Duel Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 Vs Triumph Street Twin: class struggle
The delicious authenticity of the new Royal Enfield Interceptor 650, the manufacturer‘s first twin since 1970, overshadows the formidable mastery of the neo-classic of the expensive Triumph Street Twin ? Answers in our MNC duel.
Duel Interceptor 650 Vs Street Twin Page 1: a royal duel
The latest deeds and actions of the "Royal baby", son of Meghan Markle and British Prince Harry, leave you cold? U.S. too ! Place instead for the "Royal duel" concocted by Site: the eagerly awaited Royal Enfield against the Triumph, a modern "so delicious" incarnation of the Bonneville of His Majesty’s builder..
- MNC special file : Everything you need to know about the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650
- MNC special file : Everything you need to know about the Triumph Street Twin
- MNC video duel :
Two motorcycles with a classic look, carefully maintained via common characteristics such as their round headlight, their long saddle, their double steel cradle, their shock absorbers combined or their low-capacity teardrop tank: 13.7 liters per l ‘Indian and only 12 l for the English. The blow of the blackout, already a classic ?!
Other "retro" touches bring them closer together: 18-inch front wheel, hingeless fuel cap and long tapered exhausts (brilliantly chrome on the Enfield, lovingly brushed on the Triumph). Not to mention their vertical twin, both set at 270 °. On closer inspection, however, the Street Twin reveals more anchor points in the 21st century….
Don’t be fooled by its polished fins: its engine – which gains 10 hp – is actually water-cooled, while the new competitor’s twin is air-oil cooled. The "Bonnie" also shows two maps (Road and Rain) which influence the responsiveness of its traction control, while its instrumentation is controlled from an offset to the handlebars (details in). In short, a "real-false old woman" !
The Interceptor 650 does without all this electronic paraphernalia, without neglecting the essentials: two-channel ABS, Bosch injection, LCD display with fuel gauge and a 2-piston front brake caliper from the subsidiary. Indian of Brembo, "ByBre". Enough to compete with the new Brembo 4-piston clamp introduced this year on the Triumph ?
The Royal Enfield has meanwhile the good taste to have spoked rims, a passenger handle and a center stand, absent as standard on the Street Twin. Three shortcomings difficult to forgive given its high price: 9,400 euros, up 500 € since its release in 2016 and our .
- Duel MNC Street Twin Vs V9 Roamer :
At only 6490 euros (cheaper than an MT-07!), The Interceptor 650 is almost 3000 euros less expensive! Certainly, the Indian does not play exactly in the same court with its 648 cc against the 900 cc of the Triumph. A displacement deficit of 252 cc at the origin of a lower output: 47 hp and 52 Nm against 65 hp and 80 Nm, for similar weights of 202 kg and 198 kg dry respectively.
2,910 euros difference !
Another argument in favor of the Street Twin: its exceptional finish, hallmark of most Triumphs. Each of its parts makes the eyes shine and silences the choosy, from its red anti-parasite marked "Triumph" to its Alcantara-style seat, including its polished rims and its brushed aluminum headlight support. Its outsourcing to the brand’s Thai factory is out of criticism.
Also from Asia, the Royal Enfield compares rather well: its carefully sanded casings, in particular, are real mirrors in which the gaze is lost with pleasure. Its separate cylinder shocks and avia hoses are also popular, as is the metal cover that cleverly conceals the injection – as on the Triumph.
MNC is less charmed by its non-adjustable levers (both are on the English) and its chrome plastic turn signal and headlight brackets, where metal was expected. Its screws are also not particularly rewarding, while the speedometer cable connected to the front hub and its push button on its dashboard are really "old school" …
The visual assessment remains extremely complimentary, however, especially in view of its price. But the Street Twin opposes an almost luxurious confection, which partly legitimizes its price. The Briton illustrates this subtle difference between attention to detail and obsession with detail, the one that distinguishes beautiful work and craftsmanship. Absolute class has English accent !
Gentlemen, start your engines
Speaking of accent, that of Hinckley’s elegant motorbike is as charming as its finish: the serious sound of its parallel twin immediately catches your guts. His impressive presence – but never overwhelming – evokes deep pulsations at low frequencies, which are amplified by resonance in his pretty flutes..
The Royal Enfield soundtrack is eclipsed by those powerful vocals that will certainly not do the business of adaptable manufacturers: change the exhausts of the Street Twin? No interest ! No "pots" for specialists in increasing decibels and decreasing bank accounts…
The melody interpreted by the Interceptor 650, more muffled, requires listening more carefully to appreciate its rich range and its hoarse tone. A sound less powerful than its rival, certainly, but surprisingly catchy because punctuated by deaf cracklings when the gas is cut (listen to them in the MNC video of our duel).
Surprise: this cheerful sound fits perfectly with the lively and generous character of the Indian twin! All things considered, of course: don’t expect spectacular revs and explosive peaks in torque from him. But this little twin of barely 50 hp – natively A2, therefore – does not engender melancholy and delivers strong stimuli.
The Triumph, sure of its superiority with its additional 18 hp, will be the first surprised: the Enfield temporarily sticks to the Basque at the exit of town on the third report. The Street Twin ended up gaining the upper hand at mid-range, but the warning was hot !
By what miracle does the "little" six and a half manage to hang on? Simple: the Street Twin has five gears, compared to six on the Interceptor. The Triumph logically pulls a much longer gear on certain gears (4200 rpm in 5th at 130 km / h against 5,250 rpm in 6th for the Royal Enfield!), Causing a certain lethargy at low revs.
The British twin – more subject to inertia due to its 900 cc – is also not very expansive under 4000 rpm, delivering vigorous but overly linear thrust. Its rival takes advantage of its lower displacement and its "super-square" dimensions (78 x 68.7 mm against 84.6 x 80 mm) to be more alert … even if, in the end, its thrust is not as consistent.
Because a second recovery test carried out on the second report sets the record straight: the Street Twin literally leaves the Royal Enfield in place, particularly dominating between 3000 rpm and 6000 rpm (both break at 7500 rpm). mn). Not useless, finally, its anti-skating in case of optimism on a slippery road !
In second, the English bounces vigorously at the slightest rotation of her perfectly calibrated ride-by-wire. The Interceptor 650 – less gentle on the go-around – is released by this demonstration of the trunk, which underlines the need to maintain it in the towers in order to hope to respond. Too late: the Street Twin has long gone English !
Retro in the upper class
These two "retro" also have in common excellent manners that make them particularly easy and enjoyable. The Street Twin and the Interceptor 650 turn around in a handkerchief – in respectively 4.70 m and 5.27 m – and are delightfully sober: MNC went down to 3.81 l / 100 km with the Triumph and 4.13 l / 100 km with the Royal Enfield !
The English also supports without flinching to descend to 1500 rev / min on its last report, elasticity which puts its rival in front of its limits. The Royal Enfield – more comfortable from 2000 rpm – is also beaten in terms of clutch smoothness and vibration control, flawless on the Triumph.
The Interceptor 650’s handlebars are creaked at 3500 rpm, or 90 km / h in sixth gear. The phenomenon is not unbearable but sufficient to "tickle" the hands and blur the vision – already limited – of its mirrors. The Street Twin is free from this kind of criticism.
Each has a rather rough, but pleasantly precise gearbox. That of Royal Enfield has our preference for its better reactivity: the slowness of the selection of the Triumph forced to break down each gear shift well… Exasperating? Still not: it’s a Street Twin, not a Street Triple !
The parallel with the sporty roadster of Triumph can however be achieved, to a certain extent, in terms of chassis rigor. Again, don’t worry, MNC doesn’t try to make you mistake bladders for lanterns: the Street Twin is obviously far from being as sharp as its "cousin" !
Royal handling
But the "Bonnie" is surprisingly efficient in the twisty portions thanks to its reassuring neutrality and its successful damping cohesion: the Street Twin turns "in one block", with ease and precision, like a – good – modern motorcycle . Nothing to do with some old stuff whose front twists and the rear pumps without restraint !
What about the Interceptor 650? It responds again present without unwinding, well helped by its robust frame made by Harris (explanations in). The Royal Enfield is however more physical, despite its rear wheel admittedly narrower (130 mm against 150) but higher (18 "against 17). When stationary and at low speed, one would even swear that at least 15 kg separate them.
The Indian is also less rigorous: its shock absorbers – more comfortable – allow movements to escape under strong constraints. In addition, its front axle engages at low speed and tends to become floating at high speed: so many "classic" limits on this type of motorcycles … that the Triumph skilfully overcome..
Unperturbed by stability, the Street Twin holds its course and its rank! The English only fishes by moderately friendly suspensions for the lower back on bumpy surfaces. Fortunately, his saddle receives 10 mm of additional padding (760 mm Vs 750 in 2018) to partly compensate for this discomfort. !
The Bonneville definitely drives home the point with its powerful and easy-to-dose front brake, a clear improvement over the previous vintage. In comparison, the right lever of the Royal Enfield lacks a little consistency, without demerit: its performance is satisfactory for the genre. It’s just Triumph who sets the bar high !
The Interceptor 650, on the other hand, offers better response to the rear, an excellent ally of trajectory correction. Mention "very good" finally for the fine and transparent operation of the ABS of these two motorcycles, which draw a particularly attractive bridge between yesterday’s look and today’s performance !
Verdict: the heart has its reasons
Refined and efficient, the Street Twin dominates this new MNC duel of classic motorcycles. Triumph shows remarkable mastery in the delicate exercise of combining retro style with contemporary technologies: the title "Modern Classics" of its range is fully respected..
The "" also benefits from subtle improvements, both in terms of its braking and its saddle comfort. However, its unpublished maps leave us less enthusiastic: a central stand and / or passenger handles would have been much more useful. !
Extremely well born, the Royal Enfield must bow down mainly because of a rigor in slight withdrawal. Because it is the nice surprise of this duel: yes, the Interceptor 650 is beaten, but not crushed! The Indian even offers a sacred resistance to its rival, who surely did not expect so many respondents.
The great novelty of the century-old brand (history in) also has a strong presence, in addition to a friendly character that is lacking in the too smooth Street Twin. Its successful line, its comfortable efficiency and its meticulous manufacturing are commendable, especially compared to its minimum price..
A first attempt in the form of a master stroke for Royal Enfield, to whom MNC gives a big tip of the hat: well done to the Eicher group (owner of the brand) for this bike as pleasant as it is affordable. In this, the Interceptor 650 is a real favorite when the price of the Street Twin is a little heartbreak…
- All the details of our Interceptor 650 Vs Street Twin duel in
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