Royal Enfield 650 Interceptor Review – Motorcycle Test

Royal Enfield 650 Interceptor Review

Royal Enfield has been on a tear ever since they launched the 650 twin platform to the Australian market early in 2019.

The Interceptor 650 and Continental GT hit the right note from the off. Their launch signalled a dramatic step up in quality and competence from the Indian manufacturer. This saw local distributor Urban Moto Imports sell more than 2500 of the machines to Australian buyers in the first two years. The models also found considerable sales success over the ditch in New Zealand, which I have seen with my own Mark I Eyeball.

Amongst early adopters, around 35 per cent chose the sportier-styled Continental GT, while around 65 per cent plumped for the Interceptor 650 and its more relaxed riding position.

When they first went on sale here five years ago, the Interceptor 650 was priced at $8840 plus on-road costs, and the Continental GT at $8640 plus on-road costs. In the interim we have suffered through the pandemic, which has seemed to inflate the price of everything, motorcycles included. Thankfully though, not too much in this case, with the Interceptor 650 starting from $9690 plus on roads in 2024 and the Continental GT from $9990 plus on-road costs in 2024.

While there are some tweaks for the 2024 model year, essentially, little has changed in regard to the dynamics of the machine.  We get seats that are slightly more comfortable via better padding.  Adjustable levers and improved switch-cubes also debut in 2024 alongside a USB port and LED headlamp.

Added to the range are some new 1970s-inspired takes on the Interceptor, with the ‘Barcelona Blue’ and ‘Black Ray’ options joining the line-up, complete with cast alloys that allow the use of tubeless rubber.  The other departure from the rest of the Interceptor range is the blacked-out engine and exhaust system.

I think the Barcelona Blue model carries off the whole 70s theme the best, as its tank graphic has a bit of the old Hang Ten surf brand to it.  I was also reminded of the old Sundowner edition Ford Panel vans, Sandman Holdens and Drifter Valiants. Job done by the designers, then you could say…

Continuing in 2024 is also the chrome tanked ‘Mark 2’ along with similarly spoked rim and chrome finished engine and exhaust of the ‘Sunset Strip’, ‘Black Pearl’, ‘Canyon Red’ and ‘Cali Green’ offerings.

The sportier-looking Continental GT also gets a couple of dark offerings in 2024. The blacked-out engine, pipes, and alloys feature on the new ‘Slipstream Blue’ and ‘Apex Grey’ offerings.

The chrome engine, pipes and spoked rim look on the Continental GT continues in the ‘Dux Deluxe’, ‘Rocker Red’, ‘British Racing Green models and also in the chrome tanked ‘Mr Clean’.

I got reacquainted with the machines recently and spent the bulk of my time on the more relaxed Interceptor, leaving from UMI’s Pascoe Vale headquarters and braving the cut and thrust of Melbourne’s morning traffic as we headed down the Mornington Peninsula to Arthur’s Seat.

The return run hugged the coast to make for a pretty busy 200-kilometre day by the time we did some photo runs and lunch.

Despite it being pretty damn warm and the somewhat rushed timeline, somehow, the happy-go-lucky nature of the Royal Enfield rubbed off on me, and I kept my cool. After living in the country for going on 15 years, riding in the city, or pretty much doing anything in the city, generally does my head in.  But you know that whole carefree relaxed sort of vibe that Royal Enfield push with their marketing, the Interceptor actually sort of carries that off…

That parallel-twin also plays its part in the whole zen part of the vibe. It has a pleasing timbre to its nature, and while the power delivery is relaxed in comparison to what experienced motorcyclists might be accustomed to, it would feel very muscular indeed compared to just about every other learner legal motorcycle on sale in Australia.

It jumps away from the lights well thanks to decent bottom-end torque, so much so that every red light signalled another drag race amongst the assembled scribes on the ride.

47 horsepower doesn’t sound like much, but it is about as good as it gets for learner bikes. It is the relatively strong bottom-end urge towards its peak torque number of 52 Nm at 5250 rpm that makes the difference.

There are a couple of LAMS bikes that best those numbers, including the much more modern-looking 650NK from CFMOTO. But with most LAMS offerings around 450 cc or smaller, there is not much else in learner land that grunts out of the basement like the Royal Enfield 650s.

Even the water-cooled CFMOTO 650 requires a lot more revs to get up and going, while the Indian bikes just waft along without much throttle required. The way it goes about it is affable enough to also bring a smile to the dial of experienced riders who have spent plenty of time riding motorcycles with four times as much power.

In the city, it’s just about perfect, really. Enough grunt to beat 99 per cent of traffic from the lights and enough instant urge to thread the needle through the gaps in traffic while at speed.

Getting on and off it is a cinch. The riding position is super comfortable and the seat supports you pretty well, for the first couple of hours… But extended stints in the saddle have you moving your bum around in the search for some relief. So while the new seat might be better, it still isn’t great, far from it in fact.

Handling is competent enough. Pegs go down if you are having a crack, and it does struggle with mid-corner bumps, but overall, it’s pleasant enough as long as you aren’t going to play boy racer through the curves. It doesn’t claim to be overly sporting, and it isn’t.

The brakes are, likewise, competent. Ideally, they would have a bit more power and a nicer feel at the lever, but then they would likely overwhelm the standard forks. Thus, on balance, they work with the rest of the machine homogeneously.

Still, when I sampled the original 650s at the world launch in California late in 2018 I was taken aback by how much these machines managed to charm me. I even considered buying one, and know more than a few experienced motorcyclists that did exactly that.  They haven’t lost that ability to charm me, and if I did have to suffer in the city from day to day, I think that one might actually get my money for running around town. Especially with the optional throw-over soft panniers that add a bit more practicality.

Clearly, these bikes are not within a country mile of the all-round ability, dynamics, and touring ability of something like, say, a Honda CB500F, whose handling, comfort and overall dynamics are on another level compared to the Indian machines, but to steal a line from The Castle’s Darryl Kerrigan, ‘it’s just the vibe of it’.

By now some of you are thinking, ‘poor ole Trev has gone a bit soft in the head’, but go try an Interceptor out for yourself some time. Or if you can’t go past the cafe racer looks of the Continental GT, and are a bit more limber in the joints than I, try one of them on for size, they might surprise you.

At around 11k ride away with a three-year warranty and roadside assistance, they do have a fair bit going for them. They even manage to put me in a great frame of mind when battling urban roads, and that’s saying something…

2024 Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 Specifications