DYNASTY - Cycle Worlds article of the new C5 in March issue

[UK-Classics]

deejay - You have hit the nail on the head & I agree totally with your comments 

I would be interested t know if WS had been consulted about the lack of c5 kicker or if all the decisions were made in India!.

I wish all the new models well & hope the dealers sell plenty (I think they will). 

[UK-Classics]

Thanks for the advice guys - It’s a 2001 790cc parallel twin, mpg is not too bad on these bikes, around 50 for steady riding along with more than twice the horse than a C5. Anyway - still really want a RE but probably wont lose too much on this if I sell it on again in 6 months or so!

I have a 2001 Bonnie - no problems, I get about 50 MPG.  Good performance and handling (but not in the sport-bike sense).  Easy to drive - low seat height and usable power.   Planning on buying a new RE to "keep it company."

Enjoy your new bike!   

Thanks WKinNJ, not after sports bike so sould be fine - it will be a stop gap before I get a RE 

[Kevin Mahoney]

All of the importers were consulted about the design of both the E-5 and the C-5 over a period of three years. I am guessing that no motorcycle manufacturer has ever relied so heavily on importer input. They also spent quite a bit of time showing preliminary designs to dealers here and in Europe. (Under threat of death if they revealed anything, I think Vince was one of these).
We were all a bit surprised when they actually implemented most of the changes we requested. To be sure there is not universal agreement from importers, but when the final product was shown to us, the room went silent as we were all shocked at how well they had done.
  Vince is right about the kick starter. When I first opened CMW we only had Kick Start bikes. Sales resistance was very high. I could teach a 90 lb woman to kick start one in 2 minutes (and often did), but it was a huge problem. When we finally talked them into an ES I was nervous because many Old school guys predicted our demise. As you know sales went way up and even the Old School guys bought. Vince is also right that very few people (including dealers) have any idea of how to kickstart a big single and it appears very intimidating.
  When they built the UCE the original engine is the one you will see in the G-5. It has a KS. When the design of the C-5 came out, while it is the same engine the cases etc are quite different and much more stylized. The design team decided that the KS detracted from the look and the mechanical guys wanted it gone to show how much confidence they had in the new ES system. Right wrong or indifferent this is the unvarnished history of how we got here. We understand that some of you are hung up on the KS and understand why so I guess time will tell.

[Kevin Mahoney]

One serious omission about this whole thing is that our own Vince set up the bike that Peter Egan wrote about in his story about the Military bike. We picked Vince to do this even though he was 2,000 miles away for a reason and our confidence was rewarded.

[ace.cafe]

Well, as king of the Luddites, I also would have preferred a kicker on the C5.
I like the old-time styling of the C5, and I like how they styled the side cover smoother and rounder on the C5, than they did on the G5 with the kicker.
I like it in many ways, but still wish it had that nice smooth round engine cover along with the kicker.

I also hope they sell well, and that RE and CMW are successful with it. And I do hope that it spawns more products for us, for both the older bikes and the newer ones.
Maybe someday there'll even be a resurrected "retro Interceptor 750 twin"(Gasp!)

I've been noticing lately how much my ways of thinking are askew of alot of current thought patterns in the world today, in many areas.
Perhaps I'm just getting old.
But, ya know what?
I like the old things, for what they are/were. They just have a certain "something"..

[prof_stack]

One serious omission about this whole thing is that our own Vince set up the bike that Peter Egan wrote about in his story about the Military bike. We picked Vince to do this even though he was 2,000 miles away for a reason and our confidence was rewarded.

Of course VInce did it, he's the (RE) MAN!

Speaking of kick/electric starters, when I demo'd the Electra last summer I couldn't get it started via kick but did get a sore right leg.  I used to own an SR500, kickstart only, but the RE was a different (and tighter as new) beast. 

When I was done (and sadly declined to purchase), Vince turned the ignition key and used the ... ... ... electric start. 

Ace, I hear you on getting older and wanting the old ways to be available.  But I'm getting older too and agree with RE that electric start will open up the market for them. 

Besides, the G5 looks great (I prefer it to the C5, at least on computer screen viewing) and has kickstart.

[UK-Classics]

Kevin - I appreciate your reply & it's great to hear how much you guys contributed during the design process - the C5 is without doubt a beautiful looking bike & I'm sure with all the development work that's gone into it, it will have increased reliability & bring a new breed of people over to RE.

I too am a bit of a 'luddite' when it comes to things like this. I'll await the release of C5 in UK (hopefully next month ) - I can then judge the C5 alongside the G5 & hopefully take a test ride - I think to take a test ride of the two bikes (certainly over in UK) I'd have to take a visit to WS - don't expect the local dealer will have both bikes as demos.

I think within the Uk the C5 is approx 20% more than the G5 - I like the look of both but the C5 just does it for me

[Kruiser]

All of the importers were consulted about the design of both the E-5 and the C-5 over a period of three years. I am guessing that no motorcycle manufacturer has ever relied so heavily on importer input. They also spent quite a bit of time showing preliminary designs to dealers here and in Europe. (Under threat of death if they revealed anything, I think Vince was one of these).
We were all a bit surprised when they actually implemented most of the changes we requested. To be sure there is not universal agreement from importers, but when the final product was shown to us, the room went silent as we were all shocked at how well they had done.
  Vince is right about the kick starter. When I first opened CMW we only had Kick Start bikes. Sales resistance was very high. I could teach a 90 lb woman to kick start one in 2 minutes (and often did), but it was a huge problem. When we finally talked them into an ES I was nervous because many Old school guys predicted our demise. As you know sales went way up and even the Old School guys bought. Vince is also right that very few people (including dealers) have any idea of how to kickstart a big single and it appears very intimidating.
  When they built the UCE the original engine is the one you will see in the G-5. It has a KS. When the design of the C-5 came out, while it is the same engine the cases etc are quite different and much more stylized. The design team decided that the KS detracted from the look and the mechanical guys wanted it gone to show how much confidence they had in the new ES system. Right wrong or indifferent this is the unvarnished history of how we got here. We understand that some of you are hung up on the KS and understand why so I guess time will tell.

Thanks for the explanation.

[ace.cafe]

I'm glad that I got my old Bullet, and a bunch of spare parts.

Maybe they should give a free coupon for Starbuck's Latte along with purchase of the new bike.
And a cup holder.
Maybe a  small vanity mirror for applying lipstick.

[Royal.Oilfield]

Maybe they should give a free coupon for Starbuck's Latte along with purchase of the new bike.
And a cup holder.
Maybe a  small vanity mirror for applying lipstick.

Ace, you're mean. 
Give 'em a chance.

Regards, Johann

[Kevin Mahoney]

I have to admit we have looked at putting cup holders in our catalog over the last couple of years, but haven't had the nerve.

[ace.cafe]

Maybe they should give a free coupon for Starbuck's Latte along with purchase of the new bike.
And a cup holder.
Maybe a  small vanity mirror for applying lipstick.

Ace, you're mean. 
Give 'em a chance.

Regards, Johann

I know.
I'm a meanie!

Just keepin' it real!

[Vince]

     I have sold more than a few cup holders over the years. One guy even complained that his latte cooled off too fast. I didn't know how to address his problem so he had his buddy wire in some kind of heating element. I got to re-wire the circuit through a fused circuit that turned off with the key so it wouldn't run down his battery when he stopped.
     Every so often i still bang my head against the wall over it.

[deejay]

I'm glad that I got my old Bullet, and a bunch of spare parts.

Maybe they should give a free coupon for Starbuck's Latte along with purchase of the new bike.
And a cup holder.
Maybe a  small vanity mirror for applying lipstick.

ahahaha

[Cabo Cruz]

                                                                      

       ace.cafe (a.k.a. Kick Start and Kid Start)