Recently I came across an old article by Yogesh Sarkar, where he discussed why he would NEVER go for a Bullet in his life. In my 60,000 kms of riding, I have mounted a Royal Enfield on very few occasions. I have ridden all of their creations, except the Continental GT, although my combined distance on the 500, 350 and Thunderbird would be nothing more than 50 kms.
I was born and brought up in the unofficial capital of Royal Enfields – Punjab. People here know only 2 kinds of bikes, the Bullets, and everything else. I have seen them, lived among them, and hated them since I can remember. So when I read that article by Yogesh, it brought back all of those memories. Here’s my take on why I would never go for a Royal Enfield, even if they were the last 2 wheeler manufacturer in the universe. In this article when I say Bullet, I mean all of them – 350, 500, Classic, Electra, Thunderbird 350 and 500 and whatever else there is.
1. Bullets are fucking slow
Never thought you heard “Bullet” and “slow” in the same sentence? Welcome to India. I have heard quite a few Royal Enfield riders, and RE officials explain this:
Bullets are not about speed, they are about the feel of riding.
Bullshit! What the hell does that even mean? They might as well have said this:
Bullets are not about speed, or agility, or braking, or acceleration, or leaning, or comfort, or stability, or fun, or safety, they are about the feel of riding.
Let me give you an example. During the India Bike Week, Goa – 2014, I was riding from Mumbai and had reached about 50 kms off Vagator beach. I had ridden alone the past 400 kms, and was a bit bored. Looking for some company, I found 2 guys on Bullets. I had always wanted to feel what it’s like to ride like a Bullet-eer does, so I started following them.
The worst hour of my life! These guys never went above 65 kmph, a speed where I am barely able to shift into 6th. The road in front of them was wide open, no traffic, nothing to stop them, but their top speed for the entire section was 69 kmph. How can someone ride like this? Why would someone ride like this?
Some people might argue that these guys were good riders and were following the speed limit. I beg to differ. In my experience, it is much safer to ride a bike above speed limit in India than it is below it. It’s like they say, when in Rome do as the Romans do. No one in India rides on the speed limit, so if you are below it, you are likely to get something jammed up from your behind. Yes, we must do what we expect others to and all of that shit, but I am talking real world practical stuff here, not imaginary goodwill and random quotations.
I also strongly believe that speed limit should be a matter of good judgement, not some bureaucratic rule. If you can see the road is wide open, nothing should stop you from riding at a comfortable speed, above the specified limit.
2. Royal Enfields are unreliable
This is something everyone knows, but the fanatic bull riders chose to make it heroic. Ever met one of those Royal Enfield riders who brag about how their 200 kg piece of metal got stuck somewhere away from civilization and how they got their hands dirty and used jugaad to limp it back valiantly to a mechanic?
Royal Enfields belong to a museum. They might be fun to drive if the highways are happy and luck is on your side, but on a rainy day they can throw up quite a tantrum. Using old technology and hand-crafted parts on a machine that is expected to take you safely to the end of the world, just in the name of tradition and charm, doesn’t work well with me.
When I was coming back from Khardungla in Ladakh, I met a couple from France who were going up on their Bullet 350. They were stranded on the side of the road, their chain had come off the rear sprocket and was stuck between the rim and the swing arm. A taxi driver had stopped to help, but with his tools he wasn’t able to reach the rear axle nut.
With nothing more than human power, we 3 guys wrenched the chain out from there and put it on the sprocket, but it was too loose. Since we weren’t able to loosen the axle nut we couldn’t tighten the chain up. It was 2 in the afternoon, so I advised them to go back and get the bike repaired, because going to the world’s highest motorable road on that bike was just plain stupid.
It is possible that the rental bike these French people had taken was badly maintained, and I have seen the chain acting up like this on Pulsars and Unicorns. The problem was that the bike’s design didn’t allow this simple problem to be rectified easily.
3. Bullets are noisy – and the bad kind of noisy
I am not talking about the stock exhaust note of any Royal Enfield bike, I like them all. The problem is, very rare people let their Bullets have that sweet burbling sound. If you are in Punjab, REs will have that explosive, crackling noise due to exhaust modification. In Maharashtra, Bullets have that irritating high pitched noise due to some stupid rubber attachment.
Add to that the crazy amount of vibrations at the handlebars and foot pegs, and you might feel like you are on a tractor. The instrument console vibrated so much I was afraid it was going to fall off. My hands are feet were completely numb after riding a Thunderbird for about 20 minutes, I have no idea how these Bull riders continue going for hours.
Thumpers have a characteristic bassey sound that you can feel on your heart, but people want to make their presence well known, even if you would rather not. A high capacity engine like the Bullet is bound to make a hell lot of noise even if the least bit of tinkering is done with the stock setup. It’s exactly like the Harley riders in US, they think with their big V twins and loud exhausts that they are king of the highways. In reality, they are loathed and considered attention whores. If you have a Royal Enfield, do me the favor to keep it the way it was born.
4. Bullets have really bad brakes
Things have improved since Royal Enfield started putting disc brakes, but they haven’t improved as much as I would like them to. The disc brake improvement has come way too late also, at a time when ABS is starting to become standard. The older versions that I drove simply refused to stop when told to. With their huge bulk and shitty tires, the bad brakes are the last nail in the rolling coffin.
It’s a good thing that Bullets are so fucking slow, otherwise you would have found a Bull kissing the pavement every second day. For something that is supposed to be a mile muncher, Bullets sure do manage NOT to tick all the right boxes.
5. Bullets give shitty mileage
When was the last time you ever spoke to a Bull rider who was getting more than 35 kilometers to the liter? I never have. Even the most well maintained RE will not cross 40. And they don’t have extraordinarily big fuel tanks either, so what you end up with is a small range on full tank.
I ride a Duke 390 that gives barely 230 kms on full tank, so I know how much pain small range can be. But you know what? The Duke gives you massive amount of fun with whatever fuel you give it. Again, all I am trying to say here is that for a bike whose purpose is supposed to be tripping 365 days a year, the engineers didn’t care much about how far you could go with how less fuel. There appears to be no aim to the bike, just old-style charm bullshit.
6.Bullets are unnecessarily heavy
Bull riders very proudly proclaim that all of their bike is made of metal, no plastic like the Duke or the Pulsar. I personally feel that if you are more concerned about what your bike is made of as opposed to where and how it will take you, you need to seriously reconsider your biking ideology.
Bullet riders have an explanation for this as well:
The heavy weight of the bike keeps it stable on highways.
Excellent! If that is your logic, why not tie 25 kg dumbbells all over the bike until there is no space left? I bet even Zeus will not be able to throw you off balance then. Jokes aside, this explanation breaks up even further in when you consider it for Indian circumstances – what highways? How many highways did you ride on during your Ladakh ride? What about central India? East India? India has roads with no roads, random off-roading spots and overall unimaginably horrible road infrastructure. A heavy bike is nothing more than a pain in the ass, especially when you have a break down.
Sometimes when I look at a Royal Enfield, all I can see is a big blob of metal shaped into the approximate form of a bike. Tomorrow if they invent a bike made of cheese and spaghetti that goes smoother and corners better than my Duke, I wouldn’t waste 2 seconds to get on its saddle. What would a Bull rider do? He would probably grate the cheese on the spaghetti, eat it in a metal bowl and keep praising how awesome REs are.
So there you have it, my reasons for never buying a Bullet, ever. It is possible that you might not agree with what I have said here, but that’s OK. This is my perception, yours might be completely different. I am happy on my Duke as of now, and looking for something bigger in the future. Until then, ride safe and have fun!
UPDATE: In the 1 month this article has been live, it has become the most read post on my blog. Some people agree with it, some people don’t, and some people just hate what I have said! All I can say is, I respect your opinion, even if you don’t respect mine.
In the discussions, I found one more reason why not to go for an RE. So here’s a bonus 7th reason why I would never buy a Royal Enfield.
7. Bullets have spoked wheels
Say what again? Why do Bullets have spoked wheels? Spokes are generally considered good for hardcore off-roading activities, because even if they do bend a bit, they can be repaired with ease. I don’t think you can do a dime worth of off-roading with an RE, at least not comfortably, so why then have they not got alloy wheels and tubeless tires?
Because alloys are an update on spokes, and Royal Enfield doesn’t believe in going for newer things. Anything piece of tech or engineering that isn’t at least a decade old, doesn’t fit the criteria to be used in a Bullet. Some people say spokes ride better and softer than alloys, but I have never felt that difference. Many Bull riders update to alloys, but that’s not what the company thinks is best for them.
The biggest nightmare with spokes is that you can’t use tubeless tires on them. In a world where almost everybody is moving away from tube tires, RE is still giving them the thumbs up. It is so hard to fix a tube puncture! You gotta remove the rear wheel, deflate the tyre, take the tyre off, find the damned nail, find the damage to the tube, rub it with sandpaper, apply that gluey thing, press it, put it back in, put back the tire, inflate it, and put the wheel back in its place.
All of this become so much more difficult because of the added bulk of an RE. For a tubeless tire, all you need to do is remove the nail, push in the sealant strip and voila! End of story. You can even go for Slime, that immediately plugs any holes and keeps your tires puncture free. But that is too easy for the hard-core bikers that ride Royal Enfields. Oh, and tubeless tires can be ridden even with a puncture, all you need to do is keep pushing some air in over small distances. Because tubeless tires lose air very slowly, you can go a long way before any damage will happen.
Tube tires just blast away like a party balloon, sometimes putting you off-balance. Imagine you are riding to Ladakh, next to a 1000 foot drop, and your front tire suddenly goes bam! Your steering veers to the left, right towards a long and painful death, and there’s nothing you can do to stop it. For a normal guy, this would be strict no-no. For a Bull rider, this seems like another part of their so-called adventure.
UPDATE 2: How could I have missed this? I have no idea why this isn’t the number 1 reason not to go for a Bullet, but here it is at number 8
8: Bullets have a fucking long waiting period
Why do Bullets have such a long waiting period? Oh yes, I remember, they are “hand-made”. Awesome, cool. All Bullets are hand made, and all of them look the same. What’s the point of a hand-made machine if it is not unique? Again a bunch of that tradition bullshit. Why don’t you go for a 1970’s color TV? Or a Pentium 4 computer? Why not just become an Amish and stop the debate once and for all?
My roommate had to wait 4 months for a Thunderbird 350. The waiting period for some specific colors goes over a year. 6 months is a generally agreed time frame required to own a Royal Enfield these days. Why the hell? In today’s motorcycle market, people are getting new, better, cheaper options every other day. How can someone wait for 6 months to own a giant piece of metal?
I don’t understand the point of this, do RE people think this makes their bikes kind of exclusive? Like only the people stupid enough to wait for so long should get to buy one? Have they not heard of a production line? Machines? Automation? I bet you a 1000 dead fetuses, if RE bikes are made quicker and with less manual intervention, their reliability will increase. But no! That’s not cool with the Bull riders.
But I guess it’s OK. People who care to wait for such a long time to own an inferior machine deserve it all. Royal Enfield is a company that survives on mass idiocy today, I mean no guy with half a brain will even consider going for an RE in the present scenario. Yes, 20 yrs ago Bullets were the best, but time goes on! A Bullet is kind of at an awkward stage right now, not old enough to be an antique, and not young enough to be useful. It’s kind of like a living fossil, an obsolete craze, a useless necessity.
UPDATE 3: Recently I’ve had a few deep conversation with loyal Royal Enfield owners about why they continue to support such a brand that produces sub-standard motorcycles. Apart from that, I’ve noticed a lot of Bullet owners facing problems with their bikes and getting the middle finger from RE. This brings me to the 9th reason why I would never buy a Royal Enfield, and perhaps the most important one!
9. Royal Enfield doesn’t give a shit about its customers:
We hate the company, but we love the bikes.
This is the gist of every talk I had with most of these Enfield owners, something that I have to admit I don’t really understand. If you have reasonably good enough number of biking friends on Facebook, it’s a daily routine to find some RE owner hopelessly bitching about his bike, swearing against the company, begging for help.
Somebody destroyed the chassis, someone else lost all their authorized service points, some dude went to the service center to get 1 problem fixed and came back with 11 more. If you are in warranty, you are in luck, if not, you are fucked. I’ve seen so many complaints falling on deaf ears, and it’s really easy to understand why.
Royal Enfield’s revenue model is different from most other manufacturers, it appears skewed heavily towards service and spares. Think of it like this, when you buy a Honda, it’s like converting to Buddhism. You get something, and then you are left alone to find your way with it. When you buy an RE, it’s like converting to Christianity. You get something, and then you pay to stay with it, pay to keep it happy, pay to find some use for it. Also like Christianity, the real fun begins with death.
Another thing that can give you an idea of the arrogance of this company is the Rider Mania. Royal Enfield hosts something of its own at Goa, while the groups do something of their own with the BOBMC RM. The biggest defining feature of the Royal Enfield “brotherhood” in India is the maddening number of riding groups that can be found in every nook and crannie all over the country. If that fact that riders prefer to host an event on their own rather than associating with the manufacturer doesn’t tell you how much Bullet owners hate RE, I don’t know what will.
Bhai, tanda paani peeyo…maruti lelo…ya scooti
Please don’t bother to extend your visa to India… Leave us lesser mortals to enjoy our oil-stained, old-world rides! Thumps up!
Long Time. I forgot your blog. Seached. Found riderzone.cc. Not sure I landed in the right one. But then rememerbed that youwrote something on Enfield. Searched it and found. And confirmed, Yes the same blog.
AK Hats of to you ! for TRYING to open eyes of stupid RE Fans ! (Include me to but of Vintage Bullets not a new new one, New ones are nonsense). Your points sounds realty and looks like you are frusted from the core ! but Neither KTM is to that great bike, It heats up man for even 10Kms. New RE are really bad. ahee you can’t expect KTM to run 200KMs Per hour. Do you even have statistics as how many got killed in KTM bikes ? compare to RE ! 🙂 Also do you think all of those who bought RE i.e 80% of 2 wheeler share markets are fools 🙂 ?.
Anything bad about bullet and hundreds appears with their bullshit justification and spitting all over author. I owned it for years and just don’t understand why people don’t accept their stupid decision of buy this crap. RE runs on these sentiment and make hell lot of money by making their customers cry. I know those customers won’t reveal the reality of how they struggle to keep up with bike specially when they age.
You see lots of people say its mankind, a bull, royal, etc… I would call it a ghanta bike after getting experience of switching over to modern machine.
when u cant own it , u speak about all this SHIT
Of course.
How do you know that He can’t own it up ?, I can write a Blog ! Just think Mr Amaan its business !
Bullets are Harley Davidson wannabe
I thinks it’s a very fragile topic to touch but after all. this year it is going to be a banger for RE as the new safety norms are out . expectations are high . haters be aware.
If you ever meet an RE guy who is “passionate” about his RE you will quickly find something wrong with him. Low self-esteem, attention seeker, usually fat with pot bellys, bald at the age of 30 years, among other things. These guys want the attention of the loud noise the bike makes while their fat blubbery bodies are sitting on top of them. They think if a girl looks at you then she likes you.
Otherwise why would you purchase something in 21st century that doesn’t have tubeless tires. And what Royalty are you talking of? A bike which costs less than 1.5 lakhs isn’t “Royal”. And if you are “loyal” to a brand that doesn’t give shit about you, then you are what Indians call “chutiya”. End of the story.
I can overtake any RE on an FZ or KTM. What king of roads LOL.
Also these poor wannabe rich-looking chaps think they have invented a new term ‘rider’. The term has been around before even they were born. It simply means anyone who rides a bike, and not some middle class wannabe attention seeker who modifies his bike to get maximum noise and irritate others.
Cool It boy..You just can’t handle it… that’s the point..
Its funny to read people talking about long rides on RE. I used to do 300+ kms trips twice a month on my r15 v2. And honestly i saw more people on roads doing long rides on their p220s, ktm and r15.
While on a long trip my friend rode a 350 and on the whole trip, his bike did not have a single advantage than our ‘beginner sportsbikes’. It drank more fuel but offered no better performance. It was slow to come to a stop also to accelerate to cruising speeds. It couldn’t hold speeds above 65 because it would vibrate itself to bits.
The bike can be a lot more, if only RE guys focus on improving the bike than looting the dumb indians just like the british did. Oh yeah, its a british bike. Made by british for the british to rule over india. Pathetic.
Hello guys … Please understand everyone is entitled to their own opinions and preferences . You don’t need to argue or prove anything . You’ve only bought your bike because you like it . There will be haters . Don’t give a fuck . Personally , I own a classic 350 and a Harley … Being a cruiser – lover I cherish having them …. and I don’t give a rats ass about any motherfucker saying bullets are bad or whatever . These arguments are stupid .
The root of the problem is the requirement of “show-off in a budget”. Well, I will concede that the majority will not buy something that is excellently engineered but is objectively ugly to look at, but suppose tomorrow Harley, Triumph or any other company with reliably engineered products starts to make cruisers in the sub-2 lakh range and retail those in India, I bet you any money that the masses will shift to those.
It is a combination of scarcity and the style-over-substance mentality that is keeping RE and its monopoly alive.
I apologise in advance if I say anything wrong but everyone who only knows negativity of RE they might’ve think again bcoz there is no other bikes in 2lac price range what can give 41nm of torque. So there is no obstruction to say that RE is undoubtedly a winner in the torque department. Above all I’m not just a fan of RE only but all good motorcycles.
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You are a racer. You dont respect speedlimits. You ride +100kmph sustainedly on indian roads (and you talk about saftey too). You have well planned itineraries. You revel in your bike’s performance. Also you are gonna ruin your back.
RE people are riders. They are in this for the long haul. They ride slow and long and hard. They mostly sleep where they reach at the end of a day’s riding, usually around 450 km only. They enjoy their ride, life and journey. Their bikes dont ruin their backs.
Also, i have observed a difference in stock. New gen bikers are usually either spoilt brats or nerds who were bullied through out school.
Bull riders are usually guys from middleclass backgrounds who were never on the recieving end of bullying.
Akhil has 60,000 km of riding and what he says is true. Iam 57 years old and have more than a million kilometers on Indian roads and gave up on the bullet a long time back in 1984 .. those old Bulls had practically no front brakes , rear brakes that would lock up at the drop of a hat and a relatively “high” speed of 80 km/hr sustained for a long period of around 5 minutes resulted in a bent pushrod ! Add to that , the anemic engine did not have the grunt required on those old two lane highways to overtake trucks before the one coming at you on the opposite lane ran you over ( Try overtaking a truck on the Delhi Jaipur highway of the 80s with a Haryana Roadways bus bearing down on you and you will get the picture ..). So out went the Bullet and in came the RD 350 which was everything that the Bullet was not .. decent brakes ( for the 80s ) , power on the tap that made highway driving a lot safer. This made me realize that a powerful and fast bike is the safest for our roads. riding at 50-60 km/hr on our highways is suicidal and asking for some drunk and sleepy truck driver to run you over ..Today I still venture out regularly on the highway on my Ninja 650 and yes .. it is far safer than any Bullet and sustained three figure speeds on it is a lot safer than a “relaxed” 60 km/hr on a Bull on our highways ..
Sir but in those day what bike would you have compared ! 60’s and 70 these bulls were performers compare your Vijay super or lambis !, yes it ture at this modren world RE Tech is outdated but you pay them just 1.3 lks ! 🙂
ever heard of the term tourer? there are many bikes that would not break your back and still manage to do many miles with reliability and quality. My previous bike a 100cc honda twister did 700km in a day, no breakdown, no fatigue, and would overtake many bullets on highway coz even at the top speed of 90kmph it can muster it does not vibrate.A racer is a rider too.. and what kind of logic is this that RE riders were not bullied .. hahah.. dude, its a machine stop attaching emotions to make wierd arguments. Bullets are just a cult being fed by very oood marketing strategy, while others have realized that they are being fooled for the price they are paying, many are yet to realize this. a CBR250 is basically a sofa on 2 wheels, have set the record for fastest golden quadrilateral and kanyakumari to goa, while not advocating breaking speed limits, the point is when other manufacturer are actively putting comfort,performance and safety in their vehicles why the hell does RE stays with old garbage which does not even get a basic ABS setup for something that costs upward of 1.5lacs ?
Do you know how illogical and unlucky you sound when you are really disrespecting a bike which is more than worth. When there were no Bike Manufacturers, it was Royal Enfield who saved the asses during the world war. It was not Ur goddamn sucker bike which can ride efficiently on off roads and on loose grippings. Whatever you just posted, I challenge you with my RE classic Thunder Storm. Do post next time by going through the techs in deep. And yes, I suggest, never ever review a bike if you have not taken it for a ride not even for 100 Kms on mixed terrain ( note: straight Highways + muddy roads + hilly stony roads). Do let me know if any of your superbike does wonders in the Himalayan terrain. In the end, what matters is a person’s need and ability to ride. Bikes doesn’t decide a rider. Attitude does.
Enjoy.
Are you fucking retarded you cheap cunt? keep the enfield cock in your mouth before spewing such bullshit.
BITCH WHINNER ! GO SUCK ON YOUR GRANNIES TITS SMH ⚠️
No updates ?? Interesting read every damn time
Bullet sucks. i loathe its look. Generally fat people ride bullets and the bike clearly seems as lazy as their riders.. the most funny part is riders think they r some sort of gods when riding that fat ugly piece f shit . in reality it just irritates the people around with that tractor like sound..
I owned Yamaha R6 my dad owns RE Bullet 350,
I love them both in different ways, Yes I agree the Bullet needs a lot more maintenance, but i love crusing on a highway with bullet. But Bullet don’t lift my soul like the R6 does. maybe due to the fact that I’m more of a sports bike person.
My point is every person have their taste of riding, For me bullet is bit sluggish, throttle response is not good enough and i can’t do hard braking before turns. these are my problem on it because im more of a Sport rider type. So sport bikes are good for me, but for someone who likes the character and behaviour of bullet , it’s a very good ride.
So one cannot Say that Cruiser or Sports or Tourer is bad. It Depends on Your personal taste and how the motorcycle match that taste of yours.
Peace out.
It can be termed as sabse sasti Harley Davidson of cheap quality
I can’t agree more. Particularly the noise part!!
They just give heart attacks to the elderly ppl passing by or co-travelling!
You dont like it…piss off! Im pretty sure the owners do…which is the mahority…its the rawness that people love….!
kalsh kalsh kalsh it seems like u are hater thats all . . love Riding . . . Don’t criticize . . . Its our choice to ride a piece of junk as u say it . . . We love to ride it . . . I own both Kraftfahrzeug Trunkenpolz Mattighofen and the old enfield . . . You are just an egoistic punk . What can i say its the choices . . . Ur personal opinion is filled with hatred towards a brand thats all
I agree too people here in rural areas think the royal Enfield are powerful. Once a classic 500 wanted to race my rc 390 since his bike is 110cc bigger than mine…. The rest is history.
Whoever has written it I think he has his feet rode on it. Well all the examples are shitty “Tie dumbell to your two wheeler”?? Seriously? Do you know something called as Aerodynamics? Oh may be you tie to two wheeler. Like it or not Royal Enfiled is indeed a legendary bikes. If you say so, Harley, Ducati are also heavy so your words implies to that as well. Boy grow up. Here’s a tip : Go ram your bike to any Royal Enfiled face to face and talk. No time or patience to type any more. Bye
Bla bla …..Duke lover bla bla…..Are u 60kilo chicken that’s y u feeling bullet is heavy metal peice… Hahaha do you ever heard Duke exhaust sounds it’s like toy ……Kiddo game….Hahaha ….Ad vry funny comparison with religion and bikes….Senseless review waste of time……NXT time b real not creative
You fuck off
Bullet bike is not made for ladies……..
All rubbish
Man u pussies don’t know s**t about Bullet so don’t comment about it. The Beast can be driven fast bit we don’t like to because as u said “feel the ride”. But u guys wont’t understand only Bullet guys can understand what i mean. I agree it gets stuck sometimes somewhere from where it is hell difficult to bring it back but that is the fun which u guys will nvr understand… There is a huge lot of diff b/w riding a metal n a plastic which u should know.. So just don’t just write s** t about the bullet please because we too don’t say anything about ur plastic junks..
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You are talking worthless
Ktm and bullet is like comparing of God fo war and God of speed. No one is able to defeat the other one
Both brands are good enough
Ktm is god of speed
Where as bullet is just for riding lilon distances
I no longer even ride bikes. But have owned RE, Yezdi and a Pulsar. Yes the performance of a Pulsar is better, but there is some serious Personality in a RE or Yezdi that the other bikes can simply not match.
Yes RE has reliability issues, but it was never meant to a city daily commute bike. It was built for the rider who is willing to deal with niggles but just loves the bullet’s personality.
Even today, as I sit in my car looking at different modern bikes, when that Bullet rider comes along its just a different feeling. The Japanese bikes can’t match that.
RE is for those with something you lack….Testosterone
finish your school first.. Then have a life… then only start writing reviews… But for a start, try CHOTTA BHEEM”.
I am surprise to see the first comment “Bullet is slow”. I have Desert Storm (500cc) and I can easily cruise on 100km/h on highway all day long. Yes compare to the engine size RE has low top speed but that is understandable as RE produces all it power on very low RPM. One thing also keep in mind these are Retro bikes with all those Pro and Cons, what you can get from a vintage bike.
For other points like “spoke wheels”, “unreliable”, etc… RE is meant to be simple, anyone can repair RE with very little training, knowledge and equipment. Which make this bike so popular world wide. Imaging a situation, “You are going on your bike (Harley 883, Benelli 660i, etc.) somewhere in mountain ranges or desert and something goes wrong (should not happen to anyone) and bike refuse to go further”, how difficult it would be to get it repair. You will require an entire fleet of equipments (which you can’t carry with you) and highly trained mechanic (what you can’t get on country side) to get the bike fixed.
Answer for long waiting period is “High demand”, RE gets 400,000 unit orders per year but they can only produce 302,500 unit per year. Now one should say, RE should open more manufacturing plans but RE thinks in different way. They purposefully wants rider to wait for his/her bike, in that way only the real RE lovers will go for it.
If someone is looking for performance bike please look somewhere else but if someone wants to own and ride a vintage bike than RE is the best choice.
I don’t even have bullet but still I admire the old model( left gear) bullet. Wen I lb finncly stable..my first desr is to buy a royal enfld..
Bullet is not for speed.. Its an hors for calm prince… To rid on it
You’re just talking against RE bro… And you’re not ready to accept any positive statement about RE…
You get to go till 100 Kmph speed. Probably 100 is a better speed…
I’m using my RE for 3 years.. And had no problems…
We are proud owners of RE… Don’t care about kids.. As kids ride toys, Men ride ROYAL ENFIELD….. 🙂
RE belongs to museum! or low speed or poor break or watever u say! after 20 or 50 years our RE will be the same !! hope ur bike will last atleast for a 10 years !! brother !
Royal Enfield and RE Lovers
“Ram milaye jodi. Ek andha ek kodi.”
Let me explain:-
1. RE: Contradicts its own name.
“Bullet” are you serious?
Even my dad’s bajaj M can cross 110kmps mark.
2. RE lovers: Dont understand the difference between music and noise.
Every time they are questioned, their answer is : Its classic, its Peace of mind and all that.
Again, are you serious?? Peace of mind… With that noise coming off your ass??
Hero splender sound better after exaust stuff.
Here in punjab haryana region, most of the people riding RE are either teens or over 50.
Because you need balls to ride at 150 or above on India roads.
Hii guys…….well this is a good article which shows the cons of bullets…but stop fighting, bcoz every bikes are designed for a single purpose.. the power may vary or weight, acceleration, comfort…..it may vary but bikes are for riding…..So all I have got to say is No bikes are bad..every bikes has its own pros and cons……Iam a man who likes the old school charm and I have booked a bullet 500…All I have to say is no bikes are bad…..And of course bullets are good machines and people love to ride the old fucker….and the new bullets are loved because of the old bullets….AK is right about the service RE provides…the quality of the parts are so poor……However guys there is no need to die for a #Machine…. 😉
This is a nonsensical comparative pointers. A bullet is just not a ride but an experience, each ride in fact. Either one wants a bullet……or a bike, rightly said by your friend that there are bullets and other bikes in Punjab, indeed in India 🙂
i drove 12 k kms in 12 months. You should drive hero puch or hero iSmart.. Very light and lots of mileage. Good luck! Most of the enfield owners have cars but they choose to keep this bike too..
I have read all of your comments….. and despite your eloquence (haha) I LOVE MY CLASSIC 350….. It easily keeps up with the traffic in the populated areas and on the rural roads I’m happy going at less than the maximum posted speeds (110 kph) due to the poor road conditions….. kangaroos and other hazards etc…… Yes, a DO agree with some of your points BUT, you’re either A Royal Enfield person or you’re not…. 🙂
Guys, its a pity thing to fight over which bike is best. All bullet haters,RE is not asking you to buy their bike so please stop wasting your time over this (anyways they are undulated by the demand so they care less).Ride what you like the main thing is it should connect with you.So happy riding to all folks !!
I m planning on buying thunderbird 500, in a few days. wat do guys think about the latest thunderbird 500. plz want ur reviews.
It’s shit.
I own a Bullet 500 Twinspark and have ridden the TB500 too. Honestly its not worth the money. Stay away from RE if you like anything that’s quality.
after reading a lot..i am still not sure which bike to get for city-use
as well as for touring at times…i was thinking of ktm 390…but i have
a problem regarding the pillion seat..since i will be travelling with
another person, wouldnt it be uncomfortable for the person seated at the
back? also you can hardly see places to carry stuff on the duke 390
unlike RE help a brother out.. plz
Thoroughly enjoyed reading your article Akhil. As a writer you have achieved to provoke a reaction from your readers and from the reams penned down post the article, you have met with astounding results.
The only experience that I have had to ride an Enfield was when I switched bikes with the number of friends who ride Enfields, who by the way also had a good laugh when they read your article. Anyway, the bike switching experience was horrible to say the least in every single aspect that has been discussed here. On one occasion my friend took off on my R15 and kind of refused to give it back for the day. I am wiser now especially with my current Ninja.
Yes, it is true that many RE riders have a complex when it comes to their bikes and believe it is the best thing on two wheels, which is probably why one doesnt see them mixing with the other riders at stops. For example, it is very rare to see Enfield riders hanging out with the fifty odd biking guys & gals at the Lavasa gate tapri on a Sunday where the only conversation is about bikes, touring places etc. Off late why does one see packs of Enfield bikes, especially the new ones adorned with all those lights and trying to look and ride like the Harley boys?
By and large I do not ride with my Enfield friends because it is too slow and usually ends up with an Enfield breaking down and where a short 3 hour morning ride turns out to be a full day event with one twiddling fingers by the side of the road whilst the bike is fixed. Ugh!
A few memorable instances that I recall on the few occasions that I have been out with the Enfields was once when an Enfield suffered 3 punctures on an overnight ride and each time it turned out to be one of the spokes digging into the tube. On another occasion, a K&N filter flew off when this particular rider mentioned he was now going to go fast, which was at a mind numbing speed of around 90-100 kmph on a straight stretch of tarmac. The same rider earlier on a run to Lonavala had a piston flying off whilst demonstrating how high speeds are done. How does it take eight hours to reach Kolhapur from Pune and roughly the same the following day to reach Goa? (Three bikes broke down that trip, off which two were on Chorla ghat).
I am very fortunate that my Enfield rider friends are passionate about their bikes but are not pig-headed when it comes to appreciating other motorcycles.
🙂 Fortunate indeed.
I agree with the writer for the most part. Very poetic style too. All his points are bang on, if he’s referring to the model and the contemporary ones of the one in the picture at beginning of the post. Newer models (models after 2015) are not that bad though. Of course, even new models are not that mean and nimble like duke.
Case in point, I bought one this June from Mahipalpur showroom, Delhi. I got delivered the same day, with allow wheels, tubeless tyres and disc brakes on both wheels. It was not the default factory fitted option. They charged extra. To each his own.
Let us talk about
1. Technology
2. Average fuel consumption
3. Top speed
4. Smoothness
5.Liquid Cooling
6. Valves per cylinder
7. Power to weight ratio
What do U have Bullet lovers ?
Bullet lovers have a metal vibrator, not needed ego massage since they have paid more for less. Most importantly Bullet lovers have mechanics who have fleeced them enough and continue to do so today
What is happening here? Why you guyz are comparing different bikes built for different purpose? Its all about our choice we find in a machine.
What kind of riders you are who do not respect each other. Shame on us comparing our machines here and abusing each others. Why it is so important here to win over an argument? Is that really necessary to force your opinion on another? Take a deep breath guyz and think peacefully. If I want to buy a KTM then I must be a speedy rider and if I want to buy a RE then I must be looking for something else other than speed. It depends on our like or dislike. And which motorcycle never get damage or need repair? Is there any ? So end this discussion… Enjoy what you have and make the most of it. Hare Rama..
The term Bullet in this bike dosen’t refers to speed but sound of bullet from rifles thats why they say “made like gun” and they do sound like bullet.
______________________________
About speed yes, it is slow but its cruiser with long stroke bore and for the shake of that famous bullet sound or thump it sacrifices the Horse Power. Plus its old school vintage motorbike so what you expect man ? its not ultra charged monster super bike. Its the old school British origin bike with traditional old Redditch engine. And Thats what it is, its upto personal preference whether they like vintage ride or modern sports bike or any other genre of motorbike.
_____________________________
About the quality its upto Indian manufacturer what they will provide for customer satisfaction. Even though its now made in India it still carry the heritage, DNA and soul of Great Britain as the oldie ride. she indeed is beauty from past, which is immortal in term of that retro look.
I agree
1. Bad sound ok loud you want listen to my after market Yamaha r15 exhaust
2. Okay CC! What about power? 350 CC with shity 17 bhp kind of joke?
3. Comfort ! No that not really with bullet
4. Technology na no ABS with bike worth 1.3 lakh INR
5. Totally waste atleast i feel
Ohh dear, I wish could give you some advise. Clearly you had your experience with royal einfield, But I guess it’s with some 2nd or 3rd or may be 7-10th hand royal einfield motorcycle. Currently I own a Royal Einfield classic and believe me when I say this, only expense/repairs my bike asked for in last 7 months is regular service and 2 parking bulbs. Other than that I didn’t even checked for tyre pressure from the date of purchase to till now. Royal Einfields are not known for their mileage, mine’s giving between 32-45. What else can you expect from a 350 CC bike with 28 NM of torque. Speed is definitely not good, even I am not satisfied with it. But few things REs are known for are simplicity, longevity and endurance. Other than REs, how many 50 years old bikes can you find running on the roads right now?
Dude I am a RE owner too and the hard truth is we own a “piece of shit”
Your can ride bullet only when u have passion for it. And for the passionate people your point does not make any sense.
Haters would hate.. ! The person who has written this rotten article should go for a hero honda splendor.. LoL.. ! Such a looser you are mothafucka.. LoL.. !
Bullet=Slow don’t sum up……
also
heavy
unreliable
PITA…
Bicycle like tires
metallic blob
Hoax cult
Hoax Royalty
A** hole uses them, argues pointlessly about them.
Bullet = 350cc = only 19 puny horses (matured people)
Duke 390= 374cc= 43 horses (immature kids)
XD XD
Bullet rear tire=110/90 x 18 (bicycle like tyre)
ktm front tire=110/70 x 17
ktm rear tire=150/60 x 17
Bullet = air cooled
Ktm d390= liquid cooled
Bullet= no ABS
Ktm D390= Standard ABS
…………..end……………
Dude u r a gay type person who cant understand a mans feeling hahaahaaa
YOU ARE TOO HARSH ON BULLET BIKES.
1. Bullets are fucking slow
Well some people can not drive fast. But want to ride a bike. It may well be bad for you. But have pity on all those Macho pretending dudes who are too afraid to drive fast Have heart.
2. Royal Enfields are unreliable
Fir wohi baat? For some people it relates to their man-hood. Unless the jeans are dirty with oil.The parking areas are marked as oil-soils,
(Abe tujhe pata nahin yahan meri bike park hoti hai,jaise sher sussu ka nishan chhodta hai, meri bullet oil kenishan chhodti hai}
and most importantly unless they spend that quality time at the workshop listening to poetry about bullets and also smelling engine oil and rust the bike ownership is not complete. What is this Japanese Nonsense of bikes. Fill it and go work. Are workshop to jyada baar janna hota hai.Kaisi bikes banate hain Japani, kharab hi nahin hoti?
Bullet is a reliable bike to be unreliable.
4. Bullets are noisy – and the bad kind of noisy
Kya baat karrahe ho?
Listen to the thump of that 150cc auto-tempo. Just like bullet. Its sweet Re. Just to think how much tourque that tempo makes and kabhi kabhi to ittakes 2 tonnes of weight. To have that much power sound to niklega hi na? Think about torque. Bulleteers even go to shops to alter exhausts to make it horrible.Agar log darenge nahin to kaise pata chalega ki macho kisawari hai?
5. Bullets are unnecessarily heavy
See you are missing the point. Given that you will have to drag a bullet often. If it is not heavy, how will you show your power of dragging something heavy? Hulki cheeze to koibhi kheench lega. Tabhi to bullet main reserve nahin hota aur tubeless tyres nahin hote. Poochho Kun? Beacause they want to give you max opportunity to drag it. And show how much of a man you are.
6. Bullets have really bad brakes
Uff. Breaks are not bad. This bike can not drive fast and suppose you pushed it rickety rickety enjoying free vibration massage, there is a danger the bike may pull apart or you may fall. Particularly of you apply brakes in emergency. Its not bad breaks, no no no no
its adequate breaks to keep you in between 20 and 35 KMPH. See when it was made in 1950, this was quite a speed. And bullet has sworn to not to change the original set up. It is their legacy. Forget about Triumph and all, they have lost their mind by keeping old looks and adopting modern tech. What do they know? Bullet is proudly as old as it was new in 1950. For a change,they do change colours. And see they even use hand brush to mark that golden line. Cute.So Please if you want a massage, go to a massage parlour. Do not take advantage of the fact that it vibrates so much. And of course drive in between 20 and 35 and see how beautiful breaks work.
7. Bullets have spoked wheels
This is because of their legendary legacy. See wheels are not for good support, but good looks. They even give you skiny tyres. Why? so that you do not forget to loose weight. Thats why. Intead of thanking …….And with alloy wheels tubeless tyres are possible. Tell me how will you drag a punctured bike with tubeless tyres . Huh? You want to have alloy wheels and tubeless tyres and suffer them the impossibility of dragging. Bullet riders are men. They like dragging heavy objects once in a while or twice thrice….
8. Bullets have a fucking long waiting period.
Again you do not seem to appreciative of the fact that ‘Jo intezaar main maza hai. wo pyar main nahin” How will you worry about whether you took the right decision in booking a bullet. You see when someone books a bullet, he may panic after an hour for hat he has done. Then he will go and buy some magazines surf net and hear folk lore about the battles and read about scary places in Himalayas and thump of a tempo and bullet (How load bearing both are).
But the real reason is that when you buy a bullet, you will need to know it engineering construction chain cleaning wagerah wagerah. The waiting period is there to let yourself acquaint with nitty grity of things to come. And you blame them for THIS?? THIS? THIS?? Echo please
9. Royal Enfield doesn’t give a shit about its customers
Now this is too much. Bullet is not for boys or girls. Na na na na Munna na!!! It is for men and women. It wants you to be independent. If they start caring for customers, how will they find their own solutions? How will tey become men or women?
You should be nice han?
I hope you will never complain about a bullet.
Net time you see a tempo thump thumping NATMASTAK ho jana. Bow your head in admiration for bullet. For a heavy bullet and only bullet can thump likea load pulling struggling tempo like a Bollywood Hero. Dishummm
Royal Enfield should be banned from the automobile industry , they could use their “all-iron” experience in the gymnasium industry
The difference is RE owner marries it and rest just loves it. RE bond lives forever across varies trouble but the other sucks every year passes and breaks and starts whole again. Grow up boys and become Man and get married!!!
tum chutiya ho bhsd k.. bullet is king of all bykes
Well I read this article in its earlier days, and still went for a Thunderbird 350cc knowing the fact of high maintenance. I had upgraded from Avenger 180(1st Gen.), intial days were charm. I felt having made the best decision. But then the running period got over and I tired to push the bike as much as I could, still could not manage over 120kmph, in that too it was more of a body massager than a bike where from head to toe every part of my body was vibrating as hell. 70Kmph is the max speed it can go without any vibrations, my avenger could do 80+ easily and had tested to 100 max. I am very particular to my bike’s maintenance, even the smallest issue would be resolved the same day, due to this I had to visit the service station over 50 times in less than 17 months of ownership, it practically made me hate the bike. 17 months earlier or even say 12 months earlier I would laugh at the ones who made fun of an Enfield, but now I know who was the real loser out there. I have finally sold it off and I couldn’t be any happier. Planning to go back to my trusted brand Bajaj, but this time going in for Pulsar AS200. I believe peace of mind is more important than to have a cult status of owning an Enfield.
I have read many comments here. how they are talking about RE, Pulsar and KTM. All these bikes are made for different kind of purpose. I heard Someone wrote, KTM is nothing compare to RE. KTM is 15 times Dakar rally champion (If RE guys know about DAKAR then they know what KTM can do). RE none, Never participated. so don’t boast. Talk about riding exp. RE can’t chase KTM pulsar(Above 200 models) even RE tries. because it is not made for it. Riding comfort is not as compare to pulsar. Performance of RE is not greater then these bike at all. KTM and pulsar are fast, handling is good and fully utilizes the HP when it needed. One said, once he shifted to top gear and speed is 80Km. no one can chase him, Kidding 80 km lol. you are too slow buddy. I have RE and KTM both and I know the differences. if I think only about bike, KTM and pulsar are better than RE. but they all are made for different purpose. so can’t compare. Still RE for long ride is really uncomfortable then other two. Last and not least KTM and pulsar can do better than RE in long route with minimum technical issues. Can say about KTM it is way better than both Pulsar and RE. my bike is RE classic 350 2013 FYI. total riding Exp bike only more than 70k KM. I really love to ride bikes any day.
honest truth…its fucking unreliable…i was gonna buy a RE a week before a was going to book…my cousin got a desert storm…after 8months (approx) in that one week he complained…something was not working(electric start i think…it wasnt clear…i hered..my cousins talking about it)i didnt care much …one day before i was gonna book that my cousin told nt to buy RE….(exactly the probs what you described in the post)…..nw after so many testdrives..nd research am gonna buy a RC390
One year late but thua being my fisrt comment in thia site I think I can be pardoned.Coming to the point, Oh man!! We could be best friends!! This piece is up there Joe motocross’s ladakh travelogue on advrider site aptly named as “India: Delhi through Kashmir on a Royal piece of …. “. Link for everyone’s entertainment http://advrider.com/index.php?threads/india-delhi-through-kashmir-on-a-royal-piece-of.649091/
I have RE Electra, I have travelled Sangamner- Bhopal distance 3 time in one day almost 670km in a day. Never had pain in back or any body pain. I have covered Jammu Leh Manali Chandigarh trip, after 2.5 years and 25000km my bike is still not punctured. Mileage is 42km/litre. I usually drive at speed of 70 to 80kmph. I don’t think I can drive so long on Pulser i.e. 670 km.
After one year my battery got down and bike makes cracking sound while kick or button start.
I have done only first serving in Authorized Centre all others with different local mechanics. But I think its not good practice.
Hello people,
I am a bulleteer since 18 years of age( bike’s my dads) and it is of 1952 model. The point here is the passion towards it. I know that its heavy and costs a lot to maintain but once you understand the classic beat of the bike you will for sure forget the bad times that you have had wid the bike and for the people who are passionate about it enjoy the ride rather than criticising the bike.
Respect the bull bro!!! As we respect your bike.at the end of the day we are all riders!!!
Have a safe ride
i think u just made a big deal out of it….. so u hate bullets, get over it. maybe i hate u, mmmmmmmmm yea ill make a bloody blog out of it. its a fine genius peice of work , not like any other out on the road. and its not for u. go buy a ktm or smthn.
yes, bullets are heavy,
yes, they are slow,
yes, its got long waiting period,
yes, it has shitty breaks.
yes, its noisy,
yes, it has got a bad customer relation.
But still i own it, I LOVE riding it… its thump is music for me . i service & repair my bike myself…
You or even ur dad have a problem with that?? you know ppl like u r called fucking sadist.. can stand by others happiness… u creepy asshole.!!
There is no comparison here. I cannot ride a bullet because I love fast bikes. I have done 500kms in 8 hrs as well on an uncomfortable bike. That doesn’t mean bullets and cruisers are bad. This is just your opinion mate nothing else. I can give you a link of the article which says 250 reasons why you should not ride a sports bike but that wont change shit. You love what you love. And let’s not divide our biking community like this fellas. We are above this. Even if you ride on your activa for 500km you will find me riding with you. That’s what this community is all about. Just riding. Don’t divide us jerks.
Dude all you said is about the old models the new bullet models now a days have great speed ,my classic 350 goes upto 130+km/HR with ease and also have plenty of pickup and loads of torque besides milage is also great around 40km per Lt even more on highways ,bullet is heavy that’s it’s beauty and personality it’s all metal body not a plastic or carbon fibre junk like other bikes ,bullet is not having bad noise it’s just because people change there exaust to the much more noisy one, bullet is having long waiting period because it’s in great demand and RE is doing very well as compared to other bike companies in india it’s sale is much much higher these days that too without any shitty and false advertising or propoganda ,bullets are very reliable and most comfortable bike for long distance and challenging roads you won’t even feel the pain in your back and the only thing which I agree with you is about the wheels and tyres but that problem is also solved just by switching to alloy wheels and making the tyres tubeless . So don’t complain and own one and then feel the beauty of this beast it’s the most strongest bikes in india you can not feel such great thump and enjoyment even on harley davidson for indian roads royal enfields are best and they can survive with ease upto long long years you will buy one today and your kids will be usi g it after 30 years with great comfort and reliability.
It’s the cult following that has kept RE alive till now. They have stone age tech in cyber tech world. They do have a deep feeling of Nostalgia but now we do need some tech updates on the bike. No wonder people are braging about KTM, it’s the best thing out there to buy to for that orice tag specially the grin you have when you ride one. Royal Enfield is not made to ride fast. It’s made to ride slowly and enjoy the journey, while KTM is for new Gen peeps who lobes everything blazing fast. Even I want a KTM but buying an Enfield just for that dug dug dug wali feel
are you an idiot by birth or are you acting as if u r a fucking idiot???
Royal Enfield Bullet has the class and style which a dumb dickhead like you cannot understand i believe.
u say shitty noice?? unnecessarily heavy??spoked wheels??shitty mileage??fucking slow??
u fucking asshole,, it shows the royal image its not the demerits its the advantage of having a bullet?
then the best thing fo you is to take you bicycle on top of a hill and jump from there, u’l get good speed and mileage too bitch..
u call urslf “riderzone”, you must b riding your dick into ur nostrils ,,next time try to ride a bike and then write a blog about it…
ohh yeah, one more thing. I guess on Indian roads and highway traffic it’s almost impossible to reach more than 120 or something though I’ve done it on my 500 CC. Desert storm and 100 km/h on 350 cc, but that was one of the best routes some parts of Bangalore to Chennai Highway.
Omg, such a long article and then fighting in msgs. Lol… no need to convince anyone to ride any type of bike; rather it’s a personal choice. Some people like not too fast but steady journey so choose RE and others who like fast choose KTM, Pulsar etc. Obviously, RE ain’t a racing bike but with my little knowledge and experience about bikes, RE is not meant for all but I myself don’t like light bikes. KTM and its kind look good on college goers but RE is like a more matured rider’s bike (especially in price, if u compare it with other same segment bikes i.e. Harley, Truimph etc.). As far as technical problems on the journey is concerned, it can happen to any riding machine but true, if it happens with RE then due to its more weight a lil problematic but again weak guys hardly own RE.
P.S. I’ve ridden variety of bikes that includes 100- 1200 cc bikes.
Bruhh!! You gotta personal take on RE.
You probably haven’t met the real Bullet riders. You won’t believe you will have an awesome balance even if you CROSS the speed of 100KMPH. Proud owner of RE and would never think of anything else even if I buy an Indian branded two wheeler thousand times. Compare anywhere, the modern Classic have unbelievable pick up speed than any other bikes in this range. You might probably be left behind on Pluto!!School boys.. Enjoy your Toys!!
The fact that kids riding KTMs are talking about what motorcycling is about is as funny as shit gets.
A KTM is a sports bike that was designed for speed. A Royal Enfield was designed to navigate through almost all kinds of terrain.
No one is saying KTMs suck. Ride a KTM when you want the thrill of speed.
And when you want to enjoy your ride, your journey, ride a cruiser. A Royal Enfield, a Harley Davidson, a Triumph. Whatever.
KTM has nothing to do with the ‘spirit of Motorcycling’. It’s about speed. That’s it.
The heavy bikes aren’t designed for speed and wouldn’t be what they are if they had been. It’s all about what each person wants in life, wants from his bike.
I’m not even going to acknowledge the imbeciles asking people to walk if they want to enjoy their journey. Not everything is about speed. Not everyone wants to ride for pleasure.
You don’t like an Enfield, say it doesn’t suit your taste. And fuck off.
You don’t like a KTM, say it doesn’t suit your taste. And fuck off.
I personally ride for the pleasure of riding. I ride so I can enjoy every moment of the ride. Royal Enfields work for me. Triumphs work for me.
I’ve ridden KTMs and enjoyed riding them. They’re class-A machines. I enjoy the adrenaline rush I get when it accelerates like a rocket. But it doesn’t make me ache to come back to it. And that doesn’t mean I bad-mouth KTMs.
KTMs rule. For what they do.
Triumphs rule. For what they do,
Harleys rule. For what they do.
Enfields rule. For what they do.
What cruisers do talks to me. Connects with me. And hence, they mean more to me that the rest.
Grow up. See the world. Do what you want to do. Live.
STOP being dim-witted assholes, trying to burn people with jokes you read on the internet.
There’s no fuel gauge on 350s
Hi AK..
First of all these bikes are not meant to be compared ..
They stand in two different leagues!
But still if you want to know why we love ROYAL ENFIELD watch this … https://youtu.be/O-JwZfLKX1U you might get an answer!
I loved reading your article Akhil, though I’m an ardent RE fan. I was smiling and laughing at all the analogies and skillful writing and spot on humor! Thoroughly enjoyed the read. Keep writing….
Guys for 5k one can one can get a nice classy Oxford style shoes or a great sporty nike running shoes… But fools will be the ones who compare these 2 shoes… You cant run with Oxford shoes, actually u can hardly brisk walk… But then one cant appreciate less of the smartness of the shoes.
But when its time to hit the track nike is your savior…the design, the engineering behind the curves, shape and traction of the shoes are simply awesome…
Now tell me would you take out nike for business meeting or Oxford shoes for sprint session.. Not to mention that you habe to polish oxford ones every single day…
But thats the charm and beauty of both the shoes…
This is India and many cant even think of getting either oxford shoes or nike and they do everything from walking to running with flip-flops. Given an option to buy only one, it boils down to personal taste. Whether gets that retro classy black shiny oxford shoes but just walks around and has to clean and shine it every morning or gets the jazzy flashy hip nike shoes and runs till he is out of air in lungs plus just washes it once a month. ☺
But lucky is the man who has both and uses them as per his mood and requirements.
I hope every one understands the analogy.
Friends, we are all matured guys. I read the comments below. They are funny, no doubt. But we can always show more respect and humbleness to our fellowmates. Abusive language not just ruins the whole discussion but also points out our frustration.
Happy riding
Peace
Personally I respect your opinions as they are your own,
Yet I am trying to give my opinion on points you raised.
• Bullets are fucking slow: Because elephant always walk slow, but if he start to run jungles will be ruined.
• Royal Enfield’s are unreliable: That is the case of any Machine if not maintained properly.
• Bullets are noisy – So does Dukes, Hondas, Yamahas or any other Bike if the original Silencers tweaked.
• Bullets have really bad brakes. At least better than all the bikes available in India
• Bullets give shitty mileage: Don’t ask average to guy driving Bullet, because average guy cannot afford to drive a Bullet. ( yet for your knowledge my Classic 350 (2015) gives 53 on highways and 40 to 43 in Mumbai City)
• 6.Bullets are unnecessarily heavy: After all its an elephant in Bikes, must be heavy. After all Mercedes never towed, it’s get picked up. Same is the case of Bullet
• Bullets have spoked wheels: That’s Heritage, that’s Tradition. That’s USP.
• 8: Bullets have a fucking long waiting period: after all these negative points you are still interested in buying one. That’s Great.
• Royal Enfield doesn’t give a shit about its customers: This can also happen with other manufacturers as well as buyers of other bikes.
Happy riding….
Alright, this definitely give a dent to my RE Classic 500 dreams. Heres a little intro about myself. 30 year-old married guy, uses ‘Hero Honda Passion 2002 Model (lets call this bike HH)’ for every day commute to office (around 70 kms everyday – Rohini, Delhi to Gurgaon). Important to note that my HH has sure scaled ~500 kms (Delhi- Jaipur- Delhi) within a day. HH has been with me since long 14 years now without any complaints (school to college to work years) until last year, when for the first time in its life, the engine piston had to be changed due to ‘white smoke emission’ from the muffler. However, it was only then I did wake-up to realize, I need to change it to a better one. Obviously, I did think of RE Classic 350, first coz of the invincible hype of RE and second the immense ‘masculine’ factor attached to it, say, by media or the owners or whoever you name it. After spending a good time reading this and the comments (funny ones too) that followed, I really did get confused. Before reading this, I really did like the RE brand (I couldn’t just settle for Bajaj’s Avenger, coz of its poor quality spares that come with bike or wot you call ‘stock’ – Have experienced it on my cousin’s Avenger). With Avenger kind of a ‘cruiser’ eliminated, theres hardly any ‘old school’ machine available. Lets please not riff on Yamaha’s enticer – Thats plain bad taste to me. Shelling out around INR 1L for a Bajaj Pulsar or a Honda Hornet or Hero Karizma is just too much waste of money I think. Though I think REs are overtly priced as well, yet, the demand seems to be soaring too high with too many little champs (yes, am referring to the funnier lot of kids with blown out silencers and pressure horns following rickshaws with chicks on them). Classic 500 today sells at INR 1.9k which is a big amount for me. Moment I was getting down to a decision to it, I did read this mammoth of an article with its comments. Too confused, yet inclined for RE. Could some GENUINE OWNER of RE help with their TRUE experience. Please.
Hello Daddy,
I am owner of Thunderbird 350 from past 2 years and used hero passion previously. I daily travel 60kms on my bullet. if u compare ktm and RE, ktm’s are faster and has high torque than RE. But as u used passion for many years and want upgrade just because of piston then definately speed is not your concern. Any RE bike can go to 80km/h easily without vibrations. After 90km/h u can feel vibrations. But for 70kms daily travel RE is comfortable even in the traffic as well. Initially u feel its heavier in traffic but after one week things will be normal. If u go for duke then u will face problem of its hard clutch in the traffic and it leads to frustration. These bikes are good for long trip where u want to cover distance in short period. Also for pillion its too difficult to sit on ktms for long time. While on Bullets pillion can sit for long time. Nowdays bullets are less noisy if u stick to original silencer. If speed is not ur concern then definately go for it if fits in ur budget.
Jayesh
Thanks Jayesh. This is definitely a breather for me. You are right in saying “speed is not your concern”. Yet reliability is. With some more hands-on reviews on reliability, I did ask many of RE owners (fresh ones and old) about it. And many of them did tell me about the issues with battery which wears off in 4-5 months of the first year. Apart from that CL350/ 500 and Thunderbird 350/ 500 were not so troublesome amongst the population. Few of the owners did complain about a significant drop in ‘mileage’ right after replacing the muffler (silencer). For the weight bit, I guess, when it RE, such weight is bound to come. Few of the owners did ask me not to buy alloy wheels which turn out weaker as compared to spokes. This, however, was not a problem for me coz am a fan of the machine-styled look of the RE. For the speed, I am not a speed racer, and prefer riding at a speed comfortable to me (like any biker/ cruiser). For a KTM or a Ninja, the speed is all what it is about. Yet with the kind of traffic I usually face (Delhi to Gurgaon and back)… Any KTM owner looks rather funny in that traffic. For the sound, yes, REs with changed mufflers are too noisy (the bad kind). Anyway, its a personal choice to be moron with all the noise and calling it thump or the bike talking to you or melancholy of life. Yet, (not comparing to REs with stock (original) mufflers), the KTMs sound like some ‘tullu pump’ running which is rather funnier. For the pricing, yes, BOTH KTMs and REs are overpriced and are NOT value for your money. Yet, its a personal choice to have that additional masculine feeling with RE or the extra speed with KTMs.
When your bike cant do speeds….learn to admit it instead of becoming a saint
shit man!!!
I was writing a similar article…
never knew one already existed…
50kms of riding a bullet, the author has given a page long negative opinion about a legend. Before I write any further, let me tell you a bit about myself. I am 37 years old and have been a rider since 1996. I rode more than 3.5 lac km across India (except eastern india) including 3 trips to Leh via Khardungla and a recent one to Bangkok. More than 80% of my riding has been on Enfield(s) and the longest I have done in a
day is 800 kms. I currently ride a Royal Enfield – Desert Storm 500 (REDS). Your
basis of comparison is biased.
Royal Enfield makes motor cycles and not bikes. It’s like men vs boys. I cannot compare an Enfield with a Honda, Pulsar, Yamaha or a KTM. That would be an insult to the legend. However, I do believe they’re all good and we ultimately decide to buy one basis our preferences.
I will debate on your points below:
“RIDING IS AN ART’’: If you don’t agree with me on this then you may not read this from hereon. It will not make sense to you. There is a difference between ‘biking’ and ‘riding’. Riding is not about reaching from point A to point B in a recorded time. That’s called
‘biking’. Enfield is a cruiser and you will enjoy riding it at 80 kmh much more than you would enjoy biking at that speed. If you wish to ride at greater speeds than that, get yourself a jet dude. Think of loved ones before biking above that speed on
Indian city roads. Jeez, grow up boy!
“Comfort”: Don’t tell me Enfield is uncomfortable. Are you comparing it to a Harley? In our club, even those guys who don’t have Enfield’s agree with its riding comfort. 30-40 mins of biking a Duke gives me a backache. Moreover, it cannot be a negative point as seats are customizable and one can choose to put any sort of seat he likes. It’s all about customizing as per your liking buddy.
“Unreliable – The French Couple”: This is the most hilarious of all. Did you check which year model Enfield they were riding? I am a member of a riding club (not a biking club) with more than 1400 riders & the last time I heard an Enfield have a chain problem was in 1999. I am sure the French couple had rented the Enfield from from manali/kasol/bashisht/old manali enroute to leh. Let me tell you the locals there are cheaters. They would typically refurbish 80’s or 90’s bullets and rent them out to firangs. That’s like 30 years old bikes. Can you tell me if a hero honda or a Yamaha or a whatever could even think of crossing khardungla in those days? Pl don’t compare a 1980’s Enfield with a 2000’s shitty bike, that’s unfair.
“Bad Brakes” – No comments. If you are biking on speeds more than 100kmh on city roads, not even good brakes can save you in times of an accident. God Bless you mate.
“Noisy, shitty mileage” – It’s not a noise mate. It’s a tiger roaring while on the kill. You will never ever ever ever and forever understand what it is to ride a bullet. 30-35 kmpl is reasonable for a beast of that size/weight. If you can’t afford it, do not even think about an Enfield forget writing about it.
“Long Waiting Periods” – Does that not conclude the debate? J. And still you compare the legend with jokers. Just to give you a perspective, I migrated to Australia in 2014 but came back early this year as I did not like it there. I took my RE-DS with me. From day one, guys in the neighborhood had their eyes on the beast. Within a week an aussie offered to exchange it with his HD Fat boy (2011 model, 9500kms done) and 2000 dollars in cash. I refused the offer since I was not hands on with a Harley. And just a few days before I was to return to India, I sold it off to the same guy for 8k dollars (4 lac INR approx). That’s the value this beast has in other parts of the world. I bought a new one within a week of being back in Mumbai 🙂
“Don’t give a shit about its customers”: Yes, maintenance of RE is expensive as compared to bikes. However, I have never faced a problem with them in 20 years. I have sound technical knowledge of my RE-DS and the service guy is never able to take me for a ride. I know what I need and that’s exactly what I get. Enfield is for motorcycle lovers who understand the ‘Art of Riding’ and are passionate about learning and enjoying more and more of it every day of their life. It’s not a bike which you take to get veggies from the supermarket or withdraw cash from an ATM or got for your tuitions. If you value your bike on those parameters, RE is not your game.
@Kanhay Athalye you shit head, do you even know what you are writing? Keep your below par technical knowledge with you man. Do you even know that punctures are not technical faults and can happen to any bike? Go get some life dude. I guess you are one of those intellect deficient loud mouthed modern day youths who grew up getting bullied by the big Enfield riders and never got a chance to ride one yourself.
Do not compare Paneer with Chicken, if you know what I mean. I like both but I still don’t compare. A Royal Enfield will eat Honda for breakfast, Pulsar for Lunch, Hero for dinner and probably fart out a KTM next morning…. Burrrrrp!
Please contact me dickhead. MY CELLPHONE NUMBER IS +91-9571250697….. bcoz u know nothing about “The Art and Joy of Riding”. Your experience of so many years has simply gone waste….God bless your mind.
I belong to middle class family, so I never had a bike more than 150 CC in past. But still I managed to complete more than 3,50,000 KMs on my various two wheelers(Bajaj Super 1990, Bajaj Wind 125 2003, Bajaj Calibre 115 2003, Bajaj Pulsor 2006, Yamaha FZ 2009) and finally the ROYAL EINFIELD. Believe it or not, it’s true, You can not compare the feeling of riding an RE bike with any other Indian bike. This time I could have gone for some sports bike like R15, CBR250 , RC200 or a duke. And I am happy to end up with an RE machine. Still looking for a sports bike cheaper than 4 Lakhs, but I don’t think there is any good sports bike available in India in my budget. They all are craps. I would love to have a bike like Aprilia RS 125. Can you suggest any???
1. Bullets are fucking slow
becoz these bikes are mostly cruiser bikes even though RE puts them under street bikes category. Cruiser bikes are meant to be slower than sports bike.
2. Royal Enfields are unreliable
Totally agree. The build quality of bullet is shitty. most of the bikes has manufacturing defects. even one of my friend got his engine replaced under warranty. I own a thunderbird 500 stone and its also has some camshaft problem and its yet to be fixed.
Its been 6 months since i owned this bike and i am visiting RE service station after every 15-20 days for some reason.
3. Bullets are noisy – and the bad kind of noisy
enfield sounds better than most of bikes in the same price range plus its all about customization. you can get variety of sounds based on exaust you choose though i admit there are some very bad sounding exausts available too. When ever i start my thunderbird with heavy thumper exaust while the signal is about to turn green, people turn back to look at he bike and keep it admiring.
4. Bullets have really bad brakes
bullet and classic have bad brakes bust most bikes with rear drum brake have inefficient braking. Though thunderbird and GT both are excellent in braking and road grip.
5. Bullets give shitty mileage
My thunderbird 500 gives a mileage of 40-50 on highways bul its shitty in city traffic of bangalore with just 15 kmpl. But thunderbird is meant to be driven on long trips and highway cruising.
6.Bullets are unnecessarily heavy
Well its not a weak plastic and fiber body. These retro bikes are meant to be heavy.
again these are not sports bike so they did not optimize it for speeding.
7. Bullets have spoked wheels
coz bullet is all about customization. company provides you with basic wheels,handles and seats but you have the option to customize even the nuts and bolt on a enfield and that not even heavy on your pocket.
8: Bullets have a fucking long waiting period
everybody wants a bullet that is why! I think you didn’t get yours on time. 😛
9. Royal Enfield doesn’t give a shit about its customers:
well it has not happened with me yet . They have treated me well till now but i admit they dont give a shit. i also agree i hate the company but love the bikes (personally i hate classic the most coz of poor build quality and over price tag).
finally its upto you which category of bikes you like. If you want a long driving cruiser or heavy bike then RE is the cheapest and value for money after HD, Hyosung. oh! there is bajaj avenger too the cheapest one!
Moral of the story: Don’t compare Duke and thunderbird coz they are priced almost the same. Theese bikes are completely opposite to each other in speed and comfort.
-_- Itz Really Not About Speed , Itz About Class 🙂 ITZ all about the attention u get when u r riding a enfield ,
U say itz fuckin noisy yah baby itz noisy thatz the reason it gives uh a thrill everytime u ride ua enfield 🙂
Itz Heavy ,Bitch Pease itz a manly thing n it should be heavy 🙂
Itz Not Fast even harley davidson 500 is not fast
BOYS RIDE TOYS MEN RIDE ENFIELD
U Can Just ride a bike full of plastic shit 🙂
n u say long waitin yah bro these bikes deserve this waitin period when a person can wait for a ktm or pulsar shit for 1 month ha ha ha ha
Ghanta…..you freakin attention whore….. roaming around the city on a marriage venue generator….
thunderbird is great it is totally different from the standard bullet or classic it is just awesome acceleration is mind boggling sound is just perfect handling is great and it comes packed with modern features like rear discs projector headlamps digital instrument cluster etc go for it
I’m buying a new Desert storm 500. I came across this random article. My oh my, so much hate? Lol! If the bike doesn’t make sense to you, you don’t have to be a cry baby and whine like this here. A true biker will know what cruising is and will respect people who like to go slow, from what you speak you sound more like a punk school kid than a mature rider. We bull riders have our own reason to ride it. We don’t ride it for economy or making time or to get attention. The guy riding a bike with orange wheels and the florescent body work is the real attention whore, we don’t give a shit. We ride it because we like it, no reason for anyone else to feel this butt hurt.
Hahaha a guy who doesn’t understand what is “feel of riding” , is reviewing Bullet. Enough said.
Generator from a marriage fixed into a metal frame.. and then people try to ride on that frame after attaching 2 wheels…..oh wait….i think that was Royal Enfield….
To all the Royal Enfield haters……. Our bike is made of steel not plastic…. so u think plastic is stronger than steel…. bhakwass kids do ur homework and shits… stop talking nonsense here cause I knw…. what u guys want ride fast reach the destination and get bored…. where is the fun in that
Tre lohe m jitna dum ho na….dikha lena…..just like u get a jugad by attaching generator to a cart and transfer passengers…same is bullet….only difference is 2 wheels less and iron frame instead of cart
Royal Enfield is seriously a jugaad motorcycle. we are manly with our personality/attitude not with this metal shit. Someone in comments wrote that I’m using bullet since 30 years.. it simply contributing to pollute environment. Royal Enfield is just a hype created by lonely idiots to show-off their failure with the noisy metal thrash.
Everything you said about bullet makes sense. Afterall, it’s just a bike, but dude where did you get this very funny information about Christianity??!! I’m not a religious fanatic but what you said is crap. It’s obvious that you have no idea what it is and just making some stupid comments to get attention. Who has ever told you that you have to pay to stay with it and to get some use of it?
I have a Thunderbird 2005 model, very happy and has never broken down. I have recently been discussing on a forum http://www.totalmotorcycle.com/BBS/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=52431 with other fans of Royal Enfield. This is my favourite brand of Motorcycle.
If you “bullet peepal” enjoy the journey so much, why not just walk. God gave you feet right? If not, then use a wheel chair to get places. The fact that you brought a vehicle means you want to get there fast. If it wasn’t as I said, People would never have invented vehicles. Let alone the bullet. Stop thinking you have the worlds best bike. Its “A” bike not “THE” bike. Learn to admit defeat like a man rather than whining like a baby who thinks his mickey mouse watch is better than a every other watch out there.
The best reply……luv u bro…..fuck these re owners and lovers
@Akhil. Holy Shit bro, I go out to sea for a few months and THIS is what I come back to? I laughed so fucking hard you have no idea man! Manginas and peanut dicks?? Really?
Anyway, I’m in India for a while. Will be in Mumbai in Feb. Hit me on Facebook, let me know your plans, let’s chat.
Ciao man, take care and ride hard!
Helllll…….. Real mens ride enfield….this is true…..
ride bullet chest automatically pump up…..
No bike beat RE …..
No bikes beats re
Bcoz they are already faaaaaaaaar ahead
i liked the humor in your article. The only reason i wont buy an RE is that i if the bullet falls there is no way i can make it stand by myself.. i cant imagine everyone laughing at me trying to pull that thing up
Best part about bullet is that you just need to cruise at 40-50kmph to enjoy it. I can’t enjoy any other bike at that speed (among bikes less than 400k). That makes it much safer bike. Otherwise the brakes are not good at all and that means that it’s not meant to be ridden fast.
It’s also not exclusive anymore (atleast in metros)
I think it’s overpriced, but then, there’s no competition so it’s expected.
Milage(fuel efficiency) is not an issue, most of the lifestyle bikes willl give lesser milage. The biggest problem is reliability as far as i know.
A narrow minded, sub standard mind can be the only source for articles like the above..
1) Bullets are indeed fast.. They can keep cruising at and above 80 comfortably without any strain on the engine for hours and hours continously. And it is true that bullets are not owned and run for the speed they offer.It is the feel . And thats enoyed by people with some sort of maturity. This article as well as the fact that the author does not like a bullet exposes his immaturity.. I dont even need to say that
2) Reliability – partly true.. Enfield is not as reliable as a Honda or similar technology. Although reliability has improved a lot since the new UCE engines came into existence.
3) Bullets are not at all noisy.. Its the users choice to cchange the exhaust note. BUt the same can be done on all bikes. There are hundreds of bulleteers who prefer the standard exhaust note. and thousands with slight modification. Of course some guys do make it ugly.
4) Bullet brakes are not bad at all. except standard 350, all models have a front disc brake and bank drums. For people who know how to accelerate and deccelerate properly this is more than enough.
5) Not at all. Bullets give very good mileage. For all 350 cc bikes you get 45 average and for 500 cc vehicles you get between 35 – 40.. or even 42 – 43
6) Bullets are heavy – Yes, indeed and it gives more stability. If you dont like heavy bikes, go for something else.,
7) Tubeless tyres -Yes there are many more things that an RE does not have, Maybe they will make their appearance soon. Or owners can always get it done
8) Waiting period – so do other premium bikes. Even An activa with state of the art assembly like has a waiting period.
9) customer service – correct. customer service is bad
Whoever you are…. you thinking the author to be immature for hating bullet shows your own immaturity
If I find you anywhere near me I’ll kick ur ass straight up to ur mouth. Saale pehle gaadi chalana seekh phir baath kar. kabhi bullet chalaya bhi hai? Bas bakwaas kare ja raha hai aur gaali likhta social site hai is liye chup hu. Tu Bas LUNA-TVS XL chala.
Generator
fuck offff……!!!!!! i hate this editor and those guys who complain about an enfield. just get an enfield and complain about it. have u guys ever driven an enfield.
even initialy i am a sports bike lover. i was planning to buy duke 200. but when i rode a royal enfield thunderbird 350 in a hilly road, i just went crazy on it. it was realy a thing to be kept in a museum because it had that much of perfection in it. yeah ofcourse it has got vibrations but its the thump that is given to the rider. you can never experience that thump in a sports bike like duke or something else. well it is extremely slow when compared to duke. but it has got enough acceleration and torque for these indian roads. well we travel in just 70kmph, that is the cruising speed. it would be great to ride in that speed only in an enfield. u can never enjoy it in a duke. Enfield is a torque monster not a race bike. come on i bet with u guys… u cant even catch the smoke of an enfield in hilly roads. and the brakes are not bad as u guys complain. it has got more than enough stopping power. they have got tones of stopping power. I am an proud owner of ROYAL ENFIELD THUNDERBIRD 350. and there is nothing like u guys complain. first ride and then say it as a worst one.
my frnd owns a 1972 bullet and still now shines as a new one and engines stay perfect as they are new. andnot as ur pulsars and karizmas. i still love my enfield. u ride and u will also love it. and if ur still complaining abt it… fuck off guys…!!!!!!!
You can ride a re at 70kmph continously bcoz it feels riding at a considerable speed…given the old tech….u wont be able to do on any 150+cc bike in India apart from bullet bcoz after riding forcefully at 70kmph for max 10min you would simply get bored….and simply twitch the throttle….oh sorry I forgot u guys cant accelerate much….your bike becomes a vibrating dildo of a pornstar after it crosses 110-115kmph….
Too little knowledge is a dangerous thing, my friend. I very very rarely comment on the Internet but your bigotry and flawed reasoning got the better of me.
Let us discuss your points one by one:
1. They are slow
Oh! are they? You seem to me the ‘frog of the well’ kinds. The Old cast iron ones reach 100 easily (how do I know? I have owned two) and the UCE ones reach more and C5 reaches 130 (reaches 60 in 3.6 seconds and 100 within 10 seconds)
I am not saying that the plastic things are not faster, it’s just that there is no need for faster bikes on Indian roads. You may have to ride your bike on Auto Bahn to go faster than that and anyway motor bike speeds above 100 on Indian roads are for those with suicidal tendencies.
Food for thought: Maximum speed for a two wheeler on any Indian road is 70 km hr and they are not allowed on expressways.
And yes, according to you, almost everyone over speeds in India, so you want to do it too, but then 60% of India defecates in the open, too (626 million defecate in the open in India alone and 150 million in rest of the world combined)
Why RE owners go slow:
They are men with character and follow respect the speed limits.
They want to enjoy the ride and each and every thump.
You being a punjabi must be aware of the phrase:
“Do paer ghat turna par turna madak de naal”
(I walk two steps less but whatever I do, I do it with a swag, pride and dignity)
(Do – Two
Paer – Steps
Ghar – less
Turna – walk
Madak – combination of pride, dignity and swag.
De naal – with)
Yes that is what the bulleteers believe in.
One thing more, they may go slow but they command a following and that is the precise reason why you followed the bull, even though admittedly, there was a wide open road in front of you.
2. Are unreliable
You seem to be kidding! You are talking about the bikes that have been on the frontline and have been parachuted into war zones (RE flying flea) and still have plenty of shit left after being auctioned to civilians as ex army bikes. I have seen plastic jap crap falling from its stand, even when stationary and cracking at least 3-4 plastic parts.
You are calling RE unreliable on the basis of a badly maintained rental bike being ridden on one of the most testing terrains in the world.
I and my RE have been to Ladakh and even I have seen the plastic Japanese things broken down.
3. They are noisy
Yes, only the ones which have been fiddled with, too much. But you shouldn’t have a problem as you yourself admit that you like the sound made by the stock exhaust and it is the noise made by the modified ones that you abhor and no one’s putting a loaded gun on your head and forcing you to change the stock exhaust.
So you are free not to make any modifications to the stock exhaust and enjoy the sound you like.
Just because someone else modified his thing is no reason to hate the original thing. Your bigotry comes to the fore here.
4. Bad brakes
IMO disc brakes are enough for a stable long wheel base bike made of metal, with a power of 350-500 cc for which max speed is 130. (There is no need to carry an umbrella when it is not raining.)
5. Mileage
Mileage is not bad for a 350 cc or 500 cc bikes (especially with the newer ones). Bigger tanks are available just in case you want bigger range while going to remote areas like Leh Ladakh.
6. They are heavy
Yes, manhood is a bit heavy. RE separates the men from the boys. Just like some boys shave off their beards just because they can’t stand the weight of their manhood and want to resemble women as closely as possible (sometimes even shave against the grain and cut themselves for the closest girlie look)
Metal is meant to be heavy, my friend, just as a muscular guy is heavier than a skinny one.
It is no secret that the Royal Enfields have been on almost all kinds of terrain in India while in service of the army and here goes your off roading talk out of the window.
And If you want hard core off roading from an on roader then may God help you.
You say that:
“Sometimes when I look at a Royal Enfield, all I can see is a big blob of metal shaped into the approximate form of a bike. Tomorrow if they invent a bike made of cheese and spaghetti that goes smoother and corners better than my Duke, I wouldn’t waste 2 seconds to get on its saddle.”
First of all the plastic toys do not have saddles, they only have seats and it’s the classic bikes that come with the saddles (just like they had saddles on vehicles of yesteryears – the horses; and you do not seem to like anything old. I hope you like your old grandparents)
Secondly, you seem to me to be very fickle minded. So, if in the future your better half gets a bit old and on the heavier side after child birth, and you stumble upon a size zero girl which is little younger and better looking; then will you abandon the earlier one? I do not know about you but here lies the difference between RE owners, who are men of character and who are loyal not only to the Royal thing but to others close to them, as well.
7. They have spokes and not alloys
Yes they do have spokes. Gotta problem with that.
I used to often think people with what kind of mentality wear sneakers with a suit and tie? Now my thoughts have been put to rest.
As you seem to be worried about the flat tyres and prefer tubeless tyres, so you may go for alloys on your one, as anyways, you often wear white sneakers with a suit.
You don’t like classic things then, please, never buy oxford brougues or derbies and never ever wear a tweed jacket or a leather jacket or aviators or wayfarers or the likes.
8. The waiting period
You will never buy a RE because of the waiting period?
Seems to me ‘the grapes are sour’ for you.
If you are a bird brain and still don’t get it: The answer to it is simple economics: demand and supply.
And yes, they are carefully made and not mass produced like the jap crap. It’s like they are raised by mothers and not nannies.
You want everything to happen in a hurry, but please after hurried 2 minute noodle thingy please do not force your partner to produce an off spring before 9 months. Also please do not buy handmade Italian leather shoes go buy some cheap ones from a flea market.
9. The company doesn’t care about its customers
Each to his own but I consider my experience with them to be all right. I have seen plenty of guys having problems with the producers of the frail plastic thingies.
Remember you are talking about the bikes that have been everywhere and have stood the test of time. The grandfathers have ridden the same RE’s which now their grand kids ride. These bikes have a character and a legacy. Ever seen a Ford Mustang, the 1960’s models fetch double and triple the price of modern day mustang; that’s legacy.
Enough said, already, but may common sense become more common and I may be spared such lengthy arguments in the future.
Shergill
This is the first time I am commenting on public forums today
….I used to read only….but reading things from lamers like you could help me….. net pe qa bt krta h…. masculine bahit baar likha h tune….lets talk marda mardi then…… on our rides…..ek tera terrain ek mera…
Too little knowledge is a dangerous thing, my friend. I very very rarely comment on the Internet but your bigotry and flawed reasoning got the better of me.
Let us discuss your points one by one:
1. They are slow
Oh! are they? You seem to me the ‘frog of the well’ kinds. The Old cast iron ones reach 100 easily (how do I know? I have owned two) and the UCE ones reach more and C5 reaches 130 (reaches 60 in 3.6 seconds and 100 within 10 seconds)
I am not saying that the plastic things are not faster, it’s just that there is no need for faster bikes on Indian roads. You may have to ride your bike on Auto Bahn to go faster than that and anyway motor bike speeds above 100 on Indian roads are for those with suicidal tendencies.
Food for thought: Maximum speed for a two wheeler on any Indian road is 70 km hr and they are not allowed on expressways.
And yes, according to you, almost everyone over speeds in India, so you want to do it too, but then 60% of India defecates in the open, too (626 million defecate in the open in India alone and 150 million in rest of the world combined)
Why RE owners go slow:
They are men with character and follow respect the speed limits.
They want to enjoy the ride and each and every thump.
You being a punjabi must be aware of the phrase:
“Do paer ghat turna par turna madak de naal”
(I walk two steps less but whatever I do, I do it with a swag, pride and dignity)
(Do – Two
Paer – Steps
Ghar – less
Turna – walk
Madak – combination of pride, dignity and swag.
De naal – with)
Yes that is what the bulleteers believe in.
One thing more, they may go slow but they command a following and that is the precise reason why you followed the bull, even though admittedly, there was a wide open road in front of you.
2. Are unreliable
You seem to be kidding! You are talking about the bikes that have been on the frontline and have been parachuted into war zones (RE flying flea) and still have plenty of shit left after being auctioned to civilians as ex army bikes. I have seen plastic jap crap falling from its stand, even when stationary and cracking at least 3-4 plastic parts.
You are calling RE unreliable on the basis of a badly maintained rental bike being ridden on one of the most testing terrains in the world.
I and my RE have been to Ladakh and even I have seen the plastic Japanese things broken down.
3. They are noisy
Yes, only the ones which have been fiddled with, too much. But you shouldn’t have a problem as you yourself admit that you like the sound made by the stock exhaust and it is the noise made by the modified ones that you abhor and no one’s putting a loaded gun on your head and forcing you to change the stock exhaust.
So you are free not to make any modifications to the stock exhaust and enjoy the sound you like.
Just because someone else modified his thing is no reason to hate the original thing. Your bigotry comes to the fore here.
4. Bad brakes
IMO disc brakes are enough for a stable long wheel base bike made of metal, with a power of 350-500 cc for which max speed is 130. (There is no need to carry an umbrella when it is not raining.)
5. Mileage
Mileage is not bad for a 350 cc or 500 cc bikes (especially with the newer ones). Bigger tanks are available just in case you want bigger range while going to remote areas like Leh Ladakh.
6. They are heavy
Yes, manhood is a bit heavy. RE separates the men from the boys. Just like some boys shave off their beards just because they can’t stand the weight of their manhood and want to resemble women as closely as possible (sometimes even shave against the grain and cut themselves for the closest girlie look)
Metal is meant to be heavy, my friend, just as a muscular guy is heavier than a skinny one.
It is no secret that the Royal Enfields have been on almost all kinds of terrain in India while in service of the army and here goes your off roading talk out of the window.
And If you want hard core off roading from an on roader then may God help you.
You say that:
“Sometimes when I look at a Royal Enfield, all I can see is a big blob of metal shaped into the approximate form of a bike. Tomorrow if they invent a bike made of cheese and spaghetti that goes smoother and corners better than my Duke, I wouldn’t waste 2 seconds to get on its saddle.”
First of all the plastic toys do not have saddles, they only have seats and it’s the classic bikes that come with the saddles (just like they had saddles on vehicles of yesteryears – the horses; and you do not seem to like anything old. I hope you like your old grandparents)
Secondly, you seem to me to be very fickle minded. So, if in the future your better half gets a bit old and on the heavier side after child birth, and you stumble upon a size zero girl which is little younger and better looking; then will you abandon the earlier one? I do not know about you but here lies the difference between RE owners, who are men of character and who are loyal not only to the Royal thing but to others close to them, as well.
7. They have spokes and not alloys
Yes they do have spokes. Gotta problem with that.
I used to often think people with what kind of mentality wear sneakers with a suit and tie? Now my thoughts have been put to rest.
As you seem to be worried about the flat tyres and prefer tubeless tyres, so you may go for alloys on your one, as anyways, you often wear white sneakers with a suit.
You don’t like classic things then, please, never buy oxford brougues or derbies and never ever wear a tweed jacket or a leather jacket or aviators or wayfarers or the likes.
8. The waiting period
You will never buy a RE because of the waiting period?
Seems to me ‘the grapes are sour’ for you.
If you are a bird brain and still don’t get it: The answer to it is simple economics: demand and supply.
And yes, they are carefully made and not mass produced like the jap crap. It’s like they are raised by mothers and not nannies.
You want everything to happen in a hurry, but please after hurried 2 minute noodle thingy please do not force your partner to produce an off spring before 9 months. Also please do not buy handmade Italian leather shoes go buy some cheap ones from a flea market.
9. The company doesn’t care about its customers
Each to his own but I consider my experience with them to be all right. I have seen plenty of guys having problems with the producers of the frail plastic thingies.
Remember you are talking about the bikes that have been everywhere and have stood the test of time. The grandfathers have ridden the same RE’s which now their grand kids ride. These bikes have a character and a legacy. Ever seen a Ford Mustang, the 1960’s models fetch double and triple the price of modern day mustang; that’s legacy.
Enough said, already, but may common sense become more common and I may be spared such lengthy arguments in the future.
Shergill
@akhil klash
When you buy an RE, it’s like converting to Christianity. You get something, and then you pay to stay with it, pay to keep it happy, pay to find some use for it. Also like Christianity, the real fun begins with death………….
this shows what an opinionated troll you are as you obviously dont know a shit about Christianity …. you are a real moron
Akhil…I never met a person who hates Bullets…and u touched all the correct points for not owning a garbage…I ride a CBR 250R and I for one, my hatred for bullets is worse than my arch enemy. I understand when u say wont ride one even if it was the last two wheeler in the universe. one guy asked me when I bought the CBR…”why do u need ABS anyways….” I replied “may be u don’t coz that heavy ass dragging piece of junk cant go more than 40”
How happy am I to read this article…
Royal Enfield are by far the worst bikes selling in the country right now…. every part, accesory etc is finalised without doing any R&D I guess.
UNBIASED TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION
In fact if you think of it …. what is a RE??
It is a motorcycle that’s being sold for years without any R&D and significant changes that has barely any accleration, braking or handling, the bike has the most vibrations on any production motorcycle in the world allowing you to not really ride it above 80kmph while it’s gulping down fuel and spitting out oil of its engine from places it’s not supposed to , oh and yes it also has the worst power to weight ratio in the world and you can but this at just twice the price of any other motorcycle which is twice as much engineered, comfortable, performance oriented and that too with a waiting.
RE FAN DESCRIPTION
it is the best bike in the world and it’s so good that this specific model has been selling for over 60 years, it looks like from 1960’s and is so cool, and it has a loud noise which will make you the center of attention no matter where you go. It has a smooth and delayed braking so that you don’t skid and fall off like the other disc brake bikes, the bike is just 500cc and gives a badass 27bhp and it will propell this rocket from 0-100 just like that, the vibrations give you feedback from the bike and you know what, it’s a 500cc bike for just 2L the next option is a 650cc ninja for 6L so what a bargain!
I think it’s just a matter of how people look at the bike….. personally if some one just loves a bike then you love it, I totally get that. I love my 220 even tough is a half engineered product and is not even the most high performance bike in its class, but I accept that.
The problem comes when RE bikers start considering and talking of their bikes as a performance bike and something that will kick some bikes ass….
My opinion :
Every biker loves his bike and it’s all cool.
Lekin bullet bas bullet hai baki Kuch nahi…. fukat dhoom!
Fuck this Shit blog !! Bullet is Legend 🙂
bullet is lund
Chal chutiye
The very fact that the bike is manufactured in India is a big trade off. I have ridden on the Triumph Bonneville T100 and the Norton Commando 961 Sf which are meant to rekindle old world charm. However, these bikes have some serious engineering that has gone into it unlike the very pretentious Royal Enfield. The company has to consider the serious performance issues plaguing the bike which is otherwise very well designed. Progress cannot be stagnant and you have to innovate.
What’s this ‘rovering’ shit? And that too on a old bucket like the RE ‘Bull..’! But you must give credit to the company that they are able to sell people this gathering of bolts and nuts just on the basis of a ‘hoary’ ah don’t know what!!
Haha, bro, stop whining like a kid, shitty mileage, spoked wheels, noisy! Lol..
Bullets have a history, and it has many enthusiasts, people have different mindsets, they choose their bikes accordingly, and yes not everyone can handle this bull!
And not every1 who has guts, looks, space and money would go for that generator jugad on 2 wheels
Ohhh the writer is just trying n protect his choice fr KTM duke …well I have rode duke 390 never rode anything shitter Dan that …ur arms n back vl start aching after 30km. .the Thunderbird 500 is way better with 35kmpl. Easy riding position n could tow as many as 5 toys like duke :p
I easily reach 110kmph on highways n ride maintained rather Dan keep shifting gears on a duke …sorry boy ur duke ain’t my choice nor I like dat much speed fr Indian roads ….I always prefer muscle tospeed.
Obviously Duke vibrates….bcoz its produces and its visible on the road too
Bullet also produces but dont know where the power goes…maybe ised to loght lamps at home.
If you just wanted a bike with power to tow 5 other bikes….why not get a tractor and trolley
Nice article and thank god you mentioned at the start that u haven’t tried Continental GT because in that case, you have to re-consider your points especially 1,4 and 6.
Bring ur continental gt
I have a word for Yhu…… can’t be offensive so I have to say Yhu…. go n kill uvaself…. Yhu may not like d bike…. it doesn’t mean tat Yhu can use it…. and it’s funny how Yhu compare bullet wid duke…. I have a question for Yhu…. are Yhu even a rider??? 🙂
The article by Yogesh Sarkar had class , where as the above is cheap, hollow and is miserable in substance or standard. Neither the reasons have any credentials nor there is any convincing message. Its all cheap big mouth dialogues !!!!
The point is “my combined distance on the 500, 350 and Thunderbird would be nothing more than 50 kms.”
Well haters gona hate
Dude u dont even have an enfield experience how can u write all this trash? definitely have talent dude.. Look I know enfields have a few problems,but so do ur duke or a splendor or whatever. The thing is if u are not capable of owning and maintaining enfield u must not buy it. Ur duke might be fast but then it looks like a starving crab. Every bike is made with a purpose. duke is track oriented performance machine while enfields are charming classics meant to be driven by people who dont wish to cross 130,140 whatever. We look for a mild speed long ride in a cool breeze. some people value fast bikes and some like classics and if I am not defaming ur duke despite its uncountable problems then u must not point a finger at my classic. So dude grow up and stop vomiting shit like a mercurial 16 year old
Absolutely correct ! Finally someone made sense out of all the BS. You can’t compare a bullet with a RC300 or a Ninja350. Yeah the Ktm will smoke the bullet in a track and will be smoked in turn by an Aprilia RSV or a Street Tripple but that’s not the point. Is the RC rider friendly? No off course not. It’s a track bike. It’s not meant to be driven like a cruiser. A bullet wasn’t meant to race on tracks. Ever seen people racing Harleys or Bolts? If anything It’s a cross between a cruiser and roadster and it’s got tons of character. The classic stance, the thump and the all that low end torque. Anyone comparing the RE bullet to a Triumph Bonneville or Thrux would have made more sense here. Does it need great resources on maintenance ? Yes it may and so does any Harley Davidson for 5 times the price of a RE. Is it easy to fix a bullet? Yes when compared to other bikes of the kind. I would suggest drive the Royal Enfield continental GT. the bullet has a fan base not because it’s a performance product but because it’s a legend like a Rolls-Royce and no one takes a Rolls-Royce to the tracks! I can do a 50 in gear one probably on a Street770 but won’t on a Ktm. They are both great bikes but they don’t compete against each other. There are cruisers and racers and riders and you need to decide which one are you !
Its all cool with us….why would we riders bother about iron frames with generators roaming on road that were started in old days.
Problem arises when the idiots who are either owners and lovers of re start claiming it to be best bike….ok in your category of safe bike it may be best
But when considering mascularity….go fuck yourselves
Dear sir, then what the hell is a masculine bike for u? masculinity doesn’t derive with just speed for ur kind fucking information. Now yeah in terms of british classics available it is indeed the oldest and the best choice at the price. Triumphs are way too costly as they are completely built units sold in india and have hell lot of taxes on them. So any prudent classic lover would buy an enfield. I did not say it is the best bike in all facets of motorcycling but as a classic it serves perfectly. And yes it is perfectly safe too 🙂 and i don’t think that is a bad thing either. If you think ur bikes are not safe then ur manufacturer has done a serious blunder dude. Ask them to shut down immediately. I love classics and love my bike. If I would ever consider buying a sports bike I would buy something better than cheap KTM stuff. And yeah even when i do buy a sports bike i would still love my enfield as both bike have different purposes and enfield serves perfectly fine in its purpose. don’t know about ur bike. Buzz off don’t bother to give any impulsive defensive response, I have had many of them and probably urs would add to that worthless lot 🙂 cheers
Thats the reason there is no point discussing (arguing) any thing with re lovers (idiots)
Go fuck urself on ur generator
reasoning is an art son. Don’t do it if u can’t. U need knowledge to discuss or argue. hence u do not qualify for any. bye i won’t tell u to fuck urself on ur bike coz u are already pretty fucked up 🙂 bye
a typical example of a dog barking at an elephant passing by!
Elephant which cant even move its ass….just roaming like whore
u need a doctor simply ! THey are very comfortable , their weight gives bullet a above normal grip over road , they never slipped over road ! And the most important part their engine sounds tooooooo good !
Bro, you say its heavy because probably you’re too weak to handle its weight.
Secondly speaking of the built material(metal).
Tell me one thing.
Have you ever heard a RE’s parts sound when on a bumpy road?
You talk of pulsar and duke. Dude ride those for an year or two and you’ll know the curse of plastic, especially on the Indian road conditions these plastic or carbon made bikes sound like a tractor travelling on a bumpy road.
Talking of the speed,
I think you have never tried racing a RE on a highway, you cannot even come close my friend because you carbon made bikes or so called sports bike give up on a certain speed, RE never gives up. Then now you criticized RE so much, tell me when did you last purchase a Duke for 1.3 lakh and sold it after 10 years for 1.3 lakh?
Learn this carefully ask around, RE bought for 90 thousand ten years ago gets resaled for a lakh.
Somethings just aren’t meant to speed up on the roads and brake vigorously when the turn comes. Try purchasing the spare parts of RE and you’ll know that you can so easily modify your RE and that too at amazingly low price.
Next RE’s have such a long waiting period because of its huge demand, things with huge demand will always make you wait for purchasing them, moreover it takes time to build a RE as many parts in it are hand fitted.
Talking of the huge wheels, there’s a reason people prefer taking RE’s to mountain areas not the sports bikes, large wheels provide large stability and power.
Certainly bullets give ‘shitty’ mileage, you cannot get so much in a single bike, take an example of the cars. Which one of the BMW’s or AUDi’s have you heard that give 25km/l ?
Last one the thing about reliability, bro you’re mistaken here.
Bullet is one of the most reliable bikes in the world.
I know there might be a few examples or incidences but that’s because people having zero knowledge about a RE take it for long rides. You might not have heard but it is recommended that if you’re planning on taking a bullet to Ladakh then you must first know your bullet.
The sound everyone is so worried about, let me tell you a fact, you can actually control that sound. The sound you usually hear is made to come out like that by the rider because he likes it. Drive it with care and the sound will come out very soothingly.
You knuckle head….the price would go down only if there was something to go capult
The re dont do anything their entire lifetime bcoz of that low end motor and thus maintain price…..and well there are fools like you to do the honour
Yep, totally.
Also would love to add, brave of you and others voicing these opinions. I’ve heard and seen shit on some brands apart from RE and even they have the sense to admit limitations on a machine. Try that with an RE and the guys especially give me disgusted looks especially since I am a girl and was at the start of learning my biking skills. Apparently its a sin for me to even voice it all out. But when I posted some opinions on someone’s forum my Facebook friend request rate and message folder received an assault like no other. I was afraid to open and read most of them and was surprised to see only positive responses. SO there you go… Keep posting.
Will do!
Royal enfield sucks…and that all
Although late to join the errr… party; Can I tell you how much I enjoyed reading your article and how much literally EVERY word resonated with me. I was piecing together something for my own blog but that would be gross injustice given it would lack the technical explanation and reasoning that you have so eloquently put together. In my comparatively brief experience with an RE piece of metal, I am also surprised at the number of closet haters of RE who refuse to be open about it but divulge and spew venom when I openly trash it. So I’d just appeal to those morons to come out and SAY THE OBVIOUS. If you hate it YOU HATE IT… Period. If you love it…. well then the article explains it ALL!!!!
“Eloquently” may not be the word you are looking for, but thanks 🙂
I really think it is safe to say that I got late to office because of Royal Enfield and their crappy motorcycles.
Handle bars so wide, the rider has a difficult time riding it, let alone turning that piece of shit.
Cant lane split as his crash guard is so wide.
Cant take off from the green light and making others wait.
Once shut, will take atleast 3 self-starts to start up.
Fucking irritating exhaust note.
Finally a dumbfuck riding it.
I would push a TVS Scooty but ride a RE,
Bro, you got late not because of RE.
You got late because you’re too chicken shit to ride it properly, do not blame the handle bars. You have not maintained your RE if you’re telling all these.
Oh really
Hehehe! More than this article, the comments below amuse me. Everyone has their own opinion and choice. You all are riders, ride and have fun with peace. Whatever you ride, don’t give a fuck what others have to say 🙂 Cheers! Ride Safe!
Interesting writeup up to the point where it got communal. Wonder what Bhuddism or Christianity had to do with anything here. Staying with the topic would make better reading!!!
I suck at staying on topic.
Bullet k samne teri duke kya bechti hai?
??
Teri bullet ko bech de…itna h duke m
Tujse bada chutiya maine nhe dekha
Bullet 350 top speed is 110…is it less for u..? Wow…then u need a harley bro….ok if you drive harley…do you think it dont get noise…another joke….harley or any cruse bike which gives u ave More tn 35….if someone’s bike chain came out….and they where in bad situation…do you think it can never happen with other bikes…tell me i wanna buy that fuckin bike right now…u said bullet are unnecessarily heavy…yup company givs u extra weight with bike…hahaha…dude i have harley v rod…i have R1..i have bullet too…but obvious harley and R1 are costly bikes they are different from bullet…but cant say bullet is a shit bike….ok can you tell me which bike do you like….i mean which bike gives you best average and speed…like ave 75 and top speed 150…wow…and which bike dont get noise..bullet is a nice bike in a range of 1.5…and average is 35 plus…its not only about dug dug voise or feel…its about if you have 1.5 lac money..tn you have all the option in sports bike like pulser R15 ktm etc…so bullet is different tn them…thats why its very common in punjab…anyways gud buy for now…n have a fucking gud day.
You too.
Is it me or something else lost in translarion here when this no piece of $hit talks abt christianity!! mister your 2000 year old pureley “reservation” based brahmins didnt create $hit!! all they did was screw your mothers and made to your widows and took your young kid girls to be ‘dancing girls’ as in temple priestess!! so what mockery are you making at christianity!! the real “DUKE” bike you are so craving about and praising is made in a christian land! I will tell you the greatest piece os secret not even your mammma could tell about your birth. do you know all north Indians are properly F*cked by persians, greeks, scythians and not to say the least but the mughals hence your complexion. so that is the reason why you people cannot like anything except for firangi stuff!!! not to say the least why do you follow your hindu religion in the first place when all your vedas are not in your hands but some D*ck called brahmin who would even make you worship C*nt and P*ssy (literally) shiv ka L*ing and Y*ni pooja and you talk $hit about christianity!! I am sure centuries if not eons worth of skull f**king all your granddmas made you so!! next time you talk $hit abt christianity dont follow anything frm CHRISTIAN LAND! understand you vermit head! wears firangi clothes and uses all their gadgets but prays to di*khead gods! shame on you @ss hole!!
PS: who said we pay to be in christianity or we pay to keep it happy or we pay to so that there is some use for it! D*ck head jsut because our christianity says all is free that everyone is coming not some Linga dharma where you need to pay some brahmin to saya bout your future or to which direction you need to sleep! D*ck head. if you ever these things I would make sure that I would $kul F*ck all your women folk til they even dream ***LINGA even in their dream!!! understood you $cum!!
let some 1 dare reply to this!!
I think you commented on the wrong article mate, go back to whatever religious fetish porn website you were at and Ctrl+C, Ctrl+V.
next time when you visit shiv ka ling…make sure I will paste my imprint so that you can worship with your mama and sis. BTW do “yoni” pooja that is cunt pooja…you would recieve great blessings!! More over visit khajuraho temple and see how to fuck inside of temple when you are worhsipping snakes or rats or even penis or cunt!! what a shame in 21 century using all white people’s knowledge and creation like comp and internet and still cussing the white man’s religion!! OHH BTW it was the church that opened up abuse cases inside the church not some police. Here in India ashrams are there for sex fantasies..wanna go visit sai baba of puttapartthi or nityananda or even kalki fellow!! How a person with even a sane mind can comment on christianiity that too from hindu religion background!! no wonder country is going to dogs!!
Good! Good! Now the comparison is between bikes which are made to race.. like pulsar and Duke to bike which meant for cruising. I have a bullet 350 which my dad was using it and now we are using. Last month i bought a classic 350. Now, i did read these comments and all these cons for the thumper but i would not care.
Who cares when any of these bikes race even at 130 km/h on a highway.
Who cares when they are giving you more mileage or some sort of reliability.
Who cares for these bikes after 5 years. They just cease to exist as bikes and you yourself will feel low when after 5 years the duke which you were once so proud of is a grand decommissioned model and still a 80′ bullets going dhuk! dhuk! dhuk!.
Trust me, i dont care for this blogger as he does not care for passion. We buy bullet for passion. We feel arrogant because we care and we maintain and we treat it as a ‘Machine’ not a ‘bike’. Once you ride a bullet you are fucked for life bro.. you get your ultimate charming girlfriend whom people envy and people write blogs.
The proof the bullet is astounding is this blog and so many comments. The bullet may not be the fastest, the most reliable or the most technically advanced. It may start with half a kick or it may take the life out of you kicking. But this is what makes it real, it gives it a personality. It feels real. not like modern bikes fill it, shut it and forget it. You care, you clean and polish the nickel, you go to the mechanic and he is just like your friend and you forget the world when you roar.
Now a very important thing i wanted to tell why some people buy bullet and get some engine noise or some issues. Most of them are these pulsar riders. First gear, second gear and zoom.. racing attitude. They try to make their bull which is 350 cc race with pulsar in close traffic signals. This spoils their bikes. The truth is bullet goes like a elephant. Once it catches speed it will keep on going .. you can take it from here to ladhak… but there is a way you ride.
Lastly… you buy a bullet not for need…but for passion… those who buy for need… will always want to compare… its beyond your capacity to explain why the royal enfield is growing… we all need a friend and we all need to see india..nothing better than bullet…
I have to admit I don’t understand how RE is growing, or why. The company basically gives the middle finger to everyone, including their customers, all the time and that somehow makes people want it even more.
Bullet is the mother engine in india …the cast iron 350cc aur 500cc no comparison with any other bike….royal enfield bullet is indian sweetheart from last 60 yrs if it was a shitt lyk u told abhi tak chal naa rhi hotii
Sure.
U talking bullshit….fuck u …r u out of ur mind…bullet jab thumhare pitaji nhi paida huye honge tabse indian army ragad ragad ke chala rhi hai bullet ki jarorat pakistan frontier pe bhot baaar use kiyaa gyaa hai kanyakumari se leke leh tak indian army ki fav hai royal enfield thumhari pulsar naa hi ktm kuch nhi airf bullet ….mere pass royal enfield 350cc g2 hai jo ki 38+ mileage de rhi aur uspe poora din 100 ki speed pe chalao koi dikkat nhi…isme koi shakk nhi punjab ne bullet ki authenticity ko barbad krne mein koi kasar nhi chodii…
Ahan.
You mother fucker.
Teri maa ka boshda madarchod. Behen ke lode.teri bhen ka boshda
Calm down before you have a heart attack or something!
guys i am not a automobile expert and i dnt know thing much than you guys know,,,………………..but still bullet is not the thing to compare its not a comedy for us ….but we love it from our hearts and we dnt mind mind money or milage simply the sond is enough for us…..bullet is somjething you should feellll……….tq
Just few words from me .In my person view the explanation given above Mostly are illogical . For eg to get balancing tie with dumbels to into it , such kind of arguments can be taken as just offensive . RE is not a supper bike , even I agree it but it’s a really good bike in terms of power , stability , mileage and a classy look . I had a bit of off-road experience , in that view all the under weight bikes where having high chance of falling off but RE score there .
In terms of speed , please do not just by looking at two riders experiace ,May be they are not much experienced riders , that’s y u are seeing 60 speed maintained .
It’s easy to cross 80 in highways and remains stables till 100 which is more than I need .
F**k u …u never understand … u shitty pulsar lover
You made me smile.
stfu
http://35.200.187.16/negatives-of-duke-390/ Guys follow the link and you will know within short span of time what all this duke owner has to experience.
Thanks batman!
Having worked in a motorsport company for a while, I’ll just get down to the technicalities.
Why choose a bullet over a sportbike?
1. The pride of owning a bike with a ‘manly’ appeal (the looks and noise).
2. The fat torque it makes in the low end is nice for cruising.
3. Being a long-stroke motor, theoretically it should have a much greater life than an equivalent capacity short-stroke like the duke 390.
Why choose a sportbike over a bullet?
1. Sportbikes simply have better everything when it comes to the engine: Better castings, stronger pistons (semi-forged/forged), overhead cams (as opposed to the noisy and unreliable pushrods in bullets), machine-finished parts, reliable packing, low NVH levels, high volumetric and thermal efficiencies, etc etc etc.
2. Sportbikes are lightweight, and even though one doesn’t have to lift any bike like some imbecile pointed out, bikes with low weight are agile and easy to manoeuvre, which becomes essential if sudden manoeuvres are required. The chassis on a sportbike is given rigorous attention to, since the stresses experienced by them is much higher than a cruiser.
3. Although most sportbikes have short-stroke high-revving motors, they are built with high-quality parts which can withstand the stresses of high RPMs. No sportbike engine is put into production without prior software-simulation and prototype testing. Thus, passing of a ‘plastic’ bike as a ‘piece of shit’ is quite shallow and ignorant really.
4. Sportbikes carry better equipment: be it braking systems, alloys, bar types, display units & their display functions, engine control units, fuel injection units, etc., which are clearly absent in the bullet. These little things do come in handy during a long-ride.
5. Sportbikes are immense fun due to their short gearing and quick-revving engine characters. But then the ‘immense fun’ factor is subjective.
These are the five most basic reasons why a sportbike or ‘plastic crap’ is TECHNOLOGICALLY better than a bullet or most cruisers for that matter (sport-cruisers excluded). But if I were made to ride a bullet for a long distance, what would I do? I would choose to ignore the shortcomings and enjoy doing what it does best. I personally, try to enjoy any bike I ride, be it a cycle, a splendor, a bullet or a sportbike. Yes, the thump and torque of a bullet is soothing and nice for a calm sunday getaway but that’s it. I can never choose anything other than my 50000 km old Pulsar 200 NS for serious touring. Just so I mention, my NS is running on a bunch of engine mods and has undergone further weight reduction. Makes ~26 Bhp, ~21 Nm and hits 0-100 km/h in a little less than 8 seconds and has been running like this for more than 75% of its life with near zero extra maintenance or niggles. A mod done on any bike, bullet or pulsar will run like a charm only if its done right.
Dear bullet fanboys, if you can see, so many people are pointing out the flaws of a typical bullet. Instead of being cry-babies about it, take a good spin on a proper sport-bike and see what is being done right on that. Owning a bike makes you a motorcyclist. Attitude makes you a biker.
1. If your food tastes bad, would you blame the chef or the stove ? A smart person would understand the comparision.
2. Yes sir blame the bike brand instead of the bike rental company who rents to strangers every damn day who might or might not know shit about riding a bike without messing it up. That thing you mentioned can happen to any bike. I rented a brand new bullet when i was in Goa, Rode it for a week around 1000+ kms in and aroudn Goa without any issue.
3. Due to modification, due to rubber attachment — Aren’t you missing the point here ? That sound is because you/they/someone had interferred with the default bike with custom stuff.
4. So the new bullets have Disc brakes!? Why do you worry about old ones NOW? Just cuz old ones didn’t have disc brakes won’t make RE a bad brand. It’s just that it’s catching up slow and they take their time to improve, in their own Pace.
5. “But you know what? The Duke gives you massive amount of fun with whatever fuel you give it” You know why? Cuz you love your Duke. Same goes with Bullet owners bro. We love it and we love the fun it gives. You want mileage? Go for generic splendors and passions.
6. You must be really drunk while putting this reason. How much of india did you explore for you to comment about highways of entire east, north, west, south, central india ? You should really get your facts straight. Yes. Bullets are heavy. SO is your Duke. That’s not the point. Bikes are designed by engineers and designers who are way ahead of you in their career and their designs are designed like that for a reason. You not being able to understand and comprehending just makes you look more stupid.
7. Yes bullets have spoked wheels. Yes they perform well on off roading. Also ON roads. So what’s your point?
8. Fucking long waiting period because it had only ONE plant. Now 2 plants. In Chennai. Catering to other parts of the world. “Royal Enfield is a company that survives on mass idiocy today”. Care to Support with a fact ?
Nopes
Why is there so much of judgement ? Why can we not be happy about something we like and write about that rather…? Or maybe negativity sells better….
Anyhow, I am going for a spin 🙂
Negativity does sell better.
bhai ldai band krooo .. and my budget is 2.0 lk i want a bike which is just good i dont want any races . or performence i want to cover long distances and i hate issues with my things which bike should i buy . if u goona say splendor it ok. i wont mind but please give a fair advise
Buy a Duke 390.
Imao! ! That bike supposed to be fast when they named as “bullet” and how could you even think of riding that bike more than 100kmph (can easily be done with all RE bikes) when that bike has single cylinder, 30+ horse power!! That bike configuration itself not made for speeding bro… cheers!
Cheers!
http://motorcykle.in/10-reasons-why-royal-enfield-is-the-most-respected-motorcycle-brand-in-india/
U forgot 1 more line buddy, u suck! asshole! keep on hating bullets n soon ull c me fucking ur gf on my bullet..
Yep.
this idiot is comparing Rolls Royce with Maruti 800, who will explain such stupids who dosent see diff between rolls royce (RE) and 800 (other byks),,,,,,,,, hahahhahahahahhaha hell man, stupidity, foll, uneducated about RE, bullshit.
Yep.
loosers always have excusees, n u r one of them ,….., after not even ryding 50 km u got in an out info of RE thats great, i must say u r GENIOUS or FOOL, dont comment negatve b4 riding, n btw u dnt deserve to be RE owner, just play wth your silly toys like kids, to ryde bullet u should be Man first….. name it self suggest its ROYAL riding byk, n nt death byk, just go n count as of nw hw manny people met wth ur duke in accident n died. n compare it with bullet n then speak, bullet is not about death rydidng but its all about royal ryding, n dont wory ull nvr b able to own RE, u r in black list.
OK.
bruh wtever ! its still a “a BULLET”
Of course.
To the author: Fact: ROYAL ENFIELD sells more bikes than Harley Davidson.
Btw you need to work on your skills as a writer, you come across to readers as if you had no education and are rather small minded.
I love how being able to sell more bikes than a totally different brand makes RE better.
I bet you do.
If I may address all 9 reasons you don’t like RE in your article titled “6 Reasons…” and title it
” Why You Should Not Lend Credence To An Article Smearing Royal Enfield (when the reviewer has ridden fewer than 50Km total on their products).”
1) What you’re saying is that the speed limit is a stupid law and motorcycles need to be able to maintain illegal speeds. And that you do not have the ability to safely ride at lower speeds.
2) Your quote on RELIABILITY: “It is possible that the rental bike these French people had taken was badly maintained, and I have seen the chain acting up like this on Pulsars and Unicorns. The problem was that the bike’s design didn’t allow this simple problem to be rectified easily.” Please name one motorcycle that the the chain gets jammed between a rim and a frame member, IS easy to extract?
3) Yes, aftermarket modifications can make motorcycles noisy. The key word here is aftermarket.
4) The older bikes had bad brakes but now they sport front disc. So have many other venerable nameplates. Engineering evolves.
5) The mileage is the same as your Duke which is okay for the Duke but not the RE??
6) RE350 176Kg dry. Closest true street bike =Yamaha SR400, 158Kg dry. Heavier but not so much as to pitch a fit about it.
7) You apparently simply do not like spokes. Others do.
8) Oh yes, the long wait – Worldwide RE sells more motorcycles than Harley Davidson, and this is a fact. Supply and demand is also a fact. If you were to keep up on current events, you would know that RE is expanding their factory capability to meet increased demand for these Oh-So-Horrible motorcycles.
9) If I ever have need to contact RE about my 5-year old, no breakdown, no problem Bullet, I will let you know then if there are any CS issues.
And have a nice day.
Have a nice day!
The reason why I didn’t brought bullet nd preferred for pulsar200ns was refined of engine… Which u wont hear from RE bikes… A 350cc engine has an out top speed of 107kmph….from my experience of bike riding.. To reach till the proclaimed top speed of any bike manufacturer… Ur gear shifting has to be perfect… Very very perfect.. Nd worse part… When I went to check bullet in a showroom near Mumbai (mira road-bhayendar) they didn’t even had a bike for test drive….
Yep, that’s RE for you.
Saly I cant agree with this load of bullshit. I have owned and ridden Bullets all around this country and have never found anything wrong with them. I am ready to invite the writer of the above to accompany me on a trip and I will show him just how reliable and fast a Bullet really is..that’s if he can keep up with a 60 year old man on a 40 year old bike
Sure, let’s do it.
Any time in October/November/December. I live in Coimbatore…where are u???
Hyderabad!
you are in telangana and you talk as if you are dravidian by birth you persian or some excreta like mamluks dynasty which properly F*cked your grandmas for hundreds of years hence your comments about christianity, tell me the address you live in HYD
abe chutiye 50 km bhi nhi chalayi aur RE ka review kar raha hai
Haan bhai.
The article is full of myths and seems like written by person with agenda in mind against RE for whatever reason.
Anyways, your personal opinion about the bike is fine, but I think your crossing the line by ridiculing people who purhase and own the bike. Like you, they have there opinion, reason to buy and use the bike. So, just one request, stick to your opinion; but don’t ridicule/point on other people.
Will try.
A shit blog..times are changing dude..my RE gives a mileage of around 45 on highways..i own a thunderbird 350..speed is gud enough to ride and we to enjoy, not to fly..but only an enfieldier can understand that..braking is awesome and unquestionable..ur reasons are incompetent dude..and btw..ladakh is full of enfields and no one is paying attention to ur blog i suppose..If u dont wanna, it hardly matters to us..thanks..
Thanks!
gud thinking by a man who jst drove RE for a mere 50kms….i own a RE and drove it for 50,000kms…it takes a real man to carry a beast….anybody can ride a duke or other bikes…but to handle a beast u have to have those balls of urs….and yup i didnot face any prblms in my RE till date……
Keep riding.
Dear pulsar, duke, ri5 riders.. plz go and try to kick start an old bullet standard.. if u can, den u all are free to criticize the bull.
OK?
In my opinion bike as well bullet both are good . It depends on one’s choice and likes and BTW Indian roads are simply not meant for racer bike or even a normal bike . If you drive 60 to 80 Km/h it’s okay but if u exceed the speed beyond 80 then u in danger . All Indian bikes and bullets have been made keeping these conditions of Indian roads in mind . Even pulsar 150 or 200 appears unsteady above 90 /100 while new Thunderbid 350 is more consistent at 80 to 90 km hour and vibration starts at speed beyond 95/100 .. But bullet classic 500 is all a different story , it has has tremendous power and it is quick in acceleration too … so saying that bullet is slow or takes pick up slowly is completely false .When I ride classic 500 on delhi road , there is a few guy who has capacity to overtake me .. Better , you once drive classic 500 or Bullet standard 500 you will know it.. Even my TBS 350 so quick that a normal 200 cc bikes rarely have ..
Try riding the 150cc R15 sometime.
Hello Munna , you seem really fucked up by the bullets sound . Boy , bullet is meant for a man and not for a kid . One who drives bullets knows its qualities more than you kid who merely after riding 50 km started making all the craps .Although it’s true that bullet a bit heavier than conventional bike but that’s all coz of its metallic built .Unlike normal Indian bike where mudguards n side frames are made of plastic, in bullet it’s completely iron like things. In one way it makes bullet heavy but in another way , it makes bullet sturdy and gives a machismo looks too . By the principle of physics , a body with higher mass has higher inertia of motion so It is more consistent in driving . Pros and cons are the part of same coin . You equally get fucked up ,when In mid way your bike stops and resists all your attempt to restart n move . As much as it comes to service centre , yes , all mechanics are not well trained or may be too greedy to get your bullet out from trouble . If you are a man , you should be wise enough to handle such a nut but if you are a kid surely they will suck you blood badly . So , better choose a right mechanic outside service centre and if you have some time better you go and learn something about the machine you are gonna drive , coz these stuffs which you suppose to use are your friend so it’s better you learn something if not everythings about the machine and it’s working . I have a pulsar 150 and two bullets one Thunderbird 350 and one classic chrome 500 cc .. In true sense I never knew the joy of riding bike as it was just like my routine work to start pulsar and move for my destination but last year in July I bought new Thunderbird 350 and truly first time I got to know what is the joy of riding bullet at one day n Pulsar to other days .. These variability in ride was just awesome . Unfortunately my Thunderbird got stolen in just three months but I bought another TBS just a month later n one more bullet ( classic chrome ) just a month back .. Its all the passion that I got from my first tbs …
Yay.
haaa haa i think you need to buy a cycle its a better option for you mate
Got one.
after selling my duke 200, using it for 1.5 yrs i recently purchased cl350
its equally fun as the duke,(i dont know why)
enjoyed the duke zipping past cars and bikes on narrow streets and now im enjoying following all the road rules and cruising..( im 21 though)
enjoyed riding the duke as it caught so much road attention and now i enjoy cruising listening to the sound bullet makes.( i hated ktm’s sound though)
i loved how advance the ktm’s speedo was with all the signals and the background orange lightning, however i also enjoy filling and predicting fuel on bullet.( it doesnt have a fuel gauge)
sitting on the ktm made me feel so cool(omg girls), and now i feel more matured and fearless riding the bullet.( its prob the sound and the road presence)
i enjoyed riding the ktm at 120km/hr (my max speed) however i also enjoy riding bullet at 60km/hr (speed doesnt describe fun).
(although bullets are not for speed, new bullets with uce engines arent slow nor are unreliable, for the sound i dont know which bullet u rode, old ones had good thump whereas new ones dont)
although i still remain the same, both bikes offered different kind of fun. the only valid point in ur article is the weight and the spoked wheels.( bullet is all metal,its engine is big and it has spoked wheels to retain the vintage look,u can always put aftermarket alloys)
whatever the bike is, all of them would put a smile on my face, even if it would be a splendor i would be happy riding it..
enjoy riding!!
Have fun!
Dear Akhil,
Thanks for that wonderfully ignorant post. Now before I begin dissing your post, I would like to tell you that it’s because of people like you, thousands of people die in road accidents every year in India. You mentioned, in your experience: ‘it’s better riding above the speed limit’. No my friend the speed limits are not made for fun, it’s for the riders safety. There’s no bravery in racing your bike above the speed limit. It’s stupidity. You wanna race or unleash your bikes power? Put on some gear and hit the tracks. Coming to your problems with the bullet which are, the bullet is slow, unreliable, “shitty brakes”, long waiting period, low mileage, spoked wheels and bad customer care. Now in India, you can buy a Hayabusa, a R1 or a FireBlade and you will still have to ride slowly cause let’s face it, none of our roads are built for speed plus the traffic and not forgetting the million potholes. I’ve done 120kms on a Bull and I won’t say that’s something great but you gotta remember these are touring vehicles not built for speed. They are comfortable and that’s something you can’t deny. Low mileage? The 350cc gives around 30kmpl in the city. Considering it a non fuel injected 350cc bike, it’s a good figure. You also spoke about them not having ABS and spoked wheels. Now let’s talk figures: Pulsar RS 1.50, KTM 390 2.4, CBR 250 2.50 and the Royal Enfield Classic 350: 1.36lakh. It’s not like Royal Enfield can’t afford to put alloys and ABS, but the Bullet was a masterpiece of British Motorcycling and that’s the reason even today thousands of foreigners tour India on Royal Enfields. The company wants the legacy to live. Very little has changed in its design in the last 75years. The Bullet is the cheapest 350cc and 500cc bike in India. You get what you pay for my friend, that’s life. Now talking about breaks, the older Bulls used drum breaks and the latest ones use discs(front and back) and I’ve never heard any complaint about them. You mentioned a French couple stranded on the road, now that can happen to any bike. No real biker can wake up in the morning and guarantee that his bike is gonna run without a problem. It’s a machine after all. I’ve seen many stalled pulsars, Dukes, R15s, should I go and write a biased review about the bike? No. Now coming to the waiting period for the bike, I know it’s a bit too much but fyi you can pay to get yours earlier. If it’s so urgent. Or you can always buy it from dealers like AliBhai Premji. Your last point about the customer service. I hate to agree but the customer care does have to improve. I won’t like to say anything more cause you aren’t any authority to decide wether or not the bullet is a good bike or not, you don’t own one nor have you ridden one for long enough. Your post was totally biased. Royal Enfield sold 3lakh bikes in India (2014) and the number is ever increasing. You can keep posting crap about the Bullet Nd we “Bulleteers” will still not give a single Fuck. A true rider will never criticise any bike cause he lives to Ride. Harley, Ducati, Yamaha, RE, KTM…they are just companies…a bike is a bike. Keep Riding Safe. Cheers.
-Dean Christian Silva
“A true rider will never criticise any bike cause he lives to Ride”
I say fuck that.
By commenting that you made an ass of urself on ur own post. Enjoy.
check this real funny side with pics:
http://khurki.net/9-things-every-royal-enfield-bullet-owner-is-tired-of-listening/
loved your detailed piece: do read these ones ones, real funny side with pics:
http://khurki.net/9-things-every-royal-enfield-bullet-owner-is-tired-of-listening/
Let me clarify a point about bullets being slow. Including the author. The bullet is designed in a way that it can not provide performance. All those people out here talking about their bullets being fast are dickheads. No mechanical knowledge of engines and gearboxes. Just having a 350 cc bike does nothing t mean more speed. It’s like comparing a CD 100 or a 100cc splendor to a Yamaha rx100. Both are 100cc engines but with a mechanical difference. Let me explain.
Power = torque x speed.
Torque define the pulling capacity of the vehicle.
Speed basically defines it self.
If you look within the engine of the Enfield. The Enfield engines deliver more torque due to the longer stroke. A longer stroke requires a larger diameter crankshaft (or at least a slightly longer distance between the center axis of the crankshaft and the connecting rod bearing) which in effect increases the “leverage” that the piston has when turning the crankshaft. That’s why you can put 54 people on an Enfield and it will still move. A RX 100 can and definitely will outpace an Enfield because it’s exactly the opposite. You put 54 people on a RX100 ora rd350 or Duke and it won’t move a millimetre. Coz their engines and gearboxes were built for speed. Not torque. You can modify engine design to compromise speed for torque and vice versa. Smaller the stroke. Faster the acceleration. For people who would cry foul that the first two were 2 strokes and the engine is a four stroke, I’d suggest comparing and older Enfield with them. You got to compromise on either speed or torque. Can’t have both. People who say their Enfield are fast are fools. It was never built to be fast. It’s purpose was different. I know a lot of people who don’t know a shit about mechanical engineering and gonna start abusing me for this post. If you gotta reply to me make sure ur at least technically educated to do so. I can’t Comment on the other stuff coz those reasons are not technical. Peace out.
Peace.
I’m an RE Thunderbird owner and I kind of liked your article. I did face some of the problems you made here and found myself laughing to myself while I read it. While the speed and acceleration are hardly points to boast about it, you need to realize that for the kind of roads our country possesses,I’d rather see a slow bike in someone’s hand than a high performance one, especially when most riders have no idea what road rules are. And it’s interesting observation that i as a doctor has seen more road traffic accident patients coming in from non RE bikes. That doesn’t mean they carry you on their wings,no, but when was the last time you saw a guy on a bullet wizzing through the crowd at 9 in traffic and losing control? The damn bike isn’t built for it. As far as inferior technology is concerned, an old Chevy 69′ convertible in mint condition would probably be worth way, I mean way way more than your average Audi. Does it drive faster? Does it give better mileage? I highly doubt it. But its vintage. A 2013 RE is definitely not vintage but my grand dad had a RE since 1960’s. That sure was something. It was actually what made me buy one. And sticking to traditions.. Well, its not the technically sound thing to do but the reason why these bikes last this long is for the very reason the company decided not to rapidly evolve. They probably still make the same cooky spare parts that are needed by some middle aged man who owns his RE from his college days. I wanted to be that guy. I wanted to grow old with a bike. That sure as hell wasn’t going to happen with a pulsar or a Duke or an apache. Your article is very very vital for those people who just want to buy a royal Enfield just coz they can. For the rest, it won’t matter a sinch. Good day 🙂
If you wanted to grow old with a single bike, you made the best decision possible.
I’ve seen a million of the point by point comment, so I damn right have to make one of my own. Here goes –
1 – Screw acceleration compared to KTM, it can hit 100 in 12 seconds, and a 500 can do it in 7. But I agree that holding the speed above a 100 is an issue, the further you go, the jarring vibe from the engine to ur hands turn to hell.
2 – unreliable as fuck. Wheels, brakes, chain, engine, fuel injection, clutch, blah and blah. Enough said.
3 – About the noise, it leads me to believe people don’t even read what u say clearly. You said u like the stock sweet deep thump, of which I am a fan too. It sounds very sweet. But majority of the ppl buy the bullet for it’s sound, and in that aspect they believe changing the exhaust to sound extremely loud and screaming is amazing. Let them faggots die in hell, and all those who cursed you without reading your ‘first line’ on this clearly.
4 – Combination of disc and drum bullshit bullshit. I’ve locked my wheels 3 times and hit a truck one of those times. Though I’m a very experienced rider, and I know exactly how to brake, when coming down from fast speeds, the brakes are very easy to lock. Cuz idiots put a disc in the front, and when u jam it, that crazy weight makes the bike easily go haywire. The front part of the bike consists of only a headlamp, suspension, handlebars and wheel, making the front extremely lightweight and easy to turn. Due to this, during fast braking the back of the bike enjoys instability, turning around the front in the case of a wheel lock. I do release my brake and reapply upon realizing a wheel Lock, but of no use cuz once all this weight gets thrown to any side, handling it is beyond anyone. ( I’m 6’2 and weigh 95 if u think i don’t have what it takes to carry this baby toy). Thank the heavens I am used to instability due to certain amount of stunting 😀 I’m giving my experience cuz I’m a rider who prefers staying over 100 cuz driving and riding so long at 100 makes it seem pretty slow so bullet or not, I cannot tortoise. The 2 times I locked other than the truck, was with cows 😀 I’m a pretty safe rider without any accidents till date, but if I hadn’t changed to an RC, the bullet would have surely got me my first one.
5 – 500cc company claimed is 30kmpl and 350 cc is 50 kmpl. Real world situations they would give 20 and 35 respectively which is OK for a bike that cubic size, wouldn’t you agree? Granted minus outputting the power that cubic range should actually be offering, but even ridden hard the mileage figures don’t drop down less than these numbers. Considering if u ride the ktm hard it drops to 15-18 from 32 on top gear average rpm 🙂
6 – I totally agree with you. Cruisers and thumpers are meant to be heavy, and low set. But RE misunderstands it as just plain weight. The sheer weight serves no functionality at all unlike the high end Cruisers and thumpers.
7 – Spoked wheels in a 1.5 lakh plus bike, in this age? Holy cow. It looks good on the RE, but not a reason they should go for form over function.
8 – Hand made bikes fault so much, my clutch just cut twice by itself on triple digits. Once next to a ten metre drop. Thankfully I had the reflex to not panic and stop it with engine braking and clutch less downshifts. And waiting half to a full blown year to own this bike doesn’t add to it’s exclusivity or appeal, it’s actually a testament to how pathetic the company are at manufacturing their bikes.
9 – Every god damn bike mechanic on every corner of this country is well versed in fixing RE bikes, cuz apparently everyone prefers the local mechanic to the company service 😀 Plus it’s always breaking down 😀 Oh man how can people stand up for a bike that turns their biking life into a small hell. They probably live with it the same way they do an arranged marriage :O ignorance to what’s killing you.
So Akhil, I’m sure u might have misjudged a few things at least about this piece of junk, but I was just pointing out things factually. Hope u absorb the info and Happy riding 🙂
I’m sure you know more about REs as you’ve owned one, as against me who only hates all of them 🙂 Happy riding mate!
Akhil, I had once upon a time commented on this post, and I say once upon a time because duh -_- I then had the misfortune of following this thread. ( God damn)
For months my email is filled with new comments about how Indians have stuffed their own head so far up their arse, they cannot bear to see anything in any other perspective but their very own. If you recall, ( and I say this very sarcastically, considering the million comments on this post) I also owned a RE for a pretty long time, and have given it up to be one of the first owners of the RC 390. Which I’m damn glad I did. The bike is not one for practicality, nor one to stand the test of time, ( that includes the duke too) but it’s a damn good bike to boot. And I’m still looking forward to a better bike which can offer me more. Which is how a bikers perspective should be. If they are into cruisers, they need to toss aside the very notion of a RE and go for a Harley or Triumph. It’s hilarious when people sit in the comfort of their air conditioned homes and go lengths about what an A-hole you are, and alot more, but you stick to ur perspective and will never let them get the satisfaction of daunting you 🙂 Your short replies to everything, that’s some serious shitty patience man. An Ok,ahan to a paragraph of bitching is a sign of maturity, more than what anyone has displayed over here. Kudos and Happy Riding 🙂
Haha, thanks mate and happy riding to you!
We indians were ruled by the British for nearly two centuries. Many precious things and resources were taken but they also left us with more than half illiterate country to rule ourselves with the outdated laws made by them and the eager indians who wanted to rule. They also left us with Royal Enfield. An outdated bike with an outdated engine. We poor indians with no proper R&D haven’t been able to better it. I don’t have any thing against RE but they should’ve kept up with the times and moved to better alloys to make the bike lighter and parallel twins or v-twins or inline triples in the engine sector. But no, it seems we lack the mettle and the company gave the bike a face lift with a few tweaks to the engine with a new head and new gear box. We Indians fell for the gimmick and thus the nearly bankrupt company was revived at the cost of a few ignorant bikers. My point is if the Royal Enfield was such a great bike then the parent British company wouldn’t have dissolved in the early 70’s. The fact was that new companies like the Triumph and the Japanese companies were producing far better bikes both technologically and economically. But we indians stuck to RE because we inherited it from our fathers and 350 cc seemed a big number. The army were stuck with thousands of REs due to which the company crawled through the 70’s and 80’s. Smaller Japanese bikes made their way into the Indian market in the 80’s and many educated Indians came out of slumber and saw that they were faster, easier to handle and economical to run and maintain. But RE always had loyalist as they already owned them and were stuck with them. They are fighting for a heritage that was never ours and the British who created this damned bike have already abandoned it and we as the poor Indians we are not willing to let go of this bike in this scrap yard of a country.
I disagree with you on your outlook of the British 😀 We were the ones with lack of everything in our lives. They bought telegrams, technology, railways to us. And as you said, the RE. They didn’t make an outdated bike as of then, back then this bike was something next to godlike. Sadly, that mentality has still been passed on, and Indians are the very people who find moving away from a fixed mindset, very hard. The RE is even now classy in it’s own right, but for the fact that they’ve kept the same junk on that frame, people need to realize to move past things that don’t adapt to time.
I’ve ridden REs at different times and never liked the weight, the lack of a refined engine and the vibrations it sends thru my whole body. I myself am fond classy vintage bikes but REs always put me off. Thank god that Triumph came into India. Boneville is one of the 10 greatest bikes ever made. Ride one if you want to experience true classic motorcycling. I am saving to buy one in the next 5 years. I like Harleys also but american styling is too gaudy. Their engines are good. European styling is always more subtle and sexy.
I have never seen a fool like you in my life. You can be honoured as Mr. Idiot. It is very clear that you are an immature guy n senseless human. Who told you tat bullet are slow. Wat do you know about bullet??? I will say that you are zero knowledged about bullet. I own a Thunderbird 350 n it easily does 120 kms speed. Their brakes are awesome n perfect responding even at the top speed of 120. Yes I agree its heavy but it feels like muscled n solid. It has is own uniqueness n there are more than 1 million Royal Enfield lovers n followers in India. Not everybody r fools r knowledge less. So have sense n b matures Mr. Whatever.
OK.
Aman Singh: As the name says Royal Enfield, REs are undoubtedly ROYAL. You willnot find any other bike in India with such a huge fan-fan – following. Only that person can understand the feel of Bullet, who has ownedit and driven it for atleast 1000 kms. No doubt that driving it is not very easy but owning a RE is a matter of pride. Those who say that Bullet is slow, kabhi 2nd and 3rd gear mein accelerator ghumana, tumhe uski speed ka pata chal jayega. Jinhe Bullet ki awaz pasand nahi, ab unhe kya kahu. Will barking or mew-mew suit on Lion. Lion roars and scares the jungle, and so a Bullet does on road. Baki pasand apni-apni hai. I don’t criticise any other bike. But Bullet ko bekaar bike samajhna ekdum stupidity hai.
Buhahahaha…..you don’t know shit about riding and you definitely don’t know shit about bullets! You wanna know why? Cause your a wuss! Bullet are heavy? Good we like them that way atleast we don’t have to buy a fucking bike after a small spill! Bullet are noisy? You obviously never heard a pulsar with mod silencer.. Now those are screamers! And your probably the delusional if you say bullet.don’t stop… The classic model uses a combination of disc and drum reducing the chance of skidding unlike the cbr or pulsar. You don’t want your bullet to brake down? Then take care of it properly! It will last way longer than any other boke in current Indian market!And worst point you made riding is about going fast? Like hell! It just goes to show you don’t know shit about riding! Your just probably one of those wimps who was too weak to handle an Re!
Probably.
I feel pity for those who compare Bullet with toys……
NOthing Much to say, after reading the post i can only say that the guy who wrote this is far away from being rider. & moreover bullet isn’t just a bike its a symbol of manhood, so keep ur fucking reasons up ur ass & consider them after u grow up & learn why bullet is diffrent frm any other boys toys on the road……..
Ahan.
Nice one. I wonder why people ride bullets while they also have various other options including Vikram, Tempo, even Battery Rickshaw as these are safer, cheaper, convenient and disturb others lesser.
LOL, I wonder too.
Haha… The best part was reading the comments section. I have a classic 500 and my cousin a duke 200. I would have gone for the duke 390 but for the fact that my mom can’t sit in it. (Y u do this). Well, not deviating frim the subject, yes my cl500 do rattle a bit, they do have niggles, they do have tubed tires but I hav been riding fr 6 months and 15000 kms (yea i ride a bit on the higher side), i get an average mileage of 30kmpl and top speed enough to keep up with the duke 200 and can do 105-110 all day long.
But seriously think they could be a bit more tuned to obtain the best from a 500cc engine. But other than that happy with them.
Main Stand – always a problem. Keeps shifting stance thanks to bike weight (180 KG).
Did I tell you about sprag clutch – it failed, TWICE in 4 years. I am using kickstart for past 2 years
chain sprocket
– lasts just one year. Service center guys tell you – they need to be changed every year.
And cost – yes a bomb.
Air filters are costly. And they need a change every 6 months
Thunderbird batteries just die. Just. Die.
As a Thunderbird owner for 6 years here is a piece of advice to you
:
Keep the reasons coming. If you cannot find one, let me know. I have a trunk full of them.
Here is one: every third Thunderbird with Electric starter had had its Sprag Clutch mothered forcing the owner to stick to kick start only.
for the author:
1.i have ridden my bullet @ 145kmph continuously for hours and nothing went wrong and rode smoothly.
2. reliability of a bike depends upon how you maintain them….after all its a machine..you take care of it and it will take you places.
3.noise is what comes from other bikes…..from bullets…..its called the thump….and its head turner….i bet you on this.
4.breaking on bullets is a fine art….not everyone is that talented.
5.again mileage is a figure depends on how you maintain it.my classic 500 gives me a mileage of 30-35 kmpl.what else you expect.
6.bullets are heavy….all cruisers are heavy…try anyone….
7.spoked wheels are not gonna bite your ass….is it?
8. they have tool long waiting period because of heavy demands…..and agree on this…owning a bullet is always a deep desire at least of most of the Indians.
9. again talking to service centers and getting work done is an art,not everyone can master it.
in the end…..brother you better get your facts corrected….and stop distracting new buyers.
😀
I gotta try.
145 kmph is just crazy speedo error…………..I own a RE Bullet 500 and anything above 90 kmph, the engine cries foul.
dude,speedo error occurs in digital not analog.next time take your bike to a good service center and tell them your problems.they will fix it.looks like you have turned your machine into a shit box…:D
I accept it
Hello Bro !
Let me provide the answer:
1. Bullets are fucking slow – I think you are riding the bullet left by your great grandfather (RE existed at that time also). I generally drive at 80+ inside city and 100+ and is extremely stable at high speeds. Bike at your great grandfather’s would have got rotten. see your bike, its still alive
2. Royal Enfields are unreliable – Again the same answer. Change your bike. High cost bikes needs greater maintenance. I have taken care of my RE and it has never caused any problem
3. Bullets are noisy – and the bad kind of noisy – Dear Sir, There is a difference between noise and thump.
Let me give you a reference – http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/thump
Thump is what Royal enfield is known for. Do you say amitabh bachchan’s voice is irritating ?
4. Bullets have really bad brakes – I doubt are you riding a moped ? RE gives disc breaks which works and provides excellent balance even on sharp turns and highways
5. Bullets give shitty mileage – You need to learn class – 8 science. Do you know what a CC means in a bike. Ask a person who has pulsar 220 ? How much mileage he is getting. I have 350 cc and it gives me 33-35 in city and upto 37 on highways. This is not a mileage bike. Even scooty wont give you handsome milegae. Try a bicycle ! It doesn’t need a fuel at all !!
6.Bullets are unnecessarily heavy – same as point 3. Bullet is made of steel. Do you know the meaning of steel which is iconic in bullet. You will like other plastic bikes may be.
“Steel – An alloy of iron with small amounts of carbon; widely used in construction; mechanical properties can be varied over a wide range”
extract from wordweb
7. Bullets have spoked wheels – change it to alloy wheels, who is stopping you ?
8: Bullets have a fucking long waiting period – Agree ( Bro, you have excellent IQ !)
9. Royal Enfield doesn’t give a shit about its customers: were you waiting for a shit ? find a good service center or mechanic. There are many. You wont get at the corner of your house.
From your article i just got to know that you are riding 100 years old RE. Time for a change !
Think twice before posting such non-sense articles.
Or,
I would write:
100 reasons why a dumb should not write anything on internet !
Same old crap.
Never knew it was so difficult for the fellow Bull riders to accept that they love it for its retro looks and feel along with the way it pumps up their ego. Add to that the retro issues with a motorcycle, like leaks and loose bolts. Owners here, instead of acting classy like their Bulls, are hell bent on proving that the deciding factor while judging a motorcycle in 2015 is that it can carry a few dozens of people and that the Army uses them. They also used to have the Gypsies because they had a contract. Some say they will put the ‘plastic’ bikes at rest on the 4th gear. Wow ! A ‘plastic’ machine producing similar number of ponies will only see a Bullet on its RVM, that too for a few kilometers only and then it will be a lonely ‘plastic’ bike on the tarmac while the RE would be still booming a few kilometers behind letting the rider know that he is at a mind numbing speed of 60 kmph by transmiting the engine vibs to the rider’s bones. And what is this conception about plastic is bad or cheap or something inferior ? It is lighter, more flexible and does not rust. Are the sports bikes or for that matter the Dakar bikes have metal in plenty.
I love the way the REs looks and what it does on the street but to put claims regarding what it does not do is childish. Then there are the lots who would put after market pipes and rev their engine for 5 minutes at 530AM in a residential area, cutting through every person’s sleep while being the subject of abuse from everyone of them. There is a TB500 in my garage, that belongs to one my neighbour. We start for office around the same time every morning and boy do I pity him. We walk down together. I take the cover off either of my plastic Japs. Push the start. Idle for a minute and leave. He, on the other hand, has to keep pressing the start button till it coughs up to life when it feels like because “its not hot”. Then he lets it idle and the engine dies down again. And the process repeats, till everyone in the apartment knows that he is going out to work on that day. I ask him ‘why is this happening ?’ He tells, “It rained last night know !”. I mean, if there was an epitome of unreliability, this is it, that too to one of the most “modern” machine in the RE stable. I will not even dwell in the out dated cycle parts, especially the darling brakes.
For me, it is a great ornament. You keep it, clean and shining. Ride it every now and then without taking time/destination etc into consideration. Well, good to not go more than a couple of hundred kilometers else it will either break down or you would already be numb in your limbs, thanks to the engine vibrations that are transmitted to the rider as if the rider was a peeled orange in a juice maker. I know people take it to Ladhak and that is supposed to be some kind of achievement. Well, it is actually. A plastic bike would just go there without a mechanical hiccup, especially the Japs. An RE will, however, make the journey memorable. This memory would be a nightmare for some and a dream-lived for others.
They say they are safe below 80kmph while two dozen of them block one of the lanes on a 2 lane highway, causing trouble to every other user of the road. As for the speed limit, it is the relative velocity that hurts the most and not your speed. So with everything around doing 100-120, do the maths.
I love the way the RE looks and rides below 50kmph. If I had enough money that I would start to buy vintage stuff, I would get one and ride on the Independence day and the Republic day. Rest of the year, I would keep it serviced, clean and gleaming while I would use my “plastic’ japs for going around places as I love to ride more than the ride that I ride on !
Well said mate!
You forgot to mention one more thing, to me it represents the laziness that we see in Indians. Also 50 years of independence and our progress has been very little, compared to what could have been. Nothing paints this picture better than a bullet. Thanks for this article dude, we really needed someone to call it like it is. Cheers!
Cheers!
Hats of mate. Well compiled article on this ancient price of lumbering fart metal.
You forgot the most important point. The people who ride them. They have tiny little brain and a winer. There is a saying, A loin with tiny penis compensates with a mighty roar, which possibly explains loud Punjabi/kerala exhaust on their lump of horse manure on wheels.
The anti motorcycle comments by them further explains. They can’t stand against the facts and continue to behave like a incompetent imbecile.
Who gives a shit 🙂
While I agree with most of the points here, I would like to contradict about the support thing. I had a bad experience with the service center and the people at RE were prompt in sorting the issue and they also followed up on it properly.
That said, the tube tyres are scary. You notice the difference in potholes if you are coming from a machine with tubeless. I have had countless punctures doing crazy speeds on my Yamaha and I didn’t know until the next day. On the TB350, i don’t even consider going fast because ‘what if it gets a puncture at that speed’.
About the brakes, I don’t give about older Enfields but the TB350 has got good brakes (disc on both ends) and decent rubber. ABS would have been better though. I am a fan of KTM but you will have to admit, it isn’t any good for daily commute. The noise is something because of a large number of stupid owners who don’t get the concept of acceptable noise or exhaust back pressure. The sound of a stock RE is one of the sweetest exhaust notes you will find on motorcycles here.
I agree with you regarding the stock sound of an RE, it’s sweet for sure!
You cant explain a blind guy how beautiful the world is and its filled with full of colors, Let them be blind and keep sucking their plastic dildos
have fun and its funny how you reply each and every comment and try to prove you r right , do you have a life? you actually rode 80000kms? or just made it up like a faggot little kid who had a sucky childhood ? My friend was like that and he got treatment in a mental hospital and he fine now . Maybe you should visit one . Have fun kid . and try getting a life .YOU HATE US BECAUSE YOU A’INT US.
Totally.
Sorry mate….àll i can say is that -be god wid u.
I agree to whatever u say…but literally it is like an elephant strolling along who dont give a damn about any hyenas, pups,or any thing else. It just rides on…so enjoy your duke because nothing could replace RE from the face of earth.
Absolutely.
Kiddo , You r not qualified to ride a beast , Go suck your dads dick . I own a 1973 model and a 1999 model and a classic 500 cc , i prefer 1973 . If you dont know how to ride an elephant you blame yourself not the elephant. And believe me if an elephant makes its move all the fucked up camels and horses shits from their mouth.
By the time elephant makes the move, horse would have reached mars. You keeping riding elephant and keep sucking its dick
You said it buddy.
this is all fucking bullshit!!! im a royal enfield lover im so mad about bullet i can even marry with my bullet coz i can feel the royal ride that it gives me
i was crazy for the royal enfield since i was 6 yrs old and now im 16 and when i tell this to someone then say that why dont u ride my bullet bike? and everytime my ans. was that ‘No, thanks i will only ride my bullet not anyone other’s’ im the true royal enfield lover i
although i like speedy bikes but speed,mileage,vibrations and other things never matters for me in a bullet i can feel the dug dug and the royal sound it makes
i cant say anything to u as its ur choice and u dont like it!! its okay if u dnt like it but atleast dont try to insult royal enfield by putting these blogs… i req u keep ur thinking with u and im also a punjabi and i luv punjab also
i know u are elder than me, i respect u but i want to say that i feel proud and loved everytime when i see my bullet standing or im riding it
im a true bulleteer, true royal enfieldian
Of course.
hahaha so much fun reading butt-hurt RE fanboys rage puke irrelevant nonsense. I rode an RE for a couple of years, my first ever bike in fact. It was fun but you gotta move on. It’s a damn shame if you’ve been riding for decades, have the means to upgrade but have your dick so far up a machine’s exhaust that you’ve lost sight of reason. A machine that puts out fewer horses than a high end lawn-fucking-mower no less. Give multiple cylinders a chance I always say.
Couldn’t agree more!
I’d read in one of your rants that you’re looking for writing inspiration. If you’re still on the lookout, I occasionally pen some brain-farts of mine from time to time about motorcycling and travel: https://bringrum.wordpress.com/2015/05/04/rc-390-im-fast-and-i-hate-your-butt/
ur a real piece of shit man 😀 fucking useless article 😀 poi saavu da thevdiya payalae 😀
😀
Apart from this shit writing of the OP ,something to ponder is
“The death rate among riders of supersport motorcycle accidents is four times that of riders of conventional motorcycles, like cruisers, standards, and touring motorcycles. The riders of the more conventional motorcycles are also older –usually age 40 and above. The death rate among riders of sport motorcycles is two times that of conventional motorcycle riders.”
http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/motorcycle-accidents-common-causes-30330.html
Every individual have his way of riding,…
RE is the brand which is connected to INdians from many generations, From 80 to 18, every Indian knows it,
Some things stays in your heart,
To all my dear Rossi’s Indian cousins, RE gave INdia the fastest motorcycle at the time your elder took you to market on LUNA, Hero PUCH, and somethings like that…(Although Yamaha RD’s, Triumph served, but for a very small time)
That bullets are still running around smoothly …
And moreover RE is working in the new Twin cylinder engines & furthur refinement of current engines
350cc would be obselete & replaced by new refined 400cc
Time for the old school motorcycles have come (whooping 70% increase in sale)
One more fact, RE is the only Metal crap(according to you) which could be easily cutomised, …. cruisers , bobbers , cafe racers, …..you name them we have them ..
We love our machine….we will be back on the fast track with new powerful machine..
Harleys are for america,
similarly, Bullets are for India , Iam an Indian & Im proud to ride Indian Machine
Dear all rider are brothers,
And riding is brotherhood,
Dont spoil the brotherhood, Ride what you like , At let others ride what they want…
Are you jealous..?
watch the video and chill…!!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-JwZfLKX1U
P.s.: Dont come up with your bad words to cover up…keep the discussion healty…
Ride hard. Ride safe. God Speed..!!
God speed!
whoever postes this is such a douchebag. ….if ypu dont like royal enfield you can just go fuck off with plastic Japanese bikes (KTM)
I did.
i jst went thru went thru dis post and jst want to say evry individual have its own likes and dislikes…well for my view, i m posting the pic of my 1972 model royal enfield, which i have recieved frm my dad, and i m still using it widout any hassle….all i want to say is a passion is needed to keep a bullet else a plastic toy is best suited fr dose who cnt afford to keep a true metal
Yep.
Hhe.he…. I do agree with this…. bulls may be heavier than others but it is not a killing machine…… it keep the rider safe always. You guys can check the accident rates in India . You can not find a reckless bullet accident , your type plastic toys like Duke ,Pulser and all other sports bikes in India leading the rider into death.. because Indian roads are not gud for them . I am not an RE enthusiast or anything but I am in love with them. There is always a positive on everything…………. 🙂
No.
Great article! Akhil you are the man who got balls to burst
ego bubble of all the RE fan boys!
Finally someone came forward and put some valid points.
Yes I don’t like RE! And I am not a KTM or Pulsar lover
either; I am an anti-pulsar guy and KTM Duke sounds like a rickshaw to me. But, if
I have to choose between pulsars and RE, I’d choose pulsar.
Why?
I owned RE350 1990 model, used it for more than 6 months, took
care of it….and I faced such issues
like never faced before in any other
motorcycle.
What Issues?
1) Starting RE is a mess; a hand cranked diesel generator
takes much less efforts than this.
2) Mileage……what mileage?
3) You could collect dripping oil from its engine and use it
as chain lubricant 🙂
4) It was a headache to clean this bike.
5) I am a working class guy and guess what? I did not have
time to fix its frequently coming issues and also dint have time to impress
girls with its shitty diesel generator like sound.
6) YEAH, IT’S ALL METAL! AND IT CORRODES!
Fan boys Boasting here about the “great” RE stability
have never stumbled upon the situation
where you are doing 80kmph and a wild fucking boar comes out from nowhere in
front of you.
Try to hit brakes & control your heavy metal junk there and in the next moment your royal metal junk takes you to the last ride of your life.
the only reason RE is being sold in good numbers because
some wannabe guys want to turn heads on the road.they only want to convey only
one message ” please give me an attention as I have something antique and
apparently powerful”
“Real men don’t need to have RE or anything loud to
grab attention on the road; a silent strong personality is enough to do the
same”
Absolutely spot on mate!
i am with you
Thanks buddy!
Thought of the day…..
Rofl next joke please
Ya sure 😀
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Om_Banna
ha ha ha this very funny bro..Height of idiocy just like few people in TamilNadu went and built a temple for Khushboo and Namitha. Anyways next joke please
Shukar karo tumko samajh me aaya!!.
you need a dick
thats a next joke and yet true
Your mom needs one not me since he gave a birth to a faggot like you. Oh yes if she wishes I can penetrate deep in the throat as well just like I did last time
Don’t bring in someone’s parents dude.
@shivarajinna:disqus @disqus_Pps1MTjtSZ:disqus @disqus_AoQ2z5Ecev:disqus @disqus_KMUarUCzal:disqus @disqus_uCDgksqikr:disqus
That day I din’t reply because I din’t want to write a PAGE. But after seeing some replies I’m forced to write THIS. EVERYONE GO THROUGH THIS IF Y’ALL GOT THE TIME.
1. Bullets are fucking slow.
Not Really. Classic 500 has a fucking whooping 41.3 Nm @ 4000 rpm and 28 hp (Ninja250 has 21 Nm @ 10,000 rpm and 29.9 hp). Look at that low rev rpm. Means its just shear power. Classic 500 can just EFFORTLESSLY rev.
Some people choose to ride it at lower speeds because riding a bike is not all about top speed. There’s something called thumping. I don’t expect you to know what it is since you are such an imbecile. BTW, a Classic / TB 500 can go past 130 quite EASILY without any strain at all. I BET YOU HAVE A BIG PUSSY AND YOU ARE AFRAID TO RIDE IT AT THIS SPEED ON A HEAVY BIKE.
2.Bullets are Unreliable.
Ok. You caught my attention here. RE HAVE BEEN PRODUCING BULLETS SINCE YOUR GREAT-GRANDFATHER WAS FUCKING SOME WHORE( HE SHOULDN’T HAVE :'( ). Now, old bulls have oil-leak problems, i admit. But we are really sorry boss. Motorcycle industry was not that developed then. But you can’t buy a vintage bike even if you sell your fucking cunt house. Because its worth that much.
Nevertheless, The latest bullets you buy are fuel injected. Have all the latest mechanisms. They are not unreliable. Go through this :- http://royalenfield.com/motorcycles/classic-500#!technical-specification
But. can you go to Ladakh from Kerala on a pulsar? A yamaha? Ah c’mon.. atleast a Honda? 🙂 Who do people depend on such situations?
3.Bullets are noisy – and the bad kind of noisy
OMG BOYS!! PUSSY DETECTED. OLD AUNTY PUSSY.
4.Bullets have really bad brakes
OH BOY. DID SOMEONE DAMAGE HIS BRAKES BEFORE HIS RIDE? 🙁 THIS PUSSY IS UNAWARE. It has a fucking front disc-brake BITCH SLUT
5.Bullets give shitty mileage
AH YES. YOU GET 100KMPL on a CD Splendor. You expect the same on a RE with 5-times its specs. 🙂 Such a genius baby. Parents must be so proud. 🙂 Please put some condoms in your fathers pocket when he is not around!!
A 500cc mill can only give that much nomatter how many times you fuck with it. Fucking DISGRACE to a automobile engineer.
6.Bullets are unnecessarily heavy
Deep pussy detected. Deep pussy = deep penetration. :’)
Its not made to be heavy. Its just heavy. Sorry baba.. its not plastic and it doesnt have a puny 100cc engine. Its all metal. Metal weight > Plastic weight you son of a fucking whore bitch disgrace to Indian education you slut.
8: Bullets have a fucking long waiting period
Psst!!! Dont talk. Let the prodigy guess this one!
(clue – because each and every part of a bullet is hand made? And not made in bulk like his plastic bike?)
9. Royal Enfield doesn’t give a shit about its customers.
Oh boy. Finally a valid question. 🙂 Thanks a lot @akhilkalsh:disqus
Well, they have done their part quite amazingly by hand-crafting the bull for me.
Some service centres are good. Some are hopeless. I guess that’s the case for every company.
Ps – I own an RE and a Yamaha
Absolutely Boss. Thats a Nice reply to Akhil Kalash. But he will ward off by saying single liners.
FYI… I am not a pulsar fan however just check these facts for your commentary on point 2(Bullets are Unreliable.)…
Guinness world record for LONGEST JOURNEY BY MOTORCYCLE IN A SINGLE COUNTRY
Record: 28,049.66 km (17,429.22 miles)
Holders: Vishnu Mehta and Santanu Chakraborty
Location: Within India
Bike : Pulsar
http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2013/7/fan-choice-record-july-26-50104/
More about the rider here http://bikeroftheyear.in/profile/index/1025
————————————————————————————————
Dr. Arnob Gupta famously known as Flying doctor rides a CBR, here is what he has accomplished on a CBR250R
http://www.motoroids.com/news/motoroid-arnob-gupta-smashes-leh-kanyakumari-land-speed-record-78-hours-flat/
https://www.facebook.com/CBROwningRiderzofDelhiCORD/posts/537634812973159
http://www.motoroids.com/news/new-golden-quadrilateral-record-arnob-gupta-traverses-6000km-in-92-hours-and-30-minutes/
This probably will give you some data points to ponder over…. or may be not.
It seems like I am the only pro RE chap who read this post and thought it was interesting. The sheer belligerence, abuse and filth in the comments is shocking to say the least.
RE…. the best thing about the bike is u can do stoppie very easily…and wheelie..the easiest thing… burn out at every red light. can anybody explain one reason to buy bullet. except that love the name Bullet. no reason. i know u people have spent alot for ur cute loving iron rods. but no good for anything, its better to buy a Luna atleast it will give u mileage. and when it run out of fuel then pedal it which is better than dragging it, grow up kiddos the time is changed its 2015, its not 60’s when there was no other option then bullets, thats why people used to buy Bullets, no other reason. who so ever says bullet is the best i bet u try duke 390 once. u will forget bullet. 0 – 60. 3.3 seconds. … 0-100 …5.5 seconds. 0 -140… 14 seconds. the moment u throttle it. u will be close to GOD. and breaking is awesome. thank GOD to abs. balance aisa ki jaisa socha b na ho. do wtever u want. light weight. easy to ride in city traffic and highways. no noice pollution. aur kya chahiye bullet bullet karte rehte ho, kuch naya try karoge tabhi kuch pata chalega. if u guys are so much into cruisers then why dont u buy harley’s … reason they are expensive. come on. i have never seen a bullet rider who says bakwas hai. till the time they sell it they will say damdaar sawARI HAI. reason for that 1.5 lac ka bekar ka investment. AT THE END BULLET SUCKS.
Very confusing comment mate, but I feel you 🙂
dude…..ktm 390 belongs to street sport class and bullet belongs to cruisers. i ll advice you to try classic 500…you will be blown….:)
RE is for people who like the way it rolls and other bikes are like all other bikes like pulsars with KTM and tvs with hero etc . but RE is a different breed of bikes which makes a rider distinct that is what people like as they like to be different from others. The person who wrote this has kept this in mind and tried to become famous , a idea indeed where you talk about something that is distinct to a certain sector that is two wheeler sector. The person also tells that he owns a KTM, and he abuses RE that is not good as his bike well may be but, he never knew that his bike came out recently than 50+ years , his KTM has bhp and RE has torque in abundance. So it proves that the person who wrote this likes speed and light weight body of his bike.
What I found really funny in the whole thing is
1> He goes behind two RE riders who are going @ 69kmph and is anxious to know his fast they are going , is this guy so jobless to go behind them , may be they were in 4th gear , and RE are capable of 100+ kmph easily
2> Talks about having dumbbells on the light weight bikes to be like RE in highways , well Akash the article writer better ride in highways and experience a wind blast in a RE and ur KTM you will know why RE is more on the heavier side
3> Stop writing such things where you write that makes RE fans vs other bike owners to debate and you earn some cheap cash , and telling your fake experiences with your RE if you own a KTM stfu and rude it everyone likes their own bikes weather it is a pulsar or splendor , if you like to share your thoughts and utilize your freedom of speech make use of it in a right way ,
Tell me something new.
like i care about u .
review by a frustrated person who cant afford to keep a bullet, whose gf ditched him for a bullet owner.. 😀 keep burning
Sure!
Jokes shows reality
Hello there … Please understand everyone is entitled to their own opinions and preferences . You don’t need to argue or prove anything . You bought your bike only because you like it . There will be haters . Don’t give a fuck . Personally , I own a classic 350 and a Harley … Being a cruiser – lover I cherish having them …. and I don’t give a rats ass about any motherfucker saying bullets are bad or whatever . These discussions are pointless .
I purchased a Bullet in August 2013 and sold it within a year. Reason :- 1. Its plastic parts break down too frequently and were less reliable 2. Every month I found that one of the shocker is leaking and need Seal and oil replacement 3. My main stand become defunct within a year and needed replacement 4. Battery was overflowing with acid regularly and staining and corroding my bike engine and body. 5. Every 2.5 month i got call from Service-wala for the bike service and 2000 was min. bill for a free service 5. my battery lock was replaced in every free service. 6. and Last but not least the bike was not as exciting and powerful as were the previous old models of 1990s and 1980s.
Couldn’t agree more!
I agree to all the points you have mentioned & kind of knew most of it
before I did the biggest mistake of buying a TB500. I thought how can it be so bad & in case it is so bad why will people still buy it. So I bought one & sold the same within 7 months of owning it and
riding over 8000kms. My real experience of owning this bike started from day one when on day one there was oil leak & from there on it was story of endless issues
(oil leak, fuse going off, shabby nuts & bolts, low mileage, rusting
issues, electrical issues, Throttle response issue, over heating, console showing wrong data about fuel even after replacing it, Bad customer service at there service station to them servicing means wash it, dry it & hand over forget about everything else etc…) I can go on and on and on… the amount of tantrums this bike gave me got me frustrated
and eventually selling it in just about 6-7 months. I am so happy I made that decision. Every
time I wanted to take this bike out for a spin I used to worry more
about the bike than my journey itself.
Thanks for sharing your experience Rohit!
I would like to see things from your point of view… Too bad I can’t get my head that far up my ass!!!
Nice one! Cliched but nice.
I would rather write some clichéd piece of shit instead of ur senseless piece of shit!!!!
Bandar kya jaane adrak ka swad….. U enjoy ur local bikes assi ta bullt de shokeen hain…
I like you, you made me smile.
Veere saade naal bult the chal, twada raula hi vakhra yoga jab aasi patake bajunde firenge……
Jattan di shaan bult aur soni laadi…
fikar nakko karo meri jatt thu bullet chala
Braavo. Assi bhi tenu support kaarde hai prah ji
One can clearly understand what this so called blogger knows about RE…speed is maximum of 69 KMH, ROFL 😀 can’t stop laughing on his maturity levels 🙂 nowadays every one is blogging if they have a keyboard handy, start writing blogs with minimum commonsense…bless those Lil p….
OK?
Uninformed, juvenile, whining gentleman writes a clickbait article. Good job!
Thanks!
The writer sounds like a 15 yr old kid who likes over promoted, heavily advertised, cheap plastic toys…of course he’ll never understand REs.
Yep.
Haha. Because of reason Num 8, this crap doesn’t got have chance.
So to console himself posting shit art
Bullets give shitty milage ?? U son of a bitch , the350cc classic gives 40-55 and will ur duke gives that u asshole
It sounds shitty?? Go fuck urself it’ the most amazing sound than any other byk in india the thumping loud sound turns the head of people , and duke got a similar fucking sound as the rickshaws
The fucking duke strts heating after a ride of 5mins and warm starts r so bad
Ur butt strts aching while ridding the fucking plastic toy duke ask any bike tourer what’s the comfrt and joy of ridding an enfield !
ASSHOLE
Calm down man, you’re gonna get a heart attack or something.
This is the lamest post against RE ever. I have been on my thunderbird for over 3 years now with a handful of very long distance journeys and rest in city.
1. U can cruise easily at 110kmph and I not comfy going any faster on a 2 wheeler! But yes we love going at 40 on 5th gear too, something about that speed on re is nice, I don’t expect you to get that!
2. All ill maintained bikes are unreliable. Take care of ur bike, bike will take care of you. Especially at the time this article is written, a lot has changed with re. They are aren’t the oil spewing, vibrating monsters like everyone says.
3. Well in city it is rude, so I keep the stock silencer but on highway the thump is like a companion for ur ride, again I don’t expect a hater to understand
4. I totally agree with this though, the brakes do not generate enough confidence!
5. I get 35 in city and 45 in highway! How much were u expecting from a 350cc engine anyway???
6 7 8 it is just stupid to say don’t buy a bike from a company coz the bikes are heavy, they have spoked wheels and long waiting period! Btw u can change wheels if you don’t like and the waiting period varies from place to place. I got mine in a month!
9. The basic issue here is there are better re mechanics in street than in workshop. Plus I dint know they hated the company, I like my mechanic better!
To add to this finally, I don’t understand why there at soo many articles trying to admonish re and why almost all of them have never spent a decent amount of time with RE.
I totally understand the feeling. Blogger, just cant seem to get his head around as to why he is seeing so many RE on roads with his grand dad having problems in his youth of heavy , mechanic, silencer and all the banter.
Dude, your entiring reasoning has been based on smelling bullet’s @$$, instead buy one, drive it and then get to a state to talk about it. I don’t think with your given physique you won’t have stamina to even balance a bullet, rather it was a more apt choice to drive plastic bike wherein you can comfortable fit your ass along with your gf’s ass, considering the photo you posted on your earlier post to that of her’s. Next time when you write som thing let it be based on your experience and not your assumptions.
That ass is nice for for sure, sadly not my gf’s.
Not sure I’d anyone’s pointed it out, bullets are a pain to navigate in city traffic. I see duds on the road every day to work, struggling to manuvere the bike. Pity watching them.
Lol… Have you seen how many people find it hard to navigate a piece of plastic in city roads. See a Bulleteer handle bike and then speak.
-Bullet family since 1960’s
Bullets dont even move in city traffic they just stand and eat other vehicle’s dust
Ek bewakoof hi bewakoof wala comment hi dega.
Wohi tumko samjha rahe hai. tere jaise ghamand aur bewakoof kahi nahi milega
Milega. Bewakoof milega. Tu aaina dekh. Mil jayega.
Naach na jaane aur Angan Tedha.
Kya logic he. Chalani nahi aati aur dosh Bike ka LOL.
In that case its the rider’s fault. May be you saw AK Riding bullet many times!!.
Long live the king RE !..
What Indian bike is Brad Pitt is riding ?
He also rides Angelina Jolie. What’s your point?
Point is simple. And it is that “A worthy Rider will ride both”.
Since you cant do both its not surprising that you cant understand.
Wtf
Nothing Rajarshi Dutta. Its Just an answer to his special “point” and ignorant attitude.
Point is RE is as good as Angelina Jolie
If you don’t like RE keep it with you … Don’t hurt the ppl who love RE…
Feel the ride ..
Not to enjoy by speeding the bikes…. The happiness is tat we want to feel the ride and love the ride bro….
Stay happy!
Haters gonna hate… No other stock lasts over 25 years…unreliable yes…but no other bike manufactured in India is as exciting!
Sure.
This is what you can answer when some one states a valid point Mr Cherry Picker.
Mr om prakash..this guy just shared what was on his mind….just agree to disagree and move on…be a sport..its a free country, people can share all they want!
Mr Rajarshi Dutta. Sharing is no offence. But something without a logic, Biased and Cherry picked things are illogical. Every bike has pros and cons. Why to highlight as a con rather than a precaution.
And the word “free” is a misnomer. No ,people cant share what they want. Freedom is not absolute. We can only share what helps or guides people.
Can’t argue on that one… I don’t have the credentials or skill to interpret it… Lol.. Anyways I love my RE, doesn’t matter if someone didn’t like it….safe travels OP and AK… Here is to roads untravelled and speeds yet to be attained…
Lol…Anyways safe travels OP and AK… Here is to speeds unattained and roads still to be explored
Also AK…leave the faiths out of it….life might be a lil easier for you then…people tend to get pissed off real bad when you bring their god(s) into the fold…
Its not about GOD. He is cherry picking. Just eating the cherries from a cake and telling that cake is shit tastes like cherries is just sheer bogus.
so your cake (plastic Duke) was baked fresh and handed to you tat you eat cherry every day ? Lol… grow up 😛
IMHO Learn to understand english. I don’t have a Duke. I have RE 350. My reply was to Akhil’s Ideology of “Cherry Picking”.
He is posting cons and saying RE is bad. This is Bogus. Do you get it ?
Learn to understand English. What I wrote and why I wrote. I dont have Duke. I have RE 350
What an ass of an article written by complete asshole. I stopped reading after he wrote ” should always ride over the speed limit” shows what kind of illitrate mindset this guy has.
OK.
Glad you agree.
Sure you are rite about many a things in your article above… But I wonder, what sort of rider is he who calls another bike names, sure you are rite that the KTM can beat the Royal Enfield pants down and perhaps you guessed it rite by now that I own a Royal Enfield but that doesn’t make me dislike an RX 100 my previous ride i can bet i would appreciate riding the RX as much as I did back in the day. Guess what my friend… I would love to own a duke some day and if that day ever comes i would still appreciate the RX 100 … my current girl the RE and the KTM too… Here is a taught the duke 390 can give a few variants of the legendary Harley Davidson a run for their money does that make the Harley any worse??? Not in my opinion… Riding stands for peace Brother…
Fuck the KTM, OK. I’ve said enough number of times this isn’t a comparison article of the Duke against the RE.
You have mentioned Duke being good numerous instances yet you claim to have ridden Bullet 50KM in total, so why put down RE alone.
New bikes are released every year, legendary ones like Rajdoot, Yezdi Road King, Yamaha RD 350 (used one easily cost more than brand new Duke) and many more yet where are they now ? They could not adapt to new customer base and where phased out. But Bullet had its lean patch, endured and bounced with a successful variant. They have rectified at least 5 of your points mentioned here.
Your incapacity/ hatred to bullet may be due to two cases :
1. You cant handle bullet more than that distance of 4 -5 km.
2. No bullet owner trusted your riding skill on RE to lend you one to get the actual feeling that has enchanted lakhs around the world.
This bike is for royal man’s not all Tom dick and harry
Girls can ride this bike but it’s heavy for some one. Cycle is gud try that.
Yes yes.
Why bother responding to all comment with sarcasm. 😛
I wanted to ask this question to you Ms.Miti
Who so ever wrote this stupid article (hence being read more…as surprisingly foolish) and all the fuckin cunts who agree with it are all little mommy boys with their plastic little dicks who can’t handle the real thing or didn’t had enough feeding as child to kick start a bullet!! Pity on them, my sampathy!!! Hahaha 🙂
Continued fucking ur plastic toys …Buy a Bullet in case u grown up enough to be a Man and have some cash to afford and maintain a Bullet.
Excuse, don’t waste ur time as I will never check any further replies here ( just signed to put this comment to set u retards right).
Thanks uncle.
Why did you insult the Enfield? I ride a Harley-Davidson. I respect and love the Enfield. You are an immature, badly-brought-up retard who cannot differentiate product from legacy.
If you say so.
Why did you insult Christianity? Try insulting Muslims. You will ride a rickshaw into hell.
What’s your point?
I am a proud continental gt owner. Most of the things mentioned in the article I don’t agree with. Gt comes with amazing breaks, I can easily do 130-140 kmph without breaking a sweat on it, I ‘ve done almost 900kms on it and I found it very reliable, the noise is not intrusive and it has got a nice rhythm to it, I booked it and took the delivery of the registered bike on the 8 th day so the waiting period was very low, I ‘ve found the weight to be an advantage as the bike is impressively stable on high speeds and at corners, Gt comes with spoked wheels but they ‘ve Pirelli Sport Demon tubeless tyres – don’t know how they managed to do that but they did. Now, the 9 th point I completely agree with. It’s very very difficult when it comes to their customer service. They literally don’t give a shit. There are some good guys too but they are far few. A problem I ‘ve, I guess I should ‘ve guessed it, is heat. They created a monster of an engine a 535cc single cylinder monster, but for some weird reason the decided not to give it even a fan. About 40-50 kms in traffic and you can feel the heat on your thighs. 100km or so on the highway same thing. But overall I am very happy with the bike.
Awesome Hari! Good luck with your steed 🙂
Know what man, there was this Indica Vista ad where a man who took a test drive is left with a constant grin on his face – I am sort of in that state. I can’t stop grinning while riding it. I would say that’s worth the money. Duke 390 is less expensive and far more efficient in all respects, it has better power, better breaking, abs and all. But it doesn’t have the same personality as Gt does. My point is, you either get it or you don’t but it’s worth every penny, there are no alternatives.
The company sucks noone cares anything except for the name and out of this kind of things
Yep.
The elephant keeps walking as the dogs keep barking.
P.S. It does not affect the elephant.
Elephants are used to carry loads and not to travel long distance. bhai thu chutiya hai aur thu chutiya hi rahega
Abe gadhe tujhe agar muhawre samajh mein nahi aati toh teri problem hai. Toh chutiya tu hi he. Aaina dekhle. Waise sirf Raja Hati ki sawari karta he. Not ONLY used to carry loads Dumbass
thu tho bhaunkne waala haathi nikla be.
Kutte aise hin bhokte hain tere jaise. Par hati ko kahan farak padta hai. Hati kabhie bhaukte nahi sab jante hain. Poor GK hai. Pehle sahi tarike se Complan piya karo phir dena comment.
Ha bhauktha nahi hai lekin falthu mein chillatha hai tere jaisa.
Bewakoofon ko sab faltoo hi lagta he. Dimag toh hota nahi , toh samajh nahi pate, toh jo baat unke samajh me naye to wo faltu.
Om Prakash bhai, don’t waste your energy on them.
“Never wrestle with a pig. You get dirty, and besides, the pig likes it.”
Fuck bikes, this emo kid writes like shit.
You are funny.
you get the point now ? not the one, few posts above ?
Well, let me make this short. First of all, I don’t own a RE nor I have rode one yet but I surely know what it’s like to own a RE.
Have you ever thought why RE still has such a large demand and quite a long waiting period? No, it’s not because the owners are idiots. It’s because that is what they want and no other vehicle provides the similar feeling. Imagine a newer generation RE with less weight, less sound, new technology and sporty looks. You think people would buy it? Obviously not because it becomes like any other bike then and that is not what they want. It’s not because they don’t have brains or anything, it’s because they prefer the old school style and be special. Your points might be valid but you can’t compare an RE to any other bike. Also, I wouldn’t mind people saying it’s poor man’s harley. Atleast, it gives him a similar feeling which other bike can’t.
Next time, at least make a sensible comparison.
OK Jihad.
Throughout the post, only one thing came into my mind, ie, the author is a lame ass wannabe racer. I appreciate your balls to post this on the internet.
Now coming to your post about RE. I don’t own one neither have I rode one but I have read a lot about RE’s. I like Duke as well as RE but if I had a choice to choose a bike for a long ride between those two. I would pick RE anyday.
In my opinion, what makes RE stand out from other bikes is the vintage style, retro engine w/o the new age technologies, heavily built, much safer, riding position, the thump and the list goes on. Yeah, it must be old, slow and sometimes unreliable too but riding an RE is far better than Duke for long rides.
And this is not idiocy. RE is the baap of all vehicles just like you compare a father and a son. RE is more like a father and Duke is more like a son.
ROYAL ENFIELD CANNOT BE DESCRIBED, IT CAN ONLY BE FELT.
Yeah right.
Since u don’t like bullet u don’t have to say shit about it…
U go for what u like… Don’t buy a bullet for urself.. Go for something else.. Y disgrace others choice…
Because it’s fun.
Lol I thought there was more to you AK…. Now I feel punked….
The guy who wrote this article is soo lame..
May be you don’t have the passion for the bike. Compares pulsar with enfield which is totally lies in different category. Enfield is all about class and royalty not like your cheap racing bike which kids like want to own.
Yes… its true……. only the ppl who have the passion of bullet they can go for it….. this is the commonsense to one who going to purchase vehicle… In my case I have found all this before purchasing,,, so now no problem at all….. successful ride of 50,000.00 KM in 3.5 Years, till date, without any problem…. Finally only the person who having the passion about bullet – he can go for it….. Every one will have different taste … ride u r favorite bike… and enjoy the life…. :). Good article to the ppl who blindly purchase RE…..
Thanks mate! Have fun on your RE 🙂
_/_ …
Wow!, Best Reply to this Blog, my father Gifted me a Classic 350 BS4 BLACK, but my first dream bike was R15 v2.0, then later followed by RC200, due to its mean sports riding sitting position, I loved hitting up the tight corners perfectly with right rev matching I was not big fan of drag racing and top speeds but always loved the way how machines delivered the speed and right now I adore R3, my friend owns one, but in reality I had a hard time to get adjusted to a bike totally opposite to my taste, especially the break in period for the bike with eco gear shifts and speed limit of 60km/h at 5th gear for the 2500 kms of my initial journey was pain in the ass, I had sleepless night wondering how do I complete a break in period riding so slow. well ever since I got my bike, my morning warm up sets Taught me how to shifts gears smoothly and warm up engine nice and slowly, i was constantly communication with the bike, but once the bike was warmed up, i just could not limit the bike at 60 km/h, on highways, i would ride between 65 to 80 always, sometimes 90+, after that the bike vibrates, and my fingers become numb, but now i have completed 3000 km and i am still getting adjusted with the slow riding profile of Royal Enfield bikers do, i enjoy riding slow with thumps in the Village roads of my home Town in GOA, but once i hit the highways, I just can’t limit myself riding slow. i love the Aesthetics of my bike though, when its about bikes, im versatile in nature, i understand the good and bad of every bike and try to live with it and understand the reason why they still exist.
But recently i am facing a serious isssue, my gear shifts pretty hard, and bike haults once i shift 1st gear in morning, I have tried many temporary solutions, but those are not the solutions for long terms use and goodwill of the bike, and there seems to be no guaranteed solutions for this problem, which annoys me everytime i see my bike, I feel my bike is less appealing than before. A true biker will understand how annoying it is when your gears shifts hard, it feels like Clutchless shifts, im Frustrated now.
You are a very confused man.
For a person who by his own admission has not driven the while line up of RE for just a combined total 50 KM, you sure know how to complain.
Thanks man, I know.
I’ve had an 1984 model one for five years, and a Classic 2013 for an year, and now a Duke. Bullet’s just too over-rated.
Some people (read bullet & ambassador fans) simply don’t want to come out of stone age. Leave them alone. They will never change
I know buddy, it’s just fun to fuck with them.
I have a Bullet Standard 350. My bike made in 1985. Its almost 30 years, still i am rovering on high ways about a speed of 80 km/hr. Initial pickup is less compared to modern bikes pulsar ktm etc. However after shifting to forth gear you can’t chase me.
To the writer
———————–
The bull is heavy due to its heavy engine and its because of using original iron and other parts for make of the engine. So it runs for long period like 30 years. can you confirm your bike runs for 30 years without engine trouble. I also owned a pulsar which ran for 4 years later spend 8k for engine work. Bull is heavy, high quality made, reliable and stable. I drove my bullet which is made like a gun apprx 700000 km. Ultimate engine. Please don’t compare with local bikes like ktm cbr pulsar
by the time you shift to 4th gear the local bike guys have already reached their destination and are probably sleeping.
It can be other way round if The rider is a fool. Nothing to do with a bike.
My friend had the same point. i cleared it by challenging for ride on the Nice road. After you also take a ride, will see who will be sleeping. Open challenge, r u ready to accept it. Let me know. Do it and show. Thats what the riders does. Born to ride *****
come to delhi…i dont live in Bangalore anymore 😛
Then don’t worry. He won’t reach there. Not on his bike for sure 😛
RIshabh…. i like the enthu… 10 months back i accepted the challenge from bangalore & the co-rider (KTM user) just passed away. He also had the same point what you have “KTM is great”. On the drive for 12 kms on nice road, he lost his life with the shitty bike KTM due to great breaking & strong stability .Today, I regret for the cause, accepting the challenge. I am born to ride, Not to Make some one Die. I stopped the race after that incident.
Sad to note that a person passed away. Having said that there is no way you can keep up with a KTM. Forget the KTM 390 you would not even keep up with a 200, unless the rider is a novice.
The rider met with an accident not because of the braking ability of the KTM but probably due to his mistake. I am game for a challenge.Having owned 2 enfields (CI bulls) i know that these are at most a match for a 150cc bike (but for the torque)
You are such an entertainer.
There’s difference between “Born to ride” and “Born to race”. Hope you meant the latter. Having said that I agree that Old RE models were really clumsy and troublesome, but new ones (after 2014) have come refined. Besides, KTM and RE belong to the leagues of their own, no comparison.
RIshabh…. i like the enthu… 10 months back i accepted the challenge from bangalore & the co-rider is passed away. He also had the same point what you have KTM is great. On the drive for 12 kms on nice road, he lost his life with the shitty bike KTM due to great breaking & shitty stability .Today, I regret for the cause, accepting the challenge. I am born to ride, Not to Make some one Die. I stopped the race after that incident.
I see that people don’t get it when someone is trolling them so badly 😀 Love your replies!
99% don’t. 1% have more keeda’s 😉
this reply is expected from a boy, coz u kids are always on a hurry, go for a ride of 150km in one run on your toys like pulsar, ktm & all, your toy & your body, both will tell u why Bullet is “Baap” of all Bikes,
Well said
Mr. big burly man, there are examples of people who have covered thousands of kilometers on long rides on their Pulsars and KTMs 🙂
Huh… Bull riders ain’t creating any examples coz it’s routine for them. It’s not how fast you reach but how you reach your destination
How fast you reach = ETA + 3hrs.
How you reach = barely!
http://www.forbes.com/sites/saritharai/2015/02/18/indias-vintage-royal-enfield-overtakes-harley-davidson-by-motorcycle-sales/#1347ad4f7f2b
With a RE
Broken and helpless
Rode for 7000km with 22 bullets 1 pulsar and 1 ktm in 22 days…. every bullet had a puncture, every evening all bullets were serviced and 3 didn’t make it to the destination due to problems… KTM and Pular helped the bullet guys go and get spares 😀
Enough said , enough raped!
Ever studied the term “Ratio” in school. Try search for the nearest best dry fruit store in your location on your KTM. Ask for the best quality almonds. Buy it. Soak a couple of it every night in water and eat it every morning. It will give you what you’ve lost thru the months you’ve been off school riding on your new earned license
Hahahaha.. Every bullet punctured. How gross can someone get to put forward their point. Strategy haan… KTM and pulsar riders did it on purpose. They punctured the bulls. If these ktns and pulsars would have been in my group. They would have ended their trip with blown engines and would have nothing to brag about
Ever been to ladakh ?
Awaiting reply
There is a thing we call, Liquid cooling.
And i know , the junk iron lovers never heard about this..
Yeah right, we like it hot kid
There are a few other beautiful blogs in here everyone in here should read…
1. KTM Orange Assist review: A tale of total non-assistance
2. RC390 10000 km review
Good ones.
Defend your bullets with technical talks….. don’t talk about badams and stuff man… ghar pe nahi hai tu… XD
God…. who is this guy????? Does anyone know him?
Is he for real… talking badam and shut XD XD XD
http://www.forbes.com/sites/saritharai/2015/02/18/indias-vintage-royal-enfield-overtakes-harley-davidson-by-motorcycle-sales/#1347ad4f7f2b
XD XD XD XD 😛
This means there are more chutiyas than smart people.
P.S. please explain to me the whole badam thing you were talking of, everyone is so eager to know. We are so excited to hear a badam and stuff on a biking website. Never had this experience before.
Hahaha… Now since I have proved Royal Enfield’s are baap of all other bikes, let the elephant take his usual stroll while the dogs can still keep barking
I need a few details from you.
1. Technical details of your bike.
2. Your longest bike tour in kms.
3. Max kms travelled in 1 day.
4. Motors ports achievement if any XD
5. Your age
The reason I am asking is… even my other fellow RE friends are laughing at you XD… such a laugh reading this together.
P.S. I think you just accepted that RE is an elephant XD.
what a butt-hurt little boy you are. bullet is a fun lil under-20 HP starter bike. And that’s great but one’s gotta progress, no. Ke zindagi bhar scooty chalata rahega? and by HP I don’t mean top speed, big bikes just have that big bike feel you know? even ktm’s don’t have that but still, 43 HP is something. at least it scares you. On a bullet it’s like you’re yawning under your helmet until another rider shows up and you go back to pretending to enjoy it. On long rides and open roads that is. City mein mast hai.
Thats the problem mate, you guys think you have an elephant while what you actually have is a giant Sloth 😛
Dont forget, dogs are mans best friend while sloth is good for nothing but wasting your time and food 😛
Very well said bro….
Dog has no other work than to bark unnecessary.
Bullet is King of all bike.
I am also a 1985 bullet owner. And till now my bullet is going pretty good.
Can please anyone these dogs who are against bullet can bet that their bike will survive for 15 years only without any engine work.
Well no need of that prehistoric metal. People donot want hoax royalty or cult u kno.
first of all,there is nothing such as prehistoric its historic and old bikes are called as vintage. you won’t understand this term because your bike s probably gonna die in next five years but not ours.and btw,go searching for old bullets, i bet not a single owner will entertain you because they dont sell them unlike your bikes which will be worthless after 5 years
15 years of smiling better than 25 years at the service centre
Please try maintaining 100 kmph on your CI bull for a stretch of around 15-20 kms. You will probably end up with a seized engine while an RX 100 of the same vintage will easily manage it.
King as long as you ride it at not more than 80.
No sense of logic applies to RE u kno……
i think its you whom logic deserted long back.
Learn English baby!
i am not your baby you douchebag. anyways beyond your comprehension so better let it go
Exactly
google it man…..lagta hai tere ghar walo ne tujhe kabhi badam nai khilaya isiliye to tu itna bada chutiye hai.
PS: nothing serious just a banter :d
I want you to type, stop sending me links to articles written by chucks who don’t even know how to ride a bike….. so you gonna speak up or no?
abbe gareeb feel aati hai baki biko pe. bullet makes me look good.
ktm wale sale chakke stuntman lagte hai. circus mein hona chahiye aise logo ko. bullet is so goodlooking. turns a lot of heads.
So be it but still looks better than the metal blob which probably have tyres like a bicycle…..
spoked wheels doesn’t mean its a tyre of a bicycle….bloody “Gawar”
Rusted Iron lovers, wake up.
plastic shit lovers…..;)
I dont like KTM, but I hate RE more. RE 500 does have a little bit of muscle, but the 350 is like a malnourished excuse of a bike. Build quality wise definitely RE is a good bike, but RE must come up with better designs.
Gareeb feel ?? There are scores of other bikes on the road that will gobble up an RE and shit it out when it comes to looks and power.
Toh bullet mat chalao kaam karo aur superbikes lelo…. a bullet won’t make you rich… but yes you do look wanna be rich
Also just because you are so funny…. please explain the term ratio to everyone one…… and we will know when you have used Google…. good luck KID!
http://www.forbes.com/sites/saritharai/2015/02/18/indias-vintage-royal-enfield-overtakes-harley-davidson-by-motorcycle-sales/#1347ad4f7f2b
Here’s the term explained
http://www.forbes.com/sites/saritharai/2015/02/18/indias-vintage-royal-enfield-overtakes-harley-davidson-by-motorcycle-sales/#1347ad4f7f2b
XD XD XD XD
That doesn’t explain the term Ratio. Also tell me what are the 2 factors that you are talking about when you meant ratio.
P.S. RE sale will always be higher than HD because we have more wanna be people but not with enough skills or money to ride a HD thus the RE sells.
Do you get what I am implying or should I elobrate this for you to read and other people to laugh?
I think you are on the wrong site…. you must be looking for momsrecipeforretartds.com
http://www.forbes.com/sites/saritharai/2015/02/18/indias-vintage-royal-enfield-overtakes-harley-davidson-by-motorcycle-sales/#1347ad4f7f2b
XD XD XD XD
huh?
By ratio he meant the number of bulletiers and only 2 new gen bikes 22:2.that shows how bullets rules over the minds of people
As I already said, You had 2nd hand or may be 4-5th hand old REs. Why don’t you try a new one. I bet your reviews will be different from now. Or go for a 4-5th hand old Pulsor/Karizma/Duke, can you rely on them? I don’t think you can make even a 1000 KM on them once their engines are re-packed. Just buy a new RE and your favorite bike and maintain both for next 6-10 months. And then your reviews will be interesting.
do you really think a plastic can rape a metal?? 😀
Whay don’t you hit the streets and check it out!
bang your plastic shit against any enfield and see what happens first to ur plastic and then to you
😀
Please elaborate why it’s the baap! XD XD XD
Kanhay Athalye you shit head, do you even know what you are writing? Keep your below par technical knowledge with you man. Do you even know that punctures are not technical faults and can happen to any bike? Go get some life dude. I guess you are one of those intellect deficient loud mouthed modern day youths who grew up getting bullied by the big Enfield riders and never got a chance to ride one yourself. You should look up http://gapuchee.com/Product.as…. You will find interesting stuff for yourself here.
I owned an RE
A pulsar
A KTM
I am a national rally racer
Won’t my 1st podium at 18
And ever since
Who the fuck are you Mr. Wannabe biker?
your daddy…………..:D
wow,such a disgrace,now a days even such a worthless people like you also can own an enfield and then bitch about it…..
Dude, RE is not a Ducati Panigale Superleggera Limited edition which the company sells selectively. Any guy and his dog can buy one. Problem here is that some guys after buying it act as though they have bought a Rolls Royce Silver Ghost.
Great
I bet your real name isn’t even tony, it’s a wannabe name
focus on his words not his name “retard”. tell me one thing are you one of those short tiny guys who got bullied by everyone 😉
i think even the enfiled showroom guys chased him away when he went their for a test ride..:D
Chutiye….tera baap hoga
Mera ya meri bike ka itna farji baap n h
I did a 8000km ride in a month and every bullet broke down, but the pulsar KTM and apache didn’t even need a check
thats a spurious fact…..stop lying to prove your points…..:D
while u are sleeping in ur nest little birdie me and my other enfield fellows would be enjoying the breeze and the ride… Son it is not always about reaching the destination first, it is also about living the journey. And people live their whole journey(called life) on their bullet. Enfield for us is not a simple use and throw machine, it is our frnd, our loyal partner in crime and our love of life. yeah ur love gets angry sometimes but u dont throw them out of ur life. u deal with them. But u know u wont get it because u are not worthy of a bullet. grow some balls and dont just think about speed, think about what the journey is about
If you enjoy the journey so much, why not just walk. God gave you feet right? If not, then use a wheel chair to get places. The fact that you brought a vehicle means you want to get there fast. If it wasn’t as I said, People would never have invented vehicles. Let alone the bullet. Learn to admit defeat like a man rather than whining like a baby who thinks his mickey mouse watch is better than a swatch.
oh yes, I forgot man… but if i really had to go somewhere quickly i would rather prefer to board a flight. Why would I like to ride at 150 kmph just to reach some other town urgently? In fact, if a person wants to reach a dstination he should prefer some good cars. Bikes which are made for highway like REs and some others are for comfort and joy of riding. It is not meant just for a sake of reaching a destination quickly but for supreme comfort. And believe me when I am on my bike I won’t even look at some duke lying around in a corner or passing me by on the road because I would be too much engrossed in admiring my beautiful mate, which is a true piece of art. So, REs have enough power and top speed for an enjoyable ride and its looks are so stunning that no other bike in India can ever have.
Speed, speed, speed what. Why buy a 390. Buy a rocket and disappear into space never to be seen again. Men don’t ride plastics that weigh 139 KGS. Why not buy a polyethylene bag and rest your punny arse* it and fly off. Some shittin kid buys his first390 with his fathers hard earned moollah or money earned by working in some call center licking their customers arse and feels he is the fastest man on earth at 170 kmph. ROFL.
Not fastest on earth…. but definitely faster than your 70kmph bullet! XD
kaisa chutiya hai. you need a bullet to make you feel like a man? that’s some serious insecurity there brother. The manliest guy is the one who shows up on a moped and is all smiles about it. It doesn’t matter what bike you ride. But if yours is a slow, small bike then you admit that and move on instead of trying to shove its imaginary glory down people’s throats. My ktm sucks, I hate it. But I hate it just as much as i hated my Bullet. And love it the same too. Only difference is I’ve been riding for 8 years now and 16-17 Horsepower (19 originally but it drops with time and use) just doesn’t cut it anymore. you gotta graduate to the bigger bikes man. Can’t be satisfied with heavy, slow starter bike. c’mon
Abey Lund fakir, feel like a man kahan se aaya ghandye? So you are the bully kinda guy who feels content by swearing and abusing. Being bullied right from school to college and now gets a chance to bully around on the internet coz no ones coming searching to kick his butt XD XD XD
I have been ridding fast bikes since when you were ridding your tobu cycles. Ever did ride an rd, rxz 6speed or Honda dash? Getting scared by riding a 4stroke bike? Your legs will tremble when you get off after your ride these. Faster does not always entice. That was when I was in college, then I grew up 🙂
i hate people who hate bullet.
its also well known as pocket rocket and ya still undisputed……. not like those prehistoric metal blobs probably hitler used……
You sound like a guy who won’t wear a condom because it’s rubber….
By that formula, you should buy a plane ticket rather than a bike. Save time you know.
Why not borrow your grandpa s bullet or probably run a primier padmini or fiat 1100. Keep your 1962 legend in your place where the sun don’t shine.
I wish I could, but he didn’t had one. So I am going to keep one for my grand kids.
For the himalayan I would agree… it’s a beautiful motorcycle hands down.. the other RE bikes… painted scrap
Himalayan is the biggest crap. Other RE’s are atleast bearable
Nope. Because they are modern.
lol. u suck dude. people who cannot appreciate art are weird. its a timeless beauty. and people happen to admire that. ever sat on one? no? please do that. and reply.
The journey , the beautiful view behind the repair shop, the cold Chai at the puncture walas…. the shared cigarette when you are waiting for the towed bullet, the memorable back pain….. oooo sounds interesting…. unfortunately because I don’t have a RE, I don’t get these experiences. …
ur imagination is cute 😛 No. beautiful view on a journey to hill station while u are at 80-110kmph feeling the wind and not fighting with it at 150. beautiful is the friendship of the group of RE people with whom u are travelling. Beautiful is the scene in those round chrome mirrors u see, instead of any ugly fiber ones. Beautiful is ur own bike, from which u can’t take ur eyes off and even when u are leaving it parked, u keep turning back to have a look at it standing majestically. I don’t blame u for wrong imagination, because as u said, u won’t have all these experiences as u don’t have an enfield 😛 cheers 🙂
are you sure you can see anything in those mirrors at speeds exceeding 60 kmph?
gosh. u are missing out on some of the greatest things in life.
man u nailed it.
Similarly KTMs are too bro. the only difference is you have to cancel the sorrow part here (which you call life) because RE shares it a lot.
You sound like a old man
and you sound like a bitch who is blabbering for such a long time and in the notion that you are getting famous.
For Royal Riders “Destination” is always Journey 😉
And a never ending one! 😛
Of course. Keep riding is the mantra
You forgot this….
Keep riding, keep repairing!
I ride a 2014 RE B500. Never encountered an issue. No doubt I agree to you that ktms, Yamaha’s and Honda’s are great machines but in their own ways. These machines are in a different league. Bullets, Harleys, Norton’s and Triumphs are in a different league. Which motorcycle manufacturer exports their bikes to European and 1st world countries from India. I think this should clear your doubts of why such a fan following
I never thought there would be so much support for anatomically deformed machine … This is quite an easy bullet to dodge 😀 bravo..
Oh, there! Another quickie in the house. You sure can dodge any bullet with the sweetu sweetu shona kuchi koo “BABY” Ninja and ktms you ride ;p … Canon balls are technically bullets too. Its slower than bullets that shoot out of a hand gun but its devastating. Ever seen a gun logo on bullets… HELLLO… IT’S A CANON IN THE LOGO quickie boy :0
Masochistic ,pathologica RE idiocy.
That makes perfect sense!..It’s indeed a canon.I “sloth”ily rest my case. 😀 I don’t really understand the baby ninja,Ktm references :S…
Well, I think you should understand this
http://www.forbes.com/sites/saritharai/2015/02/18/indias-vintage-royal-enfield-overtakes-harley-davidson-by-motorcycle-sales/#73d3603d7f2b
I am trying hard ,but thanks for the link ,it’s indeed a testimony of the greatness of RE vs HD and Obama’s greater pitch for RE as compared to the democrats — thank you — Machine successful
🙂
totally irrelevant ,Thanks for the link though. Newly acquired knowledge.
France is bacon 🙂
corrected: Francis Bacon indeed 😉
Divine comedy 🙂
Hahaha… I can’t believe you had to “decode” XD XD XD Now thats truely Divina Commedia ;p
LOL It is okay…sometimes we need to break it down for few to get to the point when we are lost in translation…for example..BULLET and the CANON 🙂
Get to a point as in “compare a mini sbk to an old school”? Hats off, that’s SOO COOLLL
mini sbk? what the hell does that even mean??? Who is talking about sbk ,anyway? You need fiber Jeeves..bye..
Hey Reginald, your condition is worsening. You need to get some electral.
you need a shot of neurons..and a blob…bye
You need some electrons to work effectively on your neurotransmitters .. let the lobe be on your side..bye
because when the daddy(RE) was born the baby(ktm,ninza) was not born………..
Right,maybe it’s time to gift crutches…
hahahaha.
Made like a gun
Weighs like a gun
Runs like a snail (psst…. along with other issues)
c mon man logo wont work out here.
please dont put the worthless argument of tensile strength when you have nothing else to offer.
Ohh, hi there Partha. See, that’s the problem. You guys do not have a mind of your own. There’s 1 rahul gandhi who started the discussion and some wanna be rahul Gandhi’s followed.
It’s like Muhammad Ali and Bruce Lee.. only a retard would try compare who’s best amongst the two. Why would someone start a discussion and compare the two?
Ali couldn’t match Lee’s speed and Lee could not have Ali’s power but they are both legends and have a fan following
@Bulldozer
Actually I don’t mind appreciating a legend and its OK to produce lesser ponies being 350/500/535/410 cc since its a long stroker & the happiness of not owning one anyway. What I protest is the Hoax Pride, Super cult following; thereby considering all other bikes as plastic or whatever. See this is bullshit. And the fact is 90% bullet owners do it. When while protesting against it if you draw in facts the bullshit arrives….
Thats what I dont like……
But Partha, its not a bulleteer who started this discussion. There’s someone who brought forward his thoughts. Please go back and see who’s said what and when. For every guy in this discussion, i can assure, their bike is their baby. I.am.sorry for being disrespectful to your bikes. Beleive me i even respect the platinas, lunas and chetaks for what they were and are to their owners.
This is my last post in this discussion.
if you dont like….thats your problem bitch…..stop crying and whinning here…..anyways we dont give a damn……..on the read we will always gonna stare you as a plastic shit….if you dont change your attitude……
This is such a daft argument.
You may as well debate what is the best colour.
I live in the UK and Bullets are quite a rare sight on our roads.
I’ve rode for 50 years, always brit bikes.Now my hips don’t allow me to kick start. So I bought a Bullet with an electric leg.
They are so easy to work on and mod.
I don’t need speed anymore, just an enjoyable trip.
Every where I ride, I get people admiring it even taking photos and talking for ages about it.
You don’t get that with these modern bikes.
They all look a like to me, just different colours.
But I’d rather see folk on bikes than in cars.
Lets be happy we are all bikers
fyi”made like gun and goes like bullet”
Will you suck a dido because it looks like a cannon! XD XD
so, your bike doesnt have wear and tear or u just ride and that s all no service no maintanince
journey never ends dude..you just reach a destination..leave it MR RACER…you wont understand…..if you did, people would have known you 😀
yup guys like you end up sleeping in hospital beds. Bullet is not even that slow you think
the speed of your comment certifies it 😛
How much resale value local bikes have , everybody is ready to buy 10 years old bullet but no one is even ready to look at 5 years old pulser or ktm plastic scooters
LOL, local bikes 😀
Lol, local I meant low quality engine bikes
Well said alphy, I wanna give you a hi-five. In your face. With a spanner.
ROFL!! 😀
Yeah, lol bajaj made it local. Every jhopadpatti in Mumbai has at least 5 ktms. If not from Mumbai, Google jhopadpatti 😉
And even the slum people don’t buy a bullet… XD
Such smart people these days
Nice points…people who love use and throw plastic stuff won’t like the Enfields…of course most people don’t have an appreciation for classics but are rather attracted to flashy plastics…so I don’t expect many people to understand Enfields. Most people will this this article makes a lot of sense to them.
How ironic. Most RE riders are out to prove something nowadays. My first bike was an RE. It’s as good a starter bike as any. But that’s all that it is. A single cylinder, 18 Horsepower motorcycle just like a pulsar 200 or a unicorn. The fact that RE riders try and make it out to be something extraordinary is really just a cry for help and attention. It’s almost as if RE fanboys don’t understand motorcycles or motorcycling.
Yo man . Are u not ashamed of copy pasting your comments again and again !! 😛 . if u like to ride bike just do it. If someone like to ride bullet let them do. If people are satisfied with their bullet/bike and its worth for the money they won’t complain. Else they will deffinitly do like you my dear. There are no use of worshiping someone’s own company. And btw every bike / bullet has a personality so for the rider. Lookwise and Feelwise.
no I’m not ashamed ANAS. what the fuck kinda name is that anyway. do yourself a favour and keep riding a shit bullet till you die and watch the world pass you by on REAL motorcycles. bullet is a moped that looks like a motorcycle. I love old motorcycles I really do but bullet is not one because it has less power than a dildo motor. I know this because I rode one for 4 years. I was like you. “OooOoOo bullet meri jaan” gaand mein dal le jaan bc 4k rpm pe red line hoti hai. ANAS, if you are over 20 and still riding a bullet, you’re kidding yourself mate. move up, get a promotion, and start riding real bikes
“real bikes” Ka muh me le le amol 🙂 You “undigested SHIT” 🙂
Hardy tu bullet apni gaand mein daal le aur 4k rpm redline pe bhaga like the dildo it is. the rest of us will be on 600 cc inline 4 motors or old school vtwins and give a shit about bikes that are actually worth a damn 🙂 fuck you you primitive fucking ape :)) you’re what’s wrong with this country. have fun at 100kmph :))) that’s what you deserve
Monkeys fail to understand the taste of ginger. Not your fault though…..
what the fuck you been smoking eh? talking about monkeys and ginger geez dude get a kitchen or a zoo
Yes U dimwit it is proved that u dont have a brain as usual evident from your posts. Only dimwits compare apples with oranges and bikes with lawn mowers. It is from the proverb “Bandar kya Jane Adrak ka Swad”. Since you are monkey you fail to understand the value of precious ginger. Had u been a human you wuld have known every single vehicle has its pros and cons. Your standard is riding a lawn mower u mangina.
Alphy! You own a old version Bullet! I completely agree that piece is just amazing. Not the new ones. The new ones Classic 350 and other bullet family bikes are low on quality and they deliver very poor performance. I have experienced shit on road trips with my friends bikes and decided never to look at RE when it’s comes for a Bike Purchase.
How ironic. Most RE riders are out to prove something nowadays. My first bike was an RE 350. It’s as good a starter bike as any. But that’s all that it is. A single cylinder, 18 Horsepower motorcycle just like a pulsar 200 or a unicorn. The fact that RE riders try and make it out to be something extraordinary is really just a cry for help and attention. It’s almost as if RE fanboys don’t understand motorcycles or motorcycling. Grow up.
bro RE fanboys are riding motorcycles since the time ur dad and grandpa used to pee in pants.. and are calling that they dont understand motorcycling?? RE sells their products in this way because people love the nostalgia associated with it.. and u might not be knowing REs are the pioneer of some of the things which ur bike use now. Since when are ur pulsars using the swingarms are rear? 2002 i guess when pulsar originated right? RE g2 used it 40 years before that and RE were its pioneers. people say their engines are old and use push rods and etc… Even a 36 lac Indian chief uses push rod mechanism.. the bike is not the fastest and the most powerful, but for sure it is a piece of art.. accept it, it is not everybody’s cup of tea. It is for the one who measure their bikes in terms of memories not just bhp and Nm. and anyway, no other bike in India even 2 lac above their price can give the amount of torque enfields give. 41.3 fucking Nm.
anupam, kiddo, I rode a Std 350 from 1996 to 2004. Let me break it down for you – bullets are bullock carts. now if you like riding those then that’s your prerogative and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with it. but you can’t go mouthing off crap like memories and nostalgia because frankly, you’d have better memories on a bike (with push rods, point ignition and all the other sweet old timey stuff I’m not against that at all) if it had more power than at least a fucking lawn mower. But again, that’s a personal preference. My point was, RE fanboys are an irritating group because they try to shove their RE love down everybody’s throats. you like motorcycles that start vibrating at 80 kmph and don’t go above 4k rpm, that’s cool. you’re welcome to it. but for heaven’s sake, stop masking your shit decisions under the guise of nostalgia. The rest of us want to ride big boy bikes.
hey big boy, RE has enough power for a pleasant ride and it is reliable enough (the new ones at least). And Which big bike do u drive that give more torque than a C5? The bike has proven itself in many phases of motorcycling. Maybe not racing but everything else. even an rc 390 cannot race with a bullet uphill.. Some RE fanboys do show excessive love (usually fake) and i hate them but RE is a bike which performs the job for which it is made absolutely perfectly. And for India it is a good bike (maybe not the best). How many times a day do u ride ur duke at 140? I ride my bullet as I should several times a day. I would have bought an R3 if I loved racing, not a ktm because they suck at racing and exhaust note is pathetic. But anyway i dont like to race and my bike has a good top speed (120) good fuel economy (40-45) good seating position, great looks and superb reliability (never broke down till now) My classic has a perfect old school look which is praised not only in India but around the world. At least my bike doesn’t look like a starving crab. Oh wait !! It is the duke which looks like a starving crab 😛 and my bike can never be equal to ur big boys bike 😛 😛
european children ride motorcycles when they are 4 years old competing in mini moto competitions and those bikes do 110 kmph. i don’t particularly like the ktm myself but it’s the only thing in India that’s not embarrassing when it comes to being a motorcycle. won’t you like a royal enfield that made 60-70 hp? my point is – stop being so content with substandard shit and demand more from manufacturers. stop kidding yourself and demand more. you’re a grown man, start acting like it. that’s the only way royal enfield (and other indian manufacturers) will churn out REAL motorcycles and not these toys. please understand that I’m not trying to say that ktms are the best. I’m just saying that it’s high time motorcycle companies started taking the indian rider seriously and making higher capacity motorcycles that we deserve. there at lawn mowers out there with 24 hp. LAWN MOWERS. wake up, buddy
you have still not got what i said.. racing with a bike is a different thing. How many times a week would u race on track? if u are not participating in pro or semi pro races then what is the use of owning a 70 hp bike? a king of bike which u cannot use anywhere else. can u use a track oriented bike for off-roading? royal enfields can go on various kinds of terrains. I am not saying having a track bike is wrong. If u like to have that pleasure sure u should but it cannot be used elsewhere. I was planning to buy R15 few years ago because i love yamaha and even some other Japanese brands. But i felt the track oriented design won’t suit my lifestyle. I thought the same while choosing between RC200 and my classic. It boils down to a personal choice. And the European lifestyle is very different. People focus on more horsepower and cc. But British style classics like Norton, Triumph, BSA, Enfield are still respected in many places and so be proud that India manufactures such motorcycles which are respected in many parts of the world. (This does not mean that I am saying modern bikes are not good)
let me answer you with some examples: triumph tiger, triumph street triple, old timey bikes like the norton, BSA, newer ones like the kawasaki versys 650, and all other tourers in the world are above 50 HP. all can off road with ease and also munch miles while being civilised when you want them to. same thing with the ktm. shit build quality, i hate that it has only one cylinder BUT it’s the only bike in india that churns out 43 HP at 2 lakh rupees. that means on the highway one can go cruising from 110 to rampaging at 160 without even changing gears. do you know how that feels? when you’re riding 19 hours a day going from aurangabad to bangalore nonstop, you need to be able to cruise at 150. it’s not the speed but the ability and the feeling I’m talking about buddy, and the comfort. the entire time I rode my bullet I was like you. defending it at every corner and hating on so called ‘new bikes’ until I realised that there’s sooo much more to biking than a 17 HP single cylinder that starts to shake past 100kmph. the thrill of motorcycling is in flawless execution and for that you need bikes that can actually DO THINGS. as for respect, when I still had my bullet I checked a youtube video called “royal enfield in jay leno’s garage” know what he said? he said “if you like to ride mopeds but don’t like how they look, this little 500cc BRITISH single is for you.” and it’s true. stop believing what they tell you and demand more. won’t you much rather ride a v twin enfield? be honest. demand more. stop worshiping starter bikes. ktm sucks, I’ve owned one for 2 years now. but so does royal enfield and all other tiny bikes they sell to indians with names like ‘adventure sports’ and ‘race throttle response’. it’s a pathetic joke.
oh and, faired bikes are nonsense. i agree. naked is the way to go. hope I’ve made my stance clear.
i agree on ur points man. surely I would love to ride an enfield with a V-twin and with more horse power but for the classic post war look enfield is the only choice under 4 lakhs. I would love to ride Indians, harley, and most of all other powerful Brit classic bikes but unfortunately we can’t buy them at this price. and yeah duke has awesome power for Indian standards but looks are subjective and I prefer old school. If I could be satisfied with the looks of KTM I would buy it. I am not an enfield worshiper, I just love its look. Well let’s not argue on it. If a better street naked are available in India I am sure u would buy them and if a better post war style bike is available I would surely buy it. Is it correct?
You say that because you can’t afford a 70bhp bike… it’s okay…. one day you will and then you will realise we were right and you can slowly slide on our side
You’re right about the improvement but the Classic should remain a classic, it’s the same way you enjoy Kishore Kumar’s voice over others. You can’t compare a Duke with a Bullet and at that Price range it is a great bike, because it lasts long and it is easy to service because of less complicated parts and considering Indian roads, I would say that 27 bhp on Bullet classic 500 is good, brakes could have been better though. If you see the sales figures also, it shows that person is more likely to ride a Bullet over others because they have a different feel to it. It’s unique.
Dude… think before you talk, an RC will beat the shit out of a bullet when double seat…. wtf… I don’t know if I should laugh or reply…. tu rehene de…
Totally agreed, RE is a piece of shit when it comes to reliability. There are too many ppl looking for undue attention and that’s the bunch RE targets with its nostalgia/vintage/heritage stories
my enfield hasn’t broken down even once. It is still one of the most pleasant ride available in India. Duke is a good performance bike for sure but it looks ugly. It is more like puke. RE has something which other bikes and bikers can never get. That is why u guys are jealous of us because we RE riders are always united and we love our bikes no matter what. KTM make great bikes i agree but u won’t be satisfied even by them. And we are in love with our REs and we are satisfied. That is what makes u all wonder why? and u all are jealous of this feeling. And yes, pulsars are crap. I have owned one for about 7 years.
dude harleys are bullshit, everyone knows that. what if you were given the option to upgrade to a norton or a bmw boxer s or a kawasaki 750. these are the logical upgrades to an RE and not harleys. bullets are starter bikes – 17 to 19 horsepower. and that’s nothing to gloat over. they make great starter bikes, and can be kept in the garage to ride for a lifetime. but trust me, you haven’t experienced riding until you’ve taken a corner with your knee down at 130 kmph or blasted down a straight going 160 with top gear still left to engage. no one minds old fashioned. bobbers and cafe racers are cult even today but they’ve gotta have more power than a lawn mower. google it, there are lawn mowers on sale that are 24 HP! doesn’t that make you feel bad? what if all RE riders said enough is enough and demanded a bigger engine with multiple cylinders instead of being satisfied with the crap they’re being fed right now? RE is a machine and a good machine, but the abysmally low power figures make it the laughing stock of the indian biking community, and don’t even get me started on the international front. I ride a ktm 390 and it’s not a good motorcycle. it lacks character and refinement but 43 Horsepower is 43 horsepower. that makes a huge difference.
you know what RE riders look like? that guy from the ‘feel the josh’ ad riding a scooty in full gear. all bark and no bite. big sound, heavy bike, struggling to make it to 60 mph/100 kmph. you know the original cafe racers from the 30’s and the 40’s were called the ton up club? they did 160 kmph hence the term ton-up (ton means hundred and in this case – 100 miles per hour = 160 kmph)
so stop kidding yourself, grow up and demand a big boy bike from the manufacturer of your choice
why should i demand a big boy bike when i love mine? This is india and not europe. And do u know that people from around the world still use our beloved royal enfield? Speed and power are not the only things to look at. brad pitt, jonty rhodes, and many more love their enfields. Is there any other such indan charismatic bike which people around the world demand for?
It’s not an indian bike anupam, it’s british. It is simply manufactured in india. Now I know what you’re thinking – blah blah Eicher blah blah. You’re right, it is owned by an indian company and built here but its legacy is british. Just like Tata and Jaguar etc. That’s what your examples like about it too. the old british charm. None of the people you mentioned think of it as an indian motorcycle. the “people from around the world” who ride enfields also think of it as a british single and not an indian product, but simply made here. the legacy is british. so that negates your point about that. Most of these aficionados also ride brough superiors and norton commandos or have ridden them and now, in their 60s and 70s, want to ride something that doesn’t scare them. Many people in their 60s and 70s however will not be found dead on anything with less than 2 cylinders and 50 horses. that’s just the baseline. for novelty one might consider a single that churns out 17 horsepower because it’s cute. If that’s why you like your bike, hey, I’m no one to judge and good on you buddy, good going. But the enfield riders with that false sense of superiority is what I can’t stand. It’s a small bike, you love it, great. But when one starts to shove its ‘glory’ and ‘inherent manliness (puke)’ down my throat, that’s what pisses me off. And that’s what I mean by “stop kidding yourselves and grow up”. Hope I’ve made my stance clear.
the thumpers are always meant to sound good and look good. it doesn’t concerns the top speed. the torque does matters and that’s what enfields are about. yes people think of it as a british classic but still the thing which is important is that they love it. I don’t say bikes with 50-100 hp are crap. they are amazing piece of engineering and hence are ridden by people around the world. it is just calling REs useless is what i am against. REs are great in their own ways and will be. maybe some british bikes like bsa, triumph are better but they cost thrice an RE and require the amount of maintenance which is not everybody’s cup of tea in India. i simply hate the fools going around saying that REs are useless and KTMs are the best, when we know that even RC 390 barely qualify as an entry level sports bike and duke isn’t meant for pleasant highway rides, it is just a street toy to show off around to teenage girls
Firstly, ALL SINGLE CYLINDER MOTORCYCLES ARE CALLED THUMPERS NOT JUST ROYAL ENFIELD. Please update your motorcycle knowledge base.
Secondly, KTMs suck hardcore. I own one so I know that from experience. But doing 170 on the highway ain’t a bad trade off. As far as your contention goes, please refrain from using subjective criterion to qualify your choice of abysmally small motorcycles. Let’s keep this objective. Both bullets and KTMS and for that matter, yamahas, suzukis and hondas are used to show off to teenage girls so that argument falls flat in your face since it is a choice the rider makes and is not inherent to the motorcycle itself. The motorcycle being an inanimate object, of course, does not possess the ability to show itself off.
Again, I will repeat my point : Bullets make less power than a lawn mower and as long you (the rider) admit that and are okay with it and don’t feel the need to defend it, I have no issues with you. It’s when you start mouthing stupid nonsense like torque figures and other bikes being toys is when you show to the world what a looney wannabe rider you are.
Top speed isn’t everything. This is true. BUT HAVING THE ABILITY TO GO TO PANTS-SHITTING SPEEDS is what motorcycles are all about. Your beloved Bullets can’t even qualify for the ton-up club legacy you hold so dear since they do not possess the power needed to take you to 160 kmph (100 mph) that those bikes back in the 50’s did.
You don’t mind that they’re slow, outdated, a shriveled husk of what they used to be (the new ones don’t have point ignition, the gear/brake arrangement is conventional, basically everything that made REs special is gone) and that’s fine. Just drop the facade of superiority. Bullets are inferior in all technical aspects and now Eicher has killed their souls too with the electronic start etc. There’s nothing left. So please, keep the inferior riding to yourself, and I wish you all the best with it. Just move when you see me in your rearview mirror, I’ll be cruising at 160 going from aurangabad to bangalore in 19 hours on this very uncomfortable KTM and don’t appreciate you slowing me down.
All you are doing is doing wrong comparisons. Every single bike is made for riding. No one forces you to buy RE or KTM . Do according to your choice. Don’t compare apples with oranges. RE is a cruiser and KTMs are sports. There is hell and heaven difference between the two. KTM sound like flat drum where as RE thump. Some like some dont. It is the most customizable bike around. And for your information lawnmower is for mowing lawn not to ride. What a foolish comparison. Even water pumps also have more power than KTMs. Go ride water pumps. Power and speed isnt everything. I own a Bullet and a Pulsar 220F. Both are good in their aspect. My parents like to sit on the bullet as its way comfortable rather than in 220F. My back pains in most bikes as they are uncomfortable. Bullet saddle seat is way too comfortable. So dont compare an elephant ride with a horse ride. Both are unique and both give different experience. And keep your shitty comparison with yourself which are not relevant ogically. Go ride a 1000 hp water pump it has more power than KTMs.
And by the way which indian bike company has represented the prestigious Isle of man TT ?
eat shit donkey kong and stuff a turkey up your bum no one’s asked for your opinion. 1000hp water pumps my big hairy brown ass. REs aren’t cruisers they’re mopeds made to look like bikes.
Oh yes shit head dumb. Put your shitty thoughts in your stinky pussy as you are way loser than that you illogical idiot. Who the hell is asking your opinion u dumb head? If you can talk shit then have the guts to accept u ass hole. REs are cruisers and pussies dont ride or like it. You are a Mangina proved. Manginas like you exist to prove that their thought sucks as u do. Go suck a 1000 hp water pump shit eeehhhh
pehle english seekh le chutiye. bada aaya bullet rider. LOOK AT ME!! I RIDE BULLET! IT IS 17 HORSEPOWER!! I AM A MANLY MAN. I RIDE THIS BULLET SO YOU WILL THINK I AM MANLY. I NEED THIS MACHINE TO PROVE MY MASCULINITY!! MY DICK IS THE SIZE OF PEANUT
Abe tere jaise Mangina, Gadhe ko english ya hindi iski samajh kahan. Tu advice mat de. Tu pehle khud logcal ban aur Tu apni brain check karwa. Empty hoga shayad. Aur tere GK bhi poor he be gadhe. RE 350 has 19.8 bhp @ 5250 rpm
and RE 500 has 27.2 bhp @ 5250 rpm.
Mangina apna dimag check karwa. Bada aya english lawn mower rider. Teri standard lawn mower ki hi he. Aur ginna bhi sikhle . Its not 17 lol.
lawn mower toh tu chalata hai. new bullet ka 19.8 (19.8!! my god, hayabusa) 1 saal ke baad 17, 2 saal ke baad 16 etc. Mangina, thanks. I love it. I’ll change my username to mangina. sounds exotic. now go play with your moped. talk to me when you’re not shouldering the vast burden of your immense manliness and/or struggling to overtake an activa. Lol. chutiya
Abe gadhe tu apni advvice apne pas rakh. Bandar ko kahan achi cheezon ki samajh. Abe chutiye har bo gadi unique he. Mangina tu namard he to Mangina toh achi lagegi na. Mangina = Man with a Vagina. Sach bola tu. Namardon ko na RE pasand na logical baatein. Tu mangina jo tehra. Isliye
Tu aise hi bhukta reh. Tere jaise bahut aaye aur gaye. Par bullet ab tak kayam he apni jagah pe with a legacy since 1949. Tu chalu rakh apni bakwas mangina.
wow. not very creative are you? no wonder you ride a bullet. btw mangina doesn’t mean man with a vagina. that’s a logical fallacy. anyway. OM PRAKASH IS THE MANLIEST MAN IN THE WORLD BECAUSE HE RIDES A BULLET. YOU HEAR THAT, WORLD? OM PRAKASH IS VERY MANLY, OKAY? NO ONE QUESTION HIS MANLINESS. IT IS DEFINED BY THIS MOTORCYCLE. WHAT MORE PROOF DO YOU WANT. WE ALL BOW DOWN TO HIS MANLY MAJESTY, OM PRAKASH THE BULLET RIDER. LOOK AT HIM GOING 120 KMPH ON THE ROAD LIKE A MANLY MAN. WHAT A GIANT DICK HE MUST HAVE BECAUSE HE RIDES A BULLET. ROYAL ENFIELD CHECK THE DICKS BEFORE SELLING THEIR MOTORCYCLES, THEY DON’T SELL TO SMALL DICK PEOPLE, NO SIR
Abe Gadhe. I ride Bikes. I dont compare apples with oranges and a bike with a lawn mower. EVERY BIKE HAS ITS PROS AND CONS. ACCEPT IT AS IT IS. DON’T SHIT AROUND. NO BIKE IS PERFECT. ITS A MATTER OF PERSONAL CHOICE. DONT LIKE IT THEN SHUT UP THEN. RESPECT WHAT IT IS FOR. EVERY BIKE HAS FLAWS. NOHING IS PERFECT.
Manginas like you only can misinterpret things. A chitiya who can comare a bike with lawn mower can assume anything . Proved that you are shiity piece of mangina.
fuck off you choot. you ride a 17 horsepower lawn mower and I don’t respect that. you’re a fake biker. a wannabe. a chutiya who knows one word – mangina. go home idiot. come talk to me when you have a real bike
Abe bhag be suar. Just like pig can’t understand whats the value of banana you cant understand the value of riding. Riding has nothing to do with bhp. Jhaant ke jinghoor tu sale ja Road Roller chala. Uska bhp KTM se bhi jyada he. Ya fir bulldozer chala. Mangina kahinka. Don’t live in a dream that u have a brain. YOu are a MANGINa. A man with a Vagina. Thats why u talk like pussies. Only pussies dont like bullet lol. Fuck off mangina.
tu apni moped chala na yaar. tujhe acchi lagti hai na? toh chala. just admit that it’s not the greatest, most glorious motorcycle ever built. I don’t have a problem with royal enfield I have a problem with stupid narrow minded fan boys like you who think calling somebody a mangina is an insult. your thinking is that of a child and you are what’s wrong with our country and why it isn’t progressing. because of homophobic misogynistic neanderthals like you. grow the fuck up you absolute cunt
Tu apni soch apni paas rakh. Tujhe agar lawn mower chalani he toh chalana ? Tujhe unse kya jisko kuch pasand he ? Choices are personal. Who the fuck are you to question?
Abe mangina me moped kya bicycle bi chalata hoon. Sab enjoyable he. Kyun ke maja bike se nahi riding comfort se aati he . Tu bewakoof sala 17 bhp pe atka he.
Narrow minded thoughts are of manginas like you. Since your thinking level is below the freezing point of water it is still hard to understand for u. Our country is degrading just because dimwits like you who think what they think is correct. You irrational cunt go have MRI scan of your brain. You may find the manginaism in your brain.
Royal Enfield is the only Indian Brand which has represented Isle of Man TT till now. Neanderthal is you as u still have a brain as that of stegosaurus.So don’t force much on it.
Only Stupid pussies don’t like RE as they give priority to their CHOICE rather than what others feel. Even if walking gives u pleasure its still better than riding a bike. Enjoying the journey has nothing to do with bhps and what bike u are riding. And the bold Testament of RE is that many bikes have come and perished but RE still standing the testament of time. Just because of some Manginas like the OP and you truth not going to change. So fuckoff you dodo. Go ride Bulldozer. It has more bhp than KTMs.
I think you and me both wasted time over here, trolls can be entertaining though. I am just reading for fun.
100% true..
Your frustration itself shows what a mangina u are.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-JwZfLKX1U
Fish, I read this today. You’ve killed him manginally XD XD
Choices are the differences between a man and kid. U ride a tricycle as u are a kid or your fav lawn mower. I will ride what ever a man can. Some bikes are there since 1901…..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_EsUR4oakg
WOW YOU’RE SO MANLY OM PRAKASH.
WOW YOU’RE A MANGINA AMOL MA”NGINA”WAHA
I CAN TEACH ENGLISH… call me if you need help typing
Oho!!, You dick is of peanut size ? Great mangina I thought u dont have a dick. You are a mangina shitting around with your shitty points. Thats why u like lawn mowers. Great. Since u have a peanut size dick tu lawn mower chala ya phit tobu tricycle chala.
wow. what an excellent argument. I’m blown away by the intense logical content of your narrative. although you tend to fixate on just one insult. be creative man, think of some new insults for me. and it’s true. I don’t have a dick, not even a vagina. in fact, I don’t have any genitals because I AM a genital. I AM A MANGINA. A MANGINA THAT TYPES. beat that, ripley’s believe it or not. lmao go ride your moped you choot
Great you accepted the truth. Now go ride a water pump its has more power than your KTM. Jhaant ke jhingoor mangina hi he tu. Namardi ka misaal tu hi he jo ek bike ko lawn mower se comapre kar sakta he. Manginas have no logic chutiye. Sab bike unique he aur acha he gadhe. Compare mat kar lawn mower se choot ke kit. Tu tri cycle chala. Teri aukat wahi he. Bewakoof.
tu apni moped chala chutiye.
Abe chutiye tu lawn mower chala. Me toh bahut kuch chalata hoon. Including a RE which is the only indian bike which represented ISLE OF MAN TT.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A46njZAEzkw
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA……
HAHAHAHAHAHAHHA….
Royal Enfields has served us for almost 3 generations…There are ” ustaads / maestros ” of almost every single respective part of this Machine,ODM had the honour to know a lot of these specialists….scattered all over the country – each one of them is a untold story !
Old Delhi Motorcycles builds a motorcycle with a league of these specialists, and tell about ‘ them ” … for they will soon be gone !
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrrgmYYxT3w
you don’t understand sarcasm do you. go home little boy on your little toy bike. speak to me when you’re riding a big boy bike
Illogical things cannot be sarcasm. You cant comapre apples and oranges just because they are fruits. Comparison is done on equal terms. Be sarcastic on that. I am no RE fan boy. I am a riding fan boy. I ride what ever I ca. No special weakness on onay bikes. All bike has specialities. Hence they cant be compared. Choose what U like. Dont force your personal choice on others. Some like elephant ride some like horse. There is no point disgracing each other.
If he didn’t have a dick, you wouldn’t exist
I have a lawn mower and that’s 24bhp XD for real
No matter how costly is a shoe its place is on the foot.
A lawn mower with even 100 bhp is still a LAWN MOWER.
I’m going through this thread for entertainment and dont even own a bike. One thing that sounds out is you come across as one low testosterone whiney little BIT CH!
we buy RE not to show off to anyone but for inner peace. We buy it coz we love it. Secondly, I know what a thumper is exactly, thank u for ur concern. Thumpers are single cylinder big engine bikes. And yes they are called thumper because of their characteristic single cylinder sound. For racing, there have been parallel and V twins since 1940s, and hence i said thumpers are loved for their looks and exhaust note rather than their top speed. motorcycling is NOT just about PANT SHITTING SPEEDS. Do u think, cruiser, choppers, off roaders are made to run at 200kmph? NO. and the bikes which did 100mph in 1950 were never thumpers. they were usually parallel twins. So bullets are not outdated,they are just made that way to retain the classic feel. Each bike has its own motive and SPEED is not the only thing for which motorcycles are made. I don;t say other riders stupid because each one has different expectations from their rides. but the way you are treating bullet riders shows that u have no mutual respect and u are just a wannabe speed enthusiast who is possibly to naive for motorcycling. So please shut ur gutter and learn to respect other motorcycle types than just street and track bikes. There is a much larger world of motorcycles than u think. grow up
Ah! now we’re talking. See how bullet riders go from supremacists to peace loving flower power pacifists in a heartbeat. I made my stance VERY clear right at the beginning – My beef isn’t with all RE riders just the ones who feel the need to beat their chests and declare themselves absolute monarchs of the road based on the fact that they own a certain motorcycle, hence the shaming. Also, it’s fun to toy with the fragile male egos of these trend-following sheeple. I know plenty of nice guys who ride all kinds of things from puny 110cc skitters to ultra touring v-stroms. it doesn’t matter what marque you ride, it’s all the same wind. But it’s also fun to own a few idiots online while waiting for coffee.
Man first of all I never said Enfield is the best motorcycle brand. Secondly any stupid fucker with an Internet connection cannot hurt my feelings. Thirdly you kid should show some respect to the oldest motorcycle brand out there and there are many faggots who think speed is the only important thing but they don’t know what actually a motorcycle is. Speed and acceleration is just a small part of the motorcycling world. Maybe when you’ll grow up and have some knowledge about motorcycles you’ll understand it. Till then buzz off
I owned an enfield for 4 years, it’s a good kids bike. Then I grew up and stopped riding mopeds made to look like bikes
See that what I’m saying. You just bought and rode the bike. You never actually owned it. Which real b bike are you talking about? If you say that European consider Enfield as mopeds then they don’t even consider rc 390 as beginners bike. Even the super Duke 1290 isn’t considered as something worth buying. And Enfield are real bikes. They have survived for more than 100 years now. Do you think any other manufacturer lasted that long. There is a reason for it. They are loved and revered all over the world. And if you consider just horsepower then an r 25 can beat Duke 390 and in turn can be beaten by r6 which in turn is beaten by r1 which cannot survive in from of the hayabusa which was easily beaten by ninja h2r which would be wiped out in a drag against dodge tomhawk and if that’s not enough it can beaten by an apache helicopter. Now where the fuck does your real bike stand? Well royal Enfield does stand on the top of at least one list and that is being the oldest motorcycle manufacturer in production. Is there anywhere your bike stands?
Anupam, Pigs cant taste banana. They are accustomed to taste shit. If u show finger to the moon that mangina will see the finger and loose all the heavenly glory of the moon. When We are talking about enjoying a ride which even a Bicycle can also give ,that Mangina is stuck at “17 bhp” which even don’t exist.
I agree with you my friend
Yo got your inner peace. the mother in street sings lulabies for half an hour and puts her baby to sleep. You move in the street with your RE. The whole streets inner peace boooooooo..
Bro i am content with it. That is the best thing about owing an enfield that u are satisfied with it. Some people are not and they sell it. I don’t say they are wrong but a bullet aficionado stay happy with his bike. u won’t know how it feels like. Only bullet lovers feel that for their bike. No one else has that feeling for their bike. Believe me if u look for horse power u would never be satisfied. I am. I don’t wanna race, I wanna ride
First, don’t laugh!
I’ve two 2-wheelers – RE Classic 350 (2014) and TVS XL 100 (2016).
For daily office commutation and long distance tours I use RE. For touching 2-3 km (son’s school, nearby mall, etc) I use TVS XL. Both are running fine. I love RE (models after 2014), simply because the new models are really better than the old ones, also RE can be bought with disc brakes, alloy wheels and tubeless tyres, if you so like, at some extra cost.
Little expectations…. sad life
Amol, look up http://gapuchee.com/Product.as…. You may find interesting stuff for yourself here. Do not compare Paneer with Chicken, if you know what I mean. A Royal Enfield will eat Honda for
breakfast, Pulsar for Lunch, Hero for dinner and probably fart out a KTM next morning…. Burrrrrp!
yo tony. 404 file not found. anyway. bullets are tiny starter bikes. enjoy your day
Lé le lé le lé …. whoz baby is this? Who let a baby on a laptop…. gu gu gu
And you aren’t shoving your love of speed, max RPM and horsepower down the throats of said fanboys? You have an opinion. You’re free to express it. Yes, Royal Enfields vibrating at 80 kmph. So what? Who are you to say what someone else must expect from a motorcycle? If he’s happy with something, let him be. And you talk about fanboys trying to shove shit down people’s throats. Hypocrisy much?
Hi Daman. I don’t think you read the first few of my comments here so to reiterate – I do not look to dictate what motorcycle a person should ride. My only gripe is with anyone claiming to be superior based on their choice of motorcycle and it just so happens that a lot of RE riders feel the need to express their, ahem, superiority. That’s what agitates me and makes me point out a few facts.
My first bike was a 350 Std and I loved it to bits so I have nothing against RE. It’s just the over-compensating, dick-swinging bunch of idiots that piss me off.
Hope I’ve made my stance clear, cheers.
Pappu, You never understand RE Bullet. You should just play with Toy Bikes like KTM and Pulsar . You deserve that only. Enjoy 🙂
I owned one for 4 years chutiye. then moved up to some semblance of REAL motorcycles that aren’t 17 horsepower mopeds made to look like bikes. with real brakes and acceleration. your pathetic aping of the west would be better appreciated if you rode a norton or an indian that made at least 50HP, even back then. so grow up, pappu, and quit being a choot.
chal chutiye….bullet tere gand pe chadi na beta to teri fuddu bike pe bhagne ka time nahi milega…chala bete…tu splendor hi chala.. bhosdi ke shakal achi na ho to baat achi kia kar…
bullet gaand pe kaise chadegi? bullet ki top speed toh 120kmph hai. voh bhi mar mar ke, engine garam hone ke baad. I change from from 4th to 5th gear at 129 kmph, 5th goes till 161 then shift into 6th to go upto 177 (top speed with my bhaari bharkam weight) tu bullet chala madarchod 🙂 17 horsepower ki moped. tere liye vahi theek hai jhaat ke baal. 4 saal chalai maine bullet. it’s a good toy bike for starters and beginners.
Madarchod tera baap saale..jisne teri ma ki chut me bullet ka silencer dala tha tb jake tuj jaisa randwa paida hua… 😉 abey tu saand ki aulad..tera bhari weight…saale body me stamina hona chaiye use sambhalne ke lie..aise hi nai kehte mardon ki gaadi hai bullet….bt tu thehra saand jaisa randwa…4 saal tune nahi jhela bullet ko…bechari teri bullet ne jhela tuj jaise laude ko…tuj jaise chutiyo ki wajah se plastic bikes wali comapnies chal rhi hain…aur gaaliyan sunega bhen ke lund…ja jake bullet ka garam garam silence apni gaand me daal le…
waah shvia tujhe toh badi gaaliyan aati hain I’m so impressed. tu apni moped chala, I’ll be be riding big boy bikes doing 170 kmph. and LOL mardon ki gaadi. bullet. 17 horsepower ki moped chutiye. jo real old school bikers hai na, norton aur bsa wale, voh bhi RE ko dekh ke haste hain chutiye, jaag ja. scooty chala raha tu. 17 horsepower saale tatti. baccha hai tu, jab koi badi bike lega toh baat karna. tab tak apni bullet le aur apni ma ki choot mein daal ke 4k rpm pe redline kar, I’m not sure she’ll notice there’s anything there but worth a try. fuck you and die you stupid fucking moped riding bastard. the whole world is laughing at you.
World will laugh at you when people will see you comparing a bullet wih a moped…dude, grow up..norton, bsa, matchless, triumph, ageis..i hv driven them all…they were classics but could not maintain their legacy…today, very few own these masterpieces…RE is still alive man..there has to be something…there are people for whom bullet is not a way of making a living.bt a passion…and dude..i recently got an HD Street 750…bhen ke bhadwe tu keh rha hai badi bike lega…saale HD me bhi vo feel nahi aati jo bullet me aati hai chodu….and main teri ma ki chut me bullet ko 4k ke rpm pe redline krunga…bullet ki vibrations patw hai na kutte ke beej…teri ma climax pe pahuch jayegi uski vibrarions se hi…haha…bhosdi wale ek chutia bike le li tune khud ko biker keh rha hai…saale yaha collection hai bikes ki…classics se leke modern bikes…tere baap ne sab chalai hain….bhen ke lund apni pant utae aur lulli dekh apni..kahi moot na nikal gaya ho..aur nikal gaya hao to use ikattha kar aur apni chutia plastic bike dho le…
shiva, tu chutiya hai aur chutiya hi rahega. you are that guy from the ‘feel the josh’ ad riding a scooty in full gear. congratulations on being such a massive cunt, your little moped and you can rub bums for all eternity. your passion reflects on you and you are passionate about about something that makes less power than a fucking lawn mower. bravo sir. you’re what’s wrong with this country. bullets are better than harleys but at least a harley doesn’t sit in the same power bracket as a 100cc commuter. grow up, start riding real bikes, then talk. till then, eat shit as is obviously your wont and try to not throw up as I blast past you doing twice your speed.
PS I only have one bike at a time, owned 4 bikes over 12 years including a bullet, great little starter toy bike it was. have fun being a beginner you choot. die
Abey ja ma chuda randi ke pille…ja jake cmnt cmnt kisi aur ke sath khel…bhosdi wala…dekhe tere cmnts maine is thread pe..konsi cmpny ka diaper pehenta hai…aur cmnt na kario…bhenchod dimag ki dahi kr di…bhai RE ke malik me teri ma chod di thi kya aur tera sautela bhai aa gaya…tbhi itna kilasta hai RE se…haha…mar jake kahi saale…u wont hv it frm me now…chutiyo ki kami nhi h..ek maango saale 100 milte hain..randwa..
ja apni moped se khel. jab asli bike hogi toh aana. bye shiva iIu
abey gay hai kya… ab samaj aya y u hate bullet…haha…
LOOK AT ME!! I’M A MANLY MAN. HEY YOU! YOU THINK I’M A MANLY MAN? NO? I RIDE A BULLET! NOW YOU THINK I’M A MANLY MAN? HAHA! EVERYBODY SHOULD KNOW WHAT A MANLY MAN I AM. I RIDE A 17 HORSEPOWER BIKE-SHAPED MOPED. ONLY MANLY MEN DO THAT HAR HAR EVEN THOUGH MY BIKE LITERALLY HAS LESS POWER THAN A LAWN MOWER HAR HAR.
*meanwhile*
grass1: you hear that? oh god is that a lawn mower?
grass 2: nope, false alarm guys just a bullet
all grasses: PHEW!
Abey fuddu sab thk ho jaega…have faith in God…tuje sadma lag gaya hai…gt urself chkd… 😉
Sorry for thr foul language, my friend. Was in a bad mood. No offences and nothing personal. Just a matter of personal preferences. Take care of yourself. God bless you. Peace. 🙂
chee yaar, you took 3 hours to come up with THAT?
no wonder you ride a bullet
Doesnt matter brother. I understand. My apologies. Take care.
chootiye
no dude im laughing at u. what a insecure lil pussy. kyu hua ?? gussa aa rha hai? ktm leke? missing the good old bullet?
No dude… we guys are sitting together and laughing at you
why so much hatred towards a bike and its owners? Did you see a RE rider ride your mom when you were a kid?
And you can’t afford the other bikes
people who are not in a hurry to die, want to have fun riding a rather gracefully slow bike, and understand the beauty of old design are the ones who own royal enfield. bullet is a bike bigger than its own brand. its classic , timeless, priceless.
Lol original iron.
Spoken like a true RE customer! :’D
Pathetic
Alphy i agree with u i fully support u r ryt they all dnt knw abt our RE bull.
Super Reply, Thats True………That is Royal …Royal Enfield!!!
Thats the reason I blindly consider re lovers as chutiya.
Btw bring ur generator after 4th gear….open challenge……for your safety i would suggest an open road…..else if it was a good bike it can be done on any road
by the time you shift to 4th gear the local bike guys have already reached their destination and are probably sleeping.
why would i want to ride the same bike for 30 years when the world is change so much and getting better in matter of days?
Will you keep changing your world always when the world is changing a lot ? Your parents, spouse, kids etc. Hope you have a better understanding now, why i am riding an old machine.
and when was you born??
Ktm? Local bike? Its a moto gp winner where ur shitty RE cant even think of going. Ur re cant catch even pulsar in top speed so dnt think about ktm. U r really an ignorant creature on earth. India didn’t progress due to backward people like you
Damn Right.. You are freaking fool, who is ready to Die. I am Born to Ride, Not to Die. KTM is shitty bike, check out the accidents survey in india on KTM bike before praising the vehicle. Services are poor. check out this link for more information on this shitty bike http://www.b4bike.com/wheels/1426/top-12-reasons-why-you-should-not-buy-ktm-duke-200/
How many Neutral gears do you hit b4 reaching 4th gear.. i have 1972 bullet and i agree with the writer its fun if its simple non practical ride, like getting a cup of team at 12 in night from a shop 2Kms away.. for everything else its heap of heavy metal…
So can you just imagine how much you have spent on issues like clutch wire breaking after 3K km, changing of parts like battery chain socket etc after every 10K kms because of bad quality parts by RE, oil leaks, electrical faults here and there ? FYI I have faced all these issues in just 30K kms even after spending around 6K after every 2 months in servicing.
A reliable bullet is like a meat eating cow…both do not exist. It may be durable but is certainly not reliable. Again it is durable as long as you keep it at a max of 80 kmph. Try riding at 100 kmph constantly. You will end up with a seized engine. Like i had on my 1977 and 1984 bulls.
Wow. Lol.
U r more kind of horse rider and so you will never understand what a pleasure u get while riding an elephant.
To be more precise, only kings ride elephants and so they can only understand the pleasure….
Fucking hell! You sir, need to read what you’ve written 🙂
errrr riding an elephant….not so pleasurable for the elephant though
you can communicate with an elephant ? Why dont you become a mahout rather than talk on bike topics ?
Again you replied to the wrong Guy.
errr looks like your dad dropped you on your head when you were a kid…no offense mate…think what you like
the day he will get fucked in the divider will be the day he will realize that he would have bought a bullet instead. DICKHEAD All in Capitals
What? What does a divider have to do with an RE?
probably Akshay loves the divider and doesnt want to part with it..leave the man alone with the divider and his bullet
DICKHEAD(All in capitals) Akshay thinks that Enpield is stronger and harder than the divider
lol…coll down dro…you must be frothing from your mouth
who cares……. jst shut the f**k off
seriously you (writer) if u cant afford royal at least stop writing shitty things and i hope u r enjoying u r BAJAJ discover 125
did you read the article ? the author said he owes a bullet which he drove to Goa and Ladakh
Totally.
I agree with your article, but for a few points. I hate Bullets because of their unreliability. I am not a person who wants to spend his whole weekend servicing his motorcycle. I love my Jap-craps and I think they are superior in everything on a price-CC per bike basis. For the last 10 years I am commuting at least 60 kms daily in Mumbai and I can’t even think of taking my bullet for daily commute. It may break down, or worse, it may break your back.
But, to say bullets are not fast may not be true. My 350 bullet can fly at 100 and my friend’s 500 has virtually no competitor on the road in traffic signals. Second, riding a bullet on long rides, is quite a pleasant experience provided the road is smooth. I don’t know about the kingly feeling, I suppose it is all in the mind, but yes, it feels secured despite its thin tyres. But can it match my Karizma in performance? NO WAY! Can it give me the same secured feeling in broken roads that my Impulse gives me? Absolutely not. Back of my mind is the fear that this bike can really betray me if I am not careful. And before you gang criticise me saying I don’t take care of my bikes, I would say you don’t know me.
Fair point Anup! Thanks for sharing your opinion 🙂
Best write up about bullet I ever read….it was like me reading my own mind.. Haha awesome stuff…for the royal piece of shit.
thoughts of a cyclewala.. lol
The Indian Army and 29 other countries too rides this “shit”.
P.S. :- Using Shit is relative. Fools consider other’s thought as shits without much thinking as they have no brain.
@akhilkalsh:disqus
I hate the supposedly biker dickhead who post these mediocre crap. grin emoticon Good for laughs though! Without any doubt you’ve just blurted out the stupidest things one could possibly fathom. Please just go and stand in one corner and think about everything you’ve said.
Kindly just go and fuck yourself with your plastic shit you son of a bitch. 🙂
Absolutely.
and yet you haven’t provided even one rebuttal to any of the points the author has mentioned.You just opened your mouth cause the author’s article made your bloated ego (cause you owe a RE) deflate
He does not need to open the mouth. All know every single bike has pros and cons. That does not mean u go and cherry pick. The biggest pro of RE is its INDIAN and The INDIAN ARMY uses it since its inception. Not easy to put 54 guys on bike and do stunt. Is there any other bike handling such stress you know ? Sometimes ego is worth not bloated as few fools think.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=_dxLZwn51BE
Hey I’m gonna book a Bullet soon, you know why? Oh not because it’s fast or safe or sounds nice or runs well or gives good mileage or is light or is low maintenance, who cares about those things right? I’m buying it because 54 people can have an orgy on it. You remember the last time we had that orgy on a Duke? That was so cramped man, just the 3 of us. Now we can have real fun.
I can enjoy orgy But the problem is someone like you without a brain cant have orgy as all happens in the brain. So come out of your false dream. and spell Duke as Puke.
The whole point to show the record is to show that its built sturdy and tough enough to handle those weights of 54 peoples. I never saw Indian army doing stunts on Republic day parade other than RE. So army people are fools ? They cant buy KTM or Pulsars or any other plastic bikes ? RE supplies to 29 other countries too. Some may be fool but not all. Every bike has problem whats the point to highlight it other than taking precaution ?
Indian army doesn’t use RE anymore. They just use it for parades…well thats what a RE should be used for…use it once a year and pack it off
Yeah, they moved on to Hero Ducati, right?
actually Indian Army uses a variety of motorcycles. From Old CD 100 to latest Pulsars.
Just Hilarious. They still use it. Not because u don’t know because they do. They only use RE.
My friend Indian army still uses bullet stndard for its diapatch riders. Also to ride it in that parade they have to practice whole year. Do please be logical. Bullet sure has its short comings but it is still one of the most popular bikes. Coming to tech its engine has low hp compared to duke but it has a long piston which means it has good low end torque and much more engine life. While the duke though fast has to run at rpms close to 10000. Which reduces the life of its engine. Also pls consider the resale value of bullet vis a vis duke 390.
Dafaq is wrong with you? Long stroke means increased engine life?
Lololololol technically the shorter the stroke the lesser the friction and hence increased engine life.
Don’t talk engineering when you don’t know shit.
My dear friend short stroke bikes have to have more rpm to generate respectable amount of torque. Therefore more friction. More heat, more damage and less engine life. Please update your engineering knowledge before writing dafaq and lol lol lol. Good luck to you. I hope you are not a mechanical engineer.
buddy, with due respect, shorter stroke also means more number of strokes are required for the same torque… enfield produce 28 Nm at around 4000 Rpm duke, pulsars n all produce peak torque and power at 8000-11000 Rpm.. that means more than double times the engines works for the same power/torque, the more is the fricton, the less is the life. so please dont blurt shit if u dont know it… and I am mechanical engineer and also an M.Tech. Also i do have experience of working in the automobile sector
Long pistons and much more life?????? Do you even remotely mean that current tech doesn’t have that much of life with shorter pistons? Read up on physics and modern trends please. The original Pulsar was tested with full throttle for 300 continuous hours (Just one of the examples ) ….You might have passion and you should have it. But that should not make you blind towards the phenomenal and reliable technological advances that we have made till now!
I live in Dehradun . . . A place where they have 3 Indian army cantonment’s . . . R.E Bullet 350’s Standards are still used very frequently (old as well as new with defence number plates). . . Even certain units or forces as they would say of The Uttarakhand Police use R.E bullet 350 standards as their official vehicle’s (old as well as new)
I am from the armed forces and I’m telling you guys for the HUNDREDTHOUSANDTH TIME that the Bullet can’t be replaced immediately just like the MiG 21s BECAUSE OF ADMINISTRATIVE ISSUES. Thank you 🙂
And listen HUNDRED THOUSAND ONE time that it wont be replaced becoz a fool thinks so.
u asshole
wow looks like you got hurt pretty bad
How many times u boarded 54 people on your RE ?
How many times have you seen any bike other than RE riding 54 people ?
P.S. I meant RE Bikes are sturdy and strong and are not plastic craps which cannot achieve this feat. If one tries on RE can but U cant even try on plastic bikes. Not Sturdy enough.
RE’s arent safe buddy with no good brakes , no aerodynamics for cruising , with no good lighting , Not even DC Electricals,even dont have maintainance free battery, no tubeless tyres , gear box isnt smooth , no control for vibrations , cant go fast still wont give you milage,what else the list wont stop . only the thing that is good in RE’s are looks and the original thump. i have seen bajaj chetak carrying more than 50 people in one of the parade . it’s not about carrying the most number of people brother . first let them resolve those above problems and come with a RE truck which can carry 2500 people 😛
First thing is Safety depends mostly on the rider and it’s riding habits. You will find less road accidents involving cruisers and commuters than d supersports bikes and according to national road stats it’s 4 times . On the hand of a spoiled brat even a bike with good brakes is useless. So your point is sheer bogus. Re brakes are good for what they are meant for.
Second thing is cruisers are not made aero dynamically. It is not a bike to move in speeds. It’s for comfort. It does the work it’s meant for. No other Plastic bikes give it. Rider seating in sports bikes are awkward. Gives pain to back to most rriders. Why search aerodynamics at the expense of comfort.
Third thing is new bullets now ship with maintainance free battery. Gear is nimble on the Contrary what you have said. Clutch must be right and gears need to be shifted at proper speed. My bullet gives 45 in city and 50+ in highways. What more milage u want from a 350 cc. None of my friends bike including Apache pulsar fazers give it even in low cc ‘s except 100 cc bikes. No one really cares milage who buy thumper. It’s just a cheap Indian mentality. Continental GT has spokes but has tubeless tyres.
Before commenting get your facts right. What your foolish brain thinks bad may not be bad for an intelligent rider. I gave the 54 people link to show sturdy Re bikes. Show me that in chetak or in other bikes. Just because you are saying does not prove it’s correct.
What’s your take on maintanance and oil leakage problem from engine of merely 2 months old ..??is the sturdiness pripotiobal yo the stongmess of the bike ? The breaking capabilities are just about OK as per your comments. What’s your take on DC electicals ?? What’s your take on chain problem which is the problem since its inception .???
What your foolish brain knows is shit man..jusjust learn yo give proper reasons .
Are you really sure you are getting 45 to 50 while the company claimed milsge itself is around 50??
His much are you spending per a service ??
Sometimes re people won’t even have spark plugs in the stocks..and they charge you 500 ruppes for them ..
You will experience it very soon bro . for you information I have faced every problem despite maintainindg it without anyndelays …
Do you use cruiser to cruise at 70km/Hr??
What’s the warranty its just 10000km/1year ..is it justifying the price of it???
The most problematic bike IH the world is re ..
“What’s your take on maintanance and oil leakage problem from engine of merely 2 months old ..??”
Thats my bike. My family has 6 REs. My uncle rides an Enfield Machismo. My brother rides TB 500 and 6 of my friends ride RE 350 and 500. None have oil leakage problems. Older Bikes do have it like my uncles but he maintains it. When I asked him the one I face is what others face in other bikes. I have a CB twister and Its packing goes off in every 3~4 months.
“What your foolish brain knows is shit man..jusjust learn yo give proper reasons.”
Look at the mirror and Behold the fool appears. I have given a proper reason from very beginning. Every bike has Problems . Don’t cherry pick it.
“Are you really sure you are getting 45 to 50 while the company claimed milsge itself is around 50??
His much are you spending per a service ??”
Yes. I am sure It gives me 40~45 in city and 50~55 in highways. I ride every week from Bhubaneswar to Puri 65 kms and back. I have tested and So my friends. I first thought to buy Pulsar 220F but after testing myself my friends RE 350 which is 3 yrs old I decided to buy. 350 cc bike giving 45+ is more than enough for me. Service charge if oil change is around 850/- + 100 labour charge.
“Sometimes re people won’t even have spark plugs in the stocks..and they charge you 500 ruppes for them ..
You will experience it very soon bro . for you information I have faced every problem despite maintainindg it without anyndelay”
May be for you. Here situation bit different. There is a RE mechanic shop at every corner and most mechanic do regular maintenance check up whithout a fee if u r a regular customer. Many have this bike so help each other rather than take advantage off. May be true in your locality.
“Do you use cruiser to cruise at 70km/Hr??”
Yes. I never cross speed limits. My Max speed is 70kmph. I hardly go 80 kmph on open roads on NH and I enjoy the ride. I am never in a hurry. I never throttle and never compete the fellow bikers who zoom past at 120 kmph. They enjoy that I enjoy this with all the luggage I carry.
“What’s the warranty its just 10000km/1year ..is it justifying the price of it???”
Warranty is 2 years. Never bothered on that. My father says Bike is like lady Luck. Either ruins you or enhances you. “Wife takes life but Bike takes life.” he says. Respect it it will not put u in problems in need.
“The most problematic bike IH the world is re ..”
Every single bike has problems. Don’t cherry pick it. I had a Discover 112 before CB Twister and I have cried every single moment I have rode it. So u can’t say which one is problematic.
just check urface in the mirror to .. find an utterly bullshit .you are the one started abusing so gave it back .. where are the reasons by the way ?
what do you mean by helping each other in the service centre .. ?
you didnt answer about vibrations instead the engines are 30 years old .. ?
why dont they take the cutomer feedback ? what is the last time the RE made changes instead of changing the colors schemes ?
all you know is it’s stable it’s thump , it’s weight …
I didn’t abuse anyone here. But I hate tolerating fools.
I didn’t say “service centre” I said mechanics do help without a fee.
Why they don’t take customer feedback I don’t know but in this 2 times servicing I didn’t find a single unhappy RE owner.
Do you have a brain ? Or u act like u are avoiding the facts. The new RE is different than the old ones.Just go n compare. See Continental GT for instance. They don’t make changes on our wish, they do what they feel should be done. U don’t like don’t buy. All said and done, people who want to buy a Bullet will buy a Bullet. It’s not a practical decision, it’s love, and it’s beyond logic. But for those of you who are looking for the best bike for touring, there are more practical and easier-to-live-with alternatives to help you achieve your goals. Look out for them!.
There are countless reason why to buy a bullet than why not to buy. I know what I have experienced. You know that you are wrong just continuing strawman argument for the sake of proving your bulllshit logic right. Won’t happen anyway.
Read this article http://www.motorcycleclassics.com/classic-british-motorcycles/2010-royal-enfield-bullet-classic-c5.aspx
and find out whats new in RE apart from Self starter, UCE engines and 5 speed transmissions. If still u can’t find then u r blind and no one can help you.
Their customers give them feedback and that is that they want it even more raw. It is not for wannabe pseudotrackpups and commuters, it is for people who have riding dna in their blood. It is about pedigree but then, you don’t even know the word do you?
Y should I ? If an idiot like you thinks that he is right then I have nothing to do. You be happy with what you know dumbhead. Your brain is the real bullshit. dont compare apples with oranges even if they are fruits..
I read most of the comments and people who have done comparisons…..if we personify this talk….they are saying..dont buy an elephant because the horse runs faster….no one can disagree that those who go for royal enfield is for the passion…the dhuk dhuk….the charm…
I have a 1983..bullet…i have never compared it with any bike…i never checked its mileage…my dad ownes it. My dad who passed away last year used to say…bullet should not be driven like hero honda…instant acceleration…. bullet sbould be ridden with love.
I am now having a classic 350. I went for this because its a legacy which i want to continue..i do not hate anyone who post negativity…..its their opinion…they have a right to say what they feel..similarly i have right to accept ….and i do not accept….because in today’s world truth and genuine answer you will not get from number of opinions….if that was the case then our our curreny PM would be never elected because a whole community hated him and none of them know why.
So to summarize…bullet is for people who love themselves and the machine. Its a machine that gives you confidence and takes you plaves both in personal life and journey. We cannot rely on opinion from people who compare a ‘bikes’ with a ‘Machine’.
Stop comparing elephant with a horse!
Because its for kings and it shows their pride and passion!
Comfort from which wotld do you get it man with the 200 KGS of weight ??
LOL, Do you think people lift the bikes ? U can’t feel the 187 kg kerb weight until you lift it. You don’t lift bikes, you ride it. You barely feel the weight while riding.
LOL. You can feel a bikes weight when you ride.
Do you even ride bro?
U have poor knowledge on Physics. Weight is always downwards. U wont feel in equilibrium.
Bullet is a cruiser bike and cruiser bikes are heavy. They are built heavy. So first open up your brain. I may help you in some stats.
Harley Davidson Super low – 255 Kg
Harley Davidson Street – 222 Kg
Suzuki Intruder M800 – 269 Kg
Hyosung Aquila GV250 – 179 Kg
And the list on Cruiser bikes goes on. Now don’t start a crap strawman argument saying that people don’t enjoy these bikes.
*facepalm* Dude you’re not carrying the 200kilos on your head
Ha ha ha!! So true.
Safetu depends on the rider???
Sooooo abs is a scam? 😛
How stupid are you butthurt RE fan boys?
Definitely. Its the rider who rides the bike. Every single accident is riders fault. So why you think there is Safety Limits on speed ?
If an idiot like you can’t understand No one can help you. We are bike fan boys irrespective of company. All have pros and cons.
Try telling that to people who actually understand biking and who consider it to be the only true European competitor to the Big one from America(Harley)
I read most of the comments and people who have done comparisons…..if we personify this talk….they are saying..dont buy an elephant because the horse runs faster….no one can disagree that those who go for royal enfield is for the passion…the dhuk dhuk….the charm…
I have a 1983..bullet…i have never compared it with any bike…i never checked its mileage…my dad ownes it. My dad who passed away last year used to say…bullet should not be driven like hero honda…instant acceleration…. bullet sbould be ridden with love.
I am now having a classic 350. I went for this because its a legacy which i want to continue..i do not hate anyone who post negativity…..its their opinion…they have a right to say what they feel..similarly i have right to accept ….and i do not accept….because in today’s world truth and genuine answer you will not get from number of opinions….if that was the case then our our curreny PM would be never elected because a whole community hated him and none of them know why.
So to summarize…bullet is for people who love themselves and the machine. Its a machine that gives you confidence and takes you plaves both in personal life and journey. We cannot rely on opinion from people who compare a ‘bikes’ with a ‘Machine’.
Stop comparing elephant with a horse!
Because its for kings and it shows their pride and passion!-
Oh so you ferry around 50+ people on your bike everyday is it? Is it some bare necessity for all bikes? Talk sense man. You sound like some wannabe private bus driver who owns a bullet coz you cant buy a bus.
Hehehehehe…sorry I couldn’t stop laughing..it was amazing!
Fools tend to understand fools. So laugh loudly.
That comment was to show that bullet is strong and sturdy. Dumb fools never get the logic. Bullet has no plastic crap. Its all metal so heavy and strong. Show me any other bike achieving such feat. Don’t cherry pick.
RE like religion is not for people who have logic, it is for people who have faith. The completely refined butter smooth bikes like the one upbottomed ignormity that you are riding in the picture would not last a decade even though people hand down their bullets to their grandchildren! The oldest production bike in the world that still makes people dream about it. It is for real gentry and not for unrefined half literates.
lol… No offence if you are one but are the defence people some sort of benchmark here? They are ego struck and don’t give a shit about maintaining the vehicles. All their vehicles are badly maintained. And if you are talking about reliability, haven’t you seen those old Yamahas sprinting around. I am very sure they haven’t poured in as much money as someone who has kept an old RE.
I have got a RE and I have got a Yamaha. While the RE is good for everyday commute due to low end torque, Yamaha is still the machine I would hop on on a bad day.
Before commenting on the Defence people, make sure you stand upto them, because if it weren’t for them you wouldn’t be sitting here and commenting about them.
Wow… People really love taking offence for no reason at all. Are you a defence personnel? If yes then you just proved my ‘ego struck’ part right. If not then you should read my comment again. I shared my observation on how they maintain their vehicle. I very much respect their job but that is hardly the topic of conversation here.
I didn’t take any offence, I’m not a defence person though I feel deeply for them unlike you. A man without his Ego is useless, It’s like a boat without rudder, in between all the feelings that a man hides, there is always an ego. Ego isn’t bad, it is essential as it defines your personality, your attitude towards life, the way you talk to people etc. Although you might have pointed out the Ego struck part, while commenting and replying back you also proved the same about yourself. People aren’t so different. At last if you think that it is hardly a part of conversation here, then you shouldn’t have spoke about them earlier because if their way of maintenance and upkeep of vehicles is keeping all of us alive, I will support them with all I have rather point fingers at them like you, squealing out loud when you are not even close to dust of their might.
Scroll up and read. It was a response to someone else’s comment.
On a different note, get some English lessons before you start getting philosophical. 🙂
II know it was a response to someone else’s comment. I’m not blinded by my own opinion as much as you are. It wasn’t exactly philosophy which I was trying to convey, I wanted to point out how poorly you spoke of the Indian army, that you are no one to judge them though they maybe ego struck, though they may use old vehicles. Moreover the topic of the discussion itself is misleading because these are mere opinions and people divert from the context. Lac6k
It’s not Indian, dude, it’s British…
It was British . Not now.
its not Indian…its British for ur info
It was British . Not now. Eicher Co is the owner.
It’s Indian check on wikipedia
owned by indian….origin s British
The next thing u will do I guess is…. Play gurellia warfare fight like rambo… This is what happens when u watch all rambo movies with a break….. U enter into jungle mode
before suggesting something silly please meet a psychiatrist first. It will help you understand facts a bit.
Dude i’m from the armed forces and trust me, the fauj is not very happy with them (administrative issues to change official bikes ) …..please put up your points logically. That bullet in the video is MODDED to hold up so many people. You think other bikes cant be modded??
Why a bullet is modded and not other bikes ?
Ans – Its not a plastic crap.
I like RE, however, there are some issues with them now a days….
Thing is that REs are too many now a days
now every second guy has one and brags about it day and night.
also I can’t help a fact that one only buys an RE simple because he can’t afford Harley (no matter how much you deny this or abuse me but you all know what I am talking about). So, it is just a poor man’s Harley.
Though its amazing in long rides and craftsmanship is to a high remark, and felling of being special and powerful you get in riding one of these on Indian road is beyond anything.
If you say so!
Harley’s aren’t all that expensive where they’re made (America). But since you import it, costs a lot more. Harley’s aren’t good value for money in India. So no doubt most people don’t end up buying them.
Although some people like (ahem ahem) you , think that Royal Enfield’s are just a cheap alternative to Harley; you’re wrong. RE is just as iconic as HD is. Ask anyone from an older generation who owned an RE, I’m sure they wouldn’t even have heard about HD but would’ve adored their bikes.(RE’s)
Well, the most I can agree to this article is that you are more into sportier bikes and cruisers are not your cup of tea. I do disagree with a lot of points and agree with some. Just because you know fancy tech jargon about two wheelers doesnt make you a seasoned pro buddy. I feel the same way when I see Dukes running around. They feel too toy-ish. Almost like they are made for small kids to play around. I am not the one who wants to showcase my awesome biking stunts to females. I want to ride a bike which carries class, passion and attitude. Call them old school but when maintained correctly, they last longer than most of the plastic/fibre showoffs that are made today.
You tell me Bullets are fucking slow. Wow! Were you on dope? Just because two riders were enjoying their bliss on cruise speeds you think the entire machine is slow? I dare you to pitch your Toy 390 in front of my C-500. No chance brother. No bullet owner claims to be a Valentino Rossi unlike you sports freaks. There is nothing wrong in cruising at slow speeds if thats your will. Your point of “Mass Idiocy” makes me wonder which bikes sell more? Which ones are made for the masses like you? You know what’s the answer right.
You pass off very mundane situations in favor of your Toy in a way like its your daily business. Tire punctures for the tubeless variety are equally messy. And to say you could pass a Khardungla with your punctured tubeless is downright ignorant. It can happen to anyone anywhere. In your opinion, the thousands I saw in Ladakh riding a RE were too stupid to know their stuff unlike you, India’s biking legend. You commented on how difficult it would be to handle an RE while off-roading. I don’t think you have ever tried doing that yourself and that doesn’t make you qualify enough to comment.
What makes me wonder is how someone who has ridden a total of less than 50 kms on a RE finds himself in a position to comment on it? You are clearly not speaking from experience. You are speaking from Mass Idiocy that might surround you regarding hatred for something.
Here’s my question to you. Have you ever had a girlfriend sir? Did you take care of her? Did you ever get your hands dirty on her? Or you prefer a plastic/fibre robot that does its job and never complains? I know this is a cliched argument. But its always valid. Like the RE.
It always surprises me how you guys compare an RE to a girlfriend. I already have a fucking girlfriend, and she is more than what I can handle. I don’t need another girlfriend of the machine variety to fuck up things even more.
So in summation, you like what you like, we like what we like. There’s no need to write a hate story about it claiming things. My point is, don’t write something based on what you perceive. Write based on experience. No matter how much hatred I have for KTM, I won’t publicly bash it for the sake of it. I have no experience riding/maintaining a KTM. Keep it simple. Had you written about why buying a Duke was a positive experience, more people would have agreed and it would have made sense.
P.S. – I knew from the whole comment, you would argue on this one point only.
OK.
you gotta be kidding or you have a serious gripe with RE i guess , but the fact is classic RE’s have outlasted any other production bike in the market today, it still runs and is in demand even if its from the early eighties, agreed new RE’s are not so goo compared to the older ones, but i would only concede if anyone could load up 54 fully grown men on a production bike and break a world record on any of the current production bikes ! and yeah even the most seasoned bikers would prefer riding a RE to Khardungla than a standard production bike with cosmetic fiberglass fairings!!
No they won’t.
a chutiyee jaa tricycle challa bacchowali
LOL.
Now that’s a post.
I was looking for one good reason not to buy a bullet. I got one- I need a bike
And Bullet isn’t a bike, it’s a girlfriend.
Man… I ride an old CI bullet…
I love it… No matter what.
But gotta give it to you, top class articulation, funny as well… Good work
Haha, I’ll take that 🙂
unfit to comment on the RE’s.RE is the king and will be
Absolutely.
Learn about mechanics/physics before you idiots make such fools of yourselves.
21st century one or 19th century one ?
both for start
i used to do 150 kmph regularly on my Rd 350 yamahas in the ’80s…had 3 of ’em. Love the RE too. Such a versatile chassis – on and offroad
ALL you fuckers need to own an RE and ride it properly to understand the feeling. Period. fuck the drawbacks.
Well put up mate. These morons think that they ride some antique piece or something. It looks like a shitty pig made out of Iron which is rotting in the streets. I really laugh at their inFAMOUS saying “Bullets do not leak oils instead they mark their territory”. Fuck you just tell that you are not able to fix the oil leakage issue and instead say that it marks its territory. Cowards bullet owners.
Cowards indeed.
Fools Indeed
Dude.. ask dese wanabe riders why a 1984 bull std can still be seen running around on the streets but the pulsars and the karizmas are thrown away at scrap value
Absolutely right….
Ppl who have maintained still have that hamara bajaj wala Scooter…. I think that’s a proper comparison for 1984 bullet
Yaa but is the plastic seen anywhere
Bro even i saw 78 model…and that guy is selling that bike for 80000.
So he has a 78 model, and he has been trying to sell it since and has been unsuccessful?
haha!
u are saying as if only bullets are for sale in the second hand market. people buy japs and after owning them for 3-4 years they cant even get 50% of its original value.. Do u know for how much, that person who is selling the 37 years old bullet, must have bought it for? not even 40000. now calculate fast and tell me at what % of original value is he selling it. and then tell me about any bike u have owned for which u can claim 50-60% of the original price after owning it for just 10 years?
Bhai motorcycle chalani hai ya bechni hai?
It is just a pro. I was trying to tell that why bullets have high resale value. it is because they last long. Not like other bikes which last for 4-5 years
Yes its such a pro. When you wake up to quality of these bikes you can sell at choona prices to other mortals and upgrade to real bikes. Thank you very much.
It is real enough for me. The only sports bike I would buy would be something like yamaha r1 or maybe ninja h2 not these puny little bikes which are a blotch on sports class. At least Enfield stays upto its reputation of a classic old school bikes and people around the world love them. No one gives a fuck about ktms around the world
Its all a cycle. 20 years ago no one cared a fuck about the bulls. RE later changed the gear box positioning to the left. Now every one and their dog wants a CI bull. Not because it performs better than the japs but because it supposedly feels cool.
Do you buy a bike as an investment or for riding? Fyi even the Japs last 10 years or more but people do not keep them so long, simply because they upgrade. Of course the bull certainly lasts longer but the trouble you go through maintaining it is certainly not worth it..atleast for me.
you are a fucking loser indeed
True
kitni jalti hai bey tum logo ki 😛 😛
True
Lol… we don’t care what you ride, why should you?
gadvala kai gurachi chav :D:D:D:D:D:D
Fucking Loser, Own a RE first than open your puny mouth… Puny Bike riders…!!
Plastic ko leke kya karega tu
Mr. You don’t poke your nose in someone else business untill your really pissed by their performance. Go ask your dad he will explain you better about Royal enfield. We the owners of royal enfield are always royal. Go compare the ratio of accidents between duke and royal enfield. Royal enfield roar but duke gives you a Autorikshaw sound.
Hmm .. Iam probably almost as old as your dad and can tell you .. even in the 60s and the 70s a Jawa / Yezdi was a far better bike than a Bullet and come the 80s the poor Bull was no match for the RD in any department .. power , braking , handling .. high speed stability .. you name it . While the Bull churned out an anemic 18 HP from its 350 cc engine, the RD put out 30.5 ! My old 1987 RD is still far more capable than a brand new Bullet 500 ..
You are A Shit Man……Everything you just said was Negative ….and you made it …..Actually what you said was your personal view …..Then you r special !!
अपवाद
Ahan.
Hi AK…
I’m totally in line with you & I couldn’t agree with you more than that. This is just awesome. You’ve highlighted every point beautifully. Wish RE and it’s every stupid customer read this article. I’ve always hated the Bullet and hated even more, the so called morons (Bullet Owners) bragging on this piece of metal trash. The heights to which these morons go, is unbelievable (both RE and it’s customers).
This is the best bottom line to describe this piece of metal and their retarded customers. And I like your line a lot.. 🙂
“ROYAL ENFIELD IS A COMPANY THAT SURVIVES ON MASS IDIOCY TODAY”
Absolutely agreed!
Seem like you wrote all the points to grab attention and just saying agreed to posts. Have you seen seat in rear ?
BDW there is 15L tank and upgrade to 25L fuel tank capacity available to be fit on bullet if needed. Does Duke even have any such option ??
I bought classic 350 Apr.2013. I ride 21,000 kms. No engine problem . I ride above 120 . VerVery smooth . RE is ververy good Bike.
@ RICARDO
By calling Bullet owners a moron you are calling all Royal Indian army morons.
You know the who the real moron is ? Go Look at a mirror. Brainless brat.
People who like plastic toys won’t understand REs…The masses will be attracted to over-promoted, heavily advertised cheap toys, only few will find treasures like RE.
Haha. Well done. You’ve managed to collect 9 shitty reasons why not to buy an Enfield. Dude go and die . 1) you say an Enfield is fuckin slow. Well i suggest you try considering an aeroplane. It’d be great for you lol.
2) every bike has it’s own maintenance. Else go for a bicycle.
3) noisy? Oh the rx 100 must be a melody. And the people who tune their silencers aren’t riders.
4) for the brakes, i have been riding an Enfield since 8 years. And i know the brakes are good. Well you might be one of the stupid person who hates a bullet so would speak shit about the bullet
5) care about the mileage? Buy some splendor or discover then. By the way how much does a Harley give?
6) heavy? Are those Harleys made up of fibre? Dude a splendor suits you!
7)spoked wheels? You serious? Dude do you ride or just sit watching the rims?
8)go for non gears if you hate being waited.haha
9) company wouldn’t be givin a shit in punjab be ause of the self-claimed riders like you. Well its all fine for me till now.
Lastly if you’re not interesed in buying one, do not. Cause seriously you don’t even deserve a splendor!
OK!
he will buy splendor and you buy a road roller . Chutiya post
I must agree about the long waiting period. Having gone to the RE website, I filled in a form requesting for a test ride. Five days later I had heard nothing from any of the dealers. I sent them a reminder mail on the fifth day. A few more days later I am at the 18th day and still no response. One more reminder email sent. However, now I do not care anymore. If this is the response even before I buy the bike, I dread to think about their after sales support.
Surprising how they are managing to sell like hot pancakes though having overtaken the Harley in sales globally.
After sales support isn’t much different, sadly.
That overtaken Harley news was complete bullshit.
I enjoyed reading this. Good laugh. I remember, which I bring out whenever Bulls are being talked about in my youth in the early 70s what my friends Roger and Eric used to call their brother Mark’s Bull, the ‘oil rig’ cause it used to leak oil standing still 🙂
LOL! Glad you had some fun.
people talking bout classics and retro go and check what classics really mean.
RE is just overrated in india
and akhil i know its not bout heritage people buy it coz RE is the only name in this segment that’s cheaper.. otherwise every guy would go with harleys…
atleast harley is not like RE that just believes in decades old engineering.
i hope harley 500 which is bout to come will make a good hold in the minds of RE lovers
bottom line is
a very good article
people have their preferences some like sports bikes some like baggers some choppers and some cafe racers
well even i like old bikes but i don’t overrate them
i ride a cafe racer and rc 390
both give a different taste
Hopefully the Harley 500 would be fun!
This man Akhil Kalash has no taste for classics & retros so its waste of time to argue with him, i felt to comment on his writing because of my love towards the Bullet and a guy who is used or has grown up on self start bikes and do not have time for a caring look up on his bike atleast once in a week and a guy who dosen’t even know how to change a broken clutch cable or to change or even clean a spark plug talks about a Bullet, it is wise for him to keep his views for himself and not waste time applying them on others because if he comes across a die hard fan of the Bullet like me he has eat his dust, that’s why the Ad of the Bullet goes like ” Let the Boys play with there Toys and to be a Man you need a Bullet” samjay Mr Akhil and no more further discussions on this topic if you are satisfied with the Pulsurs, UniCorns , Avengers etc please be happy with them don’t expect a Bullet to be one of them and you talk about speeds I had ridden my Bullet 500 close to 134 Kmph and I could go further but due to roads if it is hard for you to digest tell me a place and we would meet and I would help you clear all your myths…….
Wow, all that in one huge ass sentence! Take a breath, brother.
Sure, see you on the highway someday.
its really sad RE lovers call 134 a speed
akhil one day i was on ride with my friends a 220, my 390, 200 ns we thought of speeding up on airport road Bangalore
you know how the road is..
we could barely around 135-140 kmph
suddenly like a thunderbolt a motorcycle passed by. and it was a Harley.. we couldn’t even think of givin him competition as my bike company claims to do 174 but can go 160+ barely but it can do more
Speed is not that important buddy 🙂
Hey @kalyaan .. No one is arguing bro.!! Chill..!!
We know that you love your bullet..
And we also know that morons love to bask in old and obsolete technologies in the name of classic and retro 🙂 .
So Y don’t you just run along to your bullet, get on it and both of you start farting together 😛 .
Like… Fart fart fart fart…!! 😛 😛
“Let the Boys play with there Toys and to be a Man you need a Bullet” says a Bullet owner with no weiner! 😀 And if we go by that stupid ad then I guess the Superbikes which produce enormous amount of power and torque are “toys” and the riders who are handling those monsters are “boys”. In short according to that ad a person handling at least 5 times the power of the bullet and 3 times the torque of a bullet are “boys”! Do you still believe in that stupid ad? If you do then you seriously are a hard core Bullet “fan”!
Also have a look on this one too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDapU2xKu3s
I would seriously advice you to see this video with a open mind not like a “Kupa Manduka”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-JwZfLKX1U
@Akhil: buddy..i guess your parents didn’t allow you to buy a bullet, may be because you are # skinny, underweight or perhaps malnutritious, So you created your own sweet toffee via this blog to digest your parent’s will as matter of fact you didn’t had any choice then .#buy a Harley, obviously if you can afford.
😛 #peace.
Peace!
ohhh you parents bought you a RE congrats now ask them to fund a slimming program…
Royal Enfield is just a poor man’s Harley. Someone who wants to show off but can’t afford the real deal buys a bullet.
LOL.
If you want to buy a bike, do you take it from Valentino Rossi or from local dealer ?
Same is the case. They buy what suits them. Respect people about their opinion and choices.
I think you are not a Biker.
No sir I am not.
Its Obvious you are not. Our Indian Military has been using it for since last 50 years. What more credibility do you want why one should buy RE ?
Exactly the point the author is trying to make. Pur army is decades old and so is the ‘latest’ RE bike you can find in the market.
I totally agree with you for Customer Service Part
& for the guy who compared RE with Harley
bhai Harley carries a reputation for the best customer service and technology Update. They constantly research on how to make Harleys more reliable and update there bikes every now and then.
Where as in RE took many years just to introduce Twin Spark engines which are more unreliable than the traditional Cast Iron engines
Agreed! Harleys have evolved over the years, they at least make some effort to keep up with the times.
Harley’s service is not available everywhere but You will get a RE mechanic in every part of india.
Have you ever considered the possibility of buying a bike that will not need a mechanic every few hundred kilometers?
There is No such bike which does not require a mechanic. Problems in bike depends on certain situations, circumstances, condition of bike and luck. A properly maintained bike gives less problems still much things are not in our control. No wonder our Indian Army uses since its inception. I have not seen any other tom dick harry bikes in Republic day parade. Specially its Indian bike.
I rode 7500 kms without a single oil change or problem on my Duke. Just because you have never seen a bike that doesn’t require a mechanic doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.
Indian Army has stopped using Bullets for daily use.
That applies to you too. Just because you have never rode a hassle free bullet it does not mean it does not exist. And My Uncle who owns a Royal Enfield Machismo rode it for 4 years before he had any minor engine problem without any oil leakage problem with just the basic servicing offered by the service centers.
Bhai hASSle free bike kis dukan se miltha hai ??
Hahaa…Totally exhausting and detailed opinion by ‘Akhil’…Way to go man..!!!
Every shit from the British shouldn`t ve to be Royal, Just bcas they attach a ‘Royalty’ tag to everything , doesnt makes it Royal anyway.
Worst part is that we are still taking that shit.
Note: I am a bike lover, that means I wanna be on roads with my bike, not in a garage every fortnight or other.
For those who are judging, Screw U..!!!
# owned RE – 350
Haha, yeah, I think Royal Enfield owners take themselves too seriously 🙂
^^personal website^^ on internet 🙂 lol
OK?
With all of the scathing against the author, I seriously do not understand where ya’ll are headed…
I ride bikes… to my office I mean… to avoid traffic ofcourse.
I have done a few on the road kinda rides.
It was fun to have the bulleteers chase our tail in the city and fun to chase their tails and ride along on the highways… I agree on bullets, they can go on for hours… it is their sheer passion to continue even with the vibration…
My ass hurts on any bike on any road after a couple of hours… I just cant take it…
In my perception adventure is in the journey… not just on wheels… but more on foot… and with people…
I seriously cant think of the idea for having to wait 4-6 months (This is the situation in bangalore) to own it… WTF… their service response is also pathetic.
I agree with the vehicle being heavy and not so robust. but they do have alloy wheels…
But they look good – – Macho I mean… A real classic (May be for that reason I would also want to own a Ambassador, even if it was not to nice or fun to drive them around)
I hate the vibrations & the design of having the gear on the right and the brake on the left… it doesnt work for me …(Especially the old models), but I like the feel they give on a silky smooth highway…
and I cant afford an harley / triumph / any speed bike… (ridiculously priced), so have never had an opportunity to drive them
I just thank the person who got the idea to replace the cop’s bikes with something more modern and with more initial pickup… Ooof that saves a lot of my money too…(I pay my taxes… not just the road tax I mean)
Nice thoughts Jaideep 🙂
Agree Harley, Trumph are very expensive and also don’t have many mechanics in case they go bad on the way. However, RE mechanics are available anywhere and parts are cheap.
The author has definitely lost it or has no real knowledge of the bikes….!
This is the most stupid article I have ever come across. He has just put forward his hatred towards RE and made it an article with a shitty name. No bike in this world is free from problems.
Just plan a road trip from Delhi to Ladakh, you will know which bike promises you to make you reach your destination. Then only come back to comment here idiot.
and by the way you have such a shitty mind, you wrote “6 Reasons why I would never buy a Royal Enfield” and your dumbness have listed 8 reasons. This shows how meaningless and dumb your post is.
OMG sry, its 9…
hahaha dumbass…u have dyslexia i think as you think 6 and 9 are same…!!
oh Mr. Smart Ass earlier it was 6 only but guess is no end to this stupidity and idiocity of bullet owners so the points are getting added based on those owners reviews.
I already have done a trip from Delhi to Ladakh and back, on my puny plasticky Pulsar 150.
Bhai, if u feel RE is not ur type and is a dumb bike, well be happy with the belief. Apni apni choice hai.. u drive wat u like, and we drive wat we like. We never asked for a competition amongst bikes here, it was u who are overwhelmed by the thought. Still I appreciate ur love for speeding bikes, and would recommend to stop pushing ur thoughts on others if not asked.
Peace. V
It’s my personal website Milan, so I can write whatever the fuck comes in my mind. That doesn’t mean that it will always be correct, but that also doesn’t mean that I’m pushing my thoughts on others. If someone wants to read this shit, they can. If not, who cares.
it’s just a matter of preferences I guess, but RE modes after 2012 are very reliable.
I really doubt that.
Nice Joke, U know shit about bikes and you have never met a true bullet rider. There are people like you who want to try the beast but are afraid so either they criticize the bike or they ride with the speed of 65kmph as u said above.
I think you need to do your homework first.
OK.
dude…i beat a KTM on a thunderbird 500….although i agree on the unecessary weight n hassles n getting broken n stuck in the middle of nowhere. i do not agree with the RE being slow. trus me..its thunder on roads and i myself broke my own myth after riding it like it should be ridden. n yeah….it aint the most comfortable or got the best of everything….definitely not the technology, but there is somthing that sets it apart from regular and even better bikes. it is perhaps this, the experience of riding which i would call motorcycling, rather than biking, pure oldschool, not a shit about the world. and yes….you might want to criticize all you want about it..but…as much as i love fast bikes,,,theres simply no ignoring the thumper. its like the muscle car of indian motorcycles. age before beauty.
Illogical mumbo jumbo.
Beat KTM with Thunderbird 500 right? mmm yeaah… may b 2 reasons…
u may b dreaming or the ktm guy dnt knw u racing with him 😛
I dont own a Bullet now… But hear this mate I have gone past n number of dukes, cbrs, pulsars and bullets too on highways with my Yamaha Sz and Fz…. you need not have a great bike to speed … My bikes can reach 100 with ease and I can keep it there for long unlike a few others… So its not the bike that determines who is faster… its the biker
then even I can beat you and your 500 klessik in my TVS XL50
You have written so much but u actually have not riden a RE by urself…. properly…. its like a judging a book by its cover..and I also understood that u don’t understand the difference of a cruiser bike and a sports bike… anyways…. I agree that old RE’s had lot of maintenance issues…. but dosen’t the all bikes of that time has the same issues… any ways.. that has been resolved to a greater extent… I have owned two bullets and there is a lot of difference now and then…. since 2012… I have never faced a maintenance issue with my RE.. and I have done some long rides on them… you just need to get it serviced on time… which to I think with ktm also u need to do… second u can easily cruise at 100 or 110 .. I am not sure what kind of riders u have met… but RE can crunch some good numbers… ya they are heavy… so u can hold on to it.. then u can lean it also.. but sime idiots.. think why can’t lean it like a superbike… so for them both are different class of bikes .. about average. . Mine gives around 42.. which is more than my other friend Ktm Fuke and cbr 250…. u can do long rides because once u get going u can go for long streches… like we did 5 hrs without a break or stop… that u can never do on any of ur fast bikes.. and ya for that time our average speed was 80.. and we have done quite lot of offroading with our RE’s… and sound way more better than the auto rickshaw sound of ktm or a …even.. a cracking thunder sound of Harley Davidsons… which are rubbish in quality… but ya indians like everything whatever comes from… US of A
And for ktm… u can’t even think of going for long rides because if something goes wrong.. with its wiring you… can not do any thing and no body will be qble to help u untill some ktm recovery van comes for ur rescue… for example. . Ktm has that sensor.. which does not allow the bike to start if stand is down… but… that sensor.. stops working on its will.. so u can’t start the bike.. so can’t do anything… then u don’t have a kick because its so called… hi tech,.. so u can’t kick start ur bike when ur battery dies.. which happens quiet offen.. again because of hi tech wiring mingle ing with each other….
U have got a lot of attention definitely. . By ur article. . If that was ur purpose… but I can just say.. ride whatever u want and whatever u like…. enjoy ur ride…. but… show some respect of other riders and bikes… everyone rides for different reasons… and u can’t question there reasons
I don’t have to show any respect to anybody.
Let me tell you my dear Akhil that you are secretly in love with RE.
No matter what you want to portray to the outside world ( or to your KTM Duke sponsor), the fact is that you are madly and heads over heel in love with the Legend – Royal Enfield Bullet.(Just like all the TRUE passionate Bulleters)
Here are some of your OWN quotes from your own post above, which i hope will help you realize what i just said.
May your crush bloom in to full fledged Love soon 🙂
1. “I was born and brought up in the unofficial capital of Royal Enfields – Punjab. People here know only 2 kinds of bikes, the BULLETS and everything else!”
2. “Looking for some company, I found 2 guys on Bullets. I had ALWAYS wanted to feel what it’s like to ride like a Bullet-eer does, so I started following them”
3. “Some people argue that Bullet-ers were GOOD riders and were following the speed limit. I beg to differ. In my experience, it is much safer to ride a bike above speed limit in India than it is below”
4. ” I am not talking about the stock exhaust note of any Royal Enfield bike, I LIKE them all.”
5. “I have NO IDEA how these Bull riders continue going for hours !!!”
6. “Thumpers have a characteristic bassey sound that you can FEEL on your HEART”
7. “BULL RIDERS very proudly proclaim that all of their bike is made of METAL, no PLASTIC like the DUKE or the Pulsar.”
You got me buddy. I secretly own an RE, have ridden its ass all over the country, and make love to it every single night.
Your Japanese Bikes do no good on Ladakh roads. All of us have taken RE’s except one friend who was afraid of the heavy weight of RE and he took a Yamaha FZ-S. The bike stopped 20-30 times after reaching high altitude and given that it’s a new bike makes these yamahas no greater than RE. RE is most reliable when driving in testing conditions. Duke is no fuel efficient machine compared to RE. India has some awesome highways is well. Hyderabad -> Bangalore. Mumbai Pune , Yamuna express highway. These are no less than the Highways in US. There are many misconceptions in you opinions bro.
OK.
abey oye we do not ride to ladakh or some fucking testing conditions everyday
Dude its not as if I let the Pulsar overtake me. I was on a old model of Bullet, I guess 2001 and it could hardly go beyond 80. If I did, it would vibrate and I would feel its gonna blow any moment. But I personally didn’t have a problem with that because I wasn’t interested in going fast anyways. That was one thing I respected an RE bike for, that it wasn’t meant for speeding but now they have given up on that as well.
Clearly the author has no understanding about bikes, bikers and brands. When u buy any other bike u r buying through options and when u buy RE it’s not an option. Speed, mileage doesn’t matter. Because it takes a lot to become a CULT. It’s Harley for India and It’s not an option for any other bike..
Absolutely.
It’s same like a gay criticizing Dara Singh…” why there’s need of being that big…blah blah blah”
LOL! Nice one mate.
Its just a “Show-off”, a “Style statement” (acc to people) and nothing more.
We changed 3 bikes in 4 days in Ladakh, all of them were a new (or a year old). Some or the other problems. And that fuel consumption is ridiculous.
Totally agreed! I don’t even understand how it is a style statement, but who the fuck cares.
Is ktm paying you for promoting their bike? Or are you sales executive at any ktm showrooms? I respect your views and opinions but you should not show such disrespect to a big community of re riders. And yes I am a proud owner of re as you are a proud owner of ktm…god made horse and elephant for different purpose…same goes for re and ktm
I wish they were! But most likely they won’t because of all the bad things I’ve said about their bikes, and my own.
I don’t understand why I shouldn’t show disrespect. Is it just because there are a large number of people doing the same thing?
I’m not a proud KTM owner, it’s just a bike that I like, but one that I’m not afraid of admitting the faults of.
Hey dude……. You dont know one thing…. Its always safe to date 30 yrs old new widow… No demand… No worry how to tackle…. only think is f**k ha*d and and you will enjoy the most without worries..
Fucking hell dude, you got some great ideas!
What u have mentioned about speed and spoked wheels are utter bullshit. The entire document is crap but I found the above mentioned crappier, riding and Enfield is all aboht riding a vintage bike and is not for a single bike owner. It is more of a recreational vehicle that you could ride for a raw vintage feel. Regarding, the speed- the bike gives u a 130 kmph on the new 500s and cruises on 100 if the bike is well maintained and bullets with cuatom tyres can indeed perform off road. When it comes to spiked wheels they, are dependable because the only bend and not crack like the alloys on entry level bikes. And are overhall easilg repairable. So pkease cock it!
I don’t want to cock a Bullet, no matter how good it is.
Your write up surely did bring a smile to my face….but you remain a dumbass still..
LOL, glad you smiled!
Bullet was ancient royality and its today and it will be u just dont know abt bullet at least on highways no one can beat bullet
Purpose of being heavy to maintain stability ! Please do find a more abt bullet ! U have half of it !
Well, if you are talking about an actual bullet, then yes on one can beat that. If its the Enfield you are talking about, I was beaten by a Pulsar 150 on a highway, when I was on a bullet. That said, I know Bullets are meant to be cruisers and not speedsters. Talking about weight and relating it to stability, yes some weight does make a vehicle stable. Too much weight just makes it look stupid, which is what Bullet is. And to increase stability while also shedding weight, engineers nowadays make use of something called aerodynamics. But I guess, RE engineers would never have heard of it, that is assuming those bikes are built by engineers.
Great dude you got beaten by a pulsar 150.. I have a new RE and I have beaten freaking every biker I met on my way.. Driving at constant 110 seemed flawless.. and Its just not me but couple of my buddies on RE..
Absolutely.
RE may suck but Duke sounds like an auto rickshaw.
Yes it does.
I do agree with you, but you did over react on some points. There are two brands that I know off, Bullet and Harley Davidson, who have a following for all the wrong reasons and motorcycle riding is not one of them. Both of these bikes have a cult following and that explains all the posts on your article. As for me, I would nnever buy a Bullet or a Harley Davidson.
Same here Vijay!
And yes, i did overreact at places 🙂
Here’s why I feel your article doesn’t hold up.
1) Make up your mind. Are you are targeting Royal Enfield as a whole or just the Bullet? There currently are 4 different bikes and multiple variants under each manufactured by Royal Enfield… so what exactly is your article talking about
2) Know your bikes… cruisers are not for speed but for touring… if you like fast bikes then this is definitely not the bike for you to talk about.
3) Which 350+ cc bike has given good mileage?!?! Ever!
4) This article seems like you are just lashing about the bike/company without any grounding.
1. I don’t really care
2. OK.
3. I’m talking relatively.
4. OK.
http://www.tripadvisor.in/Attraction_Review-g297668-d4401194-Reviews-Bullet_Baba_Temple-Jodhpur_Rajasthan.html
Which only proves my point that RE owners are brainwashed religious fanatics.
Plain wrong. It proves your stupidity has no point and Royal Enfield has a legacy which no other indian bike till now has. Most problems you have said is available in other bikes too and that too without a legacy.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/Royal-Enfield-races-past-Harley-Davidson-in-global-sales/articleshow/46090462.cms
All these peoples who have quicken up the sales are not fools.
You can fool some people some of the time
You can fool some people all the time, But
You cannot fool all the people all the time.
By the way there is Bullet Baba temple.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Om_Banna
Is there any KTM baba Temple ?
Conclusion – Don’t Compare Apples with oranges.
Sure.
What sure ?. Only thing that is sure is your stupidity.
Just tell me things you like in a RE motorcycle, keeping aside the legacy and the Exhaust sound. A legacy and exhaust doesn’t make a vehicle good. The goodness of a vehicle depends on it’s performance or aesthetics or both. So, just tell me 3 things you like in RE. I have been on a RE once on a road trip and I couldn’t come up with even a single thing good with the bike in terms of performance. So, I want to know your thoughts.
You need three points. See the video link posted by SAM.
And can you show me Any girl kick starting a bike with hands other than a RE Bullet ?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mwi4ZWRt6Fo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=JAQe5R0FmxU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=g5C-VsgJl_w
I asked for your honest opinion and not some articles or videos made by idiots. You proved it yourself that you are a blind follower and nothing else. You don’t have any valid points to support/like a RE motorcycle. If someone asks me why I love my girlfriend, I am not going to direct that person to her FB profile page. Your inability to answer my question directly proves you are an idiot, like most of the RE lovers. Some fans luckily are sane, who love their REs while accepting all the faults it has and not putting up stupid arguments to save their pride.
To your comment
“I asked for your honest opinion and not some articles or videos made by idiots. You proved it yourself that you are a blind follower and nothing else. You don’t have any valid points to support/like a RE motorcycle. If someone asks me why I love my girlfriend, I am not going to direct that person to her FB profile page. Your inability to answer my question directly proves you are an idiot, like most of the RE lovers. Some fans luckily are sane, who love their REs while accepting all the faults it has and not putting up stupid arguments to save their pride.”
I did give you my honest opinion. Which matches what was in the video. So see properly before u comment.
And how you know those videos are by Idiots ? The real Idiot is you who is considering others idiot who dont support your thoughts. What a lame attitude.
There are numerous articles, videos showing why people prefer RE.
Another video for you. Do have a look. Stop considering other idiots. Just look at the mirror you will get one.. Every thing has pros and cons.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAFheyFew3A
Your conclusion is self explanatory. Bullets are half the price and balls of a Harley. So it is obvious that not every tom, dick and harry can buy a harley. And it is not surprising that you’ll find a guy on every nook and corner of a city riding a bullet in an upright position like he had anal the last night.
http://www.scoopwhoop.com/inothernews/one-film-every-bullet-lover-should-watch/
If ScoopWhoop is your source of information, I feel really bad for you my friend.
And If you think because you think what u have written is right which is a cherry picking,irrespective of the facts that most bikes also have similar problems then I feel pitty on your parents. It is difficult to bring up a fool.
My source was Youtube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-JwZfLKX1U
Major drawback is starting problem. It does not start if battery is weak. Also in case u park it for more than a week battery charging goes down and then u cannot start it even with kick. MAJOR DRAWBACK….I SOLD OFF MY BULLET JUST FOR SAME REASON.
That’s just one of the few million problems with this piece of shit.
What is SHIT ? Your bogus thoughts or a motorcycle ?
Your suggested bike is not good either.
http://35.200.187.16/negatives-of-duke-390/
http://madrives.com/problems-that-ktm-duke-faces-regularly/
Before starting to read please open up your stupid mind. There is nothing without draw backs.
LOL, you are suggesting me to read my own article?
I am suggesting you to use proper reasoning by using your brain. Don’t cherry pick lol.
Here is what I feel about this article, I have both Honda Karizma ZMR bought in 2013 and RE Thunderbird 350 bought in 2014.
1. Bullets are fucking slow –> I own Karizma and Thunderbird, both are good and are meant for different purposes. I am riding both and don’t think Thunderbird is slow. They don’t have initial pickup like Karizma or CBZ but in second gear are lot faster than any bike. However, I see this a wrong comparison as both are not good racing bikes until and unless you encourage public roads as your racing track. If you want to do race please buy 750 cc or more.
2. Royal Enfields are unreliable –> don’t think this is true how is that RE is selling bikes for more than 100 years and is unreliable and company selling from 30 years is so reliable.
3. Bullets are noisy – and the bad kind of noisy this is what it is sold for, compare it with Yezdi, Yamaha 350 and high engine capacity they all are noisy. Engine till 200 CC don’t have much noise.
4. Bullets have really bad brakes –> they have improved and have disk brakes which works perfectly fine.
5. Bullets give shitty mileage –> for me Honda Karizma and TB both have same 35 KMPL. Here if you are comparing with Bajaj Discover or something else I can’t comment.
6.Bullets are unnecessarily heavy –> Every bike with more engine capacity is heavy, Yamaha 350, yezdi, Honda CBR 700 CC etc… all are heavy again wrong comparison.
7. Bullets have spoked wheels –> Anything in RE can be modified.
8: Bullets have a fucking long waiting period –> It’s for base models only, TB and others are available on COD basis. However, all good things have waiting period.
9. Royal Enfield doesn’t give a shit about its customers–> Its wrong perception, my bikes are picked from home for service and are sent back with bill. Whereas Karizma has to be taken to service center and there is no reminder from service center on due date.
I think all points are invalid, RE is not the bike you use on daily basis, it’s for people who love bikes or want to show-off and ride it for years. This is the only bike which can be modified to any level. Whereas it can be used for work but if you are always thinking of millage etc… its not for you and neither is any 200 cc bike… my advice will be to go for other low cost bikes.
Cool.
Ha ha ha!! 1 month ago i visited this post and commented, now my original comment is on the 3rd page!!! Why am i getting a feeling that Bullet owners are a little like Modi Bhakts who think ppl who own other motorcycles are like Rahul Gandhi!!! Oh, the democracy of the online world!!!
Tell me about it!
Dude Its a pre war bike that’s still in production …predominantly made for military use …it doesn’t need to evolve…it is what it is…its a classic now and forever…whether you buy it or not makes no diff to me….but I fucking love it…you can’t compare a ktm to it…its like chalk and cheese…doing a leh trip on a ktm is cakewalk…doing it on a bullet it’s way more challenging…but since you the class hero…i value your opinion and agree with most of it…but I do not appreciate the expletives used to describe something I really love…keep it up bro…hope to read some more of your writing….fate favours the brave…Cheers
Cheers!
I agree with mostly all the points. I have ridden a Bullet. Its torque is good, but otherwise… may I say I won’t exactly want it over my Duke 390.
I remember an incident whereby a friend of mine and I had a drag race on a secluded-fenced road, so I thought it was safe to do a “Who touches 80 kmph first” race. Guess what, even I have a Duke 390 like you.
My friend’s Bullet Classic 500, only 3 months old, was following upto some point after which it disappeared in RVM suddenly. I was confused.
I went back to see the friend with his bike in the corner of the road, and a red hot exhaust lying in the middle of the road. Yes, the exhaust had come off on a 3 month old bike.
I’m ok to some extent, if the bike has below average braking, handling, acceleration, mileage, etc. if the target audience is only in Bullets, for its good torque at lower rpms.
But what explains the worst reliability ever seen in a product by a so called reputed manufacturer? Even a bike straight from the company has to be examined for defects.
If Honda, Yamaha, KTM or even a legendary Aprilia or Ducati would create such unreliable products, they would be heavily insulted and thrown from the market like they don’t matter to us.
But God only knows why we tolerate Royal Enfield to this extent.
Look at Triumph Bonneville or Kawasaki W800, they’re retro but much better in quality.
Exactly! If tomorrow Honda Activa exhausts start falling away, there’ll be a fucking riot on our streets. But when the same thing happens with an RE, it’s “tradition”, “character”, and “adventure”. Bullshit.
thats a good one
are yerri pooka….
have you ever seen 2 wheeler exhausts and how they are mounted to the bikes,
Bullet exhaust come off ??? and that too in red hot, don’t make your won cock and bull stories stories.
Dude, bullets are very badly designed. Though, I haven’t myself seen any exhaust come off, I won’t be surprised to hear it from someone. Every thing is just bad, as if the engineers just decided to put in stuff for the sake of it. I rode one long time back and ended with a swollen calf, because of a nut near the kick start lever that kept hitting my leg when ever I used to try and start the bike. I mean, wtf! Who are these idiots who design these bikes?
well its about heart more than mind with bullets.however I agree with most of the points above.and regarding idiots:continental GT sells less than than Harley street 750 costing up to 3times more.so,yes Indians now actually do care about reliability/technology.the number of so called idiots are coming down and RE better evolve to catch up.
ps.ironically Harley’s are more about showoff. also a reason why most people buy bullets too(head turner esp wrt women).its the whole macho thing.At least technologically Harley’s are better than bullets.
RE sure needs to evolve, and yes Harleys are more about showoff 🙂
RE owners are in a relationship with their machine, others are in pro******ion with their bikes. They jump from one to other.
So others are having much more mindless, careless, no-strings-attached fun then?
Just like you mindless … :D…
That doesnt speak well of bulleteers who own more than one bullets
Good one!
Why are ppl queuing to buy a RE for the past few years then??? Everybody is not an idiot.
They are.
The no of idiots are increasing day by day then. Pls write more such articles to stop that. Also be more critical and add more expletives to emphasize your point rather than using sense / logic.
OK.
And leading those idiots is akhil on his plastic crap duke 390 shitty
Yep.
I’m sure karan, you definitely haven’t ridden a ktm.
karan – are you a iron pig owner??
people buy what they can afford to. More people queued up to buy tata nano and maruti 800 than for ferrari
OK?
Yes Sir, I agree with you a 100 percent, that you are a presumptuous, condescending douchebag!
If you can’t smell a rose, blow your nose.
Royal Enfield has been here for over a 100 years, and it will be here for ever.
You know what would ride over your a**, when you will be lying down on an open highway, after slipping on a spit-stain? A ROYAL ENFIELD. Yes, at 69kmph!!! Thanks to all the bulk, that the Royal Enfields possess. 🙂
I can bet you have never pushed a RE on road. It is way easier to push a 180kg RE, than a 150kg Pulsar200. Try it sometime! And see which one makes you sweat more. HINT: it has something to do with the design. Just like it is easier to pick up a 45kg girlfriend, than a 14.2kg LPG cylinder.
With the new UCE Engines, people have claimed their Bullets have a fuel efficiency of over 50kmpl. You can find that online (like I did), if you’d care do your research thoroughly. Which I suggest, is something you should do before shooting glitter out of your butt. Hey, are you a Unicorn? (And I don’t mean Honda’s). No, wait! A unicorn shoots RAINBOW. Haha. Nevermind. Sorry about that. 🙂
Wow, new levels of stupidity, every freaking day!
I have a P150 and a D390. Guess which is heavier? Guess which one is easy to drag. I have an old STD 350 in the house too. And frankly, I’d never want to drag it even a 100 meters.
Jaskaran, I was also deluded earlier by the RE way. I’d even bought the ContiGT. But brother, zamana lightness ka hai. Companies spend millions of dollars on R&D on weight shedding from their automobiles… Steel, Aluminum, Magnesium, Titanium, Carbon Fibre, various alloys… All working in tandem for…yep,LIGHTNESS! It’s just better!
As for your girlfriend and gas bottle example, please go troll some jokey-pokey website. This is an automotive forum.
Another thing, the way you said ‘Haha. Nevermind. :)’ while ending your post, just shows how immature you are.
Cheers.
ADD much?
No angel travels on a RE, and rest of the old ladies are ignored by us.
Fuck the best article i have ever read in my life!!!!!!!! I AM A BIKER who popped a wheelie in my 12th class on my yamaha rx 100 1987, i am a guy who popped a wheelie in my grads college on the most respectable and the most feared bike in india THE YAMAHA RD 350 ( thanks to my eldest brother). I am that office going young guy who popped a wheelie and some stoppies on that crazy yamaha rxz from Malaysia yes its a monster, and I AM THAT GUY OF 32 years riding like a reckless ROSSI on circuit on my everyda offic run, inter state higway rides, fun rides and much more, i like to see bikes as a rollercoaster if you need class, chrome, heavy metal, retro look, and be a hypocrite praising that old grand dads ass groved saddled so called (lol) ROYAL ENFIELD take your bikes and race with the bullock karts or og back to the 1960s but just get the fuck out of our way coz when we hit the road we’ll be there and gne before you notice agirl she’ll be on our pillion, and you guys fuck what a laugh you guys are, same goes to the harley posers lol, get a life and some speed lol
If only that night your dad would not have speeded so much and prematurely ejaculated. You might have been a human. But the overspeeding sperm just destroyed the ovary and bam! a fucking loser ape was born. He was named Nawaz. Fuck you asshole. Idiots like you fall and die due to overspeeding and an innocent guy in car is blamed for your heroic idiocy. Ja gand mar apni
The proof of the pudding is in eating it. You have to own one to love one! Nevertheless, I would agree, only partly, to some of Kailash’s complaints about lack of modernization there. But I would not care to go for a point for point refutation of his whole article as it would take a lot of time for there would be a lot of reasons for buying an RE. Suffice it to say, RE is a class in itself, and doesn’t offer itself for comparison as of now. It is ruling it’s segment unrivaled. For those of you RE fans and riders, here are some of the American’s views about RE:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAQe5R0FmxU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5C-VsgJl_w
The dealers talking about it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZD8ReB3cZH0
Ahan.
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Well not to be cynical or to be offensive to so called “RE” owner, but man u guys seriously have some issues. What you lack in masculinity, you try to make it up from your RE bulls. How can somewhere remotely relate masculinity to a machine or do you mean to say the only thing which can validate that you guys have balls is your RE ?
Why is there a need to boast that you guys can control 200 kgs and others can’t. Its 2015 kids & even Harleys are going for mass reduction of weight from their current product portfolio. Braking efficiency of Harleys is much better & they improve it every time they refresh it. The only point i can agree is that cruisers don’t need high speed & RE’s do just about good to substantiate this.
It won’t surprise me if some self proclaimed dude flooding with high masculinity levels just because he owns an Enfield comes in front and says that RE’s are better than HD’s. The only thing you guys need is to grow a pair of your own. Though you guys will just do fine if you take the pair off you bulls and use it for your own discretion.
Wow. what a comparison. you are comparing 6-7 lakhs bike to a 1.5 lakh bike. Salute to stupidity for you. The manliest man riding a scooty pep.
Wow … First of all its not 6-7 Lakhs. Get the figures straight. Second, its about comparing where whole industry is moving towards, What are the rider expectations from a bike & how are different players performing in a competitive bench-marking pov. Third RE 350 is 187kg vs HD S750 is 206Kg. Inspite of having a cubic capacity 2 times higher than RE, HD still manages to score pretty much good in power to weight ratio. I’m sure you must be aware what power to weight ratio means and what is its significance. If not, there’s no point taking out this discussion further.
Its never about price mate, its always a good value preposition at which RE sucks.
Lol! Well said 🙂
I agree that if someone compares feature for feature then Bullet is as good as dead.I own a Thunderbird 2012 one…
For 2-3 months i had quite a fun with it then one day decided for a long stint at night….25km away from the city a big thudd and the bike just stopped…..
i found a mechanic and he litreally opened all the bike but the bike was as dead as a dodo…
Stranded i had to call my cousion who towed me on his Activa to the Enfield garage…As the bike was in warranty they did repair it free of cost when i asked the manager their he told me “sir coil me kuch problem the…normal hai bullet ke liye” the he gave me a lecture ki mine being the one of new lot with uni construction engine and right hand brakes is “nakli bullet ment for kids and wannabes”..suggested me ki”sir purana model lo second hand market se wohi real bullet hai!!!:”
There were other bullet owners there and hearing from them i came to a conclusion that its definitely a unreliable bike and needs constant and proper attn not like japs that u can forget for years…..
who these days has time to spend on bikes upkeep every week….i have a guy in my society who spends 3-4 hours every sunday washing and polishing his bullet…ek ek spoke ko chamkata hai….bhai itna free time hai to family ke sath spend karo naa.
Lol! Totally agreed man. I have no idea how these people find the time, but what can you possibly say to them? To each their own 🙂
I totally agree with you. I have had Cast Iron Engine which were produced before 2009 and they were much more reliable than the current ones
And they call current twin spark ones “Bullet”,
i had ridden classic 500. First i thought it was great. sound good. but after a long ride i decided not to buy royal enfield. it has vibrations, not smooth, no good handling. i know some people spreading bullet is king without even riding it!!!! better buy japan finished bikes like honda cbr. this bullet is bullshit.!!
Agreed!
bhai mere pass classic 350 a speed ki baat karta kabi ayio dobara punjab i will show u real speed of punjabis bullet !! love bullets fuck oll other bikes
Acha ji.
Bullet are not for kids. mind it
Yeah yeah tell me something new.
RE is for people who value legacy over technology. Had newer bikes not hit the market RE would have continued to shove down the same old 1962 bullet through our throat. Why did RE went FI when the old one (as per their loyal fans) is still going strong.
No one mentioned about the traditional oil leaking issues on these tractors.According to tractor drivers opinion, oil leaking is termed as marking their territory . ha ha ha Fuck you bulleters. Cant even fix a oil leakage issue and you guys speak about reliability, quality,legacy etc..
They live in a different world Dinesh!
Hi kiddo,
May be your experience with RE is because you dont know how a bike is to be ridden and just one of those person who nly wants to accelerate and take the shit of the bike.
there are only two types of bike 1. Royal Enfield 2. the rest.
Happy riding!!
And you!
Shahzad, Yes, you are right. He is a kid, who thinks that riding is all about acceleration and top speed. Why not board a plane if all he needs is just speed and acceleration? I agree, tubeless tires would have been a good choice, but apart from that, everything in this shitty post is pure unadulterated bullshit. And no, I do not own a bullet. I own a shitty bajaj pulsar, and I took a testdrive of bullet, and has decided to book one. Let the kids ride toy bikes and brag. That is what kids do.
OK uncle.
Check it out
http://iloverebullet.blogspot.in/2015/03/nothing-beats-classic-classic-bikes-are.html
Read it. Old shit.
lol comment padh le bhai apne hi article pe
Till the time i was riding RE ( I had two ),all other were just shit holes. After moving to KTM, I was indeed wrong. If you guys wanna enjoy RE, then please do but stop assuming that its the best!
Agreed! The attitude needs to change 🙂
Hi Akhil, like your blogs and your prompt replies.
I have a Karizma R 2007 model and I am in the cross roads now to upgrade. Earlier, I had RX 100 – 1988 model for the longest time. I miss it still for its melodious exhaust note(its kinda transforms rider mood and speaks loud to the outer world). Loved it. I love my Karizma too – a pure no nonsense bike, highly reliable, stable…etc but, I miss the exhaust note and power now seems I need more.
I have booked Bullet Std 500, I got the call to take it too….I am not able to decide between KTM 390 and Std 500. I tried bullet of my friend…till 90kmph its fine…but vibrates heavily after that and engine feels stressed. I like its look and size and road presence and of course thump..but not sure about quality niggles and highway speed.
This upgrade would be for long trips and bike should be capable of cruising effortlessly at 110kmph atleast. I am waiting for soon to be launched CS 400 for its longer suspension travel and looks and size.
Read a lot about KTM 390 and it is being compared to another legend RD 350 in terms of performance. Love to go for those 43 horses..
Please suggest me which one to pick…as all these machines are expensive and I keep them for the long haul. I like Triumph Bonni…but it is beyond my budget for now..
Hey Raghu, I would anyday prefer the Duke over any RE. I have ridden more than 35000 kms on my 390 in about 1 year and it’s been an amazing journey! The bike is extremely reliable, cheaper than a CD100 to maintain, and goes like stink. It is the perfect bike for long distance touring.
Have you taken a test ride of it? I’m sure you’ll love it 🙂
Hey Raghu, I would anyday prefer the Duke over any RE. I have ridden more than 35000 kms on my 390 in about 1 year and it’s been an amazing journey! The bike is extremely reliable, cheaper than a CD100 to maintain, and goes like stink. It is the perfect bike for long distance touring.
Have you taken a test ride of it? I’m sure you’ll love it 🙂
Hi Akhil, thanks for the suggestion. I took test ride of Duke long back, before booking Bullet. May be the demo bike was not in good shape and I was not impressed with low end torque(it was struggling to pull in the 3rd gear say 20-30 kmph speed). I will visit again and take the test ride soon. I have time on my side till(saving money) this april.
Also, want your opinion on soon to be launched Pulsar 400CS. Looking at its design, I feel like it is an improvement on shortcomings of Duke 390(Accommodation, long suspension travel and bulky looks etc along with the same engine & power & ABS).
Your blog on accessories and its importance(step by step narration in your style) is an eye opener. I would start investing on my gear also. Keep up the good work please.
Regards.
Duke needs lots of gear changes and some clutch riding to keep it smooth throughout the rev range, it’s not really a torque monster 🙂
Don’t know when the 400CS will come man, if it ever does. Have heard nothing but rumors, although it does look like an improvement over the Duke.
Gear is important 🙂
Hi Akhil, thanks for the clarifications bro. Your happiness after riding 35k in a year is a big testimonial for the quality and performance of the Duke. I am going for it…Tc.
Awesome!
You might be intrested to read this
http://35.200.187.16/5-reasons-you-are-not-biker/
and one reason why you shouldn’t ride bullet.
Kids are not allowed to.. 😛
Nice one!
all above reasons are true and well known by all bullet riders. they will ( i must say we will as i too have one ) love to live with them, in fact they know how deal with them.
any way some good new for bullet lovers………
Fresh from an endorsement by US President Barack Obama, India’s motorcycle manufacturer Royal Enfield announced it was speeding up expansion and production to meet booming demand for its British-origin bikes.
The company, based in southwestern India but rooted in British biking history, will spend five billion rupees ($80 million) this year on building two factories as well as other expansion plans.
“Royal Enfield will be investing Rs 500 crore in 2015 towards product development, capex and other development areas,” chief executive Siddhartha Lal said in a statement posted on its website.
“With a view to become the leader in the global mid-sized motorcycling, Royal Enfield will build two new technology centers.”
The centres will be located in the southern Indian city of Chennai and the English county of Leicestershire and be completed by the second quarter of 2016 and the end of 2015 respectively.
The US president gave the iconic bikes a nod of approval after he saw India’s Border Security Force officers perform daredevil stunts on their shiny Royal Enfields during a trip to New Delhi last month.
“I saw the Republic Day daredevils on Royal Enfield motorcycles,” Obama said during the visit, describing the stunts as a highlight of the military parade to mark India’s Republic Day.
“The secret service doesn’t let me ride motorcycles, especially not on my head,” he added with a smile at the audacious manoeuvres.
Lal said Royal Enfiel continued to grow at a “phenomenal pace” last year, selling 300,000 units and had plans to manufacture a total of 450,000 in 2015.
The manufacturer, owned by heavy vehicle and bus maker Eicher, also saw a record income of 30 billion rupees ($482 million) last year, the statement said.
Royal Enfield started life as a British company making single-cylinder engines that produce a distinctive “thump” sound more than 110 years ago, but it closed its last domestic factory in 1970.
Its Indian partner started making bikes under licence in 1955, and is today one of the oldest names in motorcycling.
In 2009 Royal Enfield launched a redesigned version of its classic retro-looking “Bullet” model, a move that saw sales take off.
SOURCE: http://www.msn.com/en-in/autos/other/indian-bike-maker-royal-enfield-to-expand-after-obama-thumbs-up/ar-BBhFRkS?ocid=mailsignoutmd
Cool.
Thanks AK, I am planing to buy RE TB350, even all the points which you have mentioned were there in my mind too, but so care-less RE lover ask me to close my eyes on these fact just to feel the the charm,
I felt the charm like sitting on Tector engine with some different feeling.
Thanks for your article, Now I can rethink for same , please let me know any good suggesion for 150cc bike.
Suzuki Gixxer 150 is a good option! Test ride one and see if you like it.
No wonder…. Ktm promoter!!! How much you got for the promotion?
Umm nothing till now man, you know somebody in KTM?
Hey Akhil.. i have rode my duke for almost two years (21000 km) and not a single problem(touchwood). But my rear tyre, should I replace it as I have already touched 22000. HOw often should we replace out tyres (front/back)?
There are no rules man, if you see the rear tire is bald and you can feel it sliding, change it!
Some of your points actually make sense. I am riding bikes for past 13 years now and RE for last the 5 years. I have ridden bikes like Splendor, Pulsar to bikes like CBR and Ninja. There are some points where I personally feel that RE should rethink their strategy. I will sum it up in one sentence: Breaks, Production speed, Reliability vs Maintenance cost.
True mate! They do need to get their shit together.
Plastics are not covered in insurance… Period;-)
OK?
only une thing i will comment -bullet hamne apne buzurgons se li aur hamare bacche apne buzurgons se lenge.no other bike can withstand such a long gap
OK.
Yeah you are some what right about the acceleration of re…tested the Duke 390 last Saturday..and boy was it the best 5 minutes of my biking
Also…no tubeless tires and no ABS.. Well the bike is going back in time..
Confused whether to get. DUKE. Or Street 750.
One quick question though-any bad experience with Duke’s performance??
Duke and Street are totally different bikes man! Shouldn’t be too hard to decide.
There aren’t a lot of negatives about the Duke’s performance, although there certainly are a few. It’s extremely rough, with a heavy clutch. It heats up a lot in traffic. It’s not a refined bike in any sense. But the positives far outweigh the negatives, and that’s why I love it!
Oh boy, this thing is still going on. How to get all the comments in one PDF ?
Lol, don’t know man!
Spot on, mate! Can’t disagree with a thing. That’s why the British make the new Triumphs now. Real, modern, fast,reliable. Everything an Enfield isn’t. I have one of those Jap-crap Suzukis. It’s great!
Yeah! Anything but an RE is great 🙂
Akhil, you are an asshole.. You want bullet to pick up speed like those sports bike? Really, do you understand between a cruiser and a sports car. Anyway, just read your first point and boom, there goes the respect out of the window.
Awesome!
I think the guys wrong.i feel very comfortable riding bullet.also its not noisy and also bullets are meant to be slow.every body knos this
Right.
you know how i reached this blog? I wrote enfield noise and i just reached here. happy to see that there is another person in the world who realized that this belongs to museum. I am very much annoyed with one of the beast who rides a bullet with probably some modification in the engine and its sound feels like fucking bhat bhat coming directly from the hell. its so loud that you cant even listen what other person is saying on the phone. I am running a nursing home. This noise, Its against civilization as there should be less noise pollution. The country where this was invented, they stopped its production decades ago. But here they dont think about patients, small kids, infants. they just dont think because they cant.
I know man, it’s just too annoying!
Akhil, read all your reasons and came to know that you don’t have any knowledge about Royal Enfield. its better you meet some experienced bullet rider and stop commenting about bullet. i am riding bullet from 1991 to till date. it is the best bike on earth. may be your still a kid for the beast
Probably.
I agree with you my brother
Done about 70k kms on machismo350/ std 500. Loved every km of it but Akhil has a point. Sold both when I felt I was more worried about the bike than enjoying my rides. Never going back to RE. Toured about 4k kms on the 390. Total Bliss. More than enough power, handling & thrills for our conditions. Awesome reliability to boot.
Aah, good to have an experienced rider share his views here! Thanks Vasanth for the comment 🙂 The 390 is one hell of a machine!
He he I made friends with every bullet mechanic on the west coast on a ride to Mumbai and back via Goa OM my 2003 std 500. No such luck with the 390. Too busy riding to stop for anyone.
Haha! Yeah I kinda hate that too. There have been situations where I wanted to stop and talk to/help somebody on the road, but I was just too fucking fast to stop.
Now I am in a fix, I was planning to shun my Pulsar 180 and go for RE Thunderbird. Mileage is not an issue as my existing option is no better, however when it comes to tires and breakdown, it compels me to rethink.
Hehe, I would strongly suggest checking out Duke 390. Goes like stink, comes with superbike tires, gets ABS and looks the part too 🙂
you should buy a pulsar 150 or 220 rather than a RE 😉
Sure!
Everyone has the right to tell their point of view. Even I can point out 6 bad reason on any bike. But would not instigate anyone not to buy that bike. I have two Classic 350, but never felt even close to what this guy tells here.
1. Bullet is not slow at all. I ride mine at 90/100 kmph on daily basis. I guess that speed is enough unless you want to race anyone, for which other bikes are available.
2. RE are very much reliable, the bike DNA is very simply, can be easily repaired.
3. Yes They are noisy so what, there are so sport bike which are much noisier then RE. I don’t hear a thing from my bike probably because I wear a helmet, other I guess are used to it. Plus I have wild boars fitted on my bike but indimotard, I get compliments plus people ask me where did I get those exhaust from.
4. RE has reasonable brakes, if applied sensibly the bike will stop.
5. RE has good mileage, my both bikes are giving me around 35-40 kmpl, which is good I feel, if you want more mileage please go for Tvs Luna or Dream yuga or splendor etc etc. Mileage is a question typical low minded question, when I have a balls of buying a 1.5 lac 350 or 500cc bike I shouldn’t be talking about mileage it’s an insult to myself.
6. RE is heavy and only made for men, I have seen even women riding these bike, so watch and learn. Actually the weight is advantage for better road stability. Well for example if a high speed bus travel just past by you the bike won’t feel a pinch created by the split stream of the bus.
7. RE with spoke wheels? don’t like them change them, if you like them shut up and ride.
Well this is my point of you. RE is not like other bike, it needs real care, I spend at least 1hour once a week with my bulls to tweak them. If you take care of them, they will take care of you.
I respect your views but well not abide them. Best of luck with whatever ride you have.
And best of luck to you!
Hi Dhanraj,
I fully agree with u dudes…u cnt compare a RE with any of these plastic bikes, the people here will never understandRe…what they call vibrations , its the feel…why u guys dnt drive a activa or a scooty…with no vibrations, no offences, actually i own one tb..n its dam good, the road stability especiaaly on highways is too good..n yes i drive it at 90-95 km/ hr…above 100 u may feel vibrations, but guys.. These bikes r for Cruising n not Racing…n then comes the styling….its too different fm any of the plastic bikes…all sports bikes luks almost same..full of fibre..n a very uncomfortable riding posture..cmmon guys u cnt drive on on with that posture…its ok for racing…n technically they r simple machines, especiaaly the carb ones 350 cc, i m not sure of the efi ones, infact most of the maibtenance can b done by urself..if u have some basic knowledge,…so dnt compare RE….with the sports bike….live n let live….
Sure.
When I am down or depressed I go through the comments. It always lifts my mood. Don’t know why. 😛 .
After all the hype I test rode a classic 350. And man it vibrates like hell. And I wouldn’t want to do a trip on it. I know people who respect the bike and admit its faults. Then there are those wannabes who ride an Enfield only to look macho. Others who claim only the old CI engines are the real thing and the new generation bikes are just plastic toys.
Hehe, yeah it’s a pretty motivating bunch of nearly 1200 comments!
Akhil – i do understand your viewpoint as a relatively young rider [not that i agree with the oldies] – but i really do think you gotta buy a Bullet to enjoy what that experience gives. There are clubs in almost all the continents. It is something to ride a machine which has so much history. and, the chassis is SO suited to india. Bullet chassis’s were based on trials bikes. Google that, if you please 🙂
Will try that someday for sure 🙂
Boss…!!!!!!!!
Buy Bullet only if u have patience, riding a bull is diff from plastic machines.
About Khardungla top & French guys they took it on hire..& the machine their which locals provide u are f_cking without maintenances..
About the wheels then spoked wheels r the best carry the heavy weights & low in maintenance..
In old time bullets were made by gunmetal which use for soldiers safety, safety is the best part & toughness is the importance in bulls..for eg.. accident with other plastic body shows the high number of DEATH rather than Bullets..
60-65 kph is a standard economy speed on highways for riders safety, if u want u can cross bt dont blame bulls or bull riders for that… as always heard that “Slow & Steady WINS the RACE”..
MILEAGE…!! LOL………. i earn much more n can spend money on petrol so bought it, if u dont have then dont buy bulls…Its Simple..!!!
WAITING PERIOD…….!!!!!!!!! Fucking Sad thing i always heard from new buys…bt ” DER AAE DURUST AAE”…!!!
& Finally 1 last thing for u my FRIEND..
” OLD is ALWAYS GOLD “…………
No.
that was real nice to be gold plated bro…
Bandar Kya jane Adrak Ka swad……………..So Close this topic…start concentrating on work..
Yes sir.
I mean, really u are comparing a shitty duke to a RE. REALLYY!!! Uffff!!! I don’t even wanna say anything. And ya,even Rakhi Sawant saying some bullshit earns her a lot if attention, so don’t be so glad.
Ok.
It’s fun to read about bullets-looks like they need to fix a turret on top…that will be a sight to behold…
LOL!
I think bullets were here before Independence…It is true that RE didn’t evolve the way other motorbikes did, but I personally feel they will. I heard about KTM a couple of years back, before that KTM and the Triumph were dream bikes. If you are comparing an almost double priced, tech evolved vehicle with an Indian made RE, you might as well compare it with a Harley. I am not a rider, I am not rich either to get a KTM or a new RE. If you start to compare bikes on their displacement then whats the point?…personal choices and tastes are preserved..
Hey man, I never intended for this article to become an RE vs KTM war, but who cares!
I don’t see RE evolving, at all, because not evolving is their bread and butter 🙂 If that’s your taste, cool!
This is real opnion of all thnx to u
just wanna laugh how much u dislike bullet, i m owner of a RE 1972 model, never modified or added some flashy parts , i have 100’s of stories to tell about my bullet but m not even a decent writer. just wanna tel -when i was 16 i tried to convince my father to sell this shit, but i m 32 now, and riding it for 15-16 years , and the more i ride the more i love it .
it gives milage around 40, and i easily touch 100km/hr speed, it is mechanically heavy, but it feels extremely light to drive, lighter then even splender that is the most special thing about it.
Awesome!
Right. RE might have some disadvantages, so will other bikes have. Some of the points I disagree is about speed and reliability. I can easily reach 120 with my RE Desert Storm 2014 model. Has been reliable so far. Would love to have tubeless tyres, hope to change sometime in future.
Hi Akhil….I liked ur article and respect your views and your opinion. I am a proud owner of a RE 350 Classic and equally proud owner of a KTM Duke 390. Both the bike are at par and I love riding both of them. I have been to leh on my RE from pune and back. I have also done a south India tour of 4900 km on the duke 390. According to me both bikes have different features.
I would like to share my experience on the points u mentioned.
1) Bullets are Fucking slow:- When I went to leh my average speed was around 75-80 km/h and am talking about average speed which I think was a decent one. KTM is much faster then this but I find RE comfortable den Duke.
2) Royal Enfield are unreliable:- I have done a good 35k+ kms on RE and I have never faced any problems as of now. Duke is a awesome bike indeed and nor have I faced any problem with the KTM. I love my bikes and maintain them so that might be the reason I have never faced a problem.
3) Bullets are noisy:- Sometime people do put the extra loud silencers which are irritating but according to me a decent silencer gives good firing. But sorry to say I personally don’t like the KTM’s firing. (Again its my opinion not necessary everyone should agree with it)
4) Bullets have bad breaks:- My RE has a disc break in the front and I am quite satisfied with it not too gud but satisfactory. Were as duke needs hard breaking the rear break is gud but could have been better as with that power and the speed what this bike is able to go the rear breaks should have been better.
5) Bullets give shitty mileage:- My RE give me a mileage of around 40. (Mostly around 42). The worst mileage I have got is 35/36. My Duke gives me a mileage anything between 25-35.
6) Bullets are unnecessarily heavy:- Yes the bike is heavy but it has never been a problem for me. RE is stable but Duke is more stable then RE.
7) Bullet have spoked wheels:- Yes it has spoked wheels and it looks gud on it. Just like the orange alloyed looks gud on the duke.
8) Bullets have fucking long waiting period:- I had to wait for 2 months to get my bike after booking. And I do agree with u about that. That waiting period is frustrating.
All I want to say is that both bikes are different and can’t be compared. RE is a cruiser and duke is a naked sports bike. Both the bikes are good in their own way. You don’t like RE is ur opinion but according to me even RE is a superb bike.
And that’s awesome! My opinion doesn’t in any way means the absolute truth. Everybody has different experiences, and I’m happy you are having a good one with both your machines.
And yes, KTM’s don’t sound good at all 🙂
Totally Agree!
This was a bloody brilliant piece written on the RE. Had a good laugh as I read through the entire article and seemed like exactly what I had in my mind too. Have done the Manali-Leh-Khardungla on my bicycle and during the trip have seen how the REs there drag their heavy butts up while 3 Duke 390s just zipped with such ease.
Personally own a well-maintained Honda CBZ for 15 years now, and the time to upgrade (not that am going to sell my current bike) had me looking for answers online on – which bike to go in for next? Had looked at these but – Triumph Tiger is costly, HD750 not practical, Kawasaki 300/650 is heavy. Would have loved a Honda CB500X purely for its form and function but I don’t see that coming anytime soon, so have shortlisted to a Duke 390 for now.
Thanks for this article. Hope people realize the practical usage of a vehicle rather than sheer size, power, sound and/or ‘old-style charm’.
Cheers!!
Thanks Pavan! I’ve been hoping people realize practical usage since more than a year now 🙂 As you can see, it’s still work in progress.
Its the opinions of individual…. U don’t like it.. leave it…. Fuck off… But every one has their own opinion…. Interest and love for bullet…. Don’t expect every one should be like u jerk……
Never did.
well according to akhil REs are not good bikes. so that is his personal point of view. rider and ride is important not the bike. and it is true that REs don’t have good breaking system. and the tires …………………they really sucks. bloody what is the use of that feeling if you don’t have safety. and RE people please respect other biker . there is no rule saying that every rider owes enfield so please. go and check in other country’s people dont give fuck to RE, actually they dont even know what is enfield. people in India buy enfield only for two reasons looks-90% good engine-10%.
hhmmmmm..idiot
Bullet is not for pussy’s to ride…. its vintage, heritage and more than that… Its for the tougher, made for the toughest…..
Not your mistake I would say, Staying in Punjab u still came out without getting the macho of the state.
Its a bike to enjoy the ride, not to chase people. and seeing the history, the bike engine has/had not changed until recently. Going so deep in history, and still working and being loved by people is something to be proud of.
Lot of bike are available in the market.. Y do people still stick to RE..!! Coz is the heritage…. Ur generations have driven that bike and you want to continue it.
Yes the modified exhaust may not be pleasing to all…not totally against it but should be avoided for people with dislikes.
Regards.
Okay!
Bullets are fucking slow … do you really know how to ride a bike like bullet ??? i guess you are not a rider you are just a good dreamer .. since you could dream that you have done 60000 kilometers… Firstly you must understand a bike like bullet is not built to race .. Still it can make upto 110 km easily… it is a legendary bike built for Indian Roads to give a relaxed and confident cruising …
Learn riding a bike rather than dreaming !
Bullets are Unreliable … Dude you just rode bullet for 50 km how could you say this bike is unreliable …
do you know what Reliability means ?.. it is one among the most reliable bike you would get..
Don’t ever try to learn your bullet… it will only learn you …(never let anyone ride your bull .. its a single master beast)
Go peaks you will understand how RE perform ..
Bullets are noisy? …my answer is .. Fuck off you bitch ..
Bullets have really Bad breaking… Yeah its breaking is not upto the mark.. 5/10
Bullets are unnecessarily heavy … yeah it is heavy so what … if you can’t manage the weight … don’t ever keep your ass on it. With your this irrelevant statement i can guarantee that you have never rode an Enfield bikes …
you cannot judge a bike heaviness by looking at it… you must ride it and feel it … its super cool to handle .. Even taking curves are smooth… I’m just 5.4 .. and i ride my bull in the peak traffic of Bangalore city.
I have asked suggestion from many people before i choose to buy it.
People like you said … holy shit how you gonna manage 200 kgs.. and many more advices …go for this bike that bike.. they really messed my mind.
But the really riders said only one Statement ..” If you are much passionate on riding nothing can pull you down.”
To all have the same question as mine … i would say “Follow your Heart because its a way of life.”
Bullets have spoked wheels … Company thinks spoke wheels looks good on their bike…
Spoke wheels give that Legendary and Authentic look royal Enfield bikes (Royal) .. RE not the Company which sprouted in the last day rain … Since 1901 it serving the World..
Bullets give shitty mileage .. Yeah .. people who are worried about milage should not buy RE bikes ..
i never ride my bull on reserve 🙂 as soon as my bull go reserve i will take it next petrol bunk and fill its Stomach 😉 11.54L
Every day i commute 65+ km (up and down) .. i can only make up to 65*5(days) ie., 325 km for 11.54L.. hardly getting 30km/l. (i rides through heavy traffic and more that 15 signals in one direction ).
Bullets have a fucking long waiting period… who asked you to wait ..go get a pulsar
Remember guyz.. The Best comes to only those who wait … So you must wait..
Enfield has only one production center and it has to meet the order from more than 29 countries…
it worth every sec of waiting …
Readers …. As i said.. follow your heart because its a way of life… never lend your ears to listen to Shits ..
Universe never tends to get unfold …always there will piece of shits to bug you…
RE LOVERz…… my bull is my life …
A Classic 350 Rider
I’m sorry I really didn’t have the patience to read your entire comment, since what you’ve said has already been repeatedly mentioned in the older comments. Thanks for sharing your opinion though, and good luck with your bull life!
since you have not read it how could you this post is repeated …
Read all the old comments, and you’ll see why 🙂
hey dude there is no Jerk of the Year award till day …
the time you waste here can be utilised for learning how to ride..
keep trust in Newton #3 law
?
Only thing is that if u r a biker u can’t disrespect any other bike…….
Why?
Agar aisi baat hai to….. u can ride with me on Enfield and u’ll come to knw @ what speed Enfield bikes can run
Sure!
Hey i absolutely agree to most of the things u said about a bullet. But i wud like to mention about some things which u myt be wrong at. They are awfully heavy but it offers a stability i have never experienced before that u will understand while cornering when u regain your posture after cornering(which is quite possible with the new improved engines) and especially while using off road tracks u shud often research about the rann of kutch (ROK) tour organised by RE, on that salt pan try riding a Duke and a bullet then u will feel a difference.
Or just try taking a duke on a sandy road and riding an RE, i bet you will know the difference.
Then bullets are never meant for long rides it was designed as a military all terrain vehicle which can be easily repaired. Well it requires frequent maintenance which military can and will do.
One more thing try taking a duke on a road which is flooded or try river crossing with it. I can assure you that u will need a mechanic. Its only because of the exhaust that keeps the bullet alive even in water( plz dont think of the bullet as a boat). So instead of having a 100% negative approach towards bullet lovers, plz i beg u not to forget the 20-30 % of the people who choose a bullet for its real purpose.
Vishnu my friend, I have done a cross-country trip on my Duke, without a single shred of trouble, but that’s not the point of this article 🙂
You are correct in saying that more weight means more stability, but that’s true only till a certain limit. After that limit that weight is nothing more than a burden.
You seriously lack sex in ur life ! go fuck a girl ! that might give you a peaceful ride. You are not meant to be a ride a royal enfield !
Amen !
I don’t mind man, you know someone who’s looking for a good time?
yeah. ur mom. go enjoy 🙂
Thanks for the suggestion Karan! I’m sure being a motherfucker must be a proud thing to do in your family, but not with my folks. Have fun 🙂
Haha Great reply Akhil. Man this thread is awesome for timepass… 🙂
Yeah! Lots of fun 🙂
i mean is this guy serious….who the fuck wrote this article…..some wannabe attention seeker…..who the fuck are you…..i belong from punjab too…..saying bullets are this and that….well let me tell you something it’s because you have ridden that thing only 50 kms that you are able to say things like that….i have riden more than 60000kms what the fuck….saleya apni booothi vekh fer gal karin….bc…
Hehe, I can assure you if I had ridden Bullets for more than 50 kms, this article would have been much much worse 🙂
if that night had been shorter u would have not been and the world wld have been better
LOL, good one!
I am laughing like crazy when i am readin this, i was on a solo morning ride today, i reach to a point where there is a group of bullets moving in synch, and i am like WTF r they upto? Dint waste time on them, 1 by 1 overtook them, to finally see another member of their “gang” shooting a video of the group while riding……LOL…..WTF ru shooting the video for?
Makes me realize how shitty the cult has become….No offence RE owners but look at ur community, the republic day ride and all???
That feel which people talk, that is the feeling of mid age crisis and not ur FI engine thump!!!
LOL!
Even if a guy kills his mother, there will be someone who speaks for him.
I had a ride of 2300 kms in a 1985 model bullet from delhi, shimla, Kullu, Manali, Keylong, Kishtwar, Srinagar, Pahalgam, and back to Jammu. From there i packed my bike to my home town in Kerala. It was my honeymoon trip. I chose such a trip only because of my passion towards Royal Enfield Bullet. I didn’t had any maintenance in between except for some clutch adjustment, which i did myself.
Before hating bullet anymore, please have a good quality (well maintained, not modified), and have a ride of 100 kms (atleast), not in a highway but in high range. m sure u will love it.
I will try that for sure Denny!
Well said. fully agree.
That’s the perception of particular individual. I know Yogesh Sarkar very well. Its not necessary everyone should like one product just because the entire world likes it. If the product is not good, they will not survive. This is a re-birth to Bullet to new generations as well. Bullet means not speed, but bullet is the effect, its an emotion!
The waiting period to get this bike is minimum 30 days! They have their own customers to buy. The impression of anyone seeing a person driving a Royal Enfield is different than others, not sure if they will see a person driving a pulsar (yes they do, when they do a rash drive) Enfield stand away from the crowd.! They are unique.! This is my perception I live in the place where are they are manufactured, Thiruvotrityur, Chennai. !!! I also visited the birth place of this vehicle Redditch, England!
You have clearly mentioned that – ‘I ‘ would never ..this article is pure expression of your thoughts! you have all the rights to say what you want to! Cheers mate!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_EsUR4oakg
Mr. Ganesh is absolutely right. i will fully agree on Mr. ganesh’s comments.
cheers
Cheers Ganesh! You are right this is my personal opinion, and in no way means an absolute truth. Biking in itself is a matter of choice, so is the ride that you ride.
Happy finally someone understands that 🙂
Completely agree Akhil. I am glad that you are happy and happy replying to others..I You will end up in writing the same thing again and again in all different possible ways friend!
1600kms…..4 days….(including 750 in 1 day)….not a single fault….80-100kmph consistently….your back and bums are normal….that is thunderbird 350
Awesome!
Hey, I pitty you as you don’t appreciate a specific type of skill sets…You fall into a very vast group of people, and that is not your mistake..we have been brought up like this (most of us)
When you want to buy a bike…
1) the best looking bike ( cos they want to impress all the beauties around, no matter how ugly you might be)…
2) need to have Power ( let’s say CC or Throttle, as you are Indian version of Rossy)
3) it should be cost effective ( for suedo rich asses)
4) And the best Bhai you won’t milage also..( 1 lt. 100 km…) And you want 80 Lt tank…bhai Chand pe Jana hai)
Dude… Power does not always mean speed..you might be the first person to have jaw dropping experience to see a Harley Davidson crossing you slowing and you’ll be the one who’ll say “O Teri ki, bhai mast hai” on contrary some speed crazy boy crosses you…your reaction ” Marega sala..”.
Another point you said you saw some people stuck in ladak with Bullet…dude that was one of the I’ll time…but what all bikes you have seen in that area…I bet you Duke to nahi milegi..
When you say in Punjab they only know two type of bike one Bullet and rest others..bro…public kuch select kar rahi hogi to kuch to hoga…
I can keep on writing for days…but in short…all I have understood that you are one of the confused people who buy bullet because others are doing and then you realise that you are not a rider. You use your bike to reach from one place to other.
You compare super white shirt of best known brand which may cost you 2000 plus to Sunday market Rs. 200…why…white to white hi Hota hai…kya farak padta hai.
And dude…let’s close it…how much I’ll write.
Understand that….
You have to feel the thumping and feel the ride…and that’s the soul.
I hope I have not hurt your feelings.. This is just my feedback… Take it or leave it…take care and god may help you to find your kick.
Adios
No hard feelings Kushal! Cheers 🙂
This comment made me LOL 😀
Amen
First of all, the usage of abusive language at least once on each paragraph is a bit letdown for an article on a respected website like this.
Secondly, that you mentioned that you would immediately choose a more powerful bike, even over the current bike that you apparently “admire” makes you heartless and is kindof again a letdown from you being considered an actual biker or bike lover.
Thirdly, you said you respect others’ opinion which contradicts with the way you said “tradition bullshit”.
Fourthly, I personally am not a HARDCORE Bullet fan. I like it a lot. I like the KTM Duke 390. I like the Pulsar. Don’t be that opinionated dude, it’s ok. Cool down. Noone is forcing you to even ride a Bullet, forget buying one.
Fifth, whenever a new model is launched, and in this case the Thunderbird, waiting period goes up a bit. Maybe Royal Enfield doesn’t have a modern production line but somewhere down the line it is THE LONGEST PRODUCTION MOTORCYCLE TILL DATE, from 1932.
Sixth, feelings do matter. The thump, the long history behind the Bullet, the Indian army riding the bike for ages, creating innumerable stories, that British enginering, do matter, a LOT. The emotion in humans is what there all is, and this bike touches the soul deep down. You can’t evaluate something just on numbers.
Seventh, I dont like to be even a tad bit rude, and so I wanna just say, is riding “fast” and “over the speed limit” true biking? Then the dictionaries should make “cruising” a fictional term. And one last thing, how many accidents have you recorded on a Royal Enfield motorcycle? Compare that with the other bikes… Especially the fast ones.
Thank you for taking time to read this.
🙂
Suhel, I’m happy you think this is a “respected” website 🙂
Motorcycles for me are a means to an end, which is travel. If I can get a better motorcycle, I’ll get it. If that makes me heartless, so be it!
True. If you go through the website, you’ll see I contradict myself almost daily 🙂
Hehe, yeah. Trust me this article just feels angry, it’s not like I was pulling my hair out when I wrote it!
I don’t really care how long a bike has been in production. Bread was invented centuries ago, do you only buy the brand that has been continuously making it since?
Feeling matters, but only till the point it doesn’t fuck up your riding experience! Calling unreliability as “character” doesn’t make it go away.
Nopes, over the speed limit is not true biking, but it’s the safe way. Google Solomon Curve and give it a read, you’ll see what I mean.
True, other bikes crash more often. It may be because of a number of reasons, from inexperience to showoff. If your point was that Bullets crash less often because they are so damn slow, I agree 🙂
Good one Suhel. Agree with you.
Akhil, if you do not want to spend a major portion of the rest of your life answering comments on this post – just delete it bro. Seriously. I think this is going nowhere.
Someday for sure Manu, it’s still a little fun 🙂
Respect you man. Taking shit from so many shitty people is not easy. It’s like all people who buy DSLR’s start thinking of themselves as professional photographers, here, I can see some 5 foot 4 inch guys who are not even built to ride a bullet giving you gyaan on bikes and bike riding. Pseudo bikers most of them.
Haha, yeah. It’s OK man, everyone has an opinion 🙂 Thanks for the support!
Hi Akhil, finally someone who has a pair and is not afraid to use it. Its hard in India to take a stand and speak against RE as the fan following is too much. But who gives a fuck to them. I always fail to understand why would anyone buy a bike which is still using the same technology which was used by the their inventors? And to that they compare this piece of metal to KTM Duke 390 is so funny. What is the feel of riding if you can’t do cornering on your bike? And Akhil how could you forget the advantage of forged pistons. D390 is light years ahead of RE. Bullets doesn’t make sound they create noise. There is a difference in these two words. Bulleters proudly say that they do 80kmph, well friends D390 reaches to that speed in second gear without giving you a body massage. In the end they say don’t use logic, a bullet is a bullet. Well guys the only time logic takes a backseat is when you swing your leg to something more exotic.
Absolutely agreed mate! It’s just madness and stupidity, but people do what they do 🙂
Talk about speed… I dont think youve ridden a Bike and always been a pilloin rider being some Looser
Khardungla Lols….For your information only Bikes which reach the worlds highes pass is Bullet I have not seen any other bike reach the hight..
For you to see some french guy with a broken down bullet…. Dude please if you maintain a bullet your grandchildren would take it to khardungla…
Baby stop crying about Noise….
For the rest there is a thing about Metal and culture associated with it… which I am sure takes some experience and time for children to catch up with…
I dont think you can take your scooty …. there …. Lols….Next time you manage to reach khardungla do count the number of Bullets you see and every time you spot one remember me kid…
OK grandpa!
LOL, no other bikes reach Khardungla?
Bro….i gotta check ur bike b4 u ride ….u need to maintain to keep it smooth , its parts….as u said abt its breaks….well…disk r damn gud…and speed …i ride it at around 100 to 110 kmph…….btw i never liked to ride any other bike ….coz its seem like bicycle after bullet taken….
Cool! Have fun on your Bullet mate 🙂
This is a pathetic article seems like trying to be popular the unconventional way. Bullets are bullets don’t search for logic and apply your gauging parameters to it.
I like bullet, and you better settle with a scooty – it has a charger too.
It sure does!
Well written article and I agree with most of the points made. People are bashing you because you commented on the bike only after a 50km experience. Well, I recently rode a Bullet 350 over a 700 km trip over 2 days. And I pretty much have the same opinion as yours.
1) The bike is very slow, I could hardly cross the 80kmph mark because the bike would start vibrating violently beyond that. Even a Honda Activa reaches 90kmph without freaking you out.
2) The bike did not have a fuel indicator. What the fuck is that! I got stuck in the middle of nowhere for 2 hrs because my bike did not indicate of low fuel by not having an indicator. And the reserve fuel these fan boys keep talking about is an utter waste. I could hardly start the bike by putting it on reserve, not just me but even 3 other local guys whom I asked for help.
3) I know this has changed on the new REs but mine had the gear shifter to the right. Plain stupidity
4) The bike is fucking heavy. And I read a comment below where one guy was bashing for a person not being able to lift a RE and calling him weak. Bikes are meant for riding, not body building. I want my bike to be light and nimble, not heavy that does not handle well.
5) The ride was very hard. For long rides, you expect the bike to be comfortable, not hard. RE could have saved the effort of putting in the suspensions, because they were as good as not there
6) The tyres are thin for such a heavy bike with a huge engine. Even a Pulsar 150 has better tyres than the Bullet 350
7) Bad mileage. When you go for long trips, you expect the bike to give a good mileage. Mine gave me around 25kmpl whereas my friend riding on a Harley 750 got a decent 40kmpl
8) The brakes are pathetic. I almost met an accident because the bike just wouldn’t stop even after I applied both the brakes. Finally as a last resort, I had to use both my legs in order to generate extra friction for the bike to stop.
P.S: I am no RE hater or KTM lover. I am just a biker who wanted to enjoy a good long ride and went for the Bullet because of it’s hype. Had I known the problems in advance, would have gone for some other bike, doesn’t matter which one as long as it helps me enjoy my ride.
Amey, that’s exactly my point. How can somebody enjoy the ride when their own bike is bound to create trouble sooner or later?
Buy a chetak it will never give you any problem. If you buy it and never service you it will run fine. If you need average buy a splendor you will be very happy.
Why Bullet:
1st its a tradition and emotional value for some, hard to understand for people who’s haven’t been exposed to both.
2nd the bike is easy to maintain and allot of things can be done at home, bullet is for those people who know and want to maintain at home. Not for people who don’t want or don’t know how to maintain.
3rd harley and triump are also very heavy so I don’t understand the weight problem. (Solution buy a moped)
4th The technology is improving, but if you look at the cost of 300cc or 500cc bikes they are 4 or more times costly than a bullet.
Bullet is not for everyone and don’t try too hard to understand why people like it, because you can’t.
I am sure given a choice between a mustang and prius, you will buy a prius.
Mustang and Prius? I won’t go for either. You completely misunderstood my reason for not liking Bullet. I want a bike or a car that can handle well and if not, atleast give me a good ride. If a vehicle can’t do either, what’s the point? As far as getting your hands dirty is concerned, I don’t have problem doing it. I have built both a custom car and a two-wheeler in the past during my college days, I know how to mend a vehicle. But that doesn’t mean I buy a vehicle so I can get a lesson in ‘How to be a mechanic’. I buy it so I can enjoy my ride, be it a bike or a car. And yes Harleys are heavy, but they handle well owing to their tyres and have speed as well and I found them (atleast the one I rode) to be more comfortable than the Bullet.
I guess you mistook me for some person who either wants only speed or mileage from a vehicle. No, I want my vehicle to to be fun, that’s it. And neither of Bullet or your Mustang and Prius are fun
Eeh not so sure about the Mustang and the Prius thingy, I don’t like either of them to be honest.
Buddy,
Too bad you took out the old bullet. The new ones(thunderbird/classic) would have been much better for you , reading your comment. 🙂
The mileage, handling and ride quality is better than before.
Dude seriously comparing bullet with other bike… Man d min u get dat bike in ur hands u feel something so cool… And ppl riding it since a century, wy do u think it still survives? . one ans the legend rides on forever
No.
Bro…. I have had re bullet 350 model 1989… It was a super fuck to maintain… With head gasket blowing off my jeans were all oil and after two months of shit realised the head of engine was bent due overheating on spark plug side. no gasket could hold it… Finally sold it for peanuts… Then had adrenos, rd 350 Lt and then with a scare bought another re 350.. Standard 1994…. Done cruising on it Delhi Chandigarh in 4 hours… Touches 120 kph with free flow air filter and rejet carb… Bike looks totally stock…. No issues with it for 12000 km… End statement is ….. Its all in the piece you get…. By the way bullets were designed as they were… Like them or leave them… I hope you cant say whose mom n dad are best in the next article…
Well, looks like Royal Enfield’s quality department needs to get their shit together then?
AK tujhe bike hi chalani aati…..
tu scooter chala …..
Yes sir.
Pretty good honest compilation 🙂 Nice write up!
Thanks man!
arre yaar… toomuch attention on this blog…. Seems like all the Tom and hairy dicks want a bullet these days just to show off…. this will be the only reason for me not to buy a bullet… :(… Bullet or RE is about the riding feel and not to show off….. just ride it dude…. and stop putting loud silencers (Mumbaikars) its pathetic… thoda beat ko control karo…. Seems like farting all the way. People know nothing about the machine its just the silencer and flashy tail lights… How many here have thought of customizing down the line… (changing silencer and Side mirror and adding a saddle bag and wearing a cramster jacket is not customization) Grow up people…. Just ride the damn machine.
Or be a Ghost Rider. Also wait for 5 years…. i am coming out with a custom shop…. i l have hell lot of fools coming to me…. i sold my RE TBTS for financial reasons and still cribbing about why i did it. ;(…..
Those tail lights..
This article is like asking why do you love your woman and not mine. You cannot use logic to counter romance. Everyone marries but only a few experience love.
Your article shows you’ve not fallen in love with your machine. A person in love hardly has any time or inclination to show down someone else.
Pardon me but I smell jealousy.. Not of not owning a RE but of not falling in love..
You may be correct Neerav!
Mr. Akhil Firstly No hard feelings.
1. Bullets are fucking slow: I got a Thunderbird 350 and i recorded a speed of 124 kmph. Now you should guess what a 500 can go to.
2. Royal Enfields are unreliable: No problem from last 6 months. People driving over 1 or 2 years never complain any issue.
3. Bullets are noisy – and the bad kind of noisy: My bike got a normal sound. Even the females are very comfortable with the noise it makes. Noise it makes is equivalent to any other sports bike.
4. Bullets have really bad brakes: i got Disk brakes on both Rear and front wheels. Front- 280 mm
Rear-240 mm 2-Piston caliper. Equal to a Duke.
5. Bullets give shitty mileage: My Thunderbird gives 40kmpl in city and around 48 on Highways. Talking about classics or Bullets being lighter in weight gives somewhat more than a thunderbird.
6.Bullets are unnecessarily heavy: Weights make it stuck to the road for a great cruising experience.
If you know what a cruiser bike is then you might know that Cruisers are heavy.
7. Bullets have spoked wheels: Alloys do tend to bend easier than steels under road impacts, and have a tendency to crack if bent too far. Steel wheels are significantly stronger than alloy wheels.It takes greater force to bend steel wheels, and it is almost impossible to crack them and the Chrome look it provide is called the beauty.
8: Bullets have a fucking long waiting period: Yes it does. Coz great things requires time to get life.
PS: Dude, Grow up. You need to know far more about the biking world. Your article says that you are a total beginner, a kid who know only speed. Pal, there are things more valuable than speed.
Know them first, also try to figure out what CRUISING is then say what you want.
Thank You 🙂
Welcome!
I can sense that most of your points listed above are a blatant lie. I have divine powers 😀
1) Top speed of 124???? Thats 5th gear cruising on 8k rpm on my bike with more punch left in 5th gear and 6th gear yet to come…..lol top speed of 124 (when was 124 declared as a benchamrk!!)
2) Hmmm not sure how to react to reliability part, i own RC 390, its been 1 month , its down 5000+ kms of high speed touring, without any issues, if my “sportsbike” can do it, i guess a cruiser being reliable is not a brownie point.
3) LOL, LMFAO, ROFL – T-bird sound is equivalent to a sportsbike??? Which sportsbike???? RU joking or is it ur sarcasm….lmfao
4) KTM has ABS, to further elaborate , even when i am 140+ and i leave the throttle, the engine deceleration is impressive and even if i stand on my brakes, my ABS saves me from any drama of squealing. U hit ur bdiscs at its top speed of 124kph and let me know if ur tyres done skid, or did RE come up with a secret technology replacing ABS?
5) Mileage??? who rides for that???
6) Stuck to the road because of weight??? I am sure you dont know aerodynamic and downforce and intermediate tyres, since u r still in 1920’s i say way to go with the weights :p
7)Alloys get damaged???? Hmm probably yes, but when buy a bike worth 2 lacs+ i guess we are smart enough to save for maintaining the bike properly.
8) RC390 delivered in 2 months and trust me its more beautiful, more advanced and has more soul than a machine which is bought by poser bikers of nowadays…have fun at the republic day ride when you cause traffic jams and impress people with “sportsbike” exhaust notes :p
PS: i am beginner as well :p , RC 390 is my first bike and i cruise at 100+ comfortably, what u call cruising is making a deal with urself that “its ok , i am on cruiser :p”
Cool 🙂
when a punk pulls up next to me in one of these new bikes I often slow down till he gets bored and leaves me alone…but one hour? Well done boys!
Respected Justice Akhil Klash,
as u passed nd announced ur judgement on an iconic motorcycle without actually riding it (u mentioned u haven’t rode more than 50 km !!!)… i declare ur writing a piece of shit without reading it (btw i’ve read first 5-6 lines nd ur 6/8 shitty reasons titles)..
Yours truly,
RE rider who rode 6000+ km in himalaya on my dad’s 1981 bullet without a single major breakdown.
Cool!
I second that…
Just don’t try to get false attention here…
There are thousands of ppl who just wait for their bullet and they are not fools…
Itz not just a status symbol…itz a bullet…and itz not you but the bullet which chooses you…
So keep calm and ride a bullet..
Anything else..is ordinary!!
Totally.
Bhai itni hi nafrat hai to kharidi kyu…. Oh no wait… U Thot… Sab chala rahe hai.. Kool ban rahe hai… RE ka craze hai… Mai bhi aaj kuch toofani karta hu… And u purchased a RE… TOO late to realize the bike isn’t meant for… And u claim to have ridden 500 as well… N yet u announce that RE’s r slow… To me it seems like ure riding some 100 CC BIKE with a badge of RE on it.
That’s what it seems like to me as well!
Nice article showing your fury on RE. I do respect it.
But I beg to differ as some points are fundamentally flawed because of the persons on RE whom you encountered. What weighed there is totally unrelatable to the machine.
Dear Akhil,
There is point 9, and which in my opinion has to be #1. That is,
RESPECT towards fellow biker. Don’t hate them because of their choice of bike. I also hate articles written by RE enthusiasts degrading other bikes. That’s totally uncalled for. I respect every two wheeler, even those on cycles and compliment. Yes I have had my share of problems with my Classic 500, still I love it. I just have this pleasure towards cruisers.
Just don’t be one among them. The only reason why I didn’t opt for a bike like ktm is to avoid that urge to test the throttle for extra speed. You never know the traffic in India, a rickshaw wala or an Auto driver in front can show his hand and come in front of you any time. Ride not Race. There’s a video shared by parents of a dead rider who rode his sports bike on street to create awareness against riding fast on streets. It cost the life of their son.
Without dwelling further, respect others choice. RESPECT THE RIDER and not his fancy towards his machine.
Great article and I hope you would acknowledge a RE rider once. You both can be nearest of buddies cause you two are RIDERS.
Regards 🙂
Pleasure. Next time a guy on RE shows attitude, you know what to do 😉 There are many these days who purchase it for showing some. And I showed too by typing a lengthy reply without first saying a ‘Very Happy New Year’. Not too late. Wishes mate 🙂
And to you!
I respect you for sure Kamesh for a very nice comment, much nicer than my article! Cheers 🙂
This posts’ comments are the funniest! Honestly entertaining what pepl come up with 🙂
Haha, yeah Manu, but upto a limit only!
Akhil, u my long-lost twin brother or something?!
LOL, probably yes my friend!
U ll never get the pride of ride in any other bike.. wen u hit 120 in ur bike most ll say ” how fast it is..” but wen. U here the thump every one ll turn their head saying its a enfield. …
You are funny man, I like you!
Santosh nice reply all these people like girl who cant sit for long time on RE . great bro j have my own 1963 RE well maintained . m using it since 2007 after my uncle gave me. And ride it approx 2 lakh km all over the country. As these guys saying the bike give u problem so I am asking these guys are the other bike won’t. And tubless tyres. I have seen them puncture like hell and there is no puncture wala for these tubless tyre arround 200 km for both side ( up and down ) on my way to kanyakumari from delhi with these pulser lover. After that incident the guy came to RE. So people don’t say it is bullshit its BULL and u can’t sit on it.
Ok.
5500 redline on the Bullet AVL and 10k or so on the R15…but the gearing and torque make it an equal contest -But, the fuel consumption is milder on the R15. And i always keep the revs close to the redline!
Take any bike you want – and tweak it the way we do with computers/phones/software. i’ve done it for the past 30 years; w/o any major know-how. it is easy to do a few crucial tweaks and get what you are satisfied with -for the potential of the bike.There are limitations, obviously, but 30-40% increase is good enough what 🙂
i am Akhil’s friend now, after joining this debate. Well – i’ve had souped-up RD350s doing 150+ in a few secs in 3rd to 4th gear (no gps those days!) in the mid ’80s. Now – FYI most of you young folk do not know what the current alloy Bullet engines are; or not. They were redesigned totally.Google AVL, Harris chassis and ‘trials’ bikes – the origins of RE. And who said heavy?!!! i ride my 2003 T-bird like an RX and it is almost faster than my R15. So learn pepl. And for Indian kuccha roads /no roads the Bull is the one. No contest. Unless you spend a few lakhs for a Dakar rally type machine.
Kudos Akhil and Oops I stumbled on this, after buying Thunderbird!!! 😀 And in fact I loved reading your points. Worth mentioning is the point relating to Spokes and fucking heavy!! Damn.
But then, rather not defending myself, I’m getting good mileage of 45 kmpl and not yet blessed with flat tyre, I’m considering myself lucky 😀
I wanted to buy Duke, but got big no from everyone 😉 That happens when you are in thirties 😀
Anyways, expecting more great articles from you!
Cheers!
Aniruddha
Cheers mate! I wish you never get a flat in your life, and your mileage rivals a Platina 🙂
Hi sweetheart… Ever heard about the Raid De Himalaya?? Well, if you havent read up on that first… then watch this… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5cfywahl0o, and then STFU!! 😛
That is really impressive!
I am a duke 390 PRIDE Owner and i agree with all the points above. A comment for DINO THE DOG, Bullets have 350 CC or 500 Thunderbird engine, or even Cafe Racer, but I have beaten all of them on Delhi and Gurgaon roads. I can beat them all day long. Bullet owners, i respect you but i think you buy them because you have no courage to handle mean machines like duke or ninjas.
One more thing to add is all RE owners have attitude and big head, but still stare at Duke on every red light and think ” I got more metal but Duke guy has more Balls”
I hope i have not offended anyone. LOL
That’s a wrong thing to hope Trinayan 🙂
It’s not about racing, but it’s quite ridiculous to claim that any RE can beat any Duke, anywhere. Having said that, the comment section of this article is already a temple of ridiculousness!
its not about courage buddy…. its just plain choice of patience in this world full of free loaders.
Fast bikes are not meant for indian roads. i love Speed… but only if i am rushing for an important meeting or trying to be punctual for something. Speed has to be enjoyed by everyone its thrilling to share it but not to spoil/spill someones beer… you ll get it.. To take you on a technical ride i can tune the cafe racer with the same mileage or a little less than Duke to give you a race of on a straight stretch of road for 10 KM(say 5 to save embarrassment) without a single drop in cylinder speed.By also changing the compression by adding a separate silencer. You ll lose big time with a margin of 1 Km. to be frank i look at a duke and worry about the girl trying to sit pillion…. and in disgust on the design. KTM bikes dont loook good… Bajaj are better looking. i would go for 400 NS than a KTM.
we dont have attitude buddy… its because you cant handle the patience or the slow pace in life.
Whatever you say dog.
Hello Mate, I believe this is your honest opinion regarding Royal Enfield. Though I own a Bullet and love it to the core, I definitely agree with you to an extent.
1. Speed: A 55 year old Cast Iron engine mated to an even older Albion gearbox will give you vibes, not speed upon throttling. Add an age old chasis, and matters get only worse.
Well, not all motorcycles are for speed are they? A Yezdi/RE is happiest at 40, while an RD350 is happiest at triple digit speeds… but both are incredible fun nonetheless!
2. Reliability – Personally, I haven’t found the Japs to be overtly reliable either. I guess the usual law of machines would apply here. Maintain the machine well, and she’ll run well.
3. Noisy – Well, the stock mufflers are quite silent these days actually. Its the host of aftermarket mufflers that you’re talking about I presume.
4. Bad Breaks — Definitely Agree.. The brakes in a bullet have the same braking properties of Cheese, or Wood i guess. Wait, wood will fare better I think.
5. Mileage – This depends on driving characteristics wouldn’t you say? And it would be wrong for a 350 CC to be as efficient as a 200 CC.
6. Weight – Yeah. It sure is heavy. But think of it, if it weren’t for so much of dead weight how would this bike handle those million vibrations every second?
7. RIMS — They should change. I guess the Conti GT has tubeless Pirellis. I’m not sure though! RE must think about this.
8. Waiting period — Trust me, I don’t think the enfield chaps expected this kind of demand. Obviously, the market caught them unawares. But that is no excuse for their laziness.
As much as I love my Bullet, I loathe the fact that Enfield has taken all its lovers for granted. When this stops, they will begin to improve and give us better motorcycles.
Hey man, the day RE stops taking their customers for granted, I would probably be the first guy running to their showroom with a fist full of cash 🙂 Thanks for an extremely nice comment, you got my respect!
Who ever the hell you are ! Just stay away from Bullets !
You don’t belong here to be called as a biker !
Every bike has its own charm and a pure biker cherishes them..Respect That
No.
What is no? 🙂
That No is for your Respect that.
Real fun reading your blog….LOL. I guess you are some one who’s grapes are sour.
You must be a skinny guy or an average build who could not lift the weight of the bike. Also have no patience in life. The perception of not buying a Bullet is totally mental and nothing technical. Please be reminded that RE has improved a lot in these years.
Lets go by your blog and point out the opinion that you have against RE bullet.
1. Bullets are fucking slow – No dude grow up…. the 350 CC can be tuned as per the riders preference. Why would they come with the same engine of cafe racer… i have raced a Duke and he lost in the indian roads… with the right distance a Duke failed….. waaaaaa…. i dont want to boast but its the rider and the mechanic who works on his machine.
2. Royal Enfields are unreliable: No mia… they are as stable as Horse. i have seen people working on the engine more than you… you need to learn to keep your engine tuned and understand the torque. Chain is just an excuse…. change it every 13000 KM. or remove few nuts to shorten as per weather… keep a smooth shift in gear and the sprokets will be fine.
3. Bullets are noisy – and the bad kind of noisy: Man not as noisy as Duke…. its crazy. feels like you are riding a lawn mower. My kid used to freak out hearing that noise…. Proper oil change keeps the engine noise down. and adjust the tappet for the thump. People in those states are attention seekers. Even you are for sure. but these days everyone has a bike above a lac. so you are no different.
4. Bullets have really bad brakes: Who gives you these info… ride one you ll know. its always 60:40.
Any bike. And a disk works on high speed braking not for low speed.
5. Shitty mileage…. : huh! funny guy. i have got 45 KMPL for a 350CC atleast better than duke 25 KMPL worst idel time in Duke.
6. Bullets are unnecessarily heavy: Waaaaaa…. Baby can’t lift a 180 KG bike on 2 wheels…. egyptians could pull huge boulders on wooden logs…. weasel…
7. Bullets have spoked wheels: Dude source me some nice matt finish alloy wheels…in india. in UK i could just build me one.
8. Bullets have a fucking long waiting period: In the end… you have to earn it. not feel it….
you have a really bad friends who always complain about bullet. cut the crap and just ride dude.
stop writing shitty stuff….
Your wish is my command, NOT.
Ha ha ha!! seems u pissed off a hell of a lot of people here!!! Here’s my 2 cents. I never owned a RE, but recently took my uncles 350 machismo (1996) model across peninsular india for 2500 kms. Believe u me, i was a big RE fan until i took the bike for a 2500 km trip.
In short, RE’s are heavy metal monsters who have an engine like those of the sex appeal of porn stars. Give you a hard on while watching them moan and vroom on the screen, but once you get your hands on them, you realize that the moans are fake, and so is the ecstacy!!!
Its the same thing with an RE, looks good whole some other guy is riding it, get your hands on it, and u realize the engine is a 350cc piece of Junk that does not allow you to go faster than a bloody 10 year old pulsar!!!!
There are bikes and there are bikes. My 25 year old yezdi and my 15 yr old RX give me more power and speed than compared to an enfield.
Yes there is the charm of riding an enfield, the heavy feel, the thump, the looks of envy you get on a highway, the comfort while driving long distances, i will not deny that, but more than that, its like those movies in eastman colour. Nice to see once in a while to feel nostalgia, but investing 1.5 lakhs to feel nostalgia, hell no!
And for all the hardcore RE fans, well, if owning and riding one makes you more of a MAN and if RE is for MEN, then touche for your 1.5 lakh rupee manhood! 🙂
Agreed mate!
He he – you better love the comments Akhil – this post will live forever 🙂
Unfortunately yes, tired of this shitfest!
Ouch! 😉 😀
Bro you are just mentally disturbed..
Please take psychiatric treatments…
I am sure it will heal your wounds…
RE gives me 430km in just 11 ltr petrol
You know some good doctor?
Man , you are cool..!! I am a RE rider and might not agree with your point of view completely , but the way you have handled the comments is respectable. !!
kudos.
Haha, thanks Neeraj!
With the 1st point you have made to the top of the list of Ppl RE should block from selling a RE…. You are advising to ride above speed limits …… You are the yoyo bike of riders ….. ROP (ride on plastic) Bro (Bikers Restricted to Operate)
?
Dude you missed out the 7th point – My family didn’t allow me to buy one ….. And you are wondering why …. Let me tell you why coz they know kids can’t ride RE.
And dude most importantly guys who ride RE don’t buy it they own it.
You will get the right defination of RE riders once you are in the right company …… Till then ride safe 😉
Always do.
I stay in Mumbai and all of a sudden i have seen hell lot RE’S on the road, bet desert strom / Thunder Bird / Calssic. Most of these buyers are the ones who have ridden may be a Honda / Yamaha / Susuzuki but have never ridden an old enfield / yezdi / Rajdoot or i would say are a first generation old school bikes / retro bike users. These RE users must have been longing to buy RE and has got hold of one now, wihout knowing the fact that RE doest handle the way these 100 or 200 cc bikes are handled. RE’s are no doubt machines that still use old technology or you can call it as acoustic guitar in the world of Electric guitar. Its not a “fill it shut it and forget it bikes”. The new generation of RE users are even dumping these bikes as they cant handle it and blame the bike or company, saying its not a great bike. If you are riding a RE, bear in mind that you are riding a history or legacy.You are riding a vintage bike. I ride a 1996 RE and i know it takes a great deal of care and maintenace to keep it in great shape. Its not epensive to keep it great maintenace and shape, all it takes is regular key in ( at least twice a week). Well oiling and cleaninng ( looks great as well by doing this). You got to love your bike and you should have passion for these bikes. Or else please continue using the 100 cc and 200 cc bikes, dont be a poser coz u aint worth such vintage machines. enjoy the thump, enjoy the ride, enjoy the breakdowns. and for your guidance Mr Article writter, its a simple bike with simple mechanics. if you are too fragile and too soft to even lift its parts, then you have picked a wrong bike. Continue riding your toy bike. you dont deserve this!!
Good plan!
Absolutely right.now a days boys cant take risk.bullet is made for men.Not for crying babies
I had my Tbird 350 from 2004 to 2008……did over 100 Mumbai-Pune trips in 2 years ( Pashan/Baner to Andheri West was in under 2 hrs on good days )
Awesome!
Man how i totally agree with you… Im selling my tbts 500 now 😀 plannin on getting an ns or and r15 …
Good decision my friend!
before i say anything. let me clear i was not a RE fan always. i was full on Yamaha fan Long live Rossi i use to own RX135 then FZ16 and r15v2. But times change now i own Electra and classic.
this is for my brother AK.
firstly RE has a very differnt class of Riders. it has a very differnt fan following, to prove it i went to all the comments below i hardly found any angry owner of RE. if you go to other websites where they compare 220 vs 180 vs fz and stuff you will find lot of angry crowd. most of the RE owners are calm even if you say bad about it.
i dont wish to say anything about what you have written. As it hardly effects the riders who want to buy RE, guys who want to buy RE go to showrooms to book it not to sit on google and compare it.
tho i dont see any point of comparisson.its a tottaly different segment.
i can never make one understand the answers to your questions because it not possible to describe it in words. not everyone can understand why people buy RE or why they love them, its more like the RE chooses you insted of you choosing it. i was once just like you. hated RE. now i love it the most.
my father says with all that power graphics and stuff you still can not make donkey a horse. RE will be RE it doesnt need to copy anyone after all its that horse iam talking about. Boys Ride Bikes Men Ride Royal Enfield.
no hard feeling, iam a big fan of your writing. keep up the good work. few of your articles are amazing.
Thanks mate!
Of course.
hi sushant, I appreciate the way you have put up ur words here… Before i tell anything further, let me share little about myself…… I am from bangalore, currently living in delhi.. I am a fan of old machines… I have a 1995 RE.. Still everything as in stock… I read this post, every word… yes akhil, took out all the tough sides of a enfield… I jus have few things to share to tell him that ” yes he is right in the points mentioned, but its jus his perspective on it “.
1. he spoke about speed, who said Enfields are slow? do you really think a enfield cant go fast? Then you are wrong my friend akhil.. it might be that the guys u followed wanted a different joy of riding and u wanted some thing different.. and off-course it is a shitty job to follow someone driving slow!! but not driving slow!! there is a difference!!
2. Reliability – touch wood, i maintain my bike pretty well.. and i spend atleast an hour every week to check on things.. cleaning up… And it never gave me a trouble!! its simple with RE, you respect her, she will show the respect back..
3. Noisy – Yes that is because of few people who tweak too much!! they are show offs!! but its common with all bikes- is it not? I have seen soo many RX100, pulsar, etc with same tweaks on exhaust and they scream!! there is nothing specific about enfield, it about the people and their attitude..
4. Bad Breaks — It does what it is required, and now a days its soo simple u get disk breaks.. and there is nothing to complain about it.. it is as good as any of your normal bikes..
5. Mileage – yeah it is a 350cc and 500cc machines, i get a decent 35 on city and 40 on highway!! for the kind of care i have taken on my enfield…. Whats the complaint here really? I had a rx100, it never gave me above 35.. i had a pulsar 220, never above 35-40 mark.. take honda cbr250, duke 390 does these bikes give you above 40kmpl mark?? As simple as that, want mileage take a splendor, discover,etc… each bike has a different audience and different purpose!!
6. Weight – As i already said, each bike is build differently. they hold different genes.. its actually a pleasure to drive a heavy bike.. this is not my perception or something.. search for choppers in US, harleys… why are they soo heavy for nothing.. bcoz these bikes are not for speeding, racing stuff to work on aero dynamics, power to weigh ratios… this is not for what you have in your mind.. its for people who want it..
7. RIMS — To be frank yes it should change!! but if you talk about tyre getting burst and stuff.. its jus hilarious… we have been using tubes and tyres for more than a century by now.. if you have a good tyre/tube and have a proper check on the pressure.. nothing soo serious will happen… beyond all that if it happens, i rather bet that even on tubeless tyres there are chances to burst.. Please check some youtube/google if you dont believe me..
8. Waiting period — hoooo yeah, young buds, so you called current scenarios – have started dreaming big!! thats the reason.. may be my dad waited months to get an enfield, but it is still servings its best to his son, may be it will carry forward to grand sons…. But the bike i got first for myself without any waiting or pain is already in trash.. FYI, my first bike was a cbz, my first love.. but it could not serve more than 1lakh kilometers run.. you can say what did i expect more than that from a bike? but ask the same question to my enfield, it is still running.. its been 2 decades and driven all over the country…..
@SUSHANT: it was well said by you, that Enfield fans / riders they never abuse or for crazy on comments on such posts… YES, there is no need for it, we are matured enough to understand the fancy kids around!! because even we started with all the comfort, power and crazy shits…. EOD after doing all that tops and stunts we now settled to Royal Rides….
@Akhil: as i said before, well yes your words are true enough…. But it is just that you wanted something called ABC and you went digging too much about XYZ.. and you found it stupid…
Simple Human Psychology : “” Things that you dont want / like will always look stupid in your eyes” and for the things you like, you will always find atleast one good reason for hold on it””
“” be it a bike or a girl “”….. thats the reason why your girl friend looks more beautiful to you than to others….
You are blessed with writing skills, i enjoyed reading your NEGATIVE post.. But please dont be soo negative, and abuse a group of people / community !! Not that every one who has a RE is a fool or insane or blind, it is just that you could not see / feel the good in it…….. 😛
Wish you all a happiee new year!!
Happy New Year to you too!
Happy New Year 🙂
And you!
And as you know i’ve had RD 350s @ 150 kmph + in the ’80s
Akhil so sorry – but, for India the best bike is the RE. Onroad or off. Anyone who buys has to learn a bit to live with it:)
you said this article got you maximum traffic ..congratulations for a successfull breaking news sort of story….sansanikhez it is …i did a indore kutch(2500 km).. and .mumbai goa for rider mania…i have not done a test ride of duke so cant comment but comments on your blogs are really entertaining guyz are really senti about the bull ..even bull haters. well ..
1. on tb 500 we did couple of stretches of 100 km in one hour each average speed in north of 100kmph
2. it had a puncture but no other issues in 2500 km ride.
3. its comfy enough for riders
4. it has disc brakes and so we could handle dogs et al even when travelling above 80kmph.
just stating a few facts ,as opinions are based on presumptions and other n number of psychlogical reasons like may be you hated RE as most of RE riders you saw in childhood were show offs or you simply wanted to look different
puncture …..rode the bile slowly for a few kms…till i found a shop..but fitting of rear wheel required quite a bit of trial and error.
5. with 22 mileage and tank of 20 l …440 km is a decent enough range for a cruiser i guess
Ah, i thought you got down and dirty on the tire yourself 🙂
Yes, 440 kms is not bad at all!
You may be correct Ankit. Impressions can be forged by experiences, and as you can see through the comments, my impression of Bulls and their riders isn’t totally unfounded 🙂
How did you manage that puncture by the way?
Akhil – this is one topic that will never end. All you can do is Njoy 🙂 And please do understand [or believe me] when i say that the RE chassis is a classic design and well-suited for India (origins in trials bikes- google that) and the old CI and the later alloy engines have their own characteristics to like. i love revving my alloy AVL whereas the torque on a CI is amazing. The company and manufacturing processes are to blame not the bike. This same company killed the Fury[had one in ’87] which was a Zundapp design. Zundapp had the world record in the ’60s for the max speed on a 50cc 2-stroke.
The reliability depends on your luck [i got a good piece] and the mechanics are mostly crooks. but the bike as such is perfect for a country like ours with kucha roads more the norm. i think that anyone who buys a Bullet has to live with the pleasure and the pain; and take a bit of time to learn how to manage w/o getting cheated wholesale or stranded in the middle of nowhere.
i think it is worth it.
My first PC in 1988 was an IBM clone 386…DOS and 1 MB RAM and huge 20 MB Winchester hard drive.
A small tip to all you youngsters who seem to pontificate – any machine you you buy can be pushed/tweaked/tuned way beyond what the manufacturer gave you – just learn.
Agreed!
Haha, yeah those were the times.
In the early days of PCs in India – nobody knew much about fixing them. i had to shoo away many. i had to learn to do it myself. in those old days these PCs would crash all the time [my IBM/ Lenovo Thinkpad i use is online 24/7 since 2008]
That’s too much effort just to own a machine!
I agree with you mate! The company is to blame, 100%.
They Hate Us b’coz They Ain’t Us.. This post is waste.
Right.
My response to your observations here http://www.enidhi.net/2014/12/royal-enfield-bullet-hate-love-never-buy.html Do read and respond if you have time
Agreed mate 🙂
Writing after 5 min of laugh break….. After 3rd Point, I just read only heading and some highlighted text. Brother…. I really don’t want to people buy bullet because if you need to read blogs before proceeding to BUY Bullet!!! You guys are just unwanted traffic in between buyer and dream bike bullet!!!
And 1 more thing….This machine not for you writer….
Still writing in respect of Bullet!!!
1. Bullets are fucking slow
-This bike is not to kill & enjoy the travel time by speed but with respect… Still Try once The Thunderbird 350/500 for Speed!!
2. Royal Enfield’s are unreliable
– Love & Respect your Machine, Surely you will get it back…..
3. Bullets are noisy – and the bad kind of noisy
– Half agree, Few Bullet owner has a prob. to modify it sound….I suggest you to check non-modified Versions!!!
4. Bullets have really bad brakes
– Are you ridding very old bullet by any chance?
Check it upgraded version…and come back…
5. Bullets give shitty mileage
-150 CC bike has 60Kmpl(max)
So..350cc divided by 150cc = 2.33
So.. Technically 60 divided by 2.33 = 25.75KMPL
Where any Bullet 350CC has around 35KMPL
Even Thunderbird has 45KMPL
Well your duke also has 20Kmpl and need to refill every 220 km…
6. Bullets are unnecessarily heavy
– I hope you are not comparing it with fiber and plastic body bikes…?
Well Head of your Blog is 6 still m giving you answer for your 7th & 8th…anyways..
7. Bullets have spoked wheels
– If you like Alloy…. go for it….Showroom and even after market has ample of it….
8: Bullets have a fucking long waiting period
-This is i have already answered…but yes… You need Quality or Quantity…..??
Enjoy!!!
Oh yes one more thing…… are you serious you rode..Duke 390 on just 60-65kmph… for 50km…
Are your shoes perfect…hope it did not caught fire….
Take care buddy!!!
Hehe, no fire man, just a lot of questions 🙂
So According to your logic a triumph rocket should just give a mileage of 3.75 kmpl… Hahahaha what a buffoon… Seems like the article touched a very insecure nerve… Tsk Tsk poor guy…
I would agree with a couple of the points here. At the same time I would like to let you know a few other reasons behind buying a bullet.
First is the comfort, i have owned electra and thunderbird and the seating position is the best i could find suitable for my heavy frame :).
Second is that the body is not plastic which gives me a bit of satisfaction knowing that if i fall atleast the bike would not be completely ruined. Also, i have a good quality leg guard which might protect my legs in case of an accident. In other bikes its not possible to get one and even if it is ,it kills all the show of bike which I assume is quite important for you. 😀
Going ahead I would like to clear that i am no bullet ka diwana. It came out to be the best choice for me when i took a test ride of all bikes. The only other option was ktm 200 which was not at all practical for me as I needed the rear seat to be confortable to seat ladies. The bike was great but this point also favoured thunderbird as the seat is simple and straight not angled.
One last thing is, i dont think you have crossed me anytime on my bike. The day you do you will retract that bulleteers ride slow. In support of others it takes balls to ride it at high speed due to the weight and rolling of the bike, but when it does you will find it competitive enough. 🙂
P.S – I would really like to know which bike you have, i would have to assume its some kind of racing machine ;).
Duke 390 mate, street bike 🙂
Brother ur criticing the machine which indian army is riding for more than 50 years a fucking half century…..
Or tu yahan lecture de ra hai …. idiot
No they are not.
Have you ever thought that its stupid for the Indian any to not upgrade it’s equipment?
We keep saying they should retire the MIGs and get safer planes, and then you say this…
I agree with every single point on your blog. From being fed the idea that owning a bullet was the thing to becoming a person who advises people not to go with the RE bikes (my own take on your first six points)… You’ve nailed it.
It has been more than 2 years since I took out my bullet for a pleasure ride leave alone needy situations. Just can’t trust RE products.
I’d trust any bike which is not a RE bike
I believe why you can’t trust your bike is because its been standing for 2 years , you buffoon.
No idea what you mean, but sure why not!
Same here Raj, cheers!
Hahahaha, the only bike that everyone admires even though it’s rusty old is royal Enfield… And your toy bikes May last maximum 3 years… Then there’s always something new to take over… But bullets are of a different league…. You think your a genius and the bullet lovers aross globe are fools? Look at the mirror to witness the real fool… And yes plz don’t ride a bullet cause it’s a disgrace for the machine itself… Go play with your toys and if it’s hit with its over speed… Fix it with some glue… That’s all it’s worth of….
FOOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sure.
Well said Akhil on the 6 reasons. But these losers will never learn. The sad part is they have bought these bikes, now they have to stand by its side coz no other choice But to defend it, let the dogs bark.
That’s tha plan 🙂
Bloddy oldies ride this royal Enfield. It’s like having a flour mill under your ass, it’s so bloddy slow and iv seen guys struggling to ride this in traffic. Pity these souls of RE
As i told you earlier Akhil – i was born in ’65 but i still love revving engines (RD350s etc etc ~ 20+bikes in the past) and i redline my tweaked [K&N/NGK Iridium?jetting] Bullet AVL T-bird easily…as i do my tweaked R15. Inside town [Madras aka Chennai] and on highways. Love the R15’s handling on road; and the T-bird offroad – though it is almost faster than the R15 on road 🙂
2003 till date not blown anything in the engine on my AVL, running with original clutch plates still;never even trued the wheels!
Awesome!
Haha, that sounds fun!
Lol, flour mill 😛
Which bike do you own
Duke 390
After reading your 8 reasons it seems that u r just a pussy and very much afraid to handel The Mighty RE.
Itz a man’s ride not a toy of lil kids like you.
Are u even sure that u r a guy
Yep.
Very good article and well written. U forgot how a lot of them put that annoying air horn too. The modified exhaust should be banned, it throws exhaust on my face, if m riding behind. The air horn and modified exhaust, should be banned, because some people need rules to understand common sense. I can respect the bullet in its non pretentious, useless avatar. Its the new age wannabes that piss me off.
Same here man!
I think this jerk didn’t even see a bullet…wtf did you write..me owning since 2.5 years…none of your shit matching…43-55kmpl, 1300 kms in 2.5 days ND went for a party after that(comfort) etc etc…you don’t have to chose bullet..because it’s a shame to tell others that you too owning Bullet
?
People abusing the author of this article and questioning his gender are proof of what kind of people own Bullets…
Instead of respecting his opinion and trying to logically explain their own point of view, they feel that somehow calling names is going to make them more of a man (??) …Guess it’s just a reflection of their real lives…riding loud annoying unreliable machines to beg for attention…
If you own a Bullet and are happy, good for you…If your Bullet is reliable (hehe…don’t lie on this point…), even better.. If your bike takes you safely from point A to B..or if it breaks down every 100 yards, the author isn’t going to commend you or come to push your bike for you….
The author isn’t pressurizing you to sell it or discard it. Grow up…He has an opinion…and a fairly good sense of humor… 🙂 I loved the article as I feel most of the points reflect the reality of the “Bullet-cult” in our country… More of herd mentality than using their own brains…
Pity most of the responses here from people defending the very unreliable bike are so defensive and immature…
True. Honestly, my writing style also elicits such defensiveness!
Hi Akhil,
Looks like you spent a lot of time writing this than actually testing the bike for real world conditions. However that is your view and you are free to have one.
I have been riding one for the last 11 years and could not relate to nay of the points coz there is always a pessimistic view to a situation.
But at the end of the day, thanks for writing this as this may help all the real enfield buyers in getting their bikes early as all the others who might get convinced not to buy were not the ones Enfield was targeting in the first place.
Cheers !!
Haha, amen to that!
you must be really blind… 😀
Just thought I’d add my own thoughts to this post…
I’ve been riding bikes for 25 years, just sold my triumph 955i and bought a new bullet 500
I’ll answer your points 1st.
1. Bullets are fucking slow
Yes they are slow, I’ve had smaller capacity engines that have gone quicker, my last bike was 147 bhp and the bullet is under 30.
2. Royal Enfields are unreliable
reliability… Mine is brand new so can’t comment, but my old race tuned Yammha 2 strokes were the pits for reliability. The RE is over engineered, if looked after, it should be bomb proof
3. Bullets are noisy – and the bad kind of noisy
no, mine sounds fine thank-you
4. Bullets have really bad brakes
yes, this could be much better, I’m going to re engineer the front disc brake. 4pot calipers and braded hoses should do the trick, I had to do this on all my previous Japanese bikes.
5. Bullets give shitty mileage
this may be true, but I don’t care too much about that, and given that you seem unimpressed with the speed, I guess you aren’t worried about it either. Fast and fuel efficiency are not compatible
6. Bullets are unnecessarily heavy.
Don’t think so, the design may not have been optimised for weight, but I don’t see unnecessary weight. Lighter weight materials cost more. The engine is a stressed member so the choice / thickness of materials could be limited by that.
The Centre of Gravity is really low, so the weight isn’t noticeable to me.
7. Bullets have spoked wheels.
Yes this is true, but in my entire career I’ve never had a flat… Riding in the UK and Europe.
8: Bullets have a fucking long waiting period.
This may be true in India, but not here, bought one on the spot.
I wanted a nice looking, comfortable bike to ride slower and enjoy the journey. The bullet 500 fits the bill. I’ve had bikes that can go stupidly fast, and, if I want I can get another one. I think most RE owners know that there are faster, lighter, sportier, louder, cheaper bikes, but RE still has a full order book.
Hey Brian, nice to see a “foreigner’s” view on REs. I guess a lot of things change between continents 🙂
I agree with what you’ve said here. The purpose of this article can be gauged from some of the other comments you’ll find that are not as logical as yours.
it is like comparing Harley Davidson to some Japanese bike . Bullet is for a MAN not boys . See some of the pros below
Pros
Technically
1.Lesser need of changing gears in traffic at low speeds
2.Good Balance and road grip on high speed , your plastic bikes are so unstable at high speed.
3. Least exertion on long trips
4. Practically, you can go anywhere, where no other bike can
5. Durable engine and body
6. Most powerful headlamp in segment
Things that you get free
1.stand out of the crowd
2. Feeling of being the real men. It complements a good height and body .
3. Your bike will never get outdated.
Lastly , before you copy someone else’s article , give them some credit as well .
BTW I have copied most of the above from the net .
LOL!
I guess this guy is not tall enough to ride any RE bike. Anyways have you ever heard of any plastic bike 20 yrs old and still maintaining the aura. There you got your answer.
No I didn’t.
Yes i have heard and seen plastic bikes like kawasakis 25 years old and out on a world tour…
I agree completely with you Akhil. Bullets are a pain in the ass (even when you’re not on one). When I bought my first bike I always wanted to get an experience of the Bull because of the hype. I have an Apache, which is uncomfortable as hell. So I found the riding position a bit relaxing for cruising, and pick-up wasn’t half bad; may be because it was just out of the showroom. But I am a speed freak and I like that punchy-handy ready to unleash pick up the Apache has, no matter how much it hurts my balls and ass. The over-amplified exhaust note is a sheer pain to the ears while on the road and you’re behind one bullet. I have seen more bullet owners ignoring the traffic rules than any other motorcycle rider, they rarely wear a helmet or any other motorcycling gear. Bullet overtime has become a style-symbol to people because of its portrayal in Punjabi songs and movies, and has lost the original tag of being a motorcycle. Though I have seen Bullets running fast by a bunch of RE 500s touring around Dehradun to Ponta Sahib route.
Great article man, like always a great fun to read.
Thanks Harsh!
This article was about the bull & not the bullshit. Ignorance of Traffic rule which you are talking about is nothing to relate with RE. You made assumption that all bullet rider are the same, but that not the case everywhere.
if you want to ride fast, you have to have gurts in you & its againt nothing to go with which bike you have. One of my friend used to reach Mumbai (borivali) from Pune (wakar area) in around 1 hrs 30 mts. Km wise it will not be less then 200 km by road.
I am reaching 10 km in 12 mts max every day from my place to office on bullet. As i said riding is about daring & having bullet is feel of royalty which on other bike you wont get.
Look man, I didn’t commented to start an argument here. I know there are all kinds of riders out there, hence what I wrote was just limited to the ones I have seen. I respect the legacy the Bullet has, and honestly it does feel great to be on one. But, lately, it has lost the charm of being a motorcycle and has become an item to showoff to the world, which I sincerely think is disrespecting a machine.
Every person has collected different experiences in their lifetime, and therefore there are different kinds of opinions that follow. I wrote what I saw, but that does not mean it applies to everybody. Sure you feel that you’re comfortable riding slower with royalty and I don’t feel the same way, that’s our individual opinions and none of us is right or wrong.
I hope you don’t take it the wrong way. At the end we both are motorcycle fanatics and we are here share our passion and not to fight about it.
Cheers! 🙂
You can.
My dick would shrivel and fall off like a dead wart if these comments were posted in an article I wrote. I see that it hasn’t affected you a bit. Way to go. =D
Try to love what your parents and ancestors loved. Today’s world is striving to do that and it is failing miserably. This is one thing which has overcome all the hardships (unlike HM, Ambassador)
KTM won’t give a shit about you or Indians per se for your price’less support (with only two models under one brand released, the quantum of support you provide is way too much). They have a larger market to concentrate. While on the other hand Royal Enfield’s larger market is India.
It is like accusing Lance Armstrong & Michael Phelps for using Ganja (surprisingly performance enhancing drug) and getting back their medals. If you think that is right then your whole thought process is not syncing with the developments now.
The world still needs Lance, Phelps & RE.
I totally lost you after the first line. Thanks for stopping by anyway!
i think instead of writing “6 reasons why I would never buy a Royal Enfield!” you should have written, “6 reasons why i would buy a plastic toy to travel from point A to point B”
I had a pulsar for 5 years – done 60,000 Km before selling it.
Now, I own a classic 350, 2yrs, 3 months – done 33,000 Km and still going good.
Never speak of reliability, if you have not owned a RE. days are gone, new age RE are really cool to maintain. I was never let down by my bike. never I got stranded on road for any reasons.
Yes, Speed – because of morons like you, my rear number plate is mostly hit by plastic bike riders who want to jump signals. I had traveled @ 100 K MPH in my bike, i had tested it it was rock solid even at that speed. but I do not prefer to ride it that way always!! when it is needed MY Classic 350 can reach 3 digit speed.
If you are a college goer then RE is not for you, because you think girls fall for speed.
You do not get a Rolls Royce off the shelf, so do you mean to say long waiting period is not good ?? the man you buys his bull is ready to wait.
Bullets are heavy – yes, it is actually good. even in case of a sudden fall, the bike wont be dragged too long and less injury.
I enjoy having a Bull and the taste differs from person to person. Do not compare a Bull with the Japanese bikes
Whatever you say.
You r a shit dude! I understand that u have no idea about RE and over all no room about the feeling in your life… So jus quit putting your comments about anything, as you are wasting our time…
Right away.
Hi Akhil
Nice detailed information. In the past I’ve rode the RE classic, the TB and the Lightning. But have never owned one, planning to never own one. My bike ownership is restricted to Yamaha RX, Splendor and currently Vespa LX. I use car for long rides. These are my 2 cents about the RE and others.
Pros:
1) Riding posture is the best of all I’ve rode. Taller people / people with bigger leg length go for RE, shorter ones go for Avenger.
2) Handles better than other bikes when cornering potholes.
3) Most stable braking of all I have rode (even the drum brakes are good). It is not the matter of whether the brakes are good, braking also has to do with the weight distribution that prevents skidding. What’s the use of brakes that stop you on a dime, if you skid?
Cons:
1) Waiting period depends on your luck.
2) Not at all efficient.
3) Finding a parking spot / parking is a challenge.
4) If you don’t fall carefully, you could fracture. Same doesn’t happen with Yamaha / Splendor.
Overall verdict:
A lot of time people think that biking is riding cross-country through green fields, pure air, horizon, cruising. Let’s call that Art1. But there is also another art of biking. Going to office on time, going to crowded city malls, rushing to meet an appointment, carrying a parent for shopping, those city roads where autos / buses / madmen ride crazily on your path. This is a less spoken-of art.Let’s call that Art2. Even hardcore bikers will use Art2 for 300+ days of the year, and Art1 for 65- days of the year.
The majority of people who use Art2 can do fine without a RE. As for the majority of people who use Art1, why pay Rs 1,00,000+ to buy the RE when you can pay slightly more and get a decent 2nd hand car? You can still go “biking” on a car with AC, and you’re protected against weather too !!
Talking in corporate terms, the RE can be eliminated for more efficient travel.
Very logical comment there! I agree that REs are a bad idea for efficient travel, but that’s coming from a guy full of bad ideas. There is little logic in the motorcycling business, but REs are just far too illogical for me to have ANY fun on 🙂
Pehli baar kisi ko ye online bol raha hun, maaf kijiyega lekin aap chutiya hain You are such a boy!
I really am a boy, with all the dick and balls thingy.
well i own both a duke and bullet… and akhil ur just too opinionated to realize the fun in a bullet..may be you dont like it..your loss…you are a less versatile biker thats all i can say..and all you said about bullet weel it seems such old info… I drive my bullet at 120 on highways…It is reliable and true it may not be optimized design but that sure as hell has nothing to do with the fact that it has been handmade…and for the noise thing, if people want their presence felt they will do it on every darn bike they own…and if you are buying a duke or bullet i dont think you should think about mileage…and the spokes are a symbol…i think you are too ignorant to understand the concept of niche market or symbols…if you r in biking just for the speed then you are mistaken…biking is when all you want is a pair of wheels under you and a long road ahead.
OK.
P.S. i love DUKE i think its awesome.
well few of the things u mentioned are totally wrong, because i know most about the bike as i work in the company. One of the bike does give u a mileage which is 40kmpl+, try the bullet 500cc. Also the manufacturing unit uses the automation and what not for the production, in fact we roll off a bike for every 5 minutes, the bikes we produce in a day are actually meeting the demand or the order that came 6-7 months before. The bikes do use a good amount of technology but not totally updated gadgets. I too hate the bike, as it got more cons than pros, and what u said about brakes and the weight is totally acceptable, and this comes from a personal experience because last month NOV 11th I met with an accident. Nothing major happened as i was riding between 40-50kmph, but I lost control of the bike so I fell down and the bike fell on my ankle and totally disloacted it. And now im typing this whole thing lying on my bed wishing I would walk soon!!
Bad luck Gautam, get well soon!
Just try to understand that there are different philosophies around.. i personally prefer riding slowly.. but it’s not fun when i ride slowly on my brother’s FZ.. i feel something is lacking.. its a whole different thing riding slowly on a bullet.. u got bored of riding alone for 400 kms but you can see people on bullets riding alone for 4000 kms…while your title is perfectly justified personal view point, the content in itself is probably ridiculing to bullet lover.. but i have seen bullet lovers ridiculing those who prefers faster bikes too… never seems to understand each other..
sound and everything else you mentioned are stuffs others,like me, loves… bullets are heavy? well, that gives some extra boost to their male egos.. more testosterone cant be bad .. if u don’t like heavy bikes, u could have chosen to mention that rather than taking illogical digs…
anyways, keep writing
Will do!
Here are 6 reason why you should keep mouth shut and study before posting
I own TB350.
1)U said bad mileage?? TB give me approx 40kmpl in city..which is far better then any of your PLASTIC toys(>180cc).
2)U said bad brakes?? RE game me disc on both wheels
3)U said waiting period? I got mine within 2 weeks.
4)U said Noise??? Common KTM have loud noise of auto and New RE have less noise
5)U said they are heavy? RE gave this for our own god…Because Heavy bikes can withstand Storm(wind speed is high) efficiently then your PLASTIC bikes.
6) U said unreliable?? I dont think sow…
One showroom owner of plastic bikes also said to my friend that you shold buy RE then these
and STUPID MORON LIKE YOU SHOULD NEVER BUY THESE LEGENDS
Ever heard of RD 350?
Yes?
xD
Well I cant agree with you on this….
i own Thunder Bird 350….
1) Mileage far better hen your plastic toys..(approx 40kmpl in city).
2)Speed i maintain speed about 80-90…and those believe this is slow also need to book a Hospital bed before going on ride,
3)I got this bike within 2 week so invalid point on waiting period
4)So whats bad about spoke?? u can install alloys too between you dont get puncture on those tires easily even after 20000 km.
5)Well i think it is heavy for our own good because if there is thunder storm(speed of wind is very fast) your shitty plastic toys cant handle that much… but we can and experienced the same.
6) You say brakes?TB350 got disc brakes in both wheels and you stupid moron drive carefully and start braking some time before.
6)Noisy??? i think some of your PLASTIC toys are noisy much and new RE is not noisy .
Now these are 6 reason to keep your MOUTH SHUT and study before posting
Well Said bro.. \m/
Thanks mate!
Sure.
awesome write up,,, cant agree more,, i have a 200 ns and would like it with the 390 and gummy rubber
NS is an awesome bike man, have fun!
Seems very valid points… I rented a Harley Davidson street 750 recently for 2 days and renting a Dessert Storm this week. Let me try to validate these points
Please do!
I am not RE fan but it Seems the author of this blog is Bigdail Aulad of a rich person who is giving too silly reason.. What can you expect from a duke rider who grown pampered too much that found bullet so noisy. hahahaha..1st one reason about speed is hillarious.. thats why these kind of guys are dying on road accident daily.. Bullet is much affordable, safe, reliable bike for indian roads..You will never find casuality of a bullet rider.. Atleast bullet can be repaired but if your duke fails then you need a truck for it… stop all this bullshit and go drive your duke in european expressway..
With pleasure.
xman yman ,, tum bachpan se fuddu ho ya koi course kiya hai??
Bull shit reasons
Being a fellow 390 owner is totally agree to what you have to say. They might call you GAY or probably abuse and stuff they can’t admit how much the “BULLET” sucks. I mean Bro you could be busy checking out the scenery and the clouds but us we’re. Head turners and as far as women are concerned be it any girl the 390 attracts more than women it attracts kids who keep staring at the bike as the fall in love with the whole idea of a need beauty. Okay Bullet is overhyped because it is one of the oldest bikes if the country and our fathers have respected it. It was their generation now it’s ours things change but some people don’t. Well as it is everyone has their perspective. I go with naked sports others can keep thumping their hearts. Thank you.
Well great job man keep killing them.
bull riders dont need a bike to impress women. unlike unsecure kids riding a 390 and feeling jealous when all the attention they get is a dog pissing on their bike
akhil,, u are absolutely right ,,, but these retard bull riders , no point showing them logic or sence , if they had it , they would have a propper bike,, not bits and bobs bolted to a metal frame
U bought a bike to attract women……. how low!!! and duke looks like it was styled by someone with only a ruler so dont talk about beauty.!! _/\_
1. I dont keep count of number of miles I do so I dunno how many miles I’ve ridden or driven but 60,000 seems pretty small and 50 seems too close to 0!
2. There are two kinds of people who buy cars and bikes. The first buy them because they love bikes and cars and driving and riding, these guys spend time and effort in upkeep of their machines. The other kind use the bikes and cars to go from home to work etc. I still cannot figure out why they buy instead of just taking the bus!
3.I do kinda see what the author is talking about as he seems to have ridden only the alloy block REs. Now, many would agree with me that the CI block bikes are the ones to own. My personal all time fav is the CI 500.
4. I laughed at most of the points not because I own a Bullet (alloy / CI) but because my bike has all the virtues mentioned in the article – just magnified a bit. No, I do not own a bullet, I own a Rajdoot (Yamaha) RD350 and my 30 year old darling will knock the socks off any bike that is fast, reliable, quiet, have good brakes (BTW – will someone teach the author about engine-braking), give good mileage, have fancy wheels, technologically advanced and are readily available off the shelf.
5. I ride because it puts a grin on my face not because of some other rubbish. If anyone knows of a CI 500 for sale, please let me know and anyone touching my bike will get his arm shot off if lucky and my aim is off, If my aim is true he’ll get his head shot off!!
Cheers,
Cheers!
Point 1 – That’s a stupid argument.
Point 2 – Have heard it used to be true, am guessing it’s slightly better now but not as reliable as most other bikes.
Point 3 – Individual perspective. But, considering the noise pollution in our country, the old loud ones can definitely be put out of production completely.
Point 4 – Can’t speak for that, but folks above have commented it’s true.
Point 5 – Goes back to technological advancement. You’d really want a bike that’s almost the cost of a Maruti Alto to be more technologically advanced.
Point 6 – Individual perspective again. if riders like it and the company can ensure the weight doesn’t reduce the mileage drastically, hey, then who are we to complain? But, the weight increasing the stability – that’s a physics point and is true. The author was joking, I’m sure, but tying 25kg dumbbells to it will bring down the centre of gravity and stabilize it more.
Point 7 – I thought the article said ‘6 reasons’. grrr.. If the author is right about spoked wheels not permitting tubeless tires, oh wow, that’s a major no-no in today’s era.
Point 8 – The author is right, and I’m sure it’s a marketic ploy. Being ‘hand-made’ or ‘hand-painted’ and what not is a bad excuse/reason.
That said – the author has the right to say why he doesn’t like a RE. Others have a right to say why they do. Calling him names or suggesting he’s not a ‘rider’ because of his opinion just makes you sound stupid.
Thanks for your comment Sandeep, cheers!
You should buy a Hero Splendor and enjoy it man. And when you grow up few years then visit a Royal Enfield showroom.
Ok.
james,,,, did ur loved ones tell u that you are a born retard or have they kept it a secret from you,,
and this is why you get beaten up!! i bet you had a horrible childhood and sucked at everything and had no friends
Totally.
akhil doesnt have a bullet so , the answer is no,, but you own a bullet , so u sucked at everything and got beaten up and had no friends, and then u bought a bullet and that makes u feel specieal,, i bet you are,,,
This guy is gay!!!!as simple as that!!bullets are the closest things which can come near a beautiful girl!!and since u hate bullets I believe u completely gay!!
ROFL!
jamal,, bullets are mostly bought by guys with a small dick,,,,, or gays who like to dress up in leather which one are you
Hi Akhil, i totally agree with you. Just to add that if you could if possible give me a substitute of Royal Enfield in the Indian market and that too in the sub-2Lakhs range. I have been searching one for the past 20yrs.
I purchased the Enfield Lightning535 only bcoz of its engine capacity and bhp, at that year the maximum capacity motorbike available in India was the bajaj eliminator.
I’m not here to offend you in any way, i agree with your views on Bullet but could you convince me of a better option at the same price. Its like criticising the mahindra scorpio for its poor stability and constrained seating space but people still are buying the scorpios due to power output of 120bhp at such a low price.
Coming back to Enfields, i own two of them and in the past 2 decades(since 1996) have rode a combined of “close to 2.5Lakh kms with no engine overhauls till now on either of my bullets”. I have sipped tea in every corner of India, have camped and cooked food close to paki border too and then of course spent the next 24hrs in interrogative custody of rajasthan police. I usually carry lugggage weighing over 50-55kgs, which includes spare clothes of all seasons, cooking and camping equipment, spares and tools for my enfield, alteast 6ltrs of additional fuel and lastly my electronic gadgets. I usually cruise at 80-90kmph on open highways with all this luggage. I love bad roads and offroad riding with all the above luggage and you might have guessed it right, my favorite riding destination is Ladakh and the Lahaul Valley.
My recently concluded Explore India Winter Ride took me across the breadth&length of India over 8 continuous months and 24000kms without a break. Most importantly i have travelled solo all my life.
So Akhil give me a motorbike in India which could perform all the above as i have accomplished in the past 2decades and that too in the sub-2Lakhs range.
I am just 35yrs old now and desperately want to change my riding horse to a more capable and technically superior work horse.
I am sure you would not leave me stranded on my Bullet!
Hey man, what’s up? I love the fact that you have done such kick ass touring on your Bullet over such a long time. Respect m/
If you are asking me which other motorcycle could perform all the above as you have accomplished, in the sub 2 lac range, I feel rather embarrassed to point you to a humble Pulsar 200NS or an Avenger. Both cost less than a lac, and are far more capable bikes than any RE out there. Please don’t take my word for it, read about Vishnu and Shantanu’s record breaking journey here.
Doing your adventures on a Bullet must be REALLY adventurous, as you can never be sure when something is gonna go terribly wrong, and I totally respect your hardcore attitude. However, please don’t tell me other bikes can’t do what a Bullet can, because they absolutely can, with much far less trouble. Some people feel that the life of a Pulsar or an Avenger is not as long as that of a Bullet, and they may be right, but who gives a fuck? If nicely maintained, any Pulsar can outlive a Bullet, and the total maintenance cost over a 20 year period will be exponentially lesser than that of an RE.
Have fun!
Hello Akhil,
Firstly i would like to begin by saying that criticism is an inseparable part of free speech and democracy. Criticism helps us in developing and improving things, points, objects, places and even motorbikes which sometimes seem to get stagnant with time. I love ur articles and would like the official RE guys to take a bit of positive note from you specially on your points 6 & 7.
Secondly, i salute the brave riders: Mr.Mehta and Mr.Chakraborty for the adventurous record on their Bajajs.
I have myself once accompanied a rider from manali to leh, that rider from mumbai to leh was on an amazing motorbike, the ‘bajaj ct100’.
Thirdly, my hunger and search for a worthy challenger to the RE continues. I saw a bit of expectation from the Inazuma when suzuki slashed its price but, disappointment hangs again after suzuki has decided to stop sale of Inazuma in India post March’15. Bajajs are decent but not truly worthy enough to be a common man’s touring package. The people i have seen doing long tours on bajajs have such good additional modifications in the form of carriers and weldings on their Pulsar/Avenger done to increase carrying capacity/strength, is not readily available for a common man.
Fourthly, no matter how long a rider has been riding, he/she still learns everyday. I have in past few years learnt from Yogesh Sarkar about how to safely and comfortably store petrol on the motorbike in Ladakh. According to Yogesh its in multiples of 2ltr cold-drink bottles, neither do they leak nor any risk of static electricity caused hazard.
Keep up your posts, they serve the motorbikers a lot, and keep riding too 🙂
Sushil K Pingua,
Ranchi.
You are right about the everyday learning, that is a continuous process 🙂
Thanks for your comments! You are a cool guy.
absolutely right
Q1: Why do “End-field” riders love their noisy bike???
A: Because they can hide the sound of their farts under the bike’s noise
… I don;t know a shit about biking, just enjoying the jokes and conflicts here! 😀
😀 Farts are nice, I like farts.
hi this was really the stuff all bullet riders agree i own one for 24years ideal way for me is to have a modern multi cylinder bike to keep company but dang things fu***** pricey
Hehe, Quiker pe bech daal Baba!
Bhai…tu to pura pagal ho gya hai….kisi bullet wale ne teri gf ka accident kr diya..hai shayad…tbhi u r speaking like a fuking …..ass…man go nd check ur tecnical specificationss…bulleters does not ride there bikes they love them…like thier wives nd mothers…plz dont talk bullshit…
So Bull riders don’t “ride” their bikes they just “love” them? Like their “wives” and “mothers”?
But i hope they at least ride their wives.. 😛
ROFL, I hope so too!
I agree 101% on this topic….especially the last part “A Bullet is kind of at an awkward stage right now, not old enough to be an antique, and not young enough to be useful. It’s kind of like a living fossil, an obsolete craze, a useless necessity.”….very true….A well made report too….kudos!!!
Thanks Srikanth!
RE is for ppl who don’t have family, GF, friends or dog to shower love and spend time admiring them… so they bye RE & love her like own GF or neighbours wife… As RE owner don’t have above mention things in life they spend their time ( some of them entire life ) in service centre and treat their mechanic like their GF and godfather for taking care of their beloved bike ☺
RE may make you feel like haven but for others its dam irritating man so please put proper silencer and let other ppl live peacefully
Thanks Akhil for this article you rock man
Thanks Vishal!
Try the new ones, they are mass produced and as reliable as any other bike.
Speed – well i don’t know which donkeys you rode with, we travel at 100+ in groups on all kinds of bullets, my 500 solo runs happily at 130-140 for extended periods roads and traffic permitting.
As far the duke is concerned it is a decent bike and works well as a cross country bike, it’s a different kind of bike, I chose the TB500 cause I didn’t want to crush my balls every time I needed to brake hard….no offence to other riders.
Brakes – as good as any bike again, good to know that the duke comes with ABS, I would like it on the RE too
Spokes – I agree with you on this, I have changed mine to harley alloys and tubeless tyres, shockers is that RE export bikes are all tubeless, they come with special spoked wheels with inlays on the inside, I am sure they can have the same for the local market, not that RE is cheap in any way.
Waiting period – that is a fallacy, I got mine the same day, it’s in the dealers hand, the chap I buy mine from is a friend and a rider hence the decent service, rest as assholes.
Again bikes are an individual choice, I have a few RE, a Harley and will definitely go in for a Triumph…
Thanks for your comment! I agree with some of your points, upto a level.
Be careful with the Triumphs, they have gone crazy recently.
As one who has started with cycles, mopeds, scooters and my first mobike in ’84 – a Yezdi; followed by BSA 50cc, RD350s and KB100 and Enfield Fury 175 ( a Zundapp design) and Suzuki Shogun and RX100, RX 135, Yam YBX 125, CBZs, and a Bullet T-bird from 2003 on and an R15 alongside now – i tweaked all the bikes i had to get more performance. i love high rpm and that gives more control in traffic too. Now on my T-bird i put a free-flow exhaust(not an excessively noisy ‘rocket’ type) NGK Iridium and K&N with larger jetting too and that has kept me happy the past 7 years or so (same tweaks on the R15 now too). 5500 redline on the T-bird, been hitting it since i did the run-in. No engine / valve / clutch issues to date. The Brembo cloned disk OE is pretty good. Only issues are the ol non-gas filled rear shocks and high centre of gravity (BTW your pal Ashwin was wrong about the forward weight bias. if it was that way it would be a lot safer. The TBs are rearward-based bias). i like the old TBs as i can just stand on the pegs over bumps / potholes which cannot be done with the new ones with forward-set pegs. One of the best bikes to ride in India offroad. Still haven’t even trued my rims. And my AVL engine (v good engine combustion specialists by the way) may not have the thump of the ol CIs but the twist of the throttle sets it see some crazy acceleration that i got used to on my earlier 2-strokes. Cheers, mate!
Cheers!
nigga… you’re a whiny lil kid throwing tantrums..!
though its right at some points in the article…but overall…doesn’t impress me..
Mission accomplished then.
A kid’s complaints
I know we live in a modern age where even cleaning your own shit is considered a task, so you are no different….
See, Royal Enfield distinguishes “Men” from boys…. Your post reflects some sought of a stereotype , not an observation… I ride an inherited 1967 RE and you know, it demands affection just like a true mate… you work hard with it , it will do the same…
Bullets create a relationship with their owners and if you cant feel that, then one might end up like you…..
And when it comes to speed ….
Bulleteers don’t consider their motorcycles( not “bikes”) as their servant , they treat it like a companion… I know that you will never understand that.
Totally, don’t understand that at all.
No need to mention dude , it was obvious…..
Its also called “Mama,i lost again” disorder !
Ok..Bullet is a lion, the king of bike’s… King is the king… Nobody can hate about this… Except you Mr…are you thinking that the all RE owners are fullish…? All biker’s are mad and only You, a smart and excellent…. RE IS NOT MAKE FOR THE FROG’S OF GUTTER… RE IS made for the ROYAL PEOPLE…BHAGWAAN AAPKO ACCHI SOCH AUR ACCHA DEEMAAG DE…taking care…
Thanks for the wishes mate!
what fuking guy AK , u bleady fool wat u kniw abt royality? royality means royal enfiled ,, u bleady son of dash and father of dash dnt blame te bike of RE ,, u bull shit duke susatain forjust10-15years,,but our RE cal still be live for 50-60 years ,, u b;eady dashhhhhhh
LOL.
Seriously!?? was that abusive??? I found it damn right funny…. “bleady” “dnt blame te bike of RE”… Hey you Akhil, you ride “te bike of duke” don’t you know “RE cn lay metallic eggs 4 50-60 yrs? u bleady, u so fullish” 😀 😀 😀
Hehehe, I’m just an ignorant piece of cum covered foreskin man 😉
Heheheh…Yeah its is bleady evident too..!! dash.. dash.. dassssshhhh..
Good write up man.. Just like each person – I feel every bike has its own quirks.. So let them be..
Btw, People relating to their bikes is something everyone can do.. Should not be limited to the RE’s.. :D. I own an Avenger and a Forever bike (Yezdi) and love the freedom that the life on two wheels offers..
btw, I feel you quite relish the mud slinging.. no.. ? 😉
Keep spreading “love”
Ride safe..!!
Prakash
Looks like I do! Thanks for stopping by 🙂
This post made you look like chutiya …you know that
Yes.
Lol man, You rode only 50kms and wrote this…woaahhh. By same logic I am reading your 1000 words article and judging you a true Dumbhead creature, Attention whore.
Awesome.
You still need to grow up my dear friend…..,,,,,,,,,,..You actually dont know anything about machines……….
Absolutely.
I own and ride a REC350, which is, without any bias, a great machine. It just is. You gotta ride it to know it. You’re a hater, I know but still. As a rider I respect your opinion with disagreement to few of the points you said.
1. Regarding the waiting, I think RE is well capable of churning out bikes at a higher rate. It is just that they don’t. It is a strategy, to create an aura about the brand and its heritage. Which is why the demand. Imagine bullets and classics selling out like splendors. Not much special now they are, eh?
2. Mileage is improvable, but not shitty.
3. It is reliable. most of the times. Not always. Which no bike is.
Being clear on that, let me shout out loud to the motherfucking badmouthing loud-exhausted attention whores of the RE ownage pool. These dickheads know little about riding itself. Most of them are just lured into buying a RE because they are short with an inferiority complex weighing about 200kg owing to their small dicks and traumatic childhood. DICKHEADS YOU ARE GIVING A BAD NAME TO THE RE RIDERS! BEHAVE YOUR OWN FUCKING SELVES!
Now, I like your style, man. You ride hard and preach safety. But you call yourself a rider, dude! Then why go all anti-RE? I know its your blog and you will write whatever the fuck you want. But understand that RE has two wheels, and so do all the motorcycles. And the very being of these two wheels carry a whole history and brotherhood, a way of living. Isn’t that enough already?
your site says riderzone, not ktm390zone or antiREzone. There will always be different persons with different choices which makes us choose different bikes. But what matters is, to be a carrier of the whole fucking history of motorcycling when you mount on that saddle. Be it a puny assed luna or a diavel. I am sorry to say but you sound really hateful and prejudiced up there, I expected a more seasoned approach from you because you are one of those who can understand.
It says “fuck it, let’s ride”
Well, let’s then! (without generalizing and calling names) which is the whole point.
Let’s all be that way. I’ll never buy a yamaha or KTM. and sure as shit you won’t buy an RE. What’s the fucking point, then?
This is a great portal for spreading awareness and useful information. Please keep it that way. Use your wordspace for something better than this. A friendly advice from a rider to rider.
Peace out. Safe riding.
Kanishq, RE makes lesser motorcycles than the demand because of their limited production capacity. The waiting time has reduced since they opened up the second factory. And they plan to open a third one now.
And if you’re in Bangalore, you’ll see there are more Classics than Spelndos.
And there are specific terms that measure reliability. If you happen to apply it to REs, you’ll be able to quantify it. But for starters, have you ever wondered why a company that says it’s the oldest motorcycle manufacturer provides the shortest warranty period? I guess they know how reliable they make their products.
Ashwin, I appreciate at any rate, that you replied. I am well aware of the production rate stats, but I think, personally, that policy-wise, it may be a factor too.
And regarding reliability, I never said RE products are built specifically to take a beating and survive per se. No doubt you will need to get your hands dirty at least once if you happen to own and ride a RE. But, the author made it look like a bullet is almost bound to undergo a breakdown. No sir, it is not. You will find thousands of unbiased RE owners saying the same thing who are into motorcycling more than the brand worshipping.
For me, (and many others, sadly including the fucked up attention whores with RE bikes) a motorcycle is a highly personal thing. It is very, very subjective for folks like me. I choose to accept some shortcomings if some thing becomes very close to my heart. Overall, riding itself is a very personal experience. And people like to add their own little touches to it.
I saw many people talking about the FEEL of riding here, and most of them were delusional “king-of-the-road” ones. want to tell you, hand over my heart, that whatever dozens of bikes I have cruised upon, RE C350 was the only one who put a smile on my face. Just like akhil said, the sweet burbling sound. and the throttle response, the torque. What can I say, you gotta do it to feel it.
Not everyone is into subjectifying motorcycles, either. All the racing community is more into the motorcycling as a profession and want to churn out more performance. Which RE never was and possibly never will be. And we like it that way.
Come to Mumbai, bro. Let’s ride somewhere. (If you want to ride alongside the proverbial unreliable-slow-piece-of- rusty-metal-bound-to-breakdown” 😛 ) For me, it doesn’t matter what bike it is. I’m all in for the two wheels 🙂
Keep Riding, safety first. Cheers!
You too!
Kanishq seems to b the only sensible person around
Can’t agree more
This space is for riders not for biased fould mouthed idiots.
U have ur reasons. So love what u ride n jus keep shut
Hi Akhil,
Before commenting on some aspects, where I found your opinion as biased, I would like to thank you for a nicely written article which encompasses many points that RE manufacturers should really think about. For ages, they simply don’t seem to care about customers’ needs and complaints.
Where I myself would raise my voice in your support, would be your opinions regarding
1. bad brakes,
2. unbearably long waiting periods,
3. spoked wheels with tubes in tyres !!
I myself should add a few ……
1. Bad paintjob
2. Worse nickel
3. Service centre issues, with mechanics not yet fully equipped to serve EFI engines.
4. Most models have skinny tyres compared to heavy bodies.
But yes, that’s all ….. not a touch more.
Before evaluating the rest, there have been so many “FUCKING” adjectives, it raises a doubt whether you sat it to review or curse it while remaining in a state of blindfold. It’s like you are not investigating and arresting someone based on circumstantial evidences, but you have arbitrarily caught hold of someone and trying to accuse him by force.
1) Bullets are slow ??? And you have come to the conclusion seeing those guys riding at 65 kmph? And you yourself judged the speed of all Enfields combined, just by riding a cumulative distance of 50 kms ?? If you are to believe me, on a cruising bike tour, mostly on beautiful NH6, I myself rode at 120 kmph at 5th gear on a TB350 as well as on an Electra 350, that too not at full throttle.
2) If heavy bike bodies don’t give better control and comfort while cruising or offroad biking, Triumph, Indian and Harley Davidson would have made plastic bikes of 100 kgs, not bikes crossing 250 kg marks (that too for even smaller models like Street 750, Superlow 883, Iron 883, Forty-eight 1200, etc.)
3) Please show me a heavy cruising bike with mileage crossing 35 kmpl. A heavy bike with 185 kg weight (of bike itself) cruising comfortably at 80+ kmph for more than five hours at a stretch gives around 35 kmpl. What more do you expect? Ride it on steam? Or electric, as in the new E-Rickshaws? Please don’t confuse UCE Enfields with Enfields of the past.
4) If UCE bullets seem noisy to your ears, please consult an E.N.T. Specialist, for you may have a super-sensitive eardrum, which may rupture at higher decibels. Your heart was not surely meant for the Thump too. Your heart was meant for the Pulsars. Have you tried the Harley Davidson 883 Superlow with Eagle-scream exhaust?
5) How do you biasedly coin a bike as unreliable? Most REs which are rented out are rarely serviced. They are ill-maintained to the core. Two of my friends just completed a long stretch of Dooars and a big part of North-East India, for a stretch of 3800 kms, just having a single service and change in engine oil at Siliguri on the way back home. One had a 4 month old Classic 350, and another had a Standard 350 of the early 1980s. UNRELIABLE, Huh ??
My request, please don’t evaluate with unnecessary biasedness. No hard feelings though. What we share in common are passion about the two-wheelers and the urge to ride long. I thank you again for the article for bringing up a topic which has been debated for long.
Pratim, I have been following the comments on this for a long time now; you’ll be surprised at what has been written. But your comment wasn’t like the others; you’ve made valid points. And I will take the liberty to respond to it.
There is serious debate on the top-speed of a RE motorcycle. In an Overdrive article, I have read that the fastest (Indian made) RE is the C-GT 535, and it does a true speed on 139 kmph. And that is a full 15 kmph quicker than the TB500. I don’t know what the speedometer shows, but in my experience, the speedometers on the older REs have a significant error. Besides, there are motorcycles with much lower engine capacities that go quicker; so it’s not that impressive a feat.
Weight doesn’t necessarily mean control or comfort. What about motocross bikes, don’t they need control? What about scooters, aren’t they comfortable? Use of plastic allows reducing weight without impact functionality. Back in the early 1900’s, plastic wasn’t as advanced as it is today.
And I have toured half the country with at least two riders on REs. I can’t recall a single trip where one, if not all of the REs in the trip gave us trouble. Not just that, a friend’s new Electra developed problems with the air-filter box and bust the carburettor. This, in spite of him taking to the service station and informing them of this problem. A little later, when they opened up the gearbox for another problem, they found a nut they worked itself loose. This, you won’t find in another motorcycle.
Thanks for your inputs! Appreciated 🙂
I’ve been riding for 8yrs, and there is only 2bikes my family loves. Pulsar (for me) and Bullet (for my dad). So hearing something about a bike, not only me but my dad edures is a bit annoying.But hell there is one thing I must say most of those points ARE true..
BUT STILL LOVE DIS BIKE… 😉
🙂 Arghya, and I respect that.
If bullets are so unreliable then why are they extensively used for ladakh tour?
I have no idea! Have you been to Ladakh? It’s a common sight to find Bullets lying on the side of the road, with their riders tinkering around trying to get it fixed. I don’t understand what’s the point.
Very good point…
bullet is above all the bike…thats why its called …BULLTTT and not just a bilke.
No bike is called “just a bike”.
The only reason it works for Ladakh is the long stroke of engine that can compress thin air, that’s one reason it’s not meant to be a fast machine. Besides that it’s really an over rated machine by fan boys. Nothing against the mechine, but the RE should evolve and improve the mechine and not hold on to the ‘classic’ emotion.
I agree.
Hey Akhil ,
I agree with you, but not fully. Bullet might not be the technically advanced bike as Duke 390 there is a history with bullet, I do agree KTM, Honda, etc. too have history. But Enfield was the first higher cc bike in India during 50’s and it’s a British motorcycle and they ruled us for 200 yrs., so there is lot of attachment people have with bullet, if it would have been case with KTM/Honda, then same would apply there to.
As most of them highlighted every rider has his own perception of his bike. Few people like vintage style which carries history with it like bullet, few love to adore new technologies like you, so it all depends on your persona, only thing what matters is BROTHERHOOD btwn bikers and spirit of riding.
I own a bullet CI 350 from past 6yrs; I took TD for duke 390 its awesome machine. I thgt of selling my bullet and go for D390 but my emotional attachment with bike didn’t let me sell bullet, I have done approx. 10k on touring on my bullet i have so many memories with my bullet, If I am fortunate I would like to keep it till my last day.
Just keep riding, enjoy the ride, and ride safe.
Make sure you don’t hurt your brothers,,
I’ll try Sharan, cheers!
Ok.. So after reading all the posts i felt i should add my two bits considering i own both a RE C500 and a Duke 390. The C5 has been with me since july 2010 and was from the first lot of C5 RE launched. Now ive ridden big bikes, litre class superbikes, frisky and quick 600’s, 750’s Inline 4’s V twins etc.. Ive even ridden harleys etc.
Now first off there is no way to compare either of these bikes. They are as different as Chalk and Cheese. The Duke 390 is all that you have written in your many articles and while i havent felt some of the negatives i can see that some people may have an issue like you did. But c’mon what all you have said about RE is mostly untrue. Yes its age old tech, yes its heavy, sure it doesnt accelerate like a 390 does, but man that bike can take an assault for weeks on an end. This i can say having done 4 extreme Leh Ladakh, Spiti- Kaza, chumar sector runs since i got my hands on the c5. The machine is heavy- but in my POV thats a benefit when it comes to overall handling keeping in mind your not going to be scraping knees on this machine.. Trust me ive tried even that.
Its not thirsty. For a heavyish bike, lugging another 250KGS i have still done the run from Chandigarh to manali where the bike has pulled like the arms of god himself. It is reliable in its UCE format and the engine no longer bleeds oil and the overall mechanical parts can take a massive sustained pounding and keep on going. Its not a bad handler either , ive had runs when the c5 has put a smile on my face…not the same like the 390 does.. but not too bad either. the biggest thing about the c5 is that for a country that varies from the desert to the ocean to the highest peaks the c5 is a machine that you can own and ride for decades and one that will take riding abuses like no other across varying weather and climes.
Now the 390 is a whole different ball game. i chose more refinement and power delivery and slicker handling to pick the 390.But put together on a road most of the points you put forward against the RE’s fall to the side. As to riding hard.. which i usually do ( 1 clutch hub change, 2 sprockets and chain changes) the bullet does deliver, albeit not like a duke. ive maxed the c5 out at an indicated 140 on the speedo and the bikes surges ahead with phenom power ( Considering its a single piston, long stroke engine).
So my point of view is.. the world is big enough.. let bikes be bikes. Everything has its own appeal and charm and running down a bike doesnt make one a better or more experienced rider/ owner.
Normally i would even bother leaving a comment… But i like your page and your reviews… Reorient the biker in you and keep charging hard.. Good work!
Thanks!
Akhil, dude. Combined riding mileage of 50 kms and you are dissing RE? And real maturity shown saying that people should exceed the speed limits when they can? How about jumping signals and hit n run when no one’s looking? You forgot that! Forget politically correct crap and all that good stuff. We in India are already grappling with morons over speeding, incessantly honking and killing people. And you probably are condoning this with your comment and as an author.
If your opinions are just opinions, why call people who choose to buy Bullets as idiots? Who gave you the fucking right?
And guys who tour at 65 kmph are doing just what’s right. They are enjoying the ride, enjoy the road and will thump at 65 kmph all day long – days on end. Something that a diaper wearing wannabe who just wants to go from point A to point B fast on a KTM will never understand.
Sure.
The reason I hate bullets.. Simple.. Fanboys.
Yeah, that’s one of the biggest reasons for me too!
nothing to say, just own a RE and enjoy riding. after a year review your own post. you will definitely delete it !!!!!
Will try that for sure.
Duke is a jaffa gadi it gives nice fun but that bullshit bike has notin royal enfield is a legendary bike and I agree that royal Enfield is the awesome and a suitable bike for the riders in India
You are right.
I own a RE . And it’s surely gives me a good feel riding it.l have never regretted for choosing this bike . My dear friend just because you don’t like RE ….It doesn’t mean that they are bad .it is the best bike for Indian conditions. And about speed it can surely clock 100+ . I love my bike being tough . It can rip off any crap plastic bikes into two. All can’t tame a lion but only some …but it doesn’t mean that it isn’t the king of the jungle. The same goes with RE . And about Indian army ….If they stopped using RE it doesn’t mean that RE is bad. They just can’t afford a lot of Enfields .
Lol, Army can’t afford Enfields? Or Army can’t afford the giant maintenance bills, frequent breakdowns, and overall reliability concerns of Enfields? 🙂
I agree with most of what you have written above. My first bike at the age of 16 was a bullet. I rode bullets for almost 15 years, most of them vintage. However, Bullet remains in a niche of its own. The chrome, the thump and the stance… they give you a sense of stupid high. The noise of the timing chain, the sprocket and the valves are personal pains you seldom share with the rest of the universe 🙂
And yes, this thing does last a couple of generations!
Unfortunately (or fortunately?) I don’t understand the feel you guys get from the REs 🙂 The noise is just noise to me, but then again I’m just one of a few billion people on this planet.
Cheers!
Akhil…. Ten Years from now… We will have this discussion u and me… only thing My RE would stil be with me and ur Duke broken down for scrap!!!……
Its Ok my boy….. than you could buy the latest model at that time and start comparing with my RE…
Sure man, with pleasure.
Keep replying ‘OK’ “Thanks Man” is showing that still you don’t understand the info from the RE users……or mature enough to understand others feeling.
If you want drive fast then why didn’t you go far BMW K1200S or Ducati 1098s because its all about you >>>>>>>>>> So whatever the comments you have mentioned about the RE, Same kind of comments can be given by BMW users to you.
Its all about individuals wish …………….
No.
yaaawn!
Are you in bangalore….lets meet up once. Im a proud Royal Enfield Rider and a Lover.
No man, Mumbai, but we’ll sure meet up sometime!
Nicely written Akhil, at least ‘someone’ came out with it! knowing that you’re gonna get a lot of flank from the die hard bull riders. To all those bull lovers badgering the author right now, please note it’s an individual’s opinion, please respect that. Name calling and abusing ain’t the way to do it. That’s the problem with every rider, you say something which may or may not be true and BOOM! everyone looses their minds. Stop being judgmental people.
Thanks man!
comparing a sports bike with a cruiser doesnt make any sense, you personally do not like royal enfields,many of us dont,but that doesnt make ita bad bike, and you said bikers riding harleys in us are show offs considering themselves king of the roads, the number of people doing stunts on sports bikes is much more ,now you might say it is also fun to do stunts but a harley rider or a bullet rider think it to be show off and childish,and royal enfield standard bullet was in production for over 50 years ,any other bike whicch has to try to remain in production for so long has to update its product unlike the bullet, and bullets r ofcourse old school, what we ride today is mostly what british engineers could develop,after company came to india there was no demand of high capacity engine bikes in india, only in last decade we hav seen sudden rise in market of heavy engine bikes ,even being 50 year old technology no other company other than harley has been able to take its place in cruiser bikes, with a verylow percentage of vmax and other yamaha suzuki cruisers, what you do with your ktm 390, royal enfield continental gt 350 developed by british could do that in the 60s, does that make your ktm old technology? the original continental gt had the top speed of 160 plus , 50 years ago that too with a 350 cc engine, your ktm just inches ahead of it but only 50 years later?makes your ktm sound outdated?and now you would say ktm is more safe has abs and better tires, abs was developed in 70s that too just for cars, if royal enfield continental was made then it would definately be having that too and yes weight does add to stability ,the modern cars are made light but they have to create extra downforce through aerodynamics to make it stick to the ground, a normal f1 car would definately take a leap into a air for few metres if it doesnt create enough downforce to keep its light body stick to the road, weight is the other factor that makes it stick to the ground ,wither it bike or a car, and yes royal enfields are not made for speed ,if you just want speed definately royal enfield is not the bike for you, you simply dont understand the fun in riding while enjoying,speed does thrill everyone but its not the only fun,bullet lacks horsepower but its engine is made for more torque thats why it easily moves forward with a little twist of throttle that too regardless of the weight, you need speed to thrill and make u enjoy, but one can even enjoyriding a bullet as slow as 20 , the immense lowwnd torque (if youare into technical knowledge) makes it so fun to ride, just hold the throtlle with a minimal twist that too negligible and the bike moves forward ,but a person whom speed and quick acceleration is what make him enjoy can never understand that pleasure of riding the bullet, in the end i must say its only the personal choice not one bike better than other and yea cruisers and sports are two different class of biking, cant be compared
It’s like you are buying a bra and saying “I don’t like it, i don’t have breasts to wear it”
This is just…. What?
i learnt to ride bike on the bull ……. and am riding the same bull (my dad’s RE 93 model) …. i do all the work on my bull because i have grown by seeing and working with my dad on the bull ….. i have never been so comfotable with any of my friends bike ….. like i was on the bull ….. nothing wrong with the admin’s opinnion ….. he might preffer speed bikes instead of cruise bikes …..
Yeah.
amateurish article from an amateur writer. Just because u dont like the bull doesnt mean its a bad bike.
It does.
AK….Kindly answer this…which bike does our mighty Indian Army use? and ever thought why?
AH, our mighty Indian Army has stopped using REs for your information.
1.The mentioned reasons are fucking,not RE. Bcz , RE is made of pure steel that’s y heavy,and its seems to be good. Its weight helps bike to be with the road more sticky.
2.All knows that millage is just inverse proportional to C.C. of engine box. so, its very common to have low millage for RE.
3.I ,myself rode the RE in 95 Kmph on highway. speed depends on the rider,not on the bike when it is the matter of crossing even 70 km/hr specilly.
4. Yahh…it sounds bad but it is one, which make your blood circulation doubled -no doubt. Men like it.After all it is RE not a scooty.
I recently booked a GT, believe me the paint-job on this bike is unlike any other. I owned a Duke 200, and was sad to sell it, but then I didnt want a common looking bike (this does include rest of the RE). GT currently is claimed to be the lightest (I want to be able to pull out bikes from those tight parking spots), fastest (thankfully this will provide the punch I would need in traffic) and coolest (company claims this, so be it, I bought Duke because it was different, GT is different kind too). Fortunately waiting period is zero on this bike. I am not a tour-er so no expectations there. The FI in this bike has improved the power band.
So Akhil and irated RE fans, things are changing, RE is learning the market like every other company does. KTM and RE owners should be proud that these bikes are now produced in India. Both companies are heavily testing their bikes so as to launch a better product every-time. Akhil if you get a chance to check the RE website, do so, you will be amazed to see the new colors they are introducing, the carbon black coated engines of Thunderbird, LED lamps, digital touch in the meters, if not that then the merchandise is also good start from RE. Things are improving 🙂
I hope I have good experiences on the GT, but I will make sure in mind that once I rode two different kinds of bikes.
BTW, RE riders or “bulls”, respect public places, respect the nature, the loud noise exhaust are against the law, that is the only turn off I have but thats not against RE (because they are not making those exhausts) but the “riders”.
you just do one thing,dont buy pr ride a bullet.i own an HD Fat Boy,..well it has more comfortable,but enfield sound better,its not about speed or agility,
its all about that attention or special feeling you get,best bike in india.
All the super bikes and supercars are made of plastics and carbon fibers.
If riding a metal piece of shit makes one real man, the passengers of the local trains are supermen because they go on a 1000 ton metal train.
LOL, good one Sandeep!
Not a good one 🙂 We are talking about riders, not the passengers.
Tomatoes Potatoes Alex. How about the train driver then? That good enough for ya?
Whoa! adding my comment to this awfully long list is really hurting my ego, but i dont understand how can anyone be so obsessed towards hating a bike. I understand that u have a few issues with RE’s but still for me except for a few flat tyres RE never gave me problems(I agree that those flat tyres were a real pain in the ass). Apart from that chicks started digging me from the time i owned a bullet(thats a big positive for me;)). So i just wish i could abate your hatred:) .Kudos to your writing style. cheerios!
Hehe, I find it REALLY hard to believe that chicks started digging you after you got an RE 😉 Cheers.
Dude what the fuck r u taking about i just reached 120 kmph on my new classic 350 royal enfield bike i think the guys u met were scared to ride fast thats it u need guts to ride a bull dude not everyone rides it here bull is bullet
You do realize there is a vast difference between reaching 120 kmph once and staying there for extended periods of time?
Oh boy! oh boy, oh boy! Who is this retarded author? dear author, when you write, understand what you are writing about. You are talking about speed on a cruiser bike! DO you even know what cruiser bikes are? Where in India do you find roads to ride bikes fast and feel safe about it? Growing up, you might eventually realize how important it is understand the feel of riding; on whichever bike it is! All your reasons are what would stop a college kid from buying a bullet. But my friend, men ride bullets! Get that thing into your head! Men who ride bullets know how important speed is when riding a bike, they understand how to maintain a bike so that it doesn’t ever turn out to be unreliable, about noise.. what’s a Lion without his roar, my friend? And then there are customization options that RE provides themselves these days. About breaking, when you ride a bullet the way it should be ridden, the brakes work just fine. Bullets are heavy, deal with it. That’s what sets them apart. That’s why MEN who can control them ride them. That’s why it has better stability on road and doesn’t fly away sideways when some ass*ole drives past a speeding SUV next to it. It keeps the vehicle on road. And yeah, waiting period – this bike is for people who deserve to ride it and they don’t mind waiting as long as it takes to get their hands on this masterpiece. So yeah author, try writing a post when you grow up. Maybe, just maybe, you might have grown some brains to understand and write about riding bikes in India then. *Peace*
Thanks real man.
till date i have owned and rode approx 5 bikes.
1.CD-100ss(approx 30000km) sold
2.TVS victor(approx 38000km) sold
3. pulsar150 old model(approx 44000km) sold
4. CBZ old model(approx 27000km) sold
5. pulsar 180 new model(approx 6000km) still owing
6.Thunderbird350, recently bought, 10 days ago, 600kms done, 275 km at stretch went to village where there is no “pakka roads”. Never felt riding so easy with any other bike.
you are JEALOUS of not owing RE and you SHOULD BE….and about mileage of tb350, i am getting 35+, which i guess pulsar 220, Shittest bike DUKE can’t give…
OK.
Grow up kid……
OK.
Also the number of service stations are not increased at the rate of sales.
Correct Shrinivas, but given how bad original RE service is considered to be, I don’t think RE owners care for it that much 🙂
Thumbs Up Akhil, I am with You all the way, All though I am one of the idiots too riding an RE 350 TB and yes i had to wait for almost 9months LOL (Which like a fool I did?) and yes RE is still in the Stone Age, Product quality is crap, Service warranty is only 10,000Km (speaks alot about the Realiability) and is stupidily heavy with no power to go anywhere.
The meters rattle (My bikes a year old), the paint on the Tank has already faded and dulled, rust has started raising its head over different sections of the bike, the Horn has Conked off (Stopped counting for this :)) and Mileage well the Less said the better.
Well as long as there’s no alternate in this segment, fools like me will indulge an RE and learn the hardway.
Will I recommend one to anyone??? Like you said if it’s the even if they were the last 2 wheeler manufacturer in the universe HELL NO
Anoop
Hehe, yeah, I agree that there’s not much of a choice as of now. 2015 may bring something good!
I agree with the writer on most part,I am happy that someone has the balls to Speak about this issue,after selling my R15 I had short listed 3 bikes 1)street 750 2)KTM 390 3)RE continental GT
I was lucky to test ridethe HD street 750 andi must say it was an amazing motorcycle with command on the road but the waiting was more than 8 months(that time),then I checked KTM and I was flattened by the specson this bike amazing speed and control and very good at cornering,then I checked out RE continental GT and I was so sad looking at that piece of metal the paint job was a disgrace,te build quality of the lamps was shit,the motorcycle just looked like a cafe racer and that’s i all no feel to it,I must say I like looking at RE but I won’t prefer buying one,there is nothing that it has that I would prefer buying,frankly I hate its build quality just cause it has imported parts does not make it a durable bike.
I own a KTM 390 and I am very happy with the bike especially touring and when you are at ghats you don’t have to worry cause you can control the bike very easily.Again it’s just a view and everyone is entitled to one.CHEERS!!
I’m one happy 390 owner man. Just back from a 7500 km trip from Mumbai to Bhutan and back, not even 1 single hint of trouble 🙂
choice man, its all about choice, if you dont like a RE dont go for it, you probably like plastic and somehow my soul does not go well with plastic. any bike can give you problems anywhere. its just like life. bullet can go to top speeds well above 100 kms but then its just the riding feel.if you are a fast biker then its your choice man but dont expect others to follow. eat and enjoy your own bread.
Always do Rajesh. Thanks for your comment!
Hi u have little experience , cause u have not mentioned those nasty /dabba front and rear shock absorbers fitted on early Delco and Electra models. I have 2 bullets 1970 &1957 model bikes well maintained but not satisfying because of their unreliable Delco and magdyno ignition system.
OK?
you are right- and your feel is same is mine
I dont own a RE bike but I’ve worked in a authorized RE service centre for 1 year..So I rode so much
bulls (CI and UCE). The old CI model bikes are absolutely comfortable and pleasure to ride.They are vibration free and are very much reliable. But the new UCE bikes are almost crap. The biggest problem is bone rattling vibration and engine noise. All nuts and bolts start to rust after one month…plated parts and paint peel of quickly..Oil leak is another nightmare. But some lucky ones (say 1 out of 100) has no problems at all! But why everyone keeps buying bulls??? Because some dont know that UCE is shit compared to CI…Some others know that bulls have lot of problems but they however want to own an RE beacuse of the name Royal Enfield which earned by the old Cast iron (with right side gear)!!! Bulls can go in high speeds but the speed is not worth of engine power or torque.
…and about GT:
its spokes are made of aluminium and the pirelli tubless tires are made in Italy, Piolli rear shocks, Bybre disc brakes, self motor made in Japan–lots of imported stuffs!
Just Perfect !!
You won’t obey the rules, cuz no one is obeying it? What kinda logic is this? If you’re a true rider, you gotta be the example for other riders.
And you hate Enfield? Seriously?
From this article, it seems like you love to speed and all, I own a classic 500 and my friend topped 130kmph in my Enfield. So grow up asshole.
the writer had his legs amputated and thus cannot enjoy RE….he is obviously jealous…just forgive him and move on…
Bullet is the oldest bike in production for RE. So just because you are in 21st century of speed don’t go by the literal meaning of “bullet”. what kinda dumbass would you be?.
Second. No cruiser in this world is lighter. Get your facts rights.
Third. Yes a RE is not so good for off roading. But they do a fine job.
Fourth. Its a company that made a superb come back. If you can’t respect it, you better stop riding.
Fifth. You should be an idiot to stalk two slow riders. If they don’t know how to ride, why do you like smelling their arse?
Sixth. You gotta tame a cruiser. And I suppose you are worse at it.
Seventh. RE gives a fantastic mileage. If you are a true riding, you’d stop being a typical Indian who is concerned about mileage and start realising how well the bike performs.
Eight. It might be heavy but it does the job. It saves your life rather than taking you one step closer to god like the duke 390, no offense KTM riders.
Finally, if you can’t appreciate the good stuffs of a bike. You are not to be called a rider. Respect!
Well hi Akhil
First thing first i am a kind of a bullet fan and planning to buy one at the earliest.
Your review doesnt make an speck of a difference in my decision. The reality still remains the same that in india there is no other bike in this range which acts best for the long ride and is durable for ages.
Now chuck bullet in one corner its a bike after all and we are human being.
However there is this to be said that i enjoyed reading the article and am certainly fascinated with your command over the language and the ability to put element of different expression. I think you should seriously consider writing short stories if at all you get some free time or something that can enlighten lives. Most importantly it gives a proud feeling to have people like u in India who can listen to unfriendly language and still be at ease and peace so good job there hope u keep up the same. Dont let you potential be limited to this Blog or to a smaller world. Al the best cheers
1. Bullets are fucking slow :
The writer should know that not all bikes are made for SPEED. There are different kinds of bikes (like cruisers, sports, dirt, etc) available just as there are different kinds of cars . Each type has its own specific purpose and use. If the writer feels that bikes are only made for speed, he should only compare sports bikes and keep RE out of his so called “Bike Knowledge”.
2. Royal Enfield’s are unreliable: There is a great deal of difference between “Using a bike and Loving the bike” and accordingly, the bike will be unreliable or reliable respectively. How can any bike perform if the person has not changed the engine oil even after 3 years of use (people generally do that). If a person says that he will only ride the bike (maa chod ke) and expects it to perform no matter whatever he does to it, he should never even think of owning an Enfield. He doesn’t deserve it. After all, Enfield is also a “machine” and like every other machine, it also needs maintenance.
3. Bullets are noisy: Well, this totally depends on the fact that what kind of silencer one is using on his RE. And about other noises, please sit on your comfy couch with your head on your wife’s ass. If vibration and noise is such a big deal, you don’t even deserve a sports bike and should ride a cycle.
4. Bullets have really bad brakes: Strongly disagree. Check your facts.
5. Bullets give shitty mileage: Dude, a well maintained RE 350 can give mileage as high as 52Kmpl (even better than best of Honda 150cc segment bikes).
6. Bullets are heavy: Yes, older ones were. But these days, because of superior materials and manufacturing processes and optimization softwares, weight has been reduced considerably. (I was told by a mechanic that initially 27 kg crank was used which has now been replaced by 9kg one). And the last time I checked, the density of steel was far more than that of plastic. Maybe the writer is saying this because he has never fallen off his plastic bike. Once he does fall, he will know that value of metal on a bike. So don’t even compare the weights of bikes with completely different purpose and performance.
7. Bullets have spoked wheels: I would agree on this point that RE should go for tubeless tyres. But having cast or spoke wheels is completely the choice of customer. He can always have them replaced.
8. Waiting Period: I think this problem will be solved eventually because RE has come up with Oragadam Manufacturing plant near Chennai and have almost doubled their per day capacity.
You FUCKING ASS…….
You don’t have any rights to complaint about the BULLET……..
In simple, for your understanding……… BULLET is like an Elephant, it costs higher but retains the name and fame……….
If I get u, I will mash u off………………….
Which time line are you living in bro. The current Indian cruise riders were slowly moving into Harleys. Sadly in current era, bullets were mostly not seen as pride when compared to Harleys except from bullet fans. Time to upgrade and move on bro.
you are still a kid AK. Pulsar will not even stand in front of royal enfield. Keep on riding your pussy pulsar kid.
hi akhil i am also jap-bikes fan… i like to ride bikes which are better engineered and have good power reliability. i drove cd 100 to pulsar 220(currently)… i never faced any problem with dem.. i even have a pulsar 180(2004 model first slot) of which after 55000kms i had to get its engine overhauled… i like my 220 very much. i have done 400km one day highway driving nd never felt at danger but yes my bum was numb , i did speeds of not less dan 90-100 and sometimes aggressively about 130kmph but didnt have any problem and got abt 38kmpl..
each bike has needs to be ridden differently… i too dont like the RE’s design and some simple unergonomial things are missing in some models…but that would be bcoz i didnt ride one… i would like to have one to know how it feels 😉 … and y ppl praise it so much
no offense
i love bikes (all kinds :P)
Awesome Manoj! As you could probably make out from this article, I don’t like love all kinds of bikes, or bikers 😉
Pulsars are damn reliable man, I rode mine for about 45000 kms, through Ladakh and all, without a single sign of trouble!
Tere maa ki chut..samme aa firr batata hu sale..tere baap ne bhi tuzhe race laga ke paida kiya hoga…tera kuch nai ho sakta…so jana chahiye tha re..tere maa baap ko us raat so jana chahiye tha..
*slow clapping*
No comments. .. u don’t deserve any shit…
No one deserves any shit! Except the sewer I guess?
Thanx akhil to
First thing is that you are too obsessed with your ride, second thing is that bullet is a name they’ve given before you even came to this earth, that time it was really a bullet. Third thing you are obsessed with speed bikes, If you are a true biker you will be respecting all bikes not just fast bikes 😛 Now only speed bikes came into this planet before that there was an age where bullets and RDs rule the road. If you don’t know those things better ask your dad he might be knowing that if they are into bikes. And this comparison is almost like comparing harley and yamaha series bikes. I’m not really an RE fan I have both RE and Ninja. I like them both REs are very good for touring and Ninja is good when you need to fly through road. RESPECT all bikes if you really are a true fan else twist the throttle and enjoy I personally find it very weird to compare cruising bike with sports bikes. Ninja is good for racing and REs are awesome when the ride length is too much. And its fucking ridiculous to compare REs with sports bike. Bikes are not only for Speeding some people have passion for cruising bikes, If you have no such attraction to REs better shut up none can ever compare REs comfort with any other bikes in India. Grow up, be a good biker then you will understand the meaning of design for bikes. every bike is designed for a specific purpose. And Who said REs are slow you might have seen only people going slowly in their RE more than the speed thing comfort is what attract people into the royal family. I think you are just a kid who just got into bikes. Wish you all success in your fucking plastic biking experience 😀
Thanks man.
Haha epic stuff man. This is pretty similar to my perception of RE’s.
So many butthurts LOL. Then they preach about how a real biker should be.. Bwahahaha!
Hehe, yeah, this article is becoming crazier by the day!
Six reason why you are not a man of guts (Or feminine)
You think metal is bad. You much be having a makeup set in a plastic case.
You hate the sound ? and You like Kmt Dukes auto rickshaws sound(Like a nagging wife) !! Sounds manly(Like a nagging wife)
You think duke gives you more mileage than Bullet.
And you need a weight less 2 wheeler .Why don’t you bikes ladies bicycle and have a ride . its sound less also
Bullet are unreliable ? I’ve covered like 400 kms with my 1969 Bullet standard without a stop . and it didn’t give a single problem . If you can do it please call me i would like to ride with you in your ktm auto rickshaw
IF AN 55 YRS OLD KTM DUKE CAN RUN 400 km NON STOP ILL GIVE YOU 1LAKH SPOT CASH.
Dude, just..
Excellent reply…a 55 yr old KTM 😛 ROFL …dude, just 60000 kms of riding made u an expert and u started to ridicule a century old company??? I pity on u…just in case, if u fall from ur 390 @60kmph you will be of no where…rural hospitals will refuse to get u admitted…a RE will brush off the crash and will go on its own way… Thats the advantage of metals.. A real rider respects whatever he rides…from your words its visible that whatever you are, you can’t be a rider..
I don’t give a fuck if the company is 100 or 1000 years old, that has nothing to do with what they actually make.
I would prefer to fall off a bike that is less likely to fall in the first place, than fall off a bike that may fare slightly better in case of a fall. I also keep imagining this unfortunate situation where you get pinned by your own 200 kg piece of metal, not something I want to do.
Superlike
Duke & RE owner here.
1,Wrong.They aren’t slow at all.Infact they are quite fast for Indian road conditions but hey most bikes in India are slow from the eyes of international motorists.They say the RC 390 is a slow bike.
2,I agree.They are not as reliable as the Japanese counterparts however you’ve missed something else.They are long lasting or may I say,there is something in them that makes people use it for a long time.When I ask myself the same question “Would I keep the Duke after 10 years”,my answer would be ‘NO” for sure.
3,Not a guy from Punjab.Being a Keralite,all I can say is Bulls here are respected for their sounds.Most youngsters are buying RE these days.
4,I do not agree with you.Although the front brakes on RE’s lack the bite,they are usable unlike that of a Pulsar which causes accidents every now and then.So of course,you can hold on it as long as you can.The rear drum brakes of RE’s are ONE of the best drum brakes.If you wanna feel the difference,try the rear drum brake of Yamaha FZ and that of an RE
5,I agree
6,but personally I don’t want to feel like I’m flying away once a super fast sprints beside me.I felt the same riding a CT-100.It is a very light bike.
7,Spoked wheels look better on Bulls.Doesn’t Harleys have spoked ones too?
8,I totally agree with you.
Awesome Proudman! Do all Keralites have such weird names by the way? 🙂
My friend I’ve ridden more than 1 lakh Kms on many bikes. I’ve owned and used bikes like Bajaj Pulsar, RE STD. 350 to their last mile of life. I won’t say I’m a hardcore Bullet fan, but I do like that bike.
I strongly feel it’s not the machine which matters it’s the man. There are a few things on which i disagree with you.
a. Bulls are slow.. Here’s the deal come over to bangalore and I’ll show you how fast a bull can go.
b. shitty milage and low range: well i’ve very rarely seen a guy pushing his bull to fuel station and quite a number of times seen dukes being dragged/towed or piggybacked to a fuel station.
c. bullets are bad for off roads: I don’t know; I’ve been doing it everyday since last 5 years or so.
d. Bullets are unreliable: well i went to Goa and came back and rode some 500 more KMs with a seized engine 😛
e. JUGAAD: oh I love Jugad, the fact that i don’t really have to depend upon the road side assistance service of my bike manufacturer is so amazing. The problem with the french couple was wrong tools and ill kept bikes. IF you don’t have the right tools i bet you can’t really do a shit about any other bike.
Anyway would love to ride with you just for the sake of having a heated discussion. give a shout when in Bangalore 😛 Cheers.
PS. All the machines are different, i’ll still prefer a RX100 or some puny bike for my city trotting. 😛
See you in Blore soon 🙂
(Y)
U need to get a life dude…seriously
Ok.
Technicalities aside, the taste of your article tells me upfront that you are not a motorcycle guy!
Your tone of writing has turned this into a very shoddy article to read. Bikers are kind, not agitated. They respect the rules. They understand and appreciate different perspectives.
So you followed bullets and thought riding at 65 kmps is insane? Even if we assume they were respecting the speed limits, do try to respect their choice. Not every fellow in cbr or r15 maintains 120+. That’s because true bikers know that even the best fall someday.
Have you ever had an accident? Do you recall the first ride when you got back on the road? Did you do 100+ right away?
Bikers are polite, reasonable and respecting. Try to be that before you want to sound like one.
Disclaimer : I am not a RE fan.
Thanks for sharing your opinion Rohan.
If by using “bad” words, and sharing my personal opinion, but in a way not conforming to your perspective, I’m not a motorcycle guy, polite, reasonable and respecting, that’s fucking awesome! You seem to have missed the point here completely, but then that’s your thought process, and it’s OK.
I never had an accident. So can’t really answer you about that.
All the points are valid, but the 3rd one totally strikes the chord with me. Earbleedingly loud REs do not make the owner look macho, instead he comes along as an ‘attention seeking whore’
And there seem to a be a fucking hell lot of them Sushrut!
Guess you need to meet some seasoned RE rider and discuss this 🙂 get some of the facts right atleast …. I’m in Chandigarh BTW in case you’re around. Till then … to each his own I say … ride safe!
Ride safe mate!
I guess what they say about the little master is also true for RE. There are no Sachin/RE haters, only attention seekers.
And attention you seem to have gotten plenty of, with this wholehearted yet hollow attempt at RE bashing. Hell, even I am drawn to comment on it. Kudos to you on the popularity of your post. But we also know that you wouldn’t have drawn a fraction of this attention if you had spent time writing a post lauding the superior features of a bike you own.
I’d also like to note that, while there seems to be noise on the world wide web on why one wouldn’t buy an RE, the number of REs and the consequent “noise” on the road just keeps on growing. Care to explain that with something other than your perception of the inferior intellect of RE owners?
Honestly, it’s posts like these that lead me to infer- Those who own an RE, sit and ride. Others, sit and justify.
One could learn and enjoy a lot more riding a bike of one’s choice and sharing those experiences rather than wasting time badmouthing someone else’s. But yeah, that might not get you the hits. Pursue what you may please. Cheers!
Cheers!
I have a Bullet Electra and I have clocked a lot of kms on that one. I bought this because I am 6′ 3″ and weigh 102kgs. I can ride this bike comfortably. I couldn’t find any other bike on which I can ride in comfort.
I don’t agree with some.
1. The bullets are unreliable: Well, this is partly because of how it is maintained. If there’s a manufacturing defect, that can happen with any bike. I fix most of my problems in my bike and its as easy as it is on any other bike (yes I have owned other bikes as well). Its a matter of knowing how to do something than it being easy.
2. Waiting period: Demand > Supply. Simple economics.
3. Off roading: I have done hundreds of kms of off-roading on mine, without getting a backache, without feeling any difficulty for riding it, never had a flat tyre.
4. Speed: I have clocked 120kmph on mine and I think that’s sufficient and the bike held on pretty well.
Rest are sadly true, what the heck anyway. I just ride!
Cheers!
Hehe, I like the second last line! Thanks for the nice comment. Cheers 🙂
Well that depends on the context. I am a 6’2” lanky guy. Bikes like Apaches, RX’es, R15’es even a Pulsar doesn’t fit me in anthropometric terms. Also the stance is so bent that my wrists and shoulders start hurting in minutes. And pillion rider? Hah, RIP!
Like that, ‘Royal Enfield’ bikes (not all are bullets) fit me really well.
And speaking for a 500ccbike, PUH-LEEEZ!
Today’s 500cc RE bikes are fairly swift, Pickup’s quite good. I have reached upto 130km/h; didnt push it further fearing high speed collisions (It’s a highway, not a race track)
Today’s bikes are fairly reliable, except for that damn clutch cable! Grr!
Noisy? Well each one have their own opinion.
As for spoked wheels, they can take a bigger beating, as compared to an alloy that can simply break and become permanently unusable
Mileage and braking conditions have significantly improved.
Waiting period is painfully long, but hey that’s coz of the overwhelming demand.
Tell you what, things that are actually bad? Paint quality, design detailing, silly pad-lock style main lock, lack of hazard light, mild rusting, easy-to-lose matte finish and few more.
Not sure how to reply here 🙂 I agree that big guys on a budget simply HAVE to go for a Bull, no other option at all.
Dear Akhil,
LMAO, reading all the comments & whatever argument/debate going on here. I really liked your post though I am a bullet fan. I had a bullet 4 years back that was old machismo model (it has issues considering the fact that its an old iron cast engine)..but somehow I had to sell it off of due to some paper issues. And now, I was planing to go for a standard 350 this month. After reading your post (which I found quite logical)..made me a sad confused man :-)…I must say you an eye opener for some of the blind bullet fans. Anyway I want you to suggest me a CRUISER in the price range of 1.5L (except Avenger..I don’t like that bike coz my knees get hurt riding it may be bcoz of my height)..Can you please???
PS:- I like motorcycle with a little old school touch
Thanks for your reply bro..I live in the city of dreams working in the music industry, so its just a matter of single break here..thn I can even get one of Harley’s Softail models :)..till then you enjoy your celebrity phase here (even SRK won’t have been so famous writing a blog)..haha..just kidding..CHEERS..Keep Riding & Rocking!!
Haha, hope you get a break soon Satyam! Cheers.
I’m old now 79.I own a triumph Bonneville 67. A bullet 350 69.A RD 350 86.and since my sons have gifted me a Ninja 650 R and a Aprilia Augusta MV.but I chose the bullet and did as my last long trip 3 years ago from kerala to Singapore and back without a glitch.each bike I own is like a lady I cared for at some or other point of my life.here or abroad. But I love her more.my wife.and my bullet.
No other option in that price range mate 🙂 Won’t really recommend the Hyosung cruisers, since they seem to have quality niggles. The only “old school” touch cruiser that I can see priced reasonably would be the Street 750, which at 4.1 lacs isn’t exactly cheap.
What about Thunderbird 350/500 mate?
Hey man, I use Bullet as a blanket term for all RE motorcycles. They are the same thing anyway!
I have a slightly different point of view. Let me give my perspective on the points you’ve mentioned.
1. Bullets are fucking slow: RE 350 can go upto 120 kmph and RE500 upto 130 kmph (There are videos on youtube to prove this fact). I agree that it is still slow especially when the engine is >= 350CC, but the slow speed is attributed to 24mm carburetor which is responsible for low power output of 18bhp only. Bikes like pulsar 220 have a 32mm carburetor which has a power output of 21bhp. The reason for keeping a small carburetor is well justified. In India you’ll barely have roads where you can drive over 120 kmph. So by keeping the size of carburetor low we are enhancing the mileage.
2. Royal Enfields are unreliable: I’m driving my RE since 2 years no problem at all. I covered ~350kms non-stop and 1000kms in 36hrs. Didn’t notice any problems with the bike yet. I’m not sure if this is possible on other bikes you mentioned. Well there are RE of 1970 make still running on the road. I doubt if there would be any other bike that could last that longer.
3. Bullets are noisy – and the bad kind of noisy: I agree with you on this point. Even I don’t like people changing the silencer to get that loud noise. The company silencer is good enough.
4. Bullets have really bad brakes: With the advent of newer models they are improving. It’s not fair to compare brakes of old RE with bikes like Duke, FZ, fazer etc. If you want to compare, compare models of same year.
5. Bullets give shitty mileage: I think you really don’t know what mileage RE gives. RE 350 gives 40kmpl in City like bangalore and ~43 on highways. What more can you ask with a 350CC engine??
6. Bullets are unnecessarily heavy: Yes, and so are Harley, Triumph. You seriously need to know the difference between a cruiser bike and a sports bike.
7. Bullets have spoked wheels: Most of the people change it with alloy wheels that are also larger in size.
8. Bullets have a fucking long waiting period: Can’t really do anything about this. Demand >> Supply.
Now that I’ve expressed my opinion on the points you’ve mentioned. I request you to kindly watch a documentary called “Why we ride”. The people who’ve been interviewed in it are world champions in Moto GP and other races. But when asked the question which bikes would you prefer to drive, the answer was mostly “Vintage bike, They have a charm that you can’t explain in words. You feel the metal inside the engine, the thump. Its amazing”. Having said that, I really love riding my RE and would never like to exchange it with any other bike in the market. But, at the same time, I do respect people who like to drive other bikes. So, I request you to do the same.
Hope it was an enjoyable read for you.
Sure was!
Good one Mohit!!!
Enjoyed it! Read this too.. http://www.mouthshut.com/review/Bullet-Standard-Deluxe-review-orlmqnpupm
Really honest review, loved it!
I Remember an AD of bullet. ‘jab bullet chale to har koi rasta de’. On a serious note they have to give way. who knows where the bull might run. you know safety should be priority. Thanks RE for warning us. And yes my cousin has an RE classic. I don’t know why RE uses the current brand and make of the rear tire. He shared an incident when there was a slightly wet road and he applied brakes and the bike just skidded and came to a halt in more time and length than any other bike in proportional situation. I was planning to buy a continental gt in some time, but then if I add another couple of lakhs, I will get a Harley. So why to get an almost outdated technology when you can get a new one with just couple of lakhs or thousands in an EMI.
Exactly my point! The Street 750 is a much better machine, although more than twice the cost of a GT. Street 500 rumors are also in the news, but no telling when it will arrive.
nice write up Akhil… enjoyed the comments section even more!!!
after having rode an RX100 all my life and a bullet for last few months, I can agree with most of what you have written.
peace!!
Thanks Mithun! Have fun 🙂
Hey @akhil I ride RE 350 classic and i rode all the way from leh till bangalore after doin khardungla n othr places …. And I totally disagree with yu… trust me it was a peaceful comfortable ride but yeah I clocked 125km/hr max on gujrat roads… but avg was 100km/hr 🙂 may be few f ya comments r valid like waiting period n poor service by RE but m loving the machine… and yeah m buying duke 200 very soon 🙂
Awesome! Glad you are having fun. The 200 is a nice little package too, maybe that’ll change your perception of the REs 🙂
Akhil,
Bullets are slow?
you are trying to compare apples and oranges here by comparing bullet with KTM. Both belong to different families, and hence attract different set of riders. If I have to give you analogy … you are trying to compare a sprinter with a marathon runner…
Bullets are unreliable?
Yes, there are niggling quality issues with RE, there may be quite a many when compared to other brands. (I don’t know..). But all I cay say is.. No product is perfect, and so are the RE ones, I think the problem could also be with people too, they exaggerate the issues found with RE and hence smaller issues are also seen through microscope and shown as showstoppers… At the end of the day.. the name sells.. people want to be part of the known cult.. plus its our own homegrown breed…people are ready to overlook these small issues compared to the pleasure they get riding it… now the pleasure is relative term.. where majority of the population accepted it.. you and small set of people have forbidden it. 🙂
Spoked wheels?
I agree its time RE gets those alloys and tubeless into their product… this is something which I am looking forward for.
All other counts of charges from your side look lame.. 🙂 All I can say if one has taken a opposite stance.. then everything looks bad.. may be some introspection needed.. before you think these only apply to RE products or in general everything else out there…
Happy riding. Cheers
Hey Krishna, you sound like a reasonable guy, and not a full-blown REtard, so I’ll try and answer your points:
I have repeatedly said that I am not comparing a KTM against an RE.
Bullets are unreliable, period. It is not a relative phenomenon, nor can it be explained as “normal”, or exaggeration of a certain few. As far as pleasure goes, yes everyone has their own thing, but that cannot be accepted as a reason for low quality parts and overall shoddy work.
I have taken an opposite stance, I absolutely detest REs. It’s also a lot about the kind of people who prefer REs, go through the comments and you’ll see.
Cheers!
ok. you seem to have generalized things too far.. your observations are partially right… and RE owners have accepted some of those facts.. i did discuss in my previous message.. but you have generalized things too far.. and labeled all of us 🙂 that’s bad. In the process its so happens that although some of your points are valid.. most of them fall under negative criticism.. surely some introspection is needed.. things have changed a lot from your perceived world.. 🙂
Hehe, happy riding mate!
Hey guys…i plan to buy RE this Diwali….All u RE champs out there…Please suggest the model i should look for…I dont want to buy the ones with those curved handle n all… a decent royal – royal enfield is what i am looking for….may be classic 350 or bullet 350 or electra ? which one do u suggest…not buying for any adventorous hilly tours…just plain city drive…home to office..and back home…around 40 kms a day….
Wrong post mate 🙂
Reading the comments section has made my day! While there were a few RE guys who have made rational arguments, most of the RE fanboys have helped bolster my opinion about them as loud, brash, illogical and borderline stupid. They really do go to great lengths to defend themselves.
And what beef do these guys hold against fiber – bodied bikes? What’s with all this fascination with a ‘all metal’ body? And dear God how can they compare an RE bike to a modern motorcycle (eg. a Duke 390)? RE is centuries behind in their technology. People need to stop being so defensive about RE and demand answers from them regarding the appalling quality of the products they make, rather than choosing to live in a fool’s paradise and abusing riders who don’t own bullets.
Hehe, glad you had some fun Amogh 🙂
I also don’t really understand the (almost sexual) fascination with metal. My idea of a good bike involves as less weight as possible, no matter what the material is. But then again, logic doesn’t really come into the picture when you talk about REs!
If u really feel like talking on this issue, i can prove you wrong, i am a young rider too but done alot on my bull. So lemme know if u really want to talk. ( ps: the metal really works when some one bams into you, specially some asshole on a duke will be probably dead but my beast will be still entact and roaring)
Awesome. I absolutely love how crash-worthiness of a bike has become a positive here!
And there was once a Bull-rider whose Bull’s brakes faded(bah!!) on a acute downhill section in H.P and OFF went the Bull and the ‘El Matador’ down the cliff! 😀
Mangled metal and body parts was ALL that what remained!
That event at least will NOT(read never!) happen atop a Duke or a more ‘worthy’ m/cycle with fool-proof braking and agility! What say, Akhil…?!? 😉
Wolverine you have a worthy opponent. all metal bullet. beware when you take it on. you might as well dent your adamantium
some bull shit resons given by an idiot
Ok.
i got an idea for you. Wear a gray uniform, attach an extra wheel and an auto rickshaw back seat to your duck and Presto! you have an auto. Bloody go and earn money off it and you will be able to perhaps buy a RE fuel tank after a year or so. Then you can come and salute me. Cheers!
Cheers!
just 8 words will define you ma friend- YOU ARE NOT BORN TO RIDE A BULLET.
Thank god for that!
Consider yourself ‘blessed’, Akhil, ’cause Bul-lets are NOT meant to be ridden anyway! 😉
No sane bloke would buy a Bull-let ever. Period.
Amen Sats!
Great article , don’t know why RE lovers gets so emotional when someone says it is bad or points out some negatives or their opinion about it. Also don’t know why they think RE is like last word on motorcycles, I love Yamaha (not ‘like’ but ‘Love’) but whenever i see a flaw in it. I wont bother criticizing it. Even i have posted about various things directly to yamaha on their fb page. I think only such criticism will make manufactures to improve, than blind devotion.
Couldn’t agree more Vikas!
Well,….the Bull-let owners remain the most mean & egoistic of the lot and YOU criticize those ‘Ground-Helicopters’ and their ego takes the beating and their blood boils! They find the truth rather hard to swallow, y’see?! Harharhar! 😀
They just ‘put-put’ all over saying white is black…..sic! 🙁
That’s the way it seems to be!
Looks like someone lost his balls after a fight with a bull rider 😀
Nopes, just checked and they are still there. Quite hairy, if I may add. Where’s the damn clipper….
Very idiotic reasons. M not convinced
Ok, thank God this is a rhetorical post!
You are the biggest loser I have ever seen.
1. And non sense too, who is provoking people to ride above speed limit. Its of course about riding pleasure, the thump.. The two guys you talking about were having real pleasure of riding rather than having your ass on fire unlike you.
2. Which bike do you think will not behave like this if ill-maintained. Psycho.
3. Its Thump.. You understand that or you better get your ears tested.
4. Try and eat something healthy so that you can gain some energy to apply brakes.
5. Go get Atlas cycle, light weight , no noise. Superb mileage.
6. Refer point six. Psycho…
7. Momma’s boy, you better stay home and avoid these hardships. Not meant for you baby. Stay home, sip bournvita and watch Pogo.
8. Having New generation kids doesn’t mean your father is obsolete and good for nothing.
Baap baap hota hai Bete.. :-*
Ravinder Singh Ji…. Thumbs up….
ravinder, i think he is a test tube baby. not having enough power in his hand to either make a bullet run or stop.
What?
dude comment 7 is funny pogo ?? rofl
Thanks for showing everyone what a REAL bull rider looks like 🙂
Nice article.. Every thing is true except for tubeless tyres.. ( continental gt have pirelli sports demon on spokes ) . the only good bike re have is the continental gt. Great brakes ( brembo ) nice shock absorbers ( piolli ) good acceleration and looks. But still I’m gonna buy KTM rc390. Lol
Yeah, Conti is fairly advanced for an RE, but has its own set of problems, not to mention the legacy of unreliability that it inherits from Bullets.
Go for the RC! Fun little package, but not for touring.
Terko nahi pasand to mat le! Chutiyapa mat kr bhadwe!
You seems like some chinese or chinki? Is that what you are? And because of you morons only who overspeeds on highway with speed limits… You are saying do as the romans do! In final u are an asshole! Go fuck ur mom on ur ktm! Will give u thrill
teri maa ka bho### or whatever, man you don’t have to be that much personal or dumb to comment something like this, be a wise guy , @AK really appreciate the time u had taken out to write something like this, really worth reading and appreciate the guys who had written in comment to discuss the pros and cons of RE…welcome to such article in near future to come…kudos guys 🙂
Thanks man!
Owner of a 1 year old 200ns and 4 months old Desert storm. Ns is sitting in my garage now and the bullet awaiting a new battery, as the first one conked. Also, a broken battery lock set, replaced clutch plates as the great bull refused to shift from 1st to neutral. Built like a gun they say… More like built like a candy stick..
Haha! Yeah, hard luck Ananth. Replaced clutch plates in 4 months only? That sucks.
well the author pretty much summed it up……there is not much to bullet as ppl think these days…….at one time it was pretty much a trademark of doodhwalas …..its machinery is obsolete……and doesn’t perform as well it should keeping in mind the large engine capacity……..BUT it is sort of fun to ride it…..and thn there are some ppl who love getting some grease on their hands every weekend as they have an idea of being in a very intimate relationship with their bikes 😀 …….jap bikes wont give them that pleasure as whatever the weather …..its always 1 kick start with those things and too much reliability for RE fans liking :v dont get me wrong i like the REs too for its pleasant thump and classic looks but on a tour i’d prefer something “up to date”
oh trust me i dont have that fetish….as i mentioned tht i can’t trust it with my life as i do with my 2000 model CBZ 😀 ….but if i get the chance to own more thn one bike i will definitely own a RE and something state of the art like a yamaha R25(not R15)……but saying tht bullet is better thn everything else is like saying ambassador is the best car there is …….when even a alto smokes it in performance…..so i feel your low opinion of bullet kind of stems from its followers……just like ppl hate justin bieber not because of what he is but coz of his fans…….i would like to add another thing…….enfield is good for ppl who GREW up with it had it in their home have seen their dad work at it and KNOW some shit about tinkering with it(like myself)……..BUT….when some skinny IT mazdoor wannabe biker gets it along with a tattoo of “om ma ni pad me hum” on his arm and doesn’t know shite about tuning it or even a simple oil change….thats when it REALLY loses it credibility
Vivek, I have seen several claim that their dad, and some, their grand-dad, owned a Bullet and they are, sort of, following a tradition by owning a Bullet themselves. Fair enough. But that does not mean a skinny IT guy, whose dad or grand-dad did not own a Bullet, should not own one now? Perhaps, they could not afford it back then, but the IT guy can. Does it make him a wannabe? Also, it’s wrong to assume that if one’s dad or grand-dad owned a Bullet, they know stuff about it.
I have a hard time imagining people wo love getting some grease on their hands every weekend! But then there are all sorts of people in the world, everyone has their own fetish, no matter how illogical or weird it may be 🙂 Thanks for your comment!
Well riding a RE CL 350 for past 1 year, 2 trips and a good maintenance I’ve had a decent mileage of 40 to 45 kmpl and can go to top speeds of 110+. Well I don’t say what you said is wrong but after riding only one/two RE’s maybe yes. After your comments well i can see you as a true performance and japanese junkie. If that is how its hardwired into you, you’ll never like RE’s or any bike in the classic segment for that matter. No offence technology is good, but complaining or reasoning about classic style of bikes, I find it weird.
However what ever you drive, drive carefully. CHEERS
You are right, I don’t find Harleys or Bonnies or other Truimphs and cruisers interesting, no matter how big/costly/loud they are.
Cheers!
Sagar, there are motorcycles that are retro in their styling and yet technologically relevant. The Bonneville is a great example of this.
Shittiest thing i have ever read, the most comfortable bike ever made was honda,but it was most boring too because there was nothing exciting about it,it was sooo comfortable that the rider used to get bored riding it, i don’t remember what was its namewas. SO stfu u fucking idiot, you know nothing about a bullet, about the handling, its heavy and its still balanced like no other bike, just take out a pulsar or whatever plastic toy you like on a rainy day on curves, i bet with same speed bullet gonna survive a slip on a curve whether your plastic toy gonna break apart. Things you said about “jugaad”, its simple, if your plastic toy got struck somewhere in a village (no way it can even ride on offroads), it cant get running again with jugaad whereas a bullet can. Now about the noise – have u ever seen a harley idiot? It sounds way more than a bullet, and doesn’t even have those beats that came from a bullet exhaust, secondly its sound could always be cut off using a different exhaust pipe while this doesn’t works on harley,so your stupid logic is fucked up. Now about the mileage – jerk have you even rode a pulsar 180? It gives around 42 kmpl of mileage, so what u expect from a heavy 350cc engine? Even the harley 750 gives around 18kmpl mileage, simply who can buy a bullet, will never cry for mileage, so again, your logic get fucked. I can fuck all your logics right now,but don’t have time for ur stupidity, go get a bicycle and stop barking how bad bullet is, you could never stand against someone who rides a bullet.
Getting a bicycle tomorrow, thanks for the suggestion!
I would like to take you up on that rainy day challenge right away
I’ve ridden an Electra 2002 for 7 years after which I bought KTM 390. Trust me, you wont stand a chance
We once had a brand new bullet classic with us on a trip in MP (less than 100km on ODO). It developed starting problem same evening. The fuse kept blowing up (there is only one fuse in the entire electricals)
The local mechanic did not have any parts for it and during troubleshooting blew both ignition coils.
Finally it had to be towed off in a tempo.
Sad. A trip’s fun should never be robbed by the very thing that’s supposed to bring it 🙂
Well, you known Akhil, to each his own. I own an RE as well as a Harley Davidson. Enjoy riding both. Every bike has its own merits. At the outset, just as an example, although the harley is a great piece of machinery, the rear suspension and shock absorbers are terrible. The vehicle is macho, yes and a passion with every biker, but nevertheless noisy and has a hell of a lot of vibration too. Let’s talk about brakes, harley brakes suck ! Big time. RE brakes are better, much better. Mileage on a harley ?… don’t bother asking !…. most harleys come with spoked wheels. Should you ever have a flat tyre, it will be a nightmare. At the least, an RE is repairable in any roadside workshop. But not a Harley, Hell No !!… All the jazz that you see on every other harley is an accessory, added on later. The cost of which is rediculous and prohibitive. Oh yeah, most harleys have almost 1 year waiting period.
What I mean to say is every rider has his limitations, be it weight, size, money, maitainance, availability, riding conditions etc. But I guess at the end, what matters is riding, and the sheer joy and the love of it.
No offence Brothers.
None taken Sujit. Have fun with your steeds!
totally agree with you dude 🙂 . i have had fucking first hand experience with a RE thunderbird . one of the most unrealiable bikes . even my yamaha rx135, which i bought as a 4th or 5th hand , performed reliably than this new RE shit!. i have made 50k+ kms with it and everytime i left home to go out i was always scared ! . i stopped ridding outside city because i was scared where the crappy metal would stop ! . and about the design decisions made on REs .. FUCK the bloody designer!!!!! . water flows directly to battery from the seat . fucks the battery connections . if the water flows into the spark plug area the bike just stops !!! . there is no way to put a cover to it . and about the tappets .. well . i dont want to waste any more time than i already wasted writing this . its no use talking about a junk metal . i think these eicher fuckers made a fool out of indian army to buy this stupid bikes!!!!!!! .
I agree! The fun part is watching so many people get fooled so easily 🙂
at the time when Indian army was caught in the tangles of RE junk, Eicher had no association with RE but today top echelons of both the brands sit in the same corporate office !
Akhil you are getting attention just because you have written about RE bullet which has many clubs to the length and breadth of India,come visit us on RM15 in Chandigarh and see the mania with your own eyes, nobody worships RE its a bike , long live brotherhood ,ride safe
See you on highway !
See you!
Just 1 thing on my mind evry motorcycle is built with different concept so stop complaining & be happy with the machine you own, evn the engineers who created it 60yrs before u wud evn knw wat xactly tyre means ain’t idiots, its all coz of such old engineers that new bikes have been invented
Sure!
Regret the Ol’ Brits who once ruled nay ‘dominated’ India left this brand behind in India when they were deported! Wish they(the Brits!) had then taken along the RE jigs and fixtures and moulds too so there would have been RE a.k.a ‘Ground-Helicopters'(Bah!) ‘No-More’! :-/
Ditto like “Na-rahega-baans-na-bajegi-baansuri’…..as that ol’ Hindi saying goes! 🙂
And then the RE-brand nearly, nearly got phased out(read dead(!)…owing to the obsolete design, poor build quality, poor sales et al!) the bloomin’ Eicher blokes intervened and ‘revived’ the Company to ‘Re-Build’ these cast-iron contraptions to be sold yet again! Antiques sold as new, that is! 😀
And then the beastly blokes then took to it in hordes -albeit to prove their macho-egoism…er…’Mardaangi'(my foot!!)!
Why even to the present day ONLY such nit-wits ‘opt’ for these RE & variants and go around making the ‘bad-bad-bad’ sound! And then the once RE owners and/or the “cult-bike” riders and other wanna-be’s too -with ‘major’ ego and a fatter bank balance- opt for the other Yankee brand, the HD(with the maximum possible chromed parts!) and to make m-o-r-e show and noise!
The things in common between BOTH these models/brands ‘remains’ the obesity, mach-egoism as also the ‘be heard before being seen’ mentality! 🙁
What say Akhil..?!? 😉
Haha! Took me a while to understand your comment, hard to find so many special characters being used in so little paragraphs 🙂
I absolutely hate the ‘be heard before being seen’ mentality, unless it is a superbike, in which case you are welcome!
Chill man…respect ur views !!!!u are too bitter to change ur perspective abt bullets.
So yes be happy,ride ur own machine ,praise ur duke 390,be happy,mind ur own business…simple.
Don’t bother to understand why we bulleteers like our 200kgs of metal.
U won’t understand ever ,until u are open to riding and appreciating each type of different makes and styles of rides providing different purposes of touring,cruising,racing,stunting,off roading & dirt track racing,etc.
So make space in your heart for love ,the love of motorcycles.
Ride safe,ride hard.
Get well soon.
Ride safe to you!
And I like the last line of your comment, nice one 🙂
well written. and a fun read at that. I own a RE AVL 350 for more than a decade and I have done inter state rides amongst others. trust me we ride at nothing less than 100 KMS ever. And with easy. Most of the other stuff you’ve written are true but then each to themselves. Over all I liked what you wrote and the way you wrote. Keep it coming !!
Thanks Vivek! Happy riding 🙂
Smartass ! And i can see you smiling..
😀
My details of your points :
1: Bullets are slow : may be you have ridden an old and non performing Bullet otherwise a Bullet 350 can easily clock the 80KMPH easily with no vibrations and the 500cc can do the 100 in same time.
2: Bullets are unreliable : well if properly managed and services the bullet is easy to go Bike , if you are not taking care of bike it will break down anyways be it any bike, the fuel tank is 13 Lt and it can go to 13*30 in my case = 400 KM easily , have ridden to the length and breadth of country, carry your spares and Tubes , if you are a rider you can understand even a breakdown is fun on highway and has a story too to enjoy in your future rides
3: Bullet are noisy : yeah i agree with you they are definitely a noisy machine and annoying for some guys like you.
4: Bullets have bad break : As the weight is more one needs to apply the breaks properly as the drum breaks are not efficient even in splendor and Activa too , Use of front breaks can effectively Stop the bullet , now Bullet is coming with Disc brakes and they are very efficient , just give it a try.
5: Bullet has Low mileage : yes they have less on mileage but the new ones with new technology is clocking 40+ averages ,i have never seen any bulleter or a rider to fear of weather its the rider who rides the bike not the bike rides a biker, The Scooters ,Activas,Splendours ,Tata Nano and Bullet have been to khardungla the highest motorable road.
6: Bullet are heavy : yes they are heavy and i dont know the reason !, regrading the breakdown , i have never seen any Rider complaining about breakdown as he must be prepared for breakdown and carry spares, i can still remember my all breakdowns even after 10 years i can still tell a story , how when and where and how i fixed the problem.
its a matter of taste , you want a quick bike which can clock 150+KMPH , light and less noisy ,more mileage , but some like it heavy ,with more thump and which can ride the highway with a steady 80+ KMPH….
I really don’t understand why someone would like their bike to be heavy! And any bike can do a steady 80kmph, even a Pulsar 150, what is the point of having a 500cc engine then? 🙂
Because you wrote bullets are fucking slow is 80kmph slow? And that too when you are riding 700+km in a day
There is a lot of difference between 80 kph top speed and 80 kph average speed.
rocking with my new classic 350 2014 model…. Went over 600 kilometres on one fine day with my friends having pulsar 200ns.. Yamaha r15 v2 and karizma r…. The only bikes which made it to the end were my bullet and karizma r (hardly with a single break down)… My friends where whining all the day for not having opted for a bullet as they were suffering from back pains and a swollen ass :-P… They used to touch a top speed of 130 km and I just maintained a speed of 90-110 kmph… But at the end of any stop it was the bullet which reached earlier.. Because they couldn’t maintain their speeds in the rugged roads.. They just rode speed at highways… But the surface type was not a problem for my bullet…. And when we were to climb some upside hills like roads…. Their bikes used to accelerate like they were begging for some torque…and my friend on 200ns had a minor accident as his bike slipped at a speed of 50 and he lost his 2 Indicators.. And had a deep dent on his tank with a cracked back chasis .. And he was seriously wounded on his legs….. And the same goes with me but this was my fault as I ran my bullet into the divider of the road at a speed of 40-50 and I safely landed on the divider while my bike went for about 100 metres dragging on its crash guard and all I dealt was with a damaged crash guard and nothing more….. On that day I realised that my choice of going for a bullet was totally right…
So u are promoting the “crash worthiness” of a RE…………good to see Bullet owners leaving no stone unturned in appraising their Royal Oilfields. BTW how on earth did u run into the road divider?????? My guess is that your RE couldn’t make it through the curve and eventually crashed on the road divider………..or maybe you were dreaming
Haters gonna hate… And I mentioned it was my fault that my re ran into divider as I was just watching some Aston Martin passing by turning my head…. And see akhil is so happy as someone defended him… If there are some blunders with other bikes no one bats an eye… When we talk about RE everyone loses their mind… This shows the status of Re.. 😛
Awesome!
At first looks like someone had to wait too long to get an enfield , got pissed off and ended up buying a duke.
A royal enfield is a little more human than any machine around. A duke is more a machine, performs like a machine. Ride a duke for > 500km continuously , what happens? it overheats and breaks down .
Now. you will say a duke is not meant for that, well a royal enfield is not meant for the track.
The duke is an amazing bike, for a performance monger. The enfield is one for someone wanting a relation with his/her bike.
I have ridden my duke 1000+ kms continuously, and am about to reach 22000 kms soon.
I don’t want to have a relation with my bike, I prefer relations with actual humans.
hope humans do have a breakdown bcoz of u
I don’t really understand what you mean, but I hope that too!
I had no opinions on a Royal Enfield previously. I knew they were sluggish so I personally never wanted to buy one. But then I did the Ladakh circuit on a brand new (50 days old) Royal Enfield for 10 days. I was excited because EVERYONE said that doing the circuit on any other bike is just not good enough. I paid out of my ass to rent a brand new (50 day old) RE Classic 500.
It was the single worst trip of my life (BY FAR) and the entire time, I kept wishing I could ride my friend’s Apache RTR 180 (that he hired for much cheaper). As opposed to what people claimed, the comfort was non-existant, in addition, the handling was shit, the thing would refuse to climb at more than 10kph without slipping the clutch, the brakes were horrid, the vibrations would kill the sensation in my hand after 30 minutes of riding. People suggest that it’s just a bad fit for people who like light/sporty bikes but coming from a completely ubiased dude, who was actually excited to ride the RE, those things are objectively utter crap and the “feel of it” argument is (IMO) just placebo originating from the endless royal enfield circlejerk.
/rant
i own a RE classic 350 since 3years and about 45000 kms, i never sent my bike to service center and also to any mechanic after first 4 free service and general periodic service.!! i toured to hill stations 6times and i never experienced even any minor breakdown(except couple of punctures)? , and till now i got couple of accidents..! 1 is major though ,while accident, my bike gets all hits instead of me..! it saves my life really..! and it also got dents during major accident, cooool, i just removed those dents and flying again..! simple na..! and my friend owns a duke, since just 6months.!! he got a small minor accident before 1 month, yu know, engine cover broken,side small fairing broken, rear view mirror broken, front mudguard broken , and my friend’s right hand and right leg fractured 🙁 and his bike is now still living in ASS. and my friend now decided to get RE..!
now, wat yu say.??..if yu say i hate duke, thats why i am talking like this and yu cant accept na..! then same with me..! @akhil, reply must, not just with single word okie :D..!
If the story you’ve told is true, please continue staying with RE, and the same goes for your friend. I don’t expect you to accept anything, if something works for you, awesome!
My experience with the Duke has been completely opposite, and other’s experiences with the Bullets you can see in the comments, this article is based on that. It might look like I”m blowing one side of the story only, but go through the comments and you’ll see the proportion of good vs. bad experiences that people have with Bullets.
yu should also go through the comments wch ppl says duke’s disadvantages and RE’s benifits..! bad experiences that ppl have with ktm..! anyway..! REs are the real head turner ..! Every RE rider feels pride in signals when they roar their engine..! but duke has a auto sound..!:( sorry for yu and yur bike.! and am reminding yu RE’s are better for most of them ,even in yur blog ppl who comments..! RE’s taking some majority na..! coool..!
Coool! Although I would REALLY advise you guys not to “roar” your engines, that just feels sad, and attention-whoring as well.
Duke sounds like a rickshaw, no 2 ways about that!
Haha! I agree Ayush, totally. I have no idea how people strap 20 kgs of luggage onto their REs and then go to Ladakh. RE is all about the heart, and nothing about the brain.
WELL SAID.
Ha ha. A very well written piece with a lot of satire. Being a Royal Enfield rider, I enjoyed reading it.
Though all the statements you have made in a cock-eyed view of a Bullet, as a writer you have based the whole write up on one or two incidences in each point that you made. Making it more of a hate response or a lop-sided approach to the real issue.
Of course, there are good bikes in the market these days and Royal Enfield still stands among the top ones in sales as well as durability. When you spoke about off-roading on a Bullet, I knew that you have never owned one to see how well it performs on offroads, and so the spokes on the wheels.
Moreover, if a person can buy a Royal Enfield; he should also be able to take good care of it and keep it in perfect shape unlike the French couple who’s chain was so loose that it came out of the sprocket. And I would not be surprised if it would have happened on any other bike provided that the situation of the chain is the same as in the Ladakh incident. In the first point you made, it is the Bulleteers’ convenience in riding slow or fast. A bullet can go fast but not as much as the sports bikes of course. There is a huge line between a cruiser and a sports bike which you have to understand.
Royal Enfield has it’s issues and so do all the other bikes too. You just need to own one and maintain it the way it is supposed to be to see how well it can perform in the situations that you put it into. As a writer, if you wanted to bring out the shortcomings of a Bullet. You could have finished it in two or three quality points rather than wasting your time on writing six points which failed to make a point in this regard.
I do not want to “maintain” my bike by running to the service center every weekend. I have owned my Duke for about a year now, and have only visited the service center 6 times over 22,000 kms.
As writer, you must not take everything personally. If you have also deciphered what I said, you would be able to understand what I meant. I meant that any bike will perform if the bike is kept well. Apart from the spare parts which I sparingly used, I used to service the vehicle once every three months and sometimes to top the brake fluid and engine oil.
Thus performing at its best just like how you maintain your bike and thus giving you best riding experiences.
Awaiting response to other assumptions.
I shouldn’t, but I do. This is not a journalistic new site, it is a place where I share my personal opinions, and some of them can be very biased.
I’m happy you are having fun with your RE!
Ha ha ha. Apart from the real topic, you are replying to everything else. There is absolutely no point in speaking to you. LOL.
Good luck for your future man. Write well. Ride safe.
Good luck and ride safe!
Rajat, I know chaps who picked up an RE only because it came with a 350 cc/ 500 cc engine. Few know that a higher cubic capacity doesn’t always translate to higher performance, but then again for every informed buyer, there are several uninformed ones.
Though I have not owned a RE, I have ridden it for quite a bit; and toured with people who own them. And I have never been on a tour where one, if not more, REs had a breakdown. And it isn’t like the RE owners did not maintain them well enough. So, it’s not wrong to classify them as unreliable.
Also, the RE sales are nowhere as high as other manufacturers. RE sold about 28K vehicles in the last month. In the same period, Yamaha sold 60K, TVS sold 250K, Honda sold 430 K and Bajaj sold 350K. Hero, I am sure, sold more than Honda. I think the only major company that RE surpassed is Mahindra – who sold 17K. You could argue that the other manufacturers sold ‘lesser mortals’ than the RE, but RE let’s leave it for another day.
RE was never intended to be an off-roader. I don’t think it still is. Things on an RE work themselves loose even on the flattest of terrain. There is no saying what a little off-road adventure can do to it. When riding in the Himalayas, I was in a group with two Pulsar 220s and a RE Thunderbird. When we decided to get a little adventurous, the only motorcycle that needed a push getting up steep slopes was the RE. I am not saying that the Pulsar 220 is an off-roader – just that it did the job better than the RE.
On the positive side, it looks like the company is finally improving, but they have miles to go before they catch up with the rest. For a company that claims to be the oldest motorcycle manufacturer in the world, it’s a little ironic that there isn’t a single innovative piece of equipment that premiered on their motorcycle. There were among the last in the country to use fuel-injection, hydraulic disc brakes and tubeless tyres. And for a company that is been around for as long as they have been, it’s plain sad their engines are designed by an external consultant.
For the company, they have their history working for them, and a steady inflow of orders – both of which is no cause of worry. And do ask guys who own an RE, or are planning to buy one – on what exactly in the RE was the deciding factor for the purchase; you just might be surprised with the answer!
Cheers!
I guess this is kind of like the same dilemma of owning an R15 2.0. Why would you spend double the money to own a 150cc bike? To top that it is uncomfortable as hell and expensive to maintain.
Still, I own one, and i’m very very proud of it. It was the revolutionary bike that opened out the indian market to Sports biking. I guess each machine has it’s quirks. Perhaps when you own a bullet and ride one you learn to make it your own, you understand it.
This isn’t to start a debate about sports bikes vs cruisers….vs off road bikes
Still they’re reason they’re called cruisers.
That being said, I enjoy riding one, but i doubt i would personally ever go for a bullet, for exactly most of the reasons mentioned in this article.
Well, the R15 is built for the track. It’s the best handling bike in the country, no contest. It’s faster than bigger, more powerful bikes around Kari Motor Speedway (such as Karizma, Any Pulsar, the 180cc bunch and any RE).
Anything is faster than any RE 😀
As a fact, I would agree all your points are true to a point, other than that the RE is slow 😀 if by slow you meant acceleration then boy does the bike take off in a couple of seconds. I think I read on some site the 500 or 350 hits 100 in 7.5 seconds, but I take about ten in mine. But if you’re point was the top end of the bike, then again, it can sustain speeds of around 120, deathly vibrations aside. So I can only assume you made this point because all bullet riders prefer staying in their bikes low rpm range, and fifth gear the right rpm range would be from 70 to 85.( though I ride mine on empty highways at a constant hundred, that depends on the rider. ) Though I don’t understand too why they take it so slow on totally empty highways. But compare these figures and in terms of speed, you’ve got a competitor to even the pulsars and r15. Though no one ever rides and redlines the bullet to even try 😀 i.e. If it had a red line. That’s why people are uninformed about its speed. But if you try riding it like that, ( which I have) you’re going to be so jarred with the vibrations that you’ll fall asleep right when u reach home 😀
Yeah, tried it once, and it was exactly as you say! The point that you’ve mentioned is quite simple, that Bullets can accelerate relatively quickly, and maintain good top speed too, but by sacrificing comfort due to huge amount of vibrations.
Another thing to notice is how a 350/500cc bike is comparable in performance with a 150/200 cc commuter. Yes I know Bullets are “cruisers” and not meant for outright performance, but damn man, it’s like that engine is purposely made high capacity to increase vibes, decrease mileage, and at the same time have amazingly shitty performance 🙂
Thanks for your comment!
Wait a sec did i read 100 in 7.5 sec and that too the bullet 350… Have you really ridden any bike actually… Not a single bullet can go 0-100 in that time… Now i understand all these RE people being proud… It is called lack of knowledge… Lol 0-100 in 7.5 sec… Need to share it in FB it will be a hit… Loosers doing whatever they can do to keep there metal junk heavy feel more heavier than it already is…. Ha ha ha…
I don’t agree that this situation can be compared with owning an R15 V2 Sasha. That bike has a purpose! It looks the part, goes the part, sounds the part, and doesn’t break down into a million pieces after every fucking mile. I have a lot of respect for that bike, because they guy I went to Ladakh with took his V2 all through that terrain and then back, without a single thread of trouble 🙂
Sure, I’m not comparing the R15 to the enfield. I’m comparing their placement in the market, i.e., R15 @ 1.24L all out extreme sports against ANY other 150cc engine for half price or even a 250cc for 10-15k more. The bike is very aggressive. In terms of performance, quality and even riding position. Some feel it is too aggressive [ in terms of price and comfort] and would rather go for a CBR250. So what I was trying to say is that, like any machine it does have it’s quirks, it dominates it’s field and riding is what makes the owner proud. You get noticed, probably as you would in a 390
Similarly, with the Enfield, it costs a bomb, you wait forever to get it, you have a high maintenance, low milage and low top speed/acceleration. But the pride you feel when you ride an enfield is what makes it worth it. The sound, the comfort and not giving a rat’s ass about the rest of the world going by.
It’s the ride, is what I am trying to say. Frankly, i haven’t driven anything that rides like an enfield, (though i’ve had an advantage of not owning one). Tomorrow, I take the RE500 to sulkunda for sunrise, after which i’ll come back to delhi next month and hop back on to my R15, and take it to the nearest KTM showroom to look at the 390 for my roomie.
Cool! I don’t understand the “Pride” in riding an Enfield, at all, but that’s just me.
What a douche! 😛 Spent so much money on a Duke and has an opinion about Bullets 😛
A Duke won’t survive as many years as Bullets are known to.
And new thumpers neither have reliability issues nor mileage problems. Period.
Awesome!
Okay! Did u just call the Bulleteers attention seeking whores, coz of the thump? Moron… This fucking attention that you are getting for your blog is due to the RE-Bullet! May be you thought Loving Bullets is too main stream, and hating it would give you some attention.
And, as you said, you rode a Bullet for not more than 50 kms and you write this blog with the stories that you heard? Don’t you think you are making yourself a laughing stock??
And call this is as bullshit but still I’ll give you-You tend to love things even when they trouble you. Its more than just a bike man.
You need to be passionate about Bullets to be a Bulleteer, which you don’t have and you don’t deserve to be one.
Keep calm and keep riding your plastic bikes.
I know this sounds too stupid for me to be rude to you, but i hate that line of people – IT IS JUST MY OPINION. Let me remind you, Opinions are like ASSHOLES-Everybody has one… Only whores market them 😛
May be you were not taught this at the appropriate time-If you cannot say something good, better STFU!
Thanks,
Mallikarjun
Awesome reply! 🙂
😀 Thanks James!
Welcome Mallikarjun!
Good to read your post about the clanking, Ol’ cast-iron ‘agri-compressor’ of a contraption a.k.a the Bull-let, Akhil!!
I too am a 4-Stroke m/cycle a.k.a ‘Thumper’ fan but NEVER was and will be a Bullet fan ’cause i am yet to come across a NON egoistic, sporty, simple, down-to-earth man atop a Bull-let! All those blokes are either overtly ‘obese’,ugly, mostly bald, dressed in leather, macho wanna be’s with their tattoos, chest bloated with pride(with the sense of owning/riding the ‘ultimate'(my foot!) 2-wheeled contraption on the face of this earth…bah!) whilst looking DOWN at all other 2-wheeled modes of travel! Bullets AIN’T the navel of the earth nor of the m/cycling fraternity, eh? The cacophony those Bull-lets create out there in the open is yet another story and like insult to injury too! And the clanking, long-stroke thumpers also generate some shamefully ‘low’ HP out of their cubic-capacity(whatever) engines!
Oh!…and YOU must see the kind/designs of helmets some of ’em beastly blokes wear, by Jupiter! They resemble ancient utensils the housewives use to boil/cook food!! 😀
Rofl! Well, you said it all Sats 😀
faacking smack on! i am a sad owner of this overpriced, unreliable piece of shit. and I’ve ridden a Bullet for more than 40,000kms. that was just to figure out whether the “journey” is better than the designation logic bullet fanboys give. Utter Crap.
Lol! So when are you selling your bull and going for something better Ajit?
People are dying to purchase +20 years old bullets at very high price???
Coz it still gives same performance..
Bullet is bullet cannot be compared with any other bikes…
Again, no comparison Bullet with Al Qaeda and ISIS.
People Salute Bullet… and I am just giving my opinion.. I hope you understand…
Chill Yaar..
I don’t 🙂
People are literally dying for Al Qaeda and ISIS as well, doesn’t make it right or logically correct to do so!
well unfortunately all points are true , i once had RE 350 Bullet(Military Disposed,almost 25 year old when i got it ), it belongs to my father,he purchased during his days from military auction, and as a 18 year young boy i get chance to ride it for full 5 years , but unwanted breakdowns , long distance pulls, and most important shit face and dum ass mechanics ruin it for me . I agree with all the points writer pointed out , but keeping every thing aside i have some unfinished relationship with my bullet and it still attracts me , i will buy one, a new one either RE classic 350 or Thunderbird 350, but no plastic toy..
Good luck Akash!
Akhil, I Own a bullet and I had a few problems on it though.. All those are not Just because of its design.. most of it is because of the stupid mechanics of india… There are lot of modifications done by RE to have a comfort riding.. but if Some small issues happens. none of the mechanics fixes it thy just say “It’s bullet and it is its behaviours” – thy are two decades behind their knowledge…
And one more thing.. on a long distance driving.. every single bullet s solid and no other motorized vehicle of this cost is as good as this… and even on mileage.. even the 200 cc bikes gives lower mileage than bullet (Ofcourse thy have higher RPM but still mileage is low)…
And try to ride a new RE bike just from store u may like it… and all those problems which u may come across Including the waiting period is just because of the usual behavior of indian bullet mechanics… sorry if am wrong in any of these things… 🙂
You are right Murali, mechanics are part of the problem. My roomie took his Thunderbird 350 to RE authorized service today morning, since he was getting a squeaking sound from the bike’s ass. The service guy gave him some hogwash about some part being broken in the suspension, which will cost 1200 bucks. He took his bike to a roadside mechanic, who oiled the important parts and everything is fine now.
This attitude of complacency comes from the parent company in my opinion. Sure the mechanics are also to blame, but it is also the attitude of Royal Enfield that rubs on to their mechanics, and then the buyers 🙂 Thanks for sharing your opinion, appreciated!
Bullet is not made for persons like u.. u are talking like closing eye in day & thinking its night..your blog is just a waste of time.. none of the single reasons given by u is true. u take a glass of juice & ride only bicycle that will give a long mileage to you & that will not too heavy also & there will be not any speed limitations.. I recommend to you please go for a baby bicycle 🙂
Sure!
All the points are right and have weight when you compare b/w two bikes. But if there is no comparison then how one can evaluate the validity of performance? One performer is always regarded best when we sat for a tea in evening, on the other side if its one on TV who have selected from lakhs of competitors from audition, but gives poor performance is not accepted for the win!!! Here the writer has give opinion on reasons why to not buy the Bullet. I think this is a good blog for new buyer as he can check thoroughly if these points are valid or not in his test ride of that bike. The problem is that who is riding a Bullet unable to ride other bikes( due to opposite controls) and who rides a sports bike don’t get Adrenalin rush from a RE.
My friend has a Bullet Standard(Black Beauty) but he always ride mine RTR-180 for normal commuting as he found it quite handy and fun to drive, but when it comes to Gedi(round around chicks) he picks up his Bull. Even in night he went around his chick house on RTR due to low noise. I asked him why he don’t exchange his Bull for an RTR if he prefer driving mine? He answered that BULL is for show off and RTR is really pleasure to drive. We do small and long trips but always chose to ride my RTR because of reliability. He never dust off my bike before riding but always seen busy cleaning his Bull but same time cursing the Bull for breakdowns and maintenance cost and low mileage and he has become friend of local mechanics due to regular visits for small small regular problems he face in routine. He love ripping my RTR but whenever I sit on BULL he request me not to accelerate because timing may be shifted(misfire sometimes), not to ripp as rockers may get loose result in engine noise, don’t forget to close fuel cock carburetor may over flow with petrol, don’t keep ignition on battery may drain a long list of instructions!!!! Besides this I have list of my own precautions as gears get neutral even between 2nd-3rd and 3rd-4rth gear( never happens in any other bike), for using front brake you must have power of superman!! rear brake is also terrible in wet and sandy conditions. Handle lock is the real panic too!!! And the most deadly incident when a new Bullet just 7k odo reading got engine seizure in just 70km of run on speed of 100-110kph when I was riding with one of by Bullet lover friend. It happened just when I was overtaking a bus we were about to die but luckily bus driver applied sudden brake when I indicated him with helplessness. To our surprise RE refused to repair it under warranty and said it is usual if you run Bullet with full throttle?? I usually run my RTR in full throttle and even did 250-300km regular on 120+kph and never found any problem. Even some times it goes on like 135+kph without any trouble.
I like the ride of Bullet but only after a good service as it has so many things that needs serious refinements as the life is very demanding these days and people are unable to adjust even with their partners, so adjusting with a bike you bought for riding is something flimsy in this era…..
And most important is doing some naughty things like wheelie, stoppie, drift etc. with your companion is always desired, as both me and my friend enjoying doing with my RTR, but here with BULL, I always feel, my friend is taking care of an old, ill but beautiful lady who he has to bear as mother in law( just for getting a chick) to look after it to get praise from his chick or getting some attention on road of those whom we don’t know!!
Bullet was a good concept but it is unable to cope with competition or we can say today’s requirements. But with proper refinement it can be a good deal like they have come up with Continental GT 535. At the same time it is not for red line riding enthusiasts as it has limited capabilities and buyer have lot to sacrifice even after spending huge amount and even a spare bike is always required for backup due to unreliability and difficult to use as daily commuter bike..
I am speechless, what can i say, ur genius u found all that in just 50 km, after reading your post i got enlightened and planning to donate my classic chrome, i was planning to buy Harley Davidson Iron 883, whats your opinion on that.
Go for it! Anything but an RE in short Neeraj.
😀
At slow speeds of 30Kmph or below, my BULLET ELECTRA 350 TWINSPARK engine switches off. Have to restart and move on. Did visit a few mechanics too, who cleaned carburator, replaced carburator slide, manifold rubber, airfilter etc, but the problem remains. Self start doesnot work most of the time. My bike has done 13000 kms only, sparingly used.
Can anyone suggest a solution please?
Hopefully all the RE fans who’ve been going bat shit crazy in the comments, can now find some use for their time and help you with some advice!
Check the self start motor regarding your self starter. Continuous starting of self starter in bullets causes the weak motor armature to fail to start. Problem of it switching off at low speeds, or near idle especially if any battery consuming object like headlights or horn is on might be a problem of the pulser coil.
Almost three fourth the haters on this blog probably don’t even own a bullet. Whoever called the ktms plastic toys are just typical Indians doing their name calling as usual pinpointing the few things they can point out like duke sound and duke weight. They forget to mention the Royal Enfields primitive engine, clutch, non braided cables, tyres, rims, cockpit, fuel injection, headlights, woah I think there’s no end to it. Stop hating on Akhil for his personal view on the enfield. And just cause he owns a duke doesn’t mean he bought it up in any way in this post. You’re tones would be pretty different if he were to own another bike, say a ninja or a gixxer.
Thanks for you comments Daniel! Glad a real RE owner understands 🙂
My opinion is that Akhil is one serious of an ass for taking all that outright crap from everyone so calmly. Blatantly just blurting out stuff against him with no basis whatsoever… Probably doing the right thing though, not giving Two shits about such retards. On a more serious note, I personally owned an Electra 350 for five whole years, and finally agreed to move onto buying the new RC 390,only after extensively riding the duke 390. I believe Akhil isn’t mistaken in buying a duke, and both bikes are entirely for a different class of peeps. When I received my Electra five years back, it was already four years old, thus it turned nine this year. Everyone in my family learns their first bike on a Royal Enfield. Being a degree student since owning it first, I’ve maintained the bike as best as possible every second of the way, only to be bitten in the ass with a plethora of breakdowns and the lot. In the last year itself I spent 20 K for repairs due to unwanted breakdowns made worse by the pathetic repairs and service by the company people, forcing me to seek help elsewhere. Plus being an old royal, availability of spare parts from company not being present was the most fucked up part of it. Company not having spares 😀 Nothing but problems and problems… I’m 6’2 and yet my legs go all over the tank, showing this big bike is just for fatsos or big ppl, not tall riders. Right now the bike provides such sounds that I feel it might actually disintegrate between my very legs. I get scared to ride it fast. But from all that plethora of crap, my biking experience has grown alot. They say a person who can ride a bullet can ride anything. I agree. That hard clutch, that heavy weight, that gear that just refuses to change, that brake that never stops me in time, that stupid times trying not to raise the bike too much or face body jarring vibrations. Everything it punished me with I’ve learnt from. But regarding the weight, I would agree one thing. If I’m falling from any bike ever, I would choose that to be an enfield. But probably it would get me into such accidents alot considering it’s sad brakes and tyres. That guards and that weight, clinging onto it feels more safe than anything else. Sometimes I go for very long rides, over 500kms, and over 50kms almost every weekend. Every second of the way, there’s this thought at the back of my head. What if I have a breakdown right now? Stupid bike. Then why the upgrade to an RC 390? I will keep both in my garage. But as a student, the practicality of the 390 is far more than an enfield. Anything you can think of, the 390 has it better. Only thing it misses out is on weight and tank capacity. I don’t need to cruise at low speeds, but a bike should at least be able to handle it unlike the enfield. The sheer weight of the 390 makes it more agile on roads and the joy it provides its rider is just oomph. Unlike the bullet the bike was designed with a goal in mind and everything is in top shape for the road, but the enfield team have never even thought of considering to upgrade even a single component of their far far outdated technology. Any enfield lover that blabbers about its heritage and crap needs to grow up and face practicality and logic. It’s funny how they defend their lame ass bike and all their flaws with blah blah and more blah. Look at the Harleys. Even they upgrade their bikes according to times. And all Enfield could come up with was the continental? They deserve a hands up laugh on their face for that 😀 worst of all, any chunga these days owns a bullet. I sit back straight, my huge Sexy body upright with an awesome pose on my Enfield and here passes some tiny kiddo with a classic. Plus the dirty after market sounds instead of the pleasant deep note of the stock. Attention despos… Gone are the charm days of the bullet. People are realizing they need to grow up and that’s what’s causing the Enfield diehard lovers to cause an uproar. Cause their ‘precious’ ain’t worth it anymore and they can’t handle it. All in all, it’s a huge torture and a blessing in a way all the same, but if u want to live a decent life with no biking dramas, then the Enfield isn’t for u.
I am really sorry for the man who gave these reasons for not riding a Royal Enfield Bullet. May god help him.
You are saying that lighter bikes are more stable? The guy with even the basic knowledge about physics would know heavier objects are more stable. Inertia. And metal body is always stronger, any day better than plastics.
That’s exactly why I suggested you take more advantage of physics and add 25kg dumbbells all over your bike 🙂
I hope by keeping physics in mind you must have an ambassador car rather than today’s light weight fuel efficient fast cars !!!
Or even berrer. Travel in road rollers instead of cars. Nothing can best its stability 😀
Rofl! That’s a good idea 🙂
Reading your post i realize you take your bike as a object to take you from a to b. A bullet needs to be taken care of. And you need to have basic sense of the working of it whereas Duke 390 can be ridden and managed by even a dumb teenager. But you wouldnt get it. You won’t be able to think it, feel it and believe it
Karan, unless ur a person with not much human interaction, ur bike is exactly something u take from a to b. I agree you need to care for your bike, but that care is something like filling her oils up regularly, tightening up everything, regular checking of the bike, lubing etc. Every bike in the world follows upto a certain amount of needed love. Yet the Enfields demand more, more, more and lot more and yet something new just has to pop off every half a year or so. And this point is cleanly erased by the Enfield lovers with the funny cliche “a bullet needs to be taken care of, it needs this and that” blah… It’s a bike so it needs to act like one. Not be a princess and take up my extra time.
Also the fact that you agreed that the duke is rideable by almost anyone is more of a plus point than you realize. You in a way just pointed out that if everyone wants to ride the bullet, they need to struggle a bit to learn it, get used to its weight, and then struggle more to take care of it.
I would any day pick a bike that can be ridden and managed by a dumb teenager, than one that needs “basic sense of working” or any other bullshit. I want my bikes to be maintenance free, and I’m glad I am not able to think, feel, or believe it.
Dear Sir these days people even don’t have time for their loved ones and only teenagers are free to talk with objects like bikes. Get yourself employed then see how much time you have to get your bike maintained. Even refueling sometimes become a headache due to shortage of time!!!
Haha! So true man, refueling feels like such a waste of time to me now 🙂
After reading your other posts i have realized that you are just crazy for duke 390 just because you have it. now imagine someone putting up a long post about what a shitty bike it is (truly is). Wont thta make you mad?(which you already are) Everyone is free to express their opinion but now defame a product and it’s users. I am sure that even if you pit it against the best bike in the world you will find some senseless and stupid reasons to make the plastic junk win.
I already have put a post about how shitty the Duke is, search and thou shalt be answered!
I agree
If u want to have a ride with Real bullet come, i’ll show u. I agree most of the parts are handmade. But not claymade. I hope u didn’t got a perfect technician to solve your problem sofar. I will give u one suggestion. If you have the bike now just bring it to me, defeantely you’ll start loving the bullet. once i serviced your vehicle yopu see the difference at resonable cost. if i fail to show to you the performance i’ll pay you the total amount which you spent.
Thanks for the offer Mahendran, but I don’t own a Bullet. Maybe you can leave your address/contact details here, would be useful for other Bull riders.
I am not owning any bike, but planning for a ktm 200 or for a RE classic 350.
Mind changed, going through the blog and totally fuzzed up when i called up a enfield guy who said wait period was 3 months, man who waits thinking and dreaming a bike which has a wait period of 3 months i dont think so guys are getting married its about buying a bike huh? I have a mixed feel whether to go for duke as its competitor Bajaj has its 200ns with very close match.
KTM does create a big boom in my friends circle as guys like me catch up eyes with a KTM on road unable to move your eye balls even if nude lady runs on the same road.
last but not least i found this poem very funny it can be even included in pre schools text books
1.Bullets are fucking slow
Lions walk slowly to show their pride
2.Royal Enfields are unreliable
Indian Army is using it for more than 50 years
3.Bullets are noisy – and the bad kind of noisy
It is a roar of Lion
4.Bullets have really bad brakes
Friend of the road so It doesn’t not want to stop
5.Bullets give shitty mileage
Royal people doesn’t care for money
6.Bullets are unnecessarily heavy
Tanks are always heavy
7.Bullets have spoked wheels
King always travels with vehicle containing Spoked wheel
8.Bullets have a fucking long waiting period
For royal and Best things u have to wait
Try singing them i bet you will cry laughing.
I always think this owning a bike never gives you respect. One day if people watch you than the bike you ride when you hit the road that day you win. Happy riding 🙂
And happy riding to you!
You could not buy a royal bullet?
No?
Then how can you write such a long review without even owning one for a decent amount of time?
Because I don’t want to?
Then whats the point of making an ‘expert’ opinion? Even if you didnt own one, may be you should have personally spent some time with the bike to know it well enough.
You will never have a near perfect bike in this world, even if there is then money, affordability, etc becomes an issue.
I cant understand the comparison you are trying to draw between a track bike and a highway cruiser. Along with the cons you should have also included the pros, thats what makes a review complete. May be you never saw the brighter side.
I didn’t.
Exactly, you didnt Akhil. Thanks for being honest.
You did make few pertinent points loud and clear. Accepted, even as an ardent Royal Enfield lover. But certain stuff like ‘RE riders look down upon other bikers’, etc … its such a cliche. Few experiences dont really potray the entire community in the same light. Shame on those who resort to that. I wonder if you really think you got more knowledge about the bike than the RE engineers and workers because I read you mocking at their explanation given for some of your queries. If yes set your ideas to motion man. We will truly admire that change being brought upon.
I hope you dont think writing an article to insult a particular biking community is an achievement. I would have loved your article if it had facts, numbers and specs but all I saw was ‘hate’. And you mentioned that word very clearly in most of the lines. As someone who rode 60,000 kms you should be more liberal than being a stereotype. I read your other articles about Jaywalkers and road safety. They were in good light.
I really appreciate your cool responses to some of the guys who were all riled up 🙂 Anyways, just a message to everyone blogging here – Each one of us loves our machine, be it TVS 50, Scooty, Bullet, Duke, Splendor or Chetak. We have grown seeing them, riding them and living with them. They have been our modes of transport, showing them off, our precious possessions, our identities. Respect every machine, every bike, every rider. If biking is a religion, then the bike is the God and we have some any Gods – none less, none big than the rest. Happy and Safe Riding!
Lovely comment Amar, probably the nicest logical words on this entire page 🙂
Even though I hate to, but I agree with your points. A few bad apples should not give a bad name to the entire basket. And yes, no matter how impractical and bad our bikes may be, we love them. This article was meant to find the logic behind RE love, and I guess we can conclude that was a wrong question to ask in the first place.
Happy riding to you too, see you on the highway!
bullets are slow? 🙁 are you on drugs my friend? a 350 bullet can easily cruise on high speeds and is a reliable motorcycle! very rarely you would have problems such as your french friends. dont hate it if you cant love it 🙂
Well, I do.
In 10 years, I would have moved on with the technology that provides me more comfort, more enjoyment, more safety and stability, more riding pleasure and proves to be more value for money.
Exactly! Why would anyone want to stay with the same bike for 10 years!
No wonder your parents threw you out. Couldnt stand you for 27 years. 😀
Well, technically speaking they “threw me out” when I was 18, but I don’t see you point here?
Simply put, I’d rather push my girlfriend’s Honda Activa than ride a Royal Enfield.
Same here Dhawal 🙂
Looks like Dhawal and Akhil found true love. Ready to push for each other. God bless you too
Thanks man! And I can see that you’ve put in 3 different comments with 3 different names, what gives?
A Machine which cannot deliver for whats its built …its a piece of JUNK as per an Engineer ! To all the RE supporters I feel bikes are to ride .. any make or brand … the engine & parts should stick together so the bikes moves .. RE unfortunately does not manage to either of it .. so why does a machine exists all together. So Why all the FUZZ .. irrespective of what I ride my view regarding RE or any JUNK remains the same …
So your junk cant deliver? am sorry for your wife/gf if you have one
Daksh Singh, please make some sense, if that isn’t too much to ask!
machine
məˈʃiːn/
noun
an apparatus using mechanical power and having several parts, each with a definite function and together performing a particular task.
Get the definition first ..
Rather I am sorry for yours … If you compare wife/gf with a machine … No machine can be compared to human.
Bullet is just a beautiful piece of iron and aluminum for keeping like an antique in today’s competition. But some people are just keep riding to show that they have love for antiques on account of sacrificing comfort, money and their sweet. They also make it louder like a loud speaker to make people aware that they have a thing to make their ears deaf!!
I commented on this post long back & been reading through all the comments pouring here.
I’m really not sure what’s all the fuss about this. Do you blog about everything you hate or only RE has been so fortunate? You’re just not hating it, you’re trying to create an impression of RE & it’s riders in everyone else’s mind. Let the junta decide what they want to buy. Nobody has the hen that lays the golden eggs. Everyone does his bit of market research before plonking in their hard-earned money.
It’s not just about a good/bad product. To me, it sounds more like someone/something + an RE has hurt you really bad & hence, you’re in a quest to tarnish RE’s image.
Abhishek, the title of the post contains “I”, the whole article is my personal opinion, where have I stopped the junta from deciding? If anything, “real” RE people are creating and solidifying their own impression of being illogical, abusive and downright stupid by claiming wild figures and giving completely baseless explanations.
I know it feels like RE hurt me in some way, I can’t really remember though! As far as I can think, I have always hated them. And trust me, no one needs to tarnish RE’s image, they are doing a pretty good job themselves 🙂
I have never seen so much of crap in my life.DUKE Dude,have you ridden a new RE even???Take a test ride of CS 500 or a Desert Storm…..bikes are not just about racing and speed.RE is like your mate.You take care of it,it’ll take care of you in return.Most importantly,RE are cruiser bikes mostly meant for cruising not racing.Have you seen any cruiser bike racing around?????
I DO NOT want my bike to be like your mate, I have an actual, human mate for that. I want my bike to take care of me even if I don’t care of it.
In my definition, RE doesn’t even qualify as a cruiser bike. Yes, a lot of cruiser bikes race around, the real cruisers that is. Google Harley Davidson V Rod, or Yamaha V max.
who cares for your reasons? 😛 , Atleast they wont melt in summers 🙂
Once upon a time there was a boy…when he turned 18 he thought his parents would gift him a bullet…they thought that their son is not ready for such a bike and gave him a duck 390 instead…this frustrated soul is akhil 😀 😛 Now don’t cry…just chill
Lol! Nice story man 🙂
too gud man
😉 Anil
LOL! This is going to Facebook for other people to laugh on 😀
Hi Akhil, I want to buy a bike for city rides and occasional long distant rides.(700-1000kms). I am personally not much a fan of RE, but I am not getting any other option. All of my friends are suggesting RE! Do you have any other option in your opinion among-st the present day bikes , whose riding posture is comfortable and looks good.?? Which one would you choose?
It would depend on your budget, choice and height Soul. Bajaj Avenger is a brilliant bike for long distance touring, and looks nice too. I did my 3000 km Ladakh trip on a Pulsar 150, so that’s also there! Duke 200 is also a very capable tourer, and nimble in city traffic as well.
if some one drives a ferrari at 60 Km/hr is ferrari slow ? I have driven bullet at 90 and above several times on long distance . If you take proper care the vehicle would not brake down . In last 15 years of my bike not a single instance that the vehicle broke down except for occasional puncture. I get 45-50 KMPL on my Bullet … get your facts right mate . I had a Pulsar before along with my Bullet , Bullet is much more comfortable than Pulsar …
Oh my fucking God, use believable examples man, even remotely mentioning a Ferrari in an article about REs is plain hilarious.
That’s exactly my point Paritosh, no one should need to take “proper care” of their vehicle for it to not break (not brake) down. Scheduled services should be more than enough, you shouldn’t need to run around a mechanic every other weekend.
Yes, Bullet is more comfortable than a Pulsar, ANYTHING is more comfortable than a Pulsar.
And regarding vibration , dude who gave you that shitty bike to drive .. as I said that bike would have been really badly handled ..
I rode a brand new Thunderbird man, it didn’t have time to be handled badly.
Comparing Duke and RE!! Oh my! I have a RE and went from Bangalore to Chennai (350kms) and was very comfotable. I used my friends Duke and could not even cross Krishnagiri Toll (90kms)!!! Riding Duke for long drives is equal to sitting at home and watching TV with Red Hot Chilly in the ass. Dont get Piles/Haemorrhoids man! You wont know now but in future and at that time Doctor would say its because of the DUKE DUDE. Dont mislead people also. Guys! Please test drive (long drive) if your friend has RE and Duke or anyother bike and feel which is good for you and dont take risk and rip off your ass. Really.
Haha! So Dukes cause haemorrhoids now? That’s the best explanation for buying an RE that I’ve ever heard 🙂
And for the last time, this is not a comparison article of Duke vs RE.
I didn’t had read Your 6 reasons,
Just answer me a single question, if it is having so many problems then when people go for a long ride(4000KM), why they are choosing to have RE not of any pulsar or unicorn?
Because they don’t know any better?
To buy a RE you need to be crazy. It is not a machine, it is like your mate. Needs lots of patience and care but will be with you forever. Respect it and it will never let you down. Duke is a american bitch, abuse her and all but you would never connect with it. RE is a soul touching machine, something that you will keep with you for years. Duke is just another new technology bike, a passing fad and will be forgotten after 5 years. RE has been used by the military since years. You need to know it in and out. It needs a real man. Duke is for sissies
“To buy a RE you need to be crazy”. Yes, exactly, although the “a” needs replacing with “an”.
I am the world’s biggest sissy, a giant, colossal sissy if you may, for hating REs.
Fakhil, FYI, Duke is Austrian, not American. Secondly, have you heard of the Domino Effect? Check it out, might clear out your “To buy a RE you need to be crazy” notion.
you are thoroughly ignorant about RE. try to feel it then you will realise why peoples are behind that.
ok.
Lets compare ur bike with a bullet …
KTM ..
Fiber body , bad sound like a fucking rickshaw , bad milage , looks shitty , no royal background …
BULLET ..
Pure metal body , amzing thumping sound which people actually like to hear , looks classy and royal , good milage , a vast royal background,
Bullets have been in this country for centureis dumbass .. People dont buy bullets cuz they r bad .. They buy them because they r the best .. Ur shitty duke just came in the industry with its fucked up looking body … A person who hates a bullet should get the bullet silence shoved in their ass and then fired up so the person realizes the true meaning of a bullet ..!! So whenever u see a bullet get ur dirty ass of ur shitty duke and salute the bullet …
Dumb fuck ..
I just peed my pants laughing.
That makes the two of us bro 😀
😀 Pratik!
All the way u wrote shows that some mighty friend of yours just shoved up the extraordinary silencer of the royal enfield up your ass and the brutal thumping made u mad about enfield…fucking asshole duke my ass fucking sound like an rickshaw atleast I would buy an rickshaw so that 3 people can sit after keeping a driver like you fucking pussy…by the way talking about high speeds after just changing carburettor to 32 mm of my raging bull who can crush your duke’s tiny little ass in a second ,it gives top speed of 150kmph with fabulous thumping that u can feel even if u are sitting in your car!!
Royal Enfield…Made Like a GUN,Goes Like a Bullet!!!
Heart of a Rider.
Love.Respect.Believe
Not like your rickshaw asshole
Ab dophe jitni bar bullet dekhena lode apni rickshaw mein se utar kar salute karna chutye saale
Aaaah, finally, the REAL face of RE lovers. Abusive, against all logic, and ready to go to any depth to prove their point. Welcome to the party!
put dumbbells?? hahaha!!! I have Thunderbird 350 and Hero Passion, just tell me where to put dumbells on Passion so that I can proudly say that i owned two Bullets…Just kidding bro!!! Some points mentioned by you is true about RE’s and we all should accept it…nothing wrong in it. But one fact is there, once you are above 50(talking about age not speed) you cant ride any sports variant cause people will laugh at you and say “Uncle is riding 390”, but this wont happen with Bullet….dont mind…its my opinion just like yours…enjoy ur future rides and have fun!!!
You too Jayesh!
http://www.zigwheels.com/news-features/news/royal-enfield-sets-new-land-speed-record/19556/
Lol Ashutosh, read the article, the top speed RE managed to do is like 20 kmph less than normal top speed of a Duke! What were you trying to show anyway?
Great article thumbs up. very true.. hahaha all these years i never understood too where does this 350 cc of raw power goes cause it sure as hell can’t run ..
I guess it goes in pulling all that extra weight for nothing Pankaj 🙂
Dude…you speak as if Duke cranks upto 200kmph and bullet does 80! I have a T-500 and have done 130kmph for long stretches…now, do you really think that’s slow? You are out of your mind man! seriously! I have completed 11,000 kms in about 13 months and haven’t had a single major breakdown. Any product if well maintained, is a great product! My maintenance cost has really been very low
Again, you speak as if avenger gives a mileage of 70+ 🙂 and how much does your Duck give? 65? To be honest, yes, the mileage of a bullet may be low (not the 350cc), but i do not buy your other points…It is a fuckin awesome bike (and this comes from a person who has driven at least 20k kms on 500 and 350cc). Cheers!
Define “single major breakdown”.
Ninja “250”R does 180kmph! and CBR “250” also can do a 170kmph 🙁 So whats the point you are trying to make? Duck 390 is fucking (in your good own words) slow! Isn’t it? You are talking as though Duck 390 is next to Kawasaki Ninja 1000!
Dude, read the fucking article, then read the title of that article, then read you comment. The article is about REs, it is not a about my Duck, or a Ninja, or a CBR.
mr A,
I dont understand why u hate enfields so much. I think u r really stupid or u have no common sense at all. according to you you have posted all the drawbacks of the bullets. like rusty, bad sounding, heavy, slow low mileage so tell me will your so called duke will survive for another 10 or 20 years it will be a piece of shit and long forgotten. which bike gives 100km to a litre will ur duke survive a serious crash or accident this plastic toy will be blown to pieces. my friend now matter how much technology they put in the bike will have to drag itself on road with 2 tyres you make a big hoola as if ur duke is flying in the air like a plane tell me if your duke will last for 25 or 30 years without rust paint fading etc etc.
but royal enfields have survived for centuries and the legend still continues even 30 40 50 yrs old royal enfields can be reconditioned and the ride on road with their head held high your dukes pukes all the plastic faired toys are today in the market and if no profit they dissappear tomorrow. the state of people like u is that of a monkey jumping from tree to tree not knowing where to settle down. IF u cant respect something dont abuse it also. im glad i own a royal enfield bullet 350cc uce . Even if 2morrow i have money ill buy a harley, triumph, or indian but i will never part with my bullet. even today woman admire a bullet rider with a macho image bullet is a real man’s(mards) bike not for soft hearted like u and all these speeding machines are killers always remember fastest road to death is speed.bullet has survived from century tommorow u and ur stupid comments will dissapear but bullet will still live on OLD IS always GOLD and now a days more and more people are attracted towards antiquity
😂 you guys keep giving me more stuff to share on my Facebook wall and have a good laugh!
yeah. your mom
Make some sense at least man!
I agree, i bought TB 350 on April and has spent all my weekends with the service guys for 3 months. First Battery dead, replaced with new, Odo meter Dead, Replaced, again battery dead.
All your comments are very true. People will realise it sooner or later after buying, They will not listen to when you tell them LIKE ME!!
They never listen!
This is exactly what my friend had told me ‘bro dont go for bullet , its just a hunk of metal , no fun , no decent braking, let me tell you about my duke 390 , metzeler sportec m5 , bosch 9m abs, 44hp blah blah ‘ … and you know what , barely 3 months and he said ‘bro take my 390 , dont want this’. Now KTM is an amazing piece of machinery and on a straight patch of tarmac it is the biggest hooligan , but try running this on bumper to bumper traffic with potholes , and you ribs will crack.
Heres a quick comparison . Mind that I have rode 400+kms on 390 and about the same on RE electra . The KTM belonged to the friend I mentioned earlier and has 8000 kms on the odo . I rode 3 electras with various kms on their odo.
1 Braking : Here KTM scores miles ahead of Bullet/RE . 300mm disc coupled with Bosch ABS gives you immense handling on even the wettest of the conditions , be on a straight tarmac , or corners . Having said that , electra is not that sloppy , and can be stopped without any trouble.
2. Power : 390 has a 44bhp engine and a weight of 137 or 139 kg without fuel . So the p/w ratio is mindblowing . Electra , well it is not a quarterback , rather a sumo fighter , with >20 bhp and 170 kg . So advantage KTM
2. Comfort : KTM was built with a purpose , and comfort did not figure out on that checklist . Pilot seat is stiff like a wooden bench , and NO PILLION (well actually there is a pillion but you wife/gf has to be on a supermodel diet) . My friend has a perfect tiny ass and he could squeeze in that seat , but for a 80+ guy like me , it is a problem to ride continuously for 100+kms … Here electra shines like a diamond . Enough room for me , my mother or gf . and the seats are nice and padded.
3. suspension : in 390 to get a better feedback , suspension is damped so much that if you ride into a pothole , goodluck with your tenders . you have to downshift like anything. Electra is much better in this respect , all you will feel is a bit of bump and nothing else.
4. Clutch : I never felt this , but my friend said that sometimes the clutch feels hard and he is afraid the clutch handle will break 😛 . Electra , I never experienced , but a lot of negative feedbacks I have got that clutch cable snaps and all. So here , undecided.
5. Both these bikes can travel consistently at high speeds continuously for 20+ kms . So no complaints . Yes KTM can pull up 160+ without any vibrations , whereas in any RE , try wringing the throttle above 100 kmph and you will be rattled to the bones . In fact one of my seniors claimed that he went 120 kmph for 60 kms without any vibrations , but since this cannot be verified , lets neither accept nor reject this .
6 . Engine heating : So it so happened. I rode the 390 for about half an hour in city , tackling cars, taxis, other bikes , eunuchs , trucks and potholes , and reached a traffic signal . I decided to switch off the engine as the red light was supposed to be another 170 seconds. When it was just 10 secs , I tried to start the engine . Imagine my surprise when the bike simply refused to start . I frantically pressed the starter about 7-8 times . Finally , after much coaxing and jeers from other motorists , the bike came to life . This is where KTM sucks big time . Electra takes 3-4 secs to start up , but it is a sureshot way .
So this is my analysis . RE has managed to maintain their image and kudos for that . I see a lot of REs which are running without any glitches , shining like a bride . So it is not justified to write off RE with only 100 kms of RE hours . At the end of the day any bike can be fun to ride , it is just that some like speed , and some like comfort . Me , I am a clean slate .
Agrees on all the points!
Duke is for single not for two. You can check it with the showroom guys. If you have a family, you cant drop your mom or dad in case of any urgency.
True.
good work dear!
I GET YOU AKHIL.. i hoped off a fazer n just like riding it, ENVY your duke 390… UR BLOG.. WELL SAID. .but.. a std 500 bullet…. to me its just a totally different feel and i JUST LOVE IT.. AKHIL.
Cool man, do what you love!
kudos akhil.. gud thought well said. u r from the bulleteers punjab n was interesting to learn u hated them this much.. may b u had enough of it.. m from kerala another bullet home… n i fell for it wen i was a kid..
U CALLED IT MOSTLY RIT.
HEAVY… yes, LOW MILAGE.. yes,SLOW..?? may be..(MIND U..THE TORQUE ON THE 500 IS JUST GREAT N U CAN SPEED IF U WANT TO, GUYS) waiting period…true.. BAD. COSTLY.. YES.
TWO things i echo with u is
1. the AVERAGE PARTS/PAINT/CHROME QUALITY (RE is ignoring our concerns and cries of rusting after taking in 1.5-2 lakhs.REALLY ONE AREA TO GO MILES) and
2.SPOKES part….they shud find a way out to get in the tubeless tyres…cos IT CAN B A NIGHT MARE and is a constant SERIOUS scare in our long rides and ALL SAID….
…..I am proud to own a new std 500 (just a week old)hope my bike stays close to my heart for years to come..
True, RE has been ignoring a lot of things! Good luck with your 500 🙂
Bullets were here even before you were born, so was your dad. REspect, and about your logic of riding above speed limit, hats off to idiots like you. man what a logic, I salute your stupidity. Jai Akhil baba ki bolo!
LOL, ye acha logic hai yar? So everything that is older than me I should respect? What about Holocaust? What about racial segregation?
That’s what works for me man, I don’t think I would have done 65,000 kms without crashing by following all the rules of the road. You have to modify yourself according to the situation you are stuck in. Having said that, it is my personal opinion and something that I find useful, I am not forcing anyone else to do it!
Dude….. Went thru ur blog….. All I have to say is….. “What an Idiot”…..
Thanks man.
I read someone calling Duke an American bitch. Hahahahahahaha. XD
I agree with all of your points. I will never consider owning a RE. The only RE bike which I felt was okay was the new Thunderbird 500 because it actually had adequate power to cruise at highways. But the ultra high vibrations made me feel that if I add milk in the fuel tank, it will get converted into paneer. I think that RE engines do not have a counter balancer at all. There is no point in crossing even 70 kmph because the vibrations doesn’t allow to sustain high speeds.
RE was never my kind of bike. Th overall shape of the and tyre profile evidently shows that the bike is best suited only for straight line cruising at 60-70 kmph only. My kind of bike was a bike which could 100 kmph on top gear in just the mid-range rpm and also light enough to allow me to corner without the fear of bike fishtailing. So I purchased..you know what. 😛
No offense RE owners. I do not care about it’s history if the bike is such a pain to ride. Peace.
Prepare to me mugged Tushar! Run for your life! 😉
You IDIOT, your duke is a plastic toy, you don’t know any thing about Bullet and have written a blog !
Of course.
Woahhh!! Some major haters here..Its all good though..Own a Classic 500 for last 3 years now, and have faced none of the problems anyone’s mentioned here..Everyone is entitled to their opinion, so I won’t get into this endless discussion.. Just one thing, compare an Apple to Apple my friend.. Duke 390 is a very different type of bike compared to a Bullet…
My only problem, your complete disregard for traffic rules & speed limits.. They exist for a reason, but if you don’t get that, I feel sorry for you.
I am pretty sure I am writing these words the 200th time, “This article is NOT meant to compare Bullet against Duke”.
Yes, I do not follow every traffic rule and all speed limits. I find it is dangerous to do so, especially on a bike.
Just one question. 10 years from now, your duke will be a piece of plastic crap, but a bullet will still be a roaring piece of metal, thumping on steadily. Do you still think you are the smart ass you pretending to be?
Yup.
Chirag man i am going to buy a classic 500. no one beats a classic
Check your point 5 and 6 mentioned in your Article review, you have tagged the article for 6 reasons why you would never by a RE.
You have compared Duke with RE and other Commuters without any specific brand with RE.
I think you have lost your mind that you don’t remember what you have posted.
Also in your replies to other users you have been comparing Duke with RE
I agree with Chirag 🙂
Cool!
Well I don’t own an RE so I really can’t say much about the issues an RE owner has to face. But I have been reading lot of reviews about RE bikes and I came to the conclusion that majority of riders (including young ones as well as those riding an RE for more than a decade) had to face some problem (the most common being oil leakage and poor quality welding). And honestly RE is also not really much praised for their after sales service. But still then I think I’m gonna buy this bike, I know it’s stupid, but the reason being that only RE provide a cruiser bike under 2L. I don’t think I can afford a 10-15L cruiser for next five years or so. So as of now I have to settle with RE.
Why not go for an Avenger Amon? It does everything better than the REs, and more reliably too 🙂 Not to mention the fact that costs less than a lac!
RE have got the most primitive and unrefined engines on this planet. They were good at their times but not any more. If bulleteers say thats the only MC, its because they have not seen any MC or dont want to see one?
It’s like religion Rahul, even when Asaram is convicted of rape and othet criminal offences, many of his followers still continue to believe in his innocence. You can tell a Bullet owner that their bike is obsolete, unreliable and practically unsafe, they would still love it! It’s all in the head mate.
Don’t you think that CI to AVL to UCE or carb to EFI were not up gradation? I find RE is taking progressive steps and more will follow.
I don’t think it should be called upgrade when nothing changes! Performance, reliability, issues, all have remained same/became worse with these so called upgrades. What’s the point?
I’ve been scrolling through the comments section for hours now. And I come across a lot of instances where you advocate the Avenger 220cc as the better cruiser. So if you don’t mind me suggesting, an article citing the Avenger’s exact areas of superiority over an RE classic or Thunderbird or any other similar cruiser motorbike under the 2lac mark. Do 6 reasons as the number 6 seems to entice you. I’m not saying you’re the devil but it’s quite apprehensive. ( 666 joke in case you were wondering, which I’m sure you’re not as you seem to be well versed in all impertinent matters ).
Sure, what the hell 😉
Really, that’s the best analogy you can come up with? And dude seriously, you are one stuck up douchebag. We really don’t care how many speed limits you break or how many rules you don’t follow. But your blog is lame. Comparing a bullet to a Duke? Seriously? I don’t expect you to respect the RE brand or any bike for that matter but if you feel that you should at least have a valid justification for it. I pity you. Whatever you ride, ride safe
ok.
In the very first servicing RE charges Rs 90 :@ for each missing bolts – nuts, which were fallen due to the vibration.
Lol! Didn’t know that.
When I want to go fast I hop onto one of my Ducatis. When I want to go slow, or just ride around town I hop onto my Royal Enfield. I don’t care if it’s slow or clunky, or unreliable. That’s part of the charm for me.
Not sure how that’s part of the charm Marco, but if it floats your boat, awesome!
Dude go get a fibre toy….wud be best for u…re is neva for speed…
I did get one!
BTW what IS RE for?
guys ,dont reply to this ass..! he is never going to accept you all..! he is genius . even RE’s R&D should get advice from him and again he gonna say tie two dumbbells instead of having weight in bike..! last advice from me to RE guys..! don’t waste yur time here..! some ppl ride bikes for some months and says himself he know everything about bikes..! pls let him to get some maturity ..!
Oh My God.. Gali me Gali… Sorry to say, it doesn’t suit to RE people…
Guys especially RE fans… I want your advance… Please help me…
A new cruise bike is coming in India…..
UM Renegade Commando and Limited… This bikes have awesome cruise look.
Price is
These bikes will definitely give competition to RE…
and Akhil what you think about this bike… about look, style and comfort…
Let discuss…
Renegade Commando looks good for sure, but the bike hasn’t been launched yet, neither have any UM service or sales centers. Without the basic infrastructure, it would be a bad idea to go for one. Having said that, let’s wait till they actually launch something, too early to speculate now!
Thanks Akhil,
I searched on Internet about Renegade Commando…. The Basic Info which I got is.. Beginning this bike gives 30-32 Mileage and after 3rd services mileage will get increased to 35-37 mileage…
It’s going to be launched on Nov-2014 in India. They are also planing to do assembling work in India or China.
No doubt the look is awesome and this bike will not get rust easily because its painted with black paint on engine, Silencer… Rust protected bike it is… I have bad experience with RE350, the Rust get easily during rainy season. I always apply the rust protection lotion but it is a headache.
It’s a tough competitor for Royal Enfield and other bikes such as pulsar…
Absolutely, any new bike is good, competition is always for the better!
My mate JUST bought a new 500 RE for $7500 because it looks great ( i agree, they are beautiful time pieces). After taking it for a ride I was convinced something was wrong. Unfortunately the poor sob has not had enough bikes under his rear to make any comparison –
The poor bike drove like a badly tuned 125cc. Heck I could have run faster than that thing. After his maiden trip of about 200 miles he said he could hardly walk and was exhausted form the vibration. 3 weeks later he goes outta town and the battery cable breaks off on city roads. Im like “what?” – those are usually one of the LAST things to break, even on accident bikes.
Had he paid $200 for it id been like – ‘thats what u get’. But for that price he paid – IF i ever thought of buying one it would be to store. They are great to take the missus down the road for coffee – thats about it.
Ive ridden bicycles faster than these things. Poor chap doesnt want to accept he threw his $$ down the toilet for a great looking/terrible everything else piece of turd.
About me:
Ive been biking for more than 30 years. I am not necessarily one to camp in either side. I have a love for classics as much as modern bikes. I have ridden a honda express to a suzuki fat cat, kawasaki 80 (this was young boy years). I have since enjoyed several honda 750’s incl the single cam cb from the late 70’s. vf750, currently riding a 86 vfr750 and a 85 Kawasaki eliminator 900.
haha yeah no worries, just an honest opinion from someone who just tried this out. I cant believe the price he paid – heck u can swing a beautiful early 70’s honda with almost just as much appeal for about 1/10 of the price- and I can tell u the engineering would be 1000x better. I hope he never finds this article haha.
He keeps saying: “Well its not about the speed right?” He has to say that just to soothe his wounds. Any biker that says its not about the speed is lying. Even a 200 is fun as long as it has something to give. This 500 RE is beyond pitiful.
I think the lesson here is :
A: never buy a RE new
B: they are slooooooow / VERY uncomfortable bikes NOT for longish trips (2 hrs max?)
but still gr8 looking bikes nonetheless…
If you go through the other comments, you’ll see every possible excuse that RE guys make to defend their purchase!
Do they look good? Yes, they have a different style that I admit looks nice. But all show and no go isn’t the kinda bike I want to be on 🙂
You are the first international endorsement of my opinion! Thanks mate 🙂 Good luck with your rides!
mc
this guy doesn’t know anything about biking… eat some shit
A very good article.. I like it… I respect your thought.
Akhil, Even I have a bullet 350. My dad has the oldest one (diesel bullet) which gives 70-75 KM mileage..
I drive petrol bullet but I don’t get that driving feeling, which I get it from diesel machine.. yes! bit nosy..
My dad has not sold the diesel bullet yet, he is a 74 year old guy and still crazy of driving diesel one. and he drives very fast.
I think instead of petrol machine the diesel machine is good… And I believe, the real bullet is diesel one.
I am requesting you to please write an article on diesel bullet and compare with the petrol bullet.
You are good writer and I also believe that you will definitely change your mind about the bullet…
To other readers especially bullet fans, I just want to tell you guys… Nobody is perfect in this world.. Even the Bike… Akhil is just expressing his opinion….
Thanks Vicky! I have never ridden a diesel bullet, don’t even know anyone who owns it!
Its ok… Take Care Dost…
Ha Ha Ha It very good
i am actually an owner of an thunderbird and i understand you pretty well because i faced all the issues that you are talking about.
But by the way you wrote it i some how feel some bullet guy really fucked you up (like some one on a enfield stole your girlfriend/wife or some thing(Just a figure of speech not to offend you)).
Hehe, that bad? I really hate’em man, like from the fucking core of my heart.
Just to point out a few things…
1.Bullet is not abt riding fast…its about riding steady…I can ride at 100+ with my bullet also at 60..it all depends on the feel..Ride one for a month and you will realize how it feels.
2.Unreliable?? you gotta be kidding…Name one bike which is fully reliable.Even harley davidson breaks down buddy…Its jst tat you have to care and maintain your bike properly,
3.Bad kinda noise??? come on it all depends on what kinda sound you prefer..if you prefer a silent bike,y blame the noisy ones?
4.About breaking,i have been riding it for quite some time and i neva felt an issue with the brakes..it depends on how well yu can brake 😛
5.As the saying goes, power and mileage are inversely proportional….if you prefer a bike with mileage,do go for bajaj discover.
6.Unnecessarily heavy ?? its the heaviness which brings steadiness..and you are not gonna carry it on ur head i believe 😀
7.Considering all the abv facts,you can easily relate it to the long waiting period…if you want something good, you have to wait for it 🙂
1. I can ride my 390 at 100+, 60, 170+ or whatever else I like. Been riding it for 10 months.
2. Please don’t compare a Bullet to a Harley. I don’t like to put any special efforts in maintaining my bikes, they should be reliable by default.
3. Because they are assholes.
4. Good for you.
5. Bullets have neither power, nor mileage.
6. If heaviness brings steadiness, please follow my advice and attach dumbbells all around your motorcycle. Very steady.
7. No you don’t. Duke 390 has a 1 week waiting period.
I would say many of your points are not convincing…
I own a RE 350. I do agree with you that the quality of the vehicle has gone down and you have many headaches with service and oil leakages. But trust me, if you can respect someone’s opinion, the ride it’s completely worth it!
You don’t feel those pains as the ride compensates everything!
And your point about speed, my RE hits a constant 120 even with a pillons and we do go for rides at that speeds! And the stability at those speeds is amazing.
And ya, bullet is NOT a sports bike and you are WRONG if you are comparing it with one… The preferences for a sports bike fan is different than a cruiser fan…
If I change my bike also it would be another RE, none other!
And there are some people who go with the hype and claim as a RE fan, but there are people who really connect with the bike and treat it more than a bike…
Ravi, please elaborate what do you mean by “the ride”?
It is absolutely unbelievable that an RE can hit constant 120, with pillion, and still be stable. I recently rode a Desert Storm, and that thing was not happy at even 115.
I am not comparing REs against anything, they really aren’t worth comparing with anything!
I DO NOT want to treat my bike more than a bike, it is a fucking bike! If I had to pay for tension and worries and headaches, I would simply marry 😉
3. Please mind your tongue assh*** oops my friend! It seems those who really feel defeated get angry 😉
OK?
the only asshole i see here is you akhil…
Sorry about your own asshole man.
Thought I’d pitch in my feelings
Got my first ride-a Thunderbird 350 last April (actually my dad paid for it!). I had 0 kms riding experience on an RE (though I’ve been riding for 5 years). Obviously I was the sheep in the herd who went gaga about Enfields without knowing the first thing about them (mind you we Keralites aren’t any less fanatic when it comes to RE’s). And I was dumb enough to shell my dad’s 1.5 lakhs without even taking a proper test ride (I know!). Took delivery and all was good. I loved my ride. It was comfortable, stable, stylish and elegant (yea…I dint replace the stock exhaust with the obnoxiously loud ones!)
Then a few weeks back I come across this blog. Even though the dumb fanboy in me kept saying “This douche doesn’t know the first thing about RE’s” I kept reading and started feeling what the whole point was. Even I had bought the big monster for all those appreciation I would get (ugh!). I started visiting all those RE riders groups on fb and the experience actually made me cringe! Lots of dumb bastards kept ranting about how the bull was a man’s ride or how powerful men rode only RE’s (Apparently any guy who rode anything lesser was dickless!). The pictures of the RE’s brought tears to my eyes. One dude has a big-ass golden peacock attached to his mudguard and the whole ride looked as if it came straight from a Rajastan Art Emporium.
Then came the day when I came home from hostel and my dad said my bird was pissing oil! That was the last straw and I actually cursed myself for not buying something fast and nippy and doesnt give me headaches. So there was the ride to the service centre and I dint even feel like doing it. Asked my dad to ride the RE and followed him on his old rickety Bajaj CT100.
I dont know about most people but I definitely had my rider eureka moment then. There was this image of my middle aged old man riding than shiny piece of metal that just stuck. Arms and legs spread out and positioned like a king, riding at a ridiculously slow pace (never goes above 50!), unaware of how others looked at him or what he rode (pretty much the same way he rode the Bajaj).
And that was when I fell in love with my ride all over again(or maybe for the first time!). You see its not about how loud it is or how intimidating it is. Its not about the looks you get or whether you can beat a Lockheed Martin with your ride (not a big fan of speed!). It ALWAYS is the emotion. The way you connect with the ride and the way your heart goes boom-boom you see it each time! Baaki sab- Bakwaas! You ride for you and for the sake of riding. The specs, reviews, repairs don’t mean squat. You either do it or don’t! Never had second thoughts since then and happily married ever since!
(P. S. I do feel riding is like having sex. Every other guy you meet claims to be good at it but only a lucky few have seen a girl other than Sunny Leone naked! 😉 )
Hey Batman wins…ALWAYS!, nice story! However, buying a 2 wheeler that is expected to take you from point A to B just on the basis of emotion is not such a good idea 🙂
True about sex though 😉
[Thunderbird-500]
don’t be carried away by flashy video promotions..over priced underpowered fuel-guzzling bike with terribly bad quality..matt black paint on engine is liable to peel off pretty early..mine started peeling off in the first wash..engine oil leaks..most service personnel at most places aren’t competent at their work..just feels powerful when yu move at first gear..not comfortable to ride beyond 90kmph low on mileage..12-17..none of the fancy blue lit meters other than speedo actually work properly..rear disks dont release properly…dont fall for such glam videos..the shorter wheel base is not cos they intended to design it tht way but cos the new front shocks dont ‘ve the one inch offset at the axle as on old front shocks and actually makes the front look bad with the front wheel coming closer to the chassis as a result….the foot pegs ‘ve been moved forward and isnt very comfortable on long rides…the switches for lighting on handle is of low quality too..yu are lucky if they work well..if you drive fer more than 100/150 kms at more than 90 engine sound changes for the worse..if yu want to spend 2 lakhs and spend time at service station from the first week [oh you’ll ‘ve to wait and wait] and contribute to RE to deliver more substandard stuff to ppl, you can buy this awful overpriced machine..
Exactly my views! Good to see an owner endorsing them 🙂
Regretting now for buying…problems get even worse….have a new Thunderbird 350 from 1year and the quality of parts is the worst i’ve seen… 🙁 ..paint was peeling of from 2nd week itself and if it is a flat tyre …its a dooms day ….many problem…the list goes on..
You an many more my friend! Do yourself a favor and go with some other brand.
for Idiot bullet fanboys talking about torque and power of the Enfield v/s the blogger’s Ktm
(of which I am not the biggest fan of either) check out the specs:
Enfield Classic 350:
Displacement 346cc
Maximum Power 19.8 bhp @ 5250 rpm
Maximum Torque 28 Nm @ 4000 rpm
KTM duke 390:
Displacement 373cc
Maximum Power ~42 bhp @ 10000 rpm
Maximum Torque 36Nm @ 8000rpm
NUFF SAID!
Heck if you somehow replaced the POS bullet engine with that of the KTM it may actually improve its performance.
Anyways, @Akhil Kudos on the awesomely funny blog . Good to see another shares my feelings about this abomination of a vehicle. I’ve always hated these overpriced (point 9?) pieces of junk.
Yeah! Point no. 9 for sure Rusty, why didn’t I think of it? 🙂
It may, although the unnecessary weight of the Bullet will definitely fuck up the feel!
saar …where are you feet i would like to touch em…LMFAO your blog made me end up with non stop hiccups after a big hearty laugh…
Lol, mission accomplished Benoy 😉
Couldnt agree with you more slow heavy and unreliable these things dont go with a bike regardless whether its a cruiser bike or whatever . I have a cbz extreme and I am satisfied with the ride quality it offers and also with the average it gives me by the way I am waiting for the hero hxr 250 which has an on paper power of 31 bhp and the pricing is quite good rather spend money on this bike than spent the same amount for an re
Good idea Abhishek! The HX250R would be an awesome machine, but there is no telling when it will be launched, if it ever be!
One just cannot help but laugh going through all the comments. This post, and the comments, i must say, is informative as well extremely entertaining (especially the torque/power part in the comments section). Your article is very well put (the parts of it about the ‘bullet’ anyway). But when you call the buyers ‘brainless’, you make it about people, not motorcycles anymore. Now that, would be immature, yes?
Hehe, yeah, it’s fun to go through the comments!
True, this article isn’t about the machine anymore. Not my initial intention, but this is how it panned out 🙂
Sounds like a looser who cannot own a Bull and speak bullSh**t
Of course.
Because some guys were ridng at 65 kmph, you deduced bullets can not go faster? I have a ford fiesta and i like it between 80-110. It can go faster, but i like it at the pleasurable speeds. That does not make ford fiesta slow, it makes me a comparitively slower driver.
Hey Jaspreet, the deduction was not because of this single isolated incident 🙂
It’s a long reply. You’ve had some fitting ones already but just go through mine. I know it’s not gonna change how you feel BUT, I’m an optimist. I gotta try. I’ve broken it point-by-point as you’d written your article. Do reply when you’re through reading it.
1. You expect us all to go fast ALL the fucking time? Sir, please survey the condition of our beautiful Indian roads first! Let’s say I’m on a CBR250R (or is it a VFR…no,wait. It looks like a VFR but is called a CBR…hmm…right. Anyway, I digress) So let’s say I’m on a Honda CBR 250R or a Duke 390 (beautifully made machines,btw) and I’m cruising along at 120 km/h on SIXTH gear. Suddenly, there’s a pothole RIGHT THERE! Or a Gazelle crosses the road! Or a dog comes in your way! Or someone talking on the phone didn’t notice you and starts crossing the road! Or a car which was cruising on the left lane suddenly encounters a bad patch and swerves to the right lane! What? Swerve? Brake? Don’t advertise that you’re a speed demon…that’s just jackassery. If you’re on the track, go for it. On the road, you’re just reducing your precious reaction time. Ride safe. Also,ALL REs don’t have an issue staying over 80 km/h. Torque is more than adequate for a quick spin up to 100/120/140 (140 is purely Café Racer territory :D) for highway overtakes.
2. Unreliable? It’s pure luck. Someone who buys a Honda for the first time and gets a bad piece, may call all Hondas unreliable for the rest of his life! Similarly, some RE owners must be very happy and satisfied with the reliability of their Royal Enfields! I know I am!
3. Noisy? Go fuck yourself, man. If it’s making a bad noise, be it Cast Iron/AVL or fucking UCE, it’s because the owner is a moron! Don’t put it on the bike!
4. Bad brakes. For something that is supposed to be ridden in peace, the brakes are adequate. Exception is the Bullet STD 350 (Even I don’t agree with all drum brakes in today’s day and age). Also, the TB500 and Continental GT excel in the braking department. So,it’s not like the company isn’t moving forward.
5. Mileage? Seriously man, go fuck yourself! You want mileage, buy the Splendor iSmart! Be happy!
6. Heavy. Yes. Royal Enfields are heavy. Very similar to an SUV being heavier than a hatchback. It’s got more ‘body’,more ‘chassis’, much,MUCH more ‘engine’. So yeah. RE’s are heavy. So are Harleys, Triumphs, Indians etc. Get over it. Can’t handle the bulk? Bulk up. Or don’t buy it. Don’t hate it for such a flimsy reason.
7. Spoked wheels. Negative, yes. But sometimes, you have to take a hit for looks. Have you SEEN an RE with alloys? I wouldn’t be seen riding one!…even pillion!…not even if I’m dead and strapped pillion!
BUT. The Continental GT has ‘spoked’ rims,right? Wrong. It has aluminium alloys which look like spoked wheels. Best of both worlds right there, thank you Royal Enfield!
8. Long waiting period. Duh. Come on,man. Is the MS Swift a bad car just because it has an 8 month waiting? Or the Ford Ecosport? Or the VW Polo? It has a long waiting because people BUY it! My close friend bought a CBR250R in Jan 2013. He got an option of next day delivery and a choice of 2 colours because bikes were lying in the yard since December 2011. That showroom was selling their SECOND CBR250R! Wow! No one buys it! What good is the production volume if the customer base is non-existent?
Also, you referred to all Royal Enfields as Bullets. Not so. There are 3 Bullets: Std 350, Electra and Std 500. Then Classics: Classic 350 and Classic 500 (Standard,Chrome and Desert Storm). Then Thunderbirds: 350 and 500. Finally, the Continental GT (which I’m a proud owner of).
If you’re going to write such a definitive, NEGATIVE article about something, study it up first.
Cheers
OK! Long and angry one. Let’s see.
1. Sarthak, even Hero Honda Passion can do 100 kmph (I think), Activas can touch 90, CB1000 can reach 250 and a MotoGP bike can cross 320. The point is, there’s a certain range to each bike where it is “comfortable” to ride. Like on my Duke 390, I can cruise at 140 and I still know I am in control, because the bike is always planted, and the brakes are superb. You see what I mean? Bullets can touch 120, sure, but then you won’t want to panic break from there, or negotiate a blind curve, or avoid an asshole on the road.
My intention is not to look like a so-called speed freak, but I find it much safer to stay above the speed limit rather than below it. Also, on long journeys, like Mumbai to Delhi to Bangalore, it’s really useful if you can keep an average speed of around 100 kmph (including stops), which can’t be done on any RE.
2. I don’t really have figures here to tell you that this many RE owners had this many issues and this many Honda owners had these many problems, but it is a well-known fact that Bullet’s aren’t the most reliable thing in the universe. During my rides, I have seen many such cases of breakdowns involving Bullets. Have heard many such stories. Rarely do I hear that some guy was going about on his CBR250R and his exhaust/headlight/battery cover fell off.
3. Part of the reason why you go for a certain bike is because of the kind of people who ride them. I like racers, MotoGP, Isle of man and stuff, so I like quick and lean machines. Some people like Hells Angels etc., they ride Harleys. I would prefer not to buy a bike whose owners are well known posers, and prefer to ride a piece of shit machine and blindly praise and fight for it constantly.
4. Braking is measured in certain parameters, like bite, fading etc. In my experience, REs have some of the worst brakes out there, even the new ones. They have a very soft, chewey feeling, and fade rather quickly. This problem is exacerbated by the bike’s huge bulk, which makes it even harder for the shitty brakes to stop the inertia. This is another reason why Bullets aren’t fast, you know very well that the bike won’t stop quickly, you don’t have the confidence in it, so you can never safely ride it over that 70-80 kmph barrier.
5. Ahan.
6. SUVs have certain advantages due to their heavy weight over a standard car. They are expected to move through tough terrains, take the brunt of a fall, and stay planted no matter bad the track gets. The unnecessary weight of an RE gives it no advantage at all. The parts don’t get any added strength due to the weight, which you can tell by how unreliable they are. The weight makes it difficult to move through tough terrains, to enjoy leaning and quick acceleration, and to stop quickly and safely. Harley’s, Triumphs and Indians have exponentially bigger engines than REs and are much more powerful. Please don’t compare your Bullet to an SUV or a Harley/Triumph/Indian.
7. Didn’t know about the Conti spoked-alloy thingy. If it does the job, awesome! I have seen quite a few REs with alloys, they don’t look any more ghastly than a normal one with spokes.
8. A bike with no definitive purpose, no standout feature, just old style tradition bullshit, should not have such a long waiting period! Again, please don’t compare your bike to a Swift or a Polo or Ecosport, they have long waiting periods because production can’t meet the demand. RE artificially creates this scarcity to prove some point that I don’t care about. They say the bike is handmade, I say who gives a fuck? It looks like every other RE other there, might as well make it on a production line and make it more reliably.
I refer to all REs as Bullets because I really don’t give a shit. They all look the same, ride the same, and sound the same. The Conti is an exception, but who cares.
Sarthak, the RE C-GT does have aluminium alloy rims, but it’s still uses wire-spokes to transfer load to the hub. You can see the spoke nipples at where it meets the rim in this image. http://www.theautomotiveindia.com/forums/attachments/two-wheels/128453d1393867092-royal-enfield-continental-gt-review-12874635083_cd5dfebafc_b.jpg
A cast, or forged alloy wheel on the other hand has an integrated hub, spokes and rim – a single piece.
I guess, on the C-GT they are using some kind of a sealant, or rim tapes (or both) to make the rim air-tight and use the tubeless tyres. BMWs and Aprilia’s too run some of their adventure motorcycles with spoked rims (as they’re easier to repair) with tubeless tyres, but they use a different type of rim configuration.
Ashwin, I don’t know if you noticed or not but I never said that the GT has a cast or forged Alloy. I said its a combination of the two. The rim too, is load bearing now, being aluminium alloy (doesn’t bend/break) and transfers weight to the hub uniformly, making the spokes less susceptible to breaking/bending/slipping. This ensures longevity of your wheel and protects your tires as well.
Correct,btw…the tires on my CGT are tubeless. Another plus for Royal Enfield I believe.
Sarthak, well aluminium is lighter, and that is its biggest advantage. I see a lot of forum where they mention about the aluminium rims as alloy wheels, which is not entirely correct. Yes, the material used to make the rim isn’t pure aluminium, but an alloy, but that does not qualify the wheel to be called as an alloy wheel.
Anyway, congratulations on your C-GT! I haven’t been a RE fan, but the C-GT did make me take notice. And I must say your response to this thread is fairly commendable. But I do not entirely agree with you on the reliability/ build quality part. It’s not like I agree with everything Akhil has written either, but that’s for another day.
I have toured quite a bit, and mostly with guys on Bullets. I don’t remember a single trip where one (if not more) Bullets gave up.
2011 trip to Ladakh, with 2010 RE Thunderbird 350 Twinspark LB: The fuse failed, twice. The rear brakes wore out completely after about 1000 km. The front disc brakes failed after 2000 km. All this, in spite of a regular service done at an authorised service station, a day before the start of the trip.
2012 trip to Rajasthan, with a 2001 Machismo: The alternator failed in the middle of Thar desert. We had to truck it to Bujh and fix it, only for it to fail again the next day. The exhaust pipe too fell off, but we had got used to it. In the same trip, the other 1995 Standard had its rear brake lever hub break-off from the chassis.
2010 trip to Coorg, with the 2001 Machismo: The air-filter housing fell off.
Other trips have had other niggles like the motorcycle dying when it rains, and dying for other reasons – all in spite of regular servicing by their touring owners.
A friend who picked up a brand new Electra in 2011 had trouble with the gearbox and complained to the service station. When they finally agreed to look at it, they found a loose nut inside. The same motorcycle also had issues with the air-filter, which led to a damaged carburettor, and perhaps the engine block too, but the service shop convinced him there was no harm done to the engine.
A friend who picked up a brand new Standard 350 (just before they stopped the cast-iron engines) notice it died every 1 km. Problem was the air-lock in the fuel tank. Instead of replacing the cap as they should have, they scratched the paint off the lid to create “enough gap” to prevent an air-lock.
I could go on, but you get the gist. Yes, if the C-GT is to go by, they are improving, but they still need to go a long way.
Cheers!
No argument there, Ashwin. REs have been unreliable in the past, as I accepted. Key word being ‘past’. A friend’s Classic 350 (Aug 2012) had to get an engine replacement at 12000 km as he had completely hammered it. (To be fair, he used to ride his RE like a RX 135).
But the newer machines are brilliant! A classic chrome 500 which a close friend of mine owns (I ride it more than him,actually) has more than 20k km on the clock. Apart from regular servicing and oil changes, not a single thing done! The only complaint I had with RE which I took up with the workshop manager too is the way the bike was returned to us. Greasy finger marks were all over the beautiful chrome tank. (Yes,I take my machine THAT seriously). I got them polished out at the workshop itself and got a free Motul chain lube out of the deal. (yay!)
The GT too has been working like a charm. *touch wood!* The engine is clean as a whistle, no oil marks anywhere. I check the seals of the block regularly, especially the gear lever area, and it has been absolutely clean. The gearbox too is slick and the throws are crisp and much shorter than other REs. I’ve ridden it 5k+ kms in less than 4 months now (I stay in Ahmedabad and my Office is in Mumbai…no,I’m not crazy. I’m in the merchant navy) so I keep making regular trips. Other than that, I’ve been to Mt Abu and Daman & Diu, once each. No issues yet. One of my buddies on his Duke 390 did have to stop because of ‘coolant overheating’ but I guess it’s a one off thing.
What I mean is that REs’ unreliability factor is fading! Give ’em a chance,atleast.
There would no one happier than me if RE solved their reliability issues. However, let me chip in with the example of my roommate. He bought a Thunderbird 350 in March. Since the very beginning, the engine leaked oil from the bottom, still does. The instrument cluster needs frequent spanner love, or it gets loose enough to fall right down. He isn’t getting good average either, about 35-38 kmpl. This is a bike that I see everyday.
If you read the comments and go through other people’s experiences, you’ll find that many RE owners feel that the new models are BAD as compared to the old ones. I’ve seen people with choked carbs because the the paint on the inside of the fuel tank flaked out and jammed the poor sucker. A friend of mine owns a 6 months old Desert Storm, and he has lost his battery cover, exhaust, and some other parts on a few occasions. He is now not able to ride his bike, since the battery cover is not in stock since a long time.
I know this post has morphed into a something that makes me look like a hater of REs and their riders, and it is partly true as well. I absolutely detest Royal Enfield motorcycles, just like I detest hardcore religious institutions. They create an aura of fanaticism around them that many people fall for, and even when they see and experience everything that is wrong with their beliefs, they still continue, and also try to fight other people who try to show them how miserable things really are. You might feel that I’m an asshole in not listening to your reasons and explanations, but if you see the bigger picture, you’ll understand how awful the entire RE scenario is.
I forgot to add that I’ve ridden the CGT in heavy rains and forded water so deep that it was almost touching the tank bottom. All the other bikes were waiting for the water to subside or taking a different route. A Daewoo Cielo was floating. I still said, ‘what the heck’ and went for it. I thought it was gone for sure, everything being electronic. But, surprise, surprise! It powered through and is still working perfectly fine. Kudos to RE’s quality control department there!
Nice! That is pretty cool.
Interesting, I knew the talk of torque would come up! And I guess I have made one previous comment in this very post.
Well, the simplest way to make more torque in an IC engine is to increase its capacity. So a 500 cc engine could easily make twice as much as a 250 cc engine. The product of toque and the RPM at what it is produced is power – and that is what describes what the engine does. (Power = Torque X RPM).
And besides, the gearbox and the drive-train between the engine and the rear wheel changes a lot of things.
RE C-GT makes 44 N-m at 4000 RPM, and redlines at about 5100 RPM.
CBR 250R makes 23 N-m at 7000 RPM, and redlines at about 10500 RPM.
The CBR runs on 17” wheels, and the C-GT on 18”. Let’s assume for the moment, both run on 17.5” wheels. Now, because the CBR is revving almost twice as fast as the C-GT, the gearbox on it must step down the speed about twice as much to achieve a similar drive wheel RPM. When you step down RPM, you step up torque.
So torque on the rear wheel of the CBR after being stepped up is something close to what the rear wheel on the C-GT sees, or maybe even a little more. So, looking at the power output of the engine gives you a more realistic picture.
Now, coming over to longevity – at maximum torque, you are just 1000 RPM below redline on the RE versus about 3500 RPM below redline on the Honda. You are that much closer to the edge on the RE than the Honda.
I ride a Pulsar 220 DTS-i, and a speedometer indicated 100 kmph is at 6250 RPM; and it redlines at 10000 RPM – about 60% of what the engine can run.
And do check out the following two links for some differences between long stroke versus short stroke engines.
http://rehermorrison.com/tech-talk-53-big-bore-or-long-stroke-which-is-better/
https://in.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20110503033447AATPk3U
Also, check this review from Overdrive:
http://overdrive.in/reviews/royal-enfield-continental-gt-india-road-test/
And this interview of RE’s CEO saying he could get the C-GT to 90 mph on a downhill with a little tailwind.
http://overdrive.in/news/royal-enfield-ceo-siddharth-lal-chats-about-the-continental-gt/
And this comparison between the C-GT, Inazuma and the D390 on a 2500 km road trip.
http://overdrive.in/features/touring-test-royal-enfield-continental-gt-vs-suzuki-inazuma-250-vs-ktm-390-duke/
Cheers!
Akhil, is there a limit on the number of replies a single thread can have? I can’t seem to have the ‘reply’ link showing up under the post I want to reply to!
In any case, the torque advantage holds good only if the engine’s crankshaft is coupled directly to the rear wheel without a gearbox. But since we do have a gearbox, the torque is stepped up. The power though cannot be stepped up or down (ignoring mechanical loss), so that is a better indicator of performance. So although the RE produces so much torque, it just can’t spin fast enough – thereby limiting its power output.
Also, the gear ratios on the REs are quite tall. While this allows it to stay at a lower speed on a higher gear, the acceleration takes a beating. The 0 to 60 time for any RE is a testament to this. On the other hand, short gearing allows for quicker acceleration, but requires more gear shift. The D200 is a good example of this one.
And I am in the same category as you are in – I’d rather make more gear shifts that stay in one. If I didn’t want gear shifts, I’d get myself an Activa!
Yeah man, gotta limit it to 5 or the replies look very weird on mobile, the text becomes vertical and impossible to read.
I never understood what tall/short gears are. Neither torque/power, not the entire concept at least.
Torque 😀 That seems like the last bastion for RE guys. Never really understood what it means. I guess the only advantage of more torque would be lesser gear changes, and that you can pull away from higher gear at lower speeds, although that depends a lot on how the transmission is setup.
In any case, I would really prefer a bike that goes from 20-100 in 6 seconds with 5 gear changes, rather than something that goes from 20-100 in half a minute with no gear change.
That is awesome. 390 rims feel like glass to me, not because I had any bad experience, but because other people seem to be able to break them with little or no effort. I am now overly cautious over every pothole and speed bump, which I really hate.
Not sure what size CGT tires are, but if they work, I would love to try and replace my stock rims with those. Not sure if that would look good, but I am all for purpose than show. Don’t like to ride under constant stress of a breakdown.
Alright. 1st wave unsuccessful. REload. REgroup. Go.
1. I’ve ridden the Duke 390 and CBR 250R extensively. About 500-700 km between them, which is a lot when you don’t own them. On the other hand,I’ve had the pleasure of riding the Bonneville, Thruxton, HD Iron 883 and for a brief test ride, the Street 750.
Can I compare the two groups? No. Can you ride them the same way? No. Do I expect the Iron 883 to stop in the same distance from 120-0 as the KTM Duke 390? No. Do I have to adjust my style of riding for each of them? Yes. I like to ride fast (yeah,me too)…so does that give me the right to hate the slow, fat cruisers? Um,no.
My stable houses three bikes in total. My dad’s ’84 Bullet 350,a 2005 Pulsar DTSi UG2 and my latest acquisition,the RE Continental GT. See a pattern? No? Me neither.
All I’m saying is that with different levels of skills, experience and sense, people have full right to ride different types of bikes differently. I like to keep my Pulsar between 65-80 km/h so as to keep speed yet not strain the engine. But when I need it, it does boil over to 105-110 km/h. Some people may find it ‘too fast!’,I don’t…because I’m always in control. Now, the ‘84 Bullet. I never exceed 70 on it. Why? Because I KNOW it won’t stop if I need it to if I push harder. Do I hate it for it? No. It’s a cruiser, made for peaceful riding, on open roads. Put on your gear, grab a camera and go riding.
Now, the Café Racer. I don’t know about the thunderbird fellows but I have absolutely no issues maintaining it over a 100 all the time. I did Ahmedabad-Mumbai in 8 hours. That’s a 70+ average, with stops, many, MANY bike pics against awesome backgrounds. Not bad,huh? That too on a Royal Enfield.
2. Quality niggles exist with all brands. Okay, I’ll be extremely wrong if I defend RE for it BUT its not like they aren’t trying. Newer bikes, (The 2014 CL500s and the TB500s) aren’t troubling owners as much as the old ones. They’re slowly lowering the ‘handcraftedness’ of their machines and I applaud them for it. My RE, I don’t think ANYTHING’S hand crafted! I’ve ridden 5000+ km on my Café Racer and nothing’s popped/fallen off. Nothing loose either. Actually, nothing has ever ‘fallen off’ on my ’84 Bullet either. The headlamp’s fused twice in it’s lifetime. Owe it to the vibes of the oldie Cast Iron mill I guess.
3. Owners well known posers? I take offence to that. My father is a serving Army Officer who bought his first brand new bike from his first few salarieS (yes,plural) and you just labelled him a poser. You may treat this forum like a rooftop conversation with beer, weed and a couple of friends…I don’t. I believe an apology is in order.
This brand name holds a significance which you’ll not understand. It signifies Indian triumph over the brits after they left. They themselves couldn’t keep this brand alive, we did. We took it right from under them, still run it and now export Chennai-built Royal Enfields to the UK. Doesn’t instil ANY emotion, any pride in you? Really??
4. I frankly can’t relate to your (very limited) experiences on REs,especially the new ones. I rode the Classic Chrome 500 for 55 km at speeds well over 100 km/h and never had a nervous moment. It’s all about recognising your capabilities, getting in tune with what your machine wants and what you want from it. I find the brakes adequate, even for their bulk.
The Continental GT is an entirely different story! 300 mm floating Brembo at the front and a 240 mm ByBre rear with steel braided lines. Bite is firm and uniform and fade, non-existent. Recent trip to Mount Abu, I was kneesliding my entire ride up! The motor performed beyond perfection. The Pirelli Sport Demons never let go. The chassis is stiffer than…well…and the brakes, perfect.
5. Okay, I recognise your sarcasm and accept that I may have gotten carried away. But you gotta understand man, FE depends solely on how you ride and maintain your machine. I get 28 in the city and 34 on the highway on my CGT. That is way more than I was expecting! What if I told you that I like my Pulsar 150 because it still hovers around 55-65 km/l and hate all Duke 390s because they…well,how much do they churn out? 40 km/l? That’s what a 350 cc mill gets. The 500 gets 35-38 on an average.
6. How can you expect a single cylinder, 500/535 cc mill to be light? Also, I won’t comment firsthand on it but from what I’ve read, while crossing streams in high altitude riding, the weight of REs keeps them more planted and stable and provides traction between rubber and slippery pebbles. I may be wrong though. I’m a tourer, but still a highway brat.
As for comparisons, The HD Street 500 has a V-Twin 494 cc mill. The bike weighs 207 kg. My CGT has a 535 CC Single Cyl engine. The bike weighs 184 kg. Fair enough, I guess?
7. Oh well.
8. No purpose, no standout feature and ‘Old-style tradition BS’. See, I can’t talk sense into someone with so much hatred (I still dunno why) inside about something.
I will though, talk about ‘Old-style tradition BS’. You know the Indian Army? Yeah the one that stands on the border so that you can have a sound night’s sleep….blah blah blah. Yes, that one. In it, there’s an Armoured unit. Tanks, for you. This unit was known as ‘cavalry’ earlier, and even now, actually. If you’ve ever seen a Republic Day parade, you would have seen a bunch of horses trotting down representing a specific Armoured unit. Should we dump the horses and replace them with T 90s or Arjun Main Battle Tanks? Hell yeah! What’ll the horses do during war? What USE are they?? Why waste manpower feeding them, brushing them, training them when you could just replace them with some super cool TANKS??
Right? Wrong.
I don’t think you’ll get it man. The horses signify how it all started. History. Tradition. They’re just words to you but it actually means something to some people. Don’t hate a company which wants to keep it alive. Don’t hate the people who want to experience the magic RE created in Redditch in 1901, 113 years later…they may be crazy, yes, so am I. But it’s good crazy.
Try giving your dad a brand new smartphone. Will he get instantly comfortable with it? Will you hate him just coz you spent 45k on something and he isn’t using it like it should be? He isn’t you! You’d probably have rooted it within 6 hours of owning it! Technology and evolution comes slowly to some oldie folk,man. KTMs were born new. RE is over a century old. Give it time. Time to adjust, time to learn the new ways. They ARE changing: Just look at the Continental GT if you don’t believe me. Don’t hate it already.
Cheers
I just read the second part of your reply to Akhil and though it’s not polite to cut in, I felt I must join the debate (I prefer calling it this, than an argument as I don’t have any feeling of anger here).
I think the top speed of a vehicle does play an important role. Of course, one can say that anything over 120 kmph is not required in our country. It’s mostly true that there aren’t many roads in our country where you can ride at those speeds for a long time. Yet, it shows you what the motorcycle is capable of.
For instance, on a motorcycle that can do 175 kmph, I’d know by cruising at 100 kmph is only straining its engine about 60% of its threshold. That improves longevity, and does not induce too much stress. Well, I could do 100 kmph on a motorcycle that redlines at 110 kmph too, but that would mean I am pushing this engine a lot harder. That is where the RE loses out.
I have seen many claim they have done 120 kmph, and some 140 kmph on Bullets. At least with my experience with the Bullets – it’s not true. If I were to trust Overdrive’s reviews, the fastest RE (India) motorcycle is the C-GT which maxes out at a true 131 kmph, while the speedometer shows 140 kmph. This sort of error is common with almost all speedometers. This, is still a whole 15 kmph faster than the TB 500, which maxes out at a true 116 kmph. I don’t know what the speedometer reads on the TB 500 at this point. I would presume the RE 350s would ride slower than the 500s and 535s. Perhaps they’re a little over the 100 kmph mark. Doing 100 kmph or even 80 kmph on this is going to feel a lot more stressed than on another motorcycle, say a CBR 250R, that maxes out at about a true speed on 155 kmph, which is quite a bit higher (about 35%) over the TB 500, in spite of the engine being a full 250 cc smaller.
Moving on, the finish levels offered on REs is not really top-notch considering the price they demand. I read somewhere not long ago that the Classic 500s in India were being sold without the oxygen sensors to cut cost, which lead to clogged fuel injectors. This is perhaps one of the reasons why rental REs in Manali have the FI kit replaced with a carburettor.
I am all in for tradition and stuff – but not at the cost of technology. Just because headlamps were lit by oil lamps a 100 years ago doesn’t mean we should continue using it today.
And until the C-GT, the ONLY talking point for RE was its history. Of course, Royal Enfield is over a 100 years old, but they started manufacturing Bullets in India only in the mid 60s. They were only assembling parts prior to that. And purchasing the copyright of a company that’s over a 100 years old, in my opinion, is not a matter of pride – but an extremely well played out marketing strategy.
As a consumer, you lose out quite a bit because there are more of them waiting to buy an RE than RE can produce at this moment. Until they meet this gap, they have nothing to worry. But I do hope they improve.
Cheers!
Hey I don’t mind you entering this (debate?) discussion brother. If this was a debate, things would have been seriously heating up by now. I believe that this is a discussion between two mature school of thoughts, which should reach an amiable end.
Now, to your first few points about speed, engine stress and longevity. I hate saying this (I realy do. It makes me sound very pompous) but that’s where you go wrong.
I would like you to introduce you to the word: Torque. You said ‘cruising at 100’ so I’ll take it from there.
I, on my CGT (puny 29.6 horses compared to the Duke’s 44…so where does the 535 cc go? That’s right,it goes into the 44 NM of torque that it’s producing) am cruising at 100 with the needle somewhere around 4100-4200 rpm. The engine has a nice, throaty growl to it, I can recognise each beat of the exhaust if I want to, things are good.
Let me know at what RPM the CBR250R hits 100. Or the Duke 390. Or don’t let me know…just compare the figures. You’re smart enough to understand the rest. Then decide which engine is more “stressed”. Also, I’ve heard a lot of issues of D390s heating up (an equivalent of stress,if you please) but NONE about the new 500/535 CC air-cooled UCE motors.
I’d also like to highlight the gearing. I was recently on a Bullet Standard 500 (The non-FI, heavy crank version of the 500 cc mill) and was cruising at 85-95 km/h in absolute comfort. I cleared a highway elevation and saw some cows crossing the road. I slowed it down from a 100 to 45 immediately (Good disc bite with MRFs replaced with Continentals) on the 5th gear itself. When it came to accelerating out of it, I just twisted the throttle gently and on the 5th gear itself, it make that deep beating sound and soon I was back at 95 km/h. The pleasure of not hunting for gears all the time (due to the immense torque) is something only an RE owner will understand (in this price bracket).
As for my CGT. The time I went berserk on it, I was on a 6-lane ring road with a friend’s Scorpio at my side. My speedo was showing 147 km/h,the Scorpio’s 151 km/h and a friend’s Galaxy Note 3 with ‘Ulysse Speedometer’ which uses GPS only was flickering between 141-142 km/h (mounted on my right arm, seen by my friends on the Scorpio). I dunno how Overdrive just got 131 out of it. I got a solid 142.
*sigh* Y’know I could talk some more about tradition and everything but you seem to be partially correct here. One can’t live in the past. Has RE been riding on its ancestral achievements? Yes. Is it still doing it? No. Check out their line up. Their FI Units. Their new paint schemes. The redesigned logo and winged badge. The projector headlamp with a corona ring in the TB500. The floating Brembos, Pirelli tyres, Paioli Shocks, Clip-on handlebars, the Keihin EFI Unit paired with a remapped ECU paired with a redesigned, eager, lighter 535 cc heart placed in a double cradle tubular chassis designed by Harris Performance, UK in the Continental GT. This doesn’t look like a brand living in the past, mate. It looks like a brand which is learning from its mistakes and wants to move forward. To hate it,is wrong,IMHO. All I’m sayin’.
Cheers
Sarthak, I really hoped to keep this going for a while. Alas. Anyway, I did some more scouting on the subject of the “supposed” torque advantage of REs. Turns out they don’t.
Let’s look at it from a different perspective – from that of commuter motorcycles, whose primary purpose is to return mind boggling fuel efficiencies. The first motorcycle that comes to my mind is the Hero Splendor. If you look at the engine specifications on that motorcycle, you’ll see that it makes 7.95 N-m of torque at 5000 RPM with its 97.2 cc engine. Figures like this don’t make your eyes open wider in awe, nor does it make your jaw drop. It’s quite ordinary, right?
Anyway, let’s assume Hero were to today decide they want to compete with RE C-GT and scale up their engine to a whole 535 cc. Again, assuming they do a perfect geometrical scale up of the Splendor’s 97.2 cc engine by a factor of 5.504, they would end up with 535 cc. And you would be surprised to know that the 535 cc Hero engine would make 43.76 Nm of torque! Impressive, isn’t it? Considering Hero derived the engine from a commuter.
Another example – but this time, let us look at cars. Again, staying on the economical side, let’s take the Alto 800. This car makes 69 Nm torque at 3500 rpm, from its 796 cc engine. I’m sure most would say – big deal! Let’s say Maruti Suzuki too decided to take this same engine and scale it down to 535 cc. Do you know how much torque this one would make? A little over 46 Nm! Whoa! To be fair, this being a liquid-cooled engine, would have tighter clearances and thus, a little more efficient. But it’s still impressive because this is something that is designed to be as far away from performance as physically possible!
So you see, a big torque number from a big engine isn’t something to be impressed with. Power on the other hand, sure is.
Cheers!
Was just following this interesting discussion and fully agree with the points of Sarthak. Boss, you have clear thought process and can articulate in a very simple way. A little off topic question : between 500 standard and 500 classic which one do you think a bike for the future, say, with a 10 years horizon?
Neither 😀 I am not the right guy to ask about REs man, not a big fan!
A fitting reply. Cheers mate.
I was going through the few million replies you’ve had and found this:
Quote:
“1.Bullets are fucking slow
Ans: Lions walk slowly to show their pride
2.Royal Enfields are unreliable
Ans:Indian Army is using it for more than 50 years
3.Bullets are noisy – and the bad kind of noisy
Ans:It is a roar of Lion
4.Bullets have really bad brakes
Ans:Friend of the road so It doesn’t not want to stop
5.Bullets give shitty mileage
Ans:Royal people doesn’t care for money
6.Bullets are unnecessarily heavy
Ans:Tanks are always heavy
7.Bullets have spoked wheels
Ans:King always travels with vehicle containing Spoked wheel
8.Bullets have a fucking long waiting period
Ans:For royal and Best things u have to wait”
OMFG I almost choked, I was laughing so hard! Look man,this guy probably doesn’t even own a RE and is a sure poser. Not all RE owners are like that. THIS is a purely fanatical approach. Don’t think all RE owners are like that.
When I bought the CGT,it was an extremely calculated purchase! 2.12 lakh is not a small amount. I considered the CBR250R – Didn’t like its VFR-ish looks and confused riding position. The Duke 390 – I just didn’t fit in it! I’m 6’3″ and I felt cramped on it. It was a calculated decision where the CGT fit best.
Unrelated,any chance the RC390 will be bigger than the Duke? I really like the SS looks of the bike and might buy it when launched. Leme know if you have some info.
Hehe, you see what I mean? Go through more of the comments, you’ll find a lot more of such people.
For a budget of 2-2.5 lacs, for a big guy, I also don’t see any other option. 390 is too small, CBR250R is dying a slow death, and I would rather strangle myself with a clutch wire rather than buy an Inazuma. CGT was your only choice, and not a bad one at that at all.
I have seen the RC200 in flesh, it looks smaller than the Duke 200. The seat is freakishly small, I consider myself a skinny guy, and even my sorry ass will be hanging over the sides. But then again that was one of those test mules, hope KTM fixes that problem. A 6’3″ guy like you will not look at home on a RC390 at all.
omg..! who said ROyal enfield can do only 60? and yu know how about its torque with its long stroke engine? yu know wat these torques can do? you know about its safety? and yu r talking about brakes.! , and yu are talking abt rubber end on exhaust..! it clearly shows ,the guy who wrote this article knows nothing about RE!
-> i accept RE’s are not fast like sports bike,but it can easily do 120kmph, tats pretty enough for indian roads.! and RE engine is designed with long stroke length wch can deliver less horses but more torque ,which is very well known for comfortable long rides.( yu may get pain at initial rides, even a busa ll give yu pain until yur body sync with riding position), ppl can even do 1000kms comfortably without stopping their REs. yur plastic bike ll make yur butts burn within 100kms.!
-> and about brakes ,RE is one of the best motorcycles with best brakes.!
-> the silly rubber end on exhaust is a myth,ppl says it can give punching sound, but its a big false,…if yu experianced it-yu can easily identify it as useless.. but yu are saying it creates noise, this clearly shows you are barking here blindly.!!
-> RE’s are most safest vehicles in india. its weight and riding height gives yu rock solid stability on roads.but yu told “why not tie 25 kg dumbbells all over the bike until there is no space left?”..omg, its ass fucking funny comment i ever heard ..! rofl. seriously ,yu have great sense of humour..!
-> and every RE can give an economy of 40+ kms per litre.!! tats fucking better than 150ccs and 200ccs plastic’s mileage..!
-> REs can be usable even after 30years, search yur plastics from garbage.
->and ppl like yu dont know how it feels while ride royal enfield.
and every1 here knows ,you have not enough money to buy a enfield.
->pls atleast dont be jealous of it.!
it shows yur stupidness..!
trully stupid
LOL. OK! No comments 🙂
dude duke has an auto rickshaw sound so funny … lol
and duke looks like a toy
True. Goes like stink too.
Your write up is grammatically correct, I’ll give you that. You have managed to create quite a long discussion, I’ll give you that too, but one thing I’m sure of, is that Little shits like you with no regard to the most basic law of the land(speed limit) should not be allowed to drive!!
Seems like someone on a Royal Enfield(Bullet is not the correct name) hurt the puny little ego of yours!!
P.S.– Give respect to get respect.
Hehe, like I like said before Vikram, I don’t respect Royal Enfields at all. They are sub-standard, obsolete, purposeless machines. I do respect the people who take such shit ass pieces of metal to Ladakh and beyond though, they are awesome.
You are also right that at most times I do not follow the speed limit laws. My personal opinion is that riding on/under the speed limit on a bike in India is a akin to committing suicide, someone is going to jam something up your ass sooner or later. If my 60k odd kms of riding experience, with no mishaps, is anything to go by, I would suggest other riders to do the same as well.
I really don’t remember there being an incident where a Bullet owner hurt my ego, I also find it hard to imagine a situation where that is even remotely possible! But it’s OK, I get your point.
As I said before, not like. Get your grammar right at least. The whole article reeks of insecurity. No matter how hard you try to discourage people from buying Enfields, they will invariably buy more!! Do you see RE ads anywhere? NO! Go,crawl back in your cave, kid.
Absolutely.
For someone teaching another about grammar, you ought to know you must maintain a space after a punctuation.
Royal enfields are still selling for their looks…few things like the spokes cant be changed…
As for the engine specs they cater to people who want slow acceleration + consistent high(not very high though) speeds (read segment other than cbr+ ktm + pulsars etc so dont compare with them)
Has a history(a very long one)
Is a premium segment but still affordable
So thats some present market scenario
Can you name a bike which caters to this segments needs better than enfield?
Let me club all the needs here:
1. Slow acceleration
2. Not very high speed
3. History
Umm, does Bajaj M80 count? It is slow in acceleration, top sped, and has a history of quarter of a century.
Personally, I don’t understand the concept of “history”. Sure I’d love to own a bike that had been consistently performing good for last 50 yrs, but why would I want to own a bike which hasn’t changed in the last 50 yrs? You can go slow and cruise at low speeds on ANYTHING, Avenger, 220, Duke, Platina. Just because the Bullet has a lot of metal and has a “history” doesn’t make it any different, logically.
I own a Pulsar 180 and RE Classic 350. All i can say is, Bullets are just for showoff now. RE sucks when it comes to comfort, control and every other aspect. And the spoke wheels and tube tyres!!!
I know the pain.. I still love pulsar and love to ride pulsar always. RE is just when i need to make my presence:-) Never a bullet unless you have another bike!
Chinmay, I think the presence factor is also slowly going away. Bullets are everywhere! And the new versions don’t look as awesome as the old ones.
HAha this one insane post, It all comes down to ur tastes ,Respect every bike, and every one of em has their advantages n disadvantages,In terms of the royal enfield, i agree with all the above points, but u cant deny its feel, Its a big cruiser type of bike, Not at all meant for top speeds, but cruise at respectable speeds for a prolonged period, that way i would say the engine can handle high heat and continous speeds for a period of time, Well im a 6ft 2 guy, ppl have always told me go for the bullet, But for one i cant wait that long for a bike,2im not a big fan of the bullet, i respect it, but not that keen on buying one, As all you guys argue between RE, ktm, pulsar ,yamaha , im a honda customer :), Rode a old honda unicorn for 6 years but i gotta say i really gave that bike a beating but it stuck by me, Now i am upgrading to a cbr 250r , i think it can play both a cruiser and a fast bike role if needed.But more of cruising type, End of the line it comes down to personal preferences and tastes and each person’s are different and mine is honda soo yep 🙂
Well Raghav, I neither respect REs, nor I like them 🙂 That doesn’t mean I don’t respect the riders, anyone who is ready to ride such a fucked up machine from Kashmir to Kanyakumari is a lunatic in my eyes, and I respect lunatics.
I would personally advice against the CBR, only because its replacement is imminent now. The sales of CBR250 have dwindled significantly, and the 300 should be here soon. Rest, your choice!
I had a time one riding 180cc bikes. after changing to Bullet I have a feeling that I have platinum Insurance. I will not agree with the points of speed, brake, reliability and noise. its different according to each vehicles. I can ride 120 kmph in a normal way without giving so much struggle to my bike. It can go down from 120 to 30 kmph in 3 to 4 seconds. My tarpet road was broken for three hundred km and it was still running. so i trust him for the rides. Of Course mega bass silencers can make lot of noise but there is some other convertors we can use o make it silent wit the same price.. may be your experience made you to think like this but I have many stories to explain about my bulliiiii …. 🙂
Would love to hear some of those stories in detail Vish!
For me the most interesting Royal Enfield product is their modular eye gear. 😀
http://royalenfield.com/accessories/eyewear/modular-eye-gear/
But my younger brother bought Classic 350 which will be delivered in AUG second week. :@
Haha, show off 😉
Good luck! Let me know how it turns out.
Instead of writing, why you “hate” a bike which you never owned/experienced for at least a year..I would appreciate if you could write a nice blog..8 reasons!! why I love my so and so bike which satisfied me from every angle (duke or whatever)..I am sure you wouldn’t grab that much attention/visitors on your “personal” blog for which you must be having proud of..its silly google brought me here to read nonsense “hatred”….njoy ride..have Peace dear!!
Will do that too my friend! Cheers.
I read this blog and your blog about your D390…I think you answered your question yourself in the other blog …. Yes every machine has its own faults, yes we still love our bikes no matter how much tension they might give us….
For the record I don’t own a RE or a Duke and have never ridden them…. I ride a normal 150 cc commuter. I used to ride my Dad’s 1973 Jawa as child and used in my college days.. that was the time when KB 100, CD 100 and RX 100 were the rage for college students… but I still preferred the Jawa.. it was simple, easy to maintain… not the best or fastest or most fuel efficient…but was in a way unique and it stood out…most of all I had memories associated with it. Over time it just became too old and worn out to be used before I finally stopped using it in 2000. The best 7000 rupees my Dad spent on a new bike. I wish I’d spent some time and money to keep it working…oh well…hindsight.
So is the RE a good bike ?…I think not… for all the reasons you shared and more… but the RE owner will have stories to tell and memories to share. That, my friend, is why people love their bikes… not for the thump, or the torque, or cornering or what ever most people have listed out… all those are transient… your riding style and preferences will change over the 10 -15 years that you own the bike…but the stories…they remain. Most of them who buy it today have heard those stories and want to create their own with RE as a part of it. Why RE…well I think because you can ride it at the age of 20, 40 or 60…imagine doing that with the D390 with a wife and kid… see what I mean… the RE will be there as a part of your story as the chapters change. The D390 or most modern bikes… not as much… they simply are not built that way. That does not make them bad bikes, just limits their ability to fit in to different lifestyles.
That is the logic. when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.
When you put it like that 🙂 Sure I can’t carry anyone on my back seat, but there are plenty of bikes available which are good for this activity, while also being much better than the REs in every aspect.
My aim was not to pit the 390 against the REs, it was just to point out the flaws of a machine that has (surprisingly) a cult following in our country.
Agree with your point about the cult following … put it down to us being Indian… we do a lot of crazy shit that defies logic…
Hey akhil….brilliant post…..trying to get my friends to understand the problems associated with buying an enfield.
I started with riding my friend’s passion then his rx135 then another friend’s apache 160 and a karizma and a 1980’s bullet and also the unicorn…..after I had enuf experience I got my first bike an apache 160 which I barely rode and was mostly used by my friends since I abused their bikes for years….soon got a job and got myself a zx9r sold it after a year and got the 390 and now owner of a street triple…y I mentioned all is to actually share what I have felt so far on various bikes…..of all these bikes…..the enfield never excited me……all those stories myths and rumours created by owners just make themselves believe its better…..yes I do agree the enfield has the sweetest sound I have heard on a single cylinder bike, but thats with stock exhaust. …ppl put those punjabs silencers and what not…..it sounds terrible. ….loud is not sweet…..every engine has a distinct exhaust note…..for me the inline 4 are the sweetest. …..whenever u hear that u know something good is around and start lookin for it……hear a loud bullet and im left abusing the bastard to tone it down….infact if u notice, the craze caught up in the last decade or so…..prior to that the 2nd hand rates were terrible…..with a slow manufacturing process and long waiting times , the 2nd hand prices shot up……infact no offence to anyone but the continental gt is the worst bike I have ever ridden in my life…..its like those extra 35cc they got by boring the 500 just screwed it up …..it vibrates so much its no fun to ride….its a perfect bike for a horny elephant for use as a vibrator…..no offense I aint an hd fan but honestly I think the re fan club just tries to be a kind of the hog riders group. ….since they cudnt afford it they tried to create their own…….I cant find one single positive about an enfield. …agreed the standard 500 isnt too bad…..but for the price u cud get better bikes……honestly I believe if u have never cornered hard once in ur life, u wudnt even know wat bikes and riding is all about….if its just wind on ur face and bug splash. …pop ur head out of a car or a rickshaw thats goin fast…..and whats with the top speed shit….ppl say touched 145 – 135 wat not…..wats the big deal ?? The 390 does 150+ plus with ease…but yes it does start to show its weakness after that if stretched too far, but hey its just a 375cc and its a bang for the buck…..those metzeler m5 are a bang for the buck, stock abs, an informative dash, its a bang for the buck…..not saying this cuz I owned one but honestly anything felt underpowered after the zx9 and since triumph was on its way and I wanted something to ride got the 390 for about just 2-3 months to have something to ride….I did find it underpowered but it kept me happy in mumbai traffic …..and come on wats with ppl comparing the 390 and the bull……the 390 is made in india and sold in over 70 countries……is anyone sayin that all these countries are stupid. ….things have evolved. ….high time bikes do too….if u r genuinely a re fan…..get an old well maintained or restored one as a collectors item and keep it…..ride it on a weekend ride then its understandable…..u use it as a commuter and call it royal. …..stop defending, start accepting……its days r gone ….it was good for its time…..infact it was outdated in the 70s and 80s itself , it cud never compete with an rd……infact rd is still a thrilling machine, it just has terrible brakes…..simple point being made …..if u really want exclusivity with an re…..buy an old one ride once a week and get another bike for daily use…..cuz honestly if any sensible person actually thinks logically and just doesn’t go with the crowd they will see the flaws of it….buying an enfield doesnt make u a man, and by no means it is a lion….If lions were so common then no one wud ever call them exotic creatures…..I urge bikers to actually test ride different bikes and actually push it hard……and by hard I dont mean straight line top speed…..lean it into a corner till u scrape the foot peg…..feel it….then decide whats the right thing to do……if u say thats just not ur style then whats the point…..r u just gonna ride forever at 60? and u just bought it to get attention and to fit in?? They have bad engines…..I can just keep finding faults with that bike, but its all in vain, ppl will just hate me and probably think of it when they sleep and get disturbed about the truth but will still hate me…..I mean no disrespect to anyone, there are guys who have riden many more bikes than me and have a lot more experience. …it is purely my view about bullets and I just put forward my point, others will their views amd im more than willing to losten, if they do have some logic in it im more than willing to change my view…..probably the longest comment ever, hope wasnt a total bore. Cheers and happy cornering……
That’s exactly my thought process Tushar, it is a decision completely devoid of logic to go for an Enfield in today’s time. Well, happy to know that there are others who feel the same! Cheers.
OK this is probably gonna be a cliche..but Akhil dude… For the sake of an argument..have you ever fallen in love with someone? Do you look for logic for falling in love ..or you keep finding niggles in someone you love..no dude.. once your heart is set you will go for it .. That’s what I’ll relate buying an Enfield to.. Look man every sane Indian knows the problems you get with buying an Enfield but they still go for it because..fuck logic.. they love riding one!.. You are asking these ppl to explain love.. how can they.. You have to experience it.. If you are not able to experience that.. Fine.. Find a KTM 390 or whatever keeps you happy. But just don’t write an article just to hate upon a brand which you don’t understand but millions of others are able to..
Hey man. Let’s say you love an assholic, stupid, abusive girl, but you are in head over heels. You are too much of a fanatic to see the obvious wrongs, and you don’t listen to others. You marry the bitch.
Now she is your wife, her problems are your problems. Every logic that you ignored in the beginning is now staring you right in the face. You are tired of its tantrums, really want to kill her/yourself, and life feels like a bunch of monkey balls being stuffed down your throat.
If this is a scenario that looks comfortable and desirable to you, then fuck all logic and please continue with your love 🙂
Most of you would have had this experience – a Big built Macho in college flexing his huge bulk in a tight T shirt but on a day of reckoning he is beaten up by a guy half his size in front of all the college girls and boys. That’s exactly what the Royal Enfield is all about ” Much ado ’bout Nothing”. They are slow and lazy, try climbing up a steep hill, it heats up. Drive it on the straight, it rattles the hell out of you beyond 80 kmph. After 30 mins. you stop to check you will eventually find the tool box or the battery cover or some nut or bolt working itself loose during that 30 min of blissful ride. The RE was known as The Royal Oil Field in its hay days. It had hardly won any acclaim in the company of Triumphs, Nortons, BSAs, Matchless & Ariels. The only Twin that REnfield tried to make a success of was a 700cc twin called Meteor or Constellation. It failed because of a faultily designed straight crank without a centre bearing. I owned a Royal Enfield for 8 years regretfully because there was no choice. I explored every possibility to improve the performance e.g bought an original 25mm Mikuni from Japan. There was instant improvement in idling, pickup and to some extent mileage ( 35 – 37 ) . But even with all this the speed remained the same . It didn’t significantly decrease the vibration. Dead pan product.
You know why people buy The R Enfield ? As a kid they have heard their dad and uncles repeatedly praising & drooling over the manly baritone slow dhap dhap dhap note that sent their aunts into ecstacy, a childhood dream to own The BULLAT fulfilled. My son owns one and I don’t bother to even touch it even though I have dismantled and assembled every nut and bolt of The RE 350cc several times.
The Big Bad Brute can’t sprint – its a Pehalwan in slow motion. Any 150 cc bike today can outrun this obsolete clumsy behemoth with a double fuel efficiency. Some say the latest R Es have received modern treatment, Bull Shit – the 150 cc still shows their arse to the REs in a jiffy.
I know! But if you go through the comments, you’ll still see so many Bull riders who will try their best to disprove you. Royal Enfields are bullshit, useless, antique items that have no use in the real world.
Their psyche is simple because they own a RE. Let them ride a 150 cc Honda Trigger or a Suzuki GS 150 R for a week they’ll change their opinion I’m sure without further convincing.
Sounds too easy Kochin 🙂
well well first of all its a thanks to Akhil for the article which has set off the non-ending battle. I m sure this battle between bulleteers and bikers will never end even if we argue for centuries. My story is no different, From my childhood(in the nineties) I was made to believe that bullets(the old std 350) is a class apart. My brother admired bullets(and the guys who ride it) and has narrated infinite times the brilliant experiences of riding bullets which he borrowed from one or the other. Naturally the sickness passed on to me and I also started admiring bullets!!!
When I landed on my first job I wanted a commuter bike and bought a bajaj pulsar in 2005. The RE was out of question simply because of the cost and secondly because of the respect to RE. I might have felt that I m not grown up enough to buy an RE, I dnt know.
Now I am 32 years reasonably settled (and married) and just thinking of replacing my old pulsar, My first choice came in the form of Honda unicorn which is easy, trouble free, a perfect replacement for my pulsar(still I believe the bullet is for someone special). But as soon as my family came to know of the bike replacement they all came up surprisingly with one choice, a bullet!!!
My mother asked me to buy that bike with dug dug dug sound which Mr, salam of uppathil house (neighbour) is riding because she likes the sound and the looks( she dont know the name of the bike)
My uncle want me to buy it because he think its a more safe vehicle. He has rarely seen bullets meeting accidents and believe bikes are more pron to accidents,
My mother in law, grand mother, grand grand father all of them had their reasons why I should go for a bullet(they are not much familiar with newer models of RE). no need to say what my brother said.
The biggest surprise came from my wife who offered me two of her golden bangles for that extra amount above the cost of a unicorn so that she can be proud that her hus is riding a bullet. This shocked me as she treated her gold ornaments dearer next to our son.
Guys I dont know whether bullets are good or crap, But one thing I now understand is this piece of machine has commanded a dug dug feeling in the hearts of so many people not only the bike enthusiastic. Our society is giving a privilaged respect for RE owners. I dont know whether all of this will change or not but a few months from now a child will be admiring and making up his mind that he too will buy a bullet when he sees me riding my new machine
Biking is what you love… not what other people like family and neighbor. So think of it once more.
Ok.
That is THE most interesting story surrounding a Bull that I’ve ever heard 🙂
Good luck with your bike Sivan! I hope it lives up to the expectations of you, your neighbours, and your extended family 😉
i pray him for too
Thanks man.
Right you are . I thought I was the only one who do feels Royal enfield actually sucks nothing else.
Loved the piece. Though I must say, I am not a passionate biker. I hate both, the bullet as well as the duke. The irritating noise of the duke just flips me out. Bullet with all its problems. Though I love the noise. I ride a Pulsar 200 and just upgraded to a 220. Though i dont agree with the comparison of a Duke and a Pulsar. Its like comparing Peaches with Pineapples..(Pun intended). Just as I see Bullet fans, I am a true Pulsar fan no matter how much the engine sucks!!
I rode my Pulsar 150’s ass all through india, it is a brilliantly reliable and awesome machine. Took it to Ladakh without a single hiccup.
Yeah many people don’t like the sound of a Duke, I have gotten used to it 🙂 Doesn’t matter what you ride anyway (apart from a shitty Bullet of course). Cheers!
You are not alone my friend 🙂
wow spot on. don’t agree with few comments, but like your sense of humour and sarcasm. I own a yezdi 250, and I feel most bullets should be compared with this bike, as their technology hasn’t changed much. The brand is amazing, but the brand owners (Eicher Group) don’t want to be like the Harlies and Indians as seen in the global industry.
No idea what Eicher wants! Thanks 🙂
Wow I just kept scrolling and scrolling to reach to post my comment here. This shows that RE has a fan following and they cant take anything said or written or spoken (personal experience) against RE. That being said, even Salman has a fan following still that doesn’t make him a better human being. (These will be my last words if a Sallu Fan reads this). Akhil’s post here is straight forward and to the point. I agree with it. I am a person who is looking for a bike which gives me complete satisfaction. The person who buys an RE is because he wants to buy an RE not for the specs or the ‘Feeling’ just because its an RE.
If you are spending 1.5 lakh Rupees and are willing to wait for over a year *RESPECT BRO* you are a true fan of RE who doesn’t give a shit about what other bikes have to offer. But I would say one thing. Please don’t say that RE tops every other bike. No it doesn’t. On paper on road it just doesn’t. There are far better bikes out there and companies like HD and Triumph are making their mark in India. There is no such thing as Made In India any more. Even if you buy RE the riding gear is not made in India.
The fan following just doesn’t make sense here. A unicorn will give a far better performance than RE. I have met some guys from Nagpur who have made the ladhak-leh trip on their Unicorn and Pulsar from Nagpur and return. Amazing right.
Its a mad world of RE’s and HD’s out there each one trying to prove that there are no better bikes there. But a true rider will appreciate this fact and also the fact that its all in the rider. Obviously bike matters at some point. But not RE. Please!
Finally, Akhil. Thanks for a brilliant post. I am flattered buy your response given to the RE fans all over. True riding spirit.
It’s all in the rider for sure 🙂 Thanks for your comment!
Valid reasons not to like an RE. They use substandard parts, are crap for reliability etc etc, but you overlook the feel of ride factor too much. I have a Thunderbird 350 myself and she’s capable of managing 100 km/h+ easily. I ride mostly within the 60-80 km/h range, primarily because our roads are unpredictable. People and animals lazily crossing open highways, worthless drivers who don’t know how to use a lane or indicators mean that high speeds are temporary. It’s like a truck driver I met on the road said “You can drive as fast as you want, in India you won’t cover more than 50-60 kms in an hour because something or the other will slow you down”
My brother owns a CBR 250R and I love the bike, but I wouldn’t buy it no matter how much better the bike is on paper. My Tbird has given me a ton of issues and I wish RE engineered their bikes to perform at least respectably better than a Splendor. I completely respect your opinion and prospective buyers must read your post to know what they’re signing up for, but statements like “no guy with half a brain will even consider going for an RE in the present scenario.” are uncalled for. People who bought RE’s are happy with them and many of them buy second ones. There must be something that these archaic machines have, that appeals to them right?
“You never marry someone because she is punctual” – Jeremy Clarkson . “Or she has good handwriting” – Me 😀
RE owner has some emotional attachment with their machine because ownership was a decision taken in heart ignoring the mind. I think it’s similar to the love for childhood TV show Shaktiman.
I have deduced two reasons for their feelings.
1. it’s a childhood dream for many to own one. (Very good reason to buy one)
2. The vibration gives tingle to the tingly bits. 😀 (Don’t know about it)
“RE owner has some emotional attachment with their machine because ownership was a decision taken in heart ignoring the mind” – this is true – though partly.
For me, its true about every motorbike/car/gadget I have owned, not just my RE. But then its just me.
I loved your reply, Swadhin! Well, when passions and emotions are brought to the table, logic, usually, takes a back seat. I think it’s this very emotional attachment you mentioned about – is what allows them to ignore the apparent flaws of their beloved machines.
And when someone (like Akhil here) mentioned the flaws he sees in the Bullet, the passions and the emotions are threatened. It’s not like I agree with every point Akhil has mentioned, but it is generally true. But when you see some responses in defence that mention the Bullet is a lion and a lion walks slow – that’s where the passion and emotions blur and turn into, well, you know- something else!
I have had several debates/ arguments on the topic with my friends who are Bullet fanatics, but it’s a debate that will never end. None of it really matters because in the end, I have toured half the country with them, and I am pretty sure I’ll tour the remaining half with them too!
Happy riding!
Lol, you like to get tingled while riding? 🙂
What appeals to them is exactly what I don’t understand man! And what feel of ride are you mentioning here?
Feel of ride is not something I can pull out of a spec sheet. The experience of riding a Bullet is something different and can’t be explained, especially to someone like you who hates RE this much. Don’t get me wrong I’m not a “Boys ride plastics, men ride Bullet” person. 350cc or 500cc aren’t manly displacements by a long shot.
My simple explanation is, every Enfield rider faces a butt load of issues with their bike, but so many of them are die hard loyalists and still keep buying them. The quality is poor, the performance is substandard, the price is high, but you can easily spot a Bullet made in 2000 still running every day. Spotting a 2000 CBZ won’t be as easy.
You enjoy your Duke 390 because its bloody fast and agile. My RE gives me a more involved ride, than I didn’t get with the Duke. I don’t expect you to understand it, but I can only hope you can respect that.
Really hard to respect something so hard to explain, understand and believe, but I’ll try!
u will never get a answer for this . don’t worry .
Ok.
Like I really care of your Crap. If you don’t want to handle a bullet good for you. If the Indian army uses a bike for the last 70years its a “ROYAL ENFIELD” so if by your stand your calling the Indian army a fool to invest on this lethargic bike. Do you even know What offroading is. Bullets don’t need roads because they make their path. Bulleteers do not just need a ride. HAving a Commuter bike made of plastic is no good. you need to earn a bullet and the respect every Bulleteer gets.
Please know about the bullets and then talk.
Sam, true, the Indian Army had placed an order for Enfield Bullets a little while after India’s independence. The point to remember is it was because of this order RE were able to continue as a company, and not the other way around. And back then, it was sure was the motorcycle that stood out for what the Army required. 50 years later, a lot has changed. The Indian Army has since placed orders for other Indian motorcycles. In 2001, they ordered Bajaj Pulsars. It’s safe to say the Army has moved on.
And Bullets were not purpose built off-roaders, or cruisers. Do watch this interview of Siddartha Lal, CEO of Royal Enfield, about what category of motorcycles he/ his company thinks the Bullet is categorised under:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=DrYUc-zVqik
Ahan.
Dud u knw wat u hav a sickenin attitude, as i told earlier …… U jus dono wer to draw ur lines wen bloggin…..jus speak sum crap….btw i completely agree tat the new REs’ are absolute bullshit tey are jus a load of shit delivered from RE …..its a huge ass body wit a long handle bar its lik ridin a mammoth splendor…..but u plzzz need to mention some diffrence between t old bullets and t new ones ….t old ones r very comfy and gives absolute pleasure tat a bullet s supposed to giv….overall it givs t xact feel of a bullet tat all are craving for…..by sayin RE suks dosn mean all o tem suk …..don frget t old ones……maybe u havnt ridden 1 r experienced it…im nt at all talkin abt t speed n all ……obvi a bik wich has a history of mor than a century needs some respect man!!! U actually need to b proud tat such a bik is still in production oly in our country …..its jus tat bullet is so very attached to india….no1 can stop t fan followin…..RE has to do sumtin abt t shit its manufacturin !!!!!!
Shre, please do read this article. The newer RE motorcycles are definitely better than the older ones.
http://www.indiancarsbikes.in/motorcycles/royal-enfield-unit-constructionuce-engine-royal-enfield-cast-iron-ci-engine-34402/
Agreed that RE as a company is over 100 years old. But do bear in mind that it was a British company and not an Indian one. Enfield India merely purchased the right to own the brand name.
Ur rit ashwin,i never told t old ones are bettr tan t new ones in terms of engine ,speed,othr tings,i tld t ride satisfaction ….it givs tat ‘bullet’ feel tats all, wit t right side gear wich cant b found nw ……and also t CI engine wich is nt being manufacturd anywer nw…..t old ones are lik t vintage vehicles….v can admire it but cant rely on it for performance…..a bik wich is 30-40+ years old is no way bettr tan t new ones….it was jus usd as a gen purpose motorcycle bak then….n also ya i knw enfield india oly got t right to own t brand name….tats t point im tryin to make…ppl will appreciate tat a company so old still exists….though not originally frm india and also not maintainin t standards its supposd to….if it wants to go into tat cruiser biks range…
I hop tey improv very soon….
Check this with the old bike owner, they would not agree to this
Go through the comments, you’ll find what you are looking for 🙂
Well, it’s not like the sun will stop rising from the east if I don’t agree that it doesn’t rise from the east, now does it?
Is there a single technical parameter where the older CI, or the LB engines bettered the UCE?
OK, I agree with that. Old Bullets had a purpose, the new ones are just crappy.
Akhil – dude I think you are completely sick.. Agreed you don’t wanna buy RE even if that is the last 2 wheeler in the world, but why are you comparing Duke with RE. Its like you are comparing a leapord with a tiger.. common grow up if your intention was to compare 2 bikes post it like a MAN, why are you dragging the conversation this way.. lolz… You can never compare a sports bike and a cruizer in the world. Every machine has its own advantages and disadvantages. Tell me something other than speed / HP what is the other good thing you can see in your bike ?? I don’t want to give any examples or prove my point which bike is good, but your so in the urge of boasting yourself for writing such a big article so you tell me, in what all other sense your bike is good at when compared to Duke with RE 500 ???
Awaited for your response dude.. speed up, your grown for speed… lolz… 😀
Bro, If I scroll down the page I only see pros and cons of RE and KTM. I am not here for a debate, I am a rider and I respect every machines be it TVS 50/XL or be it HD Roadster or BMW or KTM. it all depends on individual choices what we want. A person who has BMW or HD always never rides the bike less than 100+ at the same time a person who has TVS50 or bull never rides below 30-40, it all depends on the individual in what speed they are comfort with and the pleasure. If people(NOT YOU AS INDIVIDUAL) have so much guts let them go to race track and show their talent instead of troubling someone or getting into trouble on the city or open roads. I respect you and your choice and every rider in this world but at the same time I see something negative about machines I hate that from bottom of my heart.
If I had to be in your I would have written an article about the bike which I love and own and would have given complete details about the modification and tweeks which I have done till date and also would have asked suggestion from people to improve the performance or speed or whatsoever which will keep my bike rolling without any hassle when it hits the road. Trust me you will get mind blowing replies and suggestions and spend their valuable time for the same which will help us and others in one or the other way.
Bitching about a machine or a company will lead us nowhere bro instead will put you down and show what we really are. Some people will enjoy that and we should decide we should be one among them or stand out of them.
I really apologize if I have spoken something wrong about you or your bike or your choice which I hate to do it as a rider. For me a rider is someone who respect other rider and their choices and help them in need. When someone drop on a ride ( I wish that never happen in anyone’s life) its a rider who comes in for our help not the brand or speed or anything else.
Wish you all the best for your future rides, happy riding, happy blogging.
Happy riding to you too!
Teju my friend, this is NOT a comparo between 390 and RE.
From what little I know RE has addressed these issues in the new Classic 500/350 the new Thunderbird and the Cafe Racer (which is not a cheap bike). I know none of them are Bullets but since you talked a Thunderbird I’m guessing your article is about all RE bikes. I like the points raised and my own personal experience with Bullets has been bittersweet, yes they vibrate a hell lot and yes they are a bitch to ride in traffic but properly tuned you can really feel that thump in your gut. It’s a helluva feeling. Most of the bikes you mentioned are the older REs.
I would have liked to see you try out a newer model, maybe a Classic or a Thunderbird from last year or a Cafe Racer if you get your hands on one and write another piece on it. Would be interesting to see how RE is upgrading their shit.
Will do it soon Anirudh!
Hey buddy you can not generalise everything. Most of your opinions are based on one or two experiences. Not that I am just one of those RE lovers who think there is nothing better that Royal Enfield in this world. I have owned 4 different bikes including TVS Centra, CBZ, Pulsar 200 and Bajaj Avenger but amount of trouble I had with these bikes is nowhere close to my Standard 500 or else lemme say it I did not have even a single break down on my Standard 500. This might be a shock for you. So lemme break some of your conception point to point.
1.Bullets are fucking slow
– maximum I have done on my Bull is 145 kmph when I had to wait for my fellow bikers none of which was a RE rider for 5 min after covering a distance of 30 km. and just for your knowledge that wasn’t by fluke my standard 500 does 130 kmph very easily. And I don’t think so you consider this as ‘Fucking Slow’.
And about your encounter with two bulleteers on your way to Goa, you never know may be they were new riders or they were not comfortable riding at high speed and that’s why they were riding slow which is a good thing to do rather than ending up flat on the road bleeding.
2.Royal Enfields are unreliable
-I have traveled 26000 + km in less than 6 months on my RE and did not even face a flat tyre on any ride.
3.Bullets are noisy – and the bad kind of noisy
– I am one of the rarest kind who haven’t changed my exhaust and I don’t plan to. And I knw it’s not a comparison between duke 390 and RE but still would like to mention I find Duke’s sound Irritating but that doesn’t mean it’s a bad bike.
4.Bullets have really bad breaks
– If bullet had bad breaks just imagine how many times I would have crashed riding at speed of 130-140 kmph.
5.Bullets give shitty mileage
– My bull gives me mileage in between 30-40 kmpl depending upon my riding speed and that too being a 500 cc engine I don’t think so that’s low.
6.Bullets are unnecessarily heavy
– Yes I agree to this point and won’t give any bullshit about how the weight is useful. RE could really loose 30-40 kg weight, which can be easily done by small mods on your own.
7. Bullets have spoke wheels.
– Obviously I would love to put on Tube-less tyres on my bike but I have learned many advantages of spiked wheels in my riding experience. Most important no matter how bad road you ride on after the ride you may have to change a few spokes or in worst case get rim-out done. But again I never had to do any of that and as mentioned above never experience a flat tyre on any of rides.
8. Bullets have fucking long waiting period
– That’s because people are buying that bike like crazy. And FYI I got my bike in 25 days.
So basically don’t generalise things just based upon few experiences you had.
Cheers brother !!!
Sourabh, the Continental GT is the fastest motorcycle RE has made, and that itself does not run up to 140 kmph. Most speedometers over-read, and that’s perhaps why you think you are doing 145 kmph.
LOL.
You said it right. I have ridden old bullet 350 to A350, TB 500. Max 130 with less wind etc. Claiming 145 is untrue and praise the bullet brakes at assumed 145 is a total lie!!!
You are right 🙂
Hey Pandian,
The 130 too is probably not a true reading. I read in Overdrive’s road test of the C-GT that it’s true top speed is 131, while the speedometer reads 139. The error leads to over-reading by about 6%. Nevertheless, this is still a whole 15 kmph more than the TB 500, which manages a true speed of 116 kmph. I am not sure what the speedometer shows.
Besides, the RE’s do vibrate quite a bit at higher revolutions. Since the engine is a stressed member in the chassis, there is no way to isolate them. The C-GT changes that, but, apparently, still vibrates.
You can read the C-GT’s road test here: http://overdrive.in/reviews/royal-enfield-continental-gt-india-road-test/
And an experience of riding 3000 km in 4 days on a 390 and a C-GT is here: http://overdrive.in/features/touring-test-royal-enfield-continental-gt-vs-suzuki-inazuma-250-vs-ktm-390-duke/
I’d agree with you a lot mate…. Felt i could add a few of my own pointers…
1.Bullets are fucking slow
– I have a 1963 Bullet, I can touch 120 easily but prefer not to I love to listen to the thump and enjoy my ride.
2.Royal Enfields are unreliable
-I have faced issues because of a bad Mechanic. But once i ahve found a good one I have no issues what so ever.
3.Bullets are noisy – and the bad kind of noisy
-We just make our presence felt 😛
4.Bullets have really bad breaks
– If that’s the case I should have died 8 times my friend.
5.Bullets give shitty mileage
– New buillets give about 40Km good enough. My bull give 20-25km good enough.
6.Bullets are unnecessarily heavy
– So are CBRs and Hayabusa’s mate.
7. Bullets have spoke wheels.
– Managing spoke wheels are easier.If there is a wheel bend in case of a spokes wheel we could fix it. but on a alloy we would just have to discard it and replace it.
8. Bullets have fucking long waiting period
– Its never meant for every one to buy it just coz they want it. Its more a test to your patience to see how you would handle
Ahan.
Saurabh, like I said before, REs can be taken to 140, but it is neither safe nor fun. Saw a friend doing it, and it looked dangerous.
Wow, that is a lot.
Yeah, even I’m not a big fan of 390s sound, but this point was directed at all those morons who put those irritating exhaust mods.
I would still stay Bullets have bad breaks in comparison to a lot of bikes out there, even Pulsars.
Well 30-40 isn’t bad, but it could go way way up if the weight of the bike was reduced.
When you do experience a flat tire, then we’ll see
Looks like I’ll have to ride a Bull around India to prove that I mean what I say!
1. Nobody is Stopping you from speeding, any bike u go in design speed u ll get the benefit…. I don think i ll be going in 60s if i get an empty road.
2. Lack of service ll always lead to problems, not specifically to RE.
3. One of very few bikes with Heartbeat u can actually feel.
4. There is nothing like bad brakes in bullet. U need to check it regularly n fix. its ur ignorance causes the accident.
5. Yes.. Mileage is less.. Even BEnz Do have the same problem !!
6.That heaviness saved me from so many near misses.
you can try following simple experiment. Go in 60-70kmph put sudden brake with a Bullet n ny other bike with less weight, u ll find the difference
Nb: Have some insurance back up!!!!
What?
Sure. The problem is with RE, even abundance of service doesn’t help sometimes.
Do you have a recording of this heartbeat?
LOL.
ROFL.
How did heaviness saved you from near misses?
OK. I did the experiment, Bullet didn’t fucking stop for a few meters, then the rear tire slipped and I had to control the bike or it would have fallen. Then after a long time, it came to a halt. On my 390, I brake, I stop.
This article should go to Indian Army. They are the biggest fools using RE for many year and also made guinness world record on RE. They should learn something.
Your comment is an example of why people should study history.
In 1947, when we became independent, we had to decide on a motorbike to patrol our borders. Of all the options available, the RE was the cheapest. Not the best. Not the most reliable. Not the most maintainable. Not the fastest. It was the cheapest. You could feed it engine oil and fill up the gearbox with grease and chug along with a fellow Army person as pillion with a load of files that you want to deliver from point A to B, or put a sidecar and lug it along,or carry weapons and patrol the borders.
And that is why it was decided upon.
Over the years, the Indian two wheeler market grew – but the options were Rajdoot and Yezdi. But by that time, RE had a factory in India, and had a unit who were ready to train the Army to fix the bikes. This and the lack of options made the Bullet a de facto choice for the Army. Having a steady market, Enfield refused to innovate. Indians respect their Armed Forces a lot, which generated even more market for RE.
Fast forward to now – we have better motorbikes. Manufacturers who compete with each other. People have more options to choose from. Which is a superb scenario!! The key is Enfield isnt learning from it. Their motorbikes are still best suited for the Army. Reason – they are simple to maintain. Most of the enfields that the Army has are pre-1985 – after that its been a lot of CD 100s.
As far as calling them fools, I would request you to kindly tone down that attitude. In a democracy, the elected representatives have power over the Army. So, even if they want to upgrade stuff, our beloved politicians and babus should approve the purchase requests. Unfortunately, this doesnt happen.
Mr. Mahesh Lal: I hope you understand the sarcasm & I very well know the history. I commented in reply to the actual post by Akhil. I wanted to highlight that our Army which is our nation’s greatest force is using RE since decades & they have created guinness world record of creating human pyramid. I also saw one video on youtube in which one army officer clearly mentioned that they tried many other bikes but only RE was capable for what they wanted to do. I will search for that link & post here.
“Only RE was capable”, really ? Then they must be exaggerating. If RE 500 can do it then a similar bike like Kawasaki w650 , Triumph Bonneville must be able to do the same too.
I think (and hope) his comment about the Army was sarcastic. Mine sure was!
Excellent response, Mahesh!
Army is the reason why Royal Enfield built its factory in India. So they had a sweet heart deal with them from day one there were not many other options available to the Indian Army. The record shows the brilliant skills of the Indian army not the bikes. If you’ll give time and other bike they’ll able to recreate the same. I am not a hater of Royal Enfield but in a pragmatic way I feel that they should change the big single cylinder with a parallel twin for a smoother ride. Once that vibration is low everybody will be happy. 🙂
with no offence to anyone. Please watch this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29fJrAh3xH4 and please post all your hate comments to this Indian army officer & not to me 🙂
He told “It is the most powerful bike”, do you believe that ? don’t take him for his words. I am 100% sure apart from Army’s old engine bullet they’ve not tried anything practical for the job. And you please understand I am not writing hate comments. I like to see a better Royal Enfield as much as any other guy. But I feel they need to change otherwise after 15 to 20 years they’ll fail (in 60s same thing happened to them in UK).
I completely agree Swadhin.
I definitely will!
Siddharth, you should realise that RE stayed because of Army’s order for Bullets, and not the other way round.
Yeah!
so which bike you have ?
Duke 390 and Pulsar 150 Kaustubh.
You have been with the wrong riders
I invite you to come to Delhi and ride with us
Mail me for further details if you want
Ok.
How much you got paid for writing this shitty piece ? 100 rs.? Bro do you even ride?
If I was paid, I would definitely take more than 100 bucks for a this fucking essay!
Yes I do.
In every tangible way Royal Enfield are not good bikes. While in every intangible way they are among the best bikes around. In my view Royal Enfield buyers are like those who buy expensive paintings, sculpture etc. But the problem comes when those buyers try to justify the purchase by representing the practicalities instate of the artistic value.
……. Most Royal Enfield are for middle ages crisis (Stereotype) 😀
I agree with you totally on the points of the bullet being a heavy, noisy, archaic design. To be honest with you i used to HATE them with a capital H. All this changed when I rode a shitty ill-maintained 1993 standard of my cousin for the IBW chai pakoda ride 2 years back.
This made me realize that Royal Enfield does not produce products, they make platforms. Just like ford makes the platform called Mustang and Mahindra makes the platform called Thar.
now here is my point by point rebuttal.
1. Enfields are not slow – there are a breed of enfield riders who like to go dug, dug, dug.. then there’s another breed who goes WOT at all possible times.
2. Who says enfields are not reliable ? Enfields are very simple machine, and any bloke with half decent mechanical knowledge and a decent toolkit and tear the bike down and rebuild it. You are supposed to take care of a few things by yourself.
3. Ever heard a nicely tuned performance exhaust for a RE ? I am not talking about the local crap thats marketed by your friendly neighborhood RE mech.
4.Bullets don’t need brakes, if you know how to engine brake.
5.You buy a 350CC bike and look for average ? It is not mileage. mileage means the age of your machine in terms of miles.
6. Bullets are a platform, remove the weight at your own leisure with the help of few spanners.
7. Bullets will survive a nasty thud across our fabled highways and will also be able to go and come back from Lonar with a bent rim. Your KTM 390 duke goes home at the first crash into a indian pot hole.
8.Why do bullets have waiting period ? you tell me ??
Agree everything needs a brake, but on an enfield most of the braking is done with engine braking. The current enfields have the same components from Bybre as you get with a P200 or FZ.
You need to tweak the bike to get performance, it is not as simple as your fill it shut it forget it bike.My 9 year old bike does a 10 second 100 run. and can run at WOT for 45 minutes flat at 42 degrees ambient. Let me know if you want to watch a video of the same.
Coming to reliability – there are a couple of known suspect parts, blame it on bad design or cost cutting or whatsoever. But the good news is the fix is easy, but, a big one.. you need to know what you are dealing with.
Coming to removal – let your imaginations run wild man.. leave the rolling chassis and you can remove almost everything else in an hour and swap with plastics.
D390 rim busting is not a myth. It has happened with me while out on a friends bike, and it was scary to say the least.
Waiting list – This is purely my theory. Our generation read that as the ones born after 85, lusted at the sights of enfields and the macho persona that is associated with it. With a rising disposable income, most of us now can actually afford to own and maintain one.
Last bit – the enfield community is a tightly knit one. Let me tell you my story of picking up the bike. I met Vamshi (fellow bulleteer) in a few social outings and we were acquaintances. One fine day i call him up and ask if he can spare some time to help me pick up my first ever RE from the list of used ones i saw on OLX. Without a second thought he left office, came over with me and spent the whole day finalizing a bike for me. If i see another biker (any make) stranded by the road side, i ensure to stop and ask if he/she needs help. Most RE riders do that, i have never seen non-RE riders being so biker, when the need comes the most.
Sure let’s see the video!
OK. Point taken.
OK. You can. But that bike will no longer be a Bull, would it? And I have never seen anyone do it.
OK, didn’t happen with me, but if you say it did, it did.
OK. I never lusted for one, and bought the 390 as soon as I had enough cash. But that’s just me.
Agree with this, although have heard only such stories. I ended helping Bull riders on a couple of occasions, never needed help from one.
I do not agree with the point when you say Bikers apart from bulleteers do not stop to help stranded motorists. I do, I know people who do and I’ve seen people do. If someone does not help out, then he aint a biker.
SecondlyI know a guy whom I mostly met on rides and in service centre and he did the same as your friend Vamsi when I planned to get a used bike(lets not dwell on which bike it was, it wasn’t a RE though) and he rides a Ninja.
So if you wanna say the above things are done only by RE owners, Then I beg to differ with a capital D..
Even the fastest rider on a Bullet can never keep up with a KTM or even a Pulsar 220.
Whay you are saying is that break downs happen, but they are easy to fix. My point is why buy a bike that is EXPECTED to break down every few hundred kilometers?
No.
Dude, everything needs brakes!
You don’t get performance, you don’t get safety, you don’t get anything! Is expecting average (mileage) too hard a thing?
What will you remove? I am talking about the stock bike.
That is a myth my friend, my 390 has gone in and out of potholes at speeds bull riders can’t even image.
I don’t fucking know!
Reliability is defined as:
1. The ability of an apparatus, machine, or system to consistently perform its intended or required function or mission, on demand and without degradation or failure.
2. Manufacturing: The probability of failure-free performance over an item’s useful life, or a specified timeframe, under specified environmental and duty-cycle conditions. Often expressed as mean time between failures (MTBF) or reliability coefficient. Also called quality over time. See also availability.
3. Consistency and validity of test results determined through statistical methods after repeated trials.
Being able to fix it yourself makes it simple, not reliable.
You are much better at giving rebuttals than I ever will be!
So After writing the above two posts, i went on a whirlwind trip across the Himalayan mountains with a bunch of friends on their RE’s.
1. My 10 year old 350 cc TB,kept up with larger 500 cc bikes. (Why – “Dont change your exhaust and carb, valves pe load girta”, which is exactly what I did, and enjoyed the journey to the fullest.)
2. What fell off – ( The rear tail lamp assembly along with the number plate, made my bike a shade more lighter)
3. What worked ( For most part the torque, helped pull the bike+rider+gear+stuff through. Again a few others had issues. The kind of riders not knowing how to lean/ rich the mixture to adjust the altitude.)
4. What could have been better – For the himalayan ride, nothing. I feel my TB is custom made to dune bash thru, though i envied the two Impulse guys blasting past me during the run up to khardungla.
5. What busted – the crank gave up at srinagar, i didnt realize till mandi. The tractor derived motor kept chugging thru, making weird noises.
Then after a few months of rest, and leaves getting approved i went home (bhubaneswar.) solo ride. Smooth fast NH all the way from Hyderabad to bhubaneswar. Manic run, no luggage whatsoever, no stoppages whatsoever.
1. What i missed ( i had done this same stretch earlier on my Avenger 200, and i could maintain a 120 (on speedo) for hours together. On the TB that speed means i have to stop ever hour to give relief to the buzzing fingers.
Come February 2015, and i ride with two of buddies to bhubaneswar again.
1. Three enflieds two TB 350s, and one C500. Comfortable crusing speed 100 kp/h.
2. Anything more than that sets of the vibes and you have to stop to rest your fingers.
Thank you for reading thru the above BS.
What i want now, a 2005-2006 Zma, with spoke wheels, round headlamp and a visor that i can use to tour.
Do i keep my TB, hell yes. That thing is tailor made for the mountains, that thing has taken me around half of India and has given me a tons of friends.
Well, I keep getting email notifications whenever someone comments here and I go through all the comments patiently. One thing that I have noticed is how most RE lovers bash other bikes and the people who love those bikes. Honestly, I feel most of these RE lovers don’t have any reason to love RE other than it being cool. That’s it. True RE lovers will accept the shortcomings their bikes have without any shame and still love their bikes. Another thing I have noticed, most of these believe only RE bikes can climb up mountains. To all these retards, it is not the brand that decides whether the bike is capable or not, its the stats. If the bike has enough Torque, has good sticky tyres and good brakes, it will climb no matter what. Even a 200cc bike generates enough torque to pull the bike on a mountain. There is no pride in claiming that a RE bike climbs mountains, it has to climb considering it’s engine. If a guy with a 125cc Platina claims his bike was able to climb up, then it’s a matter of pride because that bike is not built for hill climbing and still was able to.
Also another request to most of the RE lovers, just follow something because of the herd mentality. If you actually like the bike ONLY after riding it, follow the brand. Don’t follow a brand because it is cool to do so
Haha, if only logic was part of the equation 🙂
Good for you! I’m happy you are having fun on your Bull 🙂 Karizma would be awesome as well.
Good comparo Swadhin 🙂 Same for the middle age crisis people!
this is the fucking truth….
Thanks man!
If you so much so hate it, why bother writing about it Mr Author?
PS: Title: 6 reasons | Received 8
That question mark at the end of your reply shows confusion. Are you confused too ?
There, happy?
Because I do.
Oh! well.. it seems that i will soon have to write an article titled: 100 reasons why i hate this article. Some of the points mentioned appears to be completely logic-less. I started reading this article expecting something complex, but the stuff in total seems to be shitty amateurish.
Ok. Your comment is extremely logical and totally pro mate. Cheers!
Akhil.. Kudos you are “the” conversation starter… It has taken me over an hour to read the entire blog with comments and all and i have enjoyed the entire thing… .
I have owned a bullet (STD 350) for almost 10 years now and rode it to various places and had a blast while doing what i did… but fact is the bike (and when i say bike i do not necessarily mean my bike but all RE bikes in general) lacks a lot.. unfortunately for enthusiasts and fortunately for the company the “Brand” RE is big and that is why you have legions of fanatics who are willing to tear you from limb to limb… also since demand exceeds supply RE remains stagnant when it comes to developing a “product” which is comparable to most other high end (or for that matter even economy) bikes.
Now i am no expert, do not have any technical nor engineering knowledge but would like to share my 2 cents… RE particularly the old ones are based on a design from 1955 and remained in production till about 2010…. and if the government had not enforced the emission norms RE would not be proactive enough to even get to where it is today. Since this enforcement they have come-up with bikes which looked different (Thunderbird being the most notable) but never researched technology which has seen them develop and discard almost 2 or 3 engines (AVL/LB) before somewhere settling down with a UCE engine which is in use since the past couple of years.
The fact is the company is lethargic and is looking outwards to cater to international markets when there is tons of money, goodwill, customer loyalty which can be generated/encahsed at home… take for e.g. the biggest PAIN which all bullet owners have – after sales there is hardly anyone who ever steps into the service center … apart from the free servicings and even those are buggered up by them.. i mean i will never even dream about sending my bike to one of their workshops i rather trust my local oldie who has about 30 years of experience to fix my bike…
I didn’t know RE after sales experience sucked as well!
Lol, I hope it was an hour well spent 😉
Your attitude towards this bik is sik …… I dono y ….its not so very bad as u hav described it …..but v all respect n lov our dukes n bullets n etc….so chill ters evry bik wich has its ups n downs….happy riding:)
Happy riding!
Akhil all these comments down your article are as fun reading as your original post 😀
I know! Some are just hilarious 🙂
Ever sat on a RE, how can you drive sitting on a duke for hours? One can drive for hours on an RE. Royalty maintained. Its a head turner.
Have you ever ridden from Bangalore to Bombay on your RE in a single day Sai? I have done it 4 times now. Times ranged from 12 hours to 20 hours, depending on my mood.
RE a head turner? That thing can be seen EVERYWHERE! Royalty I won’t comment on man, that’s too much for me.
Dude… get some life… Lets talk abt Duke 390 and and RE on a public forum who all r bikers.. No doubt you might be a helluva rider, we respect your ride, tht doesnt mean tht u go saying RE is bad and your DUKE 390 is good…
I don’t know how many times I’ve said this already, this is not a comparison of the 390 against an RE. Through this article, I have asked the questions many people have asked me – why the hell do people still ride Bullets? It is an outdated, archaic, moody machine that can throw tantrums anytime it wishes to.
1. 140 Kmph my top speed on B’lore Hyd Highway….
2. Have rode continuously 1Hr 20 Mins non stop @ Speed of 120Kmph (Without Breaks & Brakes)
3. 15000 Kms & No Hassles (Just the regular timely servicing done)
4. When I Ride, I rarely see any vehicle overtaking me. (Even Cars… They can overtake me only if I let them, or else I can cruise away from them at higher speed… Cars Do have that potential, but I haven’t seen many doing that with me)
5. Comfortable…. I can’t even compare it to any other bike…. Especially for my back
6. The seating posture is straight instead of leaned forward which makes it more comfortable
7. When I ride other bikes after my ThunderBird 500…. They all feel like Toys
8. Stability at curves even at the speed of 90s-100s is unmatchable
9. With 20L (17L in exact) Fuel Tank I can ride 500+ kms without any refuelling tension.
10. And Yes Its Royal
Akhil,
Having ridden other bikes on ghats and curves, I would say that —>
It is sure stable on curves. Specially the flowing ones. Or ghats. Its an absolute joy to ride.
You do need to spend some time getting it right though. The first time I leaned in on my brother’s Electra, I had my heart in my mouth. But then, the bike held on. The size of the wheels and weight aids it a lot in that aspect.
You cant do the lean in and kneesliding though – it will oversteer.
My motorbike has done more than 40000kms – no hassles. Till now. But I know I am lucky with that.
No Akhil, I am not saying it can be done better on an RE than other bikes. The company MRF are terrible (hence they went for a pirelli pair on the Conti), but still, dont give way on curves. Except for once when the road was REALLY wet and I had an old tyre. The brakes have to be improved. But in no way are you out of control while pushing the bike into the corner.
It is flickable – if you are using the countersteering technique.
What is a chicken strip by the way?
Cheers.
Ok, I guess it’s all relative!
A chicken strip happens when the center of the tire is worn out, but the sides are not, indicating the biker is too scared (or chicken) to lean into the corners aggressively.
Mahesh my friend, I think the general perception about enjoying curves is that you should always be in control, be able to lean, and pull out with speed. Yes because of the weight of the RE it will feel planted, but how can the bad brakes and the bad tires inspire confidence? And how can you enjoy the curves when you are not 100% confident? 🙂 Also, corner fun happens when the bike is easily flickable from one side to the other, would you say that can be done better on an RE than some other bikes out there?
BTW I am not a heavy leaner on corners, my tires have huge chicken strips always!
Ritesh, my friend, I’ve ridden a TB500, and yes you can do 140, but it feels like either you will fall off, or the bike will break into a 1000 pieces.
As far as riding continuously without ever braking for a freaking hour at 120, I really doubt you can do that in the US, less so in India!
15000 kms and no hassles, then you are a lucky one. My roommate spends almost every weekend at the service centre, and has done just 3000 odd.
Ok, again, nobody can overtake you? Dude, please stop exaggerating, there are plenty of bikes out there who can overtake you with ease, and almost every car can.
Yes it is comfy, no 2 ways about it.
Lol, ok, they feel like toys. Have you tried riding an actual toy sometime? Maybe that’ll tell you the difference 🙂
Oh my fucking god, dude! “RE” and “stability at curves” in 1 single sentence? My man, you’ve never ridden a shits worth of bike other than the Thunderbird, or you would have known REs are the worst things out there to attack corners on.
Yup, you can go a long way in 1 fuel stop.
Who gives a rats ass it is royal?
Ritesh, most speedometers over-read. The Continental GT is the fastest motorcycle that RE (India) has manufactured and even that does not do 140 kmph.
And about maintaining 120 kmph for 1 hour, 20 minutes is hard to believe. I don’t think there is any stretch in the country where you can do this.
Thanks for confirming Ashwin, I thought I was living some other India 😉
AK — I won’t comment much but just let me tell you. Returning from Goa to Bangalore on my Cl350, cruising speed around 90-95, on a stretch (yes absolutely no stops at all) covered 200 kms.
PS: That 640 odd kms from Goa to Bangalore was covered mostly at the cruising speed of 85-95 with occasional 115s and 120 (120 was the max it could go on speedo)
Ok.
1.Bullets are fucking slow
Ans: Lions walk slowly to show their pride
2.Royal Enfields are unreliable
Ans:Indian Army is using it for more than 50 years
3.Bullets are noisy – and the bad kind of noisy
Ans:It is a roar of Lion
4.Bullets have really bad brakes
Ans:Friend of the road so It doesn’t not want to stop
5.Bullets give shitty mileage
Ans:Royal people doesn’t care for money
6.Bullets are unnecessarily heavy
Ans:Tanks are always heavy
7.Bullets have spoked wheels
Ans:King always travels with vehicle containing Spoked wheel
8.Bullets have a fucking long waiting period
Ans:For royal and Best things u have to wait
Rofl!
LOL xD
Good stuff, ain’t it 🙂
Lol…grow up thats all I can say to this piece of shit…! 😀
Not that I expected something logical from you 🙂
Not a bulleteer myself, but being a passionate biker, I know that bulleteers buy RE for the “feel” of it, and I can relate because if I have the money, I would buy MV Agusta F4, no matter how much better is HP4 in comparison.
That’s exactly the mythical “feel” that I attempted to find through this article 🙂 No success.
Every bike has its own advantage and disadvantage.
Mine grand dad owns bullet 350 I have not I see few advantage and disadvantage
Its a cruiser not off roader … Considering this its not that bad
Advantage is that its comfort to ride for pillions if u usually ride with pillion .. Weight does not affect its handling in cities not that tough really. Whoever said engine is not reliable they have to look at bajajs engine.
It has huge disadvantage why should a 350\500 cc engine would have a so less power for a heavier bike and a poor milage . it has a power of a quarter liter engine in a half litter engine,most say engine is powerful, for a 500 cc engine it is not even close to what called power . Bad tires to accommodate to its weight . brakes are not that bad what spoils it are the tires . body is made of metals and are chrome plated which adds weight and are prone to corrosion easily .. I like the design that’s may not be to everyone.
Power full engine , feather weight chassis and good fat tire would make bullet a appealing motorcycle for RE fans … Tank capacity is low for a bulk bike like it.
That’s my view.. Proud Owner of duke 200 going to upgrade to 390 ..
It looks like the powerless engine, heavy ass chasis and skinny tire is what Bull riders love in their bike, if you change it the whole character of the thing will change!
A Bullet is not a cruiser, it was built as a general purpose motorcycle, and that is what it is. If anyone finds it hard to believe, they must watch this interview of Siddartha Lal, CEO of Royal Enfield.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=DrYUc-zVqik
Now, with that out of the way, here’s a fact about Bajaj engines. Back in 2010, they ran their Pulsar engines on full throttle for 300 hours on a test bench. That is putting the engine through more abuse than it would ever face in real life.
Not sure if you are pro or anti bullet, or just don’t give shit 😉
Ha, ha! Just to be clear – I am not a Bullet fan; never was, and it’s unlikely I ever will be, unless, of course, they pull in their act together!
My previous comment was in response to one that mentioned:
1. Bullet was not an off-roader, but a cruiser.
2. Bajaj engines were unreliable.
My comment shows the CEO of RE mentioning that Bullet is not a cruiser, but a general purpose motorcycle. The latter part of it points to the fact that Bajaj were testing their engines for a full 300 hours at full throttle, which shows that their engines are indeed, reliable!
I had blogged once about the deficiencies of a Bullet a long time ago. I had an interesting discussion post that. I’ve come to learn that you cannot reason with someone who’s riding a Bullet – it’s kind of like discussing religion. So now, I only point out facts, instead of trying to reason with anyone who believes that the Bullet is the next best thing to have happened after sliced bread!
Yeah, they are a special kind of people these bull riders.
Killer man… awesome thread.. I think you wrote the blog with the best of intentions but a few digs are there and this makes it super awesome funny. If we look at both the bike manufacturers separately RE’s are just way too backward but does the world need this.. probably yes. But I am picking a 390 and it just blows me away… bring in the new stuff I say.. because that is what experience is.
True man! Thanks for the good words 🙂
Hell man. I always argue with my friends that RE sucks. They say dukes are bad and bullets are awesome and they say they are very stable. Bullshit stable. If you lean it to one side it feels as if its going to fall down. Today one of my friend said that if you go fast on a duke and brake hard the bike will just flip over and cart wheel and get destroyed. He also said that if bullet goes fast and brakes hard nothing happens and it will stay in control. As soon as he said that I felt like slapping him. REs are good for nothing other than cruising on highway. Shitty bikes. KTM all the way. A huge thumbs up to this article and the publisher.
Thanks Srinu!
Wow as much as i agree with this article of yours regarding the bullets i would love to own one when im crossing 40 years… 😛 or mayb harleys will dominate us by then so ill pick up a cruiser then.. but til then i shall jus admire the bullet owners and zoom past them 😛
That’s the way to go, zoom past them at redline 😉 Thanks for all your comments man, really appreciated!
I agree. Bullets need a technology revamp.
What’s the point of a 500 cc engine if you can’t race a 250.
PS: to those who are in love with the sound. Get a set of Good speakers and play the sound
Hehe, good idea man!
Well, fair enough. But on the contrary, here are 7 reasons why I love my bull: http://lungiguy.com/7-reasons-why-i-love-my-royal-enfield-bullet
I read your article, multiple times. I don’t want to sound arrogant here, but most of the reasons you cited simply pointed to “others”. Because heroes came on a Bullet, because people who came on a Bullet got respect, because people close to you came on a Bullet, and because you get to part of a big group of other Bullet riders, you got a Bullet yourself. Doesn’t that sound like you don’t ride a bike because you love riding, but because other people do it?
Point number 4 says the ride quality is nice, no argument about that. It is a very comfortable machine. The old ones were more comfy than the new ones though.
Point number 5 says it is not a high maintenance machine, I disagree. Compared to any other bike up to 2 lacs, Bullets are much more high maintenance bikes. This has been proved time and again by people’s experiences, take a look at the other comments on this post.
Point number 7 says Bullet isn’t an inanimate machine. Unfortunately, it is. So is a Hero Splendor, or a BMW S1000RR, or a Duke 390. These are machines, and as much as we would like to think of them as living, breathing partners to us, they are not. Just because you had to push the damn bike to the nearest petrol station under searing heat many a times, or you have got stuck in traffic many a times due to the engine overheating, doesn’t mean it deliberately tried to fuck your day.
Hey akhil, thanks for reading my post multiple times (didn’t think it had so much gravitas when I wrote it). U r right abt the reasons I stated to buy a bullet – the influences or the ‘others’ that u mentioned. Well, I wuz just stating the truth as to why that desire to own a bullet was created in me. Think abt it – isn’t that how it is most of the times? Also abt bullets being inanimate, ur explanation saved me a trip to the shrink:) nah jus kidding. I know they are, man. But it’s fun to imagine that they’ve life. Try it sometime – it’s fun. Chill – don’t take life so seriously. Ur site’s cool btw.
Haha, yeah I read my comment again and I do sound too serious. Thanks man, keep up your writing!
I have found a weird but workable logic to this. We all watch porn and love it too !! But sometimes we watch some specific scene in the movie which is related to a kind of fetish. Then we find ourselves looking for similar scenes in other movies and before we know, we become addicted to that fetish. Its not that we dont like other scenes but we love our own fetish the most. It happened to me in similar fashion with respect to bikes. A friend of mine owns a RE Classic 500 and praises it all the time. I am a fan of two wheels since childhood and I admire all kinds of them. I had chance to rode the RE once or twice and I got into the FETISH. I still love and admire sports bikes, dirt bikes, etc. But I love my fetish – British style thumpers !!! Similarly you must be having your own fetish as well, may be sports bikes or street bikes. People often find reasons suitable to them to prove that their fetish is the greatest one. But its a lie. You can also praise your bike based on some factors, yada yada. But you have chosen those supremacy reasons. I own a classic 350 and I am fully aware of the minuses (lots of them). But I love it and I dont have to have reasons for it.
Bottom-line? LOVE your fetish but respect others’ too. Happy riding !
(FYI: My classic 350 touches 110 km/hr easily which is not so great but still it gives 35 kmpl. I am sure whatever power/economy figures you have mentioned for RE would hold good for older models.)
Yesterday I met a Desert Storm rider who was giving me (d390) and Ninja 650 owners competition in acceleration and top speed. It’s all about personal preference, and it’s much more about tje rider than the ride!
Having said that, RE definitely needs to improve the quality of its products.
I accept “RE definitely needs to improve the quality of its products”
They sure do 🙂
Other sports bike r Japanese bike will adopt with us and do whatever we command them. But for bullet we have to adopt with it. There is a strong bond between bullet and bulleters for generations.
From our grandpa, Dad, us and our son still RE will be there forever. Can u tell any Bike will come till long forever.
So talking in a small topic will never change the mind of a bulleter.
Again, nothing logical or concrete, all vague here. What do you mean you have to adopt with bullet? What’s the point of a bike which makes you the slave of its whims? Why is the bond between bullet and bulleteers stronger than others?
I could name so many different bikes that have survived many decades, there’s nothing special from that angle about an RE.
I know nothing can change your mind, like nothing can change the mind of scientology followers that their religion is exploiting them for no good.
LOLZ… LOOKS LIKE AN ESSAY BY A 5TH GRADER
adopting to bullet?? its like adopting to blackberry for their security…. n look where blackberry is now… if royal enfield dont change(ADOPT) they ll b in a lot of trouble…
They already are Avin, hope it gets better before it gets worse.
For Heaven’s sake, the word is “Adapt”
🙂
Hi everybody.
First of all I would like to congratulate Akhil for the way this discussion has been going so far…very civilized, descent and mostly rational. Criticism has also been taken healthily.
I am a hardcore kitchen head and own a restaurant at Colaba (family buisness). I barely get time go to the front mingling with guests or counting cash at the counter. I work 10-12 hours at a stretch in our centralized back kitchen. I cook first-handily on the range seven days a week with barely one or two offs in a month if I’m lucky. Hard life. But my mantra to unwind – Life on Two Wheels. I do have a driving license but never in my life have got behind a steering wheel. Reason..well, I live in Boombaii City. I’m sure you understand what traffic is like over here right. ‘Traffic’ is not even a word for what goes down on our so called roads which by the way are a rapidly extincting breed amongst potholes if you know what I mean. Another reason being..I’d hate to be the family driver for no fun of my own. Lol. So, I have been riding only two wheelers since Std.X..or IX I think.
You know..practicality…it’s a whore.
Anyways, although on a practical level I do agree that Royal Enfields have a lot of room for improvement even with the new models. But the reason why a Royal Enfield rider shudders to imagine himself on any other machine than this one..is well, pretty darn impossible to describe in words frankly. I could barely attempt a pathetic try..to get what it is all about in words.
Before I get to the discussion, Reeto..please stay away from this one, because I’m done with my schooling and I have no intentions of getting into a quarrel with one of those imbred ridiculously retarded cocky junkies who simply lack the IQ to even bother learning. I’m still being comparatively polite. This looks like a ‘Mature Public Discussion’ so google the term, please spare us.
First of all..a Royal Enfield enthusiast would never really consider buying one if he had to analyze the bike under normal parameters, you know.
An enfield is not just a bike..it’s a different biker relegion alltogether.
You don’t just buy the product when you buy this particular two wheeler…you enter a whole new breed of passion riders.
A true Royal Enfield bug stung biker just cannot be satisfied with anything else on two wheels even if it is a 24lac Harley Davidson or a 28lac Triumph for that matter. It just has to be a Royal Enfield. The answer to exactly WHY..?? ..still not known to mankind, I guess. But there sure is something about it that churns out such massive emotional connect and cult following worldwide…gotta respect that.
And honestly, I don’t think comparing a Royal Enfield to anything else on two wheels..with due respect..makes sense at all.
You don’t have to be quick and agile or fast enough to overtake..everyone makes way for the good old thumper. You roll on a royal enfield on the road and bam..you’re way past comparing yourself with others and demanding respect, no…you Command respect aboard all its glory (which again, is a highly misunderstood phenomenon to which I’ll get to..further).
As far as your post is concerned, I think it is full of points that are not entirely wrong but definitely not entirely true either. I don’t feel the need to respond to or defend on each and every point though, it’s baseless. At the same time, even though I’m a die hard Royal Enfield fanatic (probably one of the most wicked devotees Enfield will ever have), I am not offended by this post. I’m a passionate biker and you evidently are one too. I respect that and as a consumer you definitely have the right to analyze your options before taking a decision. But then again, taking a step further and defaming a cult brand/product with such misleading allegations on such a strong medium as this blog is very inappropriate and looks very petty brother. I think it is very immature and shallow Akhil (which btw, as a person you don’t seem to be…I guess).
Don’t get me wrong, my own brother has a ktm 390. I have never ever ridden that bike after the first time ever, even after he offered it to me a lot of times. I think the seating position is very weird, it is neither a sports bike like position nor an upright street bike one. Seat itself is also very uncomfortable and the rear seat was probably designed with a ‘fuck the stupid pillion’ attitude. The exhaust note is indeed similar to an auto which you’d enjoy anywhere above 100kmph but it certainly is nothing short of annoying in city traffic. Engine heats up crazy in no time. Then there is so much rattling noise from all plastics, saree guard, scary swing arm noises and God knows what. Underquality rims, dangerous….confused ergonomics…overall look…lack of character and originality…..it all just didn’t appeal too much to me. And ofcourse the spare parts are ridicucously expensive and not easily available in remote or rural areas. May God be with you on your Ladakh journey man.. I sincerely wish you best of luck and have a safe journey dude.
Despite all these problems..I won’t say it is a bad bike altogether. Just because it does not appeal to my taste doesn’t mean it is a poor product for someone else too, you know. That’s the way I think. I have a very sober biking attitude and a wholistic view on such subjective matters.
After all, no matter how much or how often we discuss, debate, argue, quarrel or even brawl over such issues we have to realize that we infact are a part of a much much larger picture or rather family…the ones who experience life on two wheels. As Bobbee Singh from Old Delhi Motorcycles rightly quotes “It is barely 5 feet of space between two wheels. And yet it is billions of dollars worth industry worldwide…There must be Something no..?”. It is this ‘something’ that at the end of the day differentiates us from regular masses. Passion bikers regardless of their religion, race, community, culture or country is a different breed alltogether. And this indeed is a different subconscience – biking. And it has so many different dimensions if you dig deep enough, that even a lifetime worth of experience and knowledge remains merely a fraction of what life on two wheels has to offer. So comparing two such vaguely different two wheelers with such different aspects of biking with a spirit to compete in order to ascertain who’s better than whom..I think is just such a waste on so many levels.
And as far as what you get for the amount you pay is concerned.. Lemme put it this way..why do you think a humble 2bhk beach facing apartment costs almost as much as a small villa in the outskirts..??
Its not just about the carpet area you get for the amount you pay..but the lifestyle and social status that comes with that particular property ain’t it..?
It is somewhat similar when it comes to other mid sized bikes and specifically a Royal Enfield, but only for an enfield enthusiast ofcourse. And the same goes for many other breed of motorcycles. If you really are a hardcore passionate biker, then no matter what niggles you have with your machine, it’ll always be worth it.
Now, as far as the brash bulleteer attitude of recent times is concerned, I highly condemn such behaviour. This is not the case with many hardcore bulleteers but recently, you’ll find a lot of wannabe bulleteers also. Any bulleteer who looks down upon other bikers, who doesn’t respect other motorcycle breeds, who thinks he can dominate just because he has an Enfield does not realize that he’s whole thought process is very self contradicting. Royal enfield is the world’s oldest motorcycle manufacturing brand still in production. It is undoubtedly one of the early pioneers of motorcycling industry. It has always been associated with pride to early armed forces. The brand’s debut in India itself owes credibility to our glorious Indian Army. It is a brand which has world heritage status in biking industry. And hence, these machines too are supposed to be nothing but a gentleman’s ride. You see some hypocrite bulleteers not eager to help other breed of motorcyclists in need and some would ride very rashly on the road endangering other bikers as well as pedestrians. You think you really are unbeatable over a royal enfield whereas there is absolutely no need of such immature competetiveness on the roads, especially (in some cases) when you can barely control the heavy mammoth. You want a royal enfield just for the brand value and so called status on road and misbehave if you don’t get that respect from others. You want to unecessarily customize your exhaust and put shady rubber flaps to make even more noise which is rather annoying than the sweet thump enfields are known for, and you call yourself a true biker and a hardcore bulleteer you attention seeking low expection having low life motherfucker..!
This is by far nowhere close to what true bulleteering is all about. They’re supposed to be ridden with the same old vintage grace and discipline that the brand’s pride is all about. It’s about respecting your country roads and others on the road. It’s about making yourself useful and a contributing member of the society by lending a helping hand to whomsover you find in distress stranded in the middle of nowhere. It’s about having a noble way of commuting on a day to day basis and most importantly giving respect to others in a gentlemanly down to earth manner regardless of the turn of events. This is indeed the only way to earn being a Bulleteer in its true sense and hence Commanding respect on road rather than demanding it. This is after all, what Royal Enfield’s heritage is all about.
So yes Akhil, you’re not completely wrong. It does mostly not make any sense. But then again one doesn’t go for the thumper using one’s brain..it is the beating heart that does the talking all the way. God knows mine does…and the same goes for every other truely passionate biker out there. When you think about it…Life on Two Wheels..it is way way deeper than it appears.
Thank You so much for your time and consideration.
Ovais.
Wow, ok. First up, I REALLY didn’t intend to compare the RE with anything, but I guess that happened itself.
Second, I think you can see the reason for this post in your comment – brash bulleteer attitude. Every bike has problems, and no one really cares. I won’t mind if you pick a 1969 toilet seat, attach two wheels and an engine to it and ride the world. I would probably cheer you on. But when you start shitting on other 2 wheel riders, telling them their machine sucks and they suck with it, that’s when I don’t like it.
My biggest problem with REs is reliability. I would love to thump around the world on my Bullet, but that thing breaks down just too often – especially the new and “improved” ones. And I also feel that bulleteering has become a cult devoid of all logic and reason, but you said that already.
Enjoy your rides man, and I am in Navi Mumbai, let me know if you want to catch up sometime! Cheers.
As I mentioned earlier..that brash and inappropriate attitude is really empty and base less emotions that drives dumb Wannabe bulleteers..not the real ones. And that attitude is not only confined to royal enfield riders I’ve seen many otherbike monkeys like that. You say you don’t like such losers who think no one else is better than them or their machines and hence wholistically look down upon everyone else…but if you think about it since you’re the one who’s accusing all royal enfield riders and machines of whatsoever reasons, you’re realky being a hypocrite yourself. You cannot generalize on every royal enfield rider to behave like that..nor do all royal enfield bikes.
There is a cult following not just in our country but on a global scale also. I don’t think such massive emotional connect and fan base is created on baseless feelings. There undoubtedly is tradition and heritage linked to its sheer existence since ages which makes for the very foundation of such huge cult following, but as I have mentioned in my previous comment it is a highly miunderstood phenonmenon which not even all bulleteers understand…let alone a non bulleteer like you. And yes, just because you cannot see, feel or understand something does not make it shallow or non existent. You just have to be mature enough to move on to what you do have passion for rather than concentrating on what’s wrong with the world. I mean, I don’t think I would ever setttle down for anything else except a Royal Enfield not even a Harley my friend, but you don’t see me looking down upon other breed of motorcycle or riders..you don’t see me nagging over something that I am irked with over internet or other such mediums. That’s because I have a wholistic aproach towards biking and a sober subconscience towards the motorcycling alltogether with a broader perspective looking at a much bigger picture. Think about it.
And as far as reliability is or any other problems you percieve to be prominent amongst these bikes are concerned…I’ve already said it, their mostly baseless. There is no major problem with the bike itself, the problem lies with their owners who don’t understand that such different bikes need a different approach towards their general upkeep and maintenance. And there are more complains reported for.newer models.because more and more novices and wannabe bulleteers are entering the Royak Enfield fraternity without really knowing what Royal.Enfield is all about. They expect the brand value and want the Royal Enfield experience but are not willing to understand how to really take care of the machine. And then again, the machine itself is nothing like a yamaha, honda or anything else for that matter when it comes to being forgiving. Even the slightest of imperfection or faulty setting will affect your ride significantly on a long trip..that’s just the way it is. Doesn’t make it unreliable..just very strictly set in its own ways, which when somebody doesn’t understand..faces problems and then eventually starts nagging about it. That’s very ignorant and frankly dumb.
Hehe..sure it’s leangthy but I must say it is not helping much as you don’t seem to understand the very gist of it man. I don’t understand why someone content and relevant with what he posesses would go on to undermine a different phenomenon altogether and actually go on to such an extent of blasphemy..?
You listed several things you don’t like about Royal Enfield..please list one more. What is it about Royal Enfields that makes you so insecure and so much so that you go to the extent of writing a whole blog about it…?? If you really think enfields are so horrendous and crap worthy, why do you even bother…?? Why not just shrug it off and move on to what you are passionate about rather than waste your time and others’ on a thought you don’t even wanna get anything out of..?? That is some approach you have there towards biking my friend. How graceful and rational thinking is that..! Kudos man. God bless.
You are right, I don’t get it. I don’t get the “magical” biker feeling that you say comes with riding a Bullet. I don’t get it why people keep waiting for and buying them even when there are better options available. I don’t understand how a simple thing as biking has been converted into a convoluted religion of unexplained emotions and hate.
And why did I even bother to write? Because I wanted to know what others thought, I wanted to know if it was just my point of view. And if you browse through the comments, I think you’ll see.
Man you write big comments!
I really don’t think my duke 390 is the best machine in the world. I wrote a post listing its negative points! It’s possible this post looks like hypocrisy, but my intention was solely to list out my points against REs, irrespective of all other bikes in the market.
Thank You Very Much Ovais ! Putting straight your opinion ! I am in same opinion with you !
It was my 10 years long dream to own a Bullet and I am pride owner of Bullet Electra 350 !
And as far my experience new Bullet gives a ample of Mileage (Close to 50) and RIDE is un imaginable. BULLET is not for Speed, Even though I cruised this BIKE till 110KMPH.
@Akhil:-
I know there are Bikes which can overtake BULLET easily, No doubt in that. But look at the power and off-roading capacity, You can Ride this bike where there is no Road.
Try putting 2-3 heavy weighted people on KTM Duke or ay other Bike and do the same with Bullet and you will come to know the POWER of this Bike, It will ride with no difference attitude irrespective of weight.
About Expensive – Yes these Bike are expensive but maintenance is lot more cheaper than Pulsar, forget about KTM and other bikes.
As Ovais said – BULLET Riders are not hustle rider or competitor to other Bikers.
BULLET Rider – Enjoy the Ride, Respect traffic Rules , its a religion and remaining points already mentioned by Ovais.
Now about turning this Bike on corner – I never felt I am falling off, you feel whatever matters you are not going to fall down, the Road grip of this Bike is UN-comparable.
About heavy weight – Once you are familiar with this Bike, you can control this machine the way you want, RIDE this BIKE through your heart it will listen. You need to be settled with this BIKE once you start using this.
Like you I am hardcore KTM Duke heater, annoying sound, weird design but still I respect other Bikes and Bikers and their choice. This the first post in my life where I expresses my opinion.
For the waiting period – there 2 Points. 1. If you are hardcore Bullet Fan you will wait other wise no body is stopping you to go and buy another one. 2. BULLET has doubled it production plant now and waiting period is lesser now.
Regarding your ALLOY Wheel point – you can go anti-puncture solution which is far better than tubeless tyres.
Chandra: Why would I ever put 2-3 heavy weighted people on any bike? If you meant that Bullets can carry a lot of weight, I did Ladakh on a Pulsar 150, with a fully loaded saddle bag and a fully loaded tank bag. A lot of bikes can do better on/off road stuff than any RE.
I disagree. Pulsars are dirt cheap to maintain! Even KTM has double the service interval of an RE.
Yes! It is a religion!
Please try a 390 on a corner, then you’ll truly understand what road grip is.
I don’t want to control the bike like it is some rabid dog! I want it to always be under my command. And the heavy weight of the RE doesn’t help with that.
Didn’t know anti puncture things are available for tube tires. How does that work?
I Kind of agree with you on the points you stated,and I think they are on the dark side of being a practical machine
but….that what makes it a Royal Enfield,having spokes,being handcrafted, conventional Engineering,the thump(pre-modified factory one)…these are some of those essential factors that has made it a legend,that’s its image..its character.
The only problem is the image no longer holds any relevance Akshat!
Hat’s off Akhil, I am really impressed with your writing. What you said above is absolutely true and as a RE owner( and a happy one too despite the glitches, I love my ride) for the past three years only the ‘egoist bull riders’ would shower ‘bullets’ on you. What ever these R&D guys are doing they better find a way to reduce weight, fix the ‘long’ throw gear shifts, low beam lighting and a decent rear braking. However I find my previously owned P180 glitch free and comfy, I still love riding my Bullet. 🙂
Thanks Balu, and I appreciate your honest comment! That’s always been my point, I have no issues if you feel Bullet is the best motorcycle in the world, just don’t push it onto others 🙂 Keep riding my friend, cheers!
Ehh..?? What..?? I never mentioned anything about magical feelings dude. And you know nothing about Royal Enfield’s character so don’t just write stuff just for the heck of it. That’s just small talk coming out now since you really don’t have a relative answer that makes sense in the first place.
The very fact that you discontinued me from replying further is a testiment to that.
Whatever. I don’t give a rat’s ass either.
You keep saying why people ride a bullet can’t be explained, that’s magic for ya! You keep explaining all the drawbacks of the bike as its “character” or “way”.
Please tell me more about the Royal Enfield’s character. And this is not a sarcastic question, I am looking for concrete, logical stuff here. Please don’t say it’s heart and shit. Everything is explainable at some level, except magic.
And you couldn’t reply because our discussion reached the limit of nested comments.
Well I mostly agree with Akhil but i would really appreciate Mr Ovais if you explain your counterlogic in a more unbiased way. It doesnt appeal to my conscience at all
If Bull riders could think in an unbiased way, they won’t ride a Bull anymore 😉
“If Bull riders could think in an unbiased way, they won’t ride a Bull anymore” — I dont agree Akhil.
As mentioned earlier, I own a Machismo 500. I have owned a Yamaha. In the future I hope to own a RC390 / Daytona 675R / Triumph Thruxton / The Harley Davidson Forty Eight / An improved version of the Continental GT (and I sincerely hope RE gets their act together else is gonna be Ambassador for them too in a few years)
You need to shed this opinion that “all” RE owners give in to dogma. There are many who understand the limitations, but will still try tweaking it to make it more pleasurable, more reliable to ride.
And am frankly surprised that people are still commenting on this thread. I guess every point in or against RE might have been covered here 🙂
Haha, I know! 200 comments done I think.
This is so much like japenese car guys vs the american v8 monsters. Both kind of bike have their own charm but one thing i hate about new re is the cheap build and faulty uce engine. And btw re riders usually cruise at 90-95.
This is not a comparo Ishan, and I have rarely seen an RE above 80-85, I think the vibrations become too much to handle.
japanese cars vs american v8 monsters… noooo…. its war between european monster and indian oldie.. i meant to say indian crap… even if american muscle lacks handling it goes faster than Japanese cars. RE cannot b compared to any bike … it has its own feel… unless RE engineers can cook up some new technology into bullet without changing the looks and feel , make it reliable… RE was stuck at 100kmh on the my ride to goa. who knws that was just a speedometer reading.. the automagazines say theres a lot of speedo error in RE,.. i guess it might be going even slower.. no handling . bad braking… not a bike for a performance enthusiast..
It’s not a bike for ANYONE Avin, except people who ride them. It has nothing over any other bike out there.
Well, I love bikes. Bikes are my true love if not first.
So I don’t really like to criticise any bike. I recently booked an RE TB350.
I was confused whether I should go for an RE or should go for a sports bike. (Again, I love them all)
Since I intend to buy another bike in 3-4 years time, my decision was simple.
In 3 years time all Yamahas, Hondas, KTMs will have advanced in technology whereas RE will still be the same.LOL
So better by an RE now and buy a more advance sports bike in future. 🙂
Cheers,
Malkam Mogal
@ Malkam – Honda and KTM products are NOT sport bikes, the KTM Duke and Pulsar 200NS are a “Street” category motorcycles, the Honda CBR250R and the Bajaj Pulsar 220F are affordable “Sport Tourers”. Its clear that your knowledge about motorcycles is feeble, so best you go ahead with your RE. Coz RE motorcycles are ‘exactly’ meant for idiots like you. This is exactly how a bitch of a company like RE survives, coz it thrives on frantic idiots like you.
Easy there Reeto, to each their own! Cheers.
What made you think I was talking about the 200 to 250cc range when I mentioned sports bikes. If I’ll surely look beyond 350+ after 3-4 years.
And coming to the adjectives you used for me, I’d not like to drag myself down to your level.
^^ u r such an idiot…hv u ever been on a road trip or off roading….the idiots like u take a sports bike on tough terrains to fuck up the bike as well as urself…RE on other hand is a heavy duty cruiser which can tolerate the most tough conditions….no wonder army appointed at the borders use RE for their patrolling….and as far as speed issues are concerned just go for the test ride of TB500….am sure watever byk u ride right nw would fizz off in frnt of it….!!
^^ LOSER
Akhil, IMHO, Reeto is at fault here. I guess we all should be refraining from commenting further on a continuation of this comment.
Our earlier conversations have been civil, and except for that one comment from Reeto, I dont remember any other provocative comment.
He is Mahesh, no doubt about it.
I am sure my 390 will completely fizz off in front of a TB500.
That isn’t very sound logic Malkam, if you ask me, but whatever floats your boat!
yup, to each their own.
Hi Malkam, I’ve got my TB350 a month ago. After my 1st service i.e., after 500 km I stated facing issue like break was making noise like a Truck/ jammed iron and getting noise from front suspension as well. I took it back to the service center they fixed the suspension noise but for the break this is the third time I went to showroom.
Now It’s two days they are still fixing this issue…I checked with some more people in the showroom with TB350 and they said this issue exist in almost all the TB350.
I feel this is high time Royal Enfield should address this issue before Triumph or HD take over the market.
They definitely should man.
yo bro wake up. which year’s model you are talking about……………..perhaps REs of the 70s I wonder
Is there any difference? And some people say REs of the 70s were much better than those of today!
Well,To start with,I ride a CBR250R ABS and had been to Leh in August 2012.On the point about spoked wheels,One sight that i came across repeatedly was that of Bullets parked on desolate stretches with one of their wheels missing.
Just imagine being stranded in such places because you are still stuck with tubed tyres and cant repair punctures yourself .Or you could repair them by putting in so much effort which is absolutely unnecessary,that too at above 15000 feet where oxygen levels are really low!!!.The poor guys had to remove the wheel and then either repair it themselves or take a lift to the nearest mechanic to get it fixed.In places like Leh the mechanic might be at-least 50-100 Leh-kms away!!!
To say that someone does this by choice or likes this is something I will never understand neither want to understand.
You can always say that go ahead and get after market alloys,fit tubeless tyres etc but why would someone want to do that after already paying more than a Lakh for the bike in the first place.
Bullets might have been the best/only choice people had for such trips at some point of time.Not anymore.
Absolutely true Sayan
hi,
i am neither a 390 owner nor do i have a RE…but i have ridden both….if bullet is such a bad product, heavy on maintenance poor on parts quality and poor on craftsmanship which is an open fact…why didnt the company shut down?
A Duke would lose its aura in next 3-5 years as the technology develops and finally get outdated.incompatible to the new technology, production methods,part cost etc. and i am sure after 10 years you ll
just try to get rid of it and go for what’s hot in the market. coz bike feels old outdated and simply not cool.just like the fate of a bajaj chetak.
But RE would still be there standing proud.
Sure, just 2 days back I saw a 26 year old RE, still running good.
But then again I’m not a really “faithful” guy, I would always like to ride new bikes, better, faster and safer. I don’t really go all sweaty and emotional about my bike, it is a beautiful machine, but a machine afterall. I loved my Pulsar 150 before this, and now am enjoying the Duke. I do feel like there is a connection between me and the bike, but that’s the good thing about the bike being a bike and not my wife, can always go for something better!
That’s just me 🙂
I have two words for you Mass Hysteria ! Madness at a magnitude to support production and sales. Well madness and marketing. That is what this is ! Ofcourse in 3-5 years duke 390 will get updated . oh yeah I know that I am going to buy the new bike as well. That is the way technology works. Do you still have your pentium processor ? Yep still it works ..But it is obsolete. But in its time it was the best and you bought it right ? Hell I am not buying my bike to pass it on to my next generation. I am buying a bike which is the best today . . I am not afraid of future. And you yourself is not future proof. One day you will grow old and die . But that does nt stop you from enjoying your life today !! And buying KTM 390 is more future proof than buying a dinosaur on two wheels ! Trust me I loved Bullets and Ambassador cars. But cant use them for daily use ..And I was quite shocked how underpowered these metal junks really are when I rode on recently ..Twist to the throttle only produces vibration ..No movement. I bet even Apache RTR 180 is much more fun than Bullet !
Haha, true mate! Like your example of the pentium processors 🙂
Check this out.. you may like it.. http://www.theweekendleader.com/Innovation/1157/power-plough.html
I do! Can’t imagine a Duke doing that 🙂
Hey why should we even compare Duke with RE……….i mean there is no comparison in terms of money,performance,dimension,…etc……
There is one similarity Bibhas, the engine capacity 🙂 Anyway, as I have said before, this article isn’t meant for a Duke vs RE comparison. It is just my personal thought over the market sense of something like a Bullet.
why have I heard only sports bike owners who don’t own a royal Enfield commenting on bullet…its a low rpm bike with loads of torque..its not for boys who want to ride fast or make a stoppie or wheelie …its all about power and don’t be mistaken with horsepower …bike accelerates or pulls because of torque..just lake a tractor …once I pulled another bullet up a hill …while I was in ladakh…its a puller bro… And who says its not fast though…find me on the tarmac on …I will tell you what a classic can do… lol..grow up boy this classic on my side has been to ladakh twice in 2 years …with not even a clutch wire replaced …
And why do we hear that re owners are driving same bike for 30years ..again its a low rpm bike..the life of the engine is defined by the number of times it has to spank the piston …and the quality …I don’t think there is a bike better to travel India than a bullet .. I do own a pulsar 150cc too that has done 1,06,000km and a bullet 17,000km ..both are good bikes …I have maintained the pulsar quite well ..and it touches 120mark quite frequently even with an aged engine.. And so does the royal Enfield …well you don’t need to be foolish enough to ride faster than that in our country… But I seriously recommend royal Enfield to people who want to travel and for the comfort it gives…
If being a boy and not growing up means riding faster, better and more advanced bikes than the Bullet, I would heartily stay a so called boy my whole life.
Dear Akhil,
There are a couple of articles which do compare a 350 with a 390. But somehow they were not fair enough. For example Motor Beam ( http://www.motorbeam.com/bikes/ktm-duke-390/ktm-duke-390-vs-yamaha-rd350-shootout/ ) did not compare the right choice. I still feel that the RD 350 is much faster than a 390. I have tried both and owned one for 15years. There has’nt been a 500cc or less bike that could beat the shit out a machine that ruled the road for 30 years. Well there are some drawback on the 350.
1) No auto-start. (but least of my problem).
2) NO disk brake. (major problem). But now even those are available. Not from Yamaha. But custom ones are available for both front and back. Heck even my RX100 has a front disc brake.
3) No ABS after disc brakes. (Ya I miss that feature too. But there are certain wheelies and stunts which cannot be performed on the ABS.
4) Sound. (Ya, the sound of a RD is pure music). Just like one of the articles listed above qoutes
” Kick start the engine and it comes to life with a loud soundtrack. Sounds like some creatures in the engine sacrificed their lives to bring the motor to life. Give it some revs and pop the clutch and the front is lively and wants to touch the sky. Open the throttle and it will scare the hell out of you at first.”
5) Colour. Yuck i personally hate orange. From all the colours in the world, an orange. Seriously, the duke would have looked better in red and black. But to each his own.
From my Perspective, comparing the 390 to a LT 350 was not fair. The LT was created for India with a better milage at reduced power. If the comparisions was 390 to 350HT., I am quite positive it would have been otherwise.
The results would vary on the following.
1) Most people now use CDI. Keeps both Pistons in sync but compromises power. The points howerver, are much better. But both engines need to pump together and it take a little bit of adjusted around 500kms.
2) Secondly, there are a lot of folks that are experts with Yamaha customization. I personally believe that Yamahas have been best when it comes to customization.
I have an RX100 which beats the craps out of all Indian 250’s including the CBR.(only a 100meter drag). Not beyond that. Coz the top is around 135kmph. And yes before you ask it has been customized. A LOT…
You have to respect the Japanese for the RD and RX series. From my opinion there never was and will be another RX and RD. 🙂
But thats just my two cents …..
Maybe you can compare the 350 and 390 fair enough.
Rustom, truth be told, I have never ridden an RD! The day I can swing a leg over one, a new review will be born 🙂
Thanks for your detailed comment! The RD is surely a legend.
Amen…. 🙂
Eh? Why would someone want to compare a RE with a 390. I would rather compare a 390 with a RD350 to be fair enough. You don’t compare cruisers to racers. I’d rather suggest you compare apples to apples. My point is exactly how what Mr. Mahesh Lal said. You cant compare a Harley to a Hyabusa.
But on the other side, about the RE and its problems. I own one.. Completely agreed..
And When you compare a RD350 to a 390, is when all the fun begins… 😉
I tried my best not to compare an RE with my 390 Rustom, but I guess since I own it, all comparisons automatically were directed to it. This article is simply meant to describe my opinion about Royal Enfields, nothing more 🙂
RD350 vs 390 would be interesting for sure!
As I look at what is pushing the true biking experience in India is still RE. I wish more and more people buy bullet which can enable more competitors to join this market and manufacture cruiser bikes giving great options to the biker. Only competition can keep RE on their toes and shift their focus towards R&D in big way and improve biker experience. My point is to encourage RE (with all its limitations) for better cruising in near future. Or can we build a bike ourself!!
Duke and RE are completely different.. one is Sun and other is Moon
The Duke isn’t so bad with cruising over long distances 🙂
well.. that would like asking a football player to play cricket
Maybe you haven’t tried asking! I have ridden my 390 more than 1000kms in a single day, what more cruising prowess could you want?
Undebatable point… Great Example Abhishek Sir..
Are you married Akhil? If yes, you can relate to what I’m trying to say here. Not trying to make a lot of sense but you should get the drift!
Duke/Pulsar/ZMA/Hunk/Etc/Etc/ are like a mistress. They look fantastic in a night gown, maintain that 36-24-36 figure, are always available for you, more reliable, don’t cost as much to own/maintain, would not ask for your attention. And you won’t care if they break down, you’ll just switch to another one!
On the other hand, A Royal Enfield is like a wife : She’ll give you sleepless nights, comes in plus sizes, would not ‘start’ when you want her to, would throw tantrums, would be expensive to maintain, would have a fight with you saying that you don’t have enough time for her! But, at the end of the day, you’ll still want to go back home to her & spend the rest of your life with her..
A perfect life would be in which both exist & know of your relation with the other. Else, I’ll prefer my wife over a mistress!
Haha, awesome analogy man! Maybe I’m too young for a wife right now 🙂
One wife is enough, and I am glad it is a human being that I love. Bullet is a product manufactured and marketed to mass hysteria ..collective madness which does not acknowledge the obsolescence of the technology. Bullets could do with complete re-engineering of their engines, suspension, They should build something like this http://powersports.honda.com/2014/cb1100.aspx . Now that is what I call proper classic bike. It retains and captures the mood of vintage, but still offers the troublefree experience and leverages all modern technology to offer your peace of mind ownership and all the thrills of modern technology. What Royal Enfield is done is to make a big fool out of all your bullet fans and cleverly market a mediocre aging product !
That’s how I feel too man, but nothing can explain it to the passionate bull riders!
Bandar kya jaane aadrak ka swaad!!!!!!!!! tu rehne de bhai
Ok bhai.
There is NO fun trust me. This is the last thing you should experience while you are riding, but after all these when I look back, It was due to my ignorance I had to go thru this. I don’t blame my bike for that. It’s just that I love to tinker around to avoid a mechanic visit for oil change and regular maintenance during that time it’s fun because you are in your basement with few bottles of beer to give company 🙂 NOT when you are riding. and FYI, I never broken down except for the burned ground wire, which was again my mistake.
Cheers
Got it 🙂
Nice Read 🙂 again from a Cast iron 350 Owner.
First of all, I totally agree with your view on egoistic Bulleteers with high testosterone production Fuck’em all :-p. But please understand Majority of them are not. I respect anything on two wheels. As a famous quote, “A four wheeler moved Body and a two wheeler moves soul”. If I ever want to own something other that RE that would be a KTM 990 :-p enduro.
I recently did two long trips, NO nothing like 5000KM one way, just rode to Pondy from Bangalore round trip of 800KMs, she did not miss a beat. There is a reason I tell “She”. A bullet just behaves like a GF :-p You can take chances with your friends but you DARE take chances with your GF :-p BTW same goes for MiG21s :-p
Why is it so? Bullet is designed during such a time when there were no six liners in country. Speed wasn’t everything But reliability was. All these reliability issues that everyone are talking is actually due to few reasons
1) Bullet is the longest production run of any bikes in history of motorcycles, this contributed to lots of counterfeit parts in market. You have one in your bike, you are fucked.
2) Typical attitude of mechanic who boast about their workmanship on Bullets but actually knows nothing. It is a simple machine most of the thing you can fix yourself if you don’t mind little wreching and getting your hands dirty.
3) owners who would do Jugad work to save money ( Used parts etc)
4) Ignorant owners.
coming back to my point, around a month back I planned for a south India loop along with my friends, (you should ride this stretch before you die). 2 Ninjas, One pulsar NS220, 2 Thunderbirds, One RE desert storm 500, one Cast iron Electra 4S and my cast iron 350. Due to some situation, I had to pull back from the trip at last moment. But I was able get my approvals for ride at last moment :-p and had to start in a hurry. By the time I started, my buddies were at least 200 kms ahead of me.
I rode non stop for 200 kms constantly on 80-90, at the first stop I see oil oozing out of by air filter box, mind you, bike never gave me hath, it was just that I noticed this when I stopped for a tea break. I had no idea what was happening. and I topped up 500 ML :-p later realized that my oil levels were far more than required and it is pumping the oil out, and I topped up again :-p. This would never be a problem if I ride in the city as you don’t exceed 50 – 60 in speed and 20 kms distance at a stretch.
Whom would you blame? me or Bike?
I kept draining the oil from Catch-can each time we stopped. At one such draining exercise, I managed to shot the wiring off as you need to remove the battery cover to get access to catch-can. while fixing the battery cover back I was careless and managed to burn the entire ground wire. Me and my friend sitting on the side of highway, under hot sun with a stranded bike as entire insulation burned and copper is exposed. we managed to find a piece of broken pipe and cotton rag and insulated till we caught up with others and fixed it permanently by a nearby auto electrician for INR 50 (gave him 100 as he did fantastic job)
Whom would you blame? Me or Bike? And what would you do if this happens to a KTM?
we reached pollachi, halted there for the night, just went for an evening stroll in the town and came back with an air filter to replace the oil soaked one 🙂 for INR 140. Pulled my friends leg who was riding a Ninja 300 and told that the same shop had Ninja fairings for sale for INR 2500 :-p
Story did not end here, as we started climbing 40 hairpins to valparai, bike started acting up again with regular miss firings at low RPMs, but climbed all the way to valparai, and I was cursing the bike by this time, conveniently forgetting that it was due to my ignorance all these mishaps happend. I have had enough of the shit and I did not know what was this misfiring shit. Stopped at valpai for lunch (Tiny town on top of western Ghats) cursing the bike as we had another 100 kms to pass thru the thickest rainforest for south India. Friend comes and ask me to open the plug, trice the gap from the recommended level.
Whom would you blame? me or Bike? for going on a 1200 km round trip with a plug used for 25000 kms that too without checking the gap? It never stranded me in a steep 40 hairpin climb though.
again took a stroll after lunch and came back with a spark plug for INR 60, this time I pulled my Ninja friend’s leg stating that they stock ECU of Ninja :-p.
From this point till Bangalore, for the rest of two days, I was the ride captain 🙂
Overall it was me who fucked the bike, and she fucked me back, Royally. As I told you, you dare take chance with your GF, RE and MiG21 :-p
Ride safe, and ride forever, no matter what you ride. It’s not the destination, but the path you take, and enjoy while you are on the path.
Cheers!!!
Awesome story man! And this is also something that I don’t understand. You have to admit that you enjoyed all of this, the breakdowns, the shenanigans, the trouble. You like getting your hands dirty. It’s like you like fighting with your girlfriend, then making it up to her, only to fuck things up again, if you know what I mean. My trips are so much less remarkable, they are just thousands of kilometers of riding, the occasional food, and empty thoughts. In other words, me and my girlfriend rarely fight.
From the outside, it looks like your experiences are much richer, you get to know your bike so much more deeply. But I don’t think I’ll ever understand the fun in that. Hats off to your spirit! Cheers 🙂
Point No. 1: I have personally, successfully and memorably made a trip to Kashmir in December, Himachal in August and Rajasthan in May on a 7 year old BULLET………………………
Point No. 2: I have myself taken my 7 years old BULLET through two head on collisions and fixed it each time with a mere 1800 rupees…………
Point No. 3: After fixing a carburetor of the Bajaj Pulsar 220 I have taken my 7 year old 350cc handcrafted BULLET to 130kmph………….
Point No.4: My seven year old BULLET started with half a kick in spite of a cracked piston, no battery and one failed starter coil………
Point No. 5: The same 7 year old Bullet has done 320 kilometers on a single 12 liter fuel tank at an average speed of 80kmph after a 1010 rupee servicing………
Point No. 6: The very same 7 year old BULLET has kicked the sorry ass of a helpless Ducati Sport Classic 1000 rider on a busy Gurgaon Highway………
Point No. 7: Dukes are great bikes….but please don’t brag about them as they are in the country only for the past 3 years….n not the ones that the ISRAELIS chose to ride to the Himalayas in the 80s………
Point No. 8: The only motorcycle than can give you the thrill of riding 2500 kilometers in three days at a price tag of 1,20,000 rupees in 2014 is the RE 350……….
Point No. 9: REs have always been silent, it is the people who like to amplify their throttle
Point No. 10: REs are not the bikes that adapt to the Biker, rather the Biker should learn to adapt to them…if you can’t, go n cry to your Momma and move on with some other motorcycle…..ur call!!!!!!!!
Hehe, either you have been very lucky Gokul, or a lot of other bull riders have been very unlucky.
And really, cry to my momma just because I don’t like a bike? Dude? That is seriously funny.
I guess u havent come across that many Bull riders Akhil, n I m sure I ve met numerous happy Bull riders…..Ya, the “cry to momma” part was intended to be funny……u dont get Bullets, but do get the humor…..Good for u…..
Agree with you Gokul
Hey Akhil! That’s a well written article there!
Even though I own 2 REs and would be stereotyped a ‘Hardcore Bulleteer’ as per your article, I still believe what you’ve written is mostly true. But before you blame every one of us of being a mindless bullet-cult follower, just a point of clarification for you. Most of the older riders of the REs had bought their bikes when the only other option in the country were the crappy Pulsars and the dumb Karizmas. Yes, the people buying the REs these days just do so to be a part of the big following the brand enjoys in India. Plus REs were the only motorcycles to be performing to the same level even after 2 decades of usage. Such level of performance has just arrived in the country in the last few years.
My 14 year old Machismo A350 still reaches a top speed of 110kmph, even though I am a poor maintainer. Just think of that! The RD 350 is the only other Indian bike that could perform that feat till now. The KTMs are excellent bikes… no argument on that. But both the bikes belong to different categories. Just tell me… would you ever compare an SUV with a Roadster? Would that really be a fair competition?
I have at least 4 friends who own a RE and a 390 too. Infact I am planning on doing the same too. The bikes differ on their usage. If I would be riding down single to Goa from Delhi for the IBW, the Duke 390 would be a pure joy for me. But if I take my girlfriend/wife for a weekend trip to Lansdowne, the discomfort for the pillion rider is bound a get me a breakup/divorce! The laid-back seating position of my TB350 (coz of the custom backrest) would be a delight for my love. Plus its not always that we want to race every other vehicle we see on the road. The ‘slow’ cruiser would be definitely be my pick for a relaxing weekend ride even if I had a better bike parked at home. But then all of us have different opinions and it would be quite a monotonous view if everyone was riding the dark Enfields or the Vibrant Orange KTMs!
Cheers to the love of riding that unites us!
+1
Completely agree with every word of yours Abhishek! Cheers 🙂
Dear Akhil,
I am sad that my previous comment didnt make it through.
I am appalled that you like humping bikes (refer to RD 350 comment) – while they should be treated with respect.
However, the following is my original reply.
You lack perspective. A bullet is named a Bullet because it was one of the fastest bikes around. It isn’t anymore. In 1935 when the term was coined, it said “Goes like a bullet, Made like a gun”. It isn’t a corner carver. I have owned a Yamaha and a 2009 Machismo 500. You are trying to compare the Japanese philosophy of biking with the British philosophy. Which is, arguably, stupid.
1) Having ridden @100+ kmph with a pillion and bike luggage worth 20kgs I dont think Bullets are slow.
2) Bullets are reliable. If taken care of. They are not your regular “I shall change the oil and forget about it” things. They are more like people. But chuck it, you can’t understand that. Plus if they break down, you dont need to worry too much. They are simple things to understand. Unfortunately, in our time, anything that doesnt require a computer to understand isnt appreciated.
3) Depends. Someone wants that crackling sound (and God knows I hate it). But you also find people with nice Goldstar silencers with glasswool.
4) I wish my bullet had ABS. A rear disk brake will so to start with.
5) you dont have a bike giving better mileage, so shut up. If a person on a splendour said so I won’t mind.
6) I am kinda divided about this point. I like the weight and I dont like it. Weight is superb when overtaking trucks at 120. Terrible if you have fallen. But I dont fancy being pushed towards the divider on the Kolhapur Nippani stretch of NH4 while doing 110. So weight is good. Nor do I like being stuck in knee deep mud. Hence weight is bad. Hell, weight is temporary. You can always replace metal with plastic. Or better still – Air. A bullet performs pretty well off road FYI.
All of that said, I do like other motorbikes as well. For eg. I would love to be astride an RD cafe racer carving corners. Or be astride a KTM 390 exploring some unknown place not worrying about “what if I fall”. Every bike has a sweet spot. And I would advise you to leave it at that. Stating otherwise – is just immature.
I remember being at a biker meet, when ppl were going all over the moon talking about the new KTM 390 and the loads of torque which translated to 35nm@7250 rpm, I sat back silently sipping my tea. Smiling. And then one of the guys took my machismo for a ride. Came back with a wide grin. All he said was -“Its all torque. Won’t go beyond 120-125, but the torque is there the moment you twist the throttle” That is where 43nm@1850 rpm matters. Its not for the speed, or for the thrills of cornering.
All said and done, I love the 390, and will possibly buy the RC, but even then, on roadtrips with my wife, I will prefer my Bullet. You don’t want the most important person in your life complaining about the lack of pillion comfort after sitting on something thats an excuse for a seat.
And one last point, bullets are tweakable. When was the last time you saw a Kawasaki or a Duke bobber and a cafe racer?
I think you need more exposure to various philosophies of motorbiking. Then probably you can compare A with B.
I am expecting your next post to be about a Harley vs Hayabusa. Please prove me wrong.
You are appalled that I like humping bikes? Lol.
Sorry about approving your original comment late, both of them are up now.
Hey Akhil,
Please delete one of my comments, because it would add noise to the blog. I couldnt find the original one hence I posted this one. Fell free to delete it.
Cheers.
It’s hard to stay on this topic without offending someone. Although I don’t own a Bullet I have ridden it enough. As you said, it was a motorbike made in the mid 90’s and perhaps was amongst the top back then. When rest of the world moved on, they chose to stay there.
While I agree the RE uses the low-speed high-torque engines, we must also remember there is a gearbox/ drive-chain between the engine’s crankshaft and the driven wheel. An engine that is revving higher needs to be stepped down to make it usable at the rear wheel. Going by the numbers you have put up in your post up there, the Duke’s gearbox needs to step it down about three times more than the Bullet’s to be at the approximate same wheel speed (assuming both engines are at peak torque). So what the torque at the driven wheel on a Duke is far higher than what a Bullet can make.
But then again, having toured with guys on Bullets, I know they see something tangible about riding a Bullet that I don’t. But as long as we’re riding – I am good with it!
Damn, a typo. mid 90’s is to be read as mid 1900’s.
That’s all that matters 🙂
As you said there are two types of bikers – bulletier and Non-Bulletier’s. I think this will answer all your questions.
Ok. That was quick and easy!
the one who has posted against RE, and the arguments r jst weird, u plz ride bikes like ct 100.. which hv a gud mileage, light in weight, etc etc…
Yes sir, major sir.
So yeah. I’ve ridden a concoction of bikes from Kawasaki 100 rtz to the triumph speed master. No two bikes are created equal. Motorcycles from the royal Enfield stable (mistakenly called the bullet all the time) are slow, yes but not as slow as you claim. I’ve ridden my 2005 Thunderbird for well over 1,50,000 km and most rides i sis with my buddies we managed to have an average of 70+kmph. Now that’s average speed not speed at a particular point of time. We were mostly at 80 and i personally consider 80-90 to be fast enough in India. With the kind of crazy drivers we have I’m not even saf in cars beyond that speed sorta. My bike has always given me a mileage of 40+, my buddies new tbts gives an easy 45+. Yes they have problems, but so do dukes. The Duke has this annoying side stand sensor problem that renders it into a piece of junk because it won’t start post the sensor getting fried. I’ve experienced that first hand. The solution? A “jugaar”. The dukes chain needs to be lubed every 500km and tension checked and set every 2000 or it comes off the sprocket, yes it does. Some fun loving guy learnt that the hard way. Every bike has its issues. I’ve been stranded once with my Thunderbird. The strutter coil died after 80,000 kms of riding. I consider that pretty reliable. Vibrations? I hate them….. the new shockers are OK though. Just OK. there are reasons why I’ll never buy aktm Duke. 1. No space for a pillion to sit comfortably. I’ve never ridden without a pillion and luggage because we take loads of trips and have luggage. The seating posture on the Duke is uncomfortable for me. That’s the second reason. The third is that we travel up north a lot and with no roads in many places and lots of traffic in cities makes the Duke a bit difficult to steer. Also, I’m more used to the Thunderbird not the Duke. More as i crack the Duke to the 100,000 km mark. It’s a one man bike the Duke. No luggage no pillion. The pillion e is always”scared” sitting on it. No back rest no comfort. My two cents.
I agree with that, Duke has no pillion comfort, but it can carry luggage alright. It’s awesome that you’ve munched so many miles on your steed, and got such high mileage.
I haven’t seen that side stand problem in my Duke till now, or anybody else’s for that matter, so can’t comment on that. Sure, Duke’s have their own set of problems, but I personally feel a 390 is more reliable than any RE out there.
It is recommended to lube the chain every 500 kms and check for tension every 2000. I recently drove my Duke about 4000 kms, without any chain adjustment. And it didn’t come off. So, yeah.
Again, this article was meant to say that Bullet’s have lost their value in the present time. They might have been mighty beasts in 1940s, but barely upgrading for about half a century, just in the name of tradition, doesn’t go well with me.
You lack perspective. A bullet is named a Bullet because it was one of the fastest bikes around. It isn’t anymore. In 1935 when the term was coined, it said “Goes like a bullet, Made like a gun”. It isn’t a corner carver. I have owned a Yamaha and a 2009 Machismo 500. You are trying to compare the Japanese philosophy of biking with the British philosophy. Which is, arguably, stupid.
1) Having ridden @100+ kmph with a pillion and bike luggage worth 20kgs I dont think Bullets are slow.
2) Bullets are reliable. If taken care of. They are not your regular “I shall change the oil and forget about it” things. They are more like people. But chuck it, you can’t understand that.
3) Depends. Someone wants that crackling sound (and God knows I hate it). But you also find people with nice Goldstar silencers with glasswool.
4) I wish my bullet had ABS. A rear disk brake will so to start with.
5) you dont have a bike giving better mileage, so shut up. If a person on absplendour said so I won’t mind.
6) I am kinda divided about this point. I like the weight and I dont like it.
A bullet performs pretty well off road FYI.
All said and done, when ppl were going all over the moon talking about the new KTM 390 and the loads of torque whichtranslated to 35nm@7250 rpm, I sat back silently sipping my tea. Smiling. And then one of the guys took my machismo for a ride. Came back with a wide grin. All he said was -“Its all torque. Won’t go beyond 120-125, but the torque is there the moment you twist the throttle”
That is where 43nm@1850 rpm matters. Its not for the speed, or for the thrills of cornering.
All said and done, I love the 390, and will possibly buy the RC, but even then, on roadtrips with my wife, I will prefer my Bullet. You don’t want the most important person in your life complaining about the lack of pillion comfort after sitting on something thats an excuse for a seat.
And one last point, bullets are tweakable. When was the last time you saw a Kawasaki or a Duke bobber and a cafe racer?
I think you need more exposure to various philosophies of motorbiking. Then probably you can compare A with B.
I am expecting your next post to be about a Harley vs Hayabusa. Please prove me wrong.
Hey man. I am not comparing biking philosophies here, I am trying to give out reasons why Royal Enfield’s have lost all purpose in today’s time.
Can you seriously say ” They are not your regular “I shall change the oil and forget about it” things. They are more like people.” and think it is OK? What does that even mean? Why not just say they are not reliable?
Yes I own a bike with lesser mileage, but it gives a whole lotta fun with each whisp of fuel.
I don’t exactly understand what it is with torque? What do you mean by that? If you are trying to say a Machismo pulls better than a Duke, I don’t think that’s true.
Where exactly does 43nm@1850 rpm matters again? You said yourself it is not for speed or corners.
I agree with that, 390 is not meant for anything but the rider, pillion comfort is non-existent.
I personally don’t like bobbers, just changing the looks of a bike doesn’t make it more desirable. If you are talking about the Continental GT, dude, that thing is everything but a cafe racer!
Philosophies = Bikes. You cant switch them. You cant separate them.
If to you reliability means that you shouldnt have to care to much about your vehicles, I cant say more. If you mean that it takes a fortune to maintain – yes it does.
But can you tweak it? Yes. Can you tweak an EFI bike – not unless you have proper software for it.
The 43 NM comes very handy while touring with pillion and luggage. But that isnt something you want. And well, the machismo pulls better than a Duke – purely in terms of torque.
Can the engine be improved? Yes. I keep on finding ways to tweak whatever is possible.
“Whole lotta fun” is a subjective thing. My Yamaha was a whole lotta fun. Was sad when my father sold it. My bullet is a whole lotta fun too. So was my friends CBZ. The LML Energy wasnt. Nor was the Scooty.
When I said Cafe Racer – I didnt mean Continental GT. And bobbers arent just artistic expression. There is some history attached to it. The idea was – I cant afford a larger better engine – so I will make my ride as light as possible, so that I can go faster. (Same was applied in the US for HotRods – which eventually gave us muscle cars). Bobbers are also artistic expression. You dont like bobbers. Fine. Doesnt matter. People dont like Modern art as well. Doesnt mean London would tear down Tate Modern.
And the Continental GT is a cafe racer – but still is from 1940’s. Which fits the style though. That’s when the pilots back from the war started to look for cheap thrills. Could it be better – yes, a twin would go a long way.
I am loving this banter though. Its a fair exchange of ideas that I rarely get to hear in Bullet group (one of the reasons I stopped riding with them).
If you like custom bikes, you will take a look at things like Rajputana Customs, Pipeburn, BikeExif, ItsBetterIntheWind.
If you dont, well, no problem.
You know what, when I wrote this article I expect a huge backlash by “real” bull riders. Expected abusive comments, senseless logic and shit like that. I am actually surprised by how civil this all has been. Fair exchange of ideas is all I am looking for, and me and you Mahesh, have fairly different ideas about bikes 🙂
“me and you Mahesh, have fairly different ideas about bikes” – Sums it up. Someday if we run into each other touring somewhere, we will still have different bikes and opinions, but it will still be as much fun :).
Cheers!
It sure will be 🙂
i also have always hated enfield.. the black colored ugly looking bike. that was when i was not riding one. 27 years of my life i never touched enfield.
got hooked to electra (cast iron engine one) recently(only after my friend lend me his metal lump),it has digital ignition. only thing enfield india can manage to do in 50 long years 😛
The torque on enfield is awesume. havent felt that on any other indian bike.
in speed of 60-80 kmphr torque is mind blowing.max i could touch on bike was 97 and it had very bad vibrations.
i have pulsar as a 2nd ride.. so when my bones cant take more of enfield jarred riding i switch to pulsar. i curse enfield for half hour or so and feel in awe how smooth engine of my pulsar is but soon enough pulsar seems boring.i start missing enfield and this has happened more than twice..
yes it has excessive weight, wires snap,notoriously unreliable,bad breaks ,mechanic are expensive also bike is heavy on maintenance. only explanationis there is,this is the price you have to pay for a keeping a elephant aka enfield.
as someone has properly put it. once you ride a enfield, you are fucked for life 🙁
Well then, I guess I’ll stay away from Enfields forever!
After Reading above article I’m really scared..I’ve booked TB 350 and waiting since I’ve no other alternative in this range :(.. The review is full of confusion…I spoke to some TB owner in my office compound and near showroom itself…they say they are really happy with new TB. But still not satisfied..most of they review only TB500 not TB350..Akhil can u plz review TB350 2014..
It is true that there isn’t much option in this range Kishor, but the point of this article was that Royal Enfield have lost their vision for the future, and that their bikes don’t seem to have any practical purpose whatsoever.
My roommate just got a TB350, and apart from crazy ass vibrations, like in all REs, things are looking good. Give me a week’s time and I will have a TB350 review for you. It will include general impressions and first service experience.
Thanks Akhil…I’ll be waiting for Review… 😀
🙂
Hey, don’t worry. There is no perfect bike, everything will come with it’s own limitation. Whether you want a bike which goes real fast or you want to enjoy the ride observing things that go on the road, should help you decide whether you made a correct decision or not. You can still cancel the bike before its delivered, in case you want something which goes fast.
I recently bought a RE Classic 350cc, this is my first bike in 29 years of existence. My search for a bike started with Dio and ended with RE. The bike is about a month old. I knew about the sound, vibration, the weight and other stuff discussed here. I knew what I signed in to, so no disappointments. I am a guy who loves to ride at leisure, enjoying the surroundings. I don’t regret my choice!
And I respect that.
Thanks Hari… 😀
This article is very close to me, I can identify with it in every sense. Same goes for Yogesh’s article. I have owned and extensively ridden REs for almost 3 years and I couldn’t agree less with your opinion. I owned a Cast Iron Electra 5S initially, then a TBTS 350. Both were pathetic in their own ways, repeated visits to the mechanic was a norm for me those days. The day I exited the RE bandwagon and switched over to a Pulsar 220F, other RE owners who were in my contact list severely criticized my decision. They urged me to settle down with a Classic 500 but honestly, repeated test rides of that bike didn’t impress me. I found the P220F to be a far better bike to live with on an everyday basis, besides it was a potent tourer too. The egoistic RE riders are simply a turn-off, they look down upon all other motorcycles, probably this is because RE owners “pay a lot more for what they eventually get”. i shall continue to loathe RE and most importantly, its ‘egoistic insecure rider community’ who seem to have discovered that owning a RE is the only way for them to proclaim their man-li-ness.
You said in one paragraph what I wrote in an essay!
I own a RE classic 500 and i love my every ride on it (even to office).. I do agree that its irritating to hear other riders trying to explain why it’s the best bike to ride.. However to be honest , it seems kind of stupid to hear any rider for that matter trying to sell why his or her bike is the best.. Its not the type of bike or the speed that makes one a real rider ..The real riders are the ones who are so passionate that they don’t let the lack of options keep them from riding . I have friends who don’t earn enough to afford a RE or KTM but do not miss out on any opportunities to go on long rides.. So here’s wishing that we all can be those type of guys and happy riding.
That’s all that matters! Cheers 🙂
Korea and the rest of the world! Ok you got your internet traffic. 🙂
I sure did Charles 😉
Well the post may seem right to each of us here on their own accord. I agree you must have had your own dislikes about the machine but the hype we Indians have created around RE; i am in agreement with you however some points highlighted by you may be liked by others and hence they enjoy riding RE. I myself own a very old TB350 and i feel i am kinda satisfied with the performance while touring coz personally i dont like to ride at 120 -140kmph when i am touring… would rather enjoy the roads than concentrating where i would bang into.. Yeah i do miss the power and the adrenaline that fast bikes gives (my previous bike was a Pulsar 220 :P).. My conclusion: YOU KNOW YOU HAVE MADE A WRONG CHOICE IF YOU DONT GIVE YOUR RIDE A SECOND LOOK AFTER YOU HAVE PARKED IT!!!
Well said Hafeez!
Hey man,
Agree to mostly all of the things that you said. There are a million faults with RE which should have been sorted out by now.
Let me add one more to that.
Bullets don’t leak oil, they mark their territory 😛
You might have heard this thing also a lot, its a kinda cult. Its not meant for speed, period. For someone who wants to go from Point A to Point B in the shortest possible time, Bullet is the worst thing to buy. Its meant for people who want to enjoy the ride and not speed as such.
Why to people buy Harleys? For that kinda money you will get a bloody fast bike with huge levels of refinement and better quality. But they do sell.
I own a cast iron bullet and a KTM 390 as well.
During one of the bullet trips the engine seized. Big deal, that happens. With hardly any compression the bike did come back 200 kms.
.
My friend took the KTM on a 400 km ride and guess what, the gear lever fell off. He stopped at a fuel station and found out that all the bolts of the engine cover were lose so he tightened them. Talk about build quality.
I ride both the bikes and enjoy them both. The KTM has its own charm so does the bullet. The KTM can’t do something which the Bullet can and vice versa.
Like you found the couple in Leh with a slipped chain, they did manage to get it repaired, right!! What would you do if you find out that the engine bolts just fell off one by one. The KTM has been ridden for not more than 4000 kms. Its got nothing to do with poor maintenance.
To each their own.
To each their own!
To whom so ever it may concern
The fact is “you cant afford RE”
Agur khatte hai
1. Milage is less = start earning more.
2. Its heavy = start going to gym and eat healthy
3. Its slow = may be you are too eger to reach hell.
4. Breaks are weak = stop using your right hand too much
5. Its mettle = you cant kill with a plastic bullet.
6. Its too noisy = thats the beat of the beast.
7. They arent reliable = depend on who you treat your girl. You ve loyal ( service it on time ) she’ll reliable.
LOL. This makes perfect sense.
Love the response… And since I am on the receiving end of – its a heavy bike… how do you manage it? you should ride a lighter bike or rather a scooty, especially at your age… etc. I find it even funnier when guys half my age, 6 inches taller are cribbing about THAT! Seriously, do they pick up the bike and ride?
First of all, I would like to appreciate the remarkable reply of yours (Western Enfielders). I found this comment most satisfactory to everyone who are keep spreading negativity about the RE. I want to ask the people that what is the need of this kind of negativity of towards particular one. I am a proud owner of RE Thunderbird 350 and never faced anything this kind of experience which has been posted out here for the readers which is completely injustice i feel.. Breakdowns are normal with almost every bike but one should not targeted solely RE. I have done many rides on my RE TB 350 with so much fun and happiness and it makes the ride adventurous with comfort. Please Stop Spreading Lies among the Bikers/Riders.
Chill man! I fear you’ll be suing my ass shortly 🙂 This is just my opinion, and your comment is yours. Some people have supported my opinion, some have supported yours. This is a good discussion, I think.
Dude there’s a marked difference between spending money and wasting the same. The Bullet is an overpriced piece of shit……………have owned and extensively ridden 2 of them (TBTS 350 and Machismo 500 AVL) for a period of 3.5 years to reach this conclusion. There is no great ‘affording’ factor with regards to a Bullet, its got the same cruising speed as a Tata Nano on highways. If one has to hit the gym to ride a motorcycle, then its incremental wastage coz however heavy a bike is, it should be balanced well in terms of weight distribution for an average human to handle it. The RE is NOT a balanced machine, forward weight bias is clearly evident on all its models. Look at the Triumph, its retro and heavy but has excellent weight distribution to be able to manage it in city traffic and on highways.
About being nosiy, the thump of the Bullet is inversely proportional to its performance. Empty vessels make more noise, a phrase suited for both the Bullet and its owners. Most Bullet owners simply can’t digest the fact that they have paid a lot more for what they eventually got.
LOL, a lot of Bull rider will be pretty pissed by this “Betrayal” of yours 🙂 But yes, you are correct.
Dear AK,
I’ve owned a c500 since 3 years now.In fact the company i work for had another c500 also.which was second hand like mine.Both bikes were given the occasional diesel wash and chain tightening once in a while, Swing arm bush was changed after 8000 km on one and one the other after 11000 km,which dint cost much at all.Even the clutch plates were fine.Mind you these bikes did a good 1000 km per month and some times more,because they were used as demo bikes for an add on ECU product and for demoing a power filter.Not to forget the countless times they have been banged,and rough ridden by many riders at events too.No engine problems whats so ever,,and fast enough even in stock mode to keep up happily with rd350’s .BTW i also owned a duke 200 and now since september 2013 have a ktm 390. and trust me i dont even dare take my ktm out of Mumbai at night on unknown roads due to the horrible magwheel quality..my rd350 members laugh at me,,for this,,but not even once have they laughed at my c500 bullet ,because it has never broken down even once,go check all my youtube videos if you have a doubt,and has gone for countless rides with them and different groups,not to mention my week end one day trips to Pune from Mumbai and then back again down to kalamb gaon 35km inside karjat which has horrid roads.lets see if any ktm owner will dare do even a constant 70km I have gone through rain and shine,on rajmashi road,on the fuckkiing beach also.. and i love my Classic 500 as well as a friends AVL 500,both bikes are lovely to cruise on and go happily to 110 or even more also.The Machismo 500 is so amazing on fuel average its shocking!!
I personally ride quite fast on a bullet,it gets the same ride treatment as my ktm or rx135, or any other bikes of mine. Im surprised you favour your ktm so much,,which is a joke,,don’t believe me,join my ktm club,,and hear the natakas and complaints.Also the ktm 390 makes a hell of a racket even louder than my c500 bullet with a upswept silencer,so dont even go their. Its common sense to all riders ,unless your a daft and stupid imbecile to not realise that the older bullets had cast engines which were meant to cruise on and now bhago like a speed demon,so they do over heat.
But theirs no problem in the Machismo AVL 350 or 500,the UCE Classic 350 0r 500.
I don’t think you do your research throughly at all.Im sorry,your article is biased and disappointing,, maybe your not aware of the axle breaking off and rear wheel coming off on the ktm 200 while riding,which is a horrible nightmare,some in my own group have experienced first hand,thank God they rectified it in the 390,amongst other heat and fan related problems,,not to mention defective petrol tanks in the ktm’s,and y the way Ive owned an rd350 throught out my college life,it was my only bike then,I never did i once have to think of bad roads or need 3 people to lift the bike and balance it just to change a tyre of the rim,lol i guess you have never ever tried changing a tyre on the rear wheel of ktm 200 or 390,,it takes fricking 3 people just to hold and place the stupid wheel again.A lot of your statements are false and people have been going to ladakh on bullets since before you and me were born,This bullet bike got its name because it was a gun carrier it served in the wars.But you seem to be forgetful of that.However i respect it nonetheless. If you still have doubts on bullet,come ride my stock c500,which i can bhagao any day of the week and go anywhere in india without worry about octane and over heating and bad roads, lol. I guess you must like the free heat waxing effect the ktm 390 owner gets in traffic,not to mention engine switching off and plastic part vibrations.all this in just 4000 km in the ktm 390..and one trip to Goa. I personally love ktm products they give thrill and fun,,thats it period,they are not completely reliable,so get out of your bubble,stop this verbal diarrhea. Learn to accept and respect other people’s choices,because your not capable of enjoying them nor the way they like to ride,so stick to your own choicest bike brand,your personal opinion is so biased ,that it really hold no water and doesn’t matter to the rest.All bike brands have their issues,lets just keep it at that.In the end its about the rider taking pains or enjoying his ride,so live and let live respectfully.
Yohan S Contractor
That escalated quickly!
these are also the very six reasons that you are an Idiot !!!
And we have a real bull rider on board with us 🙂
ahaha …You were waiting for this Akhil … weren’t you 😛
Could say that Rahul!
My take is that the idea of tradition, power, love, respect and other such aura-inducing adjectives ended for Royal Enfield when they released the first AVL Thunderbird. Ever since, RE has been in the middle of an identity crisis. The whole living in the past has blurred their vision for the future. And that reflects in their present stable of offerings. It’s not my crime, but I do own a Cast-Iron 350. And me being on the heavier side of the scales, maneuvering was not that much of a hassle. But I always feel, it is lacking a lot for a 350cc motorcycle. But, riding it and pushing it to the limit, I daresay it does take a beating before giving up. I did buy a Classic 500 but sold it within 10 months. The build quality was horrendous, I had to buy new sprockets as often as buying groceries, it was a disaster. Yes, it was progress in terms of the engine, the power, etc. but the overall package made me think that the older machines are way more reliable.
I for one have never liked to much electronics on my bikes. The dependency on technology takes away a part of the joy while riding. But that is my opinion. I fear being stranded in the middle of nowhere staring at a blown fuel pump or injector, thinking of how a carburetor would have been a better option. But that’s just me.
I agree with your reasons for not riding a Bullet, which is why I use mine to do the things it is supposed to do. Ride slow, soak in all that is happening around you, enjoy the thump when you are doing 45kmph in top gear, etc. Yes, there are those demon days as well when I really feel the need for speed. And for that, I have a 1984 RD350. Forgive me for succumbing to old-world charm again on that one.
I guess, riding a Bullet comes with a mindset. A mindset that I too have never been able to understand too well. A mindset that I thankfully did not inherit from my father and is best left to my uncles to praise after a few whiskies. Which is why I use my RD350 every day and leave the old thumper for that small round the block.
PS: Sorry if this reads too long.
You hit the nail on the head man, riding a Bullet comes with a mindset. I, like you, don’t understand it. My only concern is that some bull riders sometimes try to sell this mindset as logical, which it is not. I have no problem if you choose to tour the world on a bullock cart, but please don’t tell me that your wooden wheels give the best riding pleasure possible.
RD350 is something that I haven’t been lucky enough to hump till date!
Oh My Gosh!! Ajay Kurpad mentioned “The Mindset” … Yup those are exactly the words I was looking for when I got the TB500… I had waited for them RE boys to Plonk their 500cc engine into a TB chassis. 9 years on and they did, with a better front fork and a redesigned swing arm and better power. I was sold. Guilty. The Mindset took over. I love the ride. And I love my CastIron 350 as much if not more too. Now my girlfriend and I planning to get her an RD350 or a Duke 390 … Work in progress.
Both of us being Dual Sport People we’d probably wait for the 390Adventure to hit the roads.
Sorry to have popped up again. This has to be the best blog post I’ve ever read and involved myself in.
PS – I do not hate the RE. I love them in fact. And I Motorcycling as a concept. I’d like to call myself an Equal Opportunist Motorcyclist. Got two wheels and an Engine, let’s Ride.
Have a look at this – http://Www.YouTube.com/Motoreels .. Let me know what You think. Make some noise for me if You like what You see. We have a lot more on the Production Table.
Leave us a line if You will. Would mean the world to us.
Cheers!! And keep Writing.
– Sigmund Quadros (One half of MotoReels)
I think that’s the way it should be, you should be an opportunist!
Will take a look at your vids soon.
the bull has the charm…of course i have ridden a 390 also and its fun but noone wants to rip all the time……u need to understand the nature of the rider…..some people ride to think and dont need a death machine under their asses……they need something nice and slow…and if it gives them the feel who cares…plus used a tb 350 for 6 yrs and never had any issues pl,us weight is subjective who a persons strength…ya i just got a cafe racer and agree the 390 is a better bike at the same price but then its the feel and charm….noone would buy muscle cars if everyone wanted a ferrari…….some people like the perception of having a manly bike if not in performance by presence…..its all upto the rider… i have 2 harleys still never bought a sportsbike……faster yes.. tech yes but feel no…so its also on the mentality of the person…also the greatest way to start a war.. try to make everyone think like u do
Lovely comment man, very logical and balanced. I am in no way trying to make everyone feel like me, that would be awful. Just discussing my thoughts.
Everything is fine upto the point when bullet guys start talking crap about other bikes and try to make non bullet riders look stupid. And as many of you might know, this does happen quite often. As Dr.Music rightly said, it’s a big bike for people who know no better.
That’s what I hate the most too!
Dude : If something is not ur passion , dont de-fame it . Get a life and try a Cycle (and lets see the leg power you have got). Get real Bro. Everybody has a passion, and your six reasons are just right for you. Dude: what do you ride , Mustang….if yes then WOW….anything else you drive or ride become shitty and i could give you 1000 reasons why you cant see beyond a passion
Did you just talk to yourself in a comment?
Akhil, I rode a kawasaki bajaj 100 cc two stroke for over 150000 kms. It was an awesome bike that touched 100kmph a couple of months before we sold it. And then we bought the Bajaj Splendour. Horrendous is the only word for it. Backaches were de rigeur. It had to be balanced ALL the time. 2 years and 25,000 kms is all we could take.
Years later, we’ve got our Thunderbird. It gives 45 kmpl. Its the most comfortable bike to ride. and yes, it reaches 100 quite easily. The brakes aren’t as good as I’d like them to be, but then I don’t want to do a stoppie either.
Tried the Duke. Sorry to say – its meant for young bachchas for short rides. Try doing a hundred km on it and you will have a different story to tell. So, unless you have enough experience on enough bikes, take a chill pill.
OK, first of all, is that 1 lac 50 thousand kilometers or 15000? Because if it is the former, you are my god.
True, the Duke seems like more of a young fad. But my friend, I have ridden a thousand kilometers on it in 12 hours. So yes, I do have a bit of experience, although not as much as you 🙂 Right now I am on a 5000 km journey from Mumbai to Himachal and back, on my Duke.
“And then we bought the Bajaj Splendour” : WoOoOo…WoOo… WoOoo…Thats not Bajaj Splendour Big guy!!! Either its Hero Honda Splendor or Hero Motocorp Splendor!!! You might got that backaches b’coz of your Duplicate “Splendour” by “Bajaj” 😛 😛
One Lac Fifty… so yeah! one helluva lot…
Ah… there u go.. Its only logical why you are trying to downgrade the entire RE squadron. Its because u own a KTM Duke..a stupid looking bike meant to be driven by adolescents maybe. Do yourself and others a favour. Keep your thoughts n opinions to yourself. Its okay if you don’t like an RE bike..but don’t try to infuse your opinions on other people’s mindsets. Don’t want to argue..just wanted to express what I feel.
Same here Manoj.
here! here! totally agree with you!
i have ridden my brother in law’s bullet for a total of 15 minutes, and got my hands numbed.
plus the weight? really?
and i would NEVER buy one, since i commute in the city more than ride on highways…give me the humble 150 cc bike anyday!
Amen to that! Pulsar 150 is so much better than any RE machine.
The current state of affairs in Royal? Enfield is because for so many decades their R&D dept. are the world’s top winning team in playing cards and carom and other silly like their bike board games.
Having personally used a friend’s “bullet” for 2 years plus only after he got a disk brake put I can tell you that if you’re into slow it’s not half bad…if you’re into slow. The suspension is crap and the seat is bad for your balls….and back. The engine thump is not bad…it’s a real thumper….if you’re into slow. On rainy days you have to leave it on on the side of the road or else it won’t start again post shower. Lights are crap and so are all the electricals…The Royal Enfield is technically a paanwalla bike because of reliability issues….it’s a BIG bike for small people who know no better. The kids hear it and get amazed …grow up and feel cheated and stupid….that essentially is the “Royal” Enfield experience. …. by paanwalla I mean not to be taken further or seriously more than 2 km each trip.
Hehe, that bad han? That’s one way to look at it.
Kindly read the problems the duke has…
it is about enjoying the ride on the bike u own
KTM Duke Issues and Troubleshooting > Problems that KTM duke faces regularly,Duke issues
Azrul
06:12 PM 10-31-2013
1.Engine heat is a problem in KTM bikes.But its normal in any high performance liquid cooled bike.It is felt when the radiator fan switches on.
2.Leak in coolant-In some dukes,coolant gets leaked and needs to be top up within small kms.
3.Chain slapping the swingarm-While driving on Indian roads,chains are mostly getting badly loosen causing uncomfortable riding conditions.
4.Before first run-in, Engine seizures occur in dukes-This happens to people who do not run their machines properly.Engines gets badly affected by it.On its warranty time,if any engine seizures occur,company will replace it with a newer engine.
5.Feels Hard seats for some riders-Some riders complaints that the seat seems to be bit harder and they don’t get couch-like comfort.This is mainly complainted by the riders who sits in their office on their bums in the chairs.
6.Gear stuck with Neutrals-When a upshift or downshift from first to second gear or vice versa occurs,gear gets stucked with neutral.This problem is found in Hero Honda karizma ZMR too.If this problem occurs between gears check the linkage of the gear shift.
7.Another major problem is that bike sound like a tractor.At first time we will be quite disappointed about the sound of KTM bikes.Sounds of many v-twins especially those do duty on the Ducatis and the KTMs are same.But we will be addicted to the sound after long rides.
These are the major problems owners have with duke.And these are not that much large issues because these issues can be solved by the proper servicing and handling of vehicle.
Hey man, this article is about why I won’t go for a Bullet, but let me share with you my experience on the Duke 390, after 2 services and 9000 kms on the clock.
1. Engine heat: Yes you can feel it in city traffic, but even with riding pants on and full riding gear, it isn’t a deal breaker for me.
2. Never faced this coolant leak problem, never seen in other bikes either.
3. Chain slapping is definitely there, but it doesn’t seem to create any problems, just a sound on bad roads. Chain never comes off.
4. Yes, I have seen engine seizures on some bikes, don’t know why. All I can tell you is KTM replaces them very quick and without any hassle.
5. I rode a Pulsar 150 before this, so the Duke’s seat is like a water bed for me. Rode on it 14 hours straight, Bombay to Bangalore. 1000 kms.
6. Never faced this gear stuck in neutral problem, haven’t heard from others either.
7. Haha, yes the bike does sound like a tractor, or an auto-rickshaw to some people. But now I love it.
As you rightly said, all issues can be handled with proper servicing and handling of vehicle. Cheers!
I couldn’t agree more, I personally find bullets so primitive in terms of technology, comfort and performance, which the RE riders are more than happy to compromise just for the sake of tradition, their 0—60, and 0—100 times are pathetic and so are their top speeds, ppl whine about miniscule levels of vibrations on other bikes but not a word for the REs , which technically is designed for vibration, and I am bewildered when people claim that it’s a go to bike for a ride into the himalayas, my god, I am sure they inject themselves with some steroid shit just before the ride, i think their yearly R&D budget doesn’t cross a few thousand bucks, in the end I feel it really is about the lack of options rather than tradition for the RE lovers.
That may be true in the past Absar, but now they have plenty of other options that are better in every department. I think the only positive point of the Bullet in the past was its comfy seat, but the new split seat has taken away that as well. Rest everything, you said it!
I had a bullet …i suggest people not to buy it. I now have a Harley…I suggest people not to buy that either.
This is interesting! Which Harley you have man?
Dyna Custom
And why exactly you feel no one else should go for it? Because that’s not a “cheaper” Harley like the 750. Would love to know your experience.
Exact narration of what I feel. Excellent bro.
Thanks man!
And yes I ride a Duke 390 as well.
2 weeks back an asshole on a RE 350 challenged me on a drag race.
I would have said no. But he said in front of all that he would pay me 10,000 if I won.
So, I thought, easy money! Why not?
Asshole chickened out the next day. Said he was only joking.
LOL, an RE350 vs Duke 390 drag race? Now that’s a competition 🙂
Hahahahahahaha
The fucking truth man. Glad someone spoke it! I have said this same thing over and over again.
Haha, you look pretty pissed man! It’s just a matter of opinions 🙂
I own a Cast Iron Bullet and the New TB500 … I inherited the Former and purchased the Latter, and have always thought RE could have done a much better job on the Built and Ride Quality on the New Motorcycles.
Nevertheless, I am guilty of buying the TB500 for the RE Charm albeit a new age attempt by the company.
I wont get into the tech of the situation, but, have to say, I agree to every word You have said in this article. Take a Bow.
And yes The KTM forever.
Thank you Sigmund! RE surely could have done a better job.
I also agree with u,after using a bullet about 15 years.
If there was a seal of approval I ever needed, this is the one! Thanks man.
@Akhil – It seems that Mr. Roy intended pun, rather than actually meaning it. He owned it for 15 years, so you might understand how much he loved it. Bullets are worth even more than that 🙂
Hehe, maybe Akshat!
Totally agree with you. When I was doing my leh trip, I couldn’t figure out why were there so many bullet wale bikers. Like you said, there were two kind of bikes on the road: bullets and not-bullets. Then, just for the heck of it, me and my buddy decided to ditch riding our bikes for one leg of the journey and rent bullets for the leh pang gong-leh ride to experience the feeling that bullet riders keep going on and on about. When I took a test ride of a tbird 500, it was by far the worst handling bike I’ve ever ridden. It wasn’t very powerful either, and the tyres were awful. As we didn’t want to get killed, we dropped the idea of hiring bullets.
Now I don’t mean to disrespect bull riders, but all I want to say is there are much better options in the market today. Why would you intentionally make yourself suffer by riding a quarter ton pile of metal with wheels?
Glad someone agrees with me! And you are one of those rare people who got the point I was trying to make in this article.
Hindi ka ek muhavara yaad aata hai. “Jab Haathi sadak pe chalti hogi, ……………………..”
Haan ye baat bhi sahi hai ki kutch kamiyaan hote hain. Unhe bhi RE ko door karna hai. Har ek machine maein kamiyan hote hain. RE mein kam – If the machine is new, then severe vibration is there. After 2 years / 15000 km it is very smooth. Only for your knowledge. Not for debate OR Argument.
I thought the vibrations became worse with time? This is new info for me 🙂
a very subjective narrative. it has more of the writers personal “feelings” than substantial evidence to the allegations.
Well, yeah! This is my personal blog, so I think that is kinda given 🙂
Bhai Akhilesh, most of what you said is true but I guess lot has changed now for new RE models, besides try convincing a Soldier or a Cop to like plastic bikes over RE, I bet you will never succeed in that in your entire life.
(no offence, even I like duke but I chose to buy RE not to show off but I really like riding it compared to anything else for touring)
Happy and Safe Riding bro!
Haha, yeah, convincing anyone is a hard thing to do Abhay, as I’m sure you can see in the comments 🙂
Have fun on your RE! Cheers.
Akhil bro,
I use to ride road bikes and kinda hated RE for its weight and noise before I actually drove one myself. I rented RE in Delhi for 6 months and it was my very 1st experience with RE without any influence and I admit I struggled 1st month to get use to its weight and size , thunderbird 2007 model from karol baag, it had superb pickup with chilling vibration and speed upto 110, it had punjab big mouth silencer, and dude for some reason riding that thing made me feel completely different, I never thought I’d fall in love with such a heavy bike, I really don’t know how I started loving those things I hated the most until I experienced it myself, and from that time on I never considered any other bike to ride, I gave up my brand new bajaj 200 NS for new 500 CC fuel injector RE classic, and even though I spend more on maintenance every month I still don’t feel anything bad about it. And it could also be a matter of age as I was 26 when I started riding RE but if I was any younger than that I am not sure if I would have enjoyed experiencing all that illogical toughness.
Maybe it is matter of few years for you before you go through the same experience, and maybe you haven’t had the privilege or haven’t given yourself enough time to experience and understand that illogical feeling that most of us RE riders have!
I hope someday you will try crossing that fence again buddy, cause trust me it is worth, you just need to give it little more time ☺
It’s just that some men prefer playing with real guns!
Cheers
Abhay
Hehehe, hopefully that never happens, but if it does, I’d be sure to delete this article! Cheers.
Yes.. I’m owener of 500cc Desert Storm & its easy cruising speed is 80-90kmph. If you try to race then it easily goes upto 130kmph…Author said wrong. I agree with you. RE is RE, everybody has diffrent taste. I am proud to be Indian & using Indian (Chennai) made bike as well.
Awesome.