Why the Interceptor Dark is perfect for learners.

[@CaseyJones88]

Long story short, it is a definition of a motorcycle.

[@BikerTorque]

yep, our video would have been a lot shorter if we had just said that. Agree it's a great looking motorcycle.

[@keithblake]

Ive had my eye on an Interceptor for a few years now, was going to buy one as a retirement present in 2025 but my eye has been drawn to the Kawasaki Z650RS ..Man I'm torn now..lol Loving this Dark model though !

[@BikerTorque]

I saw a Z650RS when I was riding around Tasmania recently, great looking bike but think Kawasaki have missed a trick by not making it an inline 4. If it was they would have sold a heap. In the parallel twin world, I for one would take an Interceptor. But agree tough choice

[@MichaelMassie]

Switched my mirrors out for bar-end mirrors immediately. Bored out the exhaust baffles as well. Got the touring seat and it’s great. Still haven’t changed my Pirellis because they grip fine.

[@BikerTorque]

I didn't have any issue with the Pirelli's that came on my 2019 Continental GT, that were fine, not as good as the BT46s on it now but still fine. Haven't tried the touring seat but from all reports it is excellent. Thanks for watching.

[@sanjaysharma-jf8fv]

Hi..I have the 2021 in black. Have replaced the original Ceats with Michelin. What exactly have you done with the exhausts? Those front forks need an upgrade spring and/or thicker fork oil Thanks!

[@chrispulham4779]

What have you done to your mufflers?

[@BikerTorque]

@@chrispulham4779 it’s a press bike that is completely stock.

[@l.a.raustadt518]

Tubeless tires make such an upgrade overall for us riders who ride daily. Mirrors , set em forget em ride repeat. Cheers.

[@BikerTorque]

Re the mirrors, set and forget is not always the case. In my situation my partner and eldest son also ride and we do regularly swap bikes, so changing mirror position seems to be something I have to do every couple of days. But agree if you are the only person riding the bike, pretty simple to set once.

[@jatinthakur3491]

I always put my interceptor on centre stand while fuelling up so i just keep the fuel cap on the seat. Also the fuel gauge on the twins can be easily fooled. put it on centre stand shows two bars, put it on side stand and viola, you have a full tank. lol. Great review guys. love it.

[@BikerTorque]

Thanks for sharing. I (Ross) always use a centre stand if the bike has one, not just for fuelling up but every time I park, probably from years of riding an R series BMW with Bing carbs that tend to leak if left on the side stand. Glad you enjoyed the video.

[@pinkiewerewolf]

I haven't seen the Dark version in the USA yet. Interestingly, I was talking to a dealership 3 hours South of me in Northern California this morning. We were taking bikes and weather, my area is the PNW and it's wet here. I was looking at the Moto Guzzi V7iii specials and we started taking about Interceptors and I told her that if the Interceptors came blacked out since launch I'd have had one by now. I really like the Interceptor and agree that the Continental Dark needs spoked wheels.

[@BikerTorque]

Good chance you’ll have the Dark variants over there in the next couple of months. Guzzi V7s are awesome also, a step up in quality and also price. Thanks for watching

[@pinkiewerewolf]

@@BikerTorque Thanks for the information. I like your chemistry together and video production, keep up the great work. 👍

[@BikerTorque]

@@pinkiewerewolf thanks

[@flamhit]

Oh what a funky bike, love the black features, and a great review, very informative boys and girls.

[@BikerTorque]

why thank you good sir.

[@pushpindersingh8101]

I like the way you two talked about the bike , covering important aspects of it. I am subscribing.

[@BikerTorque]

Thanks, glad you enjoyed the video. Plenty more content on our channel for you to check out.

[@skotty1962]

Yes the CEAT tires on my Hunter do the same thing, tram lining all over the place. Will be swapping them out soon. Looking forward to what you guys think of the new Himalayan 450 and the Shotgun when available. Cheers.

[@BikerTorque]

can't wait to ride both the Himalayan 450 and Shotgun soon. We should have a Himalayan within the next month, not sure about the Shotgun, but for now we are ripping around on the new Bullet which was delivered a week ago, love it, probably my favourite in the 350 line. Thanks for watching.

[@sanjaysharma-jf8fv]

Better wait for cpl lots down the assembly line before getting the 452 Himmy....teething problems. Somehow they haven't managed to replicate the intercptr650 s butter smooth powerplant. The Himalayan 452 sounds somewhat clattery.. As an existing RE 500 & 650 owner who tours, I've got the Triumph400 Scrambler picking it over the 452.. The Indian made harley 440 is a very characterful machine too..robust willing..and inside the helmet sounds juss like a v twin

[@RoadsOfOz]

Great review of a very good bike. The blue colour gives off an 80’s Triumph vibe. I like it. I know it is the dark model, but can’t help but think the rims would look better being a gold colour.

[@BikerTorque]

Oh how good would gold rims look on both the Dark variants, that would be the go.

[@michaelwatts224]

Great vid guys, thank you. I had an int650 for a year or so, decided to sell, now miss it 😢 I think RE really hit the brief on it. And, sounded amazing with hiscox slip ons. Cheers from UK

[@BikerTorque]

Interceptors are just like blue chip shares, never sell. Thanks for watching and glad you enjoyed it

[@hachewie]

Great review. Love the wqy you two are finding your groove together.

[@BikerTorque]

Thanks so much Chewie, we are having fun doing these reviews.

[@AKIB1991LASKAR]

The sound is mellowed down for govt restrictions.....if you install aftermarket slip ons...that bike sounds amaizing..

[@BikerTorque]

Agree, I’ve got S&S on my Continental GT, sounds epic

[@johnjones4621]

Guys part of the enjoyment for me is also keeping the bike in pristine condition that’s why i have the Orange crush love the Crome and using solvo on the alloy love the bike as you point out easy to ride i did get the touring seat 😊😂

[@BikerTorque]

I totally agree, just hard to keep on top of cleaning and detailing in my case. Three riders in the family and I'm the only one who ever seems to give the bikes a tub. Plus both of our REs are daily riders, pretty much on the road 5 days a week.

[@aleksandrskusnirs6259]

Thank you for the video. Really great to watch you both! Picking up my 2023 Dark tomorrow. Cant wait. Its a superb bike in terms of price\performance.

[@TheBezaleel]

The dark is drop dead beautiful, ENJOY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@BikerTorque]

Our pleasure! Enjoy your new bike, great choice, let us know if you agree with our assessment.

[@BikerTorque]

sure is.

[@tazyt3388]

What a beautiful little bike it’d be perfect for getting through traffic or flogging up the coast excellent review ride safe guys cheers

[@BikerTorque]

It really is! Would love to do a rip through Hellyer Gorge on one of these.

[@tazyt3388]

@@BikerTorque mate i could show you the other track through there on it to the shack by the river you’d definitely luv it ross

[@ronoldcross8189]

Changed seat, added rear rack. Changed out levers. 😊😊😊❤

[@BikerTorque]

Sensible mods. Which seat?

[@paolozafra5499]

The grab handle on the left rear shock actually fits the fuel cap perfectly. I just lay it there while gassing up. 😁

[@BikerTorque]

Thanks for that tip. 👍

[@paulkiley4667]

Great review on what is a very good bike. I bought one on Bank Holiday Monday here in the UK, just this week. It's the Barcelona Blue version with upgraded pipes. I only went for a look but couldn't resist! It'll sit perfectly at the side of my Yamaha Tracer 900.

[@BikerTorque]

I do like that Barcelona Blue version, which pipes have you put on it? I imagine it will sit very nicely next to the Tracer, another bike I really enjoyed riding when we had one for review.

[@paulkiley4667]

@@BikerTorque the pipes are Powerage slip ons. Put on by the last owner along with a tail tidy. I've never heard of Powerage before but they sound really good! The Tracer is a really good bike, I've upgraded mine as far as I want to take it and I love it.

[@dennisolson3667]

I completely agree on the tires. All three of my Enfields came with CEAT tires. They track horribly. Conti, Michelin, and Metzlers have made the Black Hills much more confident and fun!

[@BikerTorque]

Yes those CEAT tyres are not great, although I haven’t noticed the same issue on the Bullet we have at the moment

[@chrispulham4779]

Hi there, well i disagree about those CEAT TYRES as i have them on my 2023 INTERCEPTOR. Yes they do tend to track a little but i find them good in wet or dry. Both of you never mentioned the foot pegs?. Chris

[@BikerTorque]

Thanks for watching, got to be honest, the Ceats felt like they were tracking more than just a little. I suppose they were grippy enough, but no where near as good as the original Pirellis that came on my Continental GT

[@captainpugwash788]

Same here. The CEAT’s are basic for sure but will do me fine until they wear out (I’m slow). Even so, I’d still wager the majority of riders who complain about them couldn’t ride them (or the bike) to their full potential.

[@prrateeksantosh]

It is a great bike. I got mine last week, Black Ray (I wanted Barcelona Blue but the waiting time was too long). But in India it costs half the price mentioned in the video. Mine was ₹ 3,62000 (incl taxes & insurance) + another 10k for accessories. Total around 6800 AUD.

[@BikerTorque]

Wow, great price for the bike in India. Makes sense though, taxes over here are high

[@smdroshan]

The fuel cap may seem a bit unusual, but it's not a concern, at least in India, since self-fuelling isn't permitted. At fuel stations, attendants always handle the refuelling, leaving my hands free, so I usually hold the fuel cap. 😊

[@BikerTorque]

Fuel cap wasn’t an issue for one of us

[@Felipe_Motociclista]

I love the Interceptor ! Another great video, guys ! 😊

[@BikerTorque]

cheers Felipe. Im ripping around on a Bullet 350 at the moment, could be my new favourite in the 350 line up.

[@Felipe_Motociclista]

@@BikerTorque oh nice ! Can't wait for a review on that one. I think it will be good to let us know if you encounter the same tyre issues, when it comes to them following the grooves on the road.. etc because those CEAT tyres are not good at all.. even on the Meteor

[@BDHO73]

Looks great. I think it will be popular on looks alone.

[@BikerTorque]

it's certainly a looker

[@jonathanwallis6854]

Thanks for the great review. If you were a beginner what would you get - the Triumph Scrambler/Speed 400 or the interceptor. Where I live they cost the same. Thank you.

[@BikerTorque]

Thats a great question, shall let you know after we have both ridden the Triumphs.

[@ChadWinters]

I have the same question

[@morri03]

They are a bit too top heavy at walking speed and around the garage for a learner but otherwise pretty good. I like mine and I’ve been riding for heats and it’s been very reliable. In fact I’m riding it tomorrow because the Ducati is in the shop again. I changed to bar end mirrors, S&S mufflers with baffles in and the premium touring seat. Still on the CEAT tyres which are fine but have some BT46s to go on soon. I noticed sone tracking when they were brand new but that disappeared after a few hundred kms.

[@BikerTorque]

I didn’t really find it too heavy. Interesting that the tracking on the CEATs disappears after a while, but I think you’ll notice a massive difference with the BT46s. Thanks for sharing your experiences with the bike

[@muttineni03]

Got my chrome one 6 months back and first thing i changed was seat, touring seat is much better and i need to go with better engine oil, RE using some engine oil which us not good imo. Fun video btw.

[@BikerTorque]

Thanks for sharing. Is there anything you weren’t expecting after owning it for 6 months?

[@muttineni03]

@@BikerTorque Well it's my first parallel twin and i didn't expect engine to be that good and how easily it pulls and planted on road, I just wish clutch would've been better, suspension and tires as you mentioned could've been better, but clutch is worst.imo.

[@atharvbodke8350]

I have bought the same one in India. Love your content

[@BikerTorque]

Nice one, thanks for watching

[@romeldias]

I think these upgrades were way overdue...so while these are great...they should have had these options at least a couple of years ago...but I also feel that's the problem that RE have with having started out with a really solid bike....there are very few things you can upgrade year-on-year!

[@BikerTorque]

Not a bad problem to have, starting out with a great bike in the first place.

[@romeldias]

@@BikerTorqueabsolutely!

[@Molekulasti]

It's nice and big so it's easy to find. The center stand that is. I'll never grow up.

[@BikerTorque]

Lol, after some bikes we’ve had its a blessing.

[@ADSCoachSimonB2112]

The RE Interceptor is a fab bike (Very Mad Max in the Black) The bard end Mirrors and mini screen you can do easily, the seat can be switched out as well, I kept the tyres and switched out with the exhaust (full system) It tours very well. The RE Shotgun was also here when I got it and I had a hard time trying to decide. After coming from a Harley 883 Iron (most Harley petrol caps just screw off by the way) I wanted better handling and a diversity.

[@BikerTorque]

Agree, wonderful bike. We are actually heading to the Australian press launch of the shotgun next week, can’t wait to ride that bike.

[@frankmarkovcijr5459]

I have had my Sportster for 25 years and 400,000miles on the original engine and 37 back tires and 17 front ones and 3 belts in 25 years. Best $7,000 l ever spent. Biggest purchase outside of my house 🏠. Money well spent.

[@dhiraj0212]

Super awesome review

[@BikerTorque]

Thank you 🤗

[@whatsstefon]

Subtle changes while still respecting the style and motives of the bike are a winner. It doesn’t need to be refreshed. But the changes are definitely refreshing. RE mirrors! Hahahaha I’m an expert on them. The brake fluid reservoir on sports bikes look like pee cups at the doctor. For the petrol cap, you’re definitely showing your youth there! Hahahhahaha.

[@BikerTorque]

Lol, these young 'uns and the petrol cap issue.

[@whatsstefon]

@@BikerTorquehahah. Spoilt with Japanese bikes.

[@davidmacgregor5193]

The headlight brackets and fork brace should be black too, just my personal opinion.

[@BikerTorque]

Yes, certainly would look better

[@yatrikashish]

202 kgs is the Dry Wt, its 217 kgs wet or thereabouts, IIRC.

[@BikerTorque]

Ok

[@PrimeiraMotoca]

Os that a Beeline in the center of the bar?

[@BikerTorque]

Sure is.

[@motoman9323]

Strict law against sound pollution in India is the reason behind the inaudible exhaust.

[@BikerTorque]

Thanks for sharing.

[@brown7583]

My bike😁 love my Nightshade

[@BikerTorque]

Enjoy and thanks for watching

[@sohelshaikh6165]

It has 3 major cons first being it's extremely heavy for a beginner, second is the footpegs will scrape your shins eventually while straddling. Third is unreliable fuel gauge

[@BikerTorque]

Three cons possibly but don’t thing any are major issues.

[@frankmarkovcijr5459]

The best bike for a new rider is a cheap 2 nd hand bike. Not a brand new one.

[@BikerTorque]

not necessarily. What about the "learner" who has just gotten their road licence but may have been riding on farms and in the bush for a while. Plenty of riders like that here in Australia.

[@frankmarkovcijr5459]

@@BikerTorque l am not talking about people who have off road experience. Dirt riding is a great way to learn how to ride. No cars to run you over.

[@davea9946]

Last thing a new rider needs is an old heap of shit

[@frankmarkovcijr5459]

@@davea9946 Oh please! Used bikes aren't garbage. RE are expensive, heavy ,under powered. In the west they are a toy for weekend jaunts. On freeway the slow lane runs 100 mph. A RE 350 and it's rider are a hood ornament and roadkill. People are so disappointed 😞 in them that they're for sale at giveaway prices. In the UK new ones are selling for less than new ones. They have no resale value. RE video are just commercials for RE. The same thing applies to the HD videos. Biased reporting at best and downright lying 🤥 at worst.

[@BikerTorque]

@@frankmarkovcijr5459 I’m wondering if you have ever ridden an Interceptor, or any of the 650s for that matter.

[@BirdArvid]

Since everyone loves blacked out bikes now (and that's why all manufacturers make them) I thought I'd add a contrasting view. I LOVED the look of the Interceptor when it came out, especially the Orange Crush one with chrome fenders, bare metal wheels and engine: it looked like a retro should! This model now looks like every other bike in this style; as though the spotty teenager on the corner's taken a spray-can of more or less matte paint and just covered the thing in it; it looks cheap and those wheels completely destroy the look of lightness the bike had. Again; spoked wheels and clean metal makes a bike look light, rather than heavy and slow like the spotty kid's bike. Big thumbs down. I know I'm in a minority of one (Triumph dealer told me they sell 10:1 of the blacked models vs colours..), but I thought that letting RE know they did it right to start with is no bad thing.

[@BikerTorque]

Normally I would agree with you, but in this case it does give the bike a freshen up after being available for 5 years in it’s previous form.

[@aphexbubblebath]

i wish they did something new :( they have been milking the 650 platform for way too long imho. time fore a new, bigger engine

[@BikerTorque]

I can understand that sentiment…but when you’ve got such a cracking over engineered engine, why not use it. Depending on how the new Himalayan goes, who knows we may see a liquid cooled mid capacity twin some time in the future.

[@SankarshanGhosh]

Is the interceptor really light? It's 200 kg, no?

[@BikerTorque]

I suppose it’s all relative, I ride a 350kg R18, so the 200kg ish Interceptor doesn’t feel that heavy

[@philipmillen4271]

The learner thing is getting rinsed

[@BikerTorque]

I'm not sure know what you mean, but thanks for watching.

[@philipmillen4271]

The term is overused as its a bike for the masses@@BikerTorque

[@BikerTorque]

@@philipmillen4271 don’t disagree that its a bike for the masses, which includes learners

[@jimevans9550]

Yup, great idea for a learner: a bike that’s hard to see.

[@BikerTorque]

That’s a very good point, easy solution though, wear a white helmet and bright jacket or hi vis. In fact I think a hi vis vest should be compulsory for all learners.

[@jatinthakur3491]

@@BikerTorqueIn VIC it is. all learners need to have a hi-vis or its one demerit point, on top of the $165.22 fine

[@BikerTorque]

@@jatinthakur3491 that's a very sensible requirement

[@stevenleek1254]

NO 650cc bike is a good choice for a beginner unless you are a corporate shill willing to say anything to promote sales. When some kid wrecks on it his/her blood is on your greedy hands.

[@BikerTorque]

Seriously? Not all learners are kids. There’s plenty of older people getting into riding

[@Rune001]

ME : Biker torque: such a light weight motorcycle! Indians : huh?? Biker torque: the fuel consumption was great! Pretty economical! Indians : HUH???

[@BikerTorque]

Well, seemed ok to us

[@Rune001]

@@BikerTorque no I didn't mean to be rude. It's just that the biking environment is so different in both these countries that it's kinda funny for instance, you guys said that it's hard to maneuver in traffic but I see people moving it like snakes through traffic everyday and your traffic would be something we'd beg for lol. But it was a good video and that's precisely why I watched it to the end, also the interceptor is a dream bike of mine so I meant no hate cheers. 🥂

[@rossstanford316]

@@Rune001 hey all good, didn't think you were being rude. Agree the environments are so different. Thanks for watching.