Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 Custom Long Term Review: City Ride Report

Gallery Introduction Things we like Things we didn’t…What’s next…

Introduction

We haven’t been able to clock a lot of kilometres on the Interceptor 650 since our last report. And, almost of it has been in the city. So, here’s a list of things we like and list of things we don’t about the Interceptor 650 when it comes to using it for daily commuting.

Things we like

The ride quality. It is soft. So, at slower speeds, things remain plush, bumps and potholes are flattened without bother, and there’s barely any wallowing. But, yes, as speeds pick up or the bike is subjected to a slightly deep trough, its rear does tend to bottom out. We will see if we can fix that by adding some pre-load, but that’s for the next report.

The ergos too – the triangle the seat, handlebar and the footpeg make – are comfy. It makes for an upright seating, which is great for slow speed commuting and to take on poor roads. But, I am not exactly very tall, and the handlebar is a bit of a reach for me. And this too will be twirled around by a spanner for the next report.

Lack of vibes though is something that doesn’t need attention. We loved this aspect about the Interceptor 650 in the course of our reviews. But, those were all well run-in motorcycles. This one though is being run-in by us. Even so, after 1000km, the vibes aren’t exactly worth complaining. Things are completely calm till 4,000rpm. Post that, even though some vibes can be felt on the handlebar and pegs, it isn’t worrisome at all.

Things we didn’t…

Fuel gauge. It’s an erratic thing, the Interceptor’s unit. It shows the tank remains full for a while. Which feels great. Then it drops to two bars quite quickly, creating a hint of panic. Then again, it settles down on two bars for many kilometres, again putting the rider at rest. But, without warning, it just goes from two bars to blinking. Now, the panic really sets in. Because the last thing one needs is to push a 200kg plus motorcycle for running out of fuel!

Seating for pillion. For short bursts, the Interceptor isn’t half bad at transporting a pillion. But, it’s the longer rides with taller pillions that may lead to an unhappy passenger. The seat is fine, and if you change to the Touring seat, it’s even better. But, the footpegs are a little too high off the ground and a little too close to the seat, which makes for cramped seating for the fella behind.