Wow, I need some sunglasses. That's a lotta BLING!
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Royal Enfield Interceptor 2019
- Thread starter Raymond
- Start date
Looks fantastic Raymond!!
Beautiful!
Do I see an upgraded front brake?
Do I see an upgraded front brake?
Nice Raymond!
I see lots of extras on that bike and I love the chrome tank. You’ll have to give us a list of all the add ons, after you get back from riding of course!
And what kind of mufflers are those? I like them, looks Commando!
I see lots of extras on that bike and I love the chrome tank. You’ll have to give us a list of all the add ons, after you get back from riding of course!
And what kind of mufflers are those? I like them, looks Commando!
So far only been out for one short ride through the village. The bike feels so smooth, the control are so light, it all feels very new.
Have adjusted the handlebar - loosened the clamp and rolled them down and back. Still feel a bit high, might remove the bar risers that have been fitted. The Commando style silencers are aftermarket - originals supplied with the bike. Fork spring pre-load adjusters have been fitted, also I think those are Hagon shocks though the name must have been removed - there's a pair of what I think are the original shocks supplied too. The bike has adjustable hand levers and again the originals are supplied.
The fly-screen, the engine bars, the rack are all aftermarket. All are under consideration - might be taken off.
@willis plenty bling but that chrome tank looks much better in the metal than in a photo. @jetmechmarty I don't think that's an upgraded brake but not totally sure.
@Mailman I don't know the origins of those commando style silencers/mufflers. If I was fussy - me fussy? - I would say the exhaust system is too long and too far out to the side. Maybe somebody can supply a more tucked in system? But the good news is they sound great, proper motorbike noise and not too loud. Given the desert sled DNA shown by the braced bars, a set of TT pipes tucked under the engine would look great, but would probably be far too loud and get in the way of the drain plug.
Have adjusted the handlebar - loosened the clamp and rolled them down and back. Still feel a bit high, might remove the bar risers that have been fitted. The Commando style silencers are aftermarket - originals supplied with the bike. Fork spring pre-load adjusters have been fitted, also I think those are Hagon shocks though the name must have been removed - there's a pair of what I think are the original shocks supplied too. The bike has adjustable hand levers and again the originals are supplied.
The fly-screen, the engine bars, the rack are all aftermarket. All are under consideration - might be taken off.
@willis plenty bling but that chrome tank looks much better in the metal than in a photo. @jetmechmarty I don't think that's an upgraded brake but not totally sure.
@Mailman I don't know the origins of those commando style silencers/mufflers. If I was fussy - me fussy? - I would say the exhaust system is too long and too far out to the side. Maybe somebody can supply a more tucked in system? But the good news is they sound great, proper motorbike noise and not too loud. Given the desert sled DNA shown by the braced bars, a set of TT pipes tucked under the engine would look great, but would probably be far too loud and get in the way of the drain plug.
Been to the shops - the Interceptor's first useful run.
Home again, for some reason decided to swap seats. Humped 'comfort' seat fitted in place of the standard 'plank'.
Took the little Hepco & Becker rack off coz it might look daft with the humped seat. Some might say the humped seat looks a bit daft anyhoo? Mrs has already expressed an opinion - not impressed with what's on offer to the pillion.
Looks a bit less daft from some angles:
From above, reminds me of the more-style-than-comfort Giuliari 2:4 seat we used on Hiro Hito the Z1B which lived with us for nineteen years. We used a standard dual seat for longer journeys. But if anything, this seat promises to be a good deal less uncomfortable than the Giuliari was.
Sounds like a test ride is needed.
Home again, for some reason decided to swap seats. Humped 'comfort' seat fitted in place of the standard 'plank'.
Took the little Hepco & Becker rack off coz it might look daft with the humped seat. Some might say the humped seat looks a bit daft anyhoo? Mrs has already expressed an opinion - not impressed with what's on offer to the pillion.
Looks a bit less daft from some angles:
From above, reminds me of the more-style-than-comfort Giuliari 2:4 seat we used on Hiro Hito the Z1B which lived with us for nineteen years. We used a standard dual seat for longer journeys. But if anything, this seat promises to be a good deal less uncomfortable than the Giuliari was.
Sounds like a test ride is needed.
Hi-Rider was GENIUS, genius I tell you.
Thank you, Marty! But on style, that Norton surely sets a low bar?
I’m afraid so. I saw one at the Vicksburg Motorcycle Show in 2021. It was perfectly preserved because it has become so rare. I fear XS650 Specials may face a similar demise. They may live on, but only in an altered state.
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Serious bling Raymond! Your new ride is beautiful. I do like that flatter seat with the rear rack. 
Can't wait to see your photos out in that beautiful countryside of yours.
Can't wait to see your photos out in that beautiful countryside of yours.
I know you haven't ridden it much yet but I'm really looking forward to your take on how it compares to our 650. I really like the RE and have considered getting one. Not too many new bikes interest me but this one does. I actually took one for a test ride a year or so ago. It was nice, but one short test ride isn't much to go on.
Aftermarket seats on a couple. I like eat on the white and red tank with the knee pad bike the best.
Looking Good Raymond. What is first ride impression compared to the W800??
Gentlemen, first impressions after about twenty miles. The bike feels new. I haven't opened the engine up to any extent but feels like there is plenty potential go! There's more mechanical feeling from the engine that I expected - that's good because I don't want a bike with the character of a vacuum cleaner. Sounds very 'motorbike'. It rides very solid. Dead stable. Tried thinking what impression I get from the suspension but there is none. So I guess the suspension is just doing its job without any fuss. Unlike the Pirelli tyres. They are narrow and very round and that's fine, giving good, quick turning BUT riding down our back lane, which is grassy and wet, the rear tyre gives no grip. Squirms and slithers, feels worse than W800 or XS650. The first & last 50 yards are the trickiest part of every ride and that's even more with the Interceptor.
As I said, feels new so everything works - all controls are light and crisp, for example, the six-speed gearbox you hardly need to move the lever, just a nudge and it's in the next gear. No clunk engaging first even first time in the morning. The throttle is slightly heavier than the W800 but that helps damp the reaction to throttle at low revs/speeds, if you know what I mean?
The bike is short but feels long, so as said above, have rolled the bars back a bit. The fly-screen adds to that impression of length so I might see what it difference it makes without it.
Will adjust these impressions when I start to use the bike with a bit more élan.
But definitely liking it.
As I said, feels new so everything works - all controls are light and crisp, for example, the six-speed gearbox you hardly need to move the lever, just a nudge and it's in the next gear. No clunk engaging first even first time in the morning. The throttle is slightly heavier than the W800 but that helps damp the reaction to throttle at low revs/speeds, if you know what I mean?
The bike is short but feels long, so as said above, have rolled the bars back a bit. The fly-screen adds to that impression of length so I might see what it difference it makes without it.
Will adjust these impressions when I start to use the bike with a bit more élan.
But definitely liking it.
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It's raining today - not in itself any surprise - and bearing in mind that this Interceptor has never even seen rain in its life . . . Well, it drizzled a bit yesterday on the way back from Galashiels so while that may well have been true, it's not quite true anymore.
What I'm saying is that I was tempted into the garage to look at the bike but not tempted to go out on the mucky, salty roads. Dry up later? And the thing that occurred to me was to remove the little white sticker just about visible ahead of the fuel filler in one or two pictures. I have a bad (?) habit of removing silly information/warning stickers put there one supposes to appease legislators but offend the purity of the lovely paint.
Soon regretted that move.
Usually all that is needed is to gently prise up one corner with a thumbnail and slowly peel back. Not this sticker! Made of sterner stuff. And attached with glue that appears to resist white spirit, paraffin (kerosene to our N American friends), isopropyl alcohol (99.9%). No acetone thinner to hand but I wouldn't have used it anyway, just in case it damaged that lovely paint.
I resisted the temptation to use anything more damaging than fingernail to work at the sticker. I resisted the temptation to soften the sticker with a heat gun. I'm sure that judicious use of the heat gun would have had that USE ONLY PETROL TYPE E5 E10 info off there in quick time but I'm blessed/cursed with a vivid imagination and every time I played that scenario it ended up with the firm conclusion I really didn't want to do that.
The non-information sticker - filling stations I'm liable to visit sell E5, E10 and diesel fuel so not much room for confusion - that little sticker held out and resisted removal down to the last square millimetre. My thumb has still not forgiven me.
Ah, another hour of quality bonding time in the garage . . .
What I'm saying is that I was tempted into the garage to look at the bike but not tempted to go out on the mucky, salty roads. Dry up later? And the thing that occurred to me was to remove the little white sticker just about visible ahead of the fuel filler in one or two pictures. I have a bad (?) habit of removing silly information/warning stickers put there one supposes to appease legislators but offend the purity of the lovely paint.
Soon regretted that move.
Usually all that is needed is to gently prise up one corner with a thumbnail and slowly peel back. Not this sticker! Made of sterner stuff. And attached with glue that appears to resist white spirit, paraffin (kerosene to our N American friends), isopropyl alcohol (99.9%). No acetone thinner to hand but I wouldn't have used it anyway, just in case it damaged that lovely paint.
I resisted the temptation to use anything more damaging than fingernail to work at the sticker. I resisted the temptation to soften the sticker with a heat gun. I'm sure that judicious use of the heat gun would have had that USE ONLY PETROL TYPE E5 E10 info off there in quick time but I'm blessed/cursed with a vivid imagination and every time I played that scenario it ended up with the firm conclusion I really didn't want to do that.
The non-information sticker - filling stations I'm liable to visit sell E5, E10 and diesel fuel so not much room for confusion - that little sticker held out and resisted removal down to the last square millimetre. My thumb has still not forgiven me.
Ah, another hour of quality bonding time in the garage . . .
Yeah, what is the deal with factories putting all those idiotic stickers on a beautiful paint job anyways? I’ve had three new bikes since 2007 and had to remove the stickers from every one. I don’t mind the ones stuck on the frame, but the gas tank?
I usually heat them up with a hair dryer and peel them off, followed by a little mineral spirits for glue residue.
Thank you, Bob! I knew I could not be the only one. Haven't decided whether or not to go for labels on frame and s/arm too.
It really was one of those little jobs which nobody will see. But I'll know.
Now the signage on that one is kinda funny.
It really was one of those little jobs which nobody will see. But I'll know.
Now the signage on that one is kinda funny.
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