• Rejected or didn't receive your confirmation email? Hit the Contact Us link at the bottom of any page to send us a message. We'll get you sorted. ~Jerk

25+ years since my last bike... but feeling drawn towards the INT650

We don't lane split here like they do in Cali so I have no useful opinion on that.

I went from stock to aftermarket mufflers, then after a while removed the baffles and it was a ton of fun.
Then I swapped to a Tec Stinger 2:1 which I'm very happy with. It's much lighter, quiet in the lower revs (I head out to work around 5:15am without waking anyone up) and sounds great in the higher revs, but the weight savings is the big show stopper. I wish I went there sooner.
 
The bikes are cheap, and the aftermarket options vast. Most get modified. Mine is about as stock as you're likely to find.

Better tires
Better battery
Better brake pads
Better chain
(All of which will need to be replaced at some point)

Touring seat
Handlebars
(For comfort)

More preload on the fork springs
Better fork oil
Lowered the fork tubes
(To improve the handling)

16T front sprocket
 
Last edited:
Kampy said:
Thanks for the reply. It's a bit concerning that you being 6'1" felt it was a bit small... as I am 6'3" ... I do know that the "Bear" version of the 650 Twin is a better fit for taller riders, and I love the way the Bear looks... but I have the impression that the Interceptor is more comfortable for touring / long rides due to plusher suspension and upright riding position. I'm now wondering if there are modifications that could make the Interceptor better for tall riders...? Beyond just a thicker seat of course
Click to expand...
I added the motone up and back riser, that helped quite a bit, I also had 3 seats for it, some better, some not much better. I loved the bike, but after 45 minutes I had to get off and stretch , it was just a little too small feeling for me. Try searchtempest.com to see what's on craigslist in a chosen mile radius. Enter the distance you'd travel, Royal Enfield in the for sale\motorcycles and scooters section. I find listing there, and enjoy a weekend out of town with my wife following me home in our car.
I ended up with a barely used 2023 Triumph Scrambler 900 after selling my Interceptor, it's just a better fit for me. The taller front tire on the Bear might be a better fit at your height. You'll have to visit a dealer, hope for a test ride or at least sit on them.
 
StefArmstg said:
If you've ever wondered why the British bikes of the sixties are so beloved, get an Interceptor. It's a retro with the character of an original. Without the hassles. And with a minimum of modern tech.

They come up short when compared to a "modern" bike, but ridden like a bike from the 60s, or 70s, they are as satisfying as my favorite rides from the good old days.

View attachment 36060
Ready for a run through the twisties.
Click to expand...
this is honestly such a good take. its how i ended up with the classic. just felt right when i sat on it, and when i pulled out of a dealer to test drive i made it 200 yards to the red light with the sales guy, pulled up and said lets finish the ride but im buying the bike.
 
Oregonstaffy said:
Go for it, or one of their other great bikes, they're all a lot of fun and very affordable. I bought my Interceptor in Reno with some great accessories installed and low mileage, rode it home 400 miles and loved everything about the bike. It turned out it was a little small for my 72 year old 6'1" body so I sold it. They're great fun to ride, accessories are far more affordable than any other bike I've had and look and sound terrific. IF they'd had the little bit taller scrambler version out a few years ago I'd probably still have that in the garage.
Click to expand...

to each their own of course. i have a classic 350 and although its probably a touch small visually i ride very upright with my bad back (50 but it aint the years its the miles right?) and find it immensely comfortable and no problems with me at 6'2 225lbs and a 5'6 pillion at 130lbs
 
I keep my bikes stock. I did change the seats on both. The Interceptor touring seat, just the plusher bench seat, did make a huge difference. I'll find the part number if you need. The tyres I changed when the ceats wore out. Changing the tyres also made a huge difference. But perhaps more than grip, the bike no longer felt top heavy. I went first with pirellis, now Bridgestone bt46 and I have a set of michelins ready for the next change. I am not completely sure what tyres I will move to on The Bullet. But the bigger point is that I guess if I changed something I'd like it more but I did not feel the need other than the seat. And my bikes will look good in 20 years when i show up wherever just through regular maintenance.
 
Last edited:
Yep, you can buy a used carbureted Bonneville for about $4.000.00 but it will have 30K miles on it. I bought a 2022 INT 650 with 4,000 miles on it last summer at a dealer in the Sacramento area for under 4k out the door. I downsized from a BMW R1100S because of the weight. I'm 6'2" and will be 75 years old this year. and the bike fits me fine. I did upgrade the seat and exhaust just because I've never kept anything stock my entire life. Up in the Sacramento area on Facebook Marketplace, there are about 4-5 INT650's under $4,500.00.

Log into Facebook

Log into Facebook to start sharing and connecting with your friends, family, and people you know.
www.facebook.com www.facebook.com

Log into Facebook

Log into Facebook to start sharing and connecting with your friends, family, and people you know.
www.facebook.com www.facebook.com

Log into Facebook

Log into Facebook to start sharing and connecting with your friends, family, and people you know.
www.facebook.com www.facebook.com

Log into Facebook

Log into Facebook to start sharing and connecting with your friends, family, and people you know.
www.facebook.com www.facebook.com

sfbay.craigslist.org

2019 Royal Enfield INT Interceptor 650 Motorcycle, super nice - motorcycles/scooters - by owner - vehicle automotive...

I'm putting this machine up for a friend. Pretty little mileage, about 6,000, condition excellent. Recent rear tire. Aftermarket free-flowing mufflers, recent oil change. These enfields are among...
sfbay.craigslist.org sfbay.craigslist.org
 
I'm meeting a seller to test ride his 2021 INT650 tomorrow. I'm a bit nervous just because I haven't been on a road bike in a long time. But I'm sure it will all come back to me quickly. I have a fresh helmet / gloves / riding boots, and renting a motorcycle trailer from U-Haul so I can haul it home if I decide to buy it.

Anybody have any advice on what to check for when buying a used Interceptor? I've never ridden one before, so I have no point of reference / comparison. Gonna trust my gut mostly... make sure the motor runs smooth and isn't cutting out or making weird noises / rattles, make sure all the lights work, give it a once-over to look for damage, make sure the title and maintenance records look good... am I missing anything?
 
chasles22 said:
to each their own of course. i have a classic 350 and although its probably a touch small visually i ride very upright with my bad back (50 but it aint the years its the miles right?) and find it immensely comfortable and no problems with me at 6'2 225lbs and a 5'6 pillion at 130lbs
Click to expand...
Interesting: I'm 2" shorter and have a bad back, too - the 350 sits nice, but indeed: a touch small, even for me. I rented one for a couple of days before buying, and it made my back hurt on longer rides (especially with pillion). Got the slightly spacier 650 and that suits me better.
 
Kampy said:
I'm definitely on a budget... not looking to buy new, as spending more than $4K USD right now on anything I don't actually need would be irresponsible... Where would be a good place to check for insurance write-offs? So far I have only browsed the listings on eBay and Facebook Marketplace... where else could I be looking? (I'm in the US)
Click to expand...
I picked up mine on eBay. There is a company over here that specializes in this. Sell complete repairable bikes and also break them and sell the parts. I'm not sure about the US, do a Google search and I'm sure an AI bot will help point you in the direction. Check out eBay for damaged repairable bikes. It did require some patience waiting for the right one to come up.
 
I wouldn't make your decision based on a first ride. I did no comparative rides myself after decades of no riding. When I first got on the Interceptor I wasn't entirely comfortable (feeling every wobble, unsure where adhesion limits were etc...) but that was definitely my years off and not the bike. I have made no changes to my bike other than relays, a windscreen and a more open air intake. I love it now. In fact I have a set of bar risers in the basement I never bothered to put on... Point is if you have the opportunity rely more on comparative first rides between a few different bikes, even going back and forth then do it rather than just saying go/no go on the first bike. Although it is like "riding a bike", it isn't exactly if you know what I mean.
Kampy said:
I'm meeting a seller to test ride his 2021 INT650 tomorrow. I'm a bit nervous just because I haven't been on a road bike in a long time. But I'm sure it will all come back to me quickly. I have a fresh helmet / gloves / riding boots, and renting a motorcycle trailer from U-Haul so I can haul it home if I decide to buy it.

Anybody have any advice on what to check for when buying a used Interceptor? I've never ridden one before, so I have no point of reference / comparison. Gonna trust my gut mostly... make sure the motor runs smooth and isn't cutting out or making weird noises / rattles, make sure all the lights work, give it a once-over to look for damage, make sure the title and maintenance records look good... am I missing anything?
Click to expand...
 
Very nice bike!!

For the record, nothing can be done to successfully waterproof those canvas bags. I have tried seam-sealer for camping tents, silicone sprays (CampDry), and even nanoengineered multi-part warerproofing (NeverWet), the only thing that worked was a set of waterproof bag liners (the ones for the SM's hardbags fit like a glove) which makes it so much more difficult to get things in and out that I only run one of them most of the time.

But on the plus side they are #24 sized bags in that each will fit TWO standard 12-packs of 12 ounce beverage cans.
 
smilespergallon said:
Very nice bike!!

For the record, nothing can be done to successfully waterproof those canvas bags. I have tried seam-sealer for camping tents, silicone sprays (CampDry), and even nanoengineered multi-part warerproofing (NeverWet), the only thing that worked was a set of waterproof bag liners (the ones for the SM's hardbags fit like a glove) which makes it so much more difficult to get things in and out that I only run one of them most of the time.

But on the plus side they are #24 sized bags in that each will fit TWO standard 12-packs of 12 ounce beverage cans.
Click to expand...
Good to know, thanks. I have mixed feelings about those bags/rack. Seller told me they’re meant to fit the Himalayan. On the INT, the rack kinda blocks the rear turn signals, and obviously they sit high… but I like the way they look paired with the Baker Express color way.

I’ll probably take them off for now, but in the future I will probably get an aftermarket exhaust that sits lower, and then I might try to figure out how to mount these canvas bags to sit lower than the seat. Maybe I’ll fab up a rack for them from scratch, or hack apart & retrofit this Himi rack to fit better.

Luckily I live in Southern California where it rarely rains so waterproofing is not a huge priority.
 
PaulHW said:
Congrats, looks sweet and very clean 👍
Low miles?
Interesting, I see you have a steering damper.
How does that feel?
I'm looking at fitting one on mine after a high speed wobble over a tarmac ridge 🙄
Click to expand...
Thanks. I agree it looks sweet… I feel a connection with the Baker Express color way because of its similarities to my beloved California state flag.

As for mileage… that’s what almost made me walk away. The seller had told me it had 9,000. When I checked, I saw that was just the trip meter, and the actual odometer was at 29,950. He apologized for the “mix up” and I knew he was probably trying to trick me.

However, the bike is in excellent condition for being high mileage, it has never been dropped (I checked all the usual spots for evidence of a drop and found nothing) and the rest of my interactions with the seller seemed fine and didn’t set off any red flags. I ended up using the high mileage (and worn tires) as a negotiating point and got him to agree to a price a few hundred bucks lower than I expected him to go.

In spite of the high mileage… I still find it hard to believe I have a real 650cc motorcycle that’s only 5 years old, looks this cool, runs this smooth, and I paid less for it than 3 of the bicycles & e-bikes I own. Royal Enfield seem like an incredible value and I can’t believe I didn’t know much about the brand until about a month ago!

Oh yeah- the dampeners. The seller had installed those because he was using this bike to commute and lane-split and wanted to be more stable on uneven conditions / road reflectors, etc. they feel fine to me but remember, I haven’t ridden regularly for over 25+ years so I have no reference points of comparison. I plan to remove them because I don’t like the way they look, and don’t think I’ll be doing a ton of lane-splitting here in the SoCal traffic… this bike is not gonna be a commuter, it will be used for recreational rides and some long touring / road trips.
 
Last edited:
Nice looking INT650. If you wear boots and wish to raise the shift lever, BEWARE. It will hit the foot peg bracket and not engage the up-shifts completely. It does have a right and left hand heim joint and rod so it adjusts easily. I have ground a notch in my lever to get a size 12 boot under it comfortably. Some have blown 3rd gear by not engaging all the way.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom