Author Topic: New Enflied Buyer  (Read 4983 times)

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OhioEnfield26

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on: December 21, 2007, 01:18:17 am
 :-\ I am interested in buying a Royal Enfield.  I saw the ad for one in a bike mag at Borders and thought that this was the perfect bike for me!  I currently have a 1972 Honda CB350 Rat that I love riding, thought the repairs are killing me.  I am spending too much time fixing and not enough time on the road.  My problem is that there are no bike manufacturers that are making bikes like the CB. Until I saw the Bullet.  My question I guess is which side is the clutch on?  I know this sounds stupid, but some of the sites I have gone to are saying that the shifting is on the right.  If this is so...is the clutch and the shifter both on the right? Or are they on the left where it woudl be more confortable?  Finally, is it possible to have this swiched over to the left side where it would be easier to ride.  I would hate to have one bike one way and one the other....
-Thanks for any feedback!


Foggy_Auggie

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Reply #1 on: December 21, 2007, 01:41:30 am
The controls are the standard U.S. spec. configuration.  Left hand clutch lever, left hand foot shift.  Right hand front brake, right foot rear brake.

Where are you at in Ohio?  I could steer you toward a dealer if you're in the western part of the state.

Regards, Foggy
Diagonally parked in a parallel universe.

Fortiter Et Fideliter


Thumper

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Reply #2 on: December 21, 2007, 01:38:11 pm
:-\ I am interested in buying a Royal Enfield.  I saw the ad for one in a bike mag at Borders and thought that this was the perfect bike for me!  I currently have a 1972 Honda CB350 Rat that I love riding, thought the repairs are killing me.  I am spending too much time fixing and not enough time on the road.  My problem is that there are no bike manufacturers that are making bikes like the CB. Until I saw the Bullet.  My question I guess is which side is the clutch on?  I know this sounds stupid, but some of the sites I have gone to are saying that the shifting is on the right.  If this is so...is the clutch and the shifter both on the right? Or are they on the left where it woudl be more confortable?  Finally, is it possible to have this swiched over to the left side where it would be easier to ride.  I would hate to have one bike one way and one the other....
-Thanks for any feedback!

Welcome OH26!

Foggy answered your your question, but I can't help but chime in a little.

I had a 72 CB175 as my first bike. (My high school buddy had a gold CB350).  Later (in the early 80's) I had a couple more CB175's and my brother-in-law gave me his old CB350.

The RE Bullet it similar to the CB350. Same basic chassis, tires and suspension. Drum brakes, unless you get the Electra X. Chain drive. The Electra X has e-ignition; not sure about the current Classics (the Classic owners can tell you if they still run points). I don't know the HP on the 350 but it was probably only a little more than the 22-23 HP of the RE.

My guess is that the CB350 will feel heavier and slightly chunkier than the narrow profile of the RE. You also get the great Sound of Singles: thump thump thump thump with the RE.

Maintenance on a new CB350 is probably about the same as maintenance on a new RE. You should expect significantly less TLC needed on a new RE than a 35 year old CB350 (regardless of how exceptional the engineering was for its day).

Matt


Foggy_Auggie

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Reply #3 on: December 21, 2007, 07:54:32 pm
The frames and handling of the Honda CB/CL350 in particular were death traps compared to the handling of the Enfield.

We used to say they were Japan's revenge for losing WWII.  At one time, accident reports had the Honda 350 at the highest rider kill ratio.

I had one - coming off of borrowed Triumphs and BSA's I realized how wrong I was to buy a new Honda CL350 without riding one first.

And it vibrated and leaked as well as any British bike.  One day, out in the middle of nowhere, a seal come loose on the clutch pushrod and it leaked all it's oil out while I was vibrating and rattling along.  Then the cam bearings seized up tight...

Regards, Foggy
Diagonally parked in a parallel universe.

Fortiter Et Fideliter


luoma

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Reply #4 on: December 21, 2007, 09:46:03 pm
I had a 305 scrambler that I loved. It was about the same weight as the RE, maybe a little lighter, but felt heavier. It also didn't  handle as well as an RE. Nor was it as reliable, or durable. I know the RE does not compare well to some modern maintenance-free bikes, but when compared to other bikes from the 50s, 60s, and even 70s, it's a better machine.


t120rbullet

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Reply #5 on: December 21, 2007, 10:57:36 pm
The worst handling bike I ever has was a stock 72 CB 750. It had a wobble right around 60-65 mph that left you breathless. Some friends of mine had 72s and 73s and it was the same story with them except the speeds at which it happened were different.
35 yrs later I still have a limp from the spanking that bike gave me.
Turned me into a Harley guy but I always had some Brit iron around if I really wanted to go for a ride.
The Bullet? Well It's treated me as well or better than any of them and handles as well or better than any of them too.
Looks better than most of em too!
CJ
1972 FLH "Sambo"
1999 Enfield 500 Black Deluxe "Silver"
2023 Guzzi V7 Special "BOB"


Thumper

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Reply #6 on: December 22, 2007, 03:01:40 pm
The worst handling bike I ever has was a stock 72 CB 750. It had a wobble right around 60-65 mph that left you breathless. Some friends of mine had 72s and 73s and it was the same story with them except the speeds at which it happened were different.
35 yrs later I still have a limp from the spanking that bike gave me.
Turned me into a Harley guy but I always had some Brit iron around if I really wanted to go for a ride.
The Bullet? Well It's treated me as well or better than any of them and handles as well or better than any of them too.
Looks better than most of em too!
CJ


Wait a minute...

You went from the iconic CB750 to an HD as an improvement ? ? ? ?

I think you've spun around in that monocycle one too many times!  ;D

Matt


t120rbullet

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Reply #7 on: December 22, 2007, 08:50:22 pm
Wait a minute...

OK

[/quote]
You went from the iconic CB750 to an HD as an improvement ? ? ? ?
[/quote]

Yup, It might have been an icon but it was too easy to find many faults in the CB750.
Right after I bought it I'm doing 70 down the freeway with a gal on the back and the rear tire blows out, fly's off the rim and gave both of us the ride of our lives. OK, well that can happen. Must have been the Cheng Shin tires. A month later I'm up in Northern Michigan with a load of stuff and my girlfriend on the back and the rear wheel bearings disintegrated.  Musta been cheap bearings. That coupled with a frame made out of recycled coat hangers that wobbled on comand convinced me I didn't like it and a deuce and a quarter got rid of it for me. Got about a year and a half out of it.
Peter Fonda was in so it was a 68 FLH engine and trans in a straight leg rigid frame with a 10" over girder fork for me.
By the time I got rid of it in 89 it was almost back to stock. Even put the lectric start back on when gas started getting bad.

[/quote]
I think you've spun around in that monocycle one too many times!  ;D
[/quote]

Your killing me!  That's not me riding the MonoCycle though.
The guy riding it is a RE owner though in fact he's the reason I got the CB750.
He had a 750 Interceptor and I had to go faster.
The CB never lived up to it's reputation in that dept. either.
After I got the HD I started racing folks across the State instead of from streetlight to streetlight.
CJ





1972 FLH "Sambo"
1999 Enfield 500 Black Deluxe "Silver"
2023 Guzzi V7 Special "BOB"


OhioEnfield26

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Reply #8 on: January 03, 2008, 12:43:14 am
The controls are the standard U.S. spec. configuration.  Left hand clutch lever, left hand foot shift.  Right hand front brake, right foot rear brake.

Where are you at in Ohio?  I could steer you toward a dealer if you're in the western part of the state.

Regards, Foggy

I am in Canton, I found a really cool dealer south of here and I am currently making payments to hopefully get in the saddle around summer.

The old CB350 has had some issues and has proven to me that if you get scared at all on a bike then get off the thing!  I have ridden with it and had it shut off at around 65mph, shot gas on my legs, brakes spun free while riding ( that was a fun night ), the light burned out on me at around 11pm (another fun night) and just about anything else that you can think of.  I do love it though and do not have any plans to retire the old girl just because I will begetting a new mistress.  The older bikers who now have more expensive Harleys, Victory, and even a few Boss Hoss (Hogs?) love the old rat.  I think that it is because unlike the other pups that ride around I am not into crotch rockets and who has the larger credit score.  I like to ride, though I do not think that I am a "biker" by any stretch of the imagination.  I am just amped about the RE and I cannot wait to get my paws on one!!!

Oh yea, I am getting the Bullet 500 Deluxe in Black trim.