Dual seat for the C5

[Monty]

My wife and I ride together all the time.  We were looking at the C5 and I noticed that it only has a single seat.  Will it be offered with a dual seat and if not will the pillon seat be an improvement from the current pillons.  I would love to get a C5 but if the wife can not ride, then I'm sticking with my Electra..I look forward to hearing back


Monty

[doomed1]

a thousand times, YES a pillion will be offered, and from the looks of it, it's quite cushy.

[JamesC5]

The C5 at Torre has the pillion on, so it's out there. Haven't tried it though so no idea how comfy it is.

I think if I were to add one to mine it'd have to be a rear solo like the BMW R71.

[UK-Classics]

It's quite a neat design - mounts onto the tubular bracket hidden under the solo saddle

[talltenor]

Another total, absolute, 100% noob question... can one use both types of seats, switching back-and-forth as the occasion requires?

[JamesC5]

Do you mean adding and removing the rear pannier?

They're bolted on, but removable, just not a super quick clip on and off.

Some pannier pad seats clip onto pannier luggage racks but don't think there are any like that for the C5 (yet!)

J

[talltenor]

Hi, James:

Showing my noob-ness... yes, I meant switching back-and-forth between the solo (old-school bicycle style) seat and the two-person seat (pillion?) seat I've noticed in the photos.

I'd never heard of Royal Enfield before the NY Times article this past weekend, but I'm utterly enthralled at what I'm beginning to learn.

Bill

[talltenor]

See, I'm learning new terminology all the time.  Now I get the difference between "pannier" and "pillion."

[JamesC5]

np mate I'm only a month into owning the RE and it's my first "real" bike. Before that I was only interested in WWII bikes and never owned one personally.

All the other RE models usually have a 2-man seat, I'd imagine if they make them to fit the C5 frame then switching between the solo and the 2-man would be a bit of work, but the current pillion seat option is attached behind the solo, so basically two separate seats.

This guy has a solo seat with a pillion pad behind it, similar to what the C5 has at the moment (albeit the C5 looks a little tighter integrated)
http://www.motorbike-search-engine.co.uk/classic_bikes/royal-enfield-bullet-classic.jpg

J

[UK-Classics]

Pic of C5 with pillion

http://www.johnparkermotorcycles.co.uk/images/enfield/BULLET_CLASSIC_BLK_LEFT.jpg

[Rusty]

I'm undecided about the pillion pad. It ages the bike I think, the exposed rear mudguard is a key feature of the C5. A small grabrail too, we've got 27hp don't forget

If it's QD I'll buy one though.

[talltenor]

Part of the appeal for me is the retro solo seat.  But I could foresee times when I'd want to use the bike to run my kids into town or to school (assuming my wife would allow it), and thus being able to carry a second person would be key.

Rusty, what did you mean by, "it ages the bike?"  Sorry for another noob question...

[Rusty]

Rusty, what did you mean by, "it ages the bike?"  Sorry for another noob question...

I was hoping nobody would ask that but I'll give it a try (I'm not in marketing). IMO Enfield have hit as many home runs as you can do in a baseball game with the C5 styling, it's perfection. It's the sort of styling which will appeal to new owners, maybe folk who don't own a bike like yourself, very retro i.e. old but cool to be seen on.

The pillion pad makes it look older and removes some of the cool in my view. It becomes a bike to take a passenger, a practical bike, and the G5 caters for that market.

The C5 has a unique identity, underpinned by just one seat. That's why I bought one.

[talltenor]

OK, I get that.  I guess what I was originally getting at was that I really like the look of the C5, with its solo seat, but I could see occasions when I'd want or need to have the ability to take a passenger somewhere (kids to school or to dance class, for example).  I'd remove the pillion when I knew I wouldn't need it.

I guess I'm also coming to think that even with the pillion seat, I like the look of the C5 with it to the look of the G5 altogether.

[r80rt]

I'll never put a P pad on my C5,  the passenger pegs will come off as soon as I get it home, they would never be used. I like solo bikes.