Would you buy this bike?

[cheshirecat]

Well actually I'd be tempted -
RE (http://www.visordown.com/snippets/dodging-a-bullet/17424.html)

After all you'd be using all of it's potential just about every time you rode it.

[Taz]

I'd happily have a 500 classic in the garage.

[baptist]

I would ride it... but then I ride like a nana anyway :rolleyes:

[superman]

Bikes are all about character. And that one is full of it!

[Conquiztador]

First "real" bike was a RE Meteor Minior Sport 500. I have her back anydayM

[White trash]

I don't get it, the whole Enfield Bullet thing, to be honest.

Do people think they're buying a classic bike when they get one? 'Cause they're not, they're buying a new bike built in the same antiquated style as the originals. If you find an original 50's (or whenever they were new) example, you have a classic and I'd happily own one.

And people give Harley-Davidson riders shit for subscribing to old school technologies, the Indian Enfields are 100 times worse.

[jellywrestler]

I don't get it, the whole Enfield Bullet thing, to be honest.


Maybe when you go to salesman school they'll teach you.
Meanwhile; there are people out there who want to own a classic but don't have the abilities to keep them sorted. With these you can do so and only have half the usual number of AA callouts than with an older bike.
As for them selling new in India as transport, 'outboard motors' are a strange race so I'm not even going to try and figure it out

[Brian d marge]

I have a few of them

I race a 500 and will not own another bike till the day I drop dead

Happy to explain why too

Some things to get you started with... As an Engineer , there is not an ounce of fat on the numbers every time I look into a part its just and no more

Done before ww2 with a slide rule and pencil

The spares are soo cheap ,,,, try 5o for a whole fork leg for 50 dollars or so

Now there are problems fit and finish are not as good as say Honda , the 500 seizes pistons when you try and up the power due to low oil flow

but all of the problems are easily fixable and the new EFI bike are very reliable , having a Austrian designed engine and now a new unit construction ...

that well I ...love em

Stephen

[Ocean1]

And people give Harley-Davidson riders shit for subscribing to old school technologies

Harley-Davidson purport to be technologically contemporary. They’re not. They possibly meet their design goals and quite likely they meet their marketing targets, and it’s hard to argue that anything else matters. To their shareholders.

Royal Enfield are exactly what they claim, they’re not simply a retro-styled, mass-produced “market niche”, they’re a close copy of an actual classic.

I may very well buy one, one day.

[blackdog]

if the right one comes up at the right time i will buy it for swmbo (ok mostly for me but she can tell people it's hers).

was well impressed with the guy doing the pinstriping in the vid. i'd give a finger off my left hand to be able to do that.

[Mental Trousers]

And people give Harley-Davidson riders shit for subscribing to old school technologies, the Indian Enfields are 100 times worse.

Royal Enfields don't encourage the wearing of tassles.

[Ocean1]

Royal Enfields don't encourage the wearing of tassles.

...Waving is permitted.

[sinned]

I just don't get it. Do I need to ride one?

[wysper]

I just don't get it. Do I need to ride one?

Thats the beauty of motorcycling though. You don't have to get why someone likes their ride. You just have to get why you like yours.

[martybabe]

I would certainly buy one if I had the spare cash. It's a bit like my old dog, crap as a paper comparison to other dogs but loveable and full of character and stubbornness.

As a bonus to the 27hp? it has one of the sweetest sounds of any bike I've ever heard.

As my only bike...not a chance but as an occasional bit of nostalgic fun, yes sir.

[Conquiztador]

I would certainly buy one if I had the spare cash. It's a bit like my old dog, crap as a paper comparison to other dogs but loveable and full of character and stubbornness.

As a bonus to the 27hp? it has one of the sweetest sounds of any bike I've ever heard.

As my only bike...not a chance but as an occasional bit of nostalgic fun, yes sir.


What the man said.

As mentioned, I bought a 62 (I think it was) RE Minior Meteor Sport 500 in 71. Still wish I had her.

I would get another one anyday. Could even consider one of these. Would not give me the same hardon that a 48 Panhead, my K1 or a Striple does thou.

All to their own. Even when I was a "full on" HD rider I never worried re what others did ride. As long as you are on 2 wheels you are OK and we have something in common. That is why I wave to all riders.

[orangeback]

I travelled India back in 2000 for six month , and i rented 350 bullets 500 and even the diesel one there ,
This is as good as you can get there, unless you want a Vespa or a peddle scooter. its like there version of a 1200 bandit or a gixer 1000 hayabusa etc, Your the man if you've got one , and you will diffidently have the hell mustache, or the hole family on it at one time.
They are Shit house there and always breaking , but everything dose there on there roads ,
I even did a runner:chase: from the local :Police: there on the 500, they only ride 350s , good thing i did, as if i been caught with what i had on me i only be half way through an Indian Prison Sentient now,
But back to the bike , for what they cost there at the time was about $2800nzd or a 1000 pounds. big bang for the buck compared to the same time we where buying zx12r for $28k nz , I could not buy one unless i was a local for some reason and the plod was always doing boarder and state checks.
I think they are made from recycled ship parts and melted down.

I sure have had some great memories on them, but sure as fuck would not own one. Best to live with the memories than try to relive them.:brick:

[Brian d marge]

Had quite a lot to do with them as have said

There is a group of us , who helped win the Ama no1 plate with a guy called Dan Holmes , ( yes but not the same )

you can reliably get from memory 30 bhp and about the same torques Dan got 40 bhp which is about the design limit no matter what some say

If you want a road bike that is hassle free then the Electra is the way to go , as is the new C5

the old bullets are not a copy ,they are the real deal , made on the tooling that Enfield sent over to them , ( just that they are not made in England rather than an outpost of england

Enfield went bust , but someone forgot to tell the Indians..
then the eicher group took over

retooled the place , huge investment and are actually Royal enfield , as from memory they own the trade mark

Now the originally Made in England enfield are made of better stuff , the casting is better and the materials all round are better ( than the newer 500 bullets 1990 s )

But I race them in the vintage class here and the major components seem to handle things well

I bought a whole lot of stuff from a NZ fella who used to race em back in the day in CHCH ( thats the last time I saw that enfield race ) it was mid field towards the front

he preferred the English made components saying that the Indian stuff was too soft

Over all though , if you want a 50 mph machine that is reliable and Fing cheap to run buy a second hand Enfield 350 ....

Going up hills fully loaded with camping gear and two up is a chore ...but as a work a day hack

solid as a rock

Hitchcock in England , sell English made spare parts and the list is endless,,,if you have the money you can built a 600cc monster with a big head ,,,,,,, even ridged conversion frames are available quite cheap .....

Stephen

[Brian d marge]

I travelled India back in 2000 for six month , and i rented 350 bullets 500 and even the diesel one there ,
This is as good as you can get there, unless you want a Vespa or a peddle scooter. its like there version of a 1200 bandit or a gixer 1000 hayabusa etc, Your the man if you've got one , and you will diffidently have the hell mustache, or the hole family on it at one time.
They are Shit house there and always breaking , but everything dose there on there roads ,
I even did a runner:chase: from the local :Police: there on the 500, they only ride 350s , good thing i did, as if i been caught with what i had on me i only be half way through an Indian Prison Sentient now,
But back to the bike , for what they cost there at the time was about $2800nzd or a 1000 pounds. big bang for the buck compared to the same time we where buying zx12r for $28k nz , I could not buy one unless i was a local for some reason and the plod was always doing boarder and state checks.
I think they are made from recycled ship parts and melted down.

I sure have had some great memories on them, but sure as fuck would not own one. Best to live with the memories than try to relive them.:brick:

Yes the indian home market bikes are ,,yes,,, of a lesser quality ... and while I am not sure of NZ laws , I know that American and English laws do not allow the import of an indian machine
You will usually see them advertised on tard me , cheap .... usually because they cant be registered ( Not sure about NZ ).....
Stephen

[BMWST?]

no no not never

[98tls]

God forbid people start buying em in numbers,whats Joe blimp suit going to do when wobbling through some tasty twistys on his GSXR totally devoid of ability but looking good some prick with a pudding bowl and goggles thumps past under brakes and disappears off into the sunset.

[Skinon]

I think i just spewed a lil in my mouth when i watched that video. Don't get me wrong, the bike seems quite retro cool... but the way the did the video... i dunno i HATE that kinda shit.

Some sorta glory video or somethin... 'shudder'

[slowpoke]

Some things to get you started with... As an Engineer , there is not an ounce of fat on the numbers every time I look into a part its just and no more



27hp and 187kg's is "not an ounce of fat"? What do you engineer, bridges?

[Ocean1]

some prick with a pudding bowl and goggles thumps past under brakes and disappears off into the sunset.

Yeah, that's why I'd buy one... :shifty:

[Conquiztador]

27hp and 187kg's is "not an ounce of fat"? What do you engineer, bridges?

Think he was refering to the price of parts for these.

[Brian d marge]

The numbers( ie the design not the weight ( the fins are just enough and no more , bump the 350 to 500 and heat becomes a problem )

27 hp ( 16 actually ) and 200 kg and when someone uses the words not an ounce of fat.....


Chances are , they MIGHT be talking about something else

Just a guess though , I am of course assuming that most people pass their remedial classes in the bleeding obvious


Stephen

[fliplid]

Yes the indian home market bikes are ,,yes,,, of a lesser quality ... and while I am not sure of NZ laws , I know that American and English laws do not allow the import of an indian machine
You will usually see them advertised on tard me , cheap .... usually because they cant be registered ( Not sure about NZ ).....
Stephen
My dad bought an Indian market Royal Enfield "Thunderbird" a couple of years ago- and basically discovered that he'd have to have have most of the parts checked for UK "compliance" to be able to register and ride it in the UK. I only ever saw piccies of it via a Google search when he told me of his acquisition, and it was ugly! The more classic styled ones have more than certain appeal though :yes:

[Banditbandit]

Naaa .. I'd never buy one. Sure I rode things like this way back .. and I appreciate seeing the classics still on the road ...

But bikes have improved .. "Improved" that's the point ... why go back to something old and clunky? Would you all go back to using a 1990s computer?

If that's your style, go for it ... it's not mine ...

[Spearfish]

I don't get it, the whole Enfield Bullet thing, to be honest.

Do people think they're buying a classic bike when they get one? 'Cause they're not, they're buying a new bike built in the same antiquated style as the originals. If you find an original 50's (or whenever they were new) example, you have a classic and I'd happily own one.

And people give Harley-Davidson riders shit for subscribing to old school technologies, the Indian Enfields are 100 times worse.

"Bah! Humbug!"<_<

[Spearfish]

God forbid people start buying em in numbers,whats Joe blimp suit going to do when wobbling through some tasty twistys on his GSXR totally devoid of ability but looking good some prick with a pudding bowl and goggles thumps past under brakes and disappears off into the sunset.

Nothing like a mass ride out, I'm sure someone will have a trailer.

[The Pastor]

Had quite a lot to do with them as have said

There is a group of us , who helped win the Ama no1 plate with a guy called Dan Holmes , ( yes but not the same )

you can reliably get from memory 30 bhp and about the same torques Dan got 40 bhp which is about the design limit no matter what some say

If you want a road bike that is hassle free then the Electra is the way to go , as is the new C5

the old bullets are not a copy ,they are the real deal , made on the tooling that Enfield sent over to them , ( just that they are not made in England rather than an outpost of england

Enfield went bust , but someone forgot to tell the Indians..
then the eicher group took over

retooled the place , huge investment and are actually Royal enfield , as from memory they own the trade mark

Now the originally Made in England enfield are made of better stuff , the casting is better and the materials all round are better ( than the newer 500 bullets 1990 s )

But I race them in the vintage class here and the major components seem to handle things well

I bought a whole lot of stuff from a NZ fella who used to race em back in the day in CHCH ( thats the last time I saw that enfield race ) it was mid field towards the front

he preferred the English made components saying that the Indian stuff was too soft

Over all though , if you want a 50 mph machine that is reliable and Fing cheap to run buy a second hand Enfield 350 ....

Going up hills fully loaded with camping gear and two up is a chore ...but as a work a day hack

solid as a rock

Hitchcock in England , sell English made spare parts and the list is endless,,,if you have the money you can built a 600cc monster with a big head ,,,,,,, even ridged conversion frames are available quite cheap .....

Stephen

so how much hp do u have from ur one

[Brian d marge]

so how much hp do u have from ur one

Around 30 , but Mine is for MX so small carb and all about low rpm ( 3k ) torques

In its curent form , Carrillo rod, Hitchcock 8.5 piston in a shortened alloy barrel 9:1 ish
32mm ported twin plugged head, re-timed standard cams as the numbers are quite good on the stock ones

Kibble white , valves , valve springs and keepers

lightened rockers and modded push-rods

Mistakes, 32 mm ports and large valves I ordered but it came back wrong ,,, never mind
High comp piston and surface area ( working on that now )

I think the next reincarnation will be something like 450 with 8:1 and highly modded squish using a 350 head on a 525 shortened alloy barrel

but first things first , and more important mods first , such as the front fork, needs to be redesigned ,

How other people find the time is beyond me ( not one word of spending time on KB if you don't mind )

Stephen

[blacksheep500]

:yes: 1st post , yeah id own one , i ride a 1955 500 twin , 30hp , doesnt like hills or a head wind but has been the most fun bike to ride . I think if it had another 5 hp it would be perfect .

[avgas]

Well actually I'd be tempted -
RE (http://www.visordown.com/snippets/dodging-a-bullet/17424.html)

After all you'd be using all of it's potential just about every time you rode it.
Looks like it has better assembly than Harley and Suzuki so why not.

[Ocean1]

:yes: 1st post

Giday.


I think if it had another 5 hp it would be perfect .

And that's been true of damned near every bike I've owned.