[Jack Leis]

There it is ! Thank you Kevin !

[Ekatus Atimoss]

Dear Kevin,
thank you for your reply - it is always good to hear what I'd call an "official statement" and not just hearsay carried from somebody who heard something from another somebody he knows and so on that I, unfortunately, have to rely on here. I'd consider me a "customer" or "end user" almost unable to get insider information or being able to do investigations on rumours etc. due to lack of technical expertise. I consider your counterpart in Germany, the official importer of Royal Enfield, to be also very focused on the customer and taking customer complaints seriously and offering quick help. Royal Enfield bikes, also with the UCE, sell in very small numbers and the existing owners probably can't extend their help to EFI owners, as I understand the construction and quality is very different between pre-unit and UCE.
My intention was to tell a true story, regretfully the bias of one person (which might be shared by an unknown number of other individuals) has now been projected on the entire country and nation. I'm a bit unhappy with that. Neither I nor the majority of my fellow countrymen in whatever industry think of themselves as superior over other nations and think they hold a lock on engineering. I do work for a UK company with global operations and do work together with colleagues from Italy, the UK, India and yes, even from Bavaria ;-) Intercultural difficulties do exist, on every side, and my personal guide line is to take people seriously and treat people respectful. I had many excellent discussions with my colleagues from Chennai visiting us a few weeks ago, and because of the location and me owning a Bullet, of course that became the major topic in afterhours talks. I'm delighted to see the pride these guys take in the brand Royal Enfield and to hear that customers in India are willing to wait for their brand-new Bullet over six months.

My intention was, for my own peace of mind and those of other fellow UCE owners in Germany (at least those who signed up in the forum), to investigate on the allegations made by a single individual. I'm not really being interested in the reason why he did that, but rather if there is a little bit of truth in these allegations. As I said before, and I see that confirmed by your article, the article by "ace.cafe" and many other comments, these allegations created by that special person are just that, allegations, nothing more. I already mentioned that I was personally suffering from a faulty engine after just 2500km. I try to be rational rather than emotional and just take what happened to me as bad luck that struck me, again, nothing more than that. And just in case somebody is misinterpreting me: my intention never was to start a flame war, insult other nations, damage the reputation of Royal Enfield or just piss off people.

Kind regards
Michael

[Kevin Mahoney]

Michael.
Actually I saw you as a customer and reporter of what you had read and not as a "flame thrower". I do not object to people being critical here (at attested to by the fact that I eliminate about 2 posts a year besides spam). It just aggravates me when hearsay and plain wrong facts come into play. Normally I even let that go. None of this was aimed at you at all and it if appears that way I apologize.

In the US the differences between the iron barrel customers and the UCE customers seems to be one of happy coexistence. I am an iron barrel owner myself and am the proud owner of the prototype ES bike and the very last 500cc iron barrel ever made at the factory (I keep selling all of the UCE's LOL). My next bike will defiantly be a UCE as I am becoming less enamored with tinkering and want to be able to ride a bit faster and further. But then there is the cafe racer......and what I happen to know is coming after that.

[Ducati Scotty]

......and what I happen to know is coming after that.

Tease

[Ekatus Atimoss]

Tease

The cafe race is a handsome bike indeed..what could top that? Once, there was a 700cc Royal Enfield..when two 350cc come together...can we expect something like this...a 1000cc even? Feasible? Desirable? Or is that beyond any reason?

kind regards
Michael

[Arizoni]

A new RE twin has been rumored for several years.
No one outside the inner world of RE design knows if it actually is on the drawing boards (or is that the CAD LED screen).
Speculation that it may be a V-Twin to bring back the days when RE built one, or the parallel Twin RE built in the '50's-'70's.

At last report, the idea of a new RE Twin seemed to die but beyond Mr. Mahoney no one knows for sure and he isn't talking.

[RE-Memphis]

Spoilers!

[no bs]

with the marque i wrench, a bunch of recalls. how many for the uce?

[ace.cafe]

The more kinds of Enfields that there are out there, the better I like it.

The more, the merrier!

Bring on the twin, or whatever!

[Arizoni]

No BS"

The UCE had a recall for the 2009 models.
There was a potential problem with the gearbox.
RE's response was to redesign the part and supply it world wide to all of the importers.
I also understand they sent a team to assist in correcting the matter.

I know Kevin had all of the defective parts replaced, many of them before the bikes were first sold.

That's the only recall I know of for the UCE powered motorcycles.

[Royalista]

I've always told my friend that one day I would buy an enfield.
On every occasion he'd asked what about that enfield.

So I did stop by a dealer on my way to test another prospected bike.
And stuck to the bullet, finally. 

There were some bumps, but adjusting did have to come from my side as well. In my quest for information I came across this forum.
I dare anyone to find another forum like this.
I cannot adequately enough describe my appreciation for the initiative and the participants. So far I always found solution or confirmation and in general pleasure in the knowledge at hand.

As others reported, it is a great attractor. And that is pleasing.
It also gets a lot of undeserved abuse.
Many people do not realize that while Nortons, Vincents, BSA's and like sunk in the golden glow of glory past, gathering immaculacy, the Bullet's labored on in a harsh and minimalist environment. Nor can they know yet that the UCE is a pumpkin fairy makeover that makes the Bullet that motorcycle that those others only are in virtuality.


There was purpose behind all that procrastination after all? 

Or should I've had waited for the constellation? 

[Ducati Scotty]

As I understand it, much over 800 CCs with a parallel twin things can get weird.  If the cylinders are in phase you get a lot of vibration.  If they're 180 degrees from each other you get a rocking moment at higher Rpms.  You can use counterbalancers to combat this.  Does anyone know if the old RE twins had balancers?

Also, Harley is making big inroads in India and RE wants to compete. 

For these reasons I expect we'll see a sub 800 parallel or a v-twin.  I would rather have a parallel but I suspect it's leaning the other way.

Scott

[ace.cafe]

The old RE twins did not have counterbalancers, but they were dynamically balanced, which was more than the other brands could say.

I suspect a vertical twin in the cafe racer frame with the full duplex cradle.

[Royalista]

As I understand it, much over 800 CCs with a parallel twin things can get weird.  If the cylinders are in phase you get a lot of vibration.  If they're 180 degrees from each other you get a rocking moment at higher Rpms.  You can use counterbalancers to combat this.  Does anyone know if the old RE twins had balancers?

Also, Harley is making big inroads in India and RE wants to compete. 

For these reasons I expect we'll see a sub 800 parallel or a v-twin.  I would rather have a parallel but I suspect it's leaning the other way.

Scott

Oh no, please parallel. With the dynamic balancers.
All reports say it was the smoothiest twin of its days. 

And don't forget the esthetics.
Set a Constellation/Interceptor next to a V-twin: easy isn't it?
smooth and slick, that's how we wants it. 

[Ducati Scotty]

I agree with you both, parallel is classic English and the way to go.  My fear is that they'd rather make a very affordable competitor to the Harley, a desirable bike in the up and coming Indian market, though much more expensive.  Remember, most of these bikes are sold in India and they're going nuts for the new Machismo right now.

With a parallel they're going head to head against Triumph.  While the Triumph is not Japanese quality I'd say fit and finish is better than what RE is building right now. In international markets the price will be close.  The RE would be cheaper in India because of import tariffs on the Triumph but I don't know if the IDM has any demand for the Bonnie.  My gut tells me they're more inclined to RE if they want an English bike. 

Keeping my fingers crossed for a parallel twin in the cafe sometime soon...

Scott