Hey everyone,
I've been considering an Enfield for some time now (and have been checking out the board for a few weeks; seems like you guys have a great group here) and I think I'm ready to buy one. A bit of background: I'm 25 and have owned a '78 Vespa P200 (2-stroke manual) for about 3 years, and while I love it, I'm finding that it's lacking the power to comfortably get me outside of the city. I live in Philadelphia and often have to ride to my parents' place in South Jersey (and will most likely be moving to NY by the end of the year, so that trip will become much longer), and while I take as many back roads as possible, going over the bridge can be a bit harrowing, as my P200 will only do about 55 before it starts to really vibrate. On top of that, its light weight (about 230 lbs on top of my pretty light 125 lbs) often leaves me feeling like I'm going to blow right over. And finally, I'm sick of having to work on it every other week to keep it running.
I've never cared much for motorcycles, as I've mostly been exposed to Harleys and ninjas, but the classic look of the Enfield has really won me over. It seems to me like its bigger size and ability to handle 65-70 mph would leave me feeling much more comfortable and, with the UCE engine, it seems like a very reliable bike.
I went to check out the bike at a dealer today, and while I went in thinking that the green G5 was the one I wanted, I was really impressed with the B5. It seems like the rear fender is often seen as the red-headed step child, but I actually preferred it to the G5's, as well as its toolbox. The only things I didn't like were the seat and the badge, so a few questions:
1. I found the G5's seat to be much more comfortable; can it be put on the B5?
2. Can the badge be removed? I think I'd like it much better with this simple white decal from NField Gear:
http://nfieldgear.com/enfield-store/aftermarket-parts-accessories/graphics/white-royal-enfield-tank-side-decal.html 3. What accessories work for it? NField doesn't list it on any of them. I specifically want this rack:
http://nfieldgear.com/enfield-store/aftermarket-parts-accessories/luggage/chrome-brackets-style-1.html but don't know if it will fit.
4. How much of a pain in the ass would it be to have the pinstripes painted from gold to white?
5. The dealer offered to knock $400 off of the price of a 2010; does this seem like a good deal? I don't know how much you can typically haggle with a motorcycle dealer.
6. And am I crazy, or is the B5 slightly smaller than the G5?
And finally, again concerning the seat, if the G5 one won't fit, has anyone used the English dual seat (
http://nfieldgear.com/enfield-store/aftermarket-parts-accessories/seats/english-dual-seat.html) and if so, what do you think of it? I think going very minimal with a mostly just black and white aesthetic would look really good on the B5.
I know that's a lot of questions, so any help with any of them would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks a lot guys.