Underpowered? - Royal Enfield Continental GT

How much power do I actually need? Not much it seems, the quest for power is just a want IMHO.
It seems 40-70hp is pretty much the sweet spot for street use depending upon the weight of the bike, rider, passenger, gear etc. The heavier and less nimble the bike,... the more power you'll "need" vs a lighter more agile bike... Any more is just a luxury purchase to satisfy "wants". Simple as that.

[@CorGP]

A 45-50 mph road is way more fun to ride than a 75 mph highway. That slower road will have less traffic and much better twisties.

[@UncleVoodoo]

Agreed, doesn't matter how much power I have... I'd rather be on the back roads

[@RevQuads]

It has exactly the power it should have, for an air-cooled 650cc engine. People shouldn't expect it to have more power. More power from 650cc would require liquid cooling, more cylinders, etc.

[@tpelle2]

"The only advice they can give me is if the hospital food is any good or not!" That is a GREAT line, sir.

[@philedwards2679]

Nice to hear someone talk sense for a change. I bought my Meteor to explore the country lanes and it has more than enough power. It annoys me when I read reviews saying it's too slow on the highways etc. Nice final shot to a certain KZbinr, by the way.👍

[@UncleVoodoo]

The 350s are just fine. I was intending to buy one till I found the deal on this GT. Some people just don't "get" motorcycling, even though they own motorcycles.

[@philedwards2679]

Very true 👍 Looking forward to seeing more of your adventures 😀

[@neilfields5914]

I’ve had nearly 200 bikes in my 70 years including the 1st zx10 in the 80’s now I ride a RE hunter 350. Love it

[@UncleVoodoo]

This is bike #28 for me, it's like a cross between my 1st bike (Yam Seca 400) and my favorite bike up to this point (Ducati M750). I do love me a good basic, simple bike. Thanks for watching!

[@NoFrictionZone]

Good to hear that's what I'm going for 🤙

[@DANTHETUBEMAN]

Great little bike, the small size is vary convenient.

[@Beavis-et8ox]

The bike can do 100mph longer than I can - tested on German Autobahn. Fast enough for me most days. On the days I need more I take the GSXR 🙂

[@Charusel]

I love the wholesome and realistic approach in this video. A bike like this is exactly what I want. Heard too many stories from OG riders reminiscing about how fun it was to milk out a 250cc on the roads than a big liter bike that you run out of road before you can even peg it out. I'm a heavy dude so I want a little grunt just to meet highway merging speeds but not so much that I can't enjoy it on back roads. Uncle Voodoo's review is exactly the approach to riding that I'm looking for.

[@suzintru1]

Finally, a good common sense vid on horsepower. Im 72 yrs old, been riding for 50 yrs. Have had numerous bikes of all sizes. The last street bike was a Yamaha Road Star 1600. Great cruiser, but BIG. Lots of horsepower and torque to handle any situation. I want to down size to something more manageable, easier to handle, but able to cruise on the interstate when needed. The RE Super Meteor 650 looks just right.

[@johnmcneale2271]

What a great video , great information, great camera angle , great scenery , great bike !!!! Well done !!!

[@UncleVoodoo]

Thanks, appreciate it!

[@coldginuk1]

Loving your channel. Somebody that talks complete sense for a change. Currently in the process of buying a Continental GT 650 from Triumph dealership of all places. I got sneered at by an older gentlemen who for some reason was there on a Fireblade as i took the Conti out on a test ride. Got back signed the paperwork and he was still there. As we left and got in the car Mr Blade cut us up in the car and proceed to wibble wobble up the road. Way too much power for that old fart me thinks 😂😂😂

[@josephfackel6762]

Absolutely beautiful part of the country. Great video

[@Bo-nn1ig]

I have a ‘21 Continental GT - three tanks so I can play with looks, and TEC Cannon exhausts. I love it. It’s the bike and engine I prefer. All the motorcycling I want. Great video. Love the growls from the bike and you.

[@UncleVoodoo]

I love mine too, it really hits the sweet spot and returns me back to the bike riding experience I enjoyed the most out of all the bikes Ive owned.

[@frankysworld]

I got myself an Interceptor 650 that has exactly the power I need - comfortable reaching speed limits and plenty spare to overtake on the motorway if needed. I gunned it once to 100mph and while the bike handled good enough, it's not something I will see myself doing for a cruising speed on a naked bike - 70mph on the motorway will do just fine. I also got a Classic 500 that I love take into the mountains here in Ireland on the narrow and twisty roads - arguably even less power and won't reach 70mph on the incline, but honestly- even on the Interceptor I would not go any faster than I would on my Classic 500 on those twisties - I like my bones in one piece and never felt the need for skin grafts.

[@UncleVoodoo]

A lot of people don't realize that HP is kind of useless when hard accelerating isn't needed, making smaller bikes so much fun in the twistys.

[@KrakensGarageandAdventures]

All I can add to the discussion is, we'll said. I concur with everything you said. The older I get, I'm enjoying have just enough power that I'll use.

[@UncleVoodoo]

Funnily, you have a perfect example of where power should be.... Just according to the laws of physics it requires more effort to move a larger, heavier, more cumbersome object, than a smaller, more nimble, lighter one. Your touring bike requires and uses more HP to operate than your sportbike, so the particular models you own make absolute sense in the real world.

[@levijean1021]

I only just recently bought a RE gt650. I grew up riding dirt bikes out on a farm as a kid but this is my first proper road bike at the age of 42. I got it off a bloke in his mid 70's (ex motorcycle racer) with just over 3000 kms on the clock. He had done some juicy mods like diablo exhaust,k&n air filter,tail tidy bullet indicators,led head lamp,single solo seat and the list goes on. I didn't get this bike from a performance point of view and couldn't imagine anyone that would but in saying that man did I get more then what I expected!! The sound,feel and instant 'usable' power puts a smile on my face every time I ride. Not to mention the turning heads and people wanting to stop and chat about it nearly every servo or cafe I stop at. Saying that I'm in love with this machine would be an understatement.

[@ScooterintheSticks]

First, I really love the sound of your motorcycle on the road. A nice, deep, throaty sound without being ear piercing or otherwise annoying. And it adds to the feeling that there's plenty of power. I've heard many dismissals of the machines I ride because they "lack enough power." My Himalayan, Kawasaki W650, and my two Vespa scooters. In use though, I never find myself wanting for more power. And the W650 has an estimated top speed of 110 MPH. How can that be not enough power. But those who have dismissed my machines want to be the "fastest" and most powerful machine on the road. Even if they never use it. Speed and power seem to be the yardstick many use to judge the suitability of a machine. For me, I just need to know if I can ride the way I like... Another fine video. And 40F is frigid for an open face helmet!

[@UncleVoodoo]

I hated to even have make this video but Ive had enough comments that I figured a demonstration was in order. IMHO those people don't "get" motorcycling. I had frozen tears on my face from that 90mph run ! 🤣

[@bikerjock2654]

I agree with you - I think it’s more the way the power is delivered that is important. I prefer twin cylinder bikes because of the way the engine feels, rather than the ultimate power number. When I was first into bikes in the 1960s, the ultimate bike would be a Triumph Bonneville, and that had around 47hp (if memory serves).

[@UncleVoodoo]

I definitely prefer the grunt of a twin! 😁

[@TwoWheelsBackroads]

Had a Rebel 300 and it's not that the motor couldn't do 75 mph but the frame (suspension, etc) couldn't handle it. It felt too unstable. But it could climb steep hills and maintain speed without having to downshift. Kind of amazing what these little engines can do. Your last video took RE off the radar for me, this one put it back. Great video, very informative. Beautiful Fall colors up there.

[@UncleVoodoo]

The last video was just me brutally nitpicking the flaws, as a total package for the money... it's great. I'd buy it again.

[@markbain3]

Excellent video.On a naked bike a million horsepower is plain daft,the wind will always win.Most of the people that want lots of horsepower won't have the talent to use it all anyway and that includes myself.

[@UncleVoodoo]

Im good using about 30hp, Jobu is the only rider I know who can handle a million :)

[@Mrflymess]

spot on. Speed limit here is 110kph with lots of 50 zones. More power = more frustration 'cause you can't use it & you've blown your money.

[@Robin-iv1kc]

The 650 twin is a peach of an engine. Just a perfect bike as it is.

[@edjones2110]

Bike sounds good on the back roads . I thought i saw the shadow of your old Himalayan in the shadow on the building wall across from your house , my imagination maybe .😮 my Himalayan has all the power i need for what i do with it , the want is no concern to me . You make good video's voodoo , keep them coming . I guess jaboo wouldn't ride wih you going 90 huh ?

[@UncleVoodoo]

Jobu was afraid this run would mess up his hair! IMHO the Himalayan is actually pretty close to being the perfect bike.

[@veritasvincit2745]

Adequate horsepower. More than adequate torque. Sensible road speeds. Mine doesn't feel weak. Far from it. I've had all kinds of 120bhp+ Japanese machines and I'm very happy with my 2019 Euro4 Mr Clean GT650. Noisy but lighter cheap eBay pipes. Stratos filter and airbox cover. Power plug from Hitchcocks. 👍 Edit: Personally I find the back end just right. It copes with everything well at the speeds the machine does. Front brake perfectly matches the bike although the rear is weaker than I'd like. Going to upgrade with HH pads before the summer. Front forks let the bike down in my opinion. They can be easily upgraded though. Great video! Subbed.

[@UncleVoodoo]

I assume the previous owner performed some sort of mod to the forks on my bike as I'm not experiencing any issues with them, there are wrench marks on the caps, and based on other things he did... that's my assumption.

[@BTheHeretic]

What's that Spiderman quote? "Great power comes with great inefficiency"

[@frankmarkovcijr5459]

My Triumph Tr-6 makes the same HP but it's 100 lbs lighter because of the hard tail. I have had my Triumph Tr-6 with a hard tail and magneto for 40 years. Great bike!

[@Sixbears]

I'm a big guy on a little Honda PCX 150 scooter in NH. It does just fine on the 50 - 55 mph roads around here. It will drop as low as 35 in the White Mountains but there are passing lanes so I'm not bothering anyone. The scoot will top out at about 62 with me on it. I would never take it on the highway -but I don't have to.

[@jonaltschuler8034]

What a beautiful drive, can’t wait to get my Interceptor.

[@IndustrialFaith]

If you live in a state like Arizona (as I do), all the freeways are rated at high speeds (65 for inner city, 75 for the interstate) that make small-bore motorcycles unpractical. So "needed" power is nothing more than the ability to stay out of the way of other drivers on the freeways. The J Series singles from RE don't cut it out here on the freeways (neither did my 883 for that matter). I mean, it does make it so you have a good reason for at least 2 bikes in the garage.... o7

[@petersheppard6085]

Great video....as a 72 year old scooter rider, with a whole 27 hp on tap, I can say, most of the time it's enough....I beat pretty much everything away from the lights, and it'll hold 70 all day long....

[@wesleycardinal8869]

So true. I read that Fabio Taglioni, the Ducati desmo engineer, said no one needs more than 70 HP. It was true then and it's true now.

[@UncleVoodoo]

Ive always said the power sweet spot is somewhere between 40-70hp... I doubt if I normally use more than 30hp.

[@astro61362]

I rode a 750 Honda for years. Now I ride a Meteor 350. I do not miss the extra horse power at all.

[@lowlevelcritter7577]

Recently found your channel. Great stuff. I too own a RE Continental GT. It’s my lowest HP bike and maybe my favorite.

[@UncleVoodoo]

Ive had plenty of higher and lower powered bikes, these fall kind of into the HP sweet spot.

[@JohnSmith-xw5qe]

BRILLIANT TRUTHFUL VIDEO I COULDNT PUT IT ANY BETTER👍🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@0HARE]

Well said, Uncle. My old KLR 650 will go as fast as I need it to go, but, I seldom need to go fast. Happy Trails

[@UncleVoodoo]

I did an 11hr highway trip on my KLR, I don't recall it lacking power.

[@mrbritesideoftheroad]

Can’t argue with any of Your wise words👌 Thank You!! Thoroughly enjoyed this video!! 😊

[@UncleVoodoo]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@Lemmingadventures]

I agree with you for sure. I would love to see you wind that thing up to redline between shifts just to see acceleration.

[@jamesonpace726]

Agreed....

[@frederickwoods5943]

At 9:00 I thought you were going to head up Bratton's Run toward Goshen. That is a scenic area, about 40 miles from where I live and ride my 2020 Interceptor.

[@UncleVoodoo]

I need to explore up there more, Ive really only done Goshen Pass in that area.

[@afistfulofvideos]

It does look so much more fun on country roads than my Himalayan. Also LOVE to see the fall foliage around your parts over here everything is pretty green still.

[@UncleVoodoo]

I thought the power output of the Himalayan was an absolute blast on backroads. If they could make a lightweight Continental GT 350 it would be a hoot!

[@dazzaoutandabout4870]

I entirely agree with you, plenty of power for any rider. Sure, want more power, pay for it, overuse the power you can't handle and your sucking through a straw in hospital. You've got the goods voodoo and the smarts. Cheers and happy riding.

[@EverythingOutdoorswithTito]

Nicely said !! I Enjoyed this video Cheers

[@jamesridley9178]

The power is adequate. I commute once or twice a week with my GT650, only 20 miles roundtrip, but its almost all interstate. I cruise comfortably above the speed limit 85/90 most of the way as traffic allows. I'll tap the top speed on the bike once in a while for fun. The bike is certainly fast enough, I do wish sometime to be able to get to speed quicker; but hey the interstate sucks anyways even more so on a naked. Like you show, its at home on two lane country roads, and its actually a really fun and nimble city bike too. Great zinger at the end!

[@Itspako8]

What’s the top speed you got with this gt?

[@jamesridley9178]

@@Itspako8 105 or so if the speedometer is accurate. Stock sprockets.

[@jimramsey8020]

Well put, slower roads are my go roads. Riding a Honda CB300r and having more fun have had riding in years, enjoy your machine

[@UncleVoodoo]

Thanks, I always look for the alternate route to avoid the highways.... side roads are so much more enjoyable.

[@NoFrictionZone]

Nice video, everyone thinks small bore bikes are for beginners only. New subscriber. 🤙

[@UncleVoodoo]

Ive never understood the the thought process that says as you gain experience... therefor you need a bigger bike. So called "beginner" bikes in the hands of an experienced rider can be an absolute joy.

[@darkinadam]

You hit the nail on the head

[@TAYM]

Absolutely spot on😊 good point well made😊 and doesn’t the gt sound fantastic 😁

[@UncleVoodoo]

Thanks, I think it has dethroned my old Ducati Monster as my favorite sounding bike.

[@edwardkaminsky8142]

Great footage and sound. The bike certainly has it! I wont do over 65 on the Himalayan and it has plenty of stock power without all the fluffernutter. The new 2024 Harley Davidson 440X has 27 HP. Seems sufficient for them. All that horsepower has put our bretheren on the other side of the fence...or lucky enough to enjoy hospital food while in traction.

[@UncleVoodoo]

Hell, I don't want to do over 65 on the GT! lol. Im fine just blasting the backroads.

[@sunilthomas9822]

Beautiful machine on a Beautiful Road...lovely video

[@joelabrec5132]

Really appreciate the videos you're putting out there. I enjoy them all. What phone mount are you using on the GT? Just got a GT myself, and the mount you have looks great and appears to be stable.

[@UncleVoodoo]

it's a Quadlock with the clutch / brake lever bracket mount and vibration dampener.

[@matthews8576]

Everyone I know was addicted to power and speed when we were teens and into our 20's. Everyone I know got hurt and quit riding in our teens and 20's. It's easy to buy more power and speed than your skills allow.

[@SeamusMacMattain]

I upgraded my GT650 with an intake/ exhaust combo and power commander... It has more power, but I wanted the sound and economy, not the power... the GT already had enough for me personally...

[@DMGAFFER]

Well said. 👏

[@evemariedumais1461]

I've admired the Enfield Intercepter 650 for years but maintenance was definitely an issue for be. I currently own a 2012 Harley Road king and a 2017 BMW R ninet. No chains to lube and valves to adjust... For sure Royal Enfield make great looking bikes🙂

[@chrispulham4779]

Good video Uncle.👍👍👍👍👍👍👍🙌

[@ThinkMud]

I'd love to have that much "underpowered" power in my Himalayan lol. Seemed to do good and sounds awesome.

[@UncleVoodoo]

I only encountered 1 road (besides the interstate) where the Himalayan needed more power. The Himalayan is pretty close to a perfect bike imho.

[@amitchodankar1989]

Absolutely agree with you 👍

[@cafe_GT_650]

Love those mirrors ❤❤

[@EDCtexan]

When this video popped up ... I was ugh another instagram rider that all they know is how to go fast in a straight path with not a ounce of track time .. But you good sir stated everything ive been saying its not just death rockets but harley pushed me out door with thier 117s powered couches. If i want to get from point a to b quickest why I have a car. I want a motorcycle that I can ride and enjoy what its meant to be getting lost in the scenic roads stopping in towns i didn't even know existed

[@UncleVoodoo]

I kind of feel like we're getting to a point of lunacy with some of the bikes that are out there these days. There is only so much power "needed" for a motorcycle to have plenty of speed for street use, beyond that it's just a waste of money imho. As I said in the video I'd rather cap my power and take advantage of the resulting gain in fuel economy. Your comment about the "instagram" riders hits home as I just roll my eyes at all the riders I see trying to impress others... but they don't quite understand that there is no skill involved in just twisting a throttle.

[@EpicAdamMotovlogs]

The only thing I dont like about the continental and Interceptor is that its giving me reasons to why I shouldn't buy a Triumph and Ive always wanted a Triumph. It just doesnt make sense when I can buy a Continental or Interceptor and have a better motorcycle for less money.

[@porkey768]

Speed thrills but kills

[@eliut6855]

I agree its nonsense to worry about the power. But what I really do care is reliability, I am considering buying a interceptor I like the looks of the bike and the price is very very good. Now I could save some money and buy a Vstrom 650xt, its 1/3 more expensive, the thing is that supposedly reliability on that bike (the vstrom) is amazing police, use it here in mexico and they put 300000 miles on them regularly and the things keep going, this is objective evidence. So a vstrom will last me 20 years but is that what really matters, I mean its not horrible to look at it have tubles spoke wheels, and its fast, aun gets good mileage. But is that what would make me happy? Reason says that I should buy a vstrom, but I enjoy watching an interceptor (or a kawaski z650rs) much more. A Triumph is idotically expensive, where the vstrom is 1/3 more the bonnevile is 3 times more expensive that the RE.

[@rr0378]

Awesome sound!! Also great looking bar end mirror, what brand is that?

[@UncleVoodoo]

They are universal Stadium mirrors from Hitchcocks, Halcyon makes a similar mirror. They do take some work to make them fit a GT though.

[@dalinean]

Thanks for that 85mph (~140kph) and accelarating is great for me.

[@UncleVoodoo]

That's plenty for me too.

[@tommaguzzi1723]

I just swapped my 90hp bmw f800gt for a Conti 650 which has half the power and twice the character. I could never use the 130mph top speed or the acceleration the soulless Beemer had. After 40 years the Conti takes me back tk my early 20s and might just the last bike i buy.

[@MostlyInteresting]

😂 you speed demon you

[@robertwest4299]

It’s funner to ride a “slow” bike fast than it is to ride a fast bike slow.

[@tbthomp2]

Agreed. You don't need that much power for the public roads. HD's EVO Sporty's get a unjustified bad rap for being under powered as well. I've always disagreed with that. My '09 Nightster has all the power I've ever needed or wanted from it.

[@UncleVoodoo]

Ive made mention that it's comparable in power to the 883 Sportster, I didn't see anything lacking on those either.

[@tbthomp2]

@@UncleVoodoo Hmm... I would have guessed that the RE Interceptors/Continental GTs might fall somewhere between the HD 883 and 1200 Sportys in terms of power perception because of the weight savings. In any case, as I noted, my 1200 has all the power/torque needed for where and how it's ridden (mostly county roads and state highways). If I had room for another, a RE Interceptor might be a welcome addition to the stable. I doubt it would disappoint. Can't beat the price. Great looking and style to boot. Don't know if it has something to do with age, but these days, I tend to prefer smaller and lighter anyway.

[@UncleVoodoo]

@@tbthomp2 I think the 883 made like 8 more hp, but the REs handle their weight better. They're fairly ball park. Ive only had one HD1200 but it was a Buell S1W and it did have quite a bit more power.

[@frankmarkovcijr5459]

I have had my Sportster for 25 years and 400,000 miles on the original engine. RE calls for an engine rebuild at 65,000 miles. My old Meridian built Triumph Tr-6 1965 does better than that. My bikes are daily driver as I don't have a car. Love both of them and my Ural side car outfit.

[@mikemaseth3325]

Great video. What brand of mirrors?

[@UncleVoodoo]

They are Stadium brand, I need to do a video on them as Ive been getting a lot questions about them and they aren’t a straight forward install. In fact I’ll make that this week’s video.

[@RMD992-f2n]

Does the s&s slip on and dna air filter add any additional horsepower over stock ?

[@UncleVoodoo]

Others claim it does but I don't thinks so. If there is additional power it's so little it won't be noticeable. It gives a little better throttle response, I believe people mistake that for power. That said, the S&S cans do sound incredible, they're slightly smaller than stock and drops about 10lbs or so off the bike.

[@clausentumsoton]

16t front sprocket is all you need on this bike

[@chrispulham4779]

My ENFIELD INTERCEPTOR is more than enough POWER!!!

[@burtvhulberthyhbn7583]

Itll do 100 mph. Just barely. Im 69 next month. Probably adequate speed for me or anyone else . I really think I'll make it somehow. Ive cruised at 85+ for miles and the wind really stretch my neck so im thinking 100 is adequate somehow. Ive actually done 90 mph at 7400 ft altitude with a passenger. 10,232 ft and it runs perfectly

[@TheKernables]

If you can easily ride interstates the bike isn’t “underpowered”. Honda minis are “underpowered”. Me personally, tiny slow bikes will always be more fun on the streets but I’m also a goon so there’s that😅 Ride your ride and screw what anybody else thinks is the best mentality.

[@UncleVoodoo]

Oh I agree, I just felt a demonstration was in order. I don't even consider the minis to be underpowered since they're meant to be operated in a certain environment, taking them out of that space isn't the bike's fault. So the only bikes I find to be underpowered are those with too little power for the environment they're intended to operate in.

[@vijays7579]

Beautiful country and you will maintain it if you just kept it to people who built it, not to people who have destroyed their own countries and are now coming for yours. To make or break is a mindset.

[@williamhannas9342]

I'm curious. We're you in 6th gear or 5th when you pulled 85 mph up the hill?

[@UncleVoodoo]

6th

[@micahtan2127]

If it were a 900 cc with same hp and torque then it's underpowered.

[@PaulsMotoZen]

Is hospital food any good?

[@UncleVoodoo]

the Jello is good from what I hear!

[@MostlyInteresting]

Yabos = squids

[@arpanmaurya96]

which phone holder do you use?

[@UncleVoodoo]

It’s a Quadlock that mounts to the brake / clutch lever bracket

[@holymoyses4797]

What type of quad lock are you using?

[@UncleVoodoo]

Its the clutch/brake clamp mount

[@frankmarkovcijr5459]

I would be wary of running the bike at high speeds all day for days on end. I toured all over the USA on my Honda CX500 after I got out of the Air Force. 48 HP. and 600 lbs. Ran at high speed all day for days on end. No problem because it was a Honda. Japanese quality is un matched. Dependable and reliable transportation.

[@frankmarkovcijr5459]

All Royal Enfield motorcycles should have hydraulic valve adjustment and belt drive.