Yup, another newbie here

[Cyclepath]

hi all, well i don't have a RE yet but sure am interested in one. i rode nothing but british bikes back in "the day" hey... wait a minute, this is the day   anyway i spent many years as a triumph, bsa mechanic and am again wanting something to tinker on.  my v-strom and my wing are way to reliable.    as a newbie  i have some questions that i can't seem to find the answers to while i was lurking.  so here goes......
#1  i have seen reference to a bullet 65.  what is the bullet 65?  what does 65 refer to?
#2 i have sent for all the info on the various bikes from RE but have not received it yet.
in looking at the pics there seems to be a difference in the cylinder heads between the classic and the electra. the lean burn seems to look like a taller head. so did this require a different frame?
#3 if the lean burn uses a different frame is one better then the other or handle differently ?
#4 the electra has gas shocks. what about the forks. are they different in any way?
#5 will the saddle bag mounts for the classic, like on the military model work on the electra.
#6 will the crash bars on the military model work on the electra?
#7 what year did the electra come out.
as you can prolly see i am trying to decide on a classic or the electra.
i like the looks of the classic better then the electra but i like the idea of the lean burn eng. and the cd ignition along with the better suspension in the rear and the disc brake up front but that disc does look out of place on a retro style bike.
well, that's enough of a long winded post for my first one.
hope you all can answer my questions.
thanks in advance,   cyclepath

[prof_stack]

Welcome Cyclepath!

If you immerse yourself in this site as well as other sites, all your questions will be answered.  I've got a few answers for you:

#1 - The 65 is a variant on the Bullet, styled to look like a 60's bike.  The Electra is styled to look like at 70's bike.  The Classic like a 50's bike.  There's probably more detail in there that I've left off, but the others on this site will thump along pretty soon.
#4 - Forks are not gas
#7 - The Electra came out in 2006 here in the USA

I'm going to wait on the 2008 models and will likely be buying one of the first to hit the NW area.

[Cyclepath]

hi prof-  thanks for the reply and the help so far.    yes i know the forks are not gas but was wondering if they made any changes from the classic model like more travel or better damping, etc:

talk to ya soon,  cyclepath

Welcome Cyclepath!

#4 - Forks are not gas


I'm going to wait on the 2008 models and will likely be buying one of the first to hit the NW area.

[Thumper]

hi all, well i don't have a RE yet but sure am interested in one. i rode nothing but british bikes back in "the day" hey... wait a minute, this is the day   anyway i spent many years as a triumph, bsa mechanic and am again wanting something to tinker on.  my v-strom and my wing are way to reliable.    as a newbie  i have some questions that i can't seem to find the answers to while i was lurking.  so here goes......
#1  i have seen reference to a bullet 65.  what is the bullet 65?  what does 65 refer to?
#2 i have sent for all the info on the various bikes from RE but have not received it yet.
in looking at the pics there seems to be a difference in the cylinder heads between the classic and the electra. the lean burn seems to look like a taller head. so did this require a different frame?
#3 if the lean burn uses a different frame is one better then the other or handle differently ?
#4 the electra has gas shocks. what about the forks. are they different in any way?
#5 will the saddle bag mounts for the classic, like on the military model work on the electra.
#6 will the crash bars on the military model work on the electra?
#7 what year did the electra come out.
as you can prolly see i am trying to decide on a classic or the electra.
i like the looks of the classic better then the electra but i like the idea of the lean burn eng. and the cd ignition along with the better suspension in the rear and the disc brake up front but that disc does look out of place on a retro style bike.
well, that's enough of a long winded post for my first one.
hope you all can answer my questions.
thanks in advance,   cyclepath

Here are some documented differences:

http://www.enfieldmotorcycles.com/forum/index.php/topic,47.msg151.html#msg151

The forks on the Electra are modified externally for the front disc brake. I'm not aware of any internal mods. The frame is modified to accomodate the different body panels on the sides and the rear fender. Carefully compare the pictures of the Electra with the Classics and you'll see the differences in body panel styles (the Electra is advertised as having that "Classic 70's Style"). I do not think the basic geometry has been altered - but I might be wrong.

Most Classic accessories that mount to the frame will not fit the Electra X. You can distinguish them in CMW's online store when you have to specify which model you're ordering for.

Though similar in appearance and function, the AVL LB engine is a completely new design.

Matt

[Kevin Mahoney]

The frames are similar but not interchangeable. The suspension is similar although the Electra has the high end "gas shocks". The rear sub-frame is different because the rear fenders mount differently. The gear box and rear brakes are the same. The Electra has an electronic ignition, CV carb, Alloy cylinder and a host of other new features. It sports 1hp more so the power is about the same. The front brakes on the Electra are disks as has been pointed out here previously.

[justin_o_guy]

Is there no liner in the Electra? I mean, when you say "alloy cylinder" do you mean the rings are running on something besides cast iron or a steel liner? You may ote I am not an experienced "deep internal engine" mechanic. Maybe rings running on alloy is common, I dunno. What IS aloy? Is it aluminum or something else? I am trying to decide which engine I want, to, & as much as I want the speed of the Electra & want the MPG of it, too, I would trade both for the peace of mind of knowing the top end was gonna last.

[Cyclepath]

hey thanks for all the good information.  keep it coming, keep it coming.....

justin..... that's a very good question about the cylinder liner.  years ago kawasaki and i would imagine others used an aloy cylinder that was hard chrome plated.  it didn't work out so good. so i too would like to know if the new engine has liner or not.

royal enfield 1,  i see you are from minn.  i was born and raised in wi. and my beautiful and sensitive life partner is from duluth minn.  we still have a second home in duluth so we get back there several times a year.

cyclepath

[Cyclepath]

justin..... that's a very good question about the cylinder liner.  years ago kawasaki and i would imagine others used an aloy cylinder that was hard chrome plated.  it didn't work out so good. so i too would like to know if the new engine has a steel or cast iron  liner or not.

cyclepath

ROYAL ENFIELD 1.........  can you answer this question about the cylinder liner on the lean burn engine. ?

cyclepath

[dewjantim]

The frames are similar but not interchangeable. The suspension is similar although the Electra has the high end "gas shocks". The rear sub-frame is different because the rear fenders mount differently. The gear box and rear brakes are the same. The Electra has an electronic ignition, CV carb, Alloy cylinder and a host of other new features. It sports 1hp more so the power is about the same. The front brakes on the Electra are disks as has been pointed out here previously.

To all you out there making cafe racers, Kevin can get those "gas shocks" for you....Dew.

[luoma]

Although the factory advertises HP for the Electra as 23 (classic RE as 22), that is the HP at the crank prior to run-in. Rear wheel HP when new is 17, but when fully run in, increases to about 19 (according to a dyno run by CMW), once properly loosened up. So don't get too hung up on advertised power figures. The Electra has slightly more HP, a broader power band, and quite a bit more torque. The AVL emgine encorporates a lot of the same mods that RE owners have been doing to their iron head bikes for years, swo they have tried to stay true to the purists, at least as much as possible.