Royal Enfield Interceptor Passes Dirt Track Test Like a Boss [Video]

Royal Enfield created quite a ripples in the market after the launch of the all-new Interceptor and the Continental GT 650. Both the bikes were launched last year, and both of them have become quite popular in the market. The all-new bikes are based on the new “P” platform, which is expected to underpin a lot of upcoming bikes from the brand including an off-road-friendly Himalayan 650.

As of now, Royal Enfield only offers two road-going motorcycles in the market. But what if the Interceptor leaves the blacktop tarmac for off-roading? Well, this video shows exactly how the Royal Enfield Interceptor handles off-roading.

The video made by Abhinav Bhatt shows the Royal Enfield Interceptor on the specially made off-roading track. The motorcycle is in stock condition without any aftermarket accessories. The Royal Enfield Interceptor is not built for off-roading trails and is not prepared to jump. This video shows how good the Royal Enfield Interceptor behaved on the dirt track. The rider first goes slowly around the track road and then he picks up speed. The Royal Enfield Interceptor seems to be handling all rough terrain quite smoothly. Due to the short suspension travel, it even jumps in the air for a few moments and lands perfectly on the ground. The Interceptor gets 174 mm of ground clearance, which is adequate for the motorcycles on the Indian roads.

The front suspension of the Royal Enfield Interceptor gets 110mm of travel while the rear suspension can travel up to 80mm only. This is insignificant when compared to any adventure-spec motorcycle. Even the Royal Enfield Himalayan offers 200mm of suspension travel in the front. While riding a bike on rough roads with lower suspension travel is not impossible, it sure is difficult to control and handle the bike as all the vibrations travel to the handlebar, making it difficult and it can also tire the rider quickly.

This year, we will see numerous Interceptor riders taking their bikes to the Ladakh circuit when the roads open. This video shows how it will be for the Interceptor and the Continental GT 650 riders on the rough roads. The Interceptor comes with spoked rims, which work to absorb some of the shocks from the rough roads but it is not quite enough. We hope that someone installs long travel suspension to make the bike much more comfortable on such road surfaces. Till then, we can only expect that Royal Enfield will launch the 650 Himalayan as soon as possible in the Indian market.

The all-new 648cc, twin-cylinder, air-cooled engine that powers the Royal Enfield Interceptor and the Continental GT is the most powerful engine from the brand. It produces a maximum power of 47 Bhp and a peak torque of 52 Nm. It gets a 6-speed transmission with a slipper clutch as standard. It is a parallel-twin engine, which makes it lose the original and iconic thump but it is the smoothest Royal Enfield engine ever and offers enough power to lazily cruise at 100 km/h on the highways without a hiccup.