Modern Vespa

At first I was just looking - internet dating is a funny thing…

…then we met for the first time. We flirted a bit, but nothing happened (honest!).

My head was spinning for a while - couldn't get her out of my head. That moment (in the showroom) was very special. The fact that I never felt guilty says it all really.

I've split up with my ET2. But she'll remain in the family, we've agreed to be friends (and we've promised to stay in touch, and maybe go for a ride occasionally).

My new partner is already on her way here from India. Makes sense for me to spend a few weeks alone to get my head straight.

I just hope you lot can forgive me too. 🏍️

Oh no! An Enfield. You have turned your whole life upside down. On the other hand - enjoy.

RE or BMW?
...Or...?

…or a KTM.

..or..

Yup yup - it's an Enfield.

Honestly, would have been happy with a GTS300 - last year I could have had one for not much more money than this RE, and I would have got one for sure. Now the prices are ridiculous. 😳

I wanted something relatively light (modern bikes just get heavier and heavier?!), and something relatively short. Just to wheel it in and out of my garage with ease. I've had bigger/heavier bikes before, and the size & weight put me off getting the bike out - so I ended up taking the car.

If I have a bike, I want to use it - hope this Hunter 350 will get me out of my car more than my last 100 bhp bike. The ET2 70 sure did, but didn't quite cut the mustard for those journeys further away. 👍

I do not buy outsourced crap branded from so-called reputable companies.

That said always buy "messagers" from the Asia for obvious reasons.

Huh? and Huh?

^^^I don't understand this either. What are you trying to say there, OBX?

I'm catching a note of disapproval.

But hey, go for it. Changing things up keeps life interesting.

Guess you hadn't considered polygamy?

I detect Stemwinder Syndrome.

You do you. More Royal Enfields, BMW G310s, etc for those of us who appreciate good PTWs.

Cough cough Harley too for a while there.

so no vehicles for you. Ever manufacturer has outsourced many/most parts of their bikes and cars.

and no phones or computers

and no microwaves

and no ...

I'm just curious what parts OBX thinks are outsourced on a Royal Enfield? I was under the impression it was an Indian company using all Indian parts - but wot do i no.

Brakes on the Enfields are ByBre made by Brembo. Gasps. They don't even make their own brakes?! 😂 Maybe the brakes are even imported into India? Oh, no.... 😀😂😀😂

Keihin (japan) EFI
Bosch ABS
...

I just received insurance card for my new KTM. It says Baja. Maybe my I should outsource all over myself. I think even the 'massager' fleshlight is oursouced.. no?

This is sure a strange discussion. I have no idea what a "massager fleshlight" would be, or how I could tell if it had been outsourced. (sounds a little kinkie to tell the truth)

Have you tried googling it yet?

Probably should use a private tab in his browser

😂😂

This is the confession thread. Make sure you talk to your priest about your browsing history.

Well - if I were, all sorts would be living in my garage too. I do have the keys & insurance to this (pic below) but it's a heavy beast and certainly not for commuting or trips to the shops. Makes a great leg warmer though! I won't be doing track days. Possibly the odd traffic light GP on my way to work - hope the clutch is up to it, and not outsourced.😝

Second weird ass thread this week. Must be something in the air.

PS: OP, You don't need our forgiveness, but you have my sympathy. Good luck. For how few REs are on the road in my city... I have had a surprising number of customers with broken ones.

Update: Just read the "so I haven't been here in a while" thread - makes this the THIRD weird ass thread this week

I've owned four Royal Enfields since 2016, and currently have two 650's, a '22 Interceptor and '23 Continental GT.

I started out with a new 2016 500, rode it a season, and although I enjoyed it, it's engine vibration at almost any speed above 60 mph was intrusive and limiting.

Last summer, I bought a 350 Classic in that gorgeous metallic bronze and chrome, just had to have it, based only on it's incredible retro appearance.

Sadly, and I mean sadly, it's 20.2 hp just wasn't enough snot for it to deal well with both our hilly geography, wide open spaces, often high winds AND it's 430 pound wet weight, so, in spite of it's visual appeal, I reluctantly ended up trading it back in with only 500 miles on it, for a second 650, the Continental GT.

On the other hand, our RE dealer sold me my new 350 for $4800 OTD, which is probably about half of what a new GTS300 would have set me back.

To be honest, my '20 GTS300, at 350 lbs(?) and about 24 hp, outperformed my RE 350 in its hill-climbing/headwind capability, and would hold a 65-70 mph highway cruise speed with less effort as well...but still, that beautiful little 350 is very simple and economical to maintain and own, and with just a bit of owner effort, probably never needs to visit a dealership's service department.

The RE's initial break-in service is scheduled at an unusually low 300 miles, and does require a valve clearance check at that time, so that's a bit of a negative right off the bat. Afterwards, it's service intervals are every 6000 miles, so the same as the Vespa 300 HPE.

If Royal Enfield would bring back a technically advanced and refined 500 single, with about 30-35 hp and the styling and colors of that Classic 350, I wouldn't even bother trying to resist it, I would have it.

The RE 350 'Reborn' has an impressively smooth and refined engine, and an equally great transmission, and although my experience with that model didn't work out in the end, most would likely be more than pleased with it, and it would make a very nice MC companion to a Vespa.

Royal Enfield has accomplished some amazing advancements in their bikes over the past five years, and there's a roaring aftermarket going for their new generation of machines. Parts, accessories, and performance mod stuff is everywhere across the internet. Hitchcock's, in the UK, is a terrific source for RE parts and accessories.

Ok, enough from me.

The roads have been really weird this week too. Solar flares? We're way past Halloween so not sure what the deal is at the moment. 🙈

PS The ET2 wouldn't have passed an inspection in any country or state on this planet - so if I managed to get it up to scratch, I should be OK fixing the RE. 🤞🤞🤞

(three crossed fingers for luck - or is that technically six?)

If I were after a bit of eye candy and fun, I'd certainly be looking at their 650.

Ps My first bike was 400cc, liquid cooled, had 60 bhp, had a low seat, weighed 160kg, and had the most wonderful suspension and brakes. Obesity isn't just becoming common in humans - bikes are getting obese too!

Well, that's exactly what I was afraid of.

Maybe. Who knows. You could be better than my local RE dealer, and Royal Enfield Canada for that matter I hope so for your sake.

Here's a little local story from a guy I know in my city:

Steve decided to try his luck on a Royal Enfield INT650. He knew they had a rep for poor reliability, but he's a Ducatista so I guess he figured "How bad could it be?"

Third day of ownership, only 75 miles on the odometer, bike fails while he's riding around in town. Time to learn some valuable lessons.

1) First lesson, obviously, if measured comparitively, Ducati reliability should be considered a thing of legend, based solely on the fact it didn't shit the bed with under 100 miles lol.

2) Next lesson, Royal Enfield advertises, in Canada, to Canadians, free roadside assistance. It's one of their selling features... Problem is that when Canadians, in Canada, call Royal Enfield's roadside assistance phone number, they actually have no idea, and no plan to help us. It's a bullshit selling feature they don't actually honor, so they basically told him he was on his own.

All signs of a quality company that takes themselves seriously so far right?

3) Next lesson, the issue that occurred caused a catastrophic failure that the Royal Enfield dealer and Royal Enfield Canada could not correct.

"Catastrophic, sounds a little dramatic..."

Correct. It was. They literally could not correct his motorcycle, and decided it was better to just write it off and issue him an entirely brand new INT650, and send this guy back to the ministry, back on the phone with his insurance, etc, then to keep trying to fix his 3 day old INT650

I just remembered the best part.

So first of all, after everything, they still never fully explained to Steve what happened. He doesn't know.

Again, tell me you're a serious, quality company, that takes yourself and your customers seriously

AAND, my favorite part, they asked him to sign a non disclosure agreement, and Steve politely told them where they could stick their agreement

You can read all about this experience directly from the source here: https://www.gtamotorcycle.com/xf/threads/new-royal-enfield-dealer-in-town.214675/page-2#post-2770523 (the post starting with "lol, what a joke" - totally appropriate)

PS: While they were still thinking they would fix the INT650, they told him not to worry about parts, they would just rip whatever engine internal parts were needed out of one of the other RE INT650s that were on hand.

Imagine thinking you're buying a brand new motorcycle, just to find out it had previously been taken apart, had some engine internals ripped out for some other guy, and then put back together weeks later when the parts arrived? Absolute joke...

Like I said at the start, you don't need anyone's forgiveness for liking what you like, but I wanted to share this because, while everyone has their opinions on whether or not these things are reliable or rolling turds, it offers a rare look at how RE operates as a company, which (as someone who's worked for a couple other motorcycle manufacturers), is pretty piss poor imo lol

Hope your RE serves you well, makes you happy, and keeps you safe. That's all that matters.

Hunter 350 - congrats, that's an interesting bike!

I saw most of the Royal Enfield model range in a bike show a while ago. The fit & finish in Hunter looked good. Way better than in a Himalayan that stood next to it.

I bought a RE Meteor last year, and was surprised of the quality of the bike, and value for money -RE have really turned things around!

Graham

Graham

Well, I've now owned four Royal Enfield bikes, and the only problem I've had with any of them was the factory over-greased electrical relays under the left sidecover. They caused the engine of my '22 Interceptor 650 to stall suddenly and with no warning. Once understood, 'the fix' was simply to remove the grease, which took about a half hour of my time, and zero cost.

Thanks everyone - looking forward to receiving it, riding it, and tinkering.

Ps Adri - RE decided to take over distribution in April this year (in the uk at least). Issues similar to what you described probably helped steer that decision (other items requiring solutions were probably on the list too). Over time, things will get smoother. 🤞

Interesting info. Hopefully that more direct attention helps.

Did you see that RE dealer in the UK that completely screwed over themissendenflyer on YouTube?

He authorized them to do a US equivalent of $5000 US worth of service for customizations and upgrades (on an INT650 - kind of defeats the purpose of the affordable DIY motorcycle, no?) ... and when it was time to pick up his bike he came to find an invoice for $11,000 USD equivalent.

It would be hilarious if it wasn't so sad.

In Toronto about a decade ago we had an RE dealer who... well... let's just say had a mixed reputation, and then very suddenly left the country and has not been seen on the continent since.

RE tends to be more laxed than any of the more reputable manufacturers of who they'll do business with, and what kind of investment they want from their dealers, and unfortunately that attracts a lot of shady characters...

If anyone wants advice on how to stay safe out there I wrote an article on this last year that covers the Automotive Repair Acts of various states in the USA, the Canadian Consumer Protection Act, but also the and the UK's Consumer Rights Act, and the UK's Consumer Credit Act.

https://youmotorcycle.com/dont-get-motorcycle-shop-scammed.html

There's also a video on that page that summarizes everything so you don't have to read it lol. If anyone wants to know how to protect themselves in the event of crooked dealers/auto repair shops/etc. it might be worth 10 minutes of your day.

As with most things, you don't hear much about the PTWs that work just fine. Why? Their owners are out riding them.

Okay...back to packing up the campsite and onwards to the Revzilla store in Philly. Baby needs a new pair of (moto) shoes!

Adri, JB thanks for your experiences and insights. I was looking into RE and knew a fellow rider that owned an older Bullet 500. It is a tinkerer's dream. Always something to adjust or tighten, but he loves it. And he is an older fella, and retired, like me, so It keeps him interested. His last bike was a Triumph Bonneville from the late sixties so he was used to wrenching. He was offered too much money for it and sold it during a weak moment years ago, but then picked up the Bullet. No counter balancing, so it is happiest at 50 mph. The newer ones are night and day difference in quality. The 350 classic is a looker, for sure. I had my eye on a Himalayan considering the punishment Itchy Boots put on her bike traveling thru India and South America, but ran into a rider trading his in. While he told me the bike was down on power, it was good for low down torque. There are also mods out there to wake the engine up some and still have a fairly reliable scoot. But he told me he was not impressed with the metal strength, especially the frame. Example: Installed pannier racks and stripped out tapped holes easily, so he had to back them up with welded on back nuts. Other areas would strip out as well, so he warned me to really go easy on torquing up any bolts and use a lot of locktite. Anyway, I went in another direction and skipped the REs for now. They sure make some good looking machines. Someday....

There are lots of dodgy dealers out there - nothing specific to RE.

Not sure if/why you have a bee in your bonnet about RE specifically? Whilst I'm sure you mean well, you've invested a fair amount of time trying to sew the seed of doubt (or at least, that's how it could be interpreted by an outsider).

Regardless, neither of us have had personal dealings with RE to give us a specific cause for concern thus far. Of course, if something does go wrong, I will most certainly share the lessons learned (tactfully).

Also, we have to recognise that YouTubers need content… and like any series/soap, a bit of drama can get views/subscriptions. A leaking shock absorber doesn't warrant a video in my world, but I guess some people are into that - good for them. 👍

Years ago, I bought a pre-registered gixxer from one of the "largest" UK dealers turns out it's number plate reg was off a van - so imagine a random police/tax check revealing some fraud with the registration… or even better, someone else receiving my speeding fines LOL. Needless to say I kept my mouth shut about it and sold the bike back to them as soon as I found out (better to walk away that cause a fuss). The rest wasn't my problem.

They went into administration eventually - so they got what they deserved without any need for me to shout from the rooftops.