2022 Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 Long Term Review: City Report

Things we like

The most obvious one here is the engine – the 650cc parallel-twin motor allowed me to reach the office on time and sometimes before. My office is around 65km one way, and if you calculate the NH8 truck traffic followed by more on Ghodbunder road, you are looking at a minimum travel time of 90 minutes on a regular motorcycle. But with the Interceptor 650, that time goes down by almost 30 mins. And this is with me riding easy, not revving it hard; just enjoying the superb mid-range torque that this engine is known for. And then comes the refinement – no buzzy handlebar or pegs and that means the fatigue levels are in control.

I have been loving the overall seating ergos too – relaxed and nice. The pegs are nicely placed and the handlebar is easy to hold. Then, the upright seating triangle makes things far easier than I imagined. Plus, I had the touring seat installed and I simply love it. It is comfortable and nicely cushioned. I have used the stock seat, but the touring seat helps me ride for long without the need to take a break. I also had the touring mirrors installed. And this set works so well. Now, I have wide shoulders but these mirrors provide a clear view of what’s happening at the back.

Things we don't like

My Interceptor 650 is a little over three months old and I can already see some rusted bolts. In some places, the paint has lightened up a bit. And then there’s the instrument cluster that fogs up the moment it rains. It takes a lot of sunlight and some hours to clear that up. But it’s the same story again when it rains.

The other aspect of the Interceptor 650 that I have not been a fan of is the ride quality, especially at the rear. I feel the rebound is just too quick and that makes the lower back quite nervous. It reached a point where I decided to avoid the Interceptor till the bad patches on NH8 are fixed.

Moreover, the pillion seat triangle is a little messed up, even for city travel. The footpegs are placed quite higher and that results in an uncomfortable seating triangle. I have had a few friends try it out and everyone complained. A few of them refused to try out the pillion seat again.

I wasn’t happy with the overall riding range too. A full tank gave close to 200km, which I feel is far too less. Vikrant did mention some improvements post the first service and it did. The riding range has gone up to 280km, but I was still expecting the 300km mark. I will test this out in detail once again.

What's next?

The 2022 Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 will go touring next. The weather is awesome and the Sahyadri ranges are always pretty and exciting during such times. So, I’m planning to head out and do a nice 1,000km ride and understand the touring aspects of the 2022 Royal Enfield Interceptor 650. So, stay tuned for that report.

Bike Stats

Odometer: 3200km

Kilometres ridden since last report: 2800km

Fuel Efficiency: 23kmpl

Photography by Kaustubh Gandhi