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In today’s video we’re going to do a side by side comparison of two different exhaust pipe options for the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 and the Royal Enfield Continental GT 650. We’ll be looking at the S&S slip-on exhausts vs the Stinger 2-Into-1 full exhaust from TEC.
For a walkaround comparison, and an on the road riding experience, you should watch the video above.
Installation
Installation will be very easy for the S&S. There are just two bolts per muffler to remove and install, and the original exhaust headers stay on.
On the TEC, you’ll need to replace the entire exhaust system. First have to take the mufflers off. Then you’ll have to remove the exhaust system. Next you’ll have to install the TEC headers, link pipe, and finally exhaust bit.
Installation is much complicated on the TEC due to it being a full exhaust system. Winner: S&S.
Engine Guards
One thing to note on the topic of installation is that the TEC system is not supposed to work with engine guards. However, somehow, this TEC system does in fact fit with the engine guards, but only just barely. We have no clearance and the exhaust system is in fact touching the engine guard.
Winner: S&S
Materials Used
Both exhausts are stainless steel. The S&S uses a very traditionally colored brushed stainless steel, whereas TEC has chosen to use a 304 stainless steel. 304 refers to the chemical composition of the the stainless steel. In other words, it tells us what percentage of which different metals make up this stainless steel.
The two companies are obviously going for two very different looks. The S&S runs the OEM chrome headers into their brushed silver slip ons, while the TEC system completely replaces the original parts and has a much warmer tone.
Both do the job and this will come down to personal preference. Winner: Tie.
Weight Savings
The S&S slip-on exhaust system for the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 and Continental GT650 will save 12 lbs over the original Royal Enfield exhausts.
However, having one less exhaust muffler makes a big difference, and the TEC Stinger 2-into-1 system saves a whopping 26 lbs versus the original Royal Enfield exhaust system. There are also space savings as well, if you lane split or park your motorcycle in tight spaces, like when I bring my motorcycle inside the house for the winter.
Winner: TEC.
Baffle / Silencer
With S&S you get two removable baffles included with your purchase of the S&S slip-ons for the Royal Enfield 650cc motorcycles.
With TEC you’ll have to pay extra for the removable baffle, however it’s only about $20, and given the prices of these two exhaust options, that’s a small sacrifice.
Winner: Tie.
Performance:
The TEC system gives you about 2% more horsepower, whereas the S&S system claims to give 1% more horsepower, but when paired with an aftermarket performance air filter, claims to give a 13% increase in usable torque.
The reality is that horsepower and torque numbers from dyno machines are extremely subjectives. Dyno machines have a lot of variance based on ambient conditions, elevation, tire condition and pressure, etc. The only way to truly test the performance of these two exhausts versus one another would be to run the original, TEC, and S&S exhausts, one after the other, on the same motorcycle, on the dyno machine, in the same conditions.
That’s well beyond the budget and scope of this report I’m making from my backyard though. Winner: Tie.
Comparisons Galore
While I have you here though I just want to point out that I have a whole series comparing my Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 versus my Triumph Bonneville 865 versus my Moto Guzzi V7 750. Checkout that series here.
Availability
You can get the S&S slip-ons exclusively from your local Royal Enfield dealer. That may or may not be a good thing depending on where you are in the world.
Likewise, you can get the TEC Stinger 2-into-1 exhaust system directly from TEC. They do ship everywhere in the world, but you may be looking at shipping and duties which could raise the price a fair bit.
The price of the TEC exhaust systems shipped to my PO box in New York state is just over $500. The price of the S&S slip-ons shipped to that same New York PO box is about $980.
Winner: TEC, by a mile.
My Preferences?
Am I really getting twice the exhaust from S&S for nearly twice the price of the TECs? To my ears, the S&S does sound substantially better… It gives more of a “surround sound” feeling. But if you watched the video than you already know the TECs sound great too. They just sound different, and I don’t think the S&S sound twice as good.
Which exhaust system looks better on a Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 or Continental GT650? Honestly, that really depends on your style. Personally, I wish both exhausts were chromed, but doing so would make the S&S system even more prohibitively expensive, and it would make the TEC stop being so affordable.
The Interceptor that the TECs are on has very minimalist aesthetics and the paint scheme gives off warm tones. For those reasons, I like the TEC 2-Into-1 exhaust system on this Interceptor.
The Continental GT comes in the “Ice Queen” paint job. The cool, grey tones, pair well with the cool grey S&S slip-on exhausts. For those reasons, I also like the S&S slip-ons on the Continental GT.
Which One Would I Get?
With the S&S Cycles slip-ons, you really get what you pay for. They do sound better, both fuller and more refined. You’ll save some weight, though not as much as the TEC system, and the quality is exceptional.
But would I buy them over the TEC 2-Into-1 Stinger exhaust system for my Royal Enfield Interceptor 650? No. They great, but they’re not twice as great. If I was shopping for a higher end motorcycle, like my 2019 BMW F750GS, I would probably be looking for top of the line parts. My Interceptor isn’t top of the line by any stretch. It’s an economical means of transportation, and as such, I’m not going to do a roughly $1,000 upgrade, when I can get nearly as good results for just $500.
What do you have on your Royal Enfield, and what exhaust do you prefer? Please leave me a comment and let me know!
