enfield interceptor

[mickwinf]

was wondering if any members own one and can give a real world opinion. I fancy one as an alternative to my 500 four. I did have a quick ride on one and liked most things, although the seat is uncomfortable and the engine seemed very mechanically noisy. I am looking for mid range power around 50-70 mph as dont really go much faster nowadays. I like the model with alloy rims rather than black. Any thoughts?

[Laverda Dave]

Go for it, great bikes.
First the bad points:
1. They are heavy, something like 210Kg fueled up. This makes them a bit of a lump to move around in the garage. The weight disappears when on the move.
2. They run bloody hot. This is because RE had to run them lean at the rev band where the emissions tests are taken.
3. The OE seat is worse than a 400/4 plank.
4. They are built to a price and some parts of the bike show it BUT not in finish, only in choice of materials used.
5. The suspension front and back is basic but if you are used to a 70’s Honda you won't notice. Everything is available (for a price) to have better suspension.

The fixes needed to make a great bike even better:
1. Ditch the entire exhaust system, not just the silencers that weigh 7kg each and both contain cats but also the very restrictive header pipes. Replace with S/S TEC 42mm big bore headers and a pair of S/S Cannon silencers. The result will be instant, a lovely sound and better breathing.
2. Throw the OE seat in the bin and replace with the RE touring seat, your piles will thank you for it.
3. Remove the air box snorkel and the paper filter and replace with a free breathing K&N, don't replace the snorkel.
4. Fit a Fuel-X unit but not the all singing and dancing programmable unit which is IMHO a waste of money. The standard Fuel-X is plug and play. It looks the Fi system into thinking it is running lean at low revs (where the emissions tests are taken) to make it pump more fuel in. This results in a cooler running engine, better pickup and free breathing.
5. The OE footrests, gear levers and brake levers are cheap and nasty painted steel. Fit TEC alloy units that are adjustable, look so much better and don't catch your trouser bottoms!
6. The above also applies to the brake and clutch levers, fit a pair of TEC adjustable units to give you hands a decent span.
7. OE mirrors are pig ugly and don't do a very good job either. A pair of stainless bar end mirrors from Stadium are great and are available from Hitchcocks who also sell the special bar ends you need to fit the stadium mirrors. Very, Very cool😎.
8. Fit a fly screen, the RE is the best as it fits without modification to the headlight brackets. They do work and protect the clocks from bugs but it does a good job of deflecting the wind off the rider.
9. The grill over the oil cooler is laughable, replace with a TEC unit.
The journalists at the time slagged off the OE tires, they are 100% fine, it's a touring bike not a GP replica!
10. Change the oil at the recommended service intervals DONT miss them. Use an ester based oil and change the filter every time. The oil (I use Silkolene) is something like £55 for 4 litres on-line, not cheap but worth it as I've heard of cheaper oils not giving very good fuel economy (?) and needing topping up.

They are easy to customise to your personal taste.

They really are great bikes, cheap, well made and a lot of bang for your buck👍

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

I've read good things about the new BSA 650 Goldstar, a member in the SD site runs one.

Iirc cost about £5k new in 2025, lots of low mileage used ones about.

[mickwinf]

thanks for the info Dave,I am starting to feel the strain when moving the 500 around so weight is a consideration. sounds like there is a lot of options to make it your own. lots to think about.

[Laverda Dave]

I've read good things about the new BSA 650 Goldstar, a member in the SD site runs one.

Iirc cost about £5k new in 2025, lots of low mileage used ones about.

You need to be careful of the early BSA's Ted. They suffered with a well known issue of the main wiring loom fraying very badly around the headstock resulting in electrical problems. Used prices for early models went through the floor.

[Spitfire]

I've always fancied an Enfield 650 but that looks like a long and expensive list to make it practical.

Cheers

Dennis

[Skoti]

Yes,
I looked at the Enfield as well, but felt safer with a new Honda CL500 for the same money and with the tried and trusted old engine that's been about for 10 years now.

No regrets, so far...

[Laverda Dave]

All the mods I've stated are purely for the owner to decide. The bikes are perfectly fine as they are straight out of the crate. I chose to personalise my bike to suit me. The only mods I would urge anyone to make us to ditch the seat and spend the £80 on a new RE touring seat,  fit the Fuel-X to drastically improve the low end grunt and to allow the motor to run cooler and to dump the snorkel and paper air filter and replace with a K&N that lasts a lifetime and ultimately saves on renewing the paper filter.

[flatfour]

I was quite keen to buy the 650 a year or so back, however a local dealer (not Enfield) with quite a few on the showroom floor suggested that I push one around, and then put it onto the main stand a few times. It felt very weighty for its size and, when he invited me to try the same with a selection of other bikes on display, my wish to buy went away quickly!

I've owned and enjoyed four CB500/4's over the years, two bought new and two bought used in more recent times.

In my view, if you find it difficult to manage the weight of the Honda, buying an Enfield won't improve matters.

 

[K2-K6]

Interesting and thorough overview Dave.

It does come up quite heavy though, something I'd not estimate from its looks. Watching riders move their bikes around at meeting places, Newlands corner etc, and with even a gentle slope on parking, shows that many are apparently at their personal limit when manually moving them. Definitely a consideration in potential purchase decision.

A reference, but not recommendation as only older example available, the original aircooled Ducati Monster id view as pinnacle in manual handling and general design concept for this attribute. 600 to 900 they are all torque biased measured against peer bikes. But, they feel like a bicycle to move them around in pushing or riding them. A real 270 degree twin with all but perfect engine balance, lovely responsive free flowing torque, great sound, almost a perfect motorcycle 

They're a great contrast to those looking for something in contrast to a classic 4 cylinder type bike. Don't know if anyone makes a currently available bike like this.

[mickwinf]

my problem is I have no interest in modern bikes except the ones that look like old bikes.I looked at the cl 500 as recommended by Skoti but just too modern. My biking is nostalgia driven, re-living my youth so bikes I have some connection with are the ones I go for, but have to be practical going forward. the enfield appeals as my first bike was a crusader and i like the look. still ok with the weight at the moment. even looked at the 350 hondas and bantams etc but maybe a bit too small as regards engine power. sigh, dont know what to do.

[K2-K6]

Is the Kawasaki W800 of interest, quite a few floating about in used market at low mileage. Doesn't shift the weight any though.

These always seem well engineered, and modern take on original 60s Kawasaki copy of BSA twin, is my understanding. Kawasaki components have ordinarily had fairly heavy duty outlook and notable for durability.

They appear and feel to hold their weight fairly low too, making them more weildy and lighter handling generally.

[Laverda Dave]

Interesting points Nigel about the Monster. The only real downside of those bikes are the availability of decent used bikes and the general finish of them that whilst new looked great but soon went off. I went with a mate a couple of years ago who wanted a M900, he'd seen plenty but all had issues. The one I went to see with him looked great on the advert but seeing it for real was a disappointment. Frame paint was so thin it was rusting below the paint blowing it off. The bare engine cases were corroded whilst the painted parts were bubbling up. If you can get one cheap enough and are prepared to strip it down and give it a good going over I think they would be perfect.
As regards the Interceptor, a sobering thought is the RE weighs nearly as much as my 1999 VFR800! The difference though is the VFR carries it's weight high up compared to the interceptor. Room in my garage is really tight and it is the VFR that I feel is difficult to move about. With the Interceptor I can allow it to lean into me a lot more but that's probably down to the higher handlebars and the lack of a full fairing.
My advice to Mick would be to go for another test ride but to concentrate on moving it about and putting it on it's  main stand, it's a knack to get used to just like every other bike. Most people only put a bike on the mainstand to adjust the chain anyway. They have a side stand as standard, another big plus point for the RE.
Having owned a still owning a range of different bikes over the years I have to say the interceptor makes me smile every time I ride it, clean it and look at it. It's a nice simple bike to look after and is so easy to personalise, there's a lot of aftermarket parts available and not at stupid prices either.

[Laverda Dave]

Here's mine..........