[snowkid03]

Hey everyone...  I am +hopefully+ about to be the owner of a 2007 military, or 2011 c5 maroon.  I need some help though as all the research i do comes up from India...

real quick about me:  im a girl that just got her license- i have about 20 hours on bike practice, and have been OBSESSED with RE since i saw one when looking at the triumph bonnevills/t100 and old Honda CBs.

so a few quick questions: 

what is your opinion of learning to ride on the RE?  i am going to practice a lot more before taking her out to the commuting hours- but i want a bike i can learn on and grow with- not just a honda rebel that is boring after a few months.  I live coastal southern california- and i don't take the highway for my commute.

any experience on the reliability of the 2007's?  i have heard such mixed reviews.  would i be better sucking it up and buying a 2011/12 for the 2 year warranty, or are the repairs something that I can learn to do on my own with some youtube videos? (im not afraid of dirt!)

any input would be awesome... and if you are going to dissuade me from the RE- what would you recommend that looks so awesome and doesn't have carbs that need to be cleaned?

Thanks

-Kelli

[AgentX]

Everyone here is going to tell you it's a perfect first bike in many ways.  If you like it, go for it.

The 2007 will require more care and feeding than the 2011.  Totally different engines.

Things to consider:  is the 2007 set up with the shifter on left and brake on right?  If so, it's in line with modern norms, but it has been kinda jerry-rigged to do this.  Will perform better if this is switched back to the (oldschool English standard) left brake/right shift.  But many run it as-is, too.

Do you want the experience of the motorcycle as a riding conveyance only, or do you *want* to have to work on it (or have someone else do it) and learn about the mechanics of it to some degree? 

As a learner, there's some value in having less to think about and just learning to ride it, rather than pay attention to myriad mechanical things.  The 2011 will give you a more "ride and forget" experience, without being quite the polished and ignor-able modern mechanical marvel of most current bikes.  Still has some character then, but, for example, the valves self-adjust so you don't have to check/adjust the tappets on a regular basis.

Reliability of the 2007 is a crap shoot.  It's made in India, and it isn't made with particularly high tolerances.  If everything is perfectly manufactured, it'll still need adjustments and attention if ridden well...if something or multiple things are not perfectly made, you could have big problems.  If it's a 2007 and you *know* it's been running well and maintained well, that's good.

One thing that bothers me as a relatively new rider on an Enfield is that if I hop on a moderately-sized modern bike anytime soon, my customary use of throttle and brake in quanties needed to get the Enfield to perform at all would either shoot me into the back of the nearest truck or maybe throw me off the front of the bike...

You don't want to take the enfield on I-5 as much as you can avoid it, but 101 will be calling your name.

[Arizoni]

Hi Kelli

I think the Royal Enfield is just the bike to learn on.

It has enough power to do anything that needs doing on city streets without having so much power that it can get a newbe into trouble.

Acceleration is more than good enough to keep up with traffic and although it is a 400 pound machine it is very responsive to steering inputs which makes it easy to avoid pot holes and the like.

The Insurance companies have finally figured out what a Royal Enfield is.
They seem to realize that although it is a 500cc machine its power is limited so the insurance rates are very reasonable.
For the rock bottom insurance the company I'm with wanted about $100/year.
I wanted better coverage just in case I caused some major damage so I spend about $200/year for some excellent coverage.
(In case you didn't know, some of the ultra fast bikes can easily cost over $1500/year for just basic coverage).

The older 2007 may be pushing its limits of speed on a freeway but the 2011 can run at 70-75 mph without complaining too much.
Both of them are happier at 50-60 mph though.

Bear in mind that I don't own one of the older models.
I do own a 2011 G5 so I am familiar with the newer Unit Construction Engined (UCE) machines.

From my reading on this site I have come to the conclusion that the older Iron Barrels (named after their cast iron cylinders) and the AVL (an updated version of the Iron Barrel) both can be fairly labor intensive and can be prone to many of the problems that were common back in the 1950's.

The versions with a drum front brake also are pretty weak in the stopping department.  Disk front brakes are much more powerful and are well worth having when some idiot pulls out in front of you.

This is not to say that the new UCE powered machines don't take a certain amount of upkeep.
Checking for loose bolts, wiring harnesses that are close to sharp metal edges, replacing the (IMO) poor light bulbs as well as the more common things like keeping the tires at the right pressure, changing oil and the oil filter and the spark plug, cleaning the air filter and occasionally adjusting the chain are all needed but they are pretty easy to do.
This site can be a wealth of knowledge when it comes to doing any of these tasks.

Of course you can have these things done at a service department but that costs money.
A few of the service departments leave a bit to be desired too.

If you buy a Royal Enfield I hope you don't mind total strangers walking up to you to talk about your bike.  Most of them will think it is at least 50 years old and they will talk for hours about the bike they had "back in the days".
I must admit getting a thumbs up from strangers in the next lane at a stop light is fun.

Welcome to the World of Motorcycles and remember, trust no one or nothing when your out riding.

[Lwt Big Cheese]

Kelli

Just do it.

Forget the scare mongering about relibility. Just check her over and she'll be fine.

And the maintenance is easy. Which means YOU can do it and it's very cheap to do.

Was it someone on here who said he bought an Enfield for the price of a Ducati service?

You will have to look after her, but it will take less time and cost less money than getting your nails and hair done. I have two daughters, I know.

Oh and welcome BTW 

[mustangdave]

Kelli,
I have to concur with everyone thus far...I got an 05 a little more than a year ago...and am still sorting it out a little...an old(er) Re is the perfect platform to learn your motorcycle skills on....I regularly commute to work on mine.  I work nextdoor to an Indian restaurant....they love the RE

[AgentX]

Forget the scare mongering about relibility. Just check her over and she'll be fine.

Not to be argumentative, but how's someone without much knowledge (like me?) going to "check her over" besides spotting major fluid leaks or frame/body damage?

And I don't think realistically discussing the maintenance aspect is fear-mongering at all, but helping someone choose the right bike.

Some people'd rather ride them than think at *all* about the mechanics, and that's fine...just that the Enfield's probably not the machine for them, or at least the iron barrel Enfield.

[snowkid03]

awesome everyone- thanks a TON for all of the information... I think I am going to just suck it up and get it new... the shop i want to buy it from (doug douglas in san bernadino because the guys at Rocket in SD treated me like an idiot) has a few 2011s left so i can get a better deal on them- plus the break in process will be nice for my learning curve, and hopefully the mechanics can teach me a thing or two for any repairs needed over the first years...

thanks a ton, and when i get my bike in a few weeks i can guarantee you will hear more from me!

-kelli

[Lwt Big Cheese]

Not to be argumentative, but how's someone without much knowledge (like me?) going to "check her over" besides spotting major fluid leaks or frame/body damage?

Fair point. But hopefully there is a bit of a learningcurve going on here.

She, sorry, Kelli couldn't ride until recently. Now she has the bottle to learn and progress.

Now the next stage. Check the bike over by seeing if she's leaking. Are the fluids OK or do they need topping up?

Are all the bolts, nuts, fasteners secure? These should all be checked when you do the weekly wash. Not hard to do and you don't have to be a mechanic to do that. (Well no I don't wash my bike at all let alone weekly, but you get my point.)

And so it goes on. Ge the manuals. Ask ANY question you like here.

Very soon Kelli will be able to do the weekly checks and a little maintenance. When it gets hard then take her to the dealer or a local shop.

[AgentX]

Fair point. But hopefully there is a bit of a learningcurve going on here.

She, sorry, Kelli couldn't ride until recently. Now she has the bottle to learn and progress.

Now the next stage. Check the bike over by seeing if she's leaking. Are the fluids OK or do they need topping up?

Are all the bolts, nuts, fasteners secure? These should all be checked when you do the weekly wash. Not hard to do and you don't have to be a mechanic to do that. (Well no I don't wash my bike at all let alone weekly, but you get my point.)

And so it goes on. Ge the manuals. Ask ANY question you like here.

Very soon Kelli will be able to do the weekly checks and a little maintenance. When it gets hard then take her to the dealer or a local shop.

Absolutely, and not saying she can't.  The question is, does she want to? Many people don't.  Checking to see if all the nuts and bolts on the bike are secure (edit:  on a regular basis and barring anything which might have specifically loosened them) is pretty unthinkable to the owners of a lot of motorcycles.  And it doesn't mean they're incapable or weak or anything.  It's just not their bag.  For them, there are lots of other bikes to meet their needs.

For those that love this sort of thing, the Enfield is the perfect machine.

[barenekd]

the shop i want to buy it from (doug douglas in san bernadino because the guys at Rocket in SD treated me like an idiot) has a few 2011s left so i can get a better deal on them-

Kelli,
You can't go wrong with Doug Douglas. I bought my G5 from them a year ago and they have been great on all counts. Art and Danny will lean over backwards for you. Hte maintenance staff is really great, I've known their mechanic, Jeremy, for almost 20 years and he is good.
I think the C5, or G5 would be the better deal for you in that there is less maintenance required, plus you get a two year warranty.
Bare

[Ice]

Hi snowkid03 and welcome aboard !

 The Bullet is easy to ride well. It is a good bike to begin with but still more than a beginners bike.

'07 or '11 ? depends on you.

 Usually I advise the '09 and later Bullets with the UCE engine as they require the least looking after.  Same bullet goodness but with a tougher more REliable engine.

 Some folks like me enjoy the older engines.  If you can swing it, get one of each 

[snowkid03]

as i mentioned before... I don't want to buy a bike i need to tinker with immediately.  I want the gratification of hopping on my bike and improving my riding skills without having to constantly worry if that "sound" was something bad, or if the "wobble" isn't pavement related.  Checking bolts for looseness is something I CAN do, but changing out a clutch cable on day 2, not something I am willing to do.  6 months down the line when I am comfortable with things and have spent time with my RE- our relationship will be changed 

I am going to get a 2011... the warranty makes me feel more secure, and hopefully the guys at the shop can show me a few things when it comes time for repairs.  I am a very mechanically driven person, but it will be too hard to fix a bike that I am only learning to ride and haven't figured out the idiosyncrasies of.

I have my appointment at the DMV on friday... so i should have the bike in a week!

-kelli

[Lwt Big Cheese]

Get a Honda.

[GreenMachine]

sometimes i wonder if a honda is a good idea for some people.....Their's been a few people that get very excited (and why not) to get a enfield only to be disappointed and discouraged that it isn't what they expected....Just saying...

[barenekd]

Get a Honda.

Traitor!!