As two very unique and complete motorcycles which have been priced fantastically, the Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 and the Interceptor 650 are like two cats among pigeons. And after having ridden them for two days, we don’t think there’s much that can be offered more, at that price. However, the chatter around us in various biking groups suggests that a few tiny things are still missed. Not on a fundamental level, but because as humans, we’ve only evolved to expect more. So what did we hear is being missed? Here’s a list.
Switchable ABS
It is true that neither the Royal Enfield Continental GT 650, nor the Interceptor 650 are bikes which are meant to off-road. You can take them off the black top until things don’t get too hardcore. There’s that Himalayan which will stare at you if you wish to do anything beyond that. But if you ever take these fun and easy to ride bikes to slide around when it gets loose, the ability to lock up the rear and slide will be missed. Traditionally, REs have been such a good base to transform a stock bike into something which suits a person’s riding style. We are sure there will be quite a few out there who are already thinking about replacing road biased rubber with knobblies and slapping on that officially available sump guard.
Tubeless Tyres and Alloy Wheels
In our opinion, spoked wheels look right at home on the RE twins. However, those Pirelli Phantom tyres still have tube inside, which means that fixing a puncture will be a tedious affair. For that reason alone, it would’ve been nicer if a tubeless + Alloy option was available for those who like their wheels with fewer spokes and for those who hate tubes.
LED Illumination
Okay this is a debatable point. Retro motorcycles just cannot look the part until there’s an old-school headlight which shines up front. However, we’ve heard a few people say that the bike should’ve come fitted with LED headlights. Some people like their modern features and that’s okay. Can it be round, LED and still look yesteryear? A unit similar to the Honda CB 300 would’ve looked the part in our opinion. But again, at that price, we’ll take the halogen happily.
Erratic Fuel Gauge
While riding, both, the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 and the Continental GT 650 for a couple days, we noticed that the fuel gauge did not relay an accurate reading of how much fuel is still inside that tank. Sometimes, it would show too much and then suddenly, tell us that we’re low. A more accurate fuel gauge helps when you’re travelling at places where bunks are far and few in between.
A Proper Trip Computer
The trip computer on the RE twins could’ve been more comprehensive and displayed things like distance-t0-dry and average fuel economy. It does include an odometer and two trip meters, but a little more information only helps the rider.
Having said all this, the Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 and Interceptor 650 are fantastically built motorcycles. We’re still rubbing our eyes in disbelief that a homegrown bike maker is offering a well-built, parallel-twin and fun to ride, fast motorcycle at such a great price.