2019 Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 review

It’s not hard to get the feeling that the rise of Royal Enfield over the next decade and beyond will be an inexorable one.

You could easily make that judgement from afar, but after we made a lighting trip to the company’s research and development facility in England a few years ago, followed by the unveiling of the new parallel-twin engine platform in Milan, that sense of big things on the horizon was palpable.

Then in 2018, Bikesales rode the Interceptor 650 and Continental GT650, the first two beneficiaries of the parallel twin engine – and there will undoubtedly be more models to come – at the international launch in Santa Cruz.

The feedback was exceptional – we’d have to say far better than we expected – which amounted to a real a real paradigm shift for the iconic Indian-based company in terms of stopping, going and handling.

The pair has since gone on sale in Australia, with the Royal Enfield Interceptor proving to be the more popular than the Continental GT – which probably makes sense considering it’s more of a sit-up affair compared to the café racer-esque Continental.

The Interceptor’s ergonomics and footpeg placement are more in line with my thinking – I’d still love a spin on the Continental, though! – and that’s why we grabbed it for a spin on Aussie roads to see if the good vibes continue. And they really do – the realisation kicking in literally within a few minutes of leaving Royal Enfield headquarters in Melbourne.

What a delightful machine across so many levels – the real retro deal. And at an attention-seeking sub $10k rideaway price, too.

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The Royal Enfield Interceptor produces such a relaxed mindset, which proves yet again at mega horsepower is not the magic motorcycling recipe. It’s got nothing to do with hairy-chested performance figures, but just beautiful, accessible torque.

“Fun and engaging for experienced hands, but thrilling and unintimidating for novices” is how we described the engine in the launch review, and that comment really hits the mark.

And the service advisor at Urban Moto Imports (the Australia distributor at Royal Enfield), Chas Hern, obviously agrees after riding a knobby-tyred Interceptor 650 in the Australian Classic Dirt Track Championship in Broadford (Vic) on June 9-10. He finished with two seconds and a third across three classes. He’s a gun rider, but that’s still impressive…

A scan of the numbers for the air- and oil-cooled 648cc engine confirms its user-friendliness: 47hp (34.6kW) at 7100rpm and 52Nm at 4000rpm. Eighty per cent of peak torque chimes in at just 2500km, which makes the motor feel even more robust on the Interceptor. You’ll never be punished for selecting the wrong gear. And the fuelling and mapping is spot-on, too, while the slick gearbox and light clutch are also standouts.

Fuel consumption also nudged below the 4lt/100km mark on the open road, where the 202kg Interceptor is more than nimble enough through the twisties with those skinny 18-inch tyres and short wheelbase (1400mm). Impressive ground clearance, too. The tyres are Pirelli Phantom Sport.

The suspension – a non-adjustable 41mm fork and preload-adjustable piggyback shocks – is more than compliant, particularly the low-speed damping on a variety of roads.

The brakes, by Brembo-owned subsidiary ByBre, amount to a twin-piston caliper on the front and a single-piston caliper on the rear. The package is entirely up to the task, although the front was a bit ‘grabby’ at slow, traffic-crawling speeds. I’d also like a hinge on the chrome fuel cap rather than having to find a resting spot at servos…

Meanwhile, tacho and speedo analogue clocks – understandably give the period touches – dominate the cockpit, with a digital inset for some of the other functions such as the fuel and trip meters.

Fun and engaging for experienced riders, totally unintimidating for learners, and great machine for those who just want a cruisy, relaxed ride.

The Interceptor 650 fits the bill in all three departments and I can understand why it’s already been such a big hit in Australia.

There are six colour options – and in my books nothing tops the Orange Crush on test here – while the model is backed up by a three-year unlimited-kilometre warranty.

As Royal Enfield says in its literature about the Interceptor 650: “Easy come, easy go”. Absolutely spot on.

Further afield, we'd love to see an long-legged adventure bike powered by the Interceptor/Continental engine, and while we're at it can Royal Enfield also produce a production version of this?

As we said up front, bright times are ahead...

ENGINE
Type: Air/oil-cooled, SOHC, eight-valve, four-stroke parallel-twin
Capacity: 648cc
Bore x stroke: 78mm x 67.8mm
Compression ratio: 9.5:1
Fuel system: Electronic fuel injection

PERFORMANCE
Claimed maximum power: 47hp (34.6kW) at 7100rpm
Claimed maximum torque: 52Nm at 4000rpm

TRANSMISSION
Type: Six-speed
Clutch: Wet, multi-plate
Final drive: Chain

CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR
Frame: Tubular steel double cradle
Front suspension: 41mm fork, non-adjustable
Rear suspension: Twin shocks, adjustable for preload
Front brakes: Single 320mm disc with twin-piston caliper
Rear brake: Single 240mm disc with single-piston caliper
Tyres: Pirelli Phantom Sport – 100/90-18 front, 130/70-18 rear

DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES
Claimed dry weight: 202kg
Seat height: 804mm
Wheelbase: 1400mm
Fuel capacity: 13.7 litres

OTHER STUFF
Price: $9790 rideaway
Colours: Mark Three, Glitter & Dust, Orange Crush, Ravishing Red, Silver Spectre or Baker Express
Web: www.royalenfield.com.au