[Ice]

 It hits all the marks of what I like want and need in a single bike.
Some bikes hit some of those marks harder but none hits them all save for the Bullet.
That and I have always liked the way Britt bikes handled.

 BSA's were more more gettable than Bullets and that is what I was looking for in '04-'05 when I started looking for a Britt single in earnest until I found that Bullets were being Imported. My focus changed on the spot and I have yet to look back.

 The land mass of America is supposedly 3.79 million square miles.Of that, I don't know how much is covered with with pavement but with right tires on my Bullet I can pretty much cover the rest as well  

[hillntx]

Plain and simple, we bought our set of RE C5s due to the color:  Royal Maroon (what we like to call Fez Red). 

Our Shriner motorcycle team has been competing since 1959 originally on 1958 Cushman Eagles, then 1968 Honda CD175s, 1974 Honda 350s and finally on 1981 Kawasaki KZ440 LTDs.  After rebuilding carbs every season, we decided it was time to start looking for a replacement for our 30 year old competition bikes.   We needed a small displacement bike that had a tight turn radius, visual appeal and ideally fuel injection and we didn't want to spend a ton of money.  We had been kicking around the idea of REs for a couple years and finally found what we wanted. 

One of our members bought the first bike and negotiatied a deal for the remaining three.  Michael Baker and the staff of Royal Enfield of Fort Worth were very helpful and even delivered some of the bikes to our unit building.  To our knowledge we are the only Shrine Motor Corps in the country riding Royal Enfields.

See the pic below and you'll know why it was the color that made the deal.

[The_Rigger]

Because I've had GoldWings for the past 32 years, and my new C5 is about as far from a GL as you can get and still be riding a motorcycle.

(you can't get a brand new Whizzer.... Can you?)

[FiRE Comms]

Thanks Jack and Scott!  I'll be home for my little sister's wedding in 2 weeks.  Hopefully, HOPEFULLY something will break loose and I'll be able to stay home.  We all know how bad the job market is, and as bad as this place is, it is a job...

[tooseevee]

          History, mine & the bike's, after many years of staring at brochures from Popular Mechanics & Mech Ill at 11, 12, 13 in the late '40s. And I'm very glad I finally got the one I did (a leftover '08 unsold 'til 2010) & not a newer one. Fate was on my side for once.

[Alan LaRue]

Well then, out of all the bikes on the market why did you choose the Enfield?

Reasons you did not!
Price...............................can be matched and bettered by many.
economy.........................." "    "   "   "     "    "     "     "    "      " "

Actually, those were two of the main reasons. Although buying used might be a better choice if these are the reasons, when buying new it really is hard to beat. The only better alternative available in the U.S. would be a 250, either a Honda CBR250R or a Kawasaki Ninja 250. As far as I know, the RE is the only 500cc motorcycle sold here anymore. Both of the 250s would beat it on economy and price, and probably power, but they have not-quite "standard" ergos. They aren't overly aggressive, but they aren't what I was looking for.

I paid less than $6000, and I'm getting 65 mpg on my freeway commute. (If you see my "Fuelly" sticker below, it says 61 point something. I was getting 59-60 until I installed a Givi Aerotech windscreen, at which time the mileage jumped to 65. It'll take a few more tanks for the average indicated on Fuelly to catch up.) Other options would have been a Honda NT700V (much more expensive, over $9000, and probably can't match the mileage) or a Suzuki V-Strom 650 (somewhat more expensive, and still can't quite match the mileage).

The retro-vibe was important to me, just like to probably everyone else here. The sit-up-straight riding posture was important, too. I'm very happy with it, using it like a completely modern transportation vehicle.

[shamelin]

The first time I ever wanted a bike, it was after seeing this NY Times article about the new Royal Enfields.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/17/automobiles/17ROYAL.html?pagewanted=all

Before that day, I never even thought about riding a bike.  I never owned one, never been on one, didn't even have a friend who rode.  But the Royal Enfield was just so beautiful, I couldn't stop thinking about it.

It took a little time to talk my wife into it, but thankfully her dad grew up riding, so it wasn't a lost cause.  I passed a MSF course, got my endorsement, and bought my B5 from Polaris West in Katy TX.

Now I ride all the time and haven't regretted it a moment.  You can argue about price, performance, and reliability all day long, but there isn't another bike as beautiful.

[fzr400]

because of the economy. if it ever crashes where is the paper money is worthless. i can trade it for 2 chickens and maybe a loaf of bread.

[Alan LaRue]

Hey, shamelin, we have the same dealer!

[aikischmid]

When I bought my 2011 G5 Classic, I'd never even ridden a motorcycle. I had a helmet, boots, and some gloves, and was all scheduled to take the motorcycle classes offered at the local college through the State within a couple weeks of the purchase. I just knew I wanted a motorcycle to have better fuel economy on my daily commutes to work. So I searched "motorcycle manufacturers" on google. I seriously went through this giant list, visited every website, and finally came to Royal Enfield. I couldn't believe it, I fell deeper and deeper in love, and I knew this is what I wanted.
The old British style style immediately caught me. I'm generally a nonconformist and so I wanted something most other people didn't have.
Plus the fact that a new base model Sportster/Bonnie/Guzzi was a good 9 grand. The G5, brand new with 2-year warranty from a local, authorized dealer, was just barely over 6 grand. So the price was right for me. Coming to this website alot also helped, because I saw how Jay Leno bought one and gave it a solid review. And this forum here filled with knowledgable, helpful people, guiding people (like me) through everything from oil changes to Lucas headlight conversions.
So in a nutshell, that's why I chose to buy my RE. And I love the direction of the company and focus on the future.

[Alan LaRue]

Yes! Being a nonconformist definitely influenced my decision!

[barenekd]

The only better alternative available in the U.S. would be a 250, either a Honda CBR250R or a Kawasaki Ninja 250. As far as I know, the RE is the only 500cc motorcycle sold here anymore. Both of the 250s would beat it on economy and price, and probably power, but they have not-quite "standard" ergos. They aren't overly aggressive, but they aren't what I was looking for.

By all the road tests I've read on the Sporty 250s, and I did do a bit of looking at them before I bought the Enfield, they do not beat the Enfields on economy!
My last 32 fillups have resulted in 68.5 mpg
Bare

[The_Rigger]

Because I've never ever seen another one on the road hereabouts.

[gremlin]

1. EFI
2. Kickstarter
3. It kinda resembles my first bike ( Sears Allstate 250 )
4. I'm done riding like a maniac
5. I'm also done riding the big bagger bike
6. NOBODY would steal it.....   

[john hut]

I wanted something to take me back to my youth and give me something to keep me active in my old age,,,Life is not a rehersal,,