Many bikers, particularly those of a certain age, were saddened recently to see that the grand old name in motorcycling, Royal Enfield, was finally ceasing production of a grand old stalwart in the form of its 500cc single.
However, the good news is that it was replaced with an excellent new 650cc twin engine.
It’s employed in the popular Continental GT and in the model we are looking at here – the Interceptor 650.
The name was first used by Enfield back in 1960, when it launched a 692cc vertical twin Interceptor built at its Redditch, Worcs, factory for the US and Canada.
That was replaced with a much-improved 736cc version in 1962.
Various modifications followed until production came to an end in 1970.
Now, the Interceptor rides again and it’s really rather special.
As with many bikes these days, it’s difficult trying to slot the Interceptor into a particular box regarding what style of bike it is.
A naked middleweight certainly, with plenty of retro style, but some up-to-the-minute features, too.
When looking at sales, the Motorcycle Industry Association puts it in the Adventure category, where it is currently sitting in a very impressive third place for units sold so far this year.
It’s a great looking machine which harks back to the 60s with classically simple lines.
It’s available in seven different liveries and the paint finish and all-round quality seems very good.
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The textured seat is a nice touch, as is the teardrop tank and badge, and Monza-style fuel cap – and the twin clocks look the part, too.
On board, the ride is position is upright, relaxed and comfortable.
Head off and the sound from the twin pipes is surprisingly fruity for a euro-compliant set-up.
With 47bhp on tap, the Interceptor is never getting to tear your arms off, but it’s plenty quick enough through the gears to put a smile on your face.
And it will more than happily purr along at motorway speeds, with a maximum of 100 certainly achievable.
The Bybre – Brembo offshoot – brakes do a decent job of hauling up the 200kg machine and are nicely progressive with plenty of bite when needed.
At just over £6,000, the Interceptor is one of the best value mid-sized retros you can buy, but that’s certainly not apparent in the looks, the build and finish quality, or when riding it.
If you push hard through the bends, the front suspension, in the form of non-adjustable right-way-up forks can feel a bit soft and wallowing.
But, really that’s the only gripe and could be easily rectified with a suspension upgrade if you’re a more aggressive rider.
Frankly though, that’s not what this bike is about.
The Interceptor is about simple, affordable, fun motorcycling – and it delivers that in spades.
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