Author Topic: 650 twin  (Read 41291 times)

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Carlsberg Wordsworth

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Reply #75 on: November 25, 2017, 12:00:27 am
Yes. And I found personally the Interceptor the most (for me) comfortable.


Rattlebattle

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Reply #76 on: November 25, 2017, 09:48:28 am
You don’t go to a show without sitting on the bikes! I prefer the caff racer one; it’s similar to my Thruxton. Sitting upright on a naked severely limits the cruising speed - my C5 is awful above about 65mph..
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JohnDL

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Reply #77 on: November 25, 2017, 11:25:35 am
Lots of useful information in there, thanks. I just picked out three points to comment on.  At £5500 I think I am smitten. June 2018 will be a good time for someone looking for a good Enfield single from a dealer as I guess quite a few will be traded in for the twins.

I'd be really surprised if they can sell the new twins at that price considering the 535GT retails in the UK at £5200.

They need to undercut the Bonneville and V7 by a substantial amount so hopefully I'll be proved wrong!

John


Rattlebattle

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Reply #78 on: November 25, 2017, 07:03:36 pm
You may well be right, but that’s what the man said, though that would be for whatever the cheaper if the two basic models will be and it won’t come at that price with the goodies on the show bikes. Also I reckon it’s only current thinking by RE. Who knows what the £ will be worth in June next year? FWIW I feel it will undercut the Street Cup ( the cheapest Triumph Twin). It’ll have to because the Triumph is nominally a 900 with more power ( though lower bhp/litre). Making the new Twin a 650cc is probably a wise move. The CGT is overpriced at £5200 IMHO; it’s ageing now and has even less oomph to haul around the heavy cycle parts, which were crying out for a better motor.
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johno

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Reply #79 on: November 25, 2017, 10:44:47 pm
The CGT is overpriced at £5200 IMHO;
Look what happened when the CGT was introduced the BULLET and Classic prices dropped by nearly £1000 in the UK. I think the same kind of thing will happen, the BULLET and Classic price will drop  slightly and the CGT will drop to current Bullet prices as the 650's become available.
Trouble is second hand values will drop as well so unless RE dealers do a good Part Ex deal, current owners may be stuck when wanting to sell thier singles to purchase a twin.
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Richard230

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Reply #80 on: November 25, 2017, 10:52:20 pm
Having owned a Honda Interceptor in the past I wonder if RE is going to have an issue with Honda about that name?   ???
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mevocgt

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Reply #81 on: November 26, 2017, 12:36:06 am
They will have the Himalayan and the 650s at the DC Motorcycle show....So I'll be checking them out..for sure


Rustygears

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Reply #82 on: November 26, 2017, 02:19:42 am
Yes. And I found personally the Interceptor the most (for me) comfortable.
   

You don’t go to a show without sitting on the bikes! I prefer the caff racer one; it’s similar to my Thruxton. Sitting upright on a naked severely limits the cruising speed - my C5 is awful above about 65mph..

That may be OK for you youngsters, but at my age (80 is a memory) my knees do not appreciate being bent like a pretzel.

RJ


Arizoni

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Reply #83 on: November 26, 2017, 05:02:49 am
Having owned a Honda Interceptor in the past I wonder if RE is going to have an issue with Honda about that name?   ???
I doubt if they will have a problem.

Royal Enfield was making the Interceptor in 1960 when Honda was just making small bikes like their 50cc motorcycles and dabbling with a 125cc twin and a 250cc four which they entered at the Isle of Mann.

Royal Enfield continued to make the Interceptor thru 1968 when they introduced the Series II Interceptor which they made thru 1970.

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johno

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Reply #84 on: November 26, 2017, 09:55:51 am
just found these pictures of the Interceptor and GT 650 Chrome...enjoy

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krusty

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Reply #85 on: November 26, 2017, 11:24:51 am
I looked at and sat on both yesterday. Pleasantly  surprised at the overall fit and finish. The GT650 felt more comfortable than my GT535, I think due to a better bar position, slightly lower and more forward.
The Interceptor was really nice in the metal and for me a comfy fit. I'm 6'1" with 34" inside leg. I'd probably change a few bits and bobs, but that's part of the fun. Maybe paint some parts, polish others. The only thing that didn't feel was quite right are the thin foot pegs which are the same as the GTs, fine for a short fast blast. But not really up to all day comfort. I'd change those for some wider rubber covered jobs. Other than that nothing to suggest a good test ride wouldn't end in a purchase.
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Rattlebattle

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Reply #86 on: November 26, 2017, 03:46:54 pm
Well I wouldn’t exactly call myself a youngster (I am a pensioner) but I doubt octogenarians are the target market for these 650s...I already have to adapt to what is on sale. Few if any manufacturers provide the adjustability of controls that is the norm on cars; it’s just the way it is.
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Blairio

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Reply #87 on: November 27, 2017, 03:33:34 am
   
That may be OK for you youngsters, but at my age (80 is a memory) my knees do not appreciate being bent like a pretzel.

RJ

A dislike of the 'racing crouch' on a bike is not just an age thing - I am a mere stripling of 57 summers but  being bent near double, with so much weight on my wrists round town, and having to crane my neck backwards to see where I am heading, just seems like too much work. For me, Enfield's (even 650 twins) are not about terminal velocity. I have a huge respect for folk who can squeeze  an extra 30% power out of a UCE single, and doubtless the same wizardry will be brought to bear on the twins.  A decent turn of speed for safe overtaking and motorway riding, combined with a relaxed riding position will do me nicely.


heloego

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Reply #88 on: November 27, 2017, 01:30:24 pm
And so it goes for me, too, even at 65 tender years. ;)

   I very much like the looks of the bike and if the overall quality is as improved as hoped for I'm of the opinion they did a wonderful job on both. The Interceptor is beautiful. Just wish I could get a REAL close look at it.
   Thanks to all who provided links and pics!

   That said, with a 30" inseam it would take more than a few mod(s) for me to get comfortable on it.  :-\

   Moot anyway, I guess. The sidecar should be arriving sometime this week, so I'll be occupied with another project anyway.  ;D
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Rattlebattle

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Reply #89 on: November 27, 2017, 04:46:58 pm
I'm actually older than you, Heloego, though only a little. I have relatively long arms (no, I'm not an orangutang) :) so I find the riding position on the caff racer quite comfortable. It's very similar to my Thruxton, on which I've done a couple of 300 mile days without discomfort, though that is the later version with "M" bars rather than clip-ons. I guess it's down to physique as much as anything. What I would say is that the Thruxton is comfortable at an 80mph cruise. The Bonneville I tried wasn't because it lacked the small but effective screen and had a more upright stance. I find the cruising speed of my C5 is limited in part by the wind pressure, although I try not to thrash it anyway. I shall be looking to replace the Thruxton in a few years and I am therefore interested in a lighter twin like the RE. Although it produces more bhp/litre than the current 900 Triumphs it is way short of my older air-cooled type. If RE were to produce a version with, say, 55-60 bhp I'd be interested, even more so if it were a 360 degree twin (though that is unlikely I guess). For now I'll stick with my C5. It's a shame when the original Interceptor Mk 2 was such a powerful beast (though of course by the time that was launched big English twins were history anyway as far as performance was concerned, apart from the Commando if being charitable). I really don't understand RE's strategy unless they don't care about export markets and what people want.
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