Unofficial Royal Enfield Community Forum

Royal Enfield Motorcycles => Bullet Iron Barrel => Topic started by: fredgold52 on January 11, 2008, 06:39:35 pm

Title: My First Encounter
Post by: fredgold52 on January 11, 2008, 06:39:35 pm
So I'm at this carwash (34 degrees) trying to clean off the two years of dust and crud that's accumulated on the bike at the dealers place, when this guy sticks his head around the doorway and says, "Kind of cold to be on that thing, Isn't it?"  We talk for a bit and he asks what kind of bike it is.  I say proudly, "Royal Enfield".  I have to repeat that a couple times since he's never heard of the brand.

I find out in the ensuing discussion that he and his wife ride their Goldwing all over the country, and that they "just love motorcycling!"  Now I know Goldwings are sweet touring bikes, but I have found that some Wing riders aren't particularly well informed about motorcycles in general.  Like this car wash guy who didn't know Triumph, Norton, or BSA - much less Greeves or Cotton or Dot or Villiers or - well you get my point I'm sure.

I actually had the president of the local Goldwing club ask me if my old Vespa was a 'Silverwing".  Hmmmmmmm, , , , , ,

Anyway, this was my first "What kind of bike is that?" encounter.  I'm sure there will be many more.
Title: Re: My First Encounter
Post by: BanditRE on January 11, 2008, 07:03:58 pm
Congratulations!

There'll be many more of those encounters. At the gas pump, at the party store, at the traffic light, while you're having a break..........its kind of fun. Most people have been very curious and interested. Some have asked if its a "real" Enfield or one of those fake Indian ones. I have to admit most people don't know what a Royal Enfield is, they always ask if its a Triumph. Then followed by what year it is..............its new?.............what?.............so its a 1955 then?..................then I usually hand them a brochure and they begin to understand.

A Vespa Silverwing?!?!? The mind boggles  ;D
Title: Re: My First Encounter
Post by: VMAX on January 11, 2008, 08:58:39 pm
Bernadine is in storage for the winter. However, I had an excavator come by yesterday to discuss a bldg site.The conversation went something like this:  I told him I needed a storage place for my bike. What kind? Royal Enfield. Royal what? Enfield, Royal Enfield. Isn't Enfield a rifle? Yes, Enfield is a rifle, but Royal Enfield is the make of my bike. What model? 1955 RE Classic 500 ES. You own a 1955!!!! No way, you have a kit bike! No, my bike was built in 2005 on 1955 plans by the Royal Enfield Company. No body does that. Are you sure you don't have a BSA? I'm quite sure I don't have a BSA. When can I see it? When the bldg is completed. Oh.

At this point I wish I had some of those brochures. Sure would have saved some time.  ::)
Title: Re: My First Encounter
Post by: BanditRE on January 11, 2008, 09:35:18 pm
The brochures are priceless.

I asked the dealer what they were for when he delivered the bike. Dude, I said, I already bought one, why do I need 100 extra brochures? I soon found out.
Title: Re: My First Encounter
Post by: birdmove on January 12, 2008, 03:54:01 am
  So far the only comments I've had were when I was riding my Bullet last Monday, a group of high schoolers were jogging by me (p.e. class?) and one teenager yelled "Beautiful bike, man!".

    jon
Title: Re: My First Encounter
Post by: BanditRE on January 13, 2008, 01:09:29 am
Give it time Jon, give it time. And have some brochures on hand!
Title: Re: My First Encounter
Post by: RE-curious on January 15, 2008, 01:54:22 pm
I was asked about my '06 Military style no less than three times in the first mile that I rode it. I knew it was a classy ride, but, wow...
Title: Re: My First Encounter
Post by: jonapplegate on January 19, 2008, 04:35:13 am
 I get a fair number of gawkers. I always tell them my abrev. RE backstory. I even got pulled over by a cop and was wondering what the heck I did when all he wanted to do was ask me about my beautiful motorcycle!
Title: Re: My First Encounter
Post by: BanditRE on January 19, 2008, 06:23:42 pm
That happened to me as well Jon! My first time out, I pull into a local park to stop for a drink and a smoke, no sooner do I pull in, there's flashing lights and a Wooooop. He pulls along side, and we talk bikes for about 20 minutes. My conversations with cops aren't usually as casual, and involve more "yessir, no sir".  :D
Title: Re: My First Encounter
Post by: DireWolf on January 22, 2008, 03:52:45 pm
I keep asking my dealer for cards........he's missing out BIG TIME.  Print the Enfield story on one side or put a link to it on the card + his site & people will hit it to death.

 I get stopped, literally, EVERY time I'm in public.  One oldtimer stopped in my driveway & wanted to talk bikes, because he thought my 'new Military was a WWII original & he literally followed me home to see it.
Title: Re: My First Encounter
Post by: mbevo1 on January 23, 2008, 03:30:35 am
The nice folks at CMW sent me a stack of flyers that fit nicely in my inside jacket pocket... and I let them know about this web site...  sometimes proves to be a polite way to end the conversation when time is tight...

Mike and Stumpy in Michigan
Title: Re: My First Encounter
Post by: Leonard on January 24, 2008, 01:56:03 pm
I made my own cards and have handed out many of them.  It's a good way to end the conversion when you really have to get going.

I keep asking my dealer for cards........he's missing out BIG TIME.  Print the Enfield story on one side or put a link to it on the card + his site & people will hit it to death.

 I get stopped, literally, EVERY time I'm in public.  One oldtimer stopped in my driveway & wanted to talk bikes, because he thought my 'new Military was a WWII original & he literally followed me home to see it.
Title: Re: My First Encounter
Post by: fredgold52 on February 25, 2008, 02:40:10 pm
It got up to 40 degrees yesterday so I was riding.  Stopped at a gas station, did my thing, and while getting ready to leave a Honda Nighthawk pulled up. 

The rider said he was glad to see he was not the only idiot out there, then he began staring at my Bullet.  His first question was, "Is that British?"  I was dumbfounded!  He actually seemed to know about the British bikes and Royal Enfield.  I told him, yes - it is British and Indian, sort of a combination. 

He said it sure looked like a fun bike to run around on.  Naturally I agreed.

I just wanted to share the experience of running into a person how knew something about the older bikes.  BTW, he was a younger man - maybe 35 or so.
Title: Re: My First Encounter
Post by: geoffbaker on February 25, 2008, 03:10:42 pm
Yeah, my first drive on my 2000 military, every time I stopped people asked about it.
"What do you mean it's a 2000?" is one of the most common responses after I've explained.
My favorite though, was crossing the Hoover Dam; the've got Homeland Security there now, protecting us from whatever...

Anyway, he was standing there cold and bored and directing traffic.
When he saw my bike he just grinned from ear to ear and waved me through with a big theatrical wave and a salute!
Title: Re: My First Encounter
Post by: Bankerdanny on February 25, 2008, 05:29:51 pm
My Enfield gets a positive response from everyone who sees it, even the Harley guys. The Chicago cab drivers love it.

I was working on it behind my condo building last fall and a guy who was walking his dog came over to ask me about it.

I usually tell people that the Enfield is kind of like the VW Beetle, even though they stopped making them in Germany they kept building them for years in Mexico, this seems to make sense to them.
Title: Re: My First Encounter
Post by: fredgold52 on February 25, 2008, 06:27:38 pm
That's a great way to explain it, Dan.  That never occurred to me.  It really does simplify the explanation a lot.

I have the same problem with my scooter.  It's made by LML in India, it used to be marketed as a Vespa, now it's called a Stella.  That's just too much for the non-riding mind to sort through.

Good job with the VW comparison.