(12-29-2022, 06:46 AM)Gone in 60_imp Wrote: Yesterday was the big day for me. I have been sitting on the INT650 at the local dealer, trolling used ones on Craig's and FB Marketplace, and had booked a rental for my Christmas present to myself. I typically only make such an investment in time and money for a bike if I'm seriously considering buying one. In this case, I love my CB1100 and my Bonneville, and wouldn't consider replacing them. I also love my CB300R, but despite its utility, that purchase was a bit more frivolous. Yes, it can get me to work and back just fine, but it's not a bike that can sit on the freeway happily at 80 mph like my other two, and being able to do so is a definite benefit in Southern California to travel anywhere outside of your essential needs. So, would I sell the CB300R to purchase an INT650? And would I want a bike that, for all intents and purposes, is very similar to the Triumph I already own?

The Bike Shed in the Arts District of Downtown L.A. has become sort of a hangout for me. It's located between home and my weekend job at The Petersen, and a place to hang out with like-minded riders. Yes, it's overly hipster, and I'm not in the skinny jeans, tattoo and waxed moustache camp, but I enjoy it, and the area around it. When they started offering motorcycle rentals including the INT650, I was excited, and Mrs. Gone was nervous.

I've spent eight years and about 17,000 miles on a Bonneville, and still enjoy it very much. The classic vibe is undeniable, but to me, it's the most comfortable bike I've ever owned. There is plenty of room on the very compliant seat to move around, and hands and feet go where they naturally want to rest (at least for my size). I can comfortably ride it all day. It will cruise at any speed I desire with no complaint. Controls and gauges are easy to reach and read. It has been as reliable as a hammer. If I recall, it had a slight oil leak about five years ago which was cured with some sealant around the oil cooler return line. If there were a few things I would want to change, they would be a six-speed, better brakes, and an exhaust note that was above a whisper. I could choose from a myriad of louder pipes, but haven't seriously looked at any.

The INT650 has been intriguing to me from the start, particularly as it offers the look and charm of my generation Bonneville - the last of the air-cooled models - with a few improvements that I'd like on my Bonneville, namely ABS and a six-speed transmission. Plus, a 270 degree twin. However, it's price is just a tick over half of what a new Bonneville lists for. Hmm...

First Impressions:
Note: The bike I rode was a 2022 model, with 1425 miles on the clock at the time I picked it up.

Looking over the INT650, having the jaundiced eye of owning a 2012 Triumph, you notice quite a few things. the RE is somewhat less polished. There's a bit of orange peel in the paint on the tank, frame and fittings. Where the clutch, throttle and related cables and wires would be neatly routed along the handlebar on the Triumph, they pretty much flow down to where they need to go on the INT without much routing or fanfare. The chroming on the headlight and other surfaces isn't perfectly smooth. The plastics are a bit rougher, and some have part numbers stamped onto the visible areas, rather than hidden on the back sides. The rear brake fluid reservoir is attached to the frame, rather than hidden under the seat or behind the side panel. The polished parts of the engine - the side covers and cam cover, were quite tarnished in this bike's 1425 miles. I'm a detail person, and could see myself polishing these componenets more than I do the header pipes on my '13 CB1100 or my Bonneville. However, double-walled chrome pipes on the INT are very nice.

Someone yesterday asked me what I thought of the bike, and after I thought a minute, I said that it is sort of like Harbor Freight built a version of the last-generation air-cooled Bonneville. It's all there, it performs the same functions, it's just not as slick and polished as the name-brand.

Sitting on the bike, the seat is initially comfortable, but under my butt, it's sloped back very slightly. I'm used to seats tending to push you toward the tank, so this was unique. The handlebars are rather straight, making for more of a reach than the Triumph. The placement of the foot pegs is a widely criticized feature of the INT, but initially, I found them to be ok, although my knees were up a bit more than I'm used to. Looking at the instruments, they are a bit smaller and placed more forward and lower than the Triumph. They are less prominent, but this also means that they require more of a deliberate glance downward to see them. And while the gas gauge is nice, there is no clock. Seriously? This is a budget bike, but no clock?

Taking all of this into consideration, one needs to step back, forget the little details, and just take in the bike as a whole. If classic standards are your thing, it's beautiful.

Riding Impression:
To get a full range of what this bike can do, here's how I planned my route for the day: I poked around Downtown L.A. to get the feel of the bike in general, like the handling, manuverability, braking, and the comfort of the bike as a whole. I went up to the Griffith Park Observatory to park it and see what the crowd thought. It's a great place to take in the city from up high, take a break from riding, and I've never failed to get a "nice bike" comment on my Honda or Triumph. From there, poke around the Hollywood Hills, then get on the freeway for the long slog up the 101 to drop in for the twisy roads above Malibu. Finally, take Pacific Coast Highway back to Santa Monica for a coffee break, then slog it back through L.A. to the Bike Shed on the east side of downtown.

Taking the ride on a weekday during the holiday break is ideal - very few commuters, decent moving traffic, despite lots of tourists.

Anticipating a long day of riding, I had brought two charged pairs of earbuds for all-day music. But first, I wanted to ride around with my ears open to listen to the bike as I got used to it. The engine fired easily, and here's where the INT grabbed me. The 270 degree twin has a fantastic sound. Where my 360 Bonneville runs like a sewing machine, this thing runs like a V-twin. The stock mufflers make just enough noise, and that noise is beautiful. I kept the earbuds in my pocket and just listened to the bike all day.

The 650 makes plenty of power to make me happy. It's not a rocket, but I'm not a fast rider unless I'm on the freeway and am just keeping up with fast traffic. The transmission is butter-smooth, and the clutch pull nice and light. While it goes up and down through the gears very nicely, I did encounter a very nasty false neutral between fifth and sixth gears if I didn't shift deliberately. When it did happen, there was a loud clunk followed by a neutral rev, while I gathered myself to figure out what had happened.

The engine feels relaxed, like it's not working too hard unless you push it. While riding the streets of L.A., I realized that this was where the bike was happiest, staying at boulevard speeds. Steering was nice and light, and while there has been quite a bit of criticism online about the brakes, I found them to be fine. In fact, as mentioned, the gauges require more of a glance down than I'm used to to read them. As I got used to the bike, I spent a second too long looking at the gauges, and a car in front of me stopped short. I had to perform a panic stop, and felt the ABS kick in without any drama. Not as good as a dual front disk, but I'd say better than my non-ABS single-disk Bonneville.

The Ceat brand tires are a budget move here. They performed fine in regular riding, but they show their limit when cornering. I will say, however, that they are a bit less prone to following our grooved concrete freeways than the new Avons on my Bonneville, which were supposed to have a new design to eliminate groove tracking. If I were to buy an INT650 new, my daily riding wouldn't stress the Ceat tires, but I'd look forward to replacing them with another brand when the time came.

Poking around Hollywood, the hills, and getting up to the observatory was enjoyable. The city handling is quite good. The suspension is another budget move, and our crumbling streets resulted in jolts, and a clunking sound on the harder bumps, most likely where the shocks bottomed out. While the observatory was packed with tourists, the bike got some glances, but no comments. Oh well, everyone was there to take in the view, not a motorcycle.

Getting out on the freeway, the six gears let the bike stretch its legs, and maintaining 75-80 mph was no problem. The bike felt stable at speed, and comfortable for the miles that I rode up the 101 to Kanan to drop into the Laguna canyon area. I rode the fabled canyon roads like Mulholland and Latigo. Amazingly, for a clear day on the Mecca of riding roads in the area, I only saw a couple of other bikes. One was when I stopped at the Rock Store, which was closed for the day. A grizzled old Harley dude had stopped to rest, as did I. "How do you like that Enfield?" he said? I commented that I had rented it for the day, and was enjoying it. He looked it over, and asked "Aren't these really cheap or somethin'?" I said retail was about $6k, and he sounded impressed for what the bike was. While I enjoy canyon riding, the bike is not designed to be a fast canyon-carver, and I took a relaxed approach, mostly listening to the engine as it went up through the gears and emitted a slight burble under engine braking.

I took the long way back, up Pacific Coast Highway to Santa Monica, hitting some Malibu traffic here and there, lane splitting as necessary. It's a nice, narrow size for the task. As it got dark on the way back to the Bike Shed, the gauges light up nicely in the dark. The headlight is old-school. I'd replace the bulb with an LED as a first upgrade.

While I found the seating and peg positions comfortable at first, my upper thighs became a bit sore throughout the day. Maybe they aren't perfect, but for eight hours in the saddle, I can't complain too much.

Overall:
Ok, I had a lot of fun with this bike. But, would I buy one? I wouldn't replace either of my big bikes with it, leaving the CB300R as the target for replacement.

The Enfield has a lot of charm, and is very desirable to me. But, I have one local dealer, and talking with the parts manager, he was very candid about the availability of parts. They stock filters and such, but hard parts will take a while to get.
I can click-and-buy anything the Honda will ever need. And, I know the Honda will be dead reliable. Will an Enfield?

Very frequent valve check intervals. This is relatively easy with screw-type adjusters, but man, that makes you wonder just a bit, doesn't it?

Do I want another bike with spoke wheels and tube tires? Hmm...

Lots to think about. Overall, I really enjoyed riding the Enfield. I would consider buying one. Not as my only bike, but as an additional bike to the CB1100 and the Bonneville.

I have lots of GoPro footage to sort through. When I post a video, I'll put up the link.

(12-29-2022, 06:46 AM)Gone in 60_imp Wrote: Yesterday was the big day for me. I have been sitting on the INT650 at the local dealer, trolling used ones on Craig's and FB Marketplace, and had booked a rental for my Christmas present to myself. I typically only make such an investment in time and money for a bike if I'm seriously considering buying one. In this case, I love my CB1100 and my Bonneville, and wouldn't consider replacing them. I also love my CB300R, but despite its utility, that purchase was a bit more frivolous. Yes, it can get me to work and back just fine, but it's not a bike that can sit on the freeway happily at 80 mph like my other two, and being able to do so is a definite benefit in Southern California to travel anywhere outside of your essential needs. So, would I sell the CB300R to purchase an INT650? And would I want a bike that, for all intents and purposes, is very similar to the Triumph I already own?

The Bike Shed in the Arts District of Downtown L.A. has become sort of a hangout for me. It's located between home and my weekend job at The Petersen, and a place to hang out with like-minded riders. Yes, it's overly hipster, and I'm not in the skinny jeans, tattoo and waxed moustache camp, but I enjoy it, and the area around it. When they started offering motorcycle rentals including the INT650, I was excited, and Mrs. Gone was nervous.

I've spent eight years and about 17,000 miles on a Bonneville, and still enjoy it very much. The classic vibe is undeniable, but to me, it's the most comfortable bike I've ever owned. There is plenty of room on the very compliant seat to move around, and hands and feet go where they naturally want to rest (at least for my size). I can comfortably ride it all day. It will cruise at any speed I desire with no complaint. Controls and gauges are easy to reach and read. It has been as reliable as a hammer. If I recall, it had a slight oil leak about five years ago which was cured with some sealant around the oil cooler return line. If there were a few things I would want to change, they would be a six-speed, better brakes, and an exhaust note that was above a whisper. I could choose from a myriad of louder pipes, but haven't seriously looked at any.

The INT650 has been intriguing to me from the start, particularly as it offers the look and charm of my generation Bonneville - the last of the air-cooled models - with a few improvements that I'd like on my Bonneville, namely ABS and a six-speed transmission. Plus, a 270 degree twin. However, it's price is just a tick over half of what a new Bonneville lists for. Hmm...

First Impressions:
Note: The bike I rode was a 2022 model, with 1425 miles on the clock at the time I picked it up.

Looking over the INT650, having the jaundiced eye of owning a 2012 Triumph, you notice quite a few things. the RE is somewhat less polished. There's a bit of orange peel in the paint on the tank, frame and fittings. Where the clutch, throttle and related cables and wires would be neatly routed along the handlebar on the Triumph, they pretty much flow down to where they need to go on the INT without much routing or fanfare. The chroming on the headlight and other surfaces isn't perfectly smooth. The plastics are a bit rougher, and some have part numbers stamped onto the visible areas, rather than hidden on the back sides. The rear brake fluid reservoir is attached to the frame, rather than hidden under the seat or behind the side panel. The polished parts of the engine - the side covers and cam cover, were quite tarnished in this bike's 1425 miles. I'm a detail person, and could see myself polishing these componenets more than I do the header pipes on my '13 CB1100 or my Bonneville. However, double-walled chrome pipes on the INT are very nice.

Someone yesterday asked me what I thought of the bike, and after I thought a minute, I said that it is sort of like Harbor Freight built a version of the last-generation air-cooled Bonneville. It's all there, it performs the same functions, it's just not as slick and polished as the name-brand.

Sitting on the bike, the seat is initially comfortable, but under my butt, it's sloped back very slightly. I'm used to seats tending to push you toward the tank, so this was unique. The handlebars are rather straight, making for more of a reach than the Triumph. The placement of the foot pegs is a widely criticized feature of the INT, but initially, I found them to be ok, although my knees were up a bit more than I'm used to. Looking at the instruments, they are a bit smaller and placed more forward and lower than the Triumph. They are less prominent, but this also means that they require more of a deliberate glance downward to see them. And while the gas gauge is nice, there is no clock. Seriously? This is a budget bike, but no clock?

Taking all of this into consideration, one needs to step back, forget the little details, and just take in the bike as a whole. If classic standards are your thing, it's beautiful.

Riding Impression:
To get a full range of what this bike can do, here's how I planned my route for the day: I poked around Downtown L.A. to get the feel of the bike in general, like the handling, manuverability, braking, and the comfort of the bike as a whole. I went up to the Griffith Park Observatory to park it and see what the crowd thought. It's a great place to take in the city from up high, take a break from riding, and I've never failed to get a "nice bike" comment on my Honda or Triumph. From there, poke around the Hollywood Hills, then get on the freeway for the long slog up the 101 to drop in for the twisy roads above Malibu. Finally, take Pacific Coast Highway back to Santa Monica for a coffee break, then slog it back through L.A. to the Bike Shed on the east side of downtown.

Taking the ride on a weekday during the holiday break is ideal - very few commuters, decent moving traffic, despite lots of tourists.

Anticipating a long day of riding, I had brought two charged pairs of earbuds for all-day music. But first, I wanted to ride around with my ears open to listen to the bike as I got used to it. The engine fired easily, and here's where the INT grabbed me. The 270 degree twin has a fantastic sound. Where my 360 Bonneville runs like a sewing machine, this thing runs like a V-twin. The stock mufflers make just enough noise, and that noise is beautiful. I kept the earbuds in my pocket and just listened to the bike all day.

The 650 makes plenty of power to make me happy. It's not a rocket, but I'm not a fast rider unless I'm on the freeway and am just keeping up with fast traffic. The transmission is butter-smooth, and the clutch pull nice and light. While it goes up and down through the gears very nicely, I did encounter a very nasty false neutral between fifth and sixth gears if I didn't shift deliberately. When it did happen, there was a loud clunk followed by a neutral rev, while I gathered myself to figure out what had happened.

The engine feels relaxed, like it's not working too hard unless you push it. While riding the streets of L.A., I realized that this was where the bike was happiest, staying at boulevard speeds. Steering was nice and light, and while there has been quite a bit of criticism online about the brakes, I found them to be fine. In fact, as mentioned, the gauges require more of a glance down than I'm used to to read them. As I got used to the bike, I spent a second too long looking at the gauges, and a car in front of me stopped short. I had to perform a panic stop, and felt the ABS kick in without any drama. Not as good as a dual front disk, but I'd say better than my non-ABS single-disk Bonneville.

The Ceat brand tires are a budget move here. They performed fine in regular riding, but they show their limit when cornering. I will say, however, that they are a bit less prone to following our grooved concrete freeways than the new Avons on my Bonneville, which were supposed to have a new design to eliminate groove tracking. If I were to buy an INT650 new, my daily riding wouldn't stress the Ceat tires, but I'd look forward to replacing them with another brand when the time came.

Poking around Hollywood, the hills, and getting up to the observatory was enjoyable. The city handling is quite good. The suspension is another budget move, and our crumbling streets resulted in jolts, and a clunking sound on the harder bumps, most likely where the shocks bottomed out. While the observatory was packed with tourists, the bike got some glances, but no comments. Oh well, everyone was there to take in the view, not a motorcycle.

Getting out on the freeway, the six gears let the bike stretch its legs, and maintaining 75-80 mph was no problem. The bike felt stable at speed, and comfortable for the miles that I rode up the 101 to Kanan to drop into the Laguna canyon area. I rode the fabled canyon roads like Mulholland and Latigo. Amazingly, for a clear day on the Mecca of riding roads in the area, I only saw a couple of other bikes. One was when I stopped at the Rock Store, which was closed for the day. A grizzled old Harley dude had stopped to rest, as did I. "How do you like that Enfield?" he said? I commented that I had rented it for the day, and was enjoying it. He looked it over, and asked "Aren't these really cheap or somethin'?" I said retail was about $6k, and he sounded impressed for what the bike was. While I enjoy canyon riding, the bike is not designed to be a fast canyon-carver, and I took a relaxed approach, mostly listening to the engine as it went up through the gears and emitted a slight burble under engine braking.

I took the long way back, up Pacific Coast Highway to Santa Monica, hitting some Malibu traffic here and there, lane splitting as necessary. It's a nice, narrow size for the task. As it got dark on the way back to the Bike Shed, the gauges light up nicely in the dark. The headlight is old-school. I'd replace the bulb with an LED as a first upgrade.

While I found the seating and peg positions comfortable at first, my upper thighs became a bit sore throughout the day. Maybe they aren't perfect, but for eight hours in the saddle, I can't complain too much.

Overall:
Ok, I had a lot of fun with this bike. But, would I buy one? I wouldn't replace either of my big bikes with it, leaving the CB300R as the target for replacement.

The Enfield has a lot of charm, and is very desirable to me. But, I have one local dealer, and talking with the parts manager, he was very candid about the availability of parts. They stock filters and such, but hard parts will take a while to get.
I can click-and-buy anything the Honda will ever need. And, I know the Honda will be dead reliable. Will an Enfield?

Very frequent valve check intervals. This is relatively easy with screw-type adjusters, but man, that makes you wonder just a bit, doesn't it?

Do I want another bike with spoke wheels and tube tires? Hmm...

Lots to think about. Overall, I really enjoyed riding the Enfield. I would consider buying one. Not as my only bike, but as an additional bike to the CB1100 and the Bonneville.

I have lots of GoPro footage to sort through. When I post a video, I'll put up the link.

(12-29-2022, 06:46 AM)Gone in 60_imp Wrote: Yesterday was the big day for me. I have been sitting on the INT650 at the local dealer, trolling used ones on Craig's and FB Marketplace, and had booked a rental for my Christmas present to myself. I typically only make such an investment in time and money for a bike if I'm seriously considering buying one. In this case, I love my CB1100 and my Bonneville, and wouldn't consider replacing them. I also love my CB300R, but despite its utility, that purchase was a bit more frivolous. Yes, it can get me to work and back just fine, but it's not a bike that can sit on the freeway happily at 80 mph like my other two, and being able to do so is a definite benefit in Southern California to travel anywhere outside of your essential needs. So, would I sell the CB300R to purchase an INT650? And would I want a bike that, for all intents and purposes, is very similar to the Triumph I already own?

The Bike Shed in the Arts District of Downtown L.A. has become sort of a hangout for me. It's located between home and my weekend job at The Petersen, and a place to hang out with like-minded riders. Yes, it's overly hipster, and I'm not in the skinny jeans, tattoo and waxed moustache camp, but I enjoy it, and the area around it. When they started offering motorcycle rentals including the INT650, I was excited, and Mrs. Gone was nervous.

I've spent eight years and about 17,000 miles on a Bonneville, and still enjoy it very much. The classic vibe is undeniable, but to me, it's the most comfortable bike I've ever owned. There is plenty of room on the very compliant seat to move around, and hands and feet go where they naturally want to rest (at least for my size). I can comfortably ride it all day. It will cruise at any speed I desire with no complaint. Controls and gauges are easy to reach and read. It has been as reliable as a hammer. If I recall, it had a slight oil leak about five years ago which was cured with some sealant around the oil cooler return line. If there were a few things I would want to change, they would be a six-speed, better brakes, and an exhaust note that was above a whisper. I could choose from a myriad of louder pipes, but haven't seriously looked at any.

The INT650 has been intriguing to me from the start, particularly as it offers the look and charm of my generation Bonneville - the last of the air-cooled models - with a few improvements that I'd like on my Bonneville, namely ABS and a six-speed transmission. Plus, a 270 degree twin. However, it's price is just a tick over half of what a new Bonneville lists for. Hmm...

First Impressions:
Note: The bike I rode was a 2022 model, with 1425 miles on the clock at the time I picked it up.

Looking over the INT650, having the jaundiced eye of owning a 2012 Triumph, you notice quite a few things. the RE is somewhat less polished. There's a bit of orange peel in the paint on the tank, frame and fittings. Where the clutch, throttle and related cables and wires would be neatly routed along the handlebar on the Triumph, they pretty much flow down to where they need to go on the INT without much routing or fanfare. The chroming on the headlight and other surfaces isn't perfectly smooth. The plastics are a bit rougher, and some have part numbers stamped onto the visible areas, rather than hidden on the back sides. The rear brake fluid reservoir is attached to the frame, rather than hidden under the seat or behind the side panel. The polished parts of the engine - the side covers and cam cover, were quite tarnished in this bike's 1425 miles. I'm a detail person, and could see myself polishing these componenets more than I do the header pipes on my '13 CB1100 or my Bonneville. However, double-walled chrome pipes on the INT are very nice.

Someone yesterday asked me what I thought of the bike, and after I thought a minute, I said that it is sort of like Harbor Freight built a version of the last-generation air-cooled Bonneville. It's all there, it performs the same functions, it's just not as slick and polished as the name-brand.

Sitting on the bike, the seat is initially comfortable, but under my butt, it's sloped back very slightly. I'm used to seats tending to push you toward the tank, so this was unique. The handlebars are rather straight, making for more of a reach than the Triumph. The placement of the foot pegs is a widely criticized feature of the INT, but initially, I found them to be ok, although my knees were up a bit more than I'm used to. Looking at the instruments, they are a bit smaller and placed more forward and lower than the Triumph. They are less prominent, but this also means that they require more of a deliberate glance downward to see them. And while the gas gauge is nice, there is no clock. Seriously? This is a budget bike, but no clock?

Taking all of this into consideration, one needs to step back, forget the little details, and just take in the bike as a whole. If classic standards are your thing, it's beautiful.

Riding Impression:
To get a full range of what this bike can do, here's how I planned my route for the day: I poked around Downtown L.A. to get the feel of the bike in general, like the handling, manuverability, braking, and the comfort of the bike as a whole. I went up to the Griffith Park Observatory to park it and see what the crowd thought. It's a great place to take in the city from up high, take a break from riding, and I've never failed to get a "nice bike" comment on my Honda or Triumph. From there, poke around the Hollywood Hills, then get on the freeway for the long slog up the 101 to drop in for the twisy roads above Malibu. Finally, take Pacific Coast Highway back to Santa Monica for a coffee break, then slog it back through L.A. to the Bike Shed on the east side of downtown.

Taking the ride on a weekday during the holiday break is ideal - very few commuters, decent moving traffic, despite lots of tourists.

Anticipating a long day of riding, I had brought two charged pairs of earbuds for all-day music. But first, I wanted to ride around with my ears open to listen to the bike as I got used to it. The engine fired easily, and here's where the INT grabbed me. The 270 degree twin has a fantastic sound. Where my 360 Bonneville runs like a sewing machine, this thing runs like a V-twin. The stock mufflers make just enough noise, and that noise is beautiful. I kept the earbuds in my pocket and just listened to the bike all day.

The 650 makes plenty of power to make me happy. It's not a rocket, but I'm not a fast rider unless I'm on the freeway and am just keeping up with fast traffic. The transmission is butter-smooth, and the clutch pull nice and light. While it goes up and down through the gears very nicely, I did encounter a very nasty false neutral between fifth and sixth gears if I didn't shift deliberately. When it did happen, there was a loud clunk followed by a neutral rev, while I gathered myself to figure out what had happened.

The engine feels relaxed, like it's not working too hard unless you push it. While riding the streets of L.A., I realized that this was where the bike was happiest, staying at boulevard speeds. Steering was nice and light, and while there has been quite a bit of criticism online about the brakes, I found them to be fine. In fact, as mentioned, the gauges require more of a glance down than I'm used to to read them. As I got used to the bike, I spent a second too long looking at the gauges, and a car in front of me stopped short. I had to perform a panic stop, and felt the ABS kick in without any drama. Not as good as a dual front disk, but I'd say better than my non-ABS single-disk Bonneville.

The Ceat brand tires are a budget move here. They performed fine in regular riding, but they show their limit when cornering. I will say, however, that they are a bit less prone to following our grooved concrete freeways than the new Avons on my Bonneville, which were supposed to have a new design to eliminate groove tracking. If I were to buy an INT650 new, my daily riding wouldn't stress the Ceat tires, but I'd look forward to replacing them with another brand when the time came.

Poking around Hollywood, the hills, and getting up to the observatory was enjoyable. The city handling is quite good. The suspension is another budget move, and our crumbling streets resulted in jolts, and a clunking sound on the harder bumps, most likely where the shocks bottomed out. While the observatory was packed with tourists, the bike got some glances, but no comments. Oh well, everyone was there to take in the view, not a motorcycle.

Getting out on the freeway, the six gears let the bike stretch its legs, and maintaining 75-80 mph was no problem. The bike felt stable at speed, and comfortable for the miles that I rode up the 101 to Kanan to drop into the Laguna canyon area. I rode the fabled canyon roads like Mulholland and Latigo. Amazingly, for a clear day on the Mecca of riding roads in the area, I only saw a couple of other bikes. One was when I stopped at the Rock Store, which was closed for the day. A grizzled old Harley dude had stopped to rest, as did I. "How do you like that Enfield?" he said? I commented that I had rented it for the day, and was enjoying it. He looked it over, and asked "Aren't these really cheap or somethin'?" I said retail was about $6k, and he sounded impressed for what the bike was. While I enjoy canyon riding, the bike is not designed to be a fast canyon-carver, and I took a relaxed approach, mostly listening to the engine as it went up through the gears and emitted a slight burble under engine braking.

I took the long way back, up Pacific Coast Highway to Santa Monica, hitting some Malibu traffic here and there, lane splitting as necessary. It's a nice, narrow size for the task. As it got dark on the way back to the Bike Shed, the gauges light up nicely in the dark. The headlight is old-school. I'd replace the bulb with an LED as a first upgrade.

While I found the seating and peg positions comfortable at first, my upper thighs became a bit sore throughout the day. Maybe they aren't perfect, but for eight hours in the saddle, I can't complain too much.

Overall:
Ok, I had a lot of fun with this bike. But, would I buy one? I wouldn't replace either of my big bikes with it, leaving the CB300R as the target for replacement.

The Enfield has a lot of charm, and is very desirable to me. But, I have one local dealer, and talking with the parts manager, he was very candid about the availability of parts. They stock filters and such, but hard parts will take a while to get.
I can click-and-buy anything the Honda will ever need. And, I know the Honda will be dead reliable. Will an Enfield?

Very frequent valve check intervals. This is relatively easy with screw-type adjusters, but man, that makes you wonder just a bit, doesn't it?

Do I want another bike with spoke wheels and tube tires? Hmm...

Lots to think about. Overall, I really enjoyed riding the Enfield. I would consider buying one. Not as my only bike, but as an additional bike to the CB1100 and the Bonneville.

I have lots of GoPro footage to sort through. When I post a video, I'll put up the link.

(12-29-2022, 08:22 AM)pdedse_imp Wrote: Well, that was quite the fun read for me as I have the same flavored bike. Looks are always important for me. I think the PO for mine did well with a few add-ons, and the tank pads give the orange a smart look:



The orange is the only color of the INT lineup that has the silver wheels. I saw one online that had black wheels, but it wasn't a good look.

(12-29-2022, 06:46 AM)Gone in 60_imp Wrote: Yesterday was the big day for me. I have been sitting on the INT650 at the local dealer, trolling used ones on Craig's and FB Marketplace, and had booked a rental for my Christmas present to myself. I typically only make such an investment in time and money for a bike if I'm seriously considering buying one. In this case, I love my CB1100 and my Bonneville, and wouldn't consider replacing them. I also love my CB300R, but despite its utility, that purchase was a bit more frivolous. Yes, it can get me to work and back just fine, but it's not a bike that can sit on the freeway happily at 80 mph like my other two, and being able to do so is a definite benefit in Southern California to travel anywhere outside of your essential needs. So, would I sell the CB300R to purchase an INT650? And would I want a bike that, for all intents and purposes, is very similar to the Triumph I already own?

The Bike Shed in the Arts District of Downtown L.A. has become sort of a hangout for me. It's located between home and my weekend job at The Petersen, and a place to hang out with like-minded riders. Yes, it's overly hipster, and I'm not in the skinny jeans, tattoo and waxed moustache camp, but I enjoy it, and the area around it. When they started offering motorcycle rentals including the INT650, I was excited, and Mrs. Gone was nervous.

I've spent eight years and about 17,000 miles on a Bonneville, and still enjoy it very much. The classic vibe is undeniable, but to me, it's the most comfortable bike I've ever owned. There is plenty of room on the very compliant seat to move around, and hands and feet go where they naturally want to rest (at least for my size). I can comfortably ride it all day. It will cruise at any speed I desire with no complaint. Controls and gauges are easy to reach and read. It has been as reliable as a hammer. If I recall, it had a slight oil leak about five years ago which was cured with some sealant around the oil cooler return line. If there were a few things I would want to change, they would be a six-speed, better brakes, and an exhaust note that was above a whisper. I could choose from a myriad of louder pipes, but haven't seriously looked at any.

The INT650 has been intriguing to me from the start, particularly as it offers the look and charm of my generation Bonneville - the last of the air-cooled models - with a few improvements that I'd like on my Bonneville, namely ABS and a six-speed transmission. Plus, a 270 degree twin. However, it's price is just a tick over half of what a new Bonneville lists for. Hmm...

First Impressions:
Note: The bike I rode was a 2022 model, with 1425 miles on the clock at the time I picked it up.

Looking over the INT650, having the jaundiced eye of owning a 2012 Triumph, you notice quite a few things. the RE is somewhat less polished. There's a bit of orange peel in the paint on the tank, frame and fittings. Where the clutch, throttle and related cables and wires would be neatly routed along the handlebar on the Triumph, they pretty much flow down to where they need to go on the INT without much routing or fanfare. The chroming on the headlight and other surfaces isn't perfectly smooth. The plastics are a bit rougher, and some have part numbers stamped onto the visible areas, rather than hidden on the back sides. The rear brake fluid reservoir is attached to the frame, rather than hidden under the seat or behind the side panel. The polished parts of the engine - the side covers and cam cover, were quite tarnished in this bike's 1425 miles. I'm a detail person, and could see myself polishing these componenets more than I do the header pipes on my '13 CB1100 or my Bonneville. However, double-walled chrome pipes on the INT are very nice.

Someone yesterday asked me what I thought of the bike, and after I thought a minute, I said that it is sort of like Harbor Freight built a version of the last-generation air-cooled Bonneville. It's all there, it performs the same functions, it's just not as slick and polished as the name-brand.

Sitting on the bike, the seat is initially comfortable, but under my butt, it's sloped back very slightly. I'm used to seats tending to push you toward the tank, so this was unique. The handlebars are rather straight, making for more of a reach than the Triumph. The placement of the foot pegs is a widely criticized feature of the INT, but initially, I found them to be ok, although my knees were up a bit more than I'm used to. Looking at the instruments, they are a bit smaller and placed more forward and lower than the Triumph. They are less prominent, but this also means that they require more of a deliberate glance downward to see them. And while the gas gauge is nice, there is no clock. Seriously? This is a budget bike, but no clock?

Taking all of this into consideration, one needs to step back, forget the little details, and just take in the bike as a whole. If classic standards are your thing, it's beautiful.

Riding Impression:
To get a full range of what this bike can do, here's how I planned my route for the day: I poked around Downtown L.A. to get the feel of the bike in general, like the handling, manuverability, braking, and the comfort of the bike as a whole. I went up to the Griffith Park Observatory to park it and see what the crowd thought. It's a great place to take in the city from up high, take a break from riding, and I've never failed to get a "nice bike" comment on my Honda or Triumph. From there, poke around the Hollywood Hills, then get on the freeway for the long slog up the 101 to drop in for the twisy roads above Malibu. Finally, take Pacific Coast Highway back to Santa Monica for a coffee break, then slog it back through L.A. to the Bike Shed on the east side of downtown.

Taking the ride on a weekday during the holiday break is ideal - very few commuters, decent moving traffic, despite lots of tourists.

Anticipating a long day of riding, I had brought two charged pairs of earbuds for all-day music. But first, I wanted to ride around with my ears open to listen to the bike as I got used to it. The engine fired easily, and here's where the INT grabbed me. The 270 degree twin has a fantastic sound. Where my 360 Bonneville runs like a sewing machine, this thing runs like a V-twin. The stock mufflers make just enough noise, and that noise is beautiful. I kept the earbuds in my pocket and just listened to the bike all day.

The 650 makes plenty of power to make me happy. It's not a rocket, but I'm not a fast rider unless I'm on the freeway and am just keeping up with fast traffic. The transmission is butter-smooth, and the clutch pull nice and light. While it goes up and down through the gears very nicely, I did encounter a very nasty false neutral between fifth and sixth gears if I didn't shift deliberately. When it did happen, there was a loud clunk followed by a neutral rev, while I gathered myself to figure out what had happened.

The engine feels relaxed, like it's not working too hard unless you push it. While riding the streets of L.A., I realized that this was where the bike was happiest, staying at boulevard speeds. Steering was nice and light, and while there has been quite a bit of criticism online about the brakes, I found them to be fine. In fact, as mentioned, the gauges require more of a glance down than I'm used to to read them. As I got used to the bike, I spent a second too long looking at the gauges, and a car in front of me stopped short. I had to perform a panic stop, and felt the ABS kick in without any drama. Not as good as a dual front disk, but I'd say better than my non-ABS single-disk Bonneville.

The Ceat brand tires are a budget move here. They performed fine in regular riding, but they show their limit when cornering. I will say, however, that they are a bit less prone to following our grooved concrete freeways than the new Avons on my Bonneville, which were supposed to have a new design to eliminate groove tracking. If I were to buy an INT650 new, my daily riding wouldn't stress the Ceat tires, but I'd look forward to replacing them with another brand when the time came.

Poking around Hollywood, the hills, and getting up to the observatory was enjoyable. The city handling is quite good. The suspension is another budget move, and our crumbling streets resulted in jolts, and a clunking sound on the harder bumps, most likely where the shocks bottomed out. While the observatory was packed with tourists, the bike got some glances, but no comments. Oh well, everyone was there to take in the view, not a motorcycle.

Getting out on the freeway, the six gears let the bike stretch its legs, and maintaining 75-80 mph was no problem. The bike felt stable at speed, and comfortable for the miles that I rode up the 101 to Kanan to drop into the Laguna canyon area. I rode the fabled canyon roads like Mulholland and Latigo. Amazingly, for a clear day on the Mecca of riding roads in the area, I only saw a couple of other bikes. One was when I stopped at the Rock Store, which was closed for the day. A grizzled old Harley dude had stopped to rest, as did I. "How do you like that Enfield?" he said? I commented that I had rented it for the day, and was enjoying it. He looked it over, and asked "Aren't these really cheap or somethin'?" I said retail was about $6k, and he sounded impressed for what the bike was. While I enjoy canyon riding, the bike is not designed to be a fast canyon-carver, and I took a relaxed approach, mostly listening to the engine as it went up through the gears and emitted a slight burble under engine braking.

I took the long way back, up Pacific Coast Highway to Santa Monica, hitting some Malibu traffic here and there, lane splitting as necessary. It's a nice, narrow size for the task. As it got dark on the way back to the Bike Shed, the gauges light up nicely in the dark. The headlight is old-school. I'd replace the bulb with an LED as a first upgrade.

While I found the seating and peg positions comfortable at first, my upper thighs became a bit sore throughout the day. Maybe they aren't perfect, but for eight hours in the saddle, I can't complain too much.

Overall:
Ok, I had a lot of fun with this bike. But, would I buy one? I wouldn't replace either of my big bikes with it, leaving the CB300R as the target for replacement.

The Enfield has a lot of charm, and is very desirable to me. But, I have one local dealer, and talking with the parts manager, he was very candid about the availability of parts. They stock filters and such, but hard parts will take a while to get.
I can click-and-buy anything the Honda will ever need. And, I know the Honda will be dead reliable. Will an Enfield?

Very frequent valve check intervals. This is relatively easy with screw-type adjusters, but man, that makes you wonder just a bit, doesn't it?

Do I want another bike with spoke wheels and tube tires? Hmm...

Lots to think about. Overall, I really enjoyed riding the Enfield. I would consider buying one. Not as my only bike, but as an additional bike to the CB1100 and the Bonneville.

I have lots of GoPro footage to sort through. When I post a video, I'll put up the link.

When you ride this bike, you're not concerned with time.

(12-29-2022, 06:46 AM)Gone in 60_imp Wrote: Yesterday was the big day for me. I have been sitting on the INT650 at the local dealer, trolling used ones on Craig's and FB Marketplace, and had booked a rental for my Christmas present to myself. I typically only make such an investment in time and money for a bike if I'm seriously considering buying one. In this case, I love my CB1100 and my Bonneville, and wouldn't consider replacing them. I also love my CB300R, but despite its utility, that purchase was a bit more frivolous. Yes, it can get me to work and back just fine, but it's not a bike that can sit on the freeway happily at 80 mph like my other two, and being able to do so is a definite benefit in Southern California to travel anywhere outside of your essential needs. So, would I sell the CB300R to purchase an INT650? And would I want a bike that, for all intents and purposes, is very similar to the Triumph I already own?

The Bike Shed in the Arts District of Downtown L.A. has become sort of a hangout for me. It's located between home and my weekend job at The Petersen, and a place to hang out with like-minded riders. Yes, it's overly hipster, and I'm not in the skinny jeans, tattoo and waxed moustache camp, but I enjoy it, and the area around it. When they started offering motorcycle rentals including the INT650, I was excited, and Mrs. Gone was nervous.

I've spent eight years and about 17,000 miles on a Bonneville, and still enjoy it very much. The classic vibe is undeniable, but to me, it's the most comfortable bike I've ever owned. There is plenty of room on the very compliant seat to move around, and hands and feet go where they naturally want to rest (at least for my size). I can comfortably ride it all day. It will cruise at any speed I desire with no complaint. Controls and gauges are easy to reach and read. It has been as reliable as a hammer. If I recall, it had a slight oil leak about five years ago which was cured with some sealant around the oil cooler return line. If there were a few things I would want to change, they would be a six-speed, better brakes, and an exhaust note that was above a whisper. I could choose from a myriad of louder pipes, but haven't seriously looked at any.

The INT650 has been intriguing to me from the start, particularly as it offers the look and charm of my generation Bonneville - the last of the air-cooled models - with a few improvements that I'd like on my Bonneville, namely ABS and a six-speed transmission. Plus, a 270 degree twin. However, it's price is just a tick over half of what a new Bonneville lists for. Hmm...

First Impressions:
Note: The bike I rode was a 2022 model, with 1425 miles on the clock at the time I picked it up.

Looking over the INT650, having the jaundiced eye of owning a 2012 Triumph, you notice quite a few things. the RE is somewhat less polished. There's a bit of orange peel in the paint on the tank, frame and fittings. Where the clutch, throttle and related cables and wires would be neatly routed along the handlebar on the Triumph, they pretty much flow down to where they need to go on the INT without much routing or fanfare. The chroming on the headlight and other surfaces isn't perfectly smooth. The plastics are a bit rougher, and some have part numbers stamped onto the visible areas, rather than hidden on the back sides. The rear brake fluid reservoir is attached to the frame, rather than hidden under the seat or behind the side panel. The polished parts of the engine - the side covers and cam cover, were quite tarnished in this bike's 1425 miles. I'm a detail person, and could see myself polishing these componenets more than I do the header pipes on my '13 CB1100 or my Bonneville. However, double-walled chrome pipes on the INT are very nice.

Someone yesterday asked me what I thought of the bike, and after I thought a minute, I said that it is sort of like Harbor Freight built a version of the last-generation air-cooled Bonneville. It's all there, it performs the same functions, it's just not as slick and polished as the name-brand.

Sitting on the bike, the seat is initially comfortable, but under my butt, it's sloped back very slightly. I'm used to seats tending to push you toward the tank, so this was unique. The handlebars are rather straight, making for more of a reach than the Triumph. The placement of the foot pegs is a widely criticized feature of the INT, but initially, I found them to be ok, although my knees were up a bit more than I'm used to. Looking at the instruments, they are a bit smaller and placed more forward and lower than the Triumph. They are less prominent, but this also means that they require more of a deliberate glance downward to see them. And while the gas gauge is nice, there is no clock. Seriously? This is a budget bike, but no clock?

Taking all of this into consideration, one needs to step back, forget the little details, and just take in the bike as a whole. If classic standards are your thing, it's beautiful.

Riding Impression:
To get a full range of what this bike can do, here's how I planned my route for the day: I poked around Downtown L.A. to get the feel of the bike in general, like the handling, manuverability, braking, and the comfort of the bike as a whole. I went up to the Griffith Park Observatory to park it and see what the crowd thought. It's a great place to take in the city from up high, take a break from riding, and I've never failed to get a "nice bike" comment on my Honda or Triumph. From there, poke around the Hollywood Hills, then get on the freeway for the long slog up the 101 to drop in for the twisy roads above Malibu. Finally, take Pacific Coast Highway back to Santa Monica for a coffee break, then slog it back through L.A. to the Bike Shed on the east side of downtown.

Taking the ride on a weekday during the holiday break is ideal - very few commuters, decent moving traffic, despite lots of tourists.

Anticipating a long day of riding, I had brought two charged pairs of earbuds for all-day music. But first, I wanted to ride around with my ears open to listen to the bike as I got used to it. The engine fired easily, and here's where the INT grabbed me. The 270 degree twin has a fantastic sound. Where my 360 Bonneville runs like a sewing machine, this thing runs like a V-twin. The stock mufflers make just enough noise, and that noise is beautiful. I kept the earbuds in my pocket and just listened to the bike all day.

The 650 makes plenty of power to make me happy. It's not a rocket, but I'm not a fast rider unless I'm on the freeway and am just keeping up with fast traffic. The transmission is butter-smooth, and the clutch pull nice and light. While it goes up and down through the gears very nicely, I did encounter a very nasty false neutral between fifth and sixth gears if I didn't shift deliberately. When it did happen, there was a loud clunk followed by a neutral rev, while I gathered myself to figure out what had happened.

The engine feels relaxed, like it's not working too hard unless you push it. While riding the streets of L.A., I realized that this was where the bike was happiest, staying at boulevard speeds. Steering was nice and light, and while there has been quite a bit of criticism online about the brakes, I found them to be fine. In fact, as mentioned, the gauges require more of a glance down than I'm used to to read them. As I got used to the bike, I spent a second too long looking at the gauges, and a car in front of me stopped short. I had to perform a panic stop, and felt the ABS kick in without any drama. Not as good as a dual front disk, but I'd say better than my non-ABS single-disk Bonneville.

The Ceat brand tires are a budget move here. They performed fine in regular riding, but they show their limit when cornering. I will say, however, that they are a bit less prone to following our grooved concrete freeways than the new Avons on my Bonneville, which were supposed to have a new design to eliminate groove tracking. If I were to buy an INT650 new, my daily riding wouldn't stress the Ceat tires, but I'd look forward to replacing them with another brand when the time came.

Poking around Hollywood, the hills, and getting up to the observatory was enjoyable. The city handling is quite good. The suspension is another budget move, and our crumbling streets resulted in jolts, and a clunking sound on the harder bumps, most likely where the shocks bottomed out. While the observatory was packed with tourists, the bike got some glances, but no comments. Oh well, everyone was there to take in the view, not a motorcycle.

Getting out on the freeway, the six gears let the bike stretch its legs, and maintaining 75-80 mph was no problem. The bike felt stable at speed, and comfortable for the miles that I rode up the 101 to Kanan to drop into the Laguna canyon area. I rode the fabled canyon roads like Mulholland and Latigo. Amazingly, for a clear day on the Mecca of riding roads in the area, I only saw a couple of other bikes. One was when I stopped at the Rock Store, which was closed for the day. A grizzled old Harley dude had stopped to rest, as did I. "How do you like that Enfield?" he said? I commented that I had rented it for the day, and was enjoying it. He looked it over, and asked "Aren't these really cheap or somethin'?" I said retail was about $6k, and he sounded impressed for what the bike was. While I enjoy canyon riding, the bike is not designed to be a fast canyon-carver, and I took a relaxed approach, mostly listening to the engine as it went up through the gears and emitted a slight burble under engine braking.

I took the long way back, up Pacific Coast Highway to Santa Monica, hitting some Malibu traffic here and there, lane splitting as necessary. It's a nice, narrow size for the task. As it got dark on the way back to the Bike Shed, the gauges light up nicely in the dark. The headlight is old-school. I'd replace the bulb with an LED as a first upgrade.

While I found the seating and peg positions comfortable at first, my upper thighs became a bit sore throughout the day. Maybe they aren't perfect, but for eight hours in the saddle, I can't complain too much.

Overall:
Ok, I had a lot of fun with this bike. But, would I buy one? I wouldn't replace either of my big bikes with it, leaving the CB300R as the target for replacement.

The Enfield has a lot of charm, and is very desirable to me. But, I have one local dealer, and talking with the parts manager, he was very candid about the availability of parts. They stock filters and such, but hard parts will take a while to get.
I can click-and-buy anything the Honda will ever need. And, I know the Honda will be dead reliable. Will an Enfield?

Very frequent valve check intervals. This is relatively easy with screw-type adjusters, but man, that makes you wonder just a bit, doesn't it?

Do I want another bike with spoke wheels and tube tires? Hmm...

Lots to think about. Overall, I really enjoyed riding the Enfield. I would consider buying one. Not as my only bike, but as an additional bike to the CB1100 and the Bonneville.

I have lots of GoPro footage to sort through. When I post a video, I'll put up the link.

If I simply want to have a fun 1 hour ride, I choose the INT over the CB1100 or DR650 for this very reason.

(12-29-2022, 06:46 AM)Gone in 60_imp Wrote: Yesterday was the big day for me. I have been sitting on the INT650 at the local dealer, trolling used ones on Craig's and FB Marketplace, and had booked a rental for my Christmas present to myself. I typically only make such an investment in time and money for a bike if I'm seriously considering buying one. In this case, I love my CB1100 and my Bonneville, and wouldn't consider replacing them. I also love my CB300R, but despite its utility, that purchase was a bit more frivolous. Yes, it can get me to work and back just fine, but it's not a bike that can sit on the freeway happily at 80 mph like my other two, and being able to do so is a definite benefit in Southern California to travel anywhere outside of your essential needs. So, would I sell the CB300R to purchase an INT650? And would I want a bike that, for all intents and purposes, is very similar to the Triumph I already own?

The Bike Shed in the Arts District of Downtown L.A. has become sort of a hangout for me. It's located between home and my weekend job at The Petersen, and a place to hang out with like-minded riders. Yes, it's overly hipster, and I'm not in the skinny jeans, tattoo and waxed moustache camp, but I enjoy it, and the area around it. When they started offering motorcycle rentals including the INT650, I was excited, and Mrs. Gone was nervous.

I've spent eight years and about 17,000 miles on a Bonneville, and still enjoy it very much. The classic vibe is undeniable, but to me, it's the most comfortable bike I've ever owned. There is plenty of room on the very compliant seat to move around, and hands and feet go where they naturally want to rest (at least for my size). I can comfortably ride it all day. It will cruise at any speed I desire with no complaint. Controls and gauges are easy to reach and read. It has been as reliable as a hammer. If I recall, it had a slight oil leak about five years ago which was cured with some sealant around the oil cooler return line. If there were a few things I would want to change, they would be a six-speed, better brakes, and an exhaust note that was above a whisper. I could choose from a myriad of louder pipes, but haven't seriously looked at any.

The INT650 has been intriguing to me from the start, particularly as it offers the look and charm of my generation Bonneville - the last of the air-cooled models - with a few improvements that I'd like on my Bonneville, namely ABS and a six-speed transmission. Plus, a 270 degree twin. However, it's price is just a tick over half of what a new Bonneville lists for. Hmm...

First Impressions:
Note: The bike I rode was a 2022 model, with 1425 miles on the clock at the time I picked it up.

Looking over the INT650, having the jaundiced eye of owning a 2012 Triumph, you notice quite a few things. the RE is somewhat less polished. There's a bit of orange peel in the paint on the tank, frame and fittings. Where the clutch, throttle and related cables and wires would be neatly routed along the handlebar on the Triumph, they pretty much flow down to where they need to go on the INT without much routing or fanfare. The chroming on the headlight and other surfaces isn't perfectly smooth. The plastics are a bit rougher, and some have part numbers stamped onto the visible areas, rather than hidden on the back sides. The rear brake fluid reservoir is attached to the frame, rather than hidden under the seat or behind the side panel. The polished parts of the engine - the side covers and cam cover, were quite tarnished in this bike's 1425 miles. I'm a detail person, and could see myself polishing these componenets more than I do the header pipes on my '13 CB1100 or my Bonneville. However, double-walled chrome pipes on the INT are very nice.

Someone yesterday asked me what I thought of the bike, and after I thought a minute, I said that it is sort of like Harbor Freight built a version of the last-generation air-cooled Bonneville. It's all there, it performs the same functions, it's just not as slick and polished as the name-brand.

Sitting on the bike, the seat is initially comfortable, but under my butt, it's sloped back very slightly. I'm used to seats tending to push you toward the tank, so this was unique. The handlebars are rather straight, making for more of a reach than the Triumph. The placement of the foot pegs is a widely criticized feature of the INT, but initially, I found them to be ok, although my knees were up a bit more than I'm used to. Looking at the instruments, they are a bit smaller and placed more forward and lower than the Triumph. They are less prominent, but this also means that they require more of a deliberate glance downward to see them. And while the gas gauge is nice, there is no clock. Seriously? This is a budget bike, but no clock?

Taking all of this into consideration, one needs to step back, forget the little details, and just take in the bike as a whole. If classic standards are your thing, it's beautiful.

Riding Impression:
To get a full range of what this bike can do, here's how I planned my route for the day: I poked around Downtown L.A. to get the feel of the bike in general, like the handling, manuverability, braking, and the comfort of the bike as a whole. I went up to the Griffith Park Observatory to park it and see what the crowd thought. It's a great place to take in the city from up high, take a break from riding, and I've never failed to get a "nice bike" comment on my Honda or Triumph. From there, poke around the Hollywood Hills, then get on the freeway for the long slog up the 101 to drop in for the twisy roads above Malibu. Finally, take Pacific Coast Highway back to Santa Monica for a coffee break, then slog it back through L.A. to the Bike Shed on the east side of downtown.

Taking the ride on a weekday during the holiday break is ideal - very few commuters, decent moving traffic, despite lots of tourists.

Anticipating a long day of riding, I had brought two charged pairs of earbuds for all-day music. But first, I wanted to ride around with my ears open to listen to the bike as I got used to it. The engine fired easily, and here's where the INT grabbed me. The 270 degree twin has a fantastic sound. Where my 360 Bonneville runs like a sewing machine, this thing runs like a V-twin. The stock mufflers make just enough noise, and that noise is beautiful. I kept the earbuds in my pocket and just listened to the bike all day.

The 650 makes plenty of power to make me happy. It's not a rocket, but I'm not a fast rider unless I'm on the freeway and am just keeping up with fast traffic. The transmission is butter-smooth, and the clutch pull nice and light. While it goes up and down through the gears very nicely, I did encounter a very nasty false neutral between fifth and sixth gears if I didn't shift deliberately. When it did happen, there was a loud clunk followed by a neutral rev, while I gathered myself to figure out what had happened.

The engine feels relaxed, like it's not working too hard unless you push it. While riding the streets of L.A., I realized that this was where the bike was happiest, staying at boulevard speeds. Steering was nice and light, and while there has been quite a bit of criticism online about the brakes, I found them to be fine. In fact, as mentioned, the gauges require more of a glance down than I'm used to to read them. As I got used to the bike, I spent a second too long looking at the gauges, and a car in front of me stopped short. I had to perform a panic stop, and felt the ABS kick in without any drama. Not as good as a dual front disk, but I'd say better than my non-ABS single-disk Bonneville.

The Ceat brand tires are a budget move here. They performed fine in regular riding, but they show their limit when cornering. I will say, however, that they are a bit less prone to following our grooved concrete freeways than the new Avons on my Bonneville, which were supposed to have a new design to eliminate groove tracking. If I were to buy an INT650 new, my daily riding wouldn't stress the Ceat tires, but I'd look forward to replacing them with another brand when the time came.

Poking around Hollywood, the hills, and getting up to the observatory was enjoyable. The city handling is quite good. The suspension is another budget move, and our crumbling streets resulted in jolts, and a clunking sound on the harder bumps, most likely where the shocks bottomed out. While the observatory was packed with tourists, the bike got some glances, but no comments. Oh well, everyone was there to take in the view, not a motorcycle.

Getting out on the freeway, the six gears let the bike stretch its legs, and maintaining 75-80 mph was no problem. The bike felt stable at speed, and comfortable for the miles that I rode up the 101 to Kanan to drop into the Laguna canyon area. I rode the fabled canyon roads like Mulholland and Latigo. Amazingly, for a clear day on the Mecca of riding roads in the area, I only saw a couple of other bikes. One was when I stopped at the Rock Store, which was closed for the day. A grizzled old Harley dude had stopped to rest, as did I. "How do you like that Enfield?" he said? I commented that I had rented it for the day, and was enjoying it. He looked it over, and asked "Aren't these really cheap or somethin'?" I said retail was about $6k, and he sounded impressed for what the bike was. While I enjoy canyon riding, the bike is not designed to be a fast canyon-carver, and I took a relaxed approach, mostly listening to the engine as it went up through the gears and emitted a slight burble under engine braking.

I took the long way back, up Pacific Coast Highway to Santa Monica, hitting some Malibu traffic here and there, lane splitting as necessary. It's a nice, narrow size for the task. As it got dark on the way back to the Bike Shed, the gauges light up nicely in the dark. The headlight is old-school. I'd replace the bulb with an LED as a first upgrade.

While I found the seating and peg positions comfortable at first, my upper thighs became a bit sore throughout the day. Maybe they aren't perfect, but for eight hours in the saddle, I can't complain too much.

Overall:
Ok, I had a lot of fun with this bike. But, would I buy one? I wouldn't replace either of my big bikes with it, leaving the CB300R as the target for replacement.

The Enfield has a lot of charm, and is very desirable to me. But, I have one local dealer, and talking with the parts manager, he was very candid about the availability of parts. They stock filters and such, but hard parts will take a while to get.
I can click-and-buy anything the Honda will ever need. And, I know the Honda will be dead reliable. Will an Enfield?

Very frequent valve check intervals. This is relatively easy with screw-type adjusters, but man, that makes you wonder just a bit, doesn't it?

Do I want another bike with spoke wheels and tube tires? Hmm...

Lots to think about. Overall, I really enjoyed riding the Enfield. I would consider buying one. Not as my only bike, but as an additional bike to the CB1100 and the Bonneville.

I have lots of GoPro footage to sort through. When I post a video, I'll put up the link.

Naturally.

I don't disagree with any of your assessments. I might even be hesitant to buy this at msrp plus all the extras, which for me would have been at $7300. As it was, I got mine with 700 miles, rear rack, bar risers, tank pads, RE more plush seat for $5200. That made it worth it to me.

I'm not sure I'm worried about longevity with my INT650. I'll give it a year or two. After whatever time, in the back of my mind, it could be a bike I ride to do one long distance ride and then sell and fly home. We'll see.

Thanks so much for the fun-to-read summary. Glad the brakes worked as they should, and looking forward to a bit of video.

(12-29-2022, 11:42 AM)inditx_imp Wrote: Good stuff Gone!
Thanks for letting for us live vicariously through your ride report.
inditx