[twocoolgliders]

who says the  RE650 in not a "fast" bike?

I went for a nice ride yesterday...I'm pretty much through the break in period so I started giving 'er a bit more
throttle.  I was headed into a 20mph headwind, when I "hit it"...between the g force, and the wind, and speed...I slid a bit back on the seat...I had to grab the tank with my knees and hang onto the hand grips!  The upright seating position (no windshield) really pushed me back!  And I still had some throttle left!

Sure there are plenty faster bikes....but really?  The RE accelerates more than I might want to !

Granted, you do "feel" the speed more with upright seating...my bikes with "sport" position, you lean into the wind, and don't get thrown back under acceleration...

But the RE has more power than I will ever desire!


Cookie

[hadujorganic]

]
...between the g force, and the wind, and speed...I slid a bit back on the seat...I had to grab the tank with my knees and hang onto the hand grips!  The upright seating position (no windshield) really pushed me back!  And I still had some throttle left!

Cookie

Yes, exactly! I like to think of the bike scooting forward from under me rather than me actually going backwards, but it's all relative. For my individual need and purpose, my 2019 INT has more than enough power and acceleration.

And speaking of scooting, last night I rode a Vespa-style scooter for the first time. It was an old red Italjet 2-stroke 50cc that (according to the owner) had been modified to a 125cc. I cranked it wide open and I won't lie, it was a fun little ride. But that experience will put the power debate about the RE 650 Twins into some perspective for me, anyway. 

[twocoolgliders]

yes, your physics are  more correct than mine...force, acceleration, inertia,  fig-newtons, protons, morons etc.

I have two scooters...125   and 150  (but 4 stroke)...both pretty zippy...

Cookie

Yes, exactly! I like to think of the bike scooting forward from under me rather than me actually going backwards, but it's all relative. For my individual need and purpose, my 2019 INT has more than enough power and acceleration.

And speaking of scooting, last night I rode a Vespa-style scooter for the first time. It was an old red Italjet 2-stroke 50cc that (according to the owner) had been modified to a 125cc. I cranked it wide open and I won't lie, it was a fun little ride. But that experience will put the power debate about the RE 650 Twins into some perspective for me, anyway. 

[gizzo]

My mate's 650 interceptor feels plenty fast enough to me when I swap off my CGT535 thumper  .

[ace.cafe]

I have been saying this for years, except it was about the Fireball 535 single which has very similar performance as the Interceptor.

When it gets into the 40 rwhp vicinity on a 400 pound bike, it goes well enough to be sporty and fun, do over The Ton, and cruise the motorways without getting run over.

And with the nimble nature of the RE, it can often keep up with much more powerful bikes on the back roads.

It's enough to have plenty of fun with.

[aamrr177]

OK, I'll say it.  These are not fast bikes.   They have about the same power and weight of 500cc Japanese twins from 35 years ago, and those were considered beginner bikes at the time.  Yes they will out-accelerate 90% of the cars on the road and they have plenty of power for cruising at an enjoyable pace.  But fast? Ummm, no.  I have no trouble keeping my front wheel on the ground and I'm not "accidentally" hitting 80 mph in second gear (sorry officer!).  And that's one of the reasons I bought it.  When I want to go stupid fast and scrape my knees on the ground I'll do it on my track day bike.  When I want to take a relaxed ride and enjoy the scenery I use the RE.  Much safer for the license.

[Haggisman]

My Royal enfield interceptor is fast enough for my riding style these days. I used to ride Yamaha xj600 and a Suzuki 1250 Bandit,  I don't need the fast and furious to be happy now.

[GlennF]

Plenty for normal street riding. Sometimes I think people want silly HP just for epeen and street cred and likely never use it.

By all accounts though the basic engine gearbox and chassis are capable of handling out a lot more power without any modifications if Enfield ever wanted to do a race tuned 750 or some such..

[gizzo]

Plenty for normal street riding. Sometimes I think people want silly HP just for epeen and street cred and likely never use it.

By all accounts though the basic engine gearbox and chassis are capable of handling out a lot more power without any modifications if Enfield ever wanted to do a race tuned 750 or some such..

I'd never heard of epeen until now. Thanks, GlennF. I think you're right. I've never owned a "fast" bike.  But I've smashed plenty of them at the track and on the street by  riding my slow bike quickly.

[Haggisman]

Fast is a relative term.  Back in the early 70s I had the opportunity to spend a few hours riding a Yamaha LS2. This little 10hp, 100cc 2stroke twin was one of the  best fun riding experiences that I have ever had. It was a race bred pocket rocket,  flat out at 85kmh. It screamed like a banshee and felt like you were going twice as fast as you actually were. It was too slow for the open road but around town you felt like a racing rider. Who needs 100hp to enjoy a bike!

[gizzo]

My old YZ100 was like that. Not real life fast but it felt fast.

Come to think of it, I've been having lots of fun riding around in the hills on my wife's Monster lately. Her one is a 400, so not fast. But, you get to ride it flat out all the time, forever rowing the gearbox. It's very engaging and quite quick point to point if you keep it on the boil. Lots of fun.

I didn't have anywhere near that much fun on my TRX850,  but it had its place in the wide sweepers,  touring and track.

[Warwick]

The 650 is so much fun to ride fast! You can use the whole power curve, exhaust sounds great and look cool all at once   My vrf12000f is almost never in a power curve, has no noise (standard exhaust) and no one  ever notices it (sometimes a good thing).
cheers and beers   
Warwick

[dickim]

Talking of back in the 70's 😀 used to race (scramble) a Greaves whilst my brother had an Armstrong  - and then we tried the Honda Red Rocket (Elsinore?) and scared the craps out of  me! didn't stop us putting the Kwaka 500 triple barrels & cylinders on the 250 (250 learner limit) That was the triple that became a twin when it rained and the middle pot collected the rain and shorted out - GREAT DAYS😀😀😀

[twocoolgliders]

Actually this week...I got two new vocabulary lessons.  Words I had to look up.  Useful and descriptive words.

"epeen"

"farkle"

Cookie (learning something new every day!)

here's  a good one....but nobody will know....and you won't be able to look it up either...but you will like it when I tell the meaning...maybe somebody can guess?

"raspenorious"

I'd never heard of epeen until now. Thanks, GlennF. I think you're right. I've never owned a "fast" bike.  But I've smashed plenty of them at the track and on the street by  riding my slow bike quickly.

[Breezin]

The Interceptor is not fast, but it is hugely satisfying to ride.

I don't know why anyone wants or needs a properly fast bike nowadays. What's the point? Speed limits are lower, enforcement is higher, main roads are more boring, traffic is denser, drivers are more aggressive and distracted.

Decades ago, a Japanese 750 four was one of the fastest things beyond the racetrack, and so had the freedom of any road. Motorists didn't really impinge. Now, that bike's performance would be matched by most family SUVs.

So we up the ante and all get litre bikes and go faster? Where? At 120kmph, maybe pushing it to 130 in a straight line down a motorway? Yawn. Why would you want to do that? Maybe to commute, but you don't need a fast bike to do that. Maybe, and especially if I'm younger, to impress my peers. I'm not knocking that!

Yeah, I'm getting old. But the real freedom is in the 1 and 2-laners. That's where the Interceptor belongs.