Unofficial Royal Enfield Community Forum
Royal Enfield Motorcycles => Bullet Iron Barrel => Topic started by: fredgold52 on December 16, 2007, 09:35:14 pm
-
My wife just gave me the green light to buy an RE. At this point the only question I have is whether to buy a Classic or an Electra. I'm gonna post this same question over on the Electra board to se what those guys have to say.
The question is, Given my riding style which is conservative but I do like to cruise country roads at 60 to 65 mph for hours - wheelies and stoppies aren't part of what I do - neither is much interstate riding, what would be the advantages, in your opinion, of a Classic over an Electra?.
I expect this is well plowed ground, but my search for this only gave me lots of scattered bits of information.
Thank you for your tolerance of a noobies ignorance.
Fred
-
Hmmm, I did find this thread in the FAQ's section. http://www.enfieldmotorcycles.com/forum/index.php/topic,394.0.html
Most of the answers I was looking for are in there. However, anything else anyone might care to offer opinion-wise would certainly be well received.
Fred
-
Here's my rationale , If you have to ask,get the Electra. As all the posts say , it has all the updates, electric starting,and I believe electronic ignition. Some of us who chose the classic really did not care about those things, It was more a "love at first sight"(at least it was for me) and updates be damned. I even hunted down an 05 with no electric starter. So , if you didn't get sweaty hands at your first sight of a classic, then the Electra is for you.
-
Cyrusb - that is the most accurate rationale I have ever come across - so very true.
-
Go for the Electra if you want the next evolution albeit only slighty changed from the original style and design of Royal Enfield Bullet.
The Classic is really a modern incarnation of the original.
I wanted a bike that looked like the late original 1950's early 60's style of Royal Enfield.
It therefore had to have a right foot change with four speeds and left brake. It had to have the drum brake though with twin leading shoes (for obvious reasons) rather than the disc brake. I liked the utilitarian look without the 'need for speed' and for me the Bullet 500cc Army fitted the bill with its large accomodating ammo box panniers and front crash bars as standard.
Speed wasn't a major issue. I have another bike for high speed stuff.
It'll cruise at 55-60 indicated, but you find your riding adjusts to suit the speed and the journey becomes more important than the getting there etc.
In the end it is all about personal choice and mine was a 2003 500ES Army ;D
-
60 to 65 mph for hours has only one answer - Electra. And quite honestly, that is stretching the Electra to its limit. For hours of riding, even the Electra is happiest in the 55 mph mode.
-
Cyrsub:
As RagMan indicated, you are right on target. That is exactly how I felt. I saw an ad, called the owner & he drove over, when he drove that Classic 500 ES into my driveway I knew I had to have that rig. 8)
-
Another way of looking at it is that if you like the Classic for all that it undoubtedly is, you may even end up deciding to ride at its pace and enjoy your rides even more. Country roads are to be felt by as many senses as possible, and that's done a lower speeds usually, I find.
-
I'd go for a Bullet, any color, any style and most any year. Any one of these will give you the Bullet feeling. Just be sure you like to turn a wrench now and then.....dg