Royal Enfield Interceptor

With the unlock in effect, the opportunity to ride once again (albeit solo) presented itself again. Luckily for me the Interceptor that had been in Ashok’s care for almost six months had now made itself available once more. The 650 had been at the office right before the lockdown and was only started when we went in on urgent work, so my primary concern was getting the ol’ girl started. Once again, defying expectations, the Interceptor started with one quick thumb on the starter. After a few minutes on idle the engine that has sounded a little raspy at start settled into a nice smooth rhythm. Next, a quick wash and some air in the tyres that had lost a few PSI while standing, and the Interceptor was ready for the road. Even on the short ride home, the Interceptor reminded me why I had contested that the Interceptor and its twin are without a doubt motorcycles that will define this generation of riders much like the RD 350 had back in the day. Even a year down the line with so many miles under its belt the Interceptor ploughs on almost effortlessly with that same buttery smoothness every time you twist on your right wrist. On the agenda for the next phase of this test is another trip on the Interceptor, but rather than just report on how the ride was, I’d like to get into the metrics of fuel consumption and I will come back with some test runs that will help us understand whether the Interceptor has lost anything in terms of performance over the course of the last year! Here’s to hoping that humanity can win this pandemic and we can return to focusing on things that are outside the purview of life and death!