[bkgadget]

I have been considering buying a UCE Enfield for a little while now. I have two different bikes I am looking at.
The first is a brand new 2011 Electra Deluxe. Full warranties and discount due to non-current status. The second is a 2011 C5 with about 2500 miles on it. I have not seen it yet but will see it this coming weekend. The owner is asking $4500.00 for it. These are Canadian bikes so the pricing is slightly higher than in the United States.
Is there anything or things I should be looking at in the used bike.There is a difference in total cost of about $2000.00 when all is said and done. (taxes-prep etc )
Opinions - Advice?  One way or another I want the big single.
Inspector Gadget

[barenekd]

If the used one has been taken care of, it should be a pretty good bike. Look for the obvious stuff like scratches where they should be. Signs of dents, the same. Check to see if the nuts and bolts have all survived (there could be some missing that he is not even aware of), and ask the owner if they have been loctited. Look at the battery and check the leads. See if he's activated the headlight switch. See if the spark plug has been replaced by the NGK. Check the chain closely. They have a habit of wearing out rather prematurely. Check the sprockets and see if they're cupping. See if it starts easily, as in quickly with the electric starter. After it's warm, try to kick start it. It should start in a kick are two. Don't use any throttle. Don't worry too much about that if it doesn't start right up if it started OK with the E/S. Ride it. It shouldn't vibrate very much. There will be some, but it shouldn't be uncomfortable. t
The peak of the vibes should come about 62-65 mph (100 kph). the suspension might feel a bit harsh, but that's the stock animal. There are ways to take care of that as with Hagon shocks and fresh front fork oil. The bike should run quite smoothly throttle wise, and the front brake should be quite adequate. The rear one can be, but there are a lot of them out there that aren't properly setup. You can take care of that. Even the new ones can have that problem.
As a C5, check it in the 60-70 mph range for front end stability. Some of them are noted for getting a bit of head shake going. Look at the forks. If it has the leading axle, they are more prone to shake. It it has the straight sliders with the axle inline with the sliders, it should be OK. They changed the axle location in the late 2011 production run. Except for starting, any heavy clanking should be a giveaway of something amiss. At starting, though, particularly when the engine is cold, the decompressor can clatter for awhile as the engine warms up. That one is OK.
I'm sure more will chime in with other stuff for so I'll let them have the floor!
Bare

[Arizoni]

The G5's are a little less nimble but at freeway speeds they don't have issues with stability that some of the C5's have.  This is even with the leading axle front fork design.

Both of the bikes your considering only have 28 hp but they do have high low speed torque.  This allows both of them to accelerate rapidly from a stop up to about  60mph but they tend to run out of power above 70 mph.

Both will get between 60 and 75 mpg (US gal) depending on how hard you push them.

Both will draw people from near and far to take pictures and ask about the bike.  It never seems to fail regardless of where I ride.

I have over 9300 miles on my G5 with only a chain and tire replacement being needed and I know Bare had more than that on his C5 before he crashed it.

[bkgadget]

Hi Bare/Jim,

Thanks for taking the time to reply. I got to have a look at the used C5 today ( a little ahead of schedule ) I would have to class it as ROUGH. Lots of corrosion on the engine cases, paint work was pretty dull but would probably clean up, muffler had been replaced with something must shorter than stock and the chrome was heavily blued and burned in places. The worst part was the dealer, he was totally ignorant of what the bike was. First of all he tried to tell me the bike was worth $ 9000.00 new I explained to him that new 2011's are on clearance at $6095.00 ( in Canada ) and come with a two year unlimited mileage warranty + a $ 100.00 gas card. He explained that away as just an internet gimmick to get you into the shop. I told him that the "deal" was published on the Canadian importers web site so I doubted it was a gimmick. No, he was convinced it was a $ 9000.00 bike. I told him full blown retail on a 2013 C5 was $ 7395.00. I gave up in the end. I am going to Toronto next week to get the NEW 2011.
One question though, when you mentioned the leading axle front forks compared to the inline axle, which came first or which is in use now ?

Thanks for your help,

Inspector Gadget

[Ducati Scotty]

Good move to pass on that one.

The leading axle forks were the original style.  The new bikes have the axle inline.

Scott

[Arizoni]

bkgadget
Royal Enfield was among the first companies to equip their production motorcycles with hydraulic front forks (1946 Model G and J) and these located the axle in front of the centerline of the sliders, just like the 2011 model does.  Of course the internals of the forks have gone thru many revisions and redesigns over the years but the basic appearance remains the same.

Velocette introduced their hydraulic front forks in 1948 and like the RE it's front axle was ahead of the fork tubes.

As you may or may not know, Royal Enfield also was the first to put the swinging rear suspension with spring/shock mounts into large production (1949 G2 Bullet), the rest of the industry staying with either a hard tail or a spring and plunger design.

On the dealers estimate of value, maybe he is basing his $9000 estimate on the classy looks and styling of the Royal Enfield?   

[bkgadget]

Scott - is there any concencous on which style of fork is better for handling ?
It looks like all of the non-current 2011's left available for purchase are the leading axle type. Is that a deal breaker ?

Jim, From what the idiot dealer told me he is basing the value on what the original owner told him he paid for it.This same dealer also told me the bike was built in Pakistan. When I told him it was India he replied "same country"
I'm sure they would disagree with him.

Inspector Gadget

[mattsz]

This same dealer also told me the bike was built in Pakistan. When I told him it was India he replied "same country"

Ohhh, run away from this guy!

Wanna talk ignorance?  This is a 100% true story:  The official RE dealer who seriously cocked up my first 300 mile service, when changing the oil and finding what might have been a bit of cloth in the mesh screen, claimed that the junk sometimes found in there is put inside the engines intentionally, by disgruntled (and I quote) "raghead AL-quaida Enfield factory workers", specifically to sabotage bikes bound for USA customers.  No, I am not kidding.

I figured it was a stupid joke, and I suggested that he didn't really believe that, did he?  Yes, he did.  As soon as my bike was reassembled, you never saw anybody leave so fast; I was off like honeymoon pajamas.

Some people...

[Arizoni]

 

Yes, both the Indian's and the Pakistani would take a dim view of his comment.
 
I think your making the right choice by skipping the used bike.

If the exterior is in shabby condition it is obvious the previous owner didn't take care of it.  If keeping the outside nice is too much work you can well imagine what the inside of the engine is like.

To me the badly blued exhaust says the bike has had the crap run out of it.
I know some of our members have some blue on the exhaust pipe and the front 1/4 of the factory silencer also tends to get hot and blue  because the catalytic converter is in there but large areas of the exhaust system IMO shouldn't be blue.

It almost sounds like someone who wanted a crotch rocket bought the RE and then rode it WOT everywhere he went.

[gremlin]

....................If keeping the outside nice is too much work you can well imagine what the inside of the engine is like.

To me the badly blued exhaust says the bike has had the crap run out of it.
............... but large areas of the exhaust system IMO shouldn't be blue..........

The word is Patina.   You got any idea how many $ I've had to spend at the pump to get that "go fast" look & Diesel blue coloring on my engine cases ?   

[barenekd]

The used one sounds like a good thing to run from, particularly since the dealer obviously knew nothing about the bikes.
As for the forks, the leading axle forks are the old style. They changed them last year to the straight forks because the leading axle forks on the C5 are very quick handling and the bike tends to wobble with some people at highway speeds. The axle being moved on the forks gives the front end more trail resulting in a more stability to maintain a straight line. Positioning of the body on the bike and front tire pressures can have a lot to do with the old forks and the instability some riders feel.
The G5s have more rake and trail with the leading axle forks so are not prone to these aberrations. They are a bit heavier steering, but certainly not in any sense, "heavy". Just enough to take the twitchiness out.
As for your personal preference goes, you just have to trust your gut feeling about which one to buy. If you're used to quick handling bikes, you might be very happy with the forward axle forks. A lot of people love 'em, some hate 'em.
Kevin has some comments on them in "the crankshaft, the bearings and and more"
page 5 thread
Bare

[Ducati Scotty]

Scott - is there any concencous on which style of fork is better for handling ?
It looks like all of the non-current 2011's left available for purchase are the leading axle type. Is that a deal breaker ?

I would say the new fork is preferred for stability, that's why they made the design change.  It's not a deal breaker.  Of all the old style C5s a few were unstable at speed, almost all because of poor setup or assembly.  Of those that posted here with the problem I think we got them all sorted, and usually just by setting the tire pressure correctly (18/24).

If you're going to buy an older style one make sure it's stable before you buy it.  Take a pressure gauge with you and make sure the tire pressures are set to 18 front, 24 rear.  Test ride the bike, slowly at first to get it warm, then take it up to 55-60 to see how it behaves.  It will probably vibrate like it's about to fall apart, don't worry.  New bikes are tight and do that, it will calm down as the bike breaks in.  What you want to see is if it's stable at that speed or does it wobble.

Yes this is outside the recommended speeds for a new bike during break in.  So long as you make sure the engine is warm before you do it you'll be fine.

Scott

[Gypsyjon]

The word is Patina.   You got any idea how many $ I've had to spend at the pump to get that "go fast" look & Diesel blue coloring on my engine cases ?   

Gremlin, you are a hoot and a half! Thx.

[Desi Bike]

Where in Ontario are you? I'm in Chatham. There is a black 2011 C5 in Windsor for sale. My buddy decided to downgrade to a Hardly and traded it in at a shop in town.

[bkgadget]

I live in south Windsor. I think the bike I am talking about must be your friends. It is at a small chopper shop on Howard Ave. This guy is so bad, he told me that he was going to trailer the bike to the dealer in Toronto ( 4 hours each way ) in order to have the fuel injection recalibrated and the muffler replaced because it looked so bad. ( also the catalytic converter is missing). He was also going to have the Toronto dealer do the safety on the bike as they couldn't. Wasn't a dealer I wanted to deal with. On a different note, I saw an ad yesterday for Motoretta in Toronto who has a new 2013 C5 black and chrome on sale for
$ 6195.00 + $ 499.00 Freight & Prep.