[dunnwurkin]

As far as the "what if I had too" scenario, here's a little trick I use sometimes when I use the interstate for a short cut to better roads: There will always be a knot of traffic cruising at 60-65 instead of 80. These are usually a loaded down pick up, or a station wagon full of kids, or a camper/motorhome. Tuck in behind and cruise. Although motorcycles are invisible to some drivers, being with another vehicle that is visible keeps you safe, and allows you to cruise at RE speeds while doing it.

  That's a great suggestion that I never considered and I'll always keep it in mind even on the local highways..  I was thinking  of the "what if's"  and don't expect the situation to occur very often or ,more than likely, not at all.

   I do want to tell you that since my last post I've been viewing many member pics and videos on Youtube  and have an even greater desire to get this bike. I absolutely love the green and I haven't figured out why.  I generally like the monochromatic look.  I even got the approval from Steph!  She's already claimed the Legacy as her own for next season.  WooHoo!  My biggest regret is that I didn't do enough research last spring to find this gem.

  What type of garb would you wear on this kind of bike?  What comes to mind is goggles, brown or black leather bomber jacket (depending on the bike color) and a long scarf!

[dunnwurkin]

  Excellent point.  I can really see how that would be a pretty safe way to reluctantly travel on the big road.  I have to tell you that I'm really taken back by the amount of advice I've received from everyone.

  I'd like to ask more questions about the bike but would it be better to post them in a separate category so others can view the different topic?  I apologize for being a newbie. 

 
 

[RagMan]

All of us were newbies not so long ago.. don't apologize. I would suggest you read through the older posts, spend time doing so, and anything you want clarification on, just add to the older post and bring it back up here. Many of the questions Newbies ask are answered two or three times a week, and there are often questions you may not have thought of that would help you.

[jonapplegate]

Dude,
          I have the utmost respect for anyone who had the cajones to go with one of the Chinese bikes. That is what you bought , isn't it ?  Those are going to be everywhere soon and I have a feeling it is going to be like jap/bike vs. brit/bike alover again only this time it will be Chinese vs. japanese. (c'mon, does anyone think yanks figure in this is deluded) If you you like cruisung around then come with us! These bikes are more maintenance but the connection you build with your bike and the new friends you make cannot be measured! Common, Be A Bulleteer!   

[VMAX]

Brian:

You mentioned you like the green. When I saw my future bike I liked the style, but the green just seemed to go w/the bike and sidecar rig. The RE folks say the color is green velvet, I prefer British racing green. Sort of reminds mine of the ol' Spitfire of WW2. 

THere are plenty of folks here that like the military bike and OD color. I spent most of my adult life wearing OD colors so I like the bright dark green.    Also highlights the nose art on my Cozy sidecar. Great for carrying fishing gear, a fishing buddy and or wife.

I have a couple of pics in the members rides photo gallery. Welcome on board. 

[dunnwurkin]

Dude,
          I have the utmost respect for anyone who had the cajones to go with one of the Chinese bikes. That is what you bought , isn't it ?  Those are going to be everywhere soon and I have a feeling it is going to be like jap/bike vs. brit/bike alover again only this time it will be Chinese vs. japanese. (c'mon, does anyone think yanks figure in this is deluded) If you you like cruisung around then come with us! These bikes are more maintenance but the connection you build with your bike and the new friends you make cannot be measured! Common, Be A Bulleteer!   

  Sadly, I agree with you.  In fact when I was told it was a Chinese bike I distinctly remember cringing a bit.  But then I thought the low price and the fact that it got great mileage.  I came to peace with myself when I figured I wasn't handing over 65-70 bucks a week to OPEC.       

  To be honest with you, I'm actually looking forward to some maintenance for nothing more than getting "closer" to the bike. Reading these and other posts, I can truly understand how  you guys love these bikes and developed a community dedicated to them.  Very cool.

[dunnwurkin]

Brian:

You mentioned you like the green. When I saw my future bike I liked the style, but the green just seemed to go w/the bike and sidecar rig. The RE folks say the color is green velvet, I prefer British racing green. Sort of reminds mine of the ol' Spitfire of WW2. 

THere are plenty of folks here that like the military bike and OD color. I spent most of my adult life wearing OD colors so I like the bright dark green.    Also highlights the nose art on my Cozy sidecar. Great for carrying fishing gear, a fishing buddy and or wife.

I have a couple of pics in the members rides photo gallery. Welcome on board. 

  I would have never even considered green until I saw it on the Classic.  I saw the black in someone's gallery and like it equally.  I do know that I'll take it into the shop on a weekend and gold leaf over the gold embellishments!  I've gold leafed a few Harley clients' bikes and usually keep some on hand.

  As for the OD green...  I love the idea but I think it might be in bad taste for me  to own a military style bike without ever serving.  I may be totally off base, no pun intended, with that assumption though.  Don't get me wrong, my biggest regret is never joining a branch of our great military.

[dunnwurkin]

  One more thing...  Thanks for the welcome you guys have given me.  I'm confidant I'll get a wealth of info from you all. 

[deejay]

here's my 2 cents...

1. don't have unrealistic expectations of a bike that was designed for use in the 1950s. remember, you're not riding a "retro" bike, your riding the real deal.... a brand new 1950s motorcycle.

2. test drive -  preferably one with more than 1,000 miles on it. the engine changes drastically as it breaks in (a good thing).

3. maintenance - they require more maintenance than modern machines. valves, timing, etc... small stuff thats easy to learn. you'll gain a new respect for yourself and the bike when she's running well.

4. attention - strangers flock to this bike, get ready to answer questions, lots of em!

5. love - if you embrace the bikes shortcomings and quirks, you will love the bike. there is a great support system online, and Classic Motorworks ( the host of this site and RE distributer) is also top notch. They have answered many of my annoying questions and always seem happy to help. The 1 year unlimited mile warranty is pretty cool too.

hope you join the RE family! 

[RagMan]

I have never heard the reason for not having OD being never having served.  I thank you for that consideration..  I am died in the wool military, and actually love everything OD, or camo.. I will be wearing fatigues in my coffin, as I have NOTHING else to wear.. My take on it was, 27 years serving in uniform, why change my dress habits now.  I was actually in for 3 years longer than that, I joined as a junior at 15.

[rickmax]

A lot of wisdom on this topic.  I too go with the majority, though I've only been riding
an RE for a little over a year and a half. Take it slow and enjoy the scenery.

A note on colour:

The OD green military bikes have a tendency to become invisible  early morning and
near dusk.  Go ahead and stick the reflectors that came with it all over the machine.

Stay visible!  You'll still look cool! 

[jdrouin]

About the colors, from pictures I used to like the solid ones on the Electra and Sixty-5 models. I felt the black Classic was a little boring because the contours of the tank, fenders, and so on are less visible than on the green and silver. I thought the white model looked great because you could really see the fender stays pop out against the tires and take in the whole design at once.

Then I finally had the opportunity to go to the dealer on Long Island a couple of weekends ago and was pleasantly surprised to see how much the bikes differed from the photos. In person, they're far more substantial than they appear in the pictures, and far more sculptural. And the black Classic was by far (to my eye) the best looking model of the bunch. Those pinstripes really accent the curves. What an elegant machine.

I'd say the Bullet is as worthy of being in the Museum of Modern Art as the 1949 Vincent they exhibit.

[mbevo1]

Dunnwurkin,

 I ran across an RE ad in Warneck's Classic Cycle last summer and went to enfieldmotorcycles.com... as soon as I saw the Bullet vintage kit in green, it was all over... I ordered most of the vintage kit with tan leather solo saddle and saddlebags when I ordered my bike.  Cut down the stock seat and made a removable passenger seat (lots bigger than a pillion pad) covered in tan naugahyde.  Have a vintage muffler (old HD FLH type) ready to go on when the season rolls up and I'm not riding it every day.  Decided to keep the stock taillight and turn signal in the back - the vintage beehive taillight and bullet turn signals look good, but I wanted to have as much light shining from the rear as possible...

As far as maintenance goes, I had to tweak things fairly regularly the first thousand miles or so, but after that, it's mostly just checking to make sure northings slipped on me.  I'm close to 5000 miles, and have had to adjust the points once,  haven't had to adjust the pushrods, timing, primary or rear chains since 2000 miles... my bike lets me know when something's getting goofy, and then  it's usually a 15-minute deal to fix it. 

I know a bunch of the folks who post here are also members of the Yahoo Royal Enfield Groups... I'm a member of the royalenfield, Bullet-Mania and Bulletech groups.  You might want to consider joining... there's Bulleteers and experts from around the world as members. Great info, expert advice, lots of laughs, and TONS of pictures of Royal Enfields in every configuration imaginable.

I think deejay's 2 cents are worth much more than that - they match my thoughts 100%.  I can't get over how much attention the bike attracts (I'm fairly sure it ain't me.) The nice folks at CMW sent me a stack of model brochures that I keep in the pocket of the A-2 flight jacket I wear for riding... I was making my own and handing out about 5 a week after I went through the explanation of "well, its a brand-new 1955 Royal Enfield..." 

I echo the thanks from IndianaBulleteer on your consideration for our military.  I served 21 years myself, but in Navy Blue instead of camo.  Don't think any of us would consider you a fraud if you decided on the military model.  There's several great military models (a couple are scratch-built) in the Yahoo groups (mostly on the Bullet-Maina group) that will get your juices flowing.  I'm thinking about military model done in U.S. desert tan...

I'm convinced these bike are the perfect pallet for a very overactive imagination... 

Apologies to all for the lengthly post... I just can't seem to quit thinking Bullets once I start thinking Bullets...

Mike and Stumpy in Michigan

[VMAX]

I propose a toast to each and every Classic Bullet driver, no matter the color or configuration, and to all veterans and those who appreciate us.

May the wind always blow from your 6 (that's stern for the Navy & Mickeys big hand on the 12 and his little hand on the 6 for our USMC brethern) 

Man I do appreciate you guys. 

[dave48]

"What type of garb would you wear on this kind of bike?  What comes to mind is goggles, brown or black leather bomber jacket (depending on the bike color) and a long scarf!"

Belstaff Waxed Cotton (jacket and overtrousers and mitts!). Possibly full length gaberdine trench coat. Goggles - if you like. Bomber jacket - no, No, NO! Wrong period, wrong sub-culture. SHORT white silk scarf - if you like, but really only if a cafe racer model.

And if you want the true period appearance....smoking a pipe while you ride (that's why designed to go quite sedately!