First Impressions on 17-inch wheels for my custom Royal Enfield Interceptor 650

[@B0M0A0K]

The bike looks great with these wheels fitted. It really suits the look of the bike. The tyres have a semi "knobbly" look which also makes the bike look more aggressive. Nice! Here's a tip for you the next time you have to do the rear wheel on your own. I always use a length of wood with a wooden block in the middle, rather like a seesaw. You put the end of the length of wood under the wheel and then kneel on the opposite end. The level effect will make it much easier to lift the wheel while keeping both hands free to do the fiddly bits. I have used this technique for many years.

[@thesundayrides]

Thanks, Brian! And thanks for the great tip!

[@kdsowen2882]

I've always done the-same using a spade..works well ! Dave nz

[@mrbritesideoftheroad]

Looks great Max👌👌👌
So good to hear that You love the way She looks and handles ☺️
Even better is to see You so happy !! 🫶

[@thesundayrides]

Thank you very much, buddy! Yes, she made my week. It was a tough week (and month) but knowing this latest upgrade was so successful, it compensated some other failures in other aspects of life :) bikes rule!

[@SaurabhSingh-lr8tt]

This bike makes me feel like buying the INT650 again, I sold mine and getting a SM650 now. But still. This stays pure

[@thesundayrides]

Thank you brother! How is super meteor? Looks attractive to me!

[@SaurabhSingh-lr8tt]

I always loved low rides, and compared to the INT650, the less GC and straight exhaust pipes makes it look like its sweeeping the floor like a red carpet. Also I like how the weight is distributed overall, but yes, coming from an INT650, I could not find any difference in riding pleasure.@@thesundayrides

[@MonsieurFromLondon]

Great video Max, your bike looks awesome, and one can feel the emotion in your voice when you describe the positive impact of these changes.

[@thesundayrides]

Thanks very much, Nico!

[@darylwootton5217]

They ended up looking great and if the change is bringing you joy, that makes it a nice addition to your bike.
Looking forward to whatever is next.

[@thesundayrides]

Thanks, Daryl! There are a few more things coming!

[@douglaswilson4814]

Congratulations my friend, bike looks terrific. All your modifications are very well done. I love you’re enthusiasm when you talk about your bike.

[@thesundayrides]

Thanks Douglas! Thanks for your nice words!

[@nickyfield137]

The new wheels look great, glad the handling suits what you want from it. The whole bike looks good too, though for me a nice big round lamp would suit it. The bars definitely look better than the cafe raver ones and more comfortable. Good work

[@thesundayrides]

Thanks, Nick! 100%! And also agree with your thoughts on the headlamp. I like what Nico (from Nico's bike episode) did to his headlight. Something like his would look great.

[@ste1984jonesy]

Stunning

[@thesundayrides]

Thank you!

[@ModsBlade71]

Thanks for sharing!!😊😊

[@thesundayrides]

Thanks, buddy!

[@get_to_the_lunchbox]

Looking really nice. You've put a lot of work into that bike and it's paying off! When it comes to money spent it doesn't matter when it's a bike you love.

[@thesundayrides]

Thank you very much, buddy! Absolutely agree with you on the money. Let’s face it, money will be spent. And there are much worse ways than spending them on a bike!

[@godwinflores4819]

@@thesundayridesi really love the build! i have been considering switching to 17” rims in chrome. mind telling me the rim sizes of the front and rear? i’d really appreciate it!

[@thesundayrides]

@@godwinflores4819 Hey there! Thanks! Sure. Front is 17x3.0, rear is 17x3.5. It depends on the tires you want to fit. Find the recommended rim width for your chosen tires. By the way, my previous episode has some good advice on how to choose the rims: ua-cam.com/video/rnbBg5fp97c/v-deo.html

[@godwinflores4819]

@@thesundayrides thank you for that info, it's really helpful. God bless

[@thesundayrides]

@@godwinflores4819 most welcome!

[@srivinayakamusic]

Thanks for this vid and for this channel! Amazing. Greatings from Buenos Aires.

[@thesundayrides]

You are welcome! Hello to Argentina!

[@SunnyBanerjeePlus]

great job done mate

[@thesundayrides]

Thanks a lot, bro!

[@motormikeb1047]

I direct other RE 650 riders to this forum to find what works and more importantly what doesn't. I enjoy me Interceptor, in Ravishing Red ! .... and in time I'll upgrade components based on this site... Last year I soloed nearly 2000 miles... mostly interstate system... silky smooth at 75mpg... I hope to do more miles with smiles this season... 😎

[@thesundayrides]

Thank you very much for it, Mike!
Red is very tasty. Red was one of my options, but couldn't find a bike of year/mileage in red.
Miles and Smiles! Yes!

[@stevef8065]

Great looking wheels…..thank you for sharing your upgrades…..greetings from California USA

[@thesundayrides]

Hi Steve! Thanks a lot for your kind words! Greetings to California! It’s one of my dreams to ride there!

[@andreastomblin2137]

Looks amazing Max!! It might be an optical illusion but visually it looks to me like the back end has been shortened, in a good way. Great content again. Ride safe!

[@thesundayrides]

Hey Andreas, and thanks! No, it's an illusion. After swapping the wheels I left with thoughts about shortening the rear end. But I can't find a good solution to carry my wingman tent in that case.

[@andreastomblin2137]

@@thesundayrides I don't think you need to personally. The proportions looks really good.

[@LazTon]

Bro you have to paint the tank to to make it ultimate build! Looking good!

[@thesundayrides]

I thought about it! 800 quid…

[@LazTon]

@@thesundayrides yeah but I think it worth it 🤙

[@thesundayrides]

@@LazTon I should probably start crowdfunding compaing

[@pjp6134]

Nice job Max. What I've found refitting rear wheel it's a little easier if you unbolt the brake caliper. Then refit it once the axle bolt is through. I just bought buckhorn bars for mine. Will be swapping from the baak flat track bars.

[@thesundayrides]

Thanks, Phil! Yes, will unbolt the brake caliper next time, thanks for a good tip! Wow, just google buckhorn bars. I am curious to see how the bike will look and handle with those bars! Please let me know when you finish with it!

[@pjp6134]

@@thesundayrides google "el presedente 650"

[@SergeidFedotov]

Hi, Max! I was waiting during the whole video for before and after photos. Can you post them sometime?

[@thesundayrides]

Hey Sergei! Yes! You are right! I always forget about it!

[@timothybrockbank7474]

Lovely machine

[@thesundayrides]

Thanks, Timothy!

[@darylwootton5217]

Glad to see hear the changes have been better than expected.
Bike looks great and if you’re happy with the results it’s all good.
You’ll have a much broader range of tire choices moving forward, did you seal the rim so you can run tubeless tires ?

[@thesundayrides]

Hey Daryl! Finaly! I did something that actually exceeded expectations. Previously the bar was raised to high by the reviews, that they were barely matched. Now I am happy. Hopefully I am not setting the bar too high for others. :)
I wanted to seal the rim at first, but than I was recommended to simply run tubeless tyres with tubes. And that's what I did. So far so good.

[@antonbabych3481]

Amazing upgrade! 👍👍👍 What can you tell about maximum speed or any feelings, what is bike behaviour on 6th gear (rpm/speed)???

[@thesundayrides]

Thanks, Anton! So far so good! I tried it at 75mph for 20 minutes and it was rock solid. On previous wheels/tyres going over lane markings caused uncomfortable wobbles, not anymore with these new tyres and wheels. I don’t know about rpm, as my new custom speedo doesn’t have revcounter.

[@antonbabych3481]

@@thesundayrides Thank you for the answer. However did you note any significant loss of speed at the same rpm as per your own feelings? In theory it should be if we change the wheel diameter from 18 to 17. But practically what is your opinion?

[@thesundayrides]

@@antonbabych3481 yes, you are right. But in reality it isn’t noticeable. I am going to fit a small front sprocket to further improve acceleration, I think that will make a noticeable difference.

[@YouMotorcycle]

Another great video. What part of the rear tire reinstall was giving you a hard time?

[@thesundayrides]

Everything! Trying to line up the wheel, make sure that the spacers stay there, getting the chain all and disk slide into the calipers ... it was a nightmare. obviously i don't know the "technique"

[@YouMotorcycle]

​@@thesundayrides I haven't removed the rear wheel on this bike ever so... maybe what I'm going to say is helpful, or maybe it's totally wrong and bad lol.
I have your video paused at 5:00 - is it the rear stand holding the swing arm so high up that made it difficult?
First I'd lower the jack stand in the middle so only your front tire and your rear stand are supporting the bike.
Now that your jack stand is free, slide it to the back of the frame and lift the jack stand so now your jack stand and front tire are supporting the weight and you can pull your rear stand out and sell it. Your bike has a center stand you don't need that lol
Next, just adjust the height on the jack stand to where you can just lift the swing arm with one hand while you can roll the wheel in with the other. If you're having issues with the spacers falling out of place you can use tape, dental floss, whatever, as a temporary extra set of hands.

[@thesundayrides]

This makes a lot of sense! Thanks for a very good tip. I didn’t think of it and it made an easy job difficult!

[@elwood62]

Cool to see it all come together it looks great. Not surprising that it handles better. It can’t be coincidence that sport bikes almost all use 17” wheels. How does it work, do they use your existing hub on a new rim?

[@thesundayrides]

It can't be, no. I was worried that quicker turning may result in compromises at higher speeds, but now - at all legal speeds bike is handling well. And interceptor can't do much faster anyway.
It depends on your budget and if you want spare set or not. In my case I brought my old wheels and they used the hub, but you can also buy hub separately.

[@BlackdogADV]

Thanks for the video! I want a 19” front. Not sure if I’ll do it myself or take it to a wheel builder.

[@thesundayrides]

You are welcome! Sounds like a great project. What are your expectations?

[@BlackdogADV]

@@thesundayrides better knobby tire selection. 19” will give my scrambler an edge as far as smoothing out rough terrain. I use this bike for camping and exploring dirt and gravel roads. I just got this bike and I’ll see how the stock tires do first.

[@thesundayrides]

@@BlackdogADV sounds good! Have you seen Malle Mile's interceptor? Dope front wheel. Probably even bigger than 19'!

[@kevizakiekeditsu7163]

Those handlebar are awesome
Can you please give me the size , height, width

[@thesundayrides]

thanks, they are really good - check out Flat Tracker bars on BAAK website

[@devashishbhardwaj3056]

both wheels are 17inch?

[@thesundayrides]

Yes my brother, both are!

[@Intrudercaferacer]

im having problems to find spokes, do you remember the lenght of the spokes??? thanks man

[@thesundayrides]

No, I don’t know, sorry I can’t help. You can try contacting Salisbury Wheel builders, the guy who build my wheels.

[@shaunhill7264]

The wheels look perfect max ………I think you’ve just cost me a lot of money 😂

[@thesundayrides]

Thanks, Shaun! I know...it took me half a year to get comfortable with the expenses. But it was all well worth it!

[@stephenkearney8589]

Hi Max, I've just stumbled across your channel and I found your video interesting. One of the things that puts me off the otherwise excellent Interceptor is that the saddle height is too tall for me - hence my interest. Can you please explain 1. Why did you want to reduce your wheel sizes in the first place - what gave you the idea? 2. Why 17 inch? (as opposed to any other size) 3. What were you trying to achieve? 4. If it handles so much better with 17" wheels, as you say, why didn't Royal Enfield select this size in the first place?
Thanks for the interesting piece.
Stephen

[@thesundayrides]

Hey Stephen! Thanks!
0. There are lowering shocks available, may be that can do the trick for you. But I agree, it is higher than a few other modern classics. Triumph speed twin (much more expensive) seems to be lower. I can't flat foot the bike, but it has never been a problem for me. Personal preference perhaps.
1. The idea was mainly to change the look of the bike. I hated the look of the narrow rear tyre. I wanted a very different wheel at first (see me previous video), but I was talked out of the idea. I also wanted quicker handling.
2. I talked about it in my previous video, if you have time, please watch it. I wanted 16" as seen on Bike Shed's interceptor. But was talked out.
3. I enjoy the process of working on the bike, customizing and deciding on the next step as I make one. For me, the journey is more important than the destination. (otherwise, I travel by car!) :)
4. I don't know. I think 18" is more "retro". But have a look at many other modern classics, they all have 17" options: Triumphs, Kawasaki, Honda, etc.
Thanks for your good comment buddy!
Max

[@stephenkearney8589]

Thanks for the solid answers, Max.

[@kdsowen2882]

Did ou change the-gearing ? (sprockets ) Dave nz

[@thesundayrides]

Hi Dave! Not yet! But I am going to. However, I am going to reduce the front sprocket size and go for a 14T to further increase the acceleration at the cost of the top speed and higher revs.

[@rifayahamed2640]

Ні Max,
I am also planning to installation excel rim on my interceptor with the size of 17x3.5" front & 17x4.25" rear. This rim width sizes are perfect or I need to go with different width on same 17inch rim ?
Please advise.

[@thesundayrides]

Hello Rifay! This seems a bit too wide for me, however, it should fit. please watch the first part of my video, because you need to start from choosing the tyres.

[@rifayahamed2640]

Thanks Max. I will watch your first video

[@Intrudercaferacer]

did you had any problems with the ABS?

[@thesundayrides]

Hello! No, absolutely no problem!

[@fluffyx7444]

Is your tec shocks on standard height or lowered?

[@thesundayrides]

They are on standard height.

[@kshetrimayumsingh7959]

she is just so attractive now😍😍😍

[@thesundayrides]

Yes, absolutely agree!