Just sayin' "Hey!"

[Grizz]

Hi, just poppin' in to say my name is Todd and I think I have a fever for the RE.  Or, I've just started a mid-life crisis.  Or both.  Anyway, I literally saw my first Enfield online this week.  Not sure what I was searching for, but an image of a Bullet came up and all of a sudden I flashed back to when I was a little kid watching Steve McQueen in The Great Escape and I was like, I WANT THAT!!  And it wasn't even the Battle Green version.  After I saw that one..FORGET IT!

Ok, I know, a Triumph isn't a RE, but you know what I'm talking about right?  Anyway, I've never had a motorcycle before but I decided I'm not getting any younger so what the heck, I'll take the Basic Riders Course this summer and see where it goes from there.  If I pass the course and I eventually get the funds saved up, my bike of choice is most definitely going to be an RE.

[Chuck D]

Hi, just poppin' in to say my name is Todd and I think I have a fever for the RE.  Or, I've just started a mid-life crisis.  Or both.  Anyway, I literally saw my first Enfield online this week.  Not sure what I was searching for, but an image of a Bullet came up and all of a sudden I flashed back to when I was a little kid watching Steve McQueen in The Great Escape and I was like, I WANT THAT!!  And it wasn't even the Battle Green version.  After I saw that one..FORGET IT!

Ok, I know, a Triumph isn't a RE, but you know what I'm talking about right?  Anyway, I've never had a motorcycle before but I decided I'm not getting any younger so what the heck, I'll take the Basic Riders Course this summer and see where it goes from there.  If I pass the course and I eventually get the funds saved up, my bike of choice is most definitely going to be an RE.

Good choice for a first bike.
RE's have a neutral riding position and a power delivery that won't overwhelm you or lose you your license.
Good luck and watch out for those Germans.
Chuck.

[AussieDave]

Get one! you'll love it!  good luck with the course.

[barenekd]

They are fantastic bikes. Totally underrated by the press. They just don't understand what it's all about. More smiles per mile than anythng else out there.
Bare

[AgentX]

I dunno, Bare, I've seen several reviews of Enfields which "get it."  I mean, no one hops on expecting them to keep up with a Yamaha R1.

Then again, if it's competing with the Triumph Bonnevilles (or the Guzzi V7 ) in a consumer's mind, he should have a clear picture of the performance differences he's facing in the neo-retro market.  I think the newer UCE/EFI Enfields are heavier on the "retro" and the others heavier on the "neo," but let's face it...neither is really Fonzie's bike, and if you're compromising the authenticity anyhow, some people would rather add more modern performance to the equation.

Still, most reviews I've seen give the Enfield high marks for fun while cruising secondary roads and freely admit that's the point...

Anyhow, Grizz, an Enfield is a great first bike, or a last bike, as long as you know what you're getting and that's what you want!  They're small, easy to handle, and won't scare you.  And the newer ones really don't need too much in the way of special care and feeding.  The fuel injection means you're not tinkering with a carb adjustment and behaves well at all altitudes...the hydraulic tappets mean you won't have to adjust your valves, etc. 

Still, you probably don't want to treat it badly on purpose, just in case...note that "break-in" on these bikes is far from the notional matter it can be with other modern vehicles.  Treat it right in the beginning and you'll have little trouble later one...unless you simply lost in a game of Chennai Roulette, which does happen.  Quality control is spotty.

[barenekd]

The point I tried to make is don't believe all the crap you hear from people who really have no experience with the bike! And that's where most of it comes from. Even a lot of the test riders still don't understand aht they are riding. In essence, this is a genuine antique and still rides and runs basically like one. If you ever owned an English bike, you'd really understand what I mean, but a lot of the current crop of riders don't even know what a BSA or Bultaco is!
 So they have trouble taking that leap of faith on what great bikes the English bikes were. That's waht some of us were raised on and still have very happy memories of those bikes. The Enfield brings it all back without the hassles of the old bikes. To me, the Enfields are still number one!
However not riding is a real bummer and I had to correct that.
Bare

[Grizz]

Yeah, I've been reading all I can online, and I admit I have seen some reviews that made me go, "uh oh!"  But, I've read a lot of really positive things, too.  Heck, there's a bunch of Youtube videos of what I think is a French riding club made up almost exclusively of Enfields.  Watching them tool around those country roads and in and out of forested areas really takes away any doubts I might have been having. 

And believe me, just because I love The Great Escape, don't think I'll be trying to replicate that jump at the end anytime soon!   

[barenekd]

But, then you may not have caught this part a couple of years ago. I traded in a Triumph Scrambler on the Enfield. Best deal I ever made!
Bare

[Arizoni]

Grizz
Your mentioning the French riding club motoring around causes me to think you might enjoy this link.

It was shot just a few weeks ago by a group of British riders on their journey into France.
Some of it is in French but the views while riding need no translation.

Hope you enjoy this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=KW5bzzJiZBU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=tFqcpbKduOY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQe9x00Iq2o&feature=player_embedded

[cochi]

Griz, I've had my Bullet since 2003. These bikes have a way of becoming part of you. I've  owned several different brands that were way faster and more advanced technically, but had very little or no soul. I too was smitten when I first saw a photo of a Bullet back in 2001. They are pieces of industrial art.  All of the mechanical parts are there for everyone to see and the proportions are perfect. The Bullets, old  and new, are some of the most handsome bikes ever designed. Also, as an aside, the folks on this forum are incredibly knowledgeable and helpful. cochi      

[Grizz]

love the vids!  very similar to the ones I was talking about.  @ cochi:  I'm discovering the treasure trove of goodness in some of these threads, to be sure!  And I agree about the industrial art comment.  One thing I've read a lot is people coming up to RE owners and asking what year it is because they think it's an restoration.  That says something about the basic body design, doesn't it?  "If it ain't broke don't fix it!"