Can the new UCE Royal Enfield Bullet 500 cruise at 65-70mph?

[NJ-Brett]

A few years ago I sold a 1969 Triumph Daytona that I put 50,000 miles on over 5 years.
That bike had some problems built in, but the really major problem was the vibration.
At low rpm's and lower speeds it was fine, but that was not where it made its power.
Things would crack (gas tank mounts, air filters, fenders, coil mounts, zener mount, parts would go missing, bulbs did not last long, mirror was useless.

A bike that really vibrates will never be trouble free.
I do not like the style (too old for me) but would love a 500 single, if it was smooth, or even semi smooth.
I have a buel blast, 500cc single and it also vibrates like a paint shaker.
Real nice sound and power delivery, but its got to be balanced if its going to last or be nice at speed.

As dull as the new Bonneville is, its a much better bike then the new Bullet is, and a low mile used one would be cheaper.
For a little bit more you can get a V7 classic, and have a REALLY cool bike...

[JerryH]

Extreme vibration can cause problems, but not like it used to. A motorcycle needs to vibrate some. That's part of the experience. Look at Harley. They vibrate like crazy, but still hold together. Nobody is likely to be afraid to take their new Harley on the freeway. You can take a brand new 883 Sportster (which costs very little more than the Enfield) on the freeway, open it up, and cruise all day long without worries. You might not be able to handle it, but the bike can. Harleys don't require any special maintenance, in fact they are one of the lowest maintenance bikes there is, with their hydraulic valves, spin on oil filter, and belt drive. And just like a used Bonneville, you can get a nice used Sportster for way less than a new Royal Enfield. The Enfield does have looks, I won't argue with that. But to me the looks alone are not worth $8000.

[wmax351]

Coming from the iron barrel, 4 speed enfield,(1999) it was pretty solid. Its an old bike. But they will run well. It was smooth too. My triumph had annoying vibration. The enfield doesn't. Even at higher speeds (55-65). Its a well balanced single, that turns nice and slow.

Honestly, I never had any troubles with it. Just not enough power or brakes for bay area freeways.

I'm not sure about the newer ones. But you have to keep in mind you are buying a real classic bike, not a "Modern Classic." It may be made now, but its 50 years old.

[NJ-Brett]

The newer ones have rubber mounted motors.
The older ones I had vibrated like crazy and would crack things and have things fall off.
I still liked them better as they were a lot lighter and made for normal size people.

The newer ones vibrate at idle, and its not bothersome, and at full speed, and that is bothersome.
At full throttle and higher rpm's they turn into what feels like the old solid mount bikes.

Originally Posted by JerryH

Extreme vibration can cause problems, but not like it used to. A motorcycle needs to vibrate some. That's part of the experience. Look at Harley. They vibrate like crazy, but still hold together. Nobody is likely to be afraid to take their new Harley on the freeway. You can take a brand new 883 Sportster (which costs very little more than the Enfield) on the freeway, open it up, and cruise all day long without worries. You might not be able to handle it, but the bike can. Harleys don't require any special maintenance, in fact they are one of the lowest maintenance bikes there is, with their hydraulic valves, spin on oil filter, and belt drive. And just like a used Bonneville, you can get a nice used Sportster for way less than a new Royal Enfield. The Enfield does have looks, I won't argue with that. But to me the looks alone are not worth $8000.

[NortwestRider]

I'm thinking about getting one next summer..


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[JerryH]

My local RE dealer has a new 2011 base model on sale for $5000. http://phoenix.craigslist.org/evl/mcd/3390170004.html

It got my attention so I checked it out. Turns out it was almost $7000 OTD. If the price had been reasonable, I might have actually bought it. But this is also a BMW/Vespa dealer, so I guess the additional dealer markup is just part of the deal for them. They are one of those "boutique" dealers who sell more clothes than anything else.

[NortwestRider]

I you have ever seen " One Crazy Ride " or " Riding Solo to the top of the world "you will never forget the sound of the Enfields chugging up the mountian !!.
I currently ride a 07 DL1000 that I have put 50,000 miles on.I don't really trust it,I had alot of electrical issue with it a few years back.I built a sidecar rig awhile back based on a 82 GS850,air cooled,carbs,steel frame and dead simple to maintain.I ride year around,200 miles a week and want a air cooled,SIMPLE motorcycle that when it needs repair I CAN DO IT !!.As I get older,going fast isn't as important what is,is going far and being able to repair my bike anywhere.I will be in the position to sell the V and get something else in about 6 months so the Enfield is on my list as is a air head BMW and a Kawasaki W800 etc.





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[JerryH]

That Suzuki is sweet, and I like the sidecar too. It is a good match, probably for a lot less than a Ural. GS850 Suzukis are among my favorite bikes, but you just can't get parts for them anymore. If you check places like bikebandit.com and cheapcycleparts.com you will find that almost everything has been discontinued. Back in '82, the Japanese were on top of their game, building great bikes for reasonable prices, bikes that people actually wanted. And Suzuki was one of the best, both big and small. Back then their were no crotch rockets and no Harley copies (unless you count the just released Yamaha Virago)

[NJ-Brett]

I like a simple and easy to work on/fix bike also, and do not need high power, so an air cooled single or twin turns me on.
My TU 250 fits the bill, but could use more power. It does fine except for hills and into head winds at higher speeds.
Not many bikes that fit the bill these days, light, mid displacement, air cooled single or twin.
Most are water cooled, heavy, valve adjustments are done with shims and the seats suck.

The TU250 was based on the old GN250, and all they need to do is remake the gn400 as a TU400 to have a very rugged reliable easy to service do anything bike.
Instead, they came out with a new water cooled 250 twin that is 75 pounds heavier then a gn400 was, with a nasty seat.

In 1969, Triumph could build a 500 twin using no plastic that was much lighter (75 pounds) then the new 400 pound 250 twin and it even had a great seat.

WTF.

[NortwestRider]

As I found out with my Vstrom,all bikes mo matter what they cost or how high tech they are,ALL breakdown.So it's of matter of "can you fix it!!".The high tech ones need high tech tools and know how,both of which I don't have!!.


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[hexnut]

I have been thinking about getting a Suzuki s40 650 single cylinder. I may go ride one next week. They seem to be fairly popular.

[NortwestRider]

If they made a S40 that looked looked like a Enfield I would buy one !!.


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[JerryH]

The S40 is a great bike, with one major design problem that Suzuki has been aware of since the very beginning, but never fixed it. I don't know why, it would be such an easy thing to fix. It is the cam chain tensioner. There is a do it yourself fix for it that seems to work very well, but if you ignore it, the cam chain will eventually break or jump teeth.

The S40/LS650/Savage was created on a small budget back in the mid '80s as a mid displacement cruiser that could be sold cheap. When the cruiser craze hit in the mid '90s, Suzuki brought it back, with an additional gear, but still using the defective cam chain tensioner. It's just as easy to fix as the KLR650 balancer chain tensioner, or doohickey, which Kawasaki has also ignored for decades.

But even with that small problem, the S40 has proven to be WAY more durable than any Royal Enfield. You can cruise all day, day after day, at highway speeds, without any fear of it breaking down. Even with the RE complete redesign, they still can't seem to get it right. They do seem to be fairly reliable if you do not go over 50 mph, but my Vino and Zuma 125s will do that.

[NJ-Brett]

Love the s40 engine, I heard one going down the road one day and it sounded great.
If not for the forward controls, it might be a great bike.
Ryca makes kits to change the bike into different things.

They could put a dr650 engine in anything and it would be great, a nice cool running big thumper that is smooth, and with a pumper carb, a LOT of fun!

[Ginger Beard]

Originally Posted by NortwestRider

If they made a S40 that looked looked like a Enfield I would buy one !!.


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They made one that has a destroked 400cc version of the s40's 650 single. It was so retro it even had drum brakes f/r. We never saw it state side.

ST400 Tempter