My new steed...
I went to see the Himalayan, and decided it wasn't for me. But this is....
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The future's orange
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Richard Simpson Mark II
- Posts: 3518
- Joined: Tue May 09, 2017 9:03 pm
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Re: The future's orange
I rode one the other week....I have had dreams about it since. I really liked it, because it reminded me of the bikes I rode in my late teens and 20s, and made me feel young again!
Anyway, the purpose of my ride was for an article in a 'mens lifestyle' magazine.
and this is what I wrote...
I enjoyed a brief ride on a 650 Interceptor courtesy of the friendly folk at North Cornwall Motorcycles in Bude.
It’s an effective recreation of the best of the ‘true’ British twin-cylinder bikes, but with none of the woes.
The engine itself looks ‘British’: highly polished ally end-covers and rough cast crankcases, with not a coat of lacquer to be seen. The rest of the bike follows suit: it looks more like a classic Brit than the modern (Thailand-built) Triumph twins do.
It starts easily ‘on the button’ without any of the classic rituals. There’s no kickstarter and no need to tickle the carbs…in fact there are no carbs, just fuss-free fuel injection. The exhaust note is like that of an old-school Brit bike, but the tempo is different, and more like a V-twin.
And there’s a very good reason for that which emerges as soon as you ride away. There’s no vibration: none felt, none blurring the mirrors, and certainly none spinning nuts and bolts undone.
That’s down to the clever engine design: traditional Brit bikes had a 360-degree crankshaft, pistons rising and falling in shaky unison. Japanese vertical twins got rid of the worst of the vibration with a 180-degree crank and a balance-shaft, but there was still a high-frequency buzz. The Enfield has a 270-degree crank and a balance-shaft, which mimics the smooth power-delivery of a V-twin, while retaining the classic Brit look. Win, win!
Throttle, clutch and gearchange are light and positive, with easy clutchless upward shifts.
Handling is good, as you might expect given the Harris input. Well, as good as can be from a chassis which uses a 1970s-style double-cradle tubular frame, twin rear shock absorbers and low-tech conventional front forks, together with 18-inch wire-spoke wheels. It provides a reassuring, predictable and agile ride, but the budget suspension would eventually become overwhelmed if you pushed hard on a bumpy road. There’s plenty of warning given though: the bike will make its unhappiness known long before there is any risk of loss of control.
Brakes are modelled on Brembo calipers that were state-of-the art in the 1970s. They won’t surprise anyone with their performance today, but are more than adequate for the bike, and their bite is moderated by simple Bosch two-channel ABS.
The 18-inch wheels, shod with 1970s-pattern Pirelli Phantom tyres re-engineered with modern materials, help the ‘classic’ look, but combined with a low seat mean that there really isn’t much room for rear suspension travel, and what there is (just 88 mm) could be better controlled.
It’s not a huge issue though. Not least because there will soon be UK aftermarket suspension companies producing better fork-springs and rear shocks.
The upright riding position doesn’t help. Motocross-style handlebars contribute to front-end twitchiness, and the footrests are a little too far apart: combining with the narrow tank to give a potentially hip-aching knock-knee set to the legs. This is only a problem with the Interceptor, though: its café-racer Continental GT sister leans you slightly forward and puts your feet further back and closer together. For all but slow rides around town, it’s the more comfortable option.
And that’s all that’s wrong with the bike. With 47 bhp on tap, performance is pretty much identical to the British bikes of the 1960s and 70s that inspired it, but without the self-destructive vibrations. Fuel economy should be good too: it’s an important factor in Royal Enfield’s Indian home market, and helped by a six-speed gearbox.
Fit, finish and paint all appear of excellent quality, and between the Interceptor and the Continental GT there are no fewer than 11 colour-schemes to choose from, so there should be something to appeal to everyone.
For the money (£5,295), it’s not just a good bike, it’s a great bike!
Anyway, the purpose of my ride was for an article in a 'mens lifestyle' magazine.
and this is what I wrote...
I enjoyed a brief ride on a 650 Interceptor courtesy of the friendly folk at North Cornwall Motorcycles in Bude.
It’s an effective recreation of the best of the ‘true’ British twin-cylinder bikes, but with none of the woes.
The engine itself looks ‘British’: highly polished ally end-covers and rough cast crankcases, with not a coat of lacquer to be seen. The rest of the bike follows suit: it looks more like a classic Brit than the modern (Thailand-built) Triumph twins do.
It starts easily ‘on the button’ without any of the classic rituals. There’s no kickstarter and no need to tickle the carbs…in fact there are no carbs, just fuss-free fuel injection. The exhaust note is like that of an old-school Brit bike, but the tempo is different, and more like a V-twin.
And there’s a very good reason for that which emerges as soon as you ride away. There’s no vibration: none felt, none blurring the mirrors, and certainly none spinning nuts and bolts undone.
That’s down to the clever engine design: traditional Brit bikes had a 360-degree crankshaft, pistons rising and falling in shaky unison. Japanese vertical twins got rid of the worst of the vibration with a 180-degree crank and a balance-shaft, but there was still a high-frequency buzz. The Enfield has a 270-degree crank and a balance-shaft, which mimics the smooth power-delivery of a V-twin, while retaining the classic Brit look. Win, win!
Throttle, clutch and gearchange are light and positive, with easy clutchless upward shifts.
Handling is good, as you might expect given the Harris input. Well, as good as can be from a chassis which uses a 1970s-style double-cradle tubular frame, twin rear shock absorbers and low-tech conventional front forks, together with 18-inch wire-spoke wheels. It provides a reassuring, predictable and agile ride, but the budget suspension would eventually become overwhelmed if you pushed hard on a bumpy road. There’s plenty of warning given though: the bike will make its unhappiness known long before there is any risk of loss of control.
Brakes are modelled on Brembo calipers that were state-of-the art in the 1970s. They won’t surprise anyone with their performance today, but are more than adequate for the bike, and their bite is moderated by simple Bosch two-channel ABS.
The 18-inch wheels, shod with 1970s-pattern Pirelli Phantom tyres re-engineered with modern materials, help the ‘classic’ look, but combined with a low seat mean that there really isn’t much room for rear suspension travel, and what there is (just 88 mm) could be better controlled.
It’s not a huge issue though. Not least because there will soon be UK aftermarket suspension companies producing better fork-springs and rear shocks.
The upright riding position doesn’t help. Motocross-style handlebars contribute to front-end twitchiness, and the footrests are a little too far apart: combining with the narrow tank to give a potentially hip-aching knock-knee set to the legs. This is only a problem with the Interceptor, though: its café-racer Continental GT sister leans you slightly forward and puts your feet further back and closer together. For all but slow rides around town, it’s the more comfortable option.
And that’s all that’s wrong with the bike. With 47 bhp on tap, performance is pretty much identical to the British bikes of the 1960s and 70s that inspired it, but without the self-destructive vibrations. Fuel economy should be good too: it’s an important factor in Royal Enfield’s Indian home market, and helped by a six-speed gearbox.
Fit, finish and paint all appear of excellent quality, and between the Interceptor and the Continental GT there are no fewer than 11 colour-schemes to choose from, so there should be something to appeal to everyone.
For the money (£5,295), it’s not just a good bike, it’s a great bike!
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Richard Simpson Mark II
- Posts: 3518
- Joined: Tue May 09, 2017 9:03 pm
- Has thanked: 1414 times
- Been thanked: 1669 times
Re: The future's orange
I think all RE dealers have demonstrators, and they are keen to get bums on seats. You don't have to be interested in buying the thing immediately, but you do have to answer some questions about the bike and what you think of it afterwards. RE want to get feedback on this bike, it's a hell of a venture for them.
Re: The future's orange
I agree with all that. I really love the engine. Visually, it's so much neater than the Triumph, with much cleaner lines, and it's so smooth and tractable. They tell me they've done 3 million miles on them in testing/development, so it should be reliable, With a 3 year warranty, RE obviously have faith in it.Richard Simpson Mark II wrote: ↑Fri Apr 05, 2019 9:04 pm I rode one the other week....I have had dreams about it since. I really liked it, because it reminded me of the bikes I rode in my late teens and 20s, and made me feel young again!
Anyway, the purpose of my ride was for an article in a 'mens lifestyle' magazine.
and this is what I wrote...
I enjoyed a brief ride on a 650 Interceptor courtesy of the friendly folk at North Cornwall Motorcycles in Bude.
It’s an effective recreation of the best of the ‘true’ British twin-cylinder bikes, but with none of the woes.
The engine itself looks ‘British’: highly polished ally end-covers and rough cast crankcases, with not a coat of lacquer to be seen. The rest of the bike follows suit: it looks more like a classic Brit than the modern (Thailand-built) Triumph twins do.
It starts easily ‘on the button’ without any of the classic rituals. There’s no kickstarter and no need to tickle the carbs…in fact there are no carbs, just fuss-free fuel injection. The exhaust note is like that of an old-school Brit bike, but the tempo is different, and more like a V-twin.
And there’s a very good reason for that which emerges as soon as you ride away. There’s no vibration: none felt, none blurring the mirrors, and certainly none spinning nuts and bolts undone.
That’s down to the clever engine design: traditional Brit bikes had a 360-degree crankshaft, pistons rising and falling in shaky unison. Japanese vertical twins got rid of the worst of the vibration with a 180-degree crank and a balance-shaft, but there was still a high-frequency buzz. The Enfield has a 270-degree crank and a balance-shaft, which mimics the smooth power-delivery of a V-twin, while retaining the classic Brit look. Win, win!
Throttle, clutch and gearchange are light and positive, with easy clutchless upward shifts.
Handling is good, as you might expect given the Harris input. Well, as good as can be from a chassis which uses a 1970s-style double-cradle tubular frame, twin rear shock absorbers and low-tech conventional front forks, together with 18-inch wire-spoke wheels. It provides a reassuring, predictable and agile ride, but the budget suspension would eventually become overwhelmed if you pushed hard on a bumpy road. There’s plenty of warning given though: the bike will make its unhappiness known long before there is any risk of loss of control.
Brakes are modelled on Brembo calipers that were state-of-the art in the 1970s. They won’t surprise anyone with their performance today, but are more than adequate for the bike, and their bite is moderated by simple Bosch two-channel ABS.
The 18-inch wheels, shod with 1970s-pattern Pirelli Phantom tyres re-engineered with modern materials, help the ‘classic’ look, but combined with a low seat mean that there really isn’t much room for rear suspension travel, and what there is (just 88 mm) could be better controlled.
It’s not a huge issue though. Not least because there will soon be UK aftermarket suspension companies producing better fork-springs and rear shocks.
The upright riding position doesn’t help. Motocross-style handlebars contribute to front-end twitchiness, and the footrests are a little too far apart: combining with the narrow tank to give a potentially hip-aching knock-knee set to the legs. This is only a problem with the Interceptor, though: its café-racer Continental GT sister leans you slightly forward and puts your feet further back and closer together. For all but slow rides around town, it’s the more comfortable option.
And that’s all that’s wrong with the bike. With 47 bhp on tap, performance is pretty much identical to the British bikes of the 1960s and 70s that inspired it, but without the self-destructive vibrations. Fuel economy should be good too: it’s an important factor in Royal Enfield’s Indian home market, and helped by a six-speed gearbox.
Fit, finish and paint all appear of excellent quality, and between the Interceptor and the Continental GT there are no fewer than 11 colour-schemes to choose from, so there should be something to appeal to everyone.
For the money (£5,295), it’s not just a good bike, it’s a great bike!
I just wish the accessories were available for it! Apparently, they haven't caught up with the bikes yet.
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Richard Simpson Mark II
- Posts: 3518
- Joined: Tue May 09, 2017 9:03 pm
- Has thanked: 1414 times
- Been thanked: 1669 times
Re: The future's orange
Thanks.
I'm afraid the new Triumph twins never did it for me. They looked like someone had designed them using a christmas cracker model of an original Triumph as a reference.
I'm afraid the new Triumph twins never did it for me. They looked like someone had designed them using a christmas cracker model of an original Triumph as a reference.
