[adi-4004]

I think your wife would love it! Hey, she could also impress people by kick starting it.
Roverman and the GReen B.

One way to kick start a RE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSp7u6PMR_Y

[Burddog]

Thanks for all the additional posts on this.  Great input so far.  I should add that while this bike will be my wife's....I fell in love with the RE Classic in Chrome myself.  I agree this bike will probably get lots more attention than my R1200C if we go this route....although the R1200C is certainly a pretty rare bike on the road in it's own right.  Don't see many of em, and lots of people ask about it.

Sounds like maintenance isn't much of an issue.  I'm perfectly confident with oil changes, chain maintenance, replacing batteries and keeping bolts tightened.  So...good to hear most don't experience repairs that would require dealer assistance.  My father is a veteran mechanic and is always great support if something is over my skill level.

The hard part for me is getting over the fear of having us both riding.  I choose to ride despite the safety concerns.  Been riding for 28 years, and have had enough close encounters to realize the risk with riding.  We have two young daughters, ages 3 and 5.   So the lack of ability to do interstate speeds initially might be a good thing.

Are replacement mirrors, levers, pegs, etc... fairly reasonably priced?  I shouldn't assume that she will be dropping the bike, but I think most new riders have dropped one especially at low speeds.  I know I did when I was 14 and learning to ride.  Guess I will look at parts on the forum supplier sites. 

[Richard230]

Replacement and accessory parts for the RE are a lot cheaper than for your BMW.  Of course, they are not the same quality.  But you get a lot more for your money.

[Arizoni]

Most of the accessory parts are very reasonably priced.  Some of them costing a pittance of what other brands of motorcycles charge.

For instance, when I told a Harley rider that my crash bar cost $90.00 US, he just about crapped saying something about one of his footpegs would cost more than that.

[tenacres650]

The hard part for me is getting over the fear of having us both riding. Been riding for 28 years, and have had enough close encounters to realize the risk with riding.  We have two young daughters, ages 3 and 5.   

I have ridden bikes all my life, so when I meet my wife it was natural to teach her to ride, she was about 21yo. She had the normal near misses, all not her fault. When we had kids we both decided not to ride, not because we didn't think we could ride, but because other drivers just do not look and we did not want our kids growing up without a parent if it could be helped. I was off and on bikes for 10 years, she didn't ride herself at all. When our youngest turned 14 she wanted a bike again so she brought a Honda VT750 and still has it now.
I share your thoughts completely. Good luck with it. 

[The Old Coot]

The mirrors are cheap and you'd be better off just getting an aftermarket set. The levers...I haven't bought one but I don't see that as being all that pricy. Break the foot pegs? I would hate to see the rest of the bike if you did. On my C5 they are solid steel and non-folding monsters. More likely to break the mounting bolt I'd think.

[waterman]

Not sure how tall your wife is, but if she is on the petite side and finds the RE "too much", then a great beginner's bike is the Sym Wolf (less than 300 lbs and low seat height).  They are not freeway bikes but can be made to do 65 WOT for a couple of exits but not much more.

I had mine for a couple of years and really enjoyed it until it was totaled in a hit and run.  It is modeled on the old CB125 and is a head turner, but not as much as the RE! 

[suitcasejefferson]

The Enfield is what it is. Maintenance is not that difficult, but it seems they have a lot of little problems. Main issue is quality, or lack thereof. They are great fun, but if you want to ride and not worry about problems, I would go Japanese. I do have to disagree with the Enfield being a good bike for a beginners. The controls are clunky, nothing on the bike is really precise. Huge fun for an experienced rider that likes character (like me) but IMHO not the best for a beginner. Buy a used Honda Rebel 250 or Yamaha Virago 250. These bikes are freeway capable, have low seats, the controls work perfectly with no glitches, and when she gets really comfortable with it, then consider an Enfield.

Beware though, that the Enfield is usually a love it or hate it bike. Many, actually most, people seem to want the precise, smooth, quiet Japanese bikes, and wonder why someone would want to ride a jackhammer down the road. I'm sure the Harley guys probably get it.

Beware of the Wold 150. They look great, but the quality is a step below the Enfield. I have a SYM HD200 scooter, and it is super high quality, but that quality does not seem to carry over to the Wolf 150. Check out www.symforum.com for some owners opinions

[Narada]

Hi Burddog,

What color is the C5 that your considering?  I love them all but I went with Chrome / Maroon.  I just rolled over 500 miles on my odometer tonight and have not had one problem with it. 

I have purchased a few accessories like exhaust silencer, PC-V computer, K&N air filter.  I chose the premium EFI silencer from Nfield gear and love the sound of it while riding. 

I just ordered a gas cap conversion kit to go from the stock modern flip-top, to the old style chrome screw on type.  I also just ordered some "Napoleon" bar end mirrors for better rear view without vibration (of mirror).  I have never felt the bike vibrates excessively, I love the feel of it, it seems completely right to me. 

I saw my first Royal Enfield while visiting Banaras India last year and it stole my heart.  I love my bike and feel a very deep gratitude that I have been fortunate enough to own one in this life.  I couldn't be happier with any other motorcycle. 

[Scotty Brown]

Everyone has their own idea of what this machine is --To me it is a time machine and gives me great pleasure if only sitting in the garage waiting to be ridden.  I have a '13-C5 with now just under 7000 miles.  Service ?  Oil changes and a little nut and bolt tightening using blue loctite.  One chain adjustment.  Broken in slowly with love and several two and three hundred road trips.  The bike is a bit sensitive to tire pressure and I ride it on the high side.  Any regular gas works as well as premium.  Check water level in the battery, and electrical connections. Smoothness increases with mileage and in my case about 2500 miles.  Bar end mirrors were installed for safety reasons and do not vibrate much.  The power delivery is very linear so it is not necessary to wind out the gear box.  Short shifting with out lugging feels just right and extends chain life.  Oh yes, expect lots of conversation almost everywhere.

[JohnDL]

My advice:

Trade in the BMW and have one each!

John

[JVS]

This is my first bike. Not sure what you mean by controls being clunky? How many controls do we have to use 

This is probably one of the easiest bikes to learn on (Not that I've ridden other bikes, but I'm sure would come back to the RE). It's so much fun as it is. Rolling the throttle past 50% post 35mph gives me that 'happy' feeling and cheeky laughter. The sound is mesmerising  Plus you get to work on your beloved machine/bike, do some maintenance here and there, some mods, some parts. You learn quite a lot. It's great.

For speed, I'll be purchasing an S1000RR or an R1 in the future. But I'll always keep the RE.

[Burddog]

All good responses from varying points of view.   To address trading my BMW in for a RE........uhmmmmm, NO.  I have to be able to do 85+ mph.  Me likey go fast.  Plus, my BMW is what I commute to work (20miles) on in the summer .......all interstate.  While I think the RE is a beautiful bike, and would be a hoot for round town and backroad stuff....it could not by my only motorcycle.

We are currently contemplating all sorts of beginner bikes for my wife.  The RE B5 , (in forest green) because one dealer made a fabulous offer of $3750 for  a brand new one, out the door.
Next up:  a RE classic (chrome/maroon)......because its beautiful. 
Third:  a really cool 1972 Yamaha XS 650 that has been highly customized by a Hot Rod Institute school here locally.  Very low seat height, custom orange paint.....this one is nearing the top of MY short list.  They're asking $4500 for it.  It won 1st Place for mild custom category in a recent local show. 
Honda Rebels, Suzuki Boulevards, and the other "usual suspects" for beginner bikes. 

ED:  Also looked at the 2015 Kawasaki Vulcan S.  Looks like a great bike for the $, and one she could grow into for something that we could do weekend trips on.  She likes the lime green one.

I'm completely motorcycle obsessed.....so being able to shop for a second person is really too much.  At the end of the day, i do all this shopping and she's only half as engaged in this whole process as me.

She'll probably pick something that wasn't even in my top 5....

By the way,  loving the community on this forum.  I have participated lots on other forums but you folks have made this a lot of fun.

[suitcasejefferson]

The controls (clutch, shifter, brakes, throttle) feel a bit clunky to me compared to most of the Japanese bikes I've ridden (lots of them). To me that is part of the Enfield's charm (I have owned a '66 Bonneville and ridden a late '40s Indian Cheif) You even had to adjust the ignition timing manually on that thing. But it was very enjoyable, and I got the hang of it pretty quickly.

But I still say a Japanese bike is better for a beginner. Not sure how I feel about the looks of the Vulcan S, but it has a solid engine. But it will be over $8000 OTD, and it's not a tiny bike. I would not want to drop an $8000 bike. There are so many used Japanese bikes you can pick up on Craigslist for $1500 that would make excellent beginner bikes. If you wanted new, the CB300F is an excellent standard style bike with a somewhat reasonable price.

I started out on dirt bikes at age 8, and was well past my dropping bikes stage before I got my first street bike at age 16, a used early '70s Suzuki GT380. I rode that about 3 years, and after having a job for about a year, bought a brand new Suzuki GS450L. I have yet to drop a street bike in over half a million miles of riding. I credit luck, and my dirt bike experience for that.

[Mulga Bill]

The hard part for me is getting over the fear of having us both riding.  I choose to ride despite the safety concerns.  Been riding for 28 years, and have had enough close encounters to realize the risk with riding.  We have two young daughters, ages 3 and 5.   So the lack of ability to do interstate speeds initially might be a good thing.

I haven't ridden for 25 years and my wife never, but we just bought and are loving our C5 Classics. There are lots of off highway adventures to have and it makes having lunch together so much more than just having lunch.
We have two kids as well and therefore the majority of our rides are when they are at school or at friends/sport etc.
Just enjoy it, remember this will carry thru till retirement.
Maybe show her the trips you can do in India/Tibet/Vietnam etc together