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.

 

[Wisedrum]

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

Not for me. I already have a Kawa W800 and a Bullet besides the CB. But I like the fact, that a few manufacturers try their attempts in a fight against ever harder restrictions and bring the last air/oilcooled bigger motorbikes to live, that build a nice contrast to mostly new and in my eyes modern ugly transformer bikes that doesn't aim at me being totally lost in timeless old classic retro design and feeling good with it. But it's a fight that can't be won on the long run.

Wisedrum

 

[Nortoon_imp]

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

My BSAs had about the same horsepower, but carburetors, a 4 speed gear box, and poor brakes. The new Interceptor has fuel injection, a 6 speed gearbox, and ABS disk brakes.

Like the BSAs it has bolt and nut valve adjustment. An easy and simple procedure I am familiar with. That could save some shop time and expense.

 

[Cormanus]

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

My BSAs had about the same horsepower, but carburetors, a 4 speed gear box, and poor brakes. The new Interceptor has fuel injection, a 6 speed gearbox, and ABS disk brakes.

Like the BSAs it has bolt and nut valve adjustment. An easy and simple procedure I am familiar with. That could save some shop time and expense.

My BSAs had about the same horsepower, but carburetors, a 4 speed gear box, and poor brakes. The new Interceptor has fuel injection, a 6 speed gearbox, and ABS disk brakes.

Like the BSAs it has bolt and nut valve adjustment. An easy and simple procedure I am familiar with. That could save some shop time and expense.
So it would be more akin to trying a new but similar-looking girlfriend than revisiting an old affair?

 

[clearviewx]

Loved the video thanks for sharing.

 

[Nortoon_imp]

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

My BSAs had about the same horsepower, but carburetors, a 4 speed gear box, and poor brakes. The new Interceptor has fuel injection, a 6 speed gearbox, and ABS disk brakes.

Like the BSAs it has bolt and nut valve adjustment. An easy and simple procedure I am familiar with. That could save some shop time and expense.

My BSAs had about the same horsepower, but carburetors, a 4 speed gear box, and poor brakes. The new Interceptor has fuel injection, a 6 speed gearbox, and ABS disk brakes.

Like the BSAs it has bolt and nut valve adjustment. An easy and simple procedure I am familiar with. That could save some shop time and expense.
So it would be more akin to trying a new but similar-looking girlfriend than revisiting an old affair?

At least it won't be a blind date. My married friends tried that unsuccessfully too many times. The one I best remember was a Saturday morning call from a buddy with a girl's address. I was working on a bike at the time: unwashed, unshaven, sloppily dressed and greasy. Decided to go as I was since all the other setups were failures.

Reached the apartment and was buzzed up. The door opened and is was HER. The perfect girl! The door was closed almost as quickly as it opened. I could have kicked myself all the way home.

Painful as that was, I was three sheets to the wind the next time I saw her. Obviously the motorcycle gods were having a good laugh at my expense.

 

[VLJ_imp]

Nortoon Wrote:At least it won't be a blind date. My married friends tried that unsuccessfully too many times.
Going out on blind dates when you're married. Yep, a surefire recipe for success. I mean, what could go wrong?

 

[misterprofessionality]

i've never owned a Royal Enfield, though I think they'd make great first bikes for anybody. I do know what i've read though, and I just hope this newest model is a contender. the world needs more air cooled twins.

 

[the Ferret]

Nortoon Wrote:At least it won't be a blind date. My married friends tried that unsuccessfully too many times.
Going out on blind dates when you're married. Yep, a surefire recipe for success. I mean, what could go wrong?

Going out on blind dates when you're married. Yep, a surefire recipe for success. I mean, what could go wrong?

:rofl:

 

[Nortoon_imp]

My last date set up by this friend looked like it was doomed to fail. The girl he pointed out was a skinny 18 year old blonde teenybopper. I was 28 at the time. He pestered me enough I finally agreed to take her to one of our parties.

Turned out the young lady was more mature than I was. We were married two years later.

This is Penny in her mid twenties. The year she went on her first motorcycle ride.


This August we celebrated our 42 anniversary.

 

[the Ferret]

Great story Nortoon, and congrats on the 42.


Notice btw the cylinder/ head paint and think about the 2017 EX.