Car & Bike Advise on Royal Enfield

puneetritehere

Racer911
Adept
Hey guys.. I am planning to buy a new Royal Enfield Classic 350 and plans are to book within this week.. but just before i take the next step, i wanted to know the experiences of people who already have the bike.... what are the major issues in the bike??/ even though the dealer says theres really no maintenance in the new enfields now, i find it hard to believe.. i still think there are going to be issues with the bike!!! Please enlighten on this..

I am still planning for this bike even after a lot of skepticism, because i have been riding my pulsar for about 9 years now and want a different kind of biking experience.. i am not up for the same old same old boring models available in the market in the 150 and 220 cc segment.. plus the kind of riding these bikes offer...

the only options that are left even after going round and round again and again just comes to pulsars and the yamahas. .. the duke is there, but still with all the same kind of riding..

What the enfields offer is an entirely different kind of riding experience and satisfaction.. Hence, I am buying it.. but i wanna know all the minuses and pluses and want to know the experiences of people who already own the bike.. whether 350 or 500.. so that i can be more mentally prepared for whatevers coming.... if any, what are the regular issues in the bike.. what kind of regular attention does it demand.. etc etc.. whatever you people think you'd like anyone to know before buying Royal Enfields..

Thanks...
 
Ok so a new thumper is gonna join a family and he needs some idea about his future stead
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..

Yes the dealer is right .. the newer enfields demands less maintenance than the oldies .. lets start with pros :

1. u will be blown away by the riding experience. The bike is stable and sticks to the road and offers far better stability than any other jap bike.

2. u can easily cruise at 80 - 90 kmph on highways without giving rest to ur bike ( though ur bums may demand so
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) .. hanks to ample torque.

3. if you are gonna ride mostly in city prefer 350 as u wont be able to tap full potential of 500 there .. this will also help u in getting better mileage . the newer babies have aluminium cast engine which are more efficient. u will get ~ 40 kmpl which is grt considering it is a 350 cc mill.

4. For road trips its the best bike .. u just have to mod ur seats according to ur preference and u wont stp for 500 kms straight
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Last and not the least no one can explain to the experience of riding a bull .. u gotta experience it urself
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Cons : ( plz gimme sm tym to think
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)

1. Service cost is bit higher as she gulps down ~3l of engine oil. But the service intervals are longer so it wont be much of a issue.

2. I have CL500 and the exhaust is bit long so it touches the potholes smtyms
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3. Last, be prepared to have argument with ur GF/wife on sundays as on tht day u will be willing to shine and polish ur baby but ur partner wud be expecting an outing
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( i knw it's stupid bt tht happens with me )

Anything specific plz ask.. some noobs like me and veterans here will surely help u.
 
OT means Off Topic because the question is not really in context to the topic of this thread..

#[member='aquaticbullet'] . yeah i do have some confusions.. the thing is, after a lot of online reading about the bullets, i observed that many people say that the bullet starts vibrating like after 80 to 90 while some people very strongly say that it just keeps getting smoother and smoother as the speed goes up.. the thump of the engine starts blending in the smooth motion and bullet keeps gliding with ample torque at low rpms... while some people literally curse about the high engine vibrations after 80 to 90..

about the comfort of the seating position, i dont know about long periods because i only test rode for about 5 min.. for that time, i personally found the seat quite comfortable.. many people online have said that the seat is uncomfortable for long journeys and starts giving backaches while some say the seat is so comfortable and the seating position so good that one can go for hours without feeling tired.. whats your take on this???

second, you've said that the service intervals are longer.. but at the dealership, i was told that after the first service at 500 kms, an average time period between services will be about 2 to 3 months.. thats quite frequent compared to the general commuter bikes in the market which only need to be serviced at an interval of 4 to 6 months without any problems... please elaborate on this...
 
Frankly speaking, i don't advice people to go for bullets anymore as the models available today, especially the Classic series are far from what bullets used to be. I would rather advice find a used but good condition bullet from the 90's if you want to enjoy the real thumper magic.
 
OT means Off Topic because the question is not really in context to the topic of this thread..

#[member='aquaticbullet'] . yeah i do have some confusions.. the thing is, after a lot of online reading about the bullets, i observed that many people say that the bullet starts vibrating like after 80 to 90 while some people very strongly say that it just keeps getting smoother and smoother as the speed goes up.. the thump of the engine starts blending in the smooth motion and bullet keeps gliding with ample torque at low rpms... while some people literally curse about the high engine vibrations after 80 to 90..

about the comfort of the seating position, i dont know about long periods because i only test rode for about 5 min.. for that time, i personally found the seat quite comfortable.. many people online have said that the seat is uncomfortable for long journeys and starts giving backaches while some say the seat is so comfortable and the seating position so good that one can go for hours without feeling tired.. whats your take on this???

second, you've said that the service intervals are longer.. but at the dealership, i was told that after the first service at 500 kms, an average time period between services will be about 2 to 3 months.. thats quite frequent compared to the general commuter bikes in the market which only need to be serviced at an interval of 4 to 6 months without any problems... please elaborate on this...

Ok ..

1. see each person has different perspective related to seat comfo. It depends on the person's built and his/her riding posture. If u found the seat comfortable tht's gud fr u.
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2. about vibration .. each bike has a resonant frequency in a certain speed range. tht's called resonance frequency and the bike is bound to vibrate a LITTLE due to the dynamics of physics. So dont worry about tht. With the time the engine wil breathe easy and this wont be a prblm fr u. ( i have taken my bike til 133 + and felt vibration only at 120 .. i have 500 ) .. If u run in ur bull properly then u are gud to go.

3. Servicing : mate each bike has a run in period .. the first service after 500 kms is crucial because when the new engine runs certain parts gets smoothen out and a small amount of metal enters into the oil. hence the servicing, so tht metal does not harm the engine. after tht u have to go fr service after every 3k - 4k kms .. Plz do not relate service to time frame. i had stunner , unicorn and apache among my grp and we used to ride so much tht we sat with the mechanic after every 20 days
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So it all depends on hw much u clocked on ur odo.

Frankly speaking, i don't advice people to go for bullets anymore as the models available today, especially the Classic series are far from what bullets used to be. I would rather advice find a used but good condition bullet from the 90's if you want to enjoy the real thumper magic.

mate u r rite .. but in terms of performance and maintainability i wud suggest classics. One who is a purist shud go ahead with oldies.

Also plz consider tht #[member='puneetritehere'] will be owning a bull fr the first time and the oiling issues plus other standard tantrums which old bulls throw may not be appreciated by him.
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but i would love to own one oldie as they say "A bull does not leaks oil, it marks it's territory" ..
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#[member='aquaticbullet'] - Yeah i guess you are right. Since he is new to bullet, the classic would make sense. I was handed down my dad's 1997 Bullet 350 std. in 2006. Till then it had only clocked 6000kms. Frankly speaking, i didn't face any oil leaking issues or such. Infact in the 14+ years that we have owned this bike, i am yet to have any trouble with the engine. The reason being regular maintenance every 3-4 months irrespective of how many kms it has done. Every regular maintenance costs me just 800-1k including oil change. I guess, old bullets are also cheaper to maintain.

The only trouble we faced was battery issues. The battery didn't get charged properly and many times we were seen on the road trying to kick the bike alive with no result whatsoever. Once the problem was diagnosed, never faced any major issues, apart from the famous carburetor issue when the accelerator wire gets stuck in the carburetor if it is wrung too hard, especially when the bike is not on.

But yeah, every bike is not the same and every bullet came with it's distinct set of troubles. One of the most important things is finding a good mechanic. My mechanic loves my bullet even more than i do, since we had taken him along when we were going to buy the bike.I still remember he had started all the bikes they had on show that day and then stood listening for a minute or so and then selected the bike we bought, just by listening to the bike. He never took them out for a ride. Then he got the petrol tank changed for that bike. He is so anal about keeping the bike original, he refuses to change any part of my bike until and unless it is absolutely important.

What more can i ask for?

#[member='puneetritehere'] - I never use my bike as a daily commuter, so i don't know how it fairs for that purpose, but i can tell you that you won't ever regret buying a bullet, because the experience that a bullet can provide is unique and that alone is a good enough reason to buy it. The problems that you are worried about are small niggles that are ironed out. And the more you ride the bullet, the more refined it's engine becomes. I can't say about the new gen engines, but the one i am driving can very well do over 2 lakh kms and still keep going strong, provided it is taken care of regularly.
 
#[member='aquaticbullet'] - Yeah i guess you are right. Since he is new to bullet, the classic would make sense. I was handed down my dad's 1997 Bullet 350 std. in 2006. Till then it had only clocked 6000kms. Frankly speaking, i didn't face any oil leaking issues or such. Infact in the 14+ years that we have owned this bike, i am yet to have any trouble with the engine. The reason being regular maintenance every 3-4 months irrespective of how many kms it has done. Every regular maintenance costs me just 800-1k including oil change. I guess, old bullets are also cheaper to maintain.

But yeah, every bike is not the same and every bullet came with it's distinct set of troubles. One of the most important things is finding a good mechanic. My mechanic loves my bullet even more than i do, since we had taken him along when we were going to buy the bike

Yeah tht's so true .. every bullet is unique ..

As for the mechanic do keep hold of him. it's very tuff to find guys like them .. u r blessed
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Do u mind telling me where u r from ??
 
Out of the box, the comfort rankings for bullets is TBird > Standard/Electra > Classics

This will not matter if you are using this as a commuter, same thing for the 500 - it makes no sense as a commuter unless you just want cc bragging rights over your friends
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A stock bullet 350 (any model) will be at peace at 80kph (vibes will be there but very managable), 90 is doable although your rear views cease to function, and beyond 100 is not possible to maintain unless you are on an adrenalin rush and have faith in god. With a 500 the speeds mentioned get bumped up by 15-20kph.

Maintainance of the engine itself is almost nil for the new UCE engines (provided you dont abuse it) you will still have the occasional leak, cable snap, but those are minor issues.

Make sure you get the bike with a proper brand battery and it is fully charged.

The new UCE engines are not as critically dependent on a good bullet mechanic, and if your authorised service center is competent, you will only need to go there.

Also as far as quality issues go, its a lottery, i have been lucky enough to have a bike that in 14k mostly touring kms has had only minor niggles that easily got ironed out.

Service intervals are relatively frequent from the time standpoint, but once into paid servicing territory, you can go by kms (service every 3k kms or so)
 
Go ahead with the RE dude, you'll love the riding experience.

I too have a Classic 350, which i took 3 months back. Already 3500+ kms done and I didn't find any single fault.
 
okay guys.. good news ................................for me... .
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just came back from the dealership and booked a classic 350... even took a couple of rounds on the 500.. the owner is quite friendly.. he himself advised us to get 350 for a first timer and then said that whenever we feel like riding the 500 we can always turn up at his showroom.. hes got the green one standing over there all the time..

kept the color choice open.. .so basically, when the bikes arrive we can choose whichever we want... the 500 was awesome ... literally awesome.. i know the 350 wont be quite close to it.. but still.. the one time experience too is exhilarating... the owner himself encourages us to race the bike to feel the potential...

hah... my older brother was a bit gentle with the bike.. so the owner tells me.. yaar ... tera bhai bike to kheechta nahi hai. he wont feel the difference this way.. then i went for a round, and i showed how its done. completely open throttled the bike ..literally had to cling tight to the handlebars... the whole body gets pushed backed... the engine firing just courses through the frame inside the body and felt like a fast heartbeat...

cheers to me.. now the dreaded waiting period.. the owner patted on our backs as if offering condolences and told us to be mentally prepared for the waiting of about 4 to 6 months.. meanwhile, if we want a taste of the bike once in a while, his test bikes are always open for us... especially the 500...

hurrah... thank you all for your feedback.. i'd still like to hear from all of you....whatever new things or developments that come up.. new opinions and point of views are still welcome...
 
okay guys.. good news ................................for me... .
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just came back from the dealership and booked a classic 350... even took a couple of rounds on the 500.. the owner is quite friendly.. he himself advised us to get 350 for a first timer and then said that whenever we feel like riding the 500 we can always turn up at his showroom.. hes got the green one standing over there all the time..

kept the color choice open.. .so basically, when the bikes arrive we can choose whichever we want... the 500 was awesome ... literally awesome.. i know the 350 wont be quite close to it.. but still.. the one time experience too is exhilarating... the owner himself encourages us to race the bike to feel the potential...

hah... my older brother was a bit gentle with the bike.. so the owner tells me.. yaar ... tera bhai bike to kheechta nahi hai. he wont feel the difference this way.. then i went for a round, and i showed how its done. completely open throttled the bike ..literally had to cling tight to the handlebars... the whole body gets pushed backed... the engine firing just courses through the frame inside the body and felt like a fast heartbeat...

cheers to me.. now the dreaded waiting period.. the owner patted on our backs as if offering condolences and told us to be mentally prepared for the waiting of about 4 to 6 months.. meanwhile, if we want a taste of the bike once in a while, his test bikes are always open for us... especially the 500...

hurrah... thank you all for your feedback.. i'd still like to hear from all of you....whatever new things or developments that come up.. new opinions and point of views are still welcome...

Congrats bro !! and welcome to the family
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..

Damages plz ??
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Congrats bro !! and welcome to the family
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..

Damages plz ??
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thanks very much.... wallet is lighter by Rs. 125500 + Accessories (Leg Guard) + 3K for the new exhaust

forgot to ask cost of accessories.. shouldnt be more than 1k.. so with the exhaust , the curved one with the better firing note, should come to about Rs. 129500 max...
 
One last piece of advice from me - do not get the leg guards that bend toward you - under normal circumstances they aren't a problem, but in a crash, there is a chance they will trap your legs. Also change the stock exhaust only after 2k kms - let the engine open up, the bike runs smoother.

Congrats btw
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Waiting is 4-5 months. Woooah. Also what is the difference in riding experience, 350cc vs. 500cc.

see i didnt get to test ride the classic 350.. i rode the classic 500 and thunderbird 350.. and there is a world of difference in the riding experience.. the thunderbird feels like a tamed cow when compared the angry bull that the classic 500 is..

theres also a lot of difference in the firing of the thunderbird and the classics as the thunderbird has a crappy exhaust.. plus, though the comfort on the thunderbird is more, it doesnt have the classy feel of the old riding positions as the classic offers...

the 350 feels slightly tamed overall..while the 500 is a monster ... just go and test ride it.. open the throttle up, and let the clutch go carefully at your convenience and see how the bike shoots forward.... 2 seconds later you wont even remember that you started from a complete standstill.. it feels as if you have been accelerating the bike for 10 to 15 seconds.. but it really is the sudden pick up that creates such a feel...
 
and this is why I just hate the classic series. I am sorry if I sound rude and it is good that you liked it, but ask a long time bullet owner and they will tell you that the real essence of driving a bullet is not by opening up the full throttle but to cruise at 40 in the top gear. The exhaust note at that speed in that gear is what the true Bullet experience was all about. I guess that now the enthusiast and the company's visions have changed paths. Congrats and enjoy because it will still be a Bullet and it will feel special everytime you ride it.

I on the other hand might have saved just about enough to buy a 1985 model that I had my eyes on for some time. Fortunately the guy is only asking 80k. I just have to get it checked by my mechanic first, just to ensure the engine has not been redone.
 
^^^^ thats nice..me being a first timer on enfields, wouldnt dare to venture with old bullets.. .second of all, if something suddenly goes wrong with it, i will have absolutely no idea what needs to be done... i have seen online videos in which people use a certain technique to get old bullets to start if they havent been started for a long time, starting in extremely cold weather, or starting if the engine just suddenly dies in the middle of the road.. i wouldnt know to do all of that... i think i am better off with the slightly newer version even though enfield enthusiasts were personally not pleased with this change...

i know being able to cruise at lower rpms and hearing that perfect metronome beat is why the enfield has so many passionate followers .. but then, its also a lot of fun when the throttle is opened up in the 500 and the whole engine firing is felt and it literallly feels as if the bike is very very angry for some reason... its awesome...
 
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