Poll

What will the MSRP be set at for the USA version of the Bullet Classic?

Less than $6,000
12 (44.4%)
$6,000 to $6,500
8 (29.6%)
$6501 to $7000
2 (7.4%)
$7001 to $7500
4 (14.8%)
More than $7500
1 (3.7%)

Total Members Voted: 26

Voting closed: November 05, 2008, 02:31:15 am

Author Topic: MSRP for the USA version of the Bullet Classic?  (Read 15506 times)

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cyrusb

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Reply #15 on: October 17, 2008, 05:33:10 pm
I think the UCE bullet, is the answer to the question that nobody asked.
2005E Fixed and or Replaced: ignition, fenders,chainguard,wires,carb,headlight,seat,tailight,sprockets,chain,shock springs,fork springs, exhaust system, horn,shifter,clutch arm, trafficators,crankcase vent.


birdmove

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Reply #16 on: October 17, 2008, 05:43:09 pm
   HD has dropped the XL883.They dropped the XL883R a while back,If you want a new 883 you have to get either the Custom or the Low now.

    jon
Jon in Keaau, Hawaii


prof_stack

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Reply #17 on: October 18, 2008, 07:29:59 pm
I think the UCE bullet, is the answer to the question that nobody asked.
Questions were asked, like:
  • Can you make the Bullet to conform to Euro 3?  i.e. fuel injection
  • Can you make the Bullet have fewer problems?  ... we'll see ...
  • Can you make the Bullet be able to sustain 70mph runs?  ... we'll see ...
  • Can you make the Bullet in a really classic looking style?  Yes


taildraggin

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Reply #18 on: October 19, 2008, 06:26:02 pm
People buy Enfields cause they are cheap and different.

Harley is asking $6700 for an 883 sportster on their website.  I don't think that leaves much room in the market - at that level - for an Enfield with mild functional improvement over the one it replaces.
« Last Edit: October 19, 2008, 06:30:22 pm by taildraggin »
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Chasfield

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Reply #19 on: October 19, 2008, 08:00:52 pm
I agree 100% with that, taildraggin.

The danger is that RE will forget who their core buyer is/was and look, green-eyed, at the main stream. Honda/Harley style pricing could then easily antagonize the loyal RE person, and at the same time the appeal of the new bikes could be insufficient to win over buyers of those more orthodox machines.

And, there is no going back when you have blurred a brand's identity. For example, Nikon have sold a boatload of cheap consumer compact digital cameras (and hit the mainstream) but something intangible was lost along the way.

 :(
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RAKe

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Reply #20 on: October 19, 2008, 08:01:36 pm
I have lost two pending posts last night and this morning, so now that I am done cursing, I will change my tactics and update my post a piece at a time.  Please excuse this large post, but I will cover a number of important topics.

First, Chasfield, Hondas and Harleys represent significantly different market segments.  Honda offers an extremely well-engineered, but docile product that is quickly duplicated by many other manufacturers, effectively melding its bikes into mediocrity. Harley-Davidson, on the other hand, has strived for decades now to market it's bikes in a manner to appeal to the individuality of its customers, while also maintaining a "rogue" appeal.  Excellent tactic, but expensive (I speak from experience).

With that said, I appreciate the responses to my earlier post on the comparative value of Royal Enfields.

Ace, you own a sharp RE (but I'm too old for the low bars, though).  You also present a strong argument.  Regarding cost, I was wrong in my earlier claims.  I just surfed the D&D Cycle website and learned that the cheapest Bonneville (Black) is $7299, while the America (my choice) is $7999.  That makes an RE more of a value, pricewise.  With respect to performance, I am confident that a UCE will meet those requirements.  I have no intention of riding cross-country (among the strengths of my big Harley-Davidson).  My riding is mostly around town, with some day-trips mixed in.  My primary concern with an RE is overheating if I were to burn a tank of gas (or more) in one trip on a hot summer day (once a limitation of HD Sportsters).  Also, the front disc brake is a notable upgrade, as I have read (in one report) of the inadequacy of RE drum brakes.

Regarding economy, I will use Luoma's research into the gas mileage of a Bonneville as a basis for further explanation.  My Harley-Davidson, with a 96 cubic-inch V-twin delivers only 40-45mpg, and apparently, a Triumph is not signficantly better, if not worse--another strong point for RE.  You just cannot beat 70 mpg.

But the most important factor to me, as to all of us, is the personality, or the sound and feel  of the bike.  Yesterday I rode across southern Alabama with a girlfriend (she bought my Sportster).  When we ride together she rides in the left half of the lane, and I ride in the right, often just behind her so I can absorb the staccato rumble of her exhaust (she serves me well).  It is a similar sound and feeling that I hope to expect from a Royal Enfield.  If I could acquire that, I would willingly sacrifice the over-abundance of torque provided by a Harley-Davidson, or the smoothness and speed (not particularly attractive characteristics to me) associated with a Triumph America.  I normally think that anything over 50mph is only fighting the wind, although as I ride behind a windshield, my Harley-Davidson lopes along perfectly in overdrive at 60mph.

Mike, I recently visited D&D Cycle shopping for a new RE bike.  In order to speed the transaction, I offered the multiple salesmen on the scene the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to accept my 2007 HD Street Bob in trade, but they only laughed.  Why is that?

Luoma,  I understand your skepticism of "smooth, over-engineered" motorcycles, which is one of the reasons I now ride the beast I do.  But I would welcome the opportunity to step down to a smaller, more nimble, and less expensive ride that would offer me a similar personality at less cost.  In fact, if we can set it up, I would like to get together so we can ride together and I can inspect your ride (note above analysis technique).  If we can set something up somewhere in Pensacola, just let me know at Richard_Kemp@military.com.  Cheers.   
« Last Edit: October 20, 2008, 04:46:51 am by RAKe »
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Leonard

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Reply #21 on: October 19, 2008, 10:40:24 pm
Also, the front disc brake is a notable upgrade, as I have read of the inadequacy of RE drum brakes.

If anyone has an inadequate DLS front brake it is because it isn't adjusted properly.
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Chasfield

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Reply #22 on: October 20, 2008, 05:23:20 pm
That's right.  My DLS front brake was very poor until I got the dormant shoe to join in the party by adjusting the linkage rod.

Back on price: in the UK the now withdrawn 350 iron engined Classic was being sold for 2450 GBP up until the end (a bargain). Whereas, a fully loaded lean-burn cafe racer style model would be about twice that. That is a big hike for a similar amount of metal and makes you look long and hard at other brands.

It is difficult to equate US and UK prices because we often pay pound for dollar whatever the official crazy exchange rate is supposed to be, but the danger is that RE will gravitate towards charging the fancy price for the bread-and-butter UCE product and annoy a lot of people. Not sure what that might come to in US dollars.
2001 500 Bullet Deluxe


Jon

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Reply #23 on: October 20, 2008, 09:11:28 pm
An answer to taildraging. If Harley can sell the Sportster at $6700 which is also a bike
that has only recieved the afore mentioned mild functional improvements since
1957 why can't Enfield do the same with the Bullet? Or do you believe that the
Sportster is a better motorcycle?
Out of interest was that MSRP for the Sportster or a discounted price? I have always
thought that the Sportster was the only modern Harley that appealed but here in
California they always seemed a bit pricey.
 I will be disappointed if the UCE is out of my price range when it appears but that
won't stop me waiting a bit until I can afford one and on balance I prefer it to
either the Sportster or the AVL.In many respects I prefer the classic iron barrel
Bullet but I have previously owned one and the use I envisage for my next bike
might require too much maintainance input.


alwscout

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Reply #24 on: October 20, 2008, 09:29:42 pm
I find it humorous that none of us have CLUE as to how much this is going to cost and yet we are already throwing RE under the bus about how they are going to overprice it and lose touch with reality or whatever.

I remember when folks were saying the new bike wasn't going to look good before we ever saw a picture of it too.

The rumor mill sure runs at full throttle when it comes to new bikes.

Adam
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prof_stack

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Reply #25 on: October 21, 2008, 12:39:34 am
The Sportster 883Low is priced at $6900 MSRP on the HD USA website.  There is no doubt that it is a better motorcycle than the UCE in some things: 

Better in the # of dealers, parts availability, reliability of engine (although I hope the UCE proves itself rock solid), and resale.

But the RE is lighter, less expensive (I sure hope so), more fuel efficient, and surely has better handling.

They both look classic and timeless.  I had an 883 Sportster once upon a time for 6 years and was glad to sell it to get an Electra-Glide (wonderful machine but also now gone). 

BUT, what I WANT TO SEE is the actual stock Bullet Classic that will be sold in the US.  Assuming what we've been told, the UCE will have a more "normal" exhaust pipe with larger volume for emission and sound level concerns.

Bring it on, let's see it!


cyrusb

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Reply #26 on: October 21, 2008, 02:54:00 pm
Prof Stack, Are those the questions you asked when you fell in love with your bullet? The fact that it had none of those improvements is what made the sale, was it not?
2005E Fixed and or Replaced: ignition, fenders,chainguard,wires,carb,headlight,seat,tailight,sprockets,chain,shock springs,fork springs, exhaust system, horn,shifter,clutch arm, trafficators,crankcase vent.


prof_stack

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Reply #27 on: October 21, 2008, 07:13:43 pm
Prof Stack, Are those the questions you asked when you fell in love with your bullet? The fact that it had none of those improvements is what made the sale, was it not?
Actually, I did NOT fall in love with the Electra and also did not buy one, although I was pretty darn close (ask Vince) a couple of times.  I wanted a thumper as I've always been enthralled with them.  The SR500 came and went (good bike but parts became hard to find and a new stator was almost worth the bike's resale value at that time) and the Buell Blast was very rugged and dependable but I was seduced by the sexy Buell XB9S and traded in the Blast. 

The MG Nevada is a great motorcycle and very easy to put a lot of miles on in one sitting (100 miles last Sunday, 61mpg).  For now its perfect for me.  However, I'm still hankering for a single-cyinder machine.  If the UCE pans out to be better in reliability than the AVL or iron then that's what I'll get.  It would probably join rather than replace the Guzzi.


cyrusb

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Reply #28 on: October 21, 2008, 09:28:10 pm
Sorry, my bad, I assumed you owned one(iron classic) now things make sense. Lots of bikes out there allready meet your requirements.
2005E Fixed and or Replaced: ignition, fenders,chainguard,wires,carb,headlight,seat,tailight,sprockets,chain,shock springs,fork springs, exhaust system, horn,shifter,clutch arm, trafficators,crankcase vent.


meilaushi

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Reply #29 on: October 24, 2008, 07:15:19 pm
I don't need an interstate bike, but I'd sure like to have a new UCE in the 350cc range.  The fuel mileage would be awesome, methinks, and for the kind of backroad riding I do (I hate interstates and only do 'em when iron-buttin' it) just putzying around enjoying myself I'd much rather have a 350 than a 500.  I hope they'll sell 350s over here in the colonies like they do in India!  8)
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