Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 (2022) Review

We spent a portion of 2022 with the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 – and who knew that 47bph could be so much fun? It’s certainly a head-turner at motorcycle meets, but what’s it like to live with?

Having briefly sampled the Interceptor 650 at a One Ride event back in 2021, I was keen to see exactly what has made the retro-styled inline-twin such a stalwting that truth; instead becoming part of ‘Sustainability Inc’ and part of the greenwashing problem – despite the best of intentions.

And so, I start this article with its conclusion and now, I’ll go back to the beginning to explain how I reached it.

Spoiler alert: I’ll also backtrack a little, because I believe the (genuine) organic movement is part of the solutio“Misleading claims can lead shoppers to unwittingly act in an unsustainable way. They stop that person from making that decision to buy from a better brand, which might actually have a positive impact socially, environmentally and economically.”

Given it’s available at such an attractive price point in the UK, many riders have turned to the raw and basic offering of a classic-styled machine with no rider modes other than twisting the key and firing it up. An added benefit for these riders is the sheer abundance of accessories and modifications available for such a bare-bones machine – it’s for this very reason you’ll see countless custom builds out there, even commissioned by Royal Enfield themselves.

Many spec-sheet snobs will scroll the power on offer here and turn a blind eye to what is otherwise a fantastic unit. The retro middleweight is powered by a Euro 5 compliant air-cooled 648cc twin with electronic fuel ignition, with an A2-compliant 47 bhp on tap at 7150 rpm, and 52.3 Nm of torque peaking at 5150 rpm, but most available nigh on instantly from the 2000 rpm mark. 

Power is put down really smoothly through the 6-speed box with an assist & slipper clutch, and you really get out of it what you put in. Ride aggressively and work the gearbox and you’ll have loads of fun squeezing all of the power you can with the throttle pinned – yet town & city cruises are just as appealing with a lovely burble from the twin exhausts. 

Naturally, your arms won’t be pulled off when accelerating hard from a stop – though I again refer to the old adage of ‘it’s great fun to work a bike to 100% of what it’s capable of’.

If cruising at 60mph in sixth gear you’ll certainly want to click down a couple of gears before putting the hammer down, making sure to work all of the gears to make the most of the torque that’s available down low.

If pushed you’ll (allegedly) meet triple digits, but the steering does start to feel a bit twitchy when hammering away. It’s far happier cruising at 75mph than at full tuck and full twist (of the wrist). If you’re after a long-distance mile-muncher, this may not quite be the plush choice you’re after out of the box.