Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 -Review Bridgestone BT46 Tyres!

[@KJRS3001]

Thanks for the video on these tyres mate, helped me a lot. Have a new (21) Triumph Street Twin here in the UK with original phantoms. Hear a lot of how poor they are, been ok thro summer but paranoid of riding them in the wet. Good to see others commenting that the BT46 are much better in the wet so will plan to change. Always enjoy watching your vids 👍

[@ridewithwarro]

all good there.

[@MichaelWilliams-jc2ui]

My Bonnie t100 had the same Perrelli phantoms on, ok for the first 3000miles then got worse. Similar problems to you but in particular their wet weather grip was appaling. On the last ride on a dual carriageway they scared the hell out me, rear tyre would break away on the slightest of bends. Replaced them with bt46’s, at the same time converted the wheels to tubeless, what a transformation! Loads of grip great stability and a better ride, think the side walls are more flexible. After 1000mls I would highly recommend these Bridgestone tyres, they are the dogs doda’s. Keep safe, regards from Suffolk, GB.

[@ridewithwarro]

thanks,i'd say anything would be better than what i had on the bike from factory. i've had to put up with quite a few problems qwith those tyres. thankfully all appears fine now. all the best.

[@KJRS3001]

Thanks for commenting, I’m also a UK rider from Liverpool and have a Street Twin with the phantoms and looking to change. Seems like the BT46 would be an improvement, I guess handling still ok, or maybe better? It’s the wet roads the concern me most. tho.

[@ianw3294]

Hi warro. Have had my bike for a month now and have only done 1000kms so no problems with the handling yet. Tyres seem ok so far. Fitted the spacers from Graham Chadwick as you suggested and a huge difference to the front end. Hope you are well. Overall very happy with the bike especially fuel economy. Getting over 80mpg without trying. Cheers Ian

[@ridewithwarro]

happy to hear all good bike and spacer side.. the tyres may be a hit or miss thing. mine were fine till roughly 4,500 klm and thats when i started with the issues up to 6000 klm and the change-over. since the tyre change all appears good but if that differs i will do an update.

[@gardini100]

a real beauty, love the classic look and the chrome

[@ridewithwarro]

they are pretty good value for money for $10k and run well too. sit on an very easy 100 kph with heaps of reserve power

[@chriscoates2399]

Getting one in the New Year Bike , thanks for them insights on tyres

[@ridewithwarro]

i don't think all the tyres are like that on the new just the odd early round of bikes. more so a problem with the front end shakes. best you keep an eye out for that as its been reported quite often on forums. i never struck any real drama till i hit that 4,000 klm mark up untill then all was fine

[@chriscoates2399]

Thankyou for your reply and thoughts

[@ridewithwarro]

@@chriscoates2399 all good. catchya later

[@dogphlap6749]

Thanks for the video Warro. My GT is still too new to show this problem apparently, perhaps it never will but if it does I'll follow your example and swap the tyres out for a pair of Goodyear BT46's. Perhaps a check of the wheel alignment would not go amiss either.

[@ridewithwarro]

still happy with the tyre swap so it appears all good there

[@woongtv-naturehealing273]

The voice while driving is good and the driving scenery is great. Thank you. I subscribe to you. Fighting! From South Korean KZbinr Woongkham.💝💝💝👍👍👍

[@ridewithwarro]

thanks. happy to hear from you and hope you enjoy the content of the channel on the ct125. all the best for the land downunder

[@richardharmon5682]

I have used Bridgestone BT46 bias-ply tires on a number of bikes in the past with both tubed and tubeless tires. The tire has been around for over 20 years and seems to be a good choice for any motorcycle that can use bias-ply tires. While in the U.S. they are typically more expensive than similar tires from other name brands, they stick well and I can't recall anyone saying that they didn't like the BT46 tires, which I guess is why they are still being sold and remain readily available in motorcycle shops and from on-line sources.

[@ridewithwarro]

time will tell howthis pans out but so far so good. all the best

[@TriumphBeezaman]

The BT46 is a new tyre that replaced the excellent BT45, they look identical but improved further

[@richardharmon5682]

@@TriumphBeezaman I stand corrected. I was thinking of the BT45 and really didn't expect Bridgestone to finally come out with a new version after all these years. Hopefully, the 46 will be at least as good a tire as the 45. All I can say is that it is about time.

[@wolfgangnapiletzki8480]

Have the same experience on various bikes. Best choice for your RE. Performance and grip are perfect. Regards from Austria.

[@gary1477]

I bought a Royal Enfield Continental GT650 in Rocker Red last week. The bike still has the OEM CEAT Zoom Cruze tyres. When these tyres wear out, I will fit Bridgestone BT46 tyres. Thanks for the video.

[@ridewithwarro]

Very nice!

[@daveinwla6360]

Interesting! I wonder if it was some non-uniformity in the tire - like a stiff, slippery, or grippy spot in the tread. The pulling to the left might have been due to a slippery or grippy strip all around one side of the tread. In all, perhaps poor quality control at the factory that made the Phantom tire for RE's twins.

[@ridewithwarro]

the wobble side has been reported many many times over the past 12 or more months on different forums. i never had any drama till 4,000 plus klm. in fact i thought they were good. then it started on that spot in the clip and each time a pretty scary incident at that. in the end i avoided that area. naturally i had other bikes and rode them over that patch of tar- no drama! the steering issue came in after that. best of all it now steers fine. about 12 months ago i bought a triump scramber with 6000 klm on the clock. one owner with original tyres. that bike on very first ride did exactly the same through a roundabout as the interceptor. i thought not spending money on this and traded and bought a new triumph street scrambler but if i had it over again- i would have immediately tried a brand new set of tyres.

[@daveinwla6360]

@@ridewithwarro - Very interesting! I'd thought that speed wobbles usually came from steering head bearing wear or bearing race misalignment. Tires introduce a whole new (and costly) level of diagnosis.

[@MrBenHaynes]

@@daveinwla6360 I remember having my BMW R80 in at the bike shop to diagnose a wobble in the front. Played with tyre pressures, checked steering head bearing tension (a regular problem on those bikes). In the end, the shop suggested new tyres. I stated that there was no discernable wear! It turned out that the problem was related to the chevron tread pattern on the Metzeler Laser ME33 tyres. In Warro's case, it may not be the tread pattern, but just progressive wear. I get around 20000km out of Metzeler Tourances and the steering feel (especially in roundabouts) subtly changes over time which becomes apparent in how neutral the bike steers when a new set is fitted.

[@daveinwla6360]

@@MrBenHaynes - In the U.S. we have relatively few roundabouts, but I'd guess that daily travel through roundabouts would wear a bike's tires unevenly. The solution might be to reverse the roundabout direction on alternate days. :^)

[@laurenalexs]

Those tires are 'OEM versions' of the original Pirelli Phantom tires, which are likely much better. The specific version installed by motorcycle manufacturers just carry the Pirelli Phantom name and not much else -- lower cost, less rubber, harder -- basically just enough tire for a test ride and a sale. Most people never test ride a motorcycle off of a dealer lot at high speeds. Perhaps one reason they are called 'phantoms' is because there really isn't a tire there.

[@ridewithwarro]

sounds good to me!

[@sscbkr48]

lol.. I checked the f and r against new pirelli specs when I bought mine.. they're the same. Hard to believe pirelli or RE would knowingly supply substandard tires. My bike runs beautifully so far, no wobble, no pulling, but I only have 1700kms on the clock. Sounds like a bad tire.. perhaps a warranty issue.

[@ridewithwarro]

mine ran well till i hit 6,000 on the clock and the handling issues started from there. maybe just a bad batch of tyres from the early run of tread and rectified. @@sscbkr48

[@rabbi7933]

Wow. Gorgeous bike.

[@ridewithwarro]

thanks. dont ride it as much since i picked up the ct125 but i needed a new set of tyres so it was he perfect opportunity to try it out again.

[@chrispulham4779]

Hi Warro , did you put a 150 on the rear? I like the look of them. I have the Ceat Zoom on mine from new and no problems.

[@ridewithwarro]

just the stock size

[@chrispulham4779]

Ok, cheers

[@pinkopinkopinko]

I still have the original CEAT tires. You think is ok to put the rear one at the front and buy a new Battlax BT 46 for the rear?

[@ridewithwarro]

ive never liked mismatching tyres.

[@desertor1263]

Hi Warro. I'm ordering the bt46 tires for my XSR. I want to ask, how is the grip of these tires on wet roads? Is the grip good when cornering? Thanks

[@ridewithwarro]

sorry can't help you on that as of now - i have not had them out on a wet road. good grip in the dry though if that's any help

[@HaggisPower]

Very good. Done 13,000 on them (two sets), superb tyres

[@700horses]

Love your bike!! What size BT46 tires did you get??

[@ridewithwarro]

same as the stock. i figured less issues

[@julianperry5141]

Hi Warro, did you go up a size or use the stock sizes, looking at getting a set in a week or 2

[@ridewithwarro]

just stock size

[@HaggisPower]

140/70 and 110/80 work best for me (was using all the tread on the oem rubber).

[@sscbkr48]

Between the cb500x, the 500f and the Interceptor as to riding experience, overall handling and ergos, given that they have similar power.. What would be your choice!

[@ridewithwarro]

the interceptor is more a riders bike where the cb500x would i think be there for the long haul. i'd say you could knoock over 100,000klm on a cb500 trouble free its a bit early to call on an interceptor but its a fun bike to ride regardless

[@vikasupadhyay1398]

Sir what is the ideal rpm to shift from 1st gear to second on the interceptor ?

[@ridewithwarro]

i usually just run it to roughly 4000 i think and its not working hard at all.

[@vikasupadhyay1398]

@@ridewithwarro Thanks sir , would it be too wrong to revv it up on first gear . Upto 4k ? I sometimes do it on steep hilly roads to gain some momentum before i shift to second And If you also tell me the speed on first gear at 4k rpm ?

[@ridewithwarro]

@@vikasupadhyay13984k in first won't hurt the motor. next time you ride your bike just check your speed in 1st gear at 4000 rpm

[@vikasupadhyay1398]

@@ridewithwarro The speed that I am getting is around 40 kmph at 4k rpm ..I hope thats okay as far as engine response is concerned?

[@ridewithwarro]

@@vikasupadhyay1398 yeah that should be ok for a short time from 1st to 2nd. i f i was pulling up a long hill i'd probably just go along at 30 kph in 1st

[@ruahinesrider]

How those BT46 tyres holding up Warro.

[@ridewithwarro]

good tires with nice grip and far better than the originals which i think had a problem and may even had been out of round too

[@ruahinesrider]

@@ridewithwarro Cheers Warro I don't have the Pirellis I have the Ceat Zoom tyres that replaced Pirelli my mate is up to 6500km on his Ceat and reckons it time for change.He never had same problems as you I think that's why they changed to Ceat from Pirelli Sport Comp wobble issue.Other Pirelli's the Sport Demon's have no issues apparently.

[@ridewithwarro]

@@ruahinesrider thre was lots of talk on various forums etc about those pirelli tyres. i was pretty happy to get rid of them. on the classic 500 i always liked the stock avon tyres but here in OZ we got the better ones compared to the USA bikes.

[@ruahinesrider]

@@ridewithwarro I might even splash out on the 130/80/18 Conti Road Attack 3 tyres extra grippy but cost heaps & have a higher wall hence the 80.Stock one's 130/70/18

[@ridewithwarro]

@@ruahinesrider interesting as in most cases tyres make the bike. what price are those goodies

[@malcolmmathers2690]

not the first time ive heard of issues with these tyres on the 650s they sure look nice with the chrome tank im currently rideing a r 1150r beema its 20 years old still a lovely thing to ride but not getting any lighter one day ill go to lighter bike like the 650 re i like the looks of them and they seem to be a ok bike

[@ridewithwarro]

the interceptors actually run pretty good and are a smooth ride and easy cruising bike a 60 or so mph. if you ever get the chance to test ride one-go for a run on one i think you will enjoy the experience. all the best

[@brynharvey6116]

Hey Warro, what sizes did you get?

[@ridewithwarro]

just stock size

[@normanstanleyfletcher3582]

Triumph T100 with Avon road riders, I’ve never been less confident in my tyres they are complete shite the front has barely worn and has no grip in the wet, the rear is OKish but is worn out in the centre tyre pressure is correct, speed wobble at 60 70 80 they are horrible. Replacing tomorrow with these BT46’s I’ll let you know

[@ridewithwarro]

these appear fine to me

[@normanstanleyfletcher3582]

@@ridewithwarro after years of Avon roadrunners with no problems and a stint on metzlers ? They are the worst I’ve ever had maybe a bad pair I’ll see what the 46’s are like tomorrow

[@normanstanleyfletcher3582]

BT46 fitted rode home bike transformed get a few hundred easy miles on them, and I’ll then push them to the limits lol

[@paulhanlon5112]

Sorry to hear your experience with the avons Norm, i have a couple of Meridan T 140's and run the avons on them and found them to be fine although i am not an aggressive rider nor do i ride in the wet, i am considering running a pair of 46's because of the favourable reviews like these 😎🏍🏍

[@keithpearson7539]

Hi Warro, I've had an Interceptor 650 from new since March 2019. Right from the word go the bike pulled to the left, tipping in markedly on left handers but fine on right handers. Partial realignment of the rear wheel using a straight edge has helped (ignore the swing arm markings cos they are useless), but you can only go so far with this because the wheel spindle becomes too offset in the swinging arm. And what this does to the chain alignment?..God only knows. The handling is better but it still pulls to the left. Try riding straight with hands off the bars. My bike will only track straight when I lean to the left thus canting the bike to the right. I have concluded that there is something fundamentally wrong with the way my bike's frame/swing arm was built at the factory and I'm stuck with it. I do still like the bike but the handling issue is really irksome, and a number of other people are reporting the same. I'll get over it ( probably when I sell the bike)... in the meantime I just put up with it like others do. Like the channel, I also follow you with your 500 Trials bike ...got one of those too. Best wishes from Manchester UK.

[@daveinwla6360]

It might be worth switching to a different tire as Warro did. Let us know what you found if you do that!

[@keithpearson7539]

@@daveinwla6360 Hi Dave It could be the tyres but I doubt it. The wheels are out of alignment when using a straight edge (and taking into account the different wheel widths) by about 13mm ....measured each side at the front wheel ( measured front and rear of the front wheel and adjusting to make sure the wheel remains paralle)l. On my bike it's too much of an error for the swinging arm adjustment to totally cope with. If I do change tyres however, I will post the results. Ps My bike has now got 3900 miles on clock. Still got loads of tread left though, although the rear has started to square off. Too early in my opinion to be forced to change tyres when the problem has always been apparent since new.

[@ridewithwarro]

keith iwill tell you something you may not be aware of. the phantom tyres were plagued with problems from the very beginning with lots of riders complaining about there new bikes with front end wheel wobbles. it appeared their tyres were out of round. so don't look at mine as a one off-we are talking 100's of bikes no just one. remember too mine was problem free and at 4000 klm it started with the wobble then went to the steering-now i have neither issue you have 6000 klm on the clock-cut your loses and throw on a new set of tyres. if it works you'll be well ahead in smile value alone. believe me if mine had not come to the party with this tyre swap...it was going to gumtree...lol

[@keithpearson7539]

@@ridewithwarro Hi Warro and thanks for reply. No wheel wobbles on mine yet, nor any shaking or loss of grip. Just this annoying tipping in on left handers. Most disconcerting to be honest. And I still can't get the bike wheels to line up properly as I reckon they should if all was well with the bike geometry. I will wait, watch and research for a while before deciding what to do. It's the winter season over here, too cold for comfortable riding so the bike is tucked up in the garage (and me and the missis get tucked away in the pub - lock downs permitting).Decision time will be next spring. Thanks for the info.

[@ridewithwarro]

@@keithpearson7539 in that case you have lots of time to decide what to do

[@nikitis13]

hey Warro, have you checked the wheel alignment on the Interceptor since you bought it? Jeff Ware (motorcycle journalist), bought the same bike and mentioned to prospective buyers that it might be a good idea owners check this area... Jeff's got a wealth of road and racing experience. His personal bike was misaligned when he took delivery. Most likely a factory issue... Anyway he sorted it out. Runs straight and true after the alignment... Maybe what you were experiencing was uneven tire wear caused by misalignment. Brand new tires might be just masking the underlying problem...Anyway, maybe worth a watch kzbin.info/www/bejne/g2XNZK2ve76Yf8U

[@ridewithwarro]

nks-good info just watched the clip