Yes, I know it doesn't really belong here but......

It's drop dead gorgeous and reminds me of home......never owned one - best I got was the 350 Matchless.....but I might just get one of these from the Enfield India Co....

 

That is a great lookin' bike. Is the rear shock installed upside down? Normally see them other end up.

 

Yeah, I gotta agree....would look a whole heap better the other way up!!!

 

::: The Literature that comes with WORKS Shocks and others having External Reservoirs, ... say that Installing the Shock Upside-down can damage the Shock.

I think that there's a warning on the Shock.
There's a Directional Arrow, ... too.

 

Hmmm - - how much for just the shocks?? Made in India - can't be too much. . .

 

A quick note about the Indian Enfields:

They're not at all technologically advanced from the 1950's design they started with, except for bolt-on items like shocks, etc., that can be sourced elsewhere in the Pacific Rim.

Have you ever looked closely at brass lamps, ashtrays, or other cast-metal items made in India? If so, you'll have noticed the uneveness of the castings, the crude machine work, etc., that goes into that stuff.

The Indian Enfields look GREAT from 6~10 feet away. However, get up close and start really looking, and you can see the "India influence" in the manufacturing and QC processes. It's pretty easy to tell it wasn't "Made in England" like the original. Look close enough, and the fact that they're a cheap copy is quickly revealed.

The other big caveat is the almost complete lack of technological evolution. There was a reason that the original Royal Enfield died off soon after WW2 while Norton, Triumph and BSA soldiered on for so many more years. They simply weren't all that well engineered or constructed to begin with. They were known for weak bottom ends and serious reliability issues as a result. None of that has really been corrected; the current bikes are really 1953 Enfields with a bit of a "face lift." They're nothing more than a cheap copy of a product that wasn't exactly stellar to begin with.

They're like elephants: Interesting to look at, but not something you'd necessarily want to own.

 

they still leak oil like the originals but the build quality is still better than Harleys

 

now THAT'S a selling point...

 

It is? :lol:

Although, to be fair, this Enfield is a bit of a departure from the standard stuff....new frame / unit construction / kick + electric start.....agree with you Fitz about the quality of the components - I never had any problems with stripped threads etc on my Brit bikes - but it was a continual "something every week" type of existence that only changed when I got a 69 or 70 CD175 Honda......

Dave

 

A Royal Enfield Dealership near me offers the 500cc Model for $6200.00

Then, ...

Lists the particulars:
Here are some basic specs;
- 500cc single cylinder engine with 27.5bhp @4,000rpm
- EFI and electronic ignition

- 80mpg fuel economy

- 80mph top speed
- 280mm front brake disc
- 152mm rear drum brake
- 412lb dry weight
- 31.75" seat height

Inspection. Payment Terms. Title. Financing. Shipping to Loower-48.
Canadian Exclusion.

What about --- >> WARRANTY ???

Separate Warranty Provider is OPTIONAL.
IF -- (My BIG IF) ... You go for the Warranty coverage.
You get a LIMITED WARRANTY.

Three (3) Months or Three Thousand (3,000) Miles.
Whichever occurs first.

 

and from the two stroke world....


.......after Yamaha discontinued the RD350...the toolings, licenses etc were bought by an Indian financial concern and made
India famous for their version of the RD350 and Fitz is quite correct with his comments. As related to the RD350, the original Japanese RD350 made nearly 40BHP.....the Indian versions (they had two) called a Rajdoot RD350 had less then 30 for the low output and a claimed 35-36 for the HIGH POWER edition.....reality however made the high power model producing around 26bhp and the low power around 20.......the problems weren't in the specs, it was in the execution of the specs....horrible build quality.

So yes, the picture looks great but I'd be wary of buying from only a picture.

jeff

 

This is from an owner on the Royal Enfield website's "Community Forum:"

"My 2009 AVL Military (classic frame) has terrible metallurgy, and everything else. Rusts everywhere, even with a cover and appropriate precautions. Things bend just from use (kickstart lever, fender stays [I haven't even hit anything and they bend cattywhompus on a whim], etc). The paint has baked white (again, even though I use a cover 99% of the time), all the chrome is chipping off (ALL OF IT, on EVERY bolt, even ones I haven't touched), the vinyl seat is falling apart (after 4,000 miles of use, WITH a cover), and I've had to open both switch assemblies on the handlebars, scrub all contacts clean, and refill with electric grease. The edges of the tank aren't welded properly and have split in one spot, one of the rear tank tabs snapped off and had to be welded back on, and I have rust bubbles coming from parts that aren't even scratched. Also, my front VIN plate rivets have rusted off and I had to re-rivet them. The exhaust pipe (painted black from the factory) has had all the paint just turn to dust, and the entire pipe is rusty.

I have never taken this bike on a salted (or otherwise winter-treated - it doesn't really snow here, just gets cold sometimes) road. I have never washed the bike and let it sit in the water. I have never let the bike sit in the rain and be allowed to rust; I always wipe it down afterwards, and give appropriate areas WD-40 or Ankor Wax treatment.

Also, the wiring harness caught fire and I had to re-wire the entire bike."

And this guy's speaking from experience not observation.

 

How's that old song go......

"She aint pretty she just looks that WAAaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyy"!!!!!!!!!!!
:twisted: :twisted: :twisted:

 

Fitz, I need a translation on this..............

 

Definately a sheep in wolf's clothing! But to be fair, Enfield (UK) has had a remarkable number of innovative ideas. Including a seperate neutral lever that you tapped to go into neutral from any gear (1947). An emergency starting position on the key that transferred you over to magneto ignition to get you home even if your battery was dead flat. And one of the first to have tele forks in 1945. Another quirky feature was that they featured an separate oil tank within the engine crankcases.