2018 ROYAL ENFIELD 650CC INTERCEPTOR

[Nortoon_imp]

These people just keep whispering the right words in my ear.

[peterbaron]

Nice look....but CB is a keeper.
Thanks for sharing

[Cormanus]

I can understand the attraction for a bloke with your motorcycle heritage, Nortoon.

[rboe]

Nice.

Very true, bikes have taken the performance envelope and pushed it so for that only 0.1% of riders can ride them at their full potential (and even then the riding aids are needed). But in the real world, if you want to live, if you want to experience the bike, the scenery, the smells while avoiding fresh cow poo, raccoons & skunks etc. the pace needs to be slower. The CB does this well - it handles the slower pace better than most bikes. However; a bike like the CB but a couple hundred pounds lighter would really be ideal. The Royal Enfield looks very interesting. But then so does the Guzzi V9. It will be interesting to compare the two (even the V7).

[the Ferret]

vid kind of reminds you of CB 1100 intro vids.

[Cormanus]

The beginning of it is a lot like the one shot in NZ.

[Nortoon_imp]

The Interceptor is much like my BSA Lightnings that I had.


While I enjoyed all 12 motorcycles that I have owed, the two that stand out are my BSAs and Aspencade Goldwing.

Neither the boss or I have any interest in taking long trips on a motorcycle. We have a large cushy Impala for that. Besides I am too tight to pay over $30,000 for a new Goldwing.

I like my CB1100 EX. It has the looks I like, the motor is smooth and reliable, and the new mufflers sound great and are not obnoxious. The top heavy weight disappears after first gear, and it does make the motorcycle very stable on the highway.

However as any Harley rider will tell you there is something missing. Does more vibration and sound make you more aware that you are on a motorcycle. Does the need for more input make you feel more connected to the motor. Or perhaps its just a nostalgic feeling we yearn for when we rode less perfect motorcycles in our youth.

The Interceptor is about 100 pounds lighter than the CB1100 when topped up. And every time I have to crank my CB1100 EX on its center stand, I am reminded I am not getting any younger.

But I also know old motorcycles are like old girlfriends. You always wonder why you gave them up, until you meet them again. Then you say to yourself, ah yes now I remember. So a good long test ride, may be bring me back to my senses.

[rboe]

Of the older bikes that we really liked, but were not perfect; we used the measuring stick of the day. Today in many ways we are much more picky - we have a new measuring stick so it can be very unfair to go back knowing what we know now.

For myself, like with girl friends, I have a better idea of what I have a tolerance for, what I like and what does not matter. The CB is not perfect, but oh my, she is more than good enough.

Like you, if I'm going to spend $30K on comfortable touring, it's going to have four wheels.

[Cormanus]

Surely the new Enfield has some modern touches that will make it, like the CB1100, a new bike. Therefore worth a try?

[rboe]

I agree.