learner who is wanting to upgrade before getting their open licence is going to find the RE Interceptor an easy going bike with nothing but good manners.

The near 48hp is delivered very mildly and smoothly, even when it starts to get serious around 3700rpm, it still seems polite in the way it gives you a very respectable amount of momentum. The suspension does its job quite well, despite the lack of adjustment (rear preload only). The riding position is great with the wide Scrambler type bars holding you in a kind of relaxed upright position.

The seat gave me a bit of “rider beware” feeling on first appearances, but turned out to be quite comfy around the local backroads and around town.

I did however do a 60km freeway blast which left me feeling like I’d just done an iron-butt run. In saying that, I’m well over the dollar in weight, so your average Joe/Joette is going to last a lot longer in the saddle.

I love the simplicity of this bike and nothing says “retro simplicity” like a set of very cool, old-school gauges like the ones on this bike. I especially like they way they look at night coz,…, well, bright ‘n’ shiny stuff!

On rough backroads including dirt, I backed the rear preload off slightly and had a great time. I found the 18” front along with the trendy Scrambler handlebars pretty helpful on gravel and happily rode around the hills and farmland south of Brisbane, on poorly maintained roads, enjoying myself immensely.

As the warm afternoon wind penetrated my black T-shirt and the subtropical bugs peppered my face, I got to thinking “I’m riding a blank canvas”. This bike could be set up as an awesome little backroad tourer. There’s a great range of “farkles” available from Royal Enfield, and even more aftermarket items you can dig up through enthusiasts on social media. From big bore kits to trick suspension, there’s loads of gear you could personalise your RE with.

So, in summary, what a great little bike. My wife even liked it! For people with little experience who want a cool looking bike that isn’t set to bite you every time you look at the throttle, but will respectably keep up with the big boys, to the older rider who wants a great little “second bike” that will put a grin on their dial every time they turn its key…. The Royal Enfield 650 Interceptor is a great option.

Thanks to URBAN IMPORTS for the opportunity to have this great fun, little bike.