Royal Enfield motorbike - why would anyone buy one?

Wotcha

Bugger - just posted that link. That'll teach me to read all posts before
replying

Go for it. They ain't everyone's cup of tea, but if you like slow revving
singles . . . . .

 

It's like a Ural. A very great deal like a Ural. In fact, shorn of the
emblems...

Al Moore
DoD 734

 

I might get one "for the sprog when she gets her full license"...

 

Isn't there some difference in the engines? ISTR one has plain bearings
and one roller. Can't remember which way round tho'.

Regards, Ian

 

Dnepr's plain, Ural's roller.

 

As far as I can remember one is based on the 1930s BMW and the
other on the 1950s model, no idea which is which though.

Ken Young

 

The Ural was a '30s BMW design. The Dnepr, with its plain-bearing, bolt-up
big end, was designed in the '50s by Ural engineers, but manufactured in
Kiev. The plain-bearing big end was adopted by BMW in the late '60s.

 

i have been using a enfield to commute to work and back for the last 4
years,
basically without any problems.
So far it has been completely reliable, and brought me the 15 mls to work
and back every day.
that is all i ask .

in the 4 years it has never been polished ( would be a absolute waste of
time, chrome quality is beyond useless, i dont think they use salt on the
roads in india)
best part of owning the enfield so far has been the fact that i dont have to
spend time polishing the guzzi's and the ducati's
these are now only used in nice weather.

the enfield isnt even that slow, the falcone is a lot slower, and mine has
the same chrome quality....
brakes on the enfield are probably correct for the period, completely
useless, just as the falcone brakes.
at least these bikes are slow, so hardly need any brakes,
cheers,
hubert

 

Wotcha.

I'd agree there. Ah - are we talking 'original' Falcone or Nuovo Falcone ?
Compared to my Nuovo Falcone, the Bullet is a sports bike. It revs quicker
and the gearbox is certainly an improvement.

My 1991 Bullet has a front disc brake - which works a damn sight better than
the twin leading shoe item normally fitted.
I can't fault the brakes on the N. Falcone - twin leading shoe which works
remarkably well.

True - both of 'em top out at around 85 mph, or thereabouts. Still, if I
wanted to go fast, I wouldn't have bought these bikes

 

Yes, they do. but a Japanese four-stroke of similar performance (which
means a 125) will do 90-100mpg.

 

It is.

<Thinks>

No, it isn't.

<Thinks again>

Yes, it is better. Or at least not as bad.

<Thinks>

No, belay that: it's fucking awful.

Oh God.

 

I had one. not for long, I may say.

 

Seemed to be the case in Delhi, but up in Ladakh, it was almost all Enfields
and I didn't see any broken down at side of road at any point.

 

Please don't resurrect almost dead threads for something so prosaic as
an actual first-hand observation. Sheesh.

 

The Yamaha Virago XV250 gets 75-85 MPG with its 4-stroke 250cc engine (at
least, my '95 does). Quite a surprising machine, overall: looks,
performance, economy, and a comfortable ride. Two-up kinda sucks, though.

doc

 

According to this month's issue of Rider magazine, the new Enfield
Bullet with the new "lean burn" engine (imagine that, innovation from
Enfield!) now gets about 90mpg in normal use. Pretty damn good, if
representative!

 

I'd expect nothing less from a lawnmower.

 

No, it's not pretty damn good, because it still has the performance of a
decent 125. Ride a modern Jap 600 at 50-55mph, and you'll get amazing
fuel consumption too.

This is not hard to understand.

 

ISTR I got 24 km/l in Norway on Black Kat (1990 GSXF600) due to
a combination of 80 km/h limits, relatively heavy (but moving) traffic,
cool weather and scotch mist on two-lane roads with little passing potential.
That's around 68 mpg.

In general, it's the acceleration that kills you, burning petrol
in order to abrade your brake pads away.

--
Ivan Reid, Electronic & Computer Engineering, ___ CMS Collaboration,
Brunel University. Ivan.Reid@[brunel.ac.uk|cern.ch] Room 40-1-B12, CERN
GSX600F, RG250WD "You Porsche. Me pass!" DoD #484 JKLO#003, 005
WP7# 3000 LC Unit #2368 (tinlc) UKMC#00009 BOTAFOT#16 UKRMMA#7 (Hon)
KotPT -- "for stupidity above and beyond the call of duty".

 

Why, I had no idea! How incredibalt versatile. Someone should notigy
Ron Popeil....