Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 Long Term Report: August 2019

Just a few weeks before I got my hands on the Interceptor 650, I bid adieu to my Kawasaki Ninja 250, which I had been using for eight years. Given its stiff suspension and aggressive posture and the horrible state of our roads, touring on it had become marginally more stressful than when I first bought it. With the Interceptor, however, that’s not the case. Over the last month, the Interceptor 650 has pretty much become my weekend vehicle. So far, I have taken it for a few short 200km rides around Mumbai, and I must say it has been quite a breeze – full credit to the upright riding posture and the tall handlebar. High on the comfort quotient, it’s rather easy to munch kilometres with it. Bad roads are managed with reasonable poise too – for the most part. It’s only over moon-surface-like roads where it tends to feel nervous.

Now, a few things that I didn’t quite like. First, I wish the tank was a bit wider – it would have made it a lot easier to grip. The throttle also feels a bit heavy for my liking. While the shifts are predominantly smooth, false neutrals sometimes can be a spoilsport – I have experienced a few on every ride of mine so far.

I really haven’t ridden the Interceptor 650 in the city as much as I would have liked to. Also, I haven’t subjected it to a real-world efficiency test. So, stay tuned to find out more about it in the next long-term report.