How to select a motorcycle tyre with speed rating

Replacing your motorcycles stock tyres can be confusing especially if your stock tyres are not available or expensive or if you are seeking new options.

Shot en route to Leh

Stock tyres are the tried and tested options. Here are some points to keep in mind while changing your tyres.

Speed rating : The speed rating code represents the highest speed at which a tire can support the load specified by its load index, following the manufacturer's specified usage conditions.

 For example the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 comes with stock Pirelli Phantom H rated tyres for front and back when I bought the bike in 2019. That means they can comfortably and safely go on speeds up to 210 kmph.

 Source: dunlop.eu 

Here you can find the speed rating of tyres as they follow a standard pattern 

From Michelin: “This code, when present, appears after the size marking. The code comprises three characters: two numbers and a letter, for example, 67H.

 

Rear tyre with H-rating

 Front tyre with P-rating

 

 

  Changing the Interceptor tyres 

I opted for an H- rated MRF Zapper for the rear and P rated front tyre. Typically the indian roads rarely allow you to ride consistently at speeds over 150, besides the risks.  If you want to go faster you can always take it to the race track ;)

 

And the wash

And we are ready to roll ! 

Cheers
BT

Tyre replacement at DA MODS (Iffco chowk, Gurgaon) - Prompt service!

 

The magical Leh Ladakh Motorcycle Ride

Notes from the Leh ride (ROTSMC)

A 4000 km ride in 13 days in the most demanding terrains of Leh Ladakh sounds challenging. But that's the joy of motorcycling covering - Srinagar, Kargil, Leh Khardungla Pass 17890 ft, Turktuk, Thang, Indo-pak border 1.9 km, Changla Pass, 17200 Ft, Tso Pangong, Rezengla Pass, 1.8 km from Chinese border, Chichul, Sonmarg Pathankot and more with an RE Interceptor 650, 3 Harley Davidsons and a BMW 310 GS.

1. Starting rides daily between 6-7 AM calls for discipline and high-level commitment to the ride and your rider friends. You wake up at 4.30 AM or 5 AM daily after sleeping around 11 or 12 midnight.

2. Low oxygen levels and a decrease in air pressure at high altitudes like Khardungla, the highest motorable pass in the world, can cause Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS). Medication like Diamox can help. I didn't take it and could manage my rides. Drink plenty of water and stay hydrated.

3. Fog/Aux lights: You need them in Leh/Ladakh as outside the city, lights are few, and it gets dark soon, so you need to get better visibility. Don't fix the Aux lights on the shock absorber with clamps, as they will fall off, and mine did.

4. Carry a spare pair of riding shoes, as riding on rugged terrain can damage shoes faster, or you can get your boots wet and need a dry one the next day. The cold weather won't dry shoes in a day when you are moving, and it's a new hotel every day.

5. Practice riding with the front brake and gears on the hills, as the rear brakes will get heated up on continuous use, and you can get air in the brake system like mine did, leaving the rear brakes useless. On the way, they got a local mechanic of a motorcycle touring company to make it work to carry on by pumping air out of the brake system. In Leh, the RE mechanic got it back to normal.

6. You will not get phone signals or internet in many places. It's just you and nature. Be prepared and always have company.

7. Eat light. There's fabulous fresh food at Leh Ladakh always.

8. Road diversions are familiar - You may need to go 50-odd km extra at some points.

9. Shooting stones from hills can be risky, road repair can cause delays on the mountain, and you need to be flexible.

10. Careful; you are on narrow and the highest roads with deep valleys on your left or right and no barricades. Great motorcycle control and balance will keep you on the road.

Pics

Ride ON.

Cheers BT!

Switching to alloys for Royal Enfield Interceptor 650cc

 Finally Royal Enfield made the alloys available. Time to change the classic spokes :)

Spokes vs alloys

I have the stock Pirelli Tubeless that one can use on the alloy wheels directly.
Pirelli says - Tubeless , but on TUBETYPE rim, use a tube. 

Later in 2021 launched RE launched CEAT tyres as stock with new bikes that will need a tube. 

All right, lets roll Tubeless with alloys!

Classic spokes pics 

Ride ON!

Cheers

BT

Should you buy Royal Enfield Saddle bags for the Interceptor 650?

 If you do motorcycle tours that are overnight or for a few days, you will need to carry basic clothes and stuff. Unless you have friends accompanying you in cars and they have room to store your bags, you will need motorcycle saddlebags.

I traditionally prefer stock motorcycle accessories as aftermarket stuff often lacks quality and may have gaps in safety considerations. 

Challenge with normal Motorcycle Saddlebags

Unlike other bikes, the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 has stylish upswept exhausts, and the normal saddle bags do not fit as they touch the exhaust, leading to the burning of the bags due to the heat. You can consider changing the exhaust, which my dear friend Dr. Deepak Nakra tried and found a loss of power with after-market exhausts as per his experience and switched back to stock. Doc is found more often on his Ducati these days ;)  Either way, I prefer the Interceptor Upswept exhausts! 

Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 with Stock Upswept Exhausts

Do the  Royal Enfield Saddlebags for the Interceptor 650 fit well?

Yes, they fit well and are tight and snug once you have loaded some clothes and stuff. Ensure that you keep the weight between both sides more or less equally balanced for optimal riding. 

Clear tall gap between the RE Saddle bags and the Upswept exhaust

The Royal Enfield Interceptor Saddlebags are sleek and comfortable to ride with a pillion passenger as well.

The pillion passenger can sit comfortably, but

 you may need to extend the footrest pedal a bit.

Fitting the Royal Enfield Saddle bags for the Interceptor 650

The saddlebags fit sleek and trim without too much protrusion from the motorcycle.

The saddlebags worked excellently within the 500+ km bike ride in the rains to Jaipur and back at speeds of over 100+. 

Interceptor with saddle bags / Captain Bobby on the Harley & ROTSMC riders

Quality of Royal Enfield Saddlebags for the Interceptor 650

The material is quite good. It is sturdy, and the bag's top section folds stay tough and click well onto the bike.

Exterior and interior views of the RE Saddlebags

Pricing

Compared to aftermarket saddlebags available in India that range from Rs. 6000  (80$ USD) and above, this may appear pricey at Rs.10,000 odd (130$ USD).

So, should you buy the Royal Enfield Saddle bags for the Interceptor 650cc?

It is a decent buy if you are considering - 

• a 2 or 3-day tour with just essentials..few t-shirts, a couple of jeans, spare shoes, etc.
• Quality is good as far as the material used and my current experience.
• Sleek and fits well within the ergonomics of the Interceptor 650 build.
• Retains the interceptor aerodynamics and is built for Upswept exhausts.

Downsides: It's not waterproof, but do you care if you are a real biker? Just wrap it in a plastic bag and slide it into the saddlebags. 

Live 2 Ride ~ Ride 2 Live.

Cheers

Biker BT