Is this a Bullet I knew???. Review on Royal Enfield Classic 500

After near 18 years of using a brand (you become a patron and almost a follower) it becomes difficult to accept the flaws in the product and normally I would refrain from bad mouthing (why say something bad while the product has been great until recently, I can overlook some flaws right!). But I realized recently that this forum reaches lot many experienced and new bikers seeking out who seriously take the reviews (some of them are misleading) and make decisions.

Particularly buying Bullets plays on your ego as well; in fact after so many years of riding if I can give into vanity and buy a "TRASH" (which happens to be dangerous as well) then what about newbie’s? And exactly the same thinking has led me to write this review. In fact I am convinced that RE uses the Indian customers as its R&D pigs (See we don’t have export models, RE cites price but truly do you feel that today’s customers will deter for 40K or 50K or even a lakh price difference??? That is if the product is really good) Let’s now look at the points I listed below;

1. Performance without compromising Stability/Safety: I hope few of you would know that 60's (70's) interceptor was proper 100+ to 110+ miles bike even the older 50's models (J in particular) was a good 90-95 miles. This is a good 50 years back my friend where even 100 kmph was considered crazy speeds; those machines did it in miles... Look what we have today? an easy 40+kmph lower top end. Though old bullets were not racers they were very good corner carvers, now I will open few open secrets which even the RE guys won’t deny, take any electra/TB-350 (doesn't mater 4 gears or 5 gears) and race with classic-500 on ghat sections where the roads are dangerously curved and banked and I bet that either classic-500 will eat dust or if the rider is egoistic (to lose to a 350 cc) he will lose his life period. Reasons are plenty; a few I would mention.

(1) You can’t break while taking a sharp right corner the brake pedal will dig into the ground.

(2) I don’t know what happened to the chassis under hard braking every time the back wheel will give away sliding off (the earlier so called radial tires were the slippery and as always after receiving lot of customer complaints RE has changed them).

(3) So called 18' wheels aiding sharper turn-in is absolute crap (this again has been changed only in the front) and still they buckle away.

(4) So called EFI control (spoiling Keihin's name also) and very poor and not perfected ECU map still many bikes have jerking complaints and every time if you complain they would change the stupid spark plug (seriously what crap is this???). Final word is that on a long straight road where you have 1+km visibility and a broad day light you can take this bike to 140+ on the speedo and anywhere else you have to keep your tail between your legs.

(5) If people said the older bullets vibrated a lot and fell apart after a hard ride then you should know that those bikes gave enough warnings in the way they behaved and made you to take notice. This bike has a tendency of having its sprag-clutch nut falling off (without any warning and just like that) thereby the gear lockup and you will be thrown out 100%.

1. Comfort / Utility: Any STD/Electra/TB/Machismo is more comfortable (any day) and in fact has so many aftermarket "bolt-on" kits which you can directly buy and fit, this stupid bike needs your attention every time you want to change anything. Long rides are absolutely painful (in the butt) the handlebars are tiny and to feel that this bike is big you need to be 5'tall and not 6' (They could have easily let out a normal and mini model, that way the product range would have increased as well). Again like I said some stupid puny impotent design guy built this bike (probably was jealous thinking “why should Men always have the fun”- Bloody son of a Bh) and not meant for Average or Large people... crap even the Unicorns and GS-150 are more comfortable and have better riding positions.

   
   




2. Power/Presence: Presence is due to the reverence of the older bullets (this crap has no presence whatsoever STD-500 or LB-500 is like man standing besides this gay teenager who is also physically weak, has some breast and other feminine features). There is some increase in the way the power is delivered, having said this I want to remind you people about the lightning-535; Man that was a brute and you can tune that to even more deadlier state (so powerful that you can literally cut across buffalos on a highway and if you want to bash up some stupid biker at 140+km this bike used to be rock stable only a higher segment vehicle can push you off (literally), on a lighter note most older bullets had grease-nipples "these are used only on heavy vehicles like lorries.

   
   




3. Reliability: This I know that the older bike needed much attention (they bloody deserved every bit of it) but even little attachment to bikes you will know the details and even if the bikes break down on a highway you can safely ride back after a few tweaking and take it to garage/safety. The newer crops are definitely much more stable, this is the least since they are nothing but a copy of reliable Japanese engine (at least AVL's are known to tune engines properly). But when it breaks down there will be a dearth of mechanics and you will need to understand the engine a little bit. Again nothing great but a plain OK; again let down by pathetic quality of materials and bad attitude of the company.

   
   




4. Economy: In fact my reverence on a leading biking magazine's editor and a veteran biker came off when I realized the fact to myself on a day-2-day basis after experiencing this from other friends. Magazine's claims so many things like mileage of 38+ in city and 46+ in highway, rock steadiness (comparing Augostini's classy clean unruffled style OMG this one sentence had me and I bought the crap), high speed performance etc (Am sure that today's magazine writers are sold to money, to me an auto mag-writer/presenter should be like Jeremy very blunt and point blank and always the truth).

   
   

So what I really feel: First things first, I have sold the classic and in the process of buying the LB-500; now for the inspirational bikers you do have Electra or Thunderbird both 350cc. Please don’t be egoistic and remember all 27 BHP is only at the crank and not at the wheels (at wheels that should be a puny 14 or 15 BHP) and on a highway if you tune your 350 that to will hit a proper 130 or a 140.

So the wannabe hardcore bikers please spend that 40K in tuning the 350cc and you will be rewarded properly. For others whose purpose is to commute and take your wife/girlfriend to a party and that too within city limits or occasional 50/60 kms then again go for Electra or Thunderbird (in fact the Standard still looks classy and give the proper bullet pleasure “Augostini's classy clean unruffled style”, this depends on taste again you will need to put the Disk-brakes an extra 10-12K). Or if you bent upon then go for an classic-350…period…

Again to all the readers; I have given my honest opinion after personally using 4 bullets till date and spanning 18 years. I am not prejudiced or chauvinistic bugger just an old school rustic who likes call a crap (crap)… hope this review helps you to take more informed decision before buying the product.