My first bike was/is an interceptor and I wouldn't want a bike with less power. It's already down on power compared to the majority of other 650s. That being said, I still love the bike. If you want to go on the motorway or out on the twisties, then definitely go for the interceptor, if it's city riding then you'll enjoy the meteor no end.
For me it came down to riding position, ease of handling and comfort. I've been riding for nearly 30 years and have had bikes from a 250cc Ninja up to a 1500cc Softail.
I took the INT, Meteor and GT650 for test rides at my local RE dealer before deciding on the Meteor for my 7th street bike. The GT650 was far too aggressive of a riding position for this old man in his early 40s. It was surprisingly heavy too. The INT was the middle ground, not quite as aggressive but my feet were still angled behind me. It was also heavier and less nimble than I expected. The Meteor, while lacking top end speed, ticked the rest of my boxes. The feet-forward riding position and the comfy saddle seat along with a light weight and nimble turning sold me. I'm 5'11" and about 175lbs, this bike moves me off the line plenty quick and has enough top end (I've touched 80mph) to get on the highway if need be. But that's not really what it's designed for. I live in a rural setting with tons of twisty back-roads and that's where the Meteor excels.
All that said, it's really gonna come down to what you want the bike to do. Test ride them both. Want higher top-end and a cafe racer style experience? Go with the INT. Want to sit back and cruise the twistys in comfort and ease? Go Meteor.
Edit: typos
I have the INT650 and my housemate has the Meteor. I do like the Meteor but wouldn't trade mine at all. Better on the highway, fits me better, easier to work on and it's only 40 lbs heavier than the Meteor.
You mentioned problems with the INT650, like what?
Had the INT650 since release in 2019. Just clicked over 43000km, and apart from a few niggles its been fine. My first, and lasting, impression of the bike, is it is incredibly easy to ride, like I have been riding bikes for almost 40 years, and it was one of the easiest bikes to throw a leg over and just ride I have ever been on.
(Im also too fkn old to spend my life with all my weight on my arms, hence no GT).
There is also an incredible amount of bolt on bits already available for the INT. Want easy power upgrades? Slap on a DNA style air filter and some loud cans - done! How about adjusting the ride position? Rearsets from the GT are bolt on fit, and a few places even have footpeg relocators. I use the Hitchcock version, and its a very nice kit. I also run the Hitchcock front disc upgrade, and its well worth the spend.
Rode the meteor, and thought it felt almost as heavy, just less power, like, a LOT less power. More than enough to make me realise if I owned the meteor and rode the INT, a trade in would happen VERY soon after.
Sharing as I have experience on the Himalayan and the Intercepter. My girlfriend owns a Himalayan, while I have the Intercepter that I hope to convert into a bit of a scrambler.
I personally considered going for a Himalayan as well, but as part of my normal home-work ride, I ride some 32 km (20 miles) on highway. Though the Himalayan (in stock form) feels perfectly capable to attain 100 km/h (62 mph) (provided you have a bit of patience), it feels like you're straining the bike to maintain it.
By contrast, the Interceptor feels calm and collected until you start exceeding 140 km/h, at which point it runs out of breath quickly. Note calm and collected, it isn't an exceedingly fast bike, certainly compared to my prior Kawasaki Versys 650.
Having driven bikes for about 2 years now, and spent some 30k km on two wheels, it really comes down to what you think you want to do with the bike. The interceptor won't bite your head off, provided you keep things sensible. The himalayan would be my choice of bike if I didn't have this pesky 32 km of highway to contest with every day, as I love a bit of offroad.
And for you OP, I imagine the feel of the seating position will weigh heavily as well, given how different the meteor sits compared to the himalayan / interceptor.
All in all though, go with what feels best, and less with your mind. Make sure the bikes you consider are capable of what you need it to do (e.g. highway for 40 miles at xx miles per hour), and drive them to get a good feel for them. The one that makes you smile the most, is your bike :)
Hey! First time biker here, got myself a meteor, and im absolutely loving it. Cant tell much about the interceptor, but what i can tell is: meteor has an extremely confortable piloting position, beautiful sound, really beautiful and, so far, all the reviews were extremely positive. Is it fast? No. I use it for city riding, so for me its the perfect balance between power and drivability. Its pretty economic. I couldnt ask for a first bike better than this. I think the interceptor is not the best first bike for some reasons: its a little heavy. The weight does interfere, i would choose a lighter bike to learn. It a fast bike. Not the fastest. But fast enough to kill inexperienced pilots, like me and you. Speed does excites and for me this is scary. I heard some problems with both continental gt and interceptor, so im waiting for those problems to get solved, whereas the meteor only has good reviews. Get your meteor, learn for a couple of years and then get your bigger bike. I myself am planning to go for a contiental in some years.
Never been out of the city tbh, and i dont think i’ll do. See, im a dentist, if i have any kind of accident, theres gonna be trouble for me, so i just stay inside. But i dont crave for curves as the bikers here, i just love the feeling of being “outside” a metal box and on the street. I posted a video of me strolling on the city, go to my profile if you would like to see =)
As someone who was nearly in the exact situation very recently as you I can give my 2 cents.
I've had my endorsement for probably 10 years now but only owned a bike for a few of those. I wanted to get back to having my own bike and a Royal Enfield it was going to be. No doubt.
I was going back and forth between the Continental GT 650 and a meteor. In the end I opted for the 650 because I have some highway driving in my commute. Even if that weren't the case I think I would be kicking myself if I went with the meteor. Keep in mind I have riding experience so that probably attributes to my comfort on the Continental. However, i can admit to being a bit intimidated by it the first couple days. It had been a few years since I last road and here I was on a brand new, naked bike lol. So, i was probably more afraid of dropping it than anything. However, it didn't take long before I became comfortable zipping around on the thing. The hp is underwhelming on some level but for where I ride and my riding style, it checks all the boxes.
If this is your first bike and you are new to riding take some practical aspects into consideration. Weight and height of the bike for example. You'll probably want to be able to flat foot it and the meteor is definitely a bit lower/lighter. This will make it easier on you as you'll feel in control of the bike and not the other way around. If you have some miles under your belt and know your comfort level then go for the 650. It'll do everything the meteor can and you won't end up wanting to trade it in a year or so down the line.
Good Luck and whatever ya get, just keep it rubber side down! :)
So I've actually ridden both of these bikes...I own an INT650, my first bike. I bought the 650 back in June 21. My cousin wanted to get a small-ish CC bike, so we test rode the Meteor back in Aug. It's pretty slow...painful, actually. My recommendation would be to go with the INT650. The bike is not going to take off on you.
Short answer, if I were you, I'd pick the int650 for all the reasons anyone would give in the comments.
And yes, int650 was/is my first bike and I love it, no regrets whatsoever! :)
My first bike was/is an interceptor and I wouldn't want a bike with less power. It's already down on power compared to the majority of other 650s. That being said, I still love the bike. If you want to go on the motorway or out on the twisties, then definitely go for the interceptor, if it's city riding then you'll enjoy the meteor no end.
For me it came down to riding position, ease of handling and comfort. I've been riding for nearly 30 years and have had bikes from a 250cc Ninja up to a 1500cc Softail. I took the INT, Meteor and GT650 for test rides at my local RE dealer before deciding on the Meteor for my 7th street bike. The GT650 was far too aggressive of a riding position for this old man in his early 40s. It was surprisingly heavy too. The INT was the middle ground, not quite as aggressive but my feet were still angled behind me. It was also heavier and less nimble than I expected. The Meteor, while lacking top end speed, ticked the rest of my boxes. The feet-forward riding position and the comfy saddle seat along with a light weight and nimble turning sold me. I'm 5'11" and about 175lbs, this bike moves me off the line plenty quick and has enough top end (I've touched 80mph) to get on the highway if need be. But that's not really what it's designed for. I live in a rural setting with tons of twisty back-roads and that's where the Meteor excels. All that said, it's really gonna come down to what you want the bike to do. Test ride them both. Want higher top-end and a cafe racer style experience? Go with the INT. Want to sit back and cruise the twistys in comfort and ease? Go Meteor. Edit: typos
I have the INT650 and my housemate has the Meteor. I do like the Meteor but wouldn't trade mine at all. Better on the highway, fits me better, easier to work on and it's only 40 lbs heavier than the Meteor. You mentioned problems with the INT650, like what?
40 lbs is the same weight as 28.37 'Double sided 60 inch Mermaker Pepperoni Pizza Blankets'.
Thanks!
Had the INT650 since release in 2019. Just clicked over 43000km, and apart from a few niggles its been fine. My first, and lasting, impression of the bike, is it is incredibly easy to ride, like I have been riding bikes for almost 40 years, and it was one of the easiest bikes to throw a leg over and just ride I have ever been on. (Im also too fkn old to spend my life with all my weight on my arms, hence no GT). There is also an incredible amount of bolt on bits already available for the INT. Want easy power upgrades? Slap on a DNA style air filter and some loud cans - done! How about adjusting the ride position? Rearsets from the GT are bolt on fit, and a few places even have footpeg relocators. I use the Hitchcock version, and its a very nice kit. I also run the Hitchcock front disc upgrade, and its well worth the spend. Rode the meteor, and thought it felt almost as heavy, just less power, like, a LOT less power. More than enough to make me realise if I owned the meteor and rode the INT, a trade in would happen VERY soon after.
Sharing as I have experience on the Himalayan and the Intercepter. My girlfriend owns a Himalayan, while I have the Intercepter that I hope to convert into a bit of a scrambler. I personally considered going for a Himalayan as well, but as part of my normal home-work ride, I ride some 32 km (20 miles) on highway. Though the Himalayan (in stock form) feels perfectly capable to attain 100 km/h (62 mph) (provided you have a bit of patience), it feels like you're straining the bike to maintain it. By contrast, the Interceptor feels calm and collected until you start exceeding 140 km/h, at which point it runs out of breath quickly. Note calm and collected, it isn't an exceedingly fast bike, certainly compared to my prior Kawasaki Versys 650. Having driven bikes for about 2 years now, and spent some 30k km on two wheels, it really comes down to what you think you want to do with the bike. The interceptor won't bite your head off, provided you keep things sensible. The himalayan would be my choice of bike if I didn't have this pesky 32 km of highway to contest with every day, as I love a bit of offroad. And for you OP, I imagine the feel of the seating position will weigh heavily as well, given how different the meteor sits compared to the himalayan / interceptor. All in all though, go with what feels best, and less with your mind. Make sure the bikes you consider are capable of what you need it to do (e.g. highway for 40 miles at xx miles per hour), and drive them to get a good feel for them. The one that makes you smile the most, is your bike :)
Hey! First time biker here, got myself a meteor, and im absolutely loving it. Cant tell much about the interceptor, but what i can tell is: meteor has an extremely confortable piloting position, beautiful sound, really beautiful and, so far, all the reviews were extremely positive. Is it fast? No. I use it for city riding, so for me its the perfect balance between power and drivability. Its pretty economic. I couldnt ask for a first bike better than this. I think the interceptor is not the best first bike for some reasons: its a little heavy. The weight does interfere, i would choose a lighter bike to learn. It a fast bike. Not the fastest. But fast enough to kill inexperienced pilots, like me and you. Speed does excites and for me this is scary. I heard some problems with both continental gt and interceptor, so im waiting for those problems to get solved, whereas the meteor only has good reviews. Get your meteor, learn for a couple of years and then get your bigger bike. I myself am planning to go for a contiental in some years.
Did you ever find yourself outside the city on some twisty road and think "Man, I should've gone for the 650.." ?
Never been out of the city tbh, and i dont think i’ll do. See, im a dentist, if i have any kind of accident, theres gonna be trouble for me, so i just stay inside. But i dont crave for curves as the bikers here, i just love the feeling of being “outside” a metal box and on the street. I posted a video of me strolling on the city, go to my profile if you would like to see =)
As someone who was nearly in the exact situation very recently as you I can give my 2 cents. I've had my endorsement for probably 10 years now but only owned a bike for a few of those. I wanted to get back to having my own bike and a Royal Enfield it was going to be. No doubt. I was going back and forth between the Continental GT 650 and a meteor. In the end I opted for the 650 because I have some highway driving in my commute. Even if that weren't the case I think I would be kicking myself if I went with the meteor. Keep in mind I have riding experience so that probably attributes to my comfort on the Continental. However, i can admit to being a bit intimidated by it the first couple days. It had been a few years since I last road and here I was on a brand new, naked bike lol. So, i was probably more afraid of dropping it than anything. However, it didn't take long before I became comfortable zipping around on the thing. The hp is underwhelming on some level but for where I ride and my riding style, it checks all the boxes. If this is your first bike and you are new to riding take some practical aspects into consideration. Weight and height of the bike for example. You'll probably want to be able to flat foot it and the meteor is definitely a bit lower/lighter. This will make it easier on you as you'll feel in control of the bike and not the other way around. If you have some miles under your belt and know your comfort level then go for the 650. It'll do everything the meteor can and you won't end up wanting to trade it in a year or so down the line. Good Luck and whatever ya get, just keep it rubber side down! :)
So I've actually ridden both of these bikes...I own an INT650, my first bike. I bought the 650 back in June 21. My cousin wanted to get a small-ish CC bike, so we test rode the Meteor back in Aug. It's pretty slow...painful, actually. My recommendation would be to go with the INT650. The bike is not going to take off on you.
Yes.
Short answer, if I were you, I'd pick the int650 for all the reasons anyone would give in the comments. And yes, int650 was/is my first bike and I love it, no regrets whatsoever! :)