Author Topic: End of a myth  (Read 20888 times)

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donkey

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on: October 05, 2007, 06:15:26 pm
http://www.moto-station.com/article3152 ... tion-.html

Nothing that we didn't know yet, but is a hard reality now...
"Never mind the track. The track is for punks. We are Road People. We are Café Racers." Hunter S. Thompson
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Café Racer CB400SS
Royal Enfield Bullet 500ES
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Thumper

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Reply #1 on: October 05, 2007, 06:55:40 pm
Donkey,

Thanks for the post.

Although rough, this translation by Bablefish is pretty revealing:

Royal Enfield will upset the purists in 2008 with his new engine developed for the standards euro 3. The most visible change on the one-cylinder one of Bullet Electra EFI: injection!
M.a.j.: 02-10-2007
 
    Intro     
The date of application of the standard Euro 3 similar to great steps, Royal Enfield was to make evolve/move its legendary one-cylinder of one half-litre. The carburettor was replaced by an injector, but the remainder of the engine has also largely modified him.

 
An engine which is modernized, a motor bike which remains traditional
If the esthetics of Bullet Electra remains unchanged, preserving this acquired line decades ago, it is a completely new engine which takes seat within the framework cradle. To meet the standards Euro 3, the carburettor yielded the place to an injector shouldered by a probe lambda and a catalytic pot. The engine gains 6 horses and develops now 28 horses, which always leaves with the shelter radars. But the evolutions do not stop there.
The clutch and the gear box are not dissociated any more from the engine, the dry casing was replaced by a wet casing and the distribution adopts hydraulic valve lifters (!), which slices very clearly with the image of simplicity associated with the mark. On the level of the practical aspects, one finds a witness of passage automatic in reserve, the tensioner of chain of distribution is now automatic and a simple glance with the port-hole makes it possible to supervise the oil level. As many small installations which should interest those that the voluntary rusticity of Royal Enfield could reject.
If few technical data are for the moment available on this new version of Bullet Electra, the improvements made by the new engine will be judged at the time of the road test, to come over connected ms Restez.

By P' tit Lu

Royal Enfield Bullet Electra EFI, in detail:
- entirely new engine
- one-cylinder 4 times 500 Cm3 (84 X 90 mm)
- power 28 CH. (6 CH. moreover than the anicen model)
- approved Euro 3: injection, probe lambda, catalytic pot
- clutch and gear box integrated into the engine
- circuit of lubrication to wet casing
- visible oil level per port-hole
- hydraulic valve lifters
- tensioner of chains of automatic distribution
- witness of passage in reserve
« Last Edit: October 05, 2007, 06:59:23 pm by Thumper »


LotusSevenMan

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Reply #2 on: October 05, 2007, 08:11:29 pm
Thanks for the translation! ;D
If it ain't broke-------------------------- fix it 'till it is!

Royal Enfield Miltary 500cc  (2003)
Honda VTR FireStorm (SuperHawk) 996cc 'V' twin
Kawasaki KR1 250cc twin 'stroker
Ducati 916 'L' twin


Kevin Mahoney

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Reply #3 on: October 06, 2007, 01:04:46 am
Don't panic. While the new engine is in fact new and injected it is not all bad. Still looks similar to an old Brit single (especially if you paint the cylinder black which it will be on subsequent models), still a long stroke single, Unit engines were very common back in the day. the fuel injection is actually quite well disguised. It now has a reasonable amount of power and with just a chip change it can be safely boosted even more.
  As for the Electra body that is a matter of taste. I personally prefer the older Classic design, but I am old. There is s new retro bike coming that will knock you socks off. Besides the old engine should be available for the rest of the 2008 model year.
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Kevin Mahoney
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RagMan

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Reply #4 on: October 06, 2007, 05:50:34 am
When can we expect the new retro bike, I will be buying in 3½ months time - I would be happy to wait if it ain't going to be too long.  Heck, if I can see a picture of it, I may wait anyway..
aka Indiana Bulleteer.
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stipa

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Reply #5 on: October 06, 2007, 07:14:23 am
Wanna see the retro bike.  Any chance of getting a download of exploded powerplant drawing?  So we can see, ya know, what to expect?

Steve


exiledcarper

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Reply #6 on: October 06, 2007, 05:51:30 pm
Don't panic. While the new engine is in fact new and injected it is not all bad. Still looks similar to an old Brit single (especially if you paint the cylinder black which it will be on subsequent models), still a long stroke single, Unit engines were very common back in the day. the fuel injection is actually quite well disguised. It now has a reasonable amount of power and with just a chip change it can be safely boosted even more.
  As for the Electra body that is a matter of taste. I personally prefer the older Classic design, but I am old. There is s new retro bike coming that will knock you socks off. Besides the old engine should be available for the rest of the 2008 model year.
I can understand the convenience of a more modern design with regards to reliability and especially from the vendors point of view re; warranty claims etc.  I'm sure it will be a very efficient and more convenient bvike. The thing is , lots of potential buyers simply won't consider it to be a real Enfield, given that R.E. is/was a traditional British marque, more recently manufactured in India.  Still a vintage British bike though, which the new engined machine will definitely not be.  I personal feel that Eicher should now drop the Royal enfield name, as there will be nothing Enfield about the new machine.  Agreed, the new motor represents technological progress, it's just not an Enfield!


hutch

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Reply #7 on: October 06, 2007, 06:05:25 pm
Don't panic. While the new engine is in fact new and injected it is not all bad. Still looks similar to an old Brit single (especially if you paint the cylinder black which it will be on subsequent models), still a long stroke single, Unit engines were very common back in the day. the fuel injection is actually quite well disguised. It now has a reasonable amount of power and with just a chip change it can be safely boosted even more.
  As for the Electra body that is a matter of taste. I personally prefer the older Classic design, but I am old. There is s new retro bike coming that will knock you socks off. Besides the old engine should be available for the rest of the 2008 model year.
I can understand the convenience of a more modern design with regards to reliability and especially from the vendors point of view re; warranty claims etc.  I'm sure it will be a very efficient and more convenient bvike. The thing is , lots of potential buyers simply won't consider it to be a real Enfield, given that R.E. is/was a traditional British marque, more recently manufactured in India.  Still a vintage British bike though, which the new engined machine will definitely not be.  I personal feel that Eicher should now drop the Royal enfield name, as there will be nothing Enfield about the new machine.  Agreed, the new motor represents technological progress, it's just not an Enfield!
I second that statement sir.  I would guess that 90% of buyers for the Enfield were influenced by the look and "untainted by technolgy" thing.  As far as younger new buyers.........they will go with faster bikes other than the Enfield.    Just my oppinion.     Hutch
« Last Edit: October 06, 2007, 06:10:33 pm by hutch »
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Reply #8 on: October 06, 2007, 06:36:34 pm
My guess is that it will be at least a year before we actually see the new bike. It will be introduced in late fall/early winter but won't be in production yet. Then I have a bad habit of letting the Europeans work out the kinks on new models. I think best case they will be available as 2009 models in the US.
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Kevin Mahoney
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Kevin Mahoney

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Reply #9 on: October 06, 2007, 06:46:45 pm
There are no exploded views, shop manuals, parts books etc available yet for the new engine. It is still a dead simple long-stroke single. It is basically a Lean-burn bottom end. a similar TCI ignition, hydraulic lifter to eliminate noise, adjustment and to allow the valve clearances to be constant to control emissions. The transmission is almost the same as the current 5 speed, just in a different case. It is still a pushrod low RPM engine. It also looks to me as if adding a carburetor would be very easy. I am sure someone will do it right away. The engine will be available in a couple types of dress. The engine you see in the pictures is the more modern 70's type look, through the use of a painted barrel and different sidecovers a more Vintage look will also be produced.
« Last Edit: October 06, 2007, 06:54:21 pm by Royal Enfield 1 »
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prof_stack

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Reply #10 on: October 06, 2007, 08:03:47 pm
Sign me up!  2009 Model G (J?) black painted cylinder and the modern stuff.  28hp and more on tap, what's not to like?   ;D

Sorry, Hutch, I'm in on this one.   ;)  It probably will bring a whole new group of riders into the RE fold. 

Bring it on!


exiledcarper

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Reply #11 on: October 06, 2007, 08:22:51 pm
Sign me up!  2009 Model G (J?) black painted cylinder and the modern stuff.  28hp and more on tap, what's not to like?   ;D

Sorry, Hutch, I'm in on this one.   ;)  It probably will bring a whole new group of riders into the RE fold. 

Bring it on!
  I think that Hutch would probably agree that it will be  a decent bike, just NOT an Enfield by any description. Just my opinion, but I think it should be called the Eicher 500, or similar.  Definitely shouldn't use the Royal Enfield marque though as it simply aint an Enfield!  I guess there will be two distinct camps, however I feel that losing the vintage appeal of the Bullet will see a deline in sales, although not in the home market, where the Enfield is seen simply as a good honest Indian made vehicle, rather than necessarily old British iron. Losing the Bullet is losing the one thing that makes Enfield stand out as different, namely vintage appeal.  There's plenty of other efficient modern machines out there.  Might as well by a Jap bike, with more proven technology.


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Reply #12 on: October 06, 2007, 08:52:08 pm
Manufacturers have been bastardizing marques forever. Establish it & harvest it. Remember the way the Mustang morphed from a muscle car to an embarassment? Ugly & incompetent little piece O junk. But, they left the name on it. The changes of the future by RE arent dictated by their greed or bad judgement, but by govt regulation. I hope they work to maintain as much authenticity as they can while they try to salvage the marque. I dont see RE as the bad guy here, but more victim. It is sad, tho, & I wish I had a pat answer, It will be more RE than any other bike built, but, from a purist position, it wont be RE at all.. Tough all around, I see both sides of the argument,, does that mean I am fair minded? Or ,, does it mean I am confused??  ???


luoma

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Reply #13 on: October 06, 2007, 09:29:44 pm
Personally, I applaud RE for working so hard to maintain the personality of their bikes while keeping up with modern requirements. They could have very easily gone the other way and build generic jap knockoffs. Harley had the same dilemma. They opted not to try to compete with the Japs by matching shear numbers on the spec sheet, but instead maintained the character of the machine, something the Japs haven't been able to duplicate exactly.

I don't mind the idea of a unit motor. Old BSA 500s had unit power plants that looked similar to what RE is doing with the UCE, and they were famous for spunk and durability. My Brit bike dealer friend still races one in the vintage flat track class. I just hope they keep the stying vintage.


exiledcarper

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Reply #14 on: October 07, 2007, 12:10:56 am
Manufacturers have been bastardizing marques forever. Establish it & harvest it. Remember the way the Mustang morphed from a muscle car to an embarassment? Ugly & incompetent little piece O junk. But, they left the name on it. The changes of the future by RE arent dictated by their greed or bad judgement, but by govt regulation. I hope they work to maintain as much authenticity as they can while they try to salvage the marque. I dont see RE as the bad guy here, but more victim. It is sad, tho, & I wish I had a pat answer, It will be more RE than any other bike built, but, from a purist position, it wont be RE at all.. Tough all around, I see both sides of the argument,, does that mean I am fair minded? Or ,, does it mean I am confused??  ???
[/quote  I totally agree that it's the goverment suits who have killed off the Classic, that's hardly R.E.'s fault.  I still maintain though, that a Royal Enfiled is a motorcycle of British design.  The new machine is nothing of the sort and I just don't think it should carry the Enfield name.  That doesn't mean I don't think the EFI will be a good bike, I'm confident it will be. Not a Royal Enfield though.