‘THE ENGINE IS A REAL PEACH – ESPECIALLY IN SERIES II FORM’
The ignition points were resited to a new location behind a new timing cover, being driven off the exhaust cam. Compression ratio was (at long last) standardised at 8.5:1 and even the Albion gearbox was (slightly) improved, with new ratios closing up the chasm between third and fourth gears. And the Interceptor’s cycle parts received some welcome attention, too, with the new parent company’s Roadholder forks replacing the old Enfield units and a nine-inch front brake sourced from the Norton Atlas. Even the electrics got a makeover, sharing the same Lucas components with the Norton Commando.
But all was not well at Royal Enfield. With production of the Interceptor running at just 25 bikes a week in 1969 – it had been the only Royal Enfield model produced since the Redditch factory closed in 1967 – it was clear that things couldn’t go on as they were. With financial woes mounting, in July 1970 the factory at Bradford on Avon closed down and production of Royal Enfield’s finest parallel twin ended.
WHAT’LL IT DO, MATE?
If you’re in the market for a big Brit twin, try to get a ride on an Interceptor before you commit to going down the usual Triumph/bsa/norton route. You might just be surprised. For a start, the massive torque of the Interceptor unit makes riding so relaxing – and it makes living with the slow and slightly hit-and-miss gearchange a bit easier. Get the Interceptor into top and you won’t have to use the Albion ’box that much. Power is quoted variously at 52 or 54bhp (or an optimistic 60bhp by some sources) and you won’t run out of it at legal speeds. At 70mph, there’s plenty still on tap for effortless overtakes.
Handling’s great, too. Thanks to the Interceptor’s commendably svelte 425lb weight, you can sling it around like a lightweight and the chassis has a delightfully slim and well-balanced feel. It’s a good job, because the brakes – especially the pitiful seven-inch sls thing decorating the front of Series I and IA models – aren’t man enough for the Interceptor’s impressive performance. The eight-inch Norton front brake on the Series II is better, but still some way short of magnificent. What it needs is the Norton tls unit fitted to some late examples – a relatively simple retro-fit. That’s about the only blot on the landscape, though. The Series II is the best of the bunch, with its wet-sump engine and stronger crankcases largely making the old ‘Royal Oilfield’ jibes inapplicable. Great engine, excellent chassis, so-so gearbox and clutch (the splined type clutch on the last models is the best of the bunch), rubbish front brake – that’s the summary.
Do the highs outweigh the lows? On balance, I’d say so. The Interceptor engine is a real peach – especially in Series II form. And who needs brakes anyway? They only slow you down...