‘Simple, old-school, great-fun motorcycle’
This year brings the return of another iconic Royal Enfield model. The Interceptor is back…
It’s been a long time coming. Speculated in the press for at least the last five years, Royal Enfield admit their newest model has been a ‘dream’ for a decade. Now the wait is over, with a new twin-cylinder 650 set to be launched at the end of this summer. The Royal Enfield Interceptor is back. And it’s not alone. As well as the Interceptor, the 650 will be available as the café racer-style Continental GT. “The original Interceptor was an export model to California,” says Paul Ventura, Royal Enfield’s product strategy manager. “It was an iconic model in our range, and the California style is something the [new] Interceptor embodies. The GT is more focused and committed – it has roots in the café racer scene. These bikes are very closely tied to their heritage and inspired by their heritage. It’s definitely the same spirit.” Rather than a pumped-up version of the single-cylinder Bullet, the twin is brand new and the result of over one million kilometres of testing. “You don’t replicate a single in a twin; you do what’s right for the twin,” says the company’s CEO, Siddhartha Lal. This doesn’t mean the 650 is a modern pastiche, however. In fact the opposite is true, with Royal Enfield creating bikes influenced by and with the spirit of the original 692cc and later 736cc machines. This doesn’t mean they’ve ignored almost 60 years of improvements in design and manufacture, though. Where the 1960s Interceptor engine was long-stroke with overhead valves, the new 650 is oversquare with an overhead camshaft and four valves per cylinder. Bosch fuel injection uses dual throttle bodies, and a balance shaft sitting ahead of the crankshaft cancels out primary vibration. Bore and stroke of 78 x 67.8mm gives a displacement of 648cc, and with 9.5:1 compression there’s 47bhp at 7100rpm and 38 lb.ft at 4000rpm – over 26% more torque and almost twice as much power as the 499cc single in the Bullet and Classic. A one-piece forged crank is a first for the firm, and rather than pistons rising and falling together in the Brit tradition, it has a 270-degree firing interval. Three different prototype engines were assembled early in the project, and everyone preferred the 270˚ unit. As well as smoothing things out, it means V-twin-like sound and feel, plus an exhaust note described by Siddhartha as more of a rumble than a thump. As well as a resemblance to their singles, there’s a hint of ’70s Honda to the cylinder head and cam cover design of the finned motor. “An air-cooled engine is just ‘right’,” says head of product strategy, Mark Wells. “It’s not cluttered with water hoses and pumps, and you don’t have to worry about trying to hide expansion tanks. It makes the bike pure, makes it look and feel correct.” An oil cooler helps control heat and in chain modern final traffic. drive, Transmission and a modern is by six-speed slip-assist gearbox clutch (another RE first) prevents the rear wheel hopping on rushed down-changes, while also promising a light lever action. Though visually similar to the 535cc single-cylinder Continental GT, the frame for the 650s is new and designed in conjunction with chassis legends Harris Performance (who RE now own). The tubular steel double cradle carries the engine as a stressed member, and employs responsive geometry – steering head angle is a sharp 24 degrees,
“INFLUENCED BY AND IN THE SPIRIT OF THE ORIGINAL...”
wheelbase is short, and the 18-inch wheels mount slim tyres. “We wanted something agile, nimble, quick-steering,” continues Wells. “They’re great fun to throw around.” Suspension is by 41mm diameter forks with 110mm (4.3in) travel, and twin coil-over shocks supplying 88mm (3.5in) of movement. Single brake discs at each end use calipers from Bybre, made by brake giants Brembo (think ‘By Brembo’). The teardrop 13.7-litre (three gallon) tank is pure 1960s. The Interceptor features a ‘trove’ of other 1960s design touches, with a seven-inch headlight and quilted seat, Monza-style filler cap and reverse-cone pipes. Seat height is 804mm. This reduces slightly in Continental GT guise, as part of a more plugged-in riding position that features clip-on ’bars plus rearset footpegs giving greater ground clearance.
The twin looks small next to Moto Guzzi’s 744cc V7, and tiny against Triumph’s 1200cc Bonnevilles. But the 650 was a very conscious decision; RE want the bikes to be accessible, manageable, and a logical next step for riders of their singles (the 350cc Bullet is still popular in India, where they sell 95% of their bikes, so a big bike would be foolish). This doesn’t mean the 650 will be dull. At 203kg (447lb) it’s only seven kilos heavier than a Bullet and has the same power-to-weight as a Guzzi V7. With its manageable size, quick-fire geometry and friendly thrust, the 650s promise feel-good fun in a bike fusing traditional charm with modern ease and ability. “We’re not about super-fast motorcycles, we’re not about heavy cruisers,” says Siddhartha. “We’re about simple, old-school, great-fun motorcycles.” Sounds just our thing.
Enfield’s in factory May last state-of-the-art closed. year Bossed – 50 tech years by centre after ex-triumph in the Leicestershire original man Redditch opened Simon Warburton, it’s responsible for the design and development of future models. The new 650 twins (previous pages) are the first bikes through its doors. It’s an amazing place. Entering through a door with a cast “Made Like A Gun” handle, the stairs lead you past a tower of bikes and into a bright first-floor office that’s home to engine and chassis teams, accessory designers, computerassisted analysis and rapid prototyping. Ground floor houses a spotless industrial design studio, and workshops for metalwork, electrics and chassis, with features including a shock dyno, bike lifts that drop flush to the floor and underfloor extraction. Tools are from King Dick, chosen as they’re the only British-owned tool firm. Another building has dyno and emission facilities, and there’s a 10,000-litre fuel tank. The centre already employs well over 100 people, who start work, finish and take breaks as they see fit. Locker rooms include showers and a drying area for wet riding gear. And the homely canteen area has a Union Jack teapot.
Royal Enfield are back in the UK