Royal Enfield Interceptor 650

Introduction

The Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 is available at an ex-showroom price ranging between 2.82 lakhs-3.04 Lakhs. It comes in three variants: STD BS VI, Custom BS VI and Chrome BS VI. The bike features 7 attractive colour options, and overall, the performance and quality of this bike is commendable, with the finest engine in its segment. 

How is the design? 

Coming to the design, the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 sports a modern classic design, and inspired from the original Interceptor, introduced in the 60s’. With Interceptor 650, the rider is promised a relaxed riding position and experience. It, in fact, also captures the essence of the Classic British Roadster. The wide handlebars of the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 are paired with low-foot pegs, necessitating an upright and comfortable riding experience. A tear-drop shaped fuel tank is featured in the bike, and the clean lines and diamond quilted seats add to the premium quality of the bike. 

How is the performance?

Overall, the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 has been able to deliver a good road-performance, and it offers the rider with a comfortable riding experience, on every road condition, over potholes, speed-breakers, and in humid and hot conditions. After all, the 648 cc, air cooled engine is undeniably the glory of this bike, and once the throttle is whacked open, the revs climb past 4,000rpm, all the way to 7,000rpm, propelling the rider forward. The engine has the capacity to generate a peak torque of 52Nm at 5,250rpm, and a maximum power of 47.65ps at 7,150rpm, with disc brakes both at the rear and front. With the update, the engine of this bike is slightly better sounding and offers better fuel efficiency as well. 

How does the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 ride? 

The overall ride quality of the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 is impressive and it apparently shares the same features with the original interceptor. As it appears, the components such as the brakes and suspensions are the same as before, and understandably impressive. The performance test suggests that the braking figures of this bike is the best that have been recorded ever. However, the ride quality of the new Interceptor does not vary, and its suspension is positioned on the softer side, and might not deliver as much performance over the deeper potholes. This may be one of the noticeable downsides of this bike. Adding to some discomfort of the rider as well as the pillion is its narrow seat. 

How comfortable is the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650? 

The 648cc, air-cooled, parallel-twin engine of the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 is believed to be its crowning glory. Thus, the bike has the capacity to porter around at low revs. The bikes provide a good riding stance to the riders, ensuring they are upright and straight, making it ideal for even long rides. However, the suspension being on the softer side is a noticeable drawback of the bike, and therefore, deeper potholes can be a problem for the riders. The seats are not so cushioned and narrower than most of the other bikes in the same segment, and this might be a little discomfort for the riders, while they cruise through the city. Despite all the downsides, the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 is one of the most ideal bikes for enthusiasts as well as for the purpose of daily commuting. 

How's the tech? 

The bike features almost all the basic and advanced techs one can possibly think of, and therefore, a list of features is added below:

• Speedometer Analogue
• Gear Indicator
• Tachometer Analogue
• Fuel Warning Indicator
• Low Oil Indicator
• Fuel Gauge
• Engine Kill-Switch
• Tripmeter Type Digital
• Clock
• Trip Metre Count
• Pass Light 

How's the mileage of the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650? 

As claimed by Royal Enfield, the Interceptor 650 returns a mileage of 25.50 Kmpl.  However as reported by the owners of this bike, it offers a fuel economy of 23 Kmpl. The ARAI mileage for all the variants of the Interceptor 650 is 36.64 Kmpl. 

Is the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 good value for money? 

Overall, the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 has been able to deliver a good performance, in terms of design, performance, and comfort. Most of the features of the new Interceptor 650 are same as the original, and it is believed to be an ideal ride, especially for Indian roads and a practical motorbike for city commuting. There are only a few reasons for not buying this bike, and considering its on-road performance, price and fuel-economy, it is one of the best bikes in its segment. It has all the capacity to deliver good value to customers. 

How is the after sales service? 

As estimated, the maintenance cost of the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 is around 9,899 for five years. Royal Enfield has 5 service schedules for its Interceptor 650, and the first service is offered after 5000 Km, from the date of purchase, while the second service is delivered after 10,000 Km. The third service is offered after 20,000 Km, with the fourth being offered after 30,000 Km. The fifth service is provided after 40,000 Km, while the sixth is offered after 50,000 Km, and it is free of cost. 

Which motorbikes compete in this segment? 

There are many other motorbikes competing in the same segment as the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650, and the most notable ones include the KTM 390 Duke, Harley Davidson Street 750 and Kawasaki Ninja 300. 

Verdict (Value for money)

With a hefty price tag of over 3 Lakh Rs, the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 is expected to deliver value for money. It is undeniable that the bike has been able to deliver superior performance in terms of design, performance, comfort and so on. It is, in fact, better than most of the other bikes competing in the same segment, retaining the elegance of the original Interceptor. Therefore, the riders would be able to get a quality riding experience with this bike. Not only it is ideal for daily commuting, but also for long rides.