Motorcycle Safety & Driveability: Motorcycle, honda cb450, harley sportster

Question
Given that the Royal Enfield 350cc bike is small-engined and of low performance by current standards (and is not Amrican) what is the general opinion of the bike otherwise - reliability, serviceability, comfort, mechanical noise, convenience of controls and the other usual considerations.
Thanks
Tony  

Answer
Tony,

Thanks for the question.

Generally, the current offerings from Royal Enfield are considered to be a curious mix of qualities. Essentially a "modern classic" but lacking in the "modern", it's still the same bike you could buy in India (which is where it's made) almost 50 years ago. It has had "refinements" over the years, but certainly not 50 years worth of refinement. Contrast that to the Harley Sportster, which is about as old but has had at least enough updates to make it a passable, reliable vehicle suited for general use. I'm not so sure I'd trust the Enfield to get me back and forth to work each day.

That said, please understand I'm not saying the Royal Enfield bikes are trash or not worth riding. They have a certain charm, little time machines that they are. They are fairly reliable; decades of building them has worked out most of the bugs, but keep in mind they are originally an (old) British design. So I'd carry a good selection of tools, and maybe a spare spark plug or two. As for comfort, they are a comfortable riding bike in a quaint sort of way: wide handlebars, sit-up riding position, kind of like riding a 1970's Honda CB450 or (not surprisingly) an old British bike, a la Triumph, BSA and so forth.

There is a small but solid American dealership system in place, and spare parts are very easy to get. Locating parts online is not difficult. Getting a "dealer" to actually work on it may be more of a challenge, but outside of engine rebuilds, most repairs can be done by independent shops or yourself, if you are so inclined, since the design is quite simple.

The controls on the bike I rode were Western standard, and worked fine. There is a LOT of mechanical noise, which is to be expected of an air-cooled single with no attention whatsoever devoted to making it "mechanically quiet." It's not obnoxious, but you always know it's there. The stock exhaust is tame, emitting a constant "fump fump fump" as you go down the road.

Overall, it's defintely what I would call a "play bike", something you ride not too far from home and definitely when you are not in a hurry. They are good looking in the classic sense (and most non-riders think they are restorations), and the price is less than what you'd pay for a restored Britbike. If you think they are cool, there's no real big reason NOT to get one, just understand they are not made by Honda and plan accordingly. If you want to commute, tour or go fast, make sure it's not the only bike you own.

Thanks,

Bill Roberson