Modern Vespa

Royal Enfield??? Gotta be out of India.

royal enfield is made in india. one you left out is ural motorcycles out of russia. i wish that ural would sell the retro styled ones WITHOUT the sidecar, though.

They do/did, it was called the Wolf.
They also just announced the Ural ST
http://hellforleathermagazine.com/2009/09/ural-st-realizes-60-year-old-t.html#more

But they want $8000 for it! which is nutty seeing it's made from a hammer, old coffee cans and bailing twine...

In Mother Russia, motorcycle ride YOU!

[quote="smallstate"] You are correct, I forgot URAL. Enfields are available stateside, they are EFI not carbed. They are basically a small displacement triumph for lack of a better comparison (500cc and almost twice the mileage of a bonneville).

The only one I was on the fence about including is TOMOS, they make a model called the streetmate and it is really a cross between a scooter (drivetrain) and motorcycle (style).



Seth

Not without a price however, the Enfield 500 might have twice the fuel mleage of a Bonneville, but with a corrosponding reduction of power. If I recall correctly, the 500 Enfield is a 30 hp bike, fine for city work, but inadequate for anything involving an interstate highway. The Enfield and Bonneville share a related history (of sorts), but they are 'apples and acorns' as far as their design 'missions' are concerned.

I guess what I'm saying is that the new generation Bonneville is a full-service, modern motorcycle, while the Enfield is a limited use, super-retro, novelty bike....and I mean that with all respect, not trying to belittle the Enfield, which is a very cool bike in its own right.

heh. I like riding interstates on my 22hp scooter, tho

Yes, it definitely is very cool... One of the best looking retro bikes available, IMO. But if you buy one you had better be VERY good at mechanical work! Checking out the Enfield owner's forum convinced me that I really didn't want a $7-8G sickle that required so much fuss and special care to keep it on the road, no matter how damn good it looked!

Looked at all kinds of small MCs recently... And the Suzy TU250 looked pretty good to me for a while also; good looks, light weight, and easy maintanence upkeep. But really, after I checked them all out I found that for my purposes and current type of riding, nuthin' beats out my current GT200 and Buddy 125 combo!
So for me it's now, luv what you have, and be content! 8)

If it's not a challenge, what fun is it...right?

I wouldn't be afraid to take a 22 hp Vespa on the interstate for short distances as long as the terrain was fairly flat and without any headwinds to speak of. The interstates out here are quite rural, with a 75 mph speed limit, with some traffic running at 80, so you'd be in the upper reaches of the bike's potential with maybe a little reserve to draw on yet, so I imagine it's do-able.

Are the Enfield 500's 7-8G's? They're neato-mosquito....but they aren't worth that kind of coin. I thought they might be something like $4500 to maybe $5500, at most.

Kawasaki makes a great bonnevile replica during 200-2001 model year. They sell still for around $5k. They have kickstarter too.

Right but this is a scooter forum, so that probably isn't a limiting factor. Like you said apples and oranges. Some people want the weight and power on their commuter, others want light, some want light and nimble for touring, others want the weight.

As for reliability, I don't know what is different since the engine has changed to make it more modern (single piece). As long as the initial setup is fine after freight they 'shouldn't' require more tinkering than a regular machine anymore. I don't know as I don't own one (but would like to).

Seth

As for reliability, I don't know what is different since the engine has changed to make it more modern (single piece). As long as the initial setup is fine after freight they 'shouldn't' require more tinkering than a regular machine anymore. I don't know as I don't own one (but would like to).


i'd like to too. but you can find a used enfield for say 2 - 4 gs, most of the time with low mileage.

I'm saving up for an electric bike. Maybe next year...

Seth

As an aside, I was in Portland, OR this past week at a conference. I saw a Triumph Bonneville and a Suzuki Tu250. I think the bonnie was much prettier (and bigger-framed, it seemed), but both looked quite nice. I also saw a line of about 5 scoots in a row going up the street, plus a number of other fine two-wheelers, including a red 250, a honda elite, and a number of Buddies. My kind of town.

Was just at the book store and flipped through cruiser magazine. They have a starter newbie bike section/test which they include the bonneville in it. Might be something to look at.

It may be a scooter forum, but the OP was asking about a particular motorcycle, and the Enfield entered into the conversation later as a possible alternative to the Bonneville.

I was relating this comment to one of the questions asked by the OP on the first page of this thread...............

"I'm looking for something I could ride on the freeways (70 MPH & up)
and I'm inseam-impaired"

lol Should have said sound awesome compared to the sewing machine whine it makes from stock. I was just speaking from my experience as a mate stuck a short Vance and Hines exhaust on this particular ride. I did not hear it under load and just on idle but I heard naught high end whine that you speak of. Each to their own some put water in their whiskey to release the flavour I'd rather not dilute something that tastes good to me straight.

Well,
Then you know the bonneville isn't a good choice for very high speeds. It's sweet spot is between 60-70. At about 80 the bike is uncomfortable (wind and vibration) and it tops off at about 100 or so. In effect you're looking at similar highway performance to a ninja 250 (although the ninja will be smoother and better handling but with less torque). Only the T100 will be ok in the speeds approaching 100mph due to the extra power but it won't be more comfortable (and you're now getting closer to $10k for your machine). The enfield, since it has scooter power, will top out at about 80 - leaving the 'sweet spot' at 55 again.
If the agenda is high speed blasts down the freeway, then big displacement it is. If you only need highway capability it doesn't matter then.
If you live in a hilly/mountainy area, the extra power of the bonnie will be welcome on the inclines, if not, then whichever you think is prettier or get a better deal on - me? I would buy which is most comfortable to sit/drive ignoring the statistics and look. My neighbor has a Bonneville Black and he basically uses it as a scooter (just to putter around town as a daily driver). My other neighbor has a honda shadow and yamaha zuma. We all park together (on street).

Seth

I had a Ninja 250 and hated it. Not remotely smooth. Riding it on the motorway felt like gritting your teeth and holding onto a dentist drill.
It's amazing how the Vespa 250 feels so much smoother, torquier and sophisticated (even though the Ninjette has a higher top speed).

I've never considered 70-80 as "very high speeds", but everyday speeds that are towards the top end of 'legal' in most areas. The two late model Bonneville T100's I've had the pleasure of riding were both quite decent bikes to ride at 70-75 mph. Neither were Gold Wings, but I didn't notice any vibration that I would consider unacceptable. The wind at highway speeds has never bothered me to the degree that I've insisted on barn door windscreens, but that's a pretty subjective thing and most don't like the blast. As far as a distance tourer is concerned, I'd prefer my Burgman 650 over the Bonneville any day, but for highway weekenders and daytrips, I might go for a 'cafe-bar'd' T100 for the panache alone.

the royal enfields are not 7-8 thousand. they range from about 5300 to 6400. and, the 6400 dollar one is fuel injected which is nice. the triumphs are far nicer, but they are in the 8500 dollar range for the bonnie and the thruxton.