Unofficial Royal Enfield Community Forum

Royal Enfield Motorcycles => Bullet with the UCE engine => Topic started by: Rusty on April 25, 2009, 11:05:52 am

Title: Red C5 in the Flesh
Post by: Rusty on April 25, 2009, 11:05:52 am
Sorry that these photos aren't great. The dealer's showroom was pretty cramped and I couldn't get the bike out. Also chose not to use a flash so they're not pin sharp but they do represent the colour I saw. It's not a garish red at all, a hint of maroon I'd say, very nice

http://i421.photobucket.com/albums/pp296/Rusty854/Enfield/Enfield1.jpg
http://i421.photobucket.com/albums/pp296/Rusty854/Enfield/Enfield2.jpg
http://i421.photobucket.com/albums/pp296/Rusty854/Enfield/Enfield3.jpg

The blue bike

http://i421.photobucket.com/albums/pp296/Rusty854/Enfield/Enfield4.jpg

and the Electra Deluxe, which I believe is our G5. The dealer didn't know about any model designations and so couldn't shed any light on the E5 model

http://i421.photobucket.com/albums/pp296/Rusty854/Enfield/Enfield5.jpg

Title: Re: Red C5 in the Flesh
Post by: doomed1 on April 25, 2009, 11:27:04 am
damn, that red C5 is fine indeed. love the color on that thing. i'm still going to have to go for the G5 though (and yes, that's what we yanks would call a G5) with some slight modifications to form of course...
Title: Re: Red C5 in the Flesh
Post by: r80rt on April 25, 2009, 01:56:32 pm
Thanks Rusty! Those are the pictures I've been waiting for, A fine red indeed!
Title: Re: Red C5 in the Flesh
Post by: Blue Ridge Wheeltor on April 25, 2009, 02:32:24 pm
I'm in the G5 camp too.
Title: Re: Red C5 in the Flesh
Post by: ace.cafe on April 25, 2009, 03:06:22 pm
Has anybody else noticed that the curve on the knee pad doesn't match up with the curve on the white painted panel on the tank?

It seems to me that the curve at the back end of the white-painted panel, should be a complementary curve shape, that fits visually with the curve molded into the front of the knee pad.

To me, those curves don't match up visually, and look awkward together.
Just a slight variation of how they paint those panels, so they'd have a shape which complements the shape of the knee pad, would be a relatively simple operation, and would greatly enhance the bike in my eyes.
I think it would be as simple as painting the top left corner of that white panel a little further back toward the kneepad, so the curves would be complementary with each other.
The red area is wider at the top, between the kneepad and the white panel, than it is at the bottom. I see no reason for that. It looks like a mistake.

The tank, emblem area, and kneepads are a visual focal-point of the bke.
They should look perfect, because that's where the eye goes first when somebody looks at the bike.
If the first thing they see are awkward curves that don't go together, that's a bad sign.
It gives the impression that either the kneepads aren't put on right, or the white panel wasn't painted right, because they just don't go together.

I think this needs to be corrected.
It might sound like nit-picking, but the tank graphics are critical in the first impression of the motorcycle. That's a big deal.
Title: Re: Red C5 in the Flesh
Post by: Frenchy on April 25, 2009, 03:16:03 pm
Kinda like Kevins?

(http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-4/988747/the%20first%20ES%20in%20the%20US.jpg)

Or this one!

(http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-4/988747/50s%20Bullet.png.jpg)



Title: Re: Red C5 in the Flesh
Post by: ace.cafe on April 25, 2009, 03:25:29 pm
Kinda like Kevins?

Or this one!

(http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-4/988747/the%20first%20ES%20in%20the%20US.jpg)(http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-4/988747/50s%20Bullet.png.jpg)





Frenchy,
Yes, that's the general idea that I had in mind.
But, it wouldn't need to be nearly as much change to the white panel as Kevin's, because the C5 has different shaped kneepads. And I think it would only need a very slight change to the shape of the white panel.

But I think that looking at Kevin's bike, and the other one, they have a much more eye-pleasing "tie-in" of those things together on the tank, than the C5 does.
Title: Re: Red C5 in the Flesh
Post by: Frenchy on April 25, 2009, 03:28:55 pm
I agree, ace...it does look like it was just slapped on there with little thought to the esthetics.
Title: Re: Red C5 in the Flesh
Post by: r80rt on April 25, 2009, 04:26:08 pm
Frenchy, Interstate motorcycles has a black G5 in stock, are you close enough to check it out in person?
Title: Re: Red C5 in the Flesh
Post by: UK-Classics on April 25, 2009, 05:55:17 pm
Sorry that these photos aren't great. The dealer's showroom was pretty cramped and I couldn't get the bike out. Also chose not to use a flash so they're not pin sharp but they do represent the colour I saw. It's not a garish red at all, a hint of maroon I'd say, very nice

http://i421.photobucket.com/albums/pp296/Rusty854/Enfield/Enfield1.jpg
http://i421.photobucket.com/albums/pp296/Rusty854/Enfield/Enfield2.jpg
http://i421.photobucket.com/albums/pp296/Rusty854/Enfield/Enfield3.jpg

The blue bike

http://i421.photobucket.com/albums/pp296/Rusty854/Enfield/Enfield4.jpg

and the Electra Deluxe, which I believe is our G5. The dealer didn't know about any model designations and so couldn't shed any light on the E5 model

http://i421.photobucket.com/albums/pp296/Rusty854/Enfield/Enfield5.jpg



Rusty - I guess you must have been in Didcot just before me today.
Have you ordered the red/maroon one they have, I think you said that was the one you favoured?
At least you can see all the colours - the black looks good on the road & in the cold light of day.
Title: Re: Red C5 in the Flesh
Post by: Leonard on April 25, 2009, 06:10:49 pm
Sorry that these photos aren't great. The dealer's showroom was pretty cramped and I couldn't get the bike out. Also chose not to use a flash so they're not pin sharp but they do represent the colour I saw. It's not a garish red at all, a hint of maroon I'd say, very nice

http://i421.photobucket.com/albums/pp296/Rusty854/Enfield/Enfield1.jpg
http://i421.photobucket.com/albums/pp296/Rusty854/Enfield/Enfield2.jpg
http://i421.photobucket.com/albums/pp296/Rusty854/Enfield/Enfield3.jpg

/quote]

Couldn't quite match up the photos but this gives us a look at the whole bike.  You are lucky in that your dealer seems to have an excellant selection in stock.  There aren't many dealers in the USA that have much stock.
Title: Re: Red C5 in the Flesh
Post by: Rusty on April 25, 2009, 07:38:46 pm
Quote from: UK-Classics link=topic=4056.msg45870#msg45870 date=1240678517[/quote

Rusty - I guess you must have been in Didcot just before me today.
Have you ordered the red/maroon one they have, I think you said that was the one you favoured?
At least you can see all the colours - the black looks good on the road & in the cold light of day.


Yes the red is my favourite but unlike most other manufacturers RE have managed to produce a bike that looks good in all three colours, usually you get a duffer or two.

I'm not able to put down a deposit yet, my T'bird has been bought by a French gent who's doing well with the Euro/Sterling exchange rate. I've been paid but he's not yet collected the bike so it's still at my risk.

I'm sticking to may Dad's mantra, if you need to sell a bike to buy another don't end up with two.
Title: Re: Red C5 in the Flesh
Post by: UK-Classics on April 25, 2009, 08:36:47 pm
Your right Rusty - all 3 colours look great, it would be hard to choose. The black is a lot better than I'd thought, especially out on the road.

It#s good you have the dosh for your old bike - you never know the french guy might forget all about it & then you could end up with 2 bikes  ;D
Title: Re: Red C5 in the Flesh
Post by: Frenchy on April 26, 2009, 03:34:51 am
Frenchy, Interstate motorcycles has a black G5 in stock, are you close enough to check it out in person?

About 48 miles, r80...I might get down there next weekend.
Title: Re: Red C5 in the Flesh
Post by: r80rt on April 26, 2009, 12:41:40 pm
It's not a Deluxe but you could still get a good look at a G5.
Title: Re: Red C5 in the Flesh
Post by: ace.cafe on April 26, 2009, 01:58:48 pm
I can't decide which color I like best on the C5.
It seems to change with my mood.
At first, I liked the black best.
But then, I started leaning toward the red.
And then, the blue started growing on me.
And now, I just seem to like all of them, and I change my mind about which one I like best all the time.
Lately, I've been noticing how that blue really has that authentic 50s kind of color.
Title: Re: Red C5 in the Flesh
Post by: r80rt on April 26, 2009, 02:09:43 pm
You are right about having a tough time picking a color, I really like the black but it's hard to keep clean and after 39 years of black bikes I'm ready for a change, The blue is a nice vintage color too, but something about that red really grabs me, I had a friend who rode a '54 BSA, it was a bit darker red but I always liked the color on his bike. I think they got all the colors right on the C5, you just have to decide which one makes you grin the most.
Title: Re: Red C5 in the Flesh
Post by: UK-Classics on April 26, 2009, 02:15:23 pm
Yeah - I agree with the general concensus on colours - all three are excellent & look great close up.
The blue appealed when I first saw the brouchure pic - the black looks great on the road though - guess it would be the one to fool most onlookers/drive pasters about being a 'vintage' bike (if that's what you want!)

I'd like to see the blue outside rather than in a showroom before making a choice - still got to convince the misses as they are 'expensive' bikes over in UK  ;)
Title: Re: Red C5 in the Flesh
Post by: ace.cafe on April 26, 2009, 02:32:05 pm
Check out the red color on this '58 Meteor.
It's virtually identical to the red color on the C5.

(http://www.royal-enfield.net/old_bullets/1940-1959/1958_Meteor.jpg)
Title: Re: Red C5 in the Flesh
Post by: r80rt on April 26, 2009, 02:45:05 pm
That's a great color, I never really thought I'd want a red bike untill I saw the C5.