"....if it ever does develop some major problem I'll be without a bike to ride until it's fixed...."This the reason I bought my W650 a year ago. The G5 was about to be collected by Watsonian for major repairs and I was going to be without a bike for I didn't know how long - just as a freak heat wave had begun in UK! The W800 had recently come out and taken my heart, but I just couldn't bring myself to take on that much credit card debt! When a W650 with only 1300 miles on it was put in front of me I was a goner. Bought it over the phone. It's now got 7500 miles under its belt, and is my ride of choice 9 times out of 10 - even if I've gone into the garage to take the Enfield out I often just can't resist getting on the W instead.
Do I still enjoy the Enfield? Yes I do, when I'm in the mood for a bit of a vintage evening ride. Would I set out on it for a three hundred mile trip? Not bloody likely!
Does the W650 have the character? Yes it does - tons of it! It's much more like an old Bonnie that a new Bonnie is - only properly made! And it gets as much interest as the Enfield does when I park it up...
If the Enfield hadn't been such a pain in the arse last year I would likely still be only dreaming about getting me a 650 twin, instead of having had the huge pleasure of actually thundering about on one all these months. Yet again good fortune comes disguised as bad.....
I have to tell you - if one of em has to go...... but let's not even think about it ....