[SquadronROE]

Hey guys,

I'm in the market for a new (or new to me) bike and I have always loved the look and sound of REs. Especially the classic olive drab ones, they just have that retro style that I think looks incredible. However I'm worried that I might be buying a bike I'll get bored with before I even get it paid off! And I don't think I'll be able to sit out another season of riding without a working bike. It's just too painful. So I'm hoping you can help me make my decision, because the other forums I'm on are either mostly Harley owners or Naked bike owners.

OK so laying it all out, I bought a Buell Blast as my first bike. The reason I did this was because I wanted something totally reliable and impossible to get in trouble with. Coming off the MSF, I wanted a way to get used to riding a bike without having to fight the bike. I always knew I'd out grow it in around a year, and this is about that time (so I've been riding for about a year). The main problems I have right now are that the Buell is impossible to work on because parts are hard to find and mechanics who are willing to work on it are even harder to find (I work in the tech industry, and while I'm more than happy to work on it myself I just don't usually have the time).

Right now I'm in SC but in about 8 months I'm going to be making the long trek out west for work. We'll end up in Portland (which in and of itself derailed one entire discussion on a motorcycle forum), so the climate and type of riding are going to change pretty dramatically. In SC I mostly do highway (but not interstate) cruising and some city riding. So being able to hold the line at 65 for 20-30 minutes is something I need. As well, range is somewhat important.

However in OR I bet my riding habits will change. Manueverability will be big because I'll be wanting to explore the city/suburbs and do rides out on the absolutely stunning mountain/gorge roads. Also I know it's rather moist out there so making sure something is capable in the rain is important. Range is still important, because I expect I'll eventually want to take the bike out to the coast for coastal riding. And if there's an easy dirt road I want to explore, I want to have that option (not heavy duty off road though, I don't have much desire to do that).

So I guess what I'm looking for is experienced people to help me understand if a RE would be a good fit for exploration riding in both SC and eventually OR.

[Richard230]

I have ridden all over Oregon.  The RE would be perfect for that state - as long as you stay off of the I-5 freeway. I believe that highway is the only one in the state that has a 65 mph speed limit (which means most vehicles travel at 80). The rest of the state's highways have speed limits of 55 or less, perfect for Royal Enfield motorcycles. I have ridden the Blast and like the Enfield more.  The Blast is smoother at all speeds but idle and handles better, but the RE has more character, looks better (what doesn't?), gets better fuel mileage and I think the chassis (I am not so sure about the engine) build quality is better. Just make sure that there is a decent RE dealer near where you plan to live and that they have at least one mechanic that knows how to work on the bike, if you don't think you are up to maintaining the vehicle yourself.

[SquadronROE]

Thanks, that makes a lot of sense. I'm going to test ride one tomorrow to see how it feels, I'm a little worried that I'll get bored with the speed (or lack there of) eventually. But compared to what I have now, everything is going to be super speedy! So I really don't know. 

[REpozer]

" I'm worried that I might be buying a bike I'll get bored with before I even get it paid off!"

Most likely you will get bored before the pay off. That's the nature of purchasing anything on credit/loans.
Learn new skills, and DIY as mush as possible.

Pay cash in full, or don't buy. Goes for anything, not just motorcycles.

[High On Octane]

My person thought is that if you have to ask yourself if the bike is right for you, than more than likely it is not.  People either love REs, or hate them.  Most people love them for the unique style, most people hate them for their constant quirks and issues.  If you won't actually enjoy wrenching on it on a regular basis, then it is DEFINITELY not the bike for you.

[Blltrdr]

If you really want to explore Oregon and the great NW area I would probably suggest getting a different bike to do that. I myself feel it is challenging riding a small air cooled single for long distances. I have road my Bullet all over western Washington on state routes and highways and it's been a blast. But when it comes to long rides where I don't feel worked over after my ride I do it on my big tour bike.

It comes down to what comfort level you want for your riding. If you want to get to your destination feeling like you accomplished something significant and deserve some applause and a handshake then the RE is for you. If you want to reach the same destination relaxed and full of the energy you need to do some more fun stuff then a tour bike might be something to look into.

If money and space isn't a problem then I would suggest buying one of each. You can never have to many bikes.

[gremlin]

TECH industry, portland, pressed-for-time, reliable, dual-sport, & talk-worthy ......

hmmmm ......   I see a http://www.zeromotorcycles.com/fleet/police/

or:

http://lightningmotorcycle.com/

or:

https://www.mission-motorcycles.com/

[gizzo]

Yep, I can't see an Enfield being the right bike for someone without mechanical skills, some spare time and patience. A sense of humor helps,too .

[SquadronROE]

TECH industry, portland, pressed-for-time, reliable, dual-sport, & talk-worthy ......

hmmmm ......   I see a http://www.zeromotorcycles.com/fleet/police/

or:

http://lightningmotorcycle.com/

or:

https://www.mission-motorcycles.com/

Meh, electric bikes are interesting but I don't think I'd actually enjoy riding them at all.  Plus I do like wrenching on bikes, and I do have mechanical skills and patience so long as the bike is worth working on. I don't think my Buell is really worth working on at this point, since it's hard to find parts for and doesn't really look that good. The Enfield, on the other hand... is just stunning. I went out looking at new ones yesterday and test rode one, and it felt great. Enough power for the highways, a fantastic sound, easy in the corners, and it's good. I kind of loved it.

Also this:

It comes down to what comfort level you want for your riding. If you want to get to your destination feeling like you accomplished something significant and deserve some applause and a handshake then the RE is for you. If you want to reach the same destination relaxed and full of the energy you need to do some more fun stuff then a tour bike might be something to look into.

This right here is hilarious to me, I love that visual. I like the rattle of my Blast, and the fact that after I ride it for an hour I feel like I've accomplished something more than killing time. Maybe in the future I'll want a comfortable easy chair on two wheels to take long, leisurely cruises on but I like the idea of showing up to a place feeling like I've done work to get there. Everything else in transportation is rather too easy (my car is super reliable and easy to drive, etc.).

All in all, so long as I can find a mechanic in town willing to help me figure out the problems I think I'll be fine. As I've had time to cool off from Friday (My Buell left me stranded twice after I tried to take it for a nice ride), and I really went and looked at them, I keep coming back to the thought "Peter Egan would never write eloquently about a Honda CB500F." and to me riding and working on motorcycles is partly about everything that goes on around them.

By the way, thanks for all the responses. I really do appreciate them.

[gremlin]

Yep, I can't see an Enfield being the right bike for someone without ........ A sense of humor .......

Spot-on !

[mattsz]

I won't try to sway you one way or the other - quality and rideability (is that a word?) can be a crap shoot...you're taking a chance when you plunk down your hard-earned.  But...

...so long as I can find a mechanic in town willing to help me figure out the problems I think I'll be fine.

If you've got mechanical interest and inclination, you won't need a local mechanic to help figure out "the problems" - this forum is the place!  But hopefully you won't have any!

[gizzo]

This right here is hilarious to me, I love that visual. I like the rattle of my Blast, and the fact that after I ride it for an hour I feel like I've accomplished something more than killing time. Maybe in the future I'll want a comfortable easy chair on two wheels to take long, leisurely cruises on but I like the idea of showing up to a place feeling like I've done work to get there. Everything else in transportation is rather too easy (my car is super reliable and easy to drive, etc.).

I used to have a BMW K75S. Lovely bike but I sold it because it was too much like driving a car. Today I did 150km in the bends on my Enfield CGT and feel like I've had a big day out ! .

[ace.cafe]

From your comments, it sounds to me like you should get one.

[wildbill]

I think "WHEN" you get a problem not "IF" in most cases a check in the search engine will give you options on your problem fix and in most cases it can be worked out on this forum. very rarely an issue comes up without several ideas to the fix thrown on the table!
these are pretty fun bikes to ride and enjoy so just go out and buy one and if you have any drama which can't be rectified here on the forum - there is always the dealer
problems or not it's never stopped me from buying them bikes

[SquadronROE]

I think "WHEN" you get a problem not "IF" in most cases a check in the search engine will give you options on your problem fix and in most cases it can be worked out on this forum. very rarely an issue comes up without several ideas to the fix thrown on the table!
these are pretty fun bikes to ride and enjoy so just go out and buy one and if you have any drama which can't be rectified here on the forum - there is always the dealer
problems or not it's never stopped me from buying them bikes

Agreed. All bikes will eventually have problems, but this one will be fun to work on because I can stand back and look at it and say "man, that's a pretty bike" then get motivated to fix it.

And yeah, Ace. I think my decision is pretty much made. I think the only alternative I'd consider now is a Bonneville for similar reasons (style), but that's gonna be out of my range.

[Richard230]

Just to be contrary, I love my 2014 Zero S for being practical. I can go over 100 miles in typical riding at highway speeds on a single charge. (I once traveled 140 miles before the battery died.) Then I have to recharge the batteries overnight, so your ability to tour very far is kind of limited. It does though have a faster top speed than the RE, however. It makes a great daily commuter and only costs about 2 cents a mile to operate. So far the Zero has had no problems and required no maintenance, and (without a gearbox or clutch) is very easy to operate.  Plus, the factory is only about 90 miles away from me. 

However, the Zero is just an appliance and looks like one. Whereas the RE is very engaging, the Zero is nothing that you want to polish and look at each day. They are certainly two ends of the motorcycle spectrum.

[dustystranger]

Maybe a 250 honda nighthawk is what you need.  Dead reliable.  But the class of the RE is more of a chick magnet.  Do what you like.

[barenekd]

The most fun I've had on a bike in the 50+ years of riding were on a 2011
  Enfield G5. Unfortunately mine was crashed a couple of years ago as it was run off the road by an errant pickup and the insurance company stole it from me. I put 16000 miles on it in a little over a year and a half. The only problem I had with it that wasn't from my own meddling was a starter sprag going out.
Beyond that many 350 mile days just ripping through the SoCal Mountains. 90% of my riding was in the mountains and the bike was perfect. The G5 was very comfortable even after I turned it into a cafe racer. If you like to ride and aren't in a big hurry, it's a perfect. After riding sportbikes for 15 or so years, I discovered that riding a slow bike fast, beats the hell out of riding a fast bike slow.The Enfield averaged 70 MPG over its lifetime. As for the maintenance, it wasn't any more than any other bike. Oil and filter changes were pretty much the norm. Don't have to mess with the valves, they have hydraulic lifters. You need to go over it and Loctite everything or it can have a tendency to shed parts.  I would be riding a new Cafe Racer now if it hadn't been for RE's rather late delivery to the states and I needed something to ride. I have a MotoGuzzi V7Racer now that is neither as comfortable or as much fun as the Enfield. It's a nice bike and I do like it, but it's not the RE! It also eats a lot more gas!
Bare

[barenekd]

Just to be contrary, I love my 2014 Zero S for being practical. I can go over 100 miles in typical riding at highway speeds on a single charge. (I once traveled 140 miles before the battery died.) Then I have to recharge the batteries overnight, so your ability to tour very far is kind of limited. It does though have a faster top speed than the RE, however. It makes a great daily commuter and only costs about 2 cents a mile to operate. So far the Zero has had no problems and required no maintenance, and (without a gearbox or clutch) is very easy to operate.  Plus, the factory is only about 90 miles away from me. 

However, the Zero is just an appliance and looks like one. Whereas the RE is very engaging, the Zero is nothing that you want to polish and look at each day. They are certainly two ends of the motorcycle spectrum.

I couldn't get half as far as I usually go when I'm running the mountains. Those electric things seem totally useless to me. If it won't go at least 200 miles before I stop for gas (so I can get back home) I wouldn't have any of them, but for damn sure it wouldn't be one that would leave me stranded overnight!