2021 Royal Enfield Interceptor 650

Today’s motorcycle manufacturers have survived decades of booms and plateaus at best. Several have faced bankruptcy and never recovered. Coming through was no easy task and today’s challenge is delivering what informed motorcycle consumers want while meeting ever tightening euro requirements.

Boasting 120 years of history, the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 is able to proudly check these boxes with offerings at the entry level to ride on the thriving trend for classic styled machines. Design elements tracing back to the company’s roots- check. Technology to satisfy basic commuter needs - check. Modern materials - check. Not breaking the bank - check.

Taking on the silhouette of the British Standard Motorcycle template, the Interceptor comes with a 650cc parallel twin and a 270 degree firing order. For the unfamiliar, this means usable power in a very accessible rev range, pleasant engine vibes and a great exhaust note for city riding. An inline-4 engine would need time to buzz up before delivering torque, horses and the essential exhaust note for riding pleasure. This makes the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 at home in the city and on urban roads all over Singapore. She will make for some fun riding within local speed limits or exceed them if you get carried away.

Detailing is ace, for the budget that it is, we’re hard pressed to fault that department. Paint carries on the retro theme with colours touching on cream or enamel tones. Time proven halogen lamps feature all around, although bullet turn signals would have completed the period look. Budget and simplicity is also reflected in the switch gear on the handlebars. Buttons you’d find on motorcycles 10 years ago reflect the simple, budget conscious agenda of this machine. It’s a refreshing look. Away from the increasing information overload of modern machines with buttons short of 1 to scratch your nose. The Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 does not look or feel intimidating for what it is, a period themed, simple seaside lifestyle machine.

Fans of the retro/classic motorcycle genre will love the interceptor for price point and ability to age well. Patina being a desire here, the polished aluminum covers will slowly cloud over, cream tones will yellow slightly and with care, chrome on the dual exhausts will continue to give that cold mirror shine. With good care, the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 will age well along-side larger rivals in the scene. Friendly looks, easy going personality and just a hint of a racer with the Monza-style locking fuel cap. If there was a little something to point out on this bike, the bench style seat has enough foam to please. It's plush, soft and great for saddle time but it felt like there was an odd soft crest down the center. It wasn’t invasive but was enough to stay at the back of our mind the entire ride. Maybe we’re all just heavy enough that we get through the foam to the form of the seat.

Behind the British Standard Motorcycle template in the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 lies a new twin cradle frame for handling and responsiveness. In city traffic the Interceptor makes for very responsive riding, not hasty to pull off from traffic lights but steady constant power to pull ahead from most of the daily traffic encountered.

This adds to the lure of its mid-sized twin rather than the big brother in-line 4s, more at home screaming into high RPMs on long highway roads. Any bigger and the Interceptor might probably propel itself to speeds beyond necessary between traffic lights and lose fuel economy which we found to be very fair and easy on the wallet.

Gear shifts on Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 are notch free and certain, almost to the point of magnetism. Royal Enfield plays this down to what it proudly boasts as “Perfect Ratio Spacing” in the 6 speed gearbox. We have no complaints. The gearbox runs with an assisted slipper clutch for lighter clutch pulls and less surge under engine braking.

A 41mm non adjustable fork and Nitrogen charged twin rear piggyback shocks keep the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 composed in a world beyond the 60s. 6 different preload settings on the rear allow for simple adjustments. In real world riding at factory settings, the suspension is plush, basic and soaks up whatever the road throws at it.

The retro theme look is completed with 18inch spoked rims front and back, running on Pirelli Sportcomp tyres. Old looking but good looking modern shoes. Braking is undeniably modern with 2 channel Bosch ABS on Bybre Calipers (read: By Brembo), a 320mm single disc in front and a 240mm disc out back. No drums!

With all said and done, the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 comes to the showroom floor at a machine price of $11400, inclusive of road tax but no COE. Good value for a mid sized, low hassle, low tech, urban navigator that won’t break the bank.

Tri333ple - See You On The Road

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Credits: TRI333PLE