Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 (INT 650) Maintenance Schedule and Service Intervals
This is the maintenance schedule for the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650, one of the “650 twins” produced alongside the Continental GT 650. The Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 is also referred to as the INT 650.
The Interceptor 650 is an upright standard bike that’s reminiscent of modern classic British-style motorcycles like the Triumph Bonneville 865 (EFI) or Kawasaki W800.
It’s powered by an air/oil-cooled parallel-twin 648cc SOHC engine with a mild 9.5:1 compression ratio. It makes a very modest 35 kW (47 bhp) @ 7150 rpm, and 52 Nm (38 ft-lb) @ 5150 rpm. Power goes to the ground via a 6-speed transmission and a chain drive.
The bike is learner legal in countries/regions like Australia, New Zealand, and Europe, where learners are limited to certain power limits or power:weight ratios.
This was originally published on 2 July 2021, but has since been significantly updated.
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Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 Service Intervals
The Royal Enfield INT 650 has quite short 3000 mile / 5000 km service intervals at which they recommend you check everything, including the valve clearances, as well as requiring you to do a host of checks.
The valve clearance check is not difficult on the 650 twins, but it’s still an annoyance to do so often — for many riders this will come up multiple times a year.
The oil change service interval for the Interceptor 650 is less frequent than the valve service, being every 6000 miles or 10000 km. Change the oil filter at the same time as the oil.
Change the spark plugs every 12000 miles / 20000 km.
For more detail, see the service schedule below.
What you need to service the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650
Servicing your own Interceptor 650 is easy — it’s easy to get to everything and parts are readily available.
| Part | Royal Enfield Interceptor Spec |
|---|---|
| Engine oil | Oil changes every 10K km. Manual calls for SAE 10W-50 API SL (or higher) or JASO MA2-rated fully synthetic oil, e.g. Castrol Power 1 10W-50. |
| Oil filter | Royal Enfield wants you to order the filter from their website, but you can use a Mobil 1 M1-104A. |
| Spark plug | Bosch UR5CC (0.7-0.8mm) per the manual. This is equivalent to the NGK CR8E. |
| Air filter | You need to clean the air filter periodically but replace it when you change the oil — or more often if you ride it in the dirt. Use DNA air filter R-RE65N18-01. |
| Brake fluid | The manual calls for DOT 4 brake fluid, e.g. Castrol DOT 4. |
| Fork oil | The manual specs 2W 25 HPCL fork oil. |
| Head lamp | The front headlamp is a H4 60/55W bulb |
| Brake lamp | The rear brake lamp is a P21/5W Halogen. |
| Chain | Use a chain lubricant like Motul chain paste periodically to keep the chain fresh. |
| Grease | Use lithium soap-based grease for general greasing (bearings, swing-arm, kickstand etc.) |
Maintenance schedule for the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650
Below is the maintenance schedule for the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650, taken from the manual and reformatted slightly.
There are two separate parts:
- Regular service every 600 miles / 1000 km (or every major ride), and
- The longer-term maintenance schedule
Regular service
Do the following checks on your Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 every 600 mi / 1000 km.
| Component | Regular service |
|---|---|
| Engine oil | Check oil level and top up if necessary (Castrol Power 1 10W-50) |
| Clutch cable | Check cable free play. Adjust if necessary |
| Hand levers | Check hand levers pivot point for smoothness. Lubricate if necessary |
| Drive chain | Clean, lubricate, and adjust chain |
Maintenance schedule
The recommended schedule for the Interceptor 650 is based on ordinary riding conditions. The manual takes pains to state that if you ride it more severely (e.g. in a dusty environment) you’ll have to service your Interceptor 650 more often.
For maintenance after the end of the schedule below, continue with the same frequency as observed in the schedule (adjusting for how intensely you use your bike).
Noteworthy items in the maintenance schedule are
- You have to check / adjust the valve clearance every 3000 miles / 5000 km
- There’s no coolant to change — this baby’s air-cooled
Legend and notes on the maintenance schedule:
- I : Inspect (Clean, Adjust, Lubricate or Replace if necessary)
- A: Adjust
- L : Lubricate
- R : Replace
- C: Clean
- The below maintenance schedule is abridged at 12000 miles / 20000 km for ease of legibility. Repeat every item every 1, 2, 3, or 4 intervals.
| Kms x 1000 | 0.5 | 5 | 10 | 15 | 20 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miles x 1000 | 0.3 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 12 | |
| Months | 1.5 | 6 | 12 | 18 | 24 | Notes |
| Engine Oil (#) (Castrol Power 1 10W-50) | R | I | R | I | R | Check level at every 1000 Kms or earlier as required |
| Engine Oil Filter Element (#) (M1-104A) | R | R | R | |||
| Inlet / Exhaust valve clearances | I&A | I&A | I&A | I&A | I&A | Service annually even if distance not travelled. |
| Spark plug (NGK CR8E) | I | I | I | I | R | Every 12000 mi / 20000 km |
| HT leads for crack | I | I | I | I | I | |
| Rubber Hose, air filter to Throttle body | I | I | I | I | I | |
| Rubber hose, Inlet manifold/ Adaptor | I | I | I | I | I | |
| Evaporative Emission Equipment rubber hoses | I | I | I | I | I | |
| Fuel filter – External | C | C | R | C | R | |
| Air filter element | C | C | R | C | R | More frequently if motorcycle always used in dusty conditions |
| Vent pipe under air filter box | I | I | I | I | I | |
| Hose – Secondary Air | I | I | I | I | I | US models only |
| Accelerator and throttle pulley cables free play | A | A | A | A | A | |
| Brake Pads – Front & Rear | I | I | I | I | I | |
| Disc brake fluid level – front and rear | I | I | I | I | R | Replace every 2 years |
| Rear brake pedal and gear change pedal pivot | L | L | L | L | L | |
| Brake hose and banjo bolt – front and rear | I | I | I | I | I | |
| Front fork oil leak | I | I | I | I | I | Replace oil at every 60000 kms or when any work carried out — whichever earlier |
| Steering tapper roller bearing play | I | I | I | I | I | |
| Rear wheel cush rubbers | I | |||||
| Spoke tightness/ wheel rim run out front and rear | I | I | I | I | I | |
| Battery terminals (apply petroleum jelly) | I | I | I | I | I | |
| Battery electrolyte levels | C | C | C | C | C | Not applicable for sealed battery |
| Earth wire eyelet tightness | I | I | ||||
| Tyre wear pattern front and rear | I | I | I | I | I | |
| Pivot – side stand, centre stand | L | L | L | L | L | |
| Rider and pillion foot rest pivot | L | L | L | L | L | |
| All mounting fasteners in vehicle for tightness | I | I | I | I | I |
Tyres and tyre pressures for the Interceptor 650
The Interceptor 650 ships with tubeless tyres but fitted with inner tubes (that’s what it says in the manual, I swear). Below are the tire size specs and the recommended pressures.
| Wheel | Tyre size | Pressure (without-with pillion) |
|---|---|---|
| Front | 100/90-18 M/C 56H | 2.2 Bar Bar (32 psi) |
| Rear | 130/70-18 M/C 63H | 2.5-2.75 Bar (36-29 psi) (depending on riding alone or with pillion) |
The brand of tyre the INT650 ships with are Pirelli Phantom Sports Comp tyres. But you can fit any other class of street tyres on there.
About the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650
The Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 was a huge departure for Royal Enfield from what it used to do historically. Known for its shaky singles, Royal Enfield was suddenly producing a twin. And what a looker of a twin!
As soon as you see it you think “ah, this looks familiar”. The Interceptor 650 looks a lot like a classic vintage British motorcycle like something from Triumph or Norton (or Kawasaki, who also have a lot of British history).
The Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 ticks a lot of boxes for what people wanted to come out of Royal Enfield. Royal Enfield was an emerging cool brand before the 650 twins, known for having a retro/classic vibe (and reality… their bikes are pretty old tech), and some really nice looking bikes.
But the 650 twins delivered a lot of new stuff that people wanted. These included
- A bigger, more torquey/powerful engine. Still not huge, but now at least it can keep up.
- ABS brakes (new riders like having it)
- Fuel injection
- Even better looks!
- More cylinders! And even better, it’s a parallel twin in 270-degree configuration.
Royal Enfield did all this with the INT 650 and still kept the entry price of it very low. It’s definitely one of the best-looking bikes for the money you can buy. But you feel the savings in the suspension, which are a quick upgrade for anyone thinking of riding it as a performance machine.
One compelling part of the Interceptor 650 is the engine that has so much room for modification. Stock it runs a 9.5:1 compression ratio — very low, and suitable for all kinds of bad gas.
The camshaft timing in the INT650 is also quite gentle. So you can liven up the engine quite a bit with a camshaft upgrade (which is cheap, as it’s SOHC), a simple exhaust upgrade, and a dyno tune. So around $1000 of work makes the bike a lot livelier.
People concerned about power output in everyday riding needn’t be. The bike peaks in torque just as it’s reaching 75 mph (or 130 km/h), and it still has pull up to around 90 mph (150 km/h). Beyond that, it doesn’t feel too comfortable.
But most people wouldn’t buy a bike like the Interceptor 650 to sustain high freeway speeds. Yes, some freeway droning almost requires it in Europe and the US, but if you do that often, you might be looking at the wrong bike.
Another impressive thing about the Royal Enfield INT 650 is the handling. Again, it isn’t just “good for the price” — it’s good. The bike isn’t heavy (202 kg wet — a Triumph Bonneville 865 is 225 kg wet) and so the stock suspension and brakes are easily up to the task. It doesn’t feel out of shape at high speeds (high for this bike) or in windy roads.
The Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 isn’t just a good bike for the price — it’s a good bike.
The only fly in its ointment are the 5000 km valve inspection intervals. But luckily, service guides are widely available. Get your wrenches out.
Royal Enfield also released a cruiser for the same platform, the Super Meteor 650.
Reference — Manual for the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650
The maintenance schedule above was from the manual for the Interceptor INT 650 model. You can get the manual from here.
We also compared it to the US manuals (there’s an air injection system added for emissions reasons, but that’s it.)
See the screenshot below as evidence of the information above.
One of my favourite things about Royal Enfield is that they love it when people do their own maintenance, and their owners’ manuals are basically service manuals. You can find guides to doing the valve service online in many places.
