Stopping by to say "Hi"

[Sport Rider]

Originally Posted by Megadan

I am still fairly heart set on a Royal Enfield 650 Interceptor. I just want a low rpm simple aircooled twin. Either that, or an MT03. They are about the same in performance. The MT03 actually fits me fairly well, but I do need lower pegs to ride the thing as the tank fairings lock my legs in place. I have to flare my legs out to use the shifter or brake lol. Plus, I can get into one cheap.
......

there's no replacement for displacement.

[Megadan]

Originally Posted by Sport Rider

there's no replacement for displacement.

More rpm is. Just don't mind if your low rpm torque is a bit weak lol

[2LZ]

Originally Posted by Megadan

I am still fairly heart set on a Royal Enfield 650 Interceptor. I just want a low rpm simple aircooled twin.

Well look what the cat dragged in? Hey Dan. I love my Interceptor. A fine choice, indeed.

[Megadan]

Originally Posted by 2LZ

Well look what the cat dragged in? Hey Dan. I love my Interceptor. A fine choice, indeed.

I did see that you ended up with one. My envy is real. I am going to take my vfr in to the local RE dealer in April and see what kind of deal I can work out. It's gonna be another Orange bike lol

[Megadan]

Originally Posted by Do©Hawk

Glad to hear things are looking up. The maintenance sector is tuff. Seems like getting treated like a 2nd class citizen is almost a prerequisite. It really fuels an "us vs. them" relationship. I'm in it for my kids. All those folks that look down on me/us, and there are many, can rot in hell.

Also, the hobbies struggle is real. I keep adding more, but I don't seem to be thinning any from the herd.

In particular, I am an electro-mechanical machine technician more than general maintenance. I can do basic maintenance stuff and have in the past, but my real skill set is very specialized. When I work in that field, I get treated much better, but as you can imagine it can be hard to get in the door at the good jobs, and that's because nobody leaves the good ones.

[Texas Pete]

I did like the orange color on the RE Interceptor 650 tanks.

As far as high revs go, that way lies madness or a future traffic violation ticket

There is a reason that bikes that put out a lot of torque down low are ending up popular bikes with riders (MT-07, etc). Letting you get a power rush down in the legal speeds ranges for thrills without infractions

[Megadan]

Originally Posted by Texas Pete

I did like the orange color on the RE Interceptor 650 tanks.

As far as high revs go, that way lies madness or a future traffic violation ticket

There is a reason that bikes that put out a lot of torque down low are ending up popular bikes with riders (MT-07, etc). Letting you get a power rush down in the legal speeds ranges for thrills without infractions

Want low RPM torque, my VFR1200 has it in spades. it makes over 90ft-lbs from 3500-9000rpm lol. even below 3500 it pulls ok. Not MT07 levels, but he MT07 does't carry the power like my bigger V4.

The high rpm, small displacement engine bikes usually have very short gearing. Lots of noise and RPM, but not much speed. The old CBR250RR and other 250cc 4 banger bikes from the 90's, and the current ZX25RR all spin to 18k+ rpm, and make around 40-50hp. They sound like F1 cars, but go about as fast as a typical 40-50hp motorcycle lol.

[Megadan]

There are a couple other bikes in contention around that $7k price range. One that really has my interest is the CL500 Scrambler. Then there is the most expensive and most powerful option which is a Suzuki SV650. Yes, not really in the same class of bikes, but always a solid choice.

[bigdano711]

Originally Posted by Megadan

There are a couple other bikes in contention around that $7k price range. One that really has my interest is the CL500 Scrambler. Then there is the most expensive and most powerful option which is a Suzuki SV650. Yes, not really in the same class of bikes, but always a solid choice.

The SV650 is the bike I naturally gravitated to when I had a little $ and was looking for a motorcycle. At the time, ~2008, it was like $6000 out the door. I can remember swinging my leg over, sitting on it and thinking, "perfect fit".

Buddy of mine told me I was insane, I'm getting a Harley. He was convincing. Bought a '91 FXR for $6400. smh

[Megadan]

Originally Posted by bigdano711

The SV650 is the bike I naturally gravitated to when I had a little $ and was looking for a motorcycle. At the time, ~2008, it was like $6000 out the door. I can remember swinging my leg over, sitting on it and thinking, "perfect fit".

Buddy of mine told me I was insane, I'm getting a Harley. He was convincing. Bought a '91 FXR for $6400. smh

I'm limiting myself in the price of the bike because I want to keep it reasonably affordable. I can afford a much much more expensive bike, but I really don't want to.

If I didn't care about the cost of a bike I would be getting this (I can easily afford it) https://www.ducati.com/us/en/bikes/s...reetfighter-v4
Because of this.


I've had my fill of big powerful bikes that you really can't utilize even a quarter of their potential without breaking several laws and risking jail time. I love my VFR, but it's a hard bike to really enjoy.

A cheaper, smaller, slower bike like the ones I am looking at are just so much more fun, and can be practical too.

I may even keep my VFR and just put it down and take it apart to perform a bunch of in-depth maintenance and some small repairs to. Like I said, I do love it. I just don't enjoy it as much these days. I can go buy any of the bikes I named right now without hurting myself in the slightest.

[TominMO]

I just recently sat on the SCL500 and the DR650. Both very nice.

[Thumper]

RE 650 and SV 650 are similar in displacement, so different otherwise!

SV is like "half of a VFR" and the RE is a classic cafe style bike. Both have attributes to justify choosing it. RE might be more of a break away from the VFR and a whole new experience, but the SV might be more of a smile generator in the Twisties. I suspect the SV will be stiffer, more stable and confidence inspiring.

[Megadan]

Originally Posted by Thumper

RE 650 and SV 650 are similar in displacement, so different otherwise!

SV is like "half of a VFR" and the RE is a classic cafe style bike. Both have attributes to justify choosing it. RE might be more of a break away from the VFR and a whole new experience, but the SV might be more of a smile generator in the Twisties. I suspect the SV will be stiffer, more stable and confidence inspiring.

It's not even about being half or a quarter etc. The INT650 is way more akin to my 75 GL1000 Goldwing in terms of power to weight if a bit less - 47hp and 470lbs vs "80hp" (different standard of measurement back then) and 600lbs. I loved the balance of power and weight my GL1000 had. Similar styling too.

The SV650 is sorta half of my 1200 I guess. My VFR is 580lbs with 170hp stock, or about 145whp through the shaft drive. Mine makes 164whp. The SV650 makes 70hp and is 436lbs. I would call it more like a third of my bike in terms of power, and 2/3 in terms of weight.

I'm not really chasing power though. I just want something powerful enough to keep up with any traffic, be a tad more economical, and a lot more fun to ride "hard" without going triple digits speeds in the blink of an eye. 0-100mph in a hair over 5 seconds is nothing to sneeze at. I do love it, and as I said, I may keep it, but I would have to just have it sit there all the time when somebody else could enjoy it.

I also don't do much corner carving on the street. The INT650 has a much better chassis than people think. The SV is just a next class up from all of the other bikes I am looking at. I am only considering it because I have always wanted one. I love a 90 degree Twin. Plus, the 2024 model has a bronze frame and black paint. It looks really cool.



The big appeal of the INT650 is that it's a simple, old school looking (my favorite) air cooled torquey lump of a 270 degree twin. It makes all the right noises, goes the right kind of speeds, and from my limited time in the seat a very fun bike to ride around on and just enjoy riding. I'm not a big cruiser guy, but I do love a good standard motorcycle with classic looks. Plus, in terms of price, it's right where I want to be.

The Honda CL500 being the closest direct competitor to it. I love Hondas, it's one of the lightest bikes on my list at 423lbs wet. I love the looks of it. It also comes in Orange (yes, I have a thing for Orange lol), and like the SV650, the engine has been around a really long time so it's going to be almost bullet proof.

The MT03 is the slightly odd one out on the other end of the spectrum. Similar power, much smaller engine but with a much higher rpm limit, actually fits my tall body fairly well for such a small engined bike too. Also the cheapest of the bunch at just $5k. The only thing I am not the biggest fan of is the styling. It's not the worst ever though.

[2LZ]

Originally Posted by Thumper

RE 650 and SV 650 are similar in displacement, so different otherwise!

SV is like "half of a VFR" and the RE is a classic cafe style bike. Both have attributes to justify choosing it. RE might be more of a break away from the VFR and a whole new experience, but the SV might be more of a smile generator in the Twisties. I suspect the SV will be stiffer, more stable and confidence inspiring.

Having had the loaded-up SV650 (V-Strom-my brother has it now) and the RE, I can tell you the V-Strom would kill the Interceptor. It has lots more power and are completely different bikes. The V-Strom was sweet, handled well, and was fun in the twisties. That said, it was covered with Tupperware and needed a lot of ergo adjustment for me, regarding peg extenders, bars and risers. It was also a royal pain to wrench on. I liked the more naked style of the SV much better because of this reason.
The RE is a true, pure retro-styled bike. It's not fast, BUT the power is completely usable. It's a super friendly bike and is like dancing with an elegant lady in an evening gown, as opposed to mud wrestling with an Amazon. Also, as opposed to many of the newer Japanese bikes, the RE's are designed to be worked on by the owners. All of my RE's are super easy to wrench on. Everything is accessible.

[Thumper]

The interceptor has its charms. I like a naked cafe, and the engine promotes low anxiety cruising with rewarding torque in the curves on a twisty mountain road. I rode my brothers Triumph in the 70s and it was a blast.

I did buy a DL1000 VStrom and loaded it up. It took me on a few trips including a trip to Denver. I cruised up to Boulder, then up Boulder canyon (FUN!) past Barker Reservoir to Nederland, then took Peak to Peak highway North towards Estes Park, but headed East down to Lyons (Oskar Blues brewery), and then after break, down to Two Hands Brewing, then back through Boulder to Denver.

The VStrom was fantastic in the long swoopy 70-80mph curves up there, with spectacular mountain peak views in the distance. Worth a trip out there if you have time!


VStromLuggage.jpg