Buying used you saved some money but you also bought how the previous owner may have (ab)used the bike. You need to use Maquire's Wax to polish the engine cases as it also leaves a protective layer of wax (see Stuart Fillingham's technique). Hard to blame the leaking fork seals on RE when the previous owner had work done on them. The only issue you list that would concern me is the need for transmission work. You don't know what the previous owner did to it but it was covered under warranty. I would have bypassed the defective sidestand switch. Hard to blame RE for the engine light issue that was caused by aftermarket installation of heated grips. I also would have changed the spark plugs myself. I do all my own maintenance including inspections, tappaet check/adjust, oil and filter change, etc. The dealer has never touched my Interceptor once I took it home when new.
Agreed, thanks for the polish tip, I will check this out! No blame on RE - as you’ve said, who knows how it was ridden before… I just wanted to give an honest account of this bike so far. The transmission is now smoooooooth, literally just collected it. Got be sat back on this machine.
I have had my Royal Continental GT650 in Rocker Red for seven months. I have not had your problems. The riding position is the lean forward type. I prefer the GT650 gear lever to the Interceptor gear lever set up.
Sounds beautiful mate, Im a big fan of the Conti's tank - many people have zero issues, then there's the few that seem to have multiple similar issues!
FYI: The 3000 miles is more of an inspection for road worthiness (for example, a couple of the the 3k interval "services" are greasing ceratain pivot points only) rather than an actual service. 6000 miles are where the valve and oil changes are required. The service center manual can be dowloaded online. (Also... in USA you can do your own maintenance and not void the warranty). I definitely decided against the shinny engine and had to wait an entire year for the black engine models to arrive in the USA ( 2024 GT650 | Apex Grey ) and I couldn't be happier. They DO make black engine covers for you to replace, which I'd do if I wanted to build more a scrambler/off-road bike --> more riding, less polishing. Haha. The 650 twins are DEAD sexy and DEAD easy to maintain from home, and cheap to insure. Replace the relays, upgrade the tires ( and make sure they're balanced ) and you're good to go for the most part. Oh - and the battery tends to take a crap within the 1st 2 years... go lithium to save 8lbs - and of course most aftermarket exhausts are lighter than the stockers. I can't see myself getting rid of my GT650 anytime soon. Cheers!
Thanks for all the info, very much appreciate this! I have debated the covers - although since I may be switching up the bike, I have refrained from spending too much more on modifying the RE for the time being. Agreed with the last paragraph there, it's what makes this thing hard to sell, the title of this video doesn't lie - I love the bike.
Disappointing to hear of the Royal Enfield’s issues. My 2c worth. Unless you need substantial off road ability it’s very hard to look past the Suzuki V strom 650 for solo touring on a budget. I believe the key features on any touring motorcycle used for longer trips should be comfort, economy of use and rock-solid reliability. V strom has always excelled in these particular characteristics for very sensible money. As a bonus it’s great to ride with a lovely smooth engine, large tank, surprisingly good performance and easy handling. Good luck finding your perfect bike.
Agreed the V-strom 650 has a fantastic engine, I think 70bhp which I think is best in class and as you say a big tank and great range. No a looker in my eye, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Difficult to better as a travel bike on a similar budget.
Hi Simon, thank you for this, I haven't looked at the V Strom yet so will be doing some research into that this week. Really appreciate the recommendation.
I replaced my Interceptor with a Vstrom 650 a couple of years ago. I did add the touring seat and hagon shocks, which did improve comfort, but over long distance I still found it tiring. I did over 4000 trouble free miles on it but for me the Vstrom is a better bike. It’s more comfortable over distance, gives better weather protection and has a great engine delivering plenty of power and good fuel economy. Although it does cost more and there’s something about the Interceptor that makes me still miss it!
I have been looking at the V strom, yet as you've said... there is something about the inty that is just beautiful. It's a fun bike, and I really think once the forks are fixed, it could be a lot of fun both on and off the tarmac. It's good to hear your thoughts about the current bike though, thanks for sharing
I had a RE Himalayan for 5 years and, despite enjoying its simplicity and the engine, I'd never buy another Royal Enfield. It had many design faults, imo, and one (dangerous brake line routing) that could have cost me dearly when the hose blew as I came to a junction. Then there's the premature replacement of drive chain, steering head bearings, brake calipers, battery and various hoses. But the biggest problem was the corrosion of various parts and engine and the fork paint peeling, even after rust proof treatment. I've never had a bike go so tatty on me so quickly. Sure, I ride all year round on heavily salted roads, but I did the same with my Japanese bikes and had my Yamaha for 13 years and when I sold it, it had little corrosion on it.
This has hit the nail on the head, the corrosion is a big one... and if you want to ride it year round then thats a never ending battle through the winter. 5 years of ownership I thin warrants a solid opinion! Thanks mate
I think it's part pot luck of the build... and let's be honest, buying used, you never know how previous owners rode or maintained the bike. Glad to hear you have had no issues thus far!
There’s a saying, buy cheap, buy twice. Can’t argue with the used prices of the Interceptor, and I’m sure there are plenty of happy customers who haven’t had a thing go wrong. But levy that against the bike I have which hardly ever goes wrong, and hardly ever has owners complain about it - the Kawasaki W800. Perhaps not as fast as the Interceptor, it’s more of a lazy bike that doesn’t keep urging you to go faster and faster. I saw on one of the owners forums the other days, someone post a picture of their odometer with 100,000 miles on it. But it will cost you more up front to purchase, which you’ll save long term by not having to replace anything that goes wrong.
Totally agree with this mate - although you are right, I do know many people who have had zero major issues... then there's the few that have. The biggest issue with the inty is the corrosion! Hop you are doing well man, appreciate your continued support here
I had the classic 350 for an year and a friend bought the bike from me, combine more then 3 years, around 10k km. Not a single problem with the bike. The J series bikes are very reliable but are small and underpowered for fun rides if that is your thing (talking in general) .. I am still going for another J series bike.. Hunter 350.
Mot of these builds are fine, I have plenty of friends riding around on the 650's with no issues, but a few outliers spring a load of issues... at least thats my experience. 350 sounds like a bit of fun though!
I agree with the constant polishing of the engine cases to keep them shiny.For the last year approximately I have just applied ACF50 periodically and haven't had to polish once .Not ass good as the polish result but acceptable 😊
I am awaiting the full report - once I have collected it, I will be sure to let you know. I do know the whole system has been replaced... apparently it has happened to previous inty's they have sold... this is as much as I currently have.
A Brit is recommending the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650. It seems to be perfectly made for the British. Good for you. I bought and old SV650 in May and have ridden 8000 km on it. I had to top up the cooling liquid once and change the oil. I also wash it once a month.
Mate, I feel for you. I own three RE bikes, a Tribute 500, a G.T.Continental & a 650 interceptor. All mine are black engine finished, I have had nil problems with all three bikes. Perhaps you unfortunately got a “ Friday Afternoon “ job🫣🙈🤣🤣. If you are not familiar with that saying, it means the people putting the bike together were thinking about the fast approaching weekend & didn’t have their mind on the job 🤷🏻♂️🤣🤣. Back around 1980 I purchased a new Honda , the model we called the coke can. It required a gearbox bearing after only a few weeks riding. That bearing took about 18 months to Aquire from Japan. Just trying to put some perspective on your experience. Hopefully all the issues will be resolved soon, & you will have a totally reliable, beautiful RE to enjoy for a long time. Shiny side up, from Australia 🏍😎😁
Thanks for coming by the channel dude! ALL 3! Love the Conti's shape... curios, which is your favourite to ride? This could absolutely be a Friday afternoon build haha, I'll be stealing that.
I've owned my Interceptor now for five years & have just under 55,000 Kms, yes almost 55K! Not so much as a hiccup from this beautiful bike. Just try and pry it from under my ass. I do all my own maintenance & it has never let me down. I've been riding foe 50 plus years & this is the most enjoyable motorcycle I've ever owned. By the way my wife & I ride 200-300 Km per trip all the time here in Ontario Canada.
Love it - I know many that have had very minimal issues and a few that have had multiple. Glad to hear it’s riding smooth man, I love the bike… I’ve just had some issues along the way
One of the most eye opening videos. Fascinating!
Thanks Freddie, you’ll have to let me know when your next about in London… grab a coffee!
Buying used you saved some money but you also bought how the previous owner may have (ab)used the bike. You need to use Maquire's Wax to polish the engine cases as it also leaves a protective layer of wax (see Stuart Fillingham's technique). Hard to blame the leaking fork seals on RE when the previous owner had work done on them. The only issue you list that would concern me is the need for transmission work. You don't know what the previous owner did to it but it was covered under warranty. I would have bypassed the defective sidestand switch. Hard to blame RE for the engine light issue that was caused by aftermarket installation of heated grips. I also would have changed the spark plugs myself. I do all my own maintenance including inspections, tappaet check/adjust, oil and filter change, etc. The dealer has never touched my Interceptor once I took it home when new.
Agreed, thanks for the polish tip, I will check this out! No blame on RE - as you’ve said, who knows how it was ridden before… I just wanted to give an honest account of this bike so far. The transmission is now smoooooooth, literally just collected it. Got be sat back on this machine.
I have had my Royal Continental GT650 in Rocker Red for seven months. I have not had your problems. The riding position is the lean forward type. I prefer the GT650 gear lever to the Interceptor gear lever set up.
Sounds beautiful mate, Im a big fan of the Conti's tank - many people have zero issues, then there's the few that seem to have multiple similar issues!
FYI: The 3000 miles is more of an inspection for road worthiness (for example, a couple of the the 3k interval "services" are greasing ceratain pivot points only) rather than an actual service. 6000 miles are where the valve and oil changes are required. The service center manual can be dowloaded online. (Also... in USA you can do your own maintenance and not void the warranty).
I definitely decided against the shinny engine and had to wait an entire year for the black engine models to arrive in the USA ( 2024 GT650 | Apex Grey ) and I couldn't be happier. They DO make black engine covers for you to replace, which I'd do if I wanted to build more a scrambler/off-road bike --> more riding, less polishing. Haha.
The 650 twins are DEAD sexy and DEAD easy to maintain from home, and cheap to insure. Replace the relays, upgrade the tires ( and make sure they're balanced ) and you're good to go for the most part. Oh - and the battery tends to take a crap within the 1st 2 years... go lithium to save 8lbs - and of course most aftermarket exhausts are lighter than the stockers.
I can't see myself getting rid of my GT650 anytime soon. Cheers!
Thanks for all the info, very much appreciate this!
I have debated the covers - although since I may be switching up the bike, I have refrained from spending too much more on modifying the RE for the time being.
Agreed with the last paragraph there, it's what makes this thing hard to sell, the title of this video doesn't lie - I love the bike.
@@Papanchasonline or... more sensible ... lol
ua-cam.com/video/EGeDdhAYMQM/v-deo.htmlsi=WWjdzmdHBjrBmO2O
Perfect! Thank you for linking this amigo!
Disappointing to hear of the Royal Enfield’s issues. My 2c worth. Unless you need substantial off road ability it’s very hard to look past the Suzuki V strom 650 for solo touring on a budget. I believe the key features on any touring motorcycle used for longer trips should be comfort, economy of use and rock-solid reliability. V strom has always excelled in these particular characteristics for very sensible money. As a bonus it’s great to ride with a lovely smooth engine, large tank, surprisingly good performance and easy handling. Good luck finding your perfect bike.
Agreed the V-strom 650 has a fantastic engine, I think 70bhp which I think is best in class and as you say a big tank and great range. No a looker in my eye, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Difficult to better as a travel bike on a similar budget.
Hi Simon, thank you for this, I haven't looked at the V Strom yet so will be doing some research into that this week. Really appreciate the recommendation.
I replaced my Interceptor with a Vstrom 650 a couple of years ago. I did add the touring seat and hagon shocks, which did improve comfort, but over long distance I still found it tiring. I did over 4000 trouble free miles on it but for me the Vstrom is a better bike. It’s more comfortable over distance, gives better weather protection and has a great engine delivering plenty of power and good fuel economy. Although it does cost more and there’s something about the Interceptor that makes me still miss it!
I have been looking at the V strom, yet as you've said... there is something about the inty that is just beautiful. It's a fun bike, and I really think once the forks are fixed, it could be a lot of fun both on and off the tarmac. It's good to hear your thoughts about the current bike though, thanks for sharing
I had a RE Himalayan for 5 years and, despite enjoying its simplicity and the engine, I'd never buy another Royal Enfield. It had many design faults, imo, and one (dangerous brake line routing) that could have cost me dearly when the hose blew as I came to a junction. Then there's the premature replacement of drive chain, steering head bearings, brake calipers, battery and various hoses. But the biggest problem was the corrosion of various parts and engine and the fork paint peeling, even after rust proof treatment. I've never had a bike go so tatty on me so quickly. Sure, I ride all year round on heavily salted roads, but I did the same with my Japanese bikes and had my Yamaha for 13 years and when I sold it, it had little corrosion on it.
This has hit the nail on the head, the corrosion is a big one... and if you want to ride it year round then thats a never ending battle through the winter. 5 years of ownership I thin warrants a solid opinion! Thanks mate
By contrast, I own a 2019 and a 2021 Interceptor and they have been faultless, so far. I am hoping that your litany of problems has been unusual.
I think it's part pot luck of the build... and let's be honest, buying used, you never know how previous owners rode or maintained the bike. Glad to hear you have had no issues thus far!
There’s a saying, buy cheap, buy twice. Can’t argue with the used prices of the Interceptor, and I’m sure there are plenty of happy customers who haven’t had a thing go wrong. But levy that against the bike I have which hardly ever goes wrong, and hardly ever has owners complain about it - the Kawasaki W800. Perhaps not as fast as the Interceptor, it’s more of a lazy bike that doesn’t keep urging you to go faster and faster. I saw on one of the owners forums the other days, someone post a picture of their odometer with 100,000 miles on it. But it will cost you more up front to purchase, which you’ll save long term by not having to replace anything that goes wrong.
Totally agree with this mate - although you are right, I do know many people who have had zero major issues... then there's the few that have. The biggest issue with the inty is the corrosion! Hop you are doing well man, appreciate your continued support here
I had the classic 350 for an year and a friend bought the bike from me, combine more then 3 years, around 10k km. Not a single problem with the bike. The J series bikes are very reliable but are small and underpowered for fun rides if that is your thing (talking in general) .. I am still going for another J series bike.. Hunter 350.
Mot of these builds are fine, I have plenty of friends riding around on the 650's with no issues, but a few outliers spring a load of issues... at least thats my experience. 350 sounds like a bit of fun though!
I agree with the constant polishing of the engine cases to keep them shiny.For the last year approximately I have just applied ACF50 periodically and haven't had to polish once .Not ass good as the polish result but acceptable 😊
Same here. I use XCP clear coat. Ok, it’s not a show finish, but it’s acceptable.
Id be curios to know your technique (if any!) for applying that to the engine? How it is when it heats up?
@Papanchasonline I just spray it on. The heat doesn't seen to affect it.
Good to know, Ive heard of many techniques for applying it to surfaces that get hot... so nice to know it can be as simple as this
It’s a little bit alarming how many issues you’ve had with it! 😮
It has been quite the journey with this bike... don't get me wrong, I do love it, but don't always feel like I can fully rely on it.
It sounds like you have a good dealer. Many of the Enfield dealers don’t want to honour it.
They have been fantastic - no complaints toward the dealer themselves, have felt very much looked after
hi, what was the issue with the gearbox?
I am awaiting the full report - once I have collected it, I will be sure to let you know. I do know the whole system has been replaced... apparently it has happened to previous inty's they have sold... this is as much as I currently have.
A Brit is recommending the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650. It seems to be perfectly made for the British. Good for you. I bought and old SV650 in May and have ridden 8000 km on it. I had to top up the cooling liquid once and change the oil. I also wash it once a month.
How are you finding your SV?
Mate, I feel for you. I own three RE bikes, a Tribute 500, a G.T.Continental & a 650 interceptor. All mine are black engine finished, I have had nil problems with all three bikes. Perhaps you unfortunately got a “ Friday Afternoon “ job🫣🙈🤣🤣. If you are not familiar with that saying, it means the people putting the bike together were thinking about the fast approaching weekend & didn’t have their mind on the job 🤷🏻♂️🤣🤣. Back around 1980 I purchased a new Honda , the model we called the coke can. It required a gearbox bearing after only a few weeks riding. That bearing took about 18 months to Aquire from Japan. Just trying to put some perspective on your experience. Hopefully all the issues will be resolved soon, & you will have a totally reliable, beautiful RE to enjoy for a long time. Shiny side up, from Australia 🏍😎😁
Thanks for coming by the channel dude! ALL 3! Love the Conti's shape... curios, which is your favourite to ride? This could absolutely be a Friday afternoon build haha, I'll be stealing that.
I've owned my Interceptor now for five years & have just under 55,000 Kms, yes almost 55K! Not so much as a hiccup from this beautiful bike. Just try and pry it from under my ass. I do all my own maintenance & it has never let me down. I've been riding foe 50 plus years & this is the most enjoyable motorcycle I've ever owned. By the way my wife & I ride 200-300 Km per trip all the time here in Ontario Canada.
Love it - I know many that have had very minimal issues and a few that have had multiple. Glad to hear it’s riding smooth man, I love the bike… I’ve just had some issues along the way