[ace.cafe]

Hey Joel. I am in Fort Worth and I was in the same situation as you looking for my first bike ever.  Fell in love with the looks of Royal Enfield.  Been looking for months for an older used RE and found a 2000 500 Classic and bought it same day. Being someone that has never ridden a bike, this has been the easiest thing to do. The bike is easy to ride and simple enough that you don't need a vast motorcycle knowledge to operate.  I've had it for a week now and went from not knowing how to start it (no electric start) when I bought it to being able to get on the highway with it for a short ride to work. My favorite rides are cruising through downtown or the 45-55mph rides. Just the opinion of a new rider, but RE is the way to go.  The Harley's all my friends tried to get me into don't compare.

Dearmas54,
Please understand that the 2000 model is a vintage design which is not the same as the new models.
The old models like that have to avoid sustained speeds over 55mph. You can easily go more than 55mph, but don't try to hold that speed for more than a few minutes, or the piston can seize.
Just trying to save you some heartache. This isn't a "negotiable" issue. You must observe this rule with the older bikes.

[gremlin]

.........everyone drops their bike at some point, especially when starting out.

Or, when stopping !   

[barenekd]

Cause from what I gather everyone drops their bike at some point, especially when starting out.

Yeah, I dropped mine the second day I had it. Fortunately the only damage was my pride and a tiny dent in the tank where the handlebar switch box hit it. I dropped I because had couple of mufflers bungied on the back seat and they were pushing me forward of where I shoulda been and I got my foot hung up between the footpeg an shifter. I fell over.
He bike ended up getting rearended about three weeks later, so I had an out to get a new tank! and a lot of other damaged bits!
As for crash guards also known as bumper grabbers, IMHO, they are ugly as hell and sometimes cause more damage than they prevent as in bent frames.
The footpegs are pretty good crash guards by themselves. They pretty much keep the engine cases off the ground.
I don't know why the Indians like them so well, maybe it give some of the three or four passengers they seem to carry quite a bit, something to hold onto.
Bare

[Ducati Scotty]

The engine guards generally do a good job of keeping dents out of your tank bu not letting the bars get to the gound where they'll swing into it.  If you're concerned I'd get one.  There are plenty to choose from and none are really expensive.

Scott

[Rich Mintz]

When I dropped my bike at low speed in the first month, the footpeg took the impact. The Enfields have a rigid footpeg post that can absorb a lot of impact. (Mine bent and had to be replaced.)

[barenekd]

I have an old fork tube that I slide over the end of the bent footpeg and straighten it. It also serves as a nice extension when a breaker bar needs a little additional length. It as been an indispensable tool for working on an Enfield.
Bare

[Royalista]

I like the butterfly style. Would be also handy for attaching and fastening useful stuff. But...
From Indian forums comes tales of the cheaper ones that rather bend than defend. So perhaps not jump to bargain deals.

Currently I have a sober model, often referred to as the Indian military style. Not too practical for attaching or fastening stuff but it has already done its duty. A reliable grunt. 

[Arizoni]

A lot of the Indian riders seem to think the engine guards are there to keep their legs from getting trapped under the bike if they get in an accident. 

There are also a lot of Indian riders who claim the RE engine guards will trap their legs when the bike gets in an accident.  This is especially true with their thoughts about the guard that is styled to wrap around the area where the riders feet are.

Personally, I wouldn't rely on them to protect or trap my legs in an accident but they are useful for giving the motorcycle some protection as it goes sliding down the road after an accident.
During my 12 years of riding my BMW, its engine guard bars probably saved me at least $1000 by protecting the expensive valve cover.  (It was a 3 cylinder K-75 with its DOHC sticking out the left side).

So far (with the Honda, Suzuki and BMW) every time my bike has hit the ground when I was riding it, my feet were well above anyplace that could be trapped by engine bars because I've always kicked up and off as the bike was going down.  I usually ended up either sliding along side of it or riding it like a belly board.

Personally I like them if the bike is set up as a mild "dresser" and I think they are absolutely needed to make a Military bike look the part.
I wouldn't put them on a scrambler or cafe racer though.  To me, they would look totally out of place on either of those.

[Ducati Scotty]

They are not there to protect you in any way.  I believe the Hurt report found a higher incidence of lower leg injuries on bikes equipped with crash bars.

Scott

[Ice]

I've "tested" crash bars before.

 They work within their parameters I.E. deflecting stuff saving the tank/leg/bar ends in low speed slides etc.

 No they will not save your leg when a car T-bones you nor will they do any good in a 60 mph endo but then my helmet wont save my life if hit by a freight train either.

Asses your risk, odds and consequences and ride accordingly.

 
 BTW "crash bars" do come in handy for laying a bike on its side to remove a tire with out causing damage to the rest of the bike.
 

 

[High On Octane]

I've never used engine gaurds, but then again I grew riding dirt bike and never needed them.  Personally I think they're gaudy and just add extra weight.  But, to each their own.

Scottie

[Jack Leis]

+1 Scottie J , friends dont let friends mount engine guards to there bikes. Are training wheels next ?

[Royalista]

I've "tested" crash bars before.

 They work within their parameters I.E. deflecting stuff saving the tank/leg/bar ends in low speed slides etc.

 No they will not save your leg when a car T-bones you nor will they do any good in a 60 mph endo but then my helmet wont save my life if hit by a freight train either.

Asses your risk, odds and consequences and ride accordingly.

 
 BTW "crash bars" do come in handy for laying a bike on its side to remove a tire with out causing damage to the rest of the bike.

+1
They're a useful multiple purpose tool.
Like a Leatherman, but bigger.

[hillntx]

Since most beginning riders drop their bikes, tanks are expensive, and parts from India are known to take a while to arrive; crash bars are cheap insurance to minimize potential damage from a low speed screw up.

[Dearmas54]

Dearmas54,
Please understand that the 2000 model is a vintage design which is not the same as the new models.
The old models like that have to avoid sustained speeds over 55mph. You can easily go more than 55mph, but don't try to hold that speed for more than a few minutes, or the piston can seize.
Just trying to save you some heartache. This isn't a "negotiable" issue. You must observe this rule with the older bikes.

Understood Ace. Never get it over 65 on speedometer which I've learned is pretty close to 55mph. It's not built for speed, which was one of my reasons for choosing RE. Only has 350 miles so still taking it pretty easy. Thanks for the info.