By Joe Gresh
When I saw the first photographs of Royal Enfield’s new 650 twin the bike seemed perfect. 650 vertical twins have owned the sweet-spot of cool long before McQueen bashed them around the desert and they are still an ideal size and configuration for all around use. Unfortunately the latest vertical twin offerings from other motorcycle manufacturers have sprouted slow-moving tumorous pistons, lost their summer beach-bodies and become uselessly complex. The whole situation kind of put me on edge. I was actually a bit angry: “Royal Enfield better not screw this up,” I mumbled to my cat.
I liked the new Interceptor 650 so much I was going to get really pissed off at Royal Enfield if the bike was crude and uninspiring. Luckily for everyone involved, the Interceptor, or INT, or Cartridge, or Clip or whatever legal BS we are supposed to use, is a great bike. It’s hard to judge long-term quality without the requisite passage of time but from what I can see the 650 is well and truly the Nads.
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In the video I rave about the frame, because it is noticeably well-finished. I couldn’t get over the thing. All the component parts of the RE 650 appear to be designed not only with function in mind but also with an eye toward aesthetics. This is a motorcycle that will look just as good dismantled as it does assembled, like how a Norton 750 looks good in pieces on your cycle bench. Thanks, whoever is responsible for this.
The 650 Royal Enfield engine feels peppy and it breathes well. The bike pulls hard right up until the rev limiter cuts in at 7500 RPM. It feels like a happy engine if you know what I mean. Sitting upright I saw an indicated 115 mph in 5th gear at redline and 6th gear dropped the top end to 110. I think if I didn’t have 75 pounds of touring garbage flapping in the breeze and made myself really small I could have gotten 120 mph in high gear.
The fuel injection on my 650 delivered its tiny spurts of fuel precisely and in a timely fashion. I could not imagine it working any better. On the highway the thing got an amazing 70 miles per gallon. Fuel injection is one of the few modern advances that I think are useful on a motorcycle. Handling was a non-issue: The bike tracked well and the suspension is good enough for me.
The shifting is slick and effortless and if I wasn’t running out of old Cycle magazine issues from the 1970’s to steal complimentary phrases from I’d go on about the transmission for hours. I’d really like to take this bike apart and see what makes it so good.
The brakes were not super powerful. I never felt like the bike wouldn’t stop but I’ve gotten used to incredibly powerful brakes on other bikes. It’s not a deal killer for me because this is a multi-purpose motorcycle, not a race bike. I didn’t care for the Royal Enfield’s anti-lock brake system but in their defense I don’t like anybody’s anti-lock brake system. I’ll have to yank the fuse or defeat the system somehow when I get mine.
Yes, I would actually buy one of these motorcycles if moto-journalism paid in something more fungible than “Likes.” I’m not sure what they will actually sell for yet but it will be less than the other guys. If they make a high-pipe scrambler version all bets are off.
Some motorcycles play much larger than their spec sheets would indicate. The Royal Enfield is one of them. It’s such a joy to travel on a simple, lightweight motorcycle and the pleasing burble exiting from the 650’s exhaust system is music to anyone who rode a Honda twin from the 1970s. The 650 is a bike built to ride and it’s nice to look at parked in the garage.
I’m afraid motorcycle riders have become trapped in the American Dream of bigger is better and more plastic is better. The road grows dimmer and further from their nerve endings in the cause of comfort and technology. Stop now. You can easily find a more powerful motorcycle or find a faster one but you’ll play hell finding a better looking motorcycle than the Royal Enfield 650. And you won’t find one that’s more fun to ride on the street.
If you’d like to read the rest of our recent Royal Enfield Baja adventure ride posts, here are the links…
BajaBound on Royal Enfield
18 Again
The Bullet Hits Home
We’re Off
We’re Off 2
Snapshot
Tecate
San Quintin
Royal Enfield 650cc Twin: First Real Ride
The Plucky Bullet
Guerrero Negro
Ballenos
Whales
The Bullet in Baja
A Funny Thing
No One Goes Hungry
Day 7 and a Wake Up
The Bullet
The Bullet: Take 2
The Interceptor
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I have no problem with my T100 triumph. Idk how RE efi can be any less complicated than my triumphs.
Perhaps Gresh can explain it.
The fact that he compares the bike to Japanese twins of the 60’s , and not to RE of twins of old , I find , well strange.
I do agree that plastic motorcycles and cushy bagger type bikes have removed much of the riders connection to the
Road. That RE restores some of that is wonderful. It’s unfortunate that they are so slow . IMHO this bike is a roadster . And as such , should have a little more grunt .
I would also love to see cool engine castings and hand painted classic pinstripes aka the Bullets available on a model option . And yes Joe, high pipes as well.
I will head up to the RE dealer sometime this spring. One never knows.
After that trip, I liked the Enfield so much I bought one. Mine looks exactly like the one Gresh is riding in that article.
Hack,
Have you ridden a RE650? If not, go test one. All will become clear to you.
no i haven’t ridden . but i am willing to. the dealer close didn’t carry them for long.
was offered , pre 650 twin, the RE dealer area for northern luzon Philippines, but back then, as it was also in america, one had to buy a certain number of bikes out of ones own pocket. i declined. but its also why many dealerships here in CT dropped RE.
there currently are dealers in up state Ct. but they are an hour away so its a 2 hour drive just to look. i will take a bike ride up when its better weather and see.
but as i said, i might be seduced by double hand painted pin stripng.
the present colors dont do much for me.
but anyway, can they be that much better a bike than my 2008 T100?
i doubt it. but i will try and be openminded.
ok. this spring. the dealers are an hour away and back.
Then Came Patel .
“Taking a trip ?”
I had been quite interested in these, finally got to test one at mid ohio, not bad, not bad at all, leg room a little tight, suspension a little harsh. Then I made the mistake of waking over to the Triumph demos, now I know what an extra 5k on a bike feels like, sahweet is what it felt like
i agree , but, i am sure you could upgrade the RE suspension for less than 5k.
You guys are to sensitIve of ass. The RE suspension was fine. A little harshness will keep you awake.
I rode one of the older Hinkley Triumphs. A 790 (?) twin. If felt much like the RE650 if my fading memory can be trusted.