John Wheeler enjoys a virtual classic with it's very own 'grin' factor.
MOTOR BIKES/Road-testing the latest Royal Enfield: The Royal Enfield name will, for those of more mature years, recall the sort of machines that fathers, perhaps even grandfathers used to ride. Made in Britain until 1967, the original 1955 models are still being made in India.We've had the Royal Enfield flagship, the "Sixty - 5" on test for 3,000 kilometres. This is the classic looking 500cc Bullet, now with electric starting, five-speed gearbox and left-foot gear change. Though very much a piece of history, it leads the field in terms of sheer enjoyment, riding pleasure and "grin factor".
It's relatively cheap, economical to run and insure, simple to maintain and looks great. These rugged machines have many arduous rides to their credit. Many have gone from India back to Europe, including by colleague Geoff Hill. And at least one has completed a round-the-world trip.
The engine is the well-proven two-valve, single cylinder. By today's standards the 22 bhp power output at 5,400 rpm is very modest though, with strong torque at relatively low revs, the result is a real slogger. It sounds like it's firing once every lampost and feels as if it could pull out tree stumps. For newcomers it also has the advantage of falling well within the 25kW power limit so there is no need for restriction.
Performance is not heady. Typical of a machine of this ancestry, built before motorways were thought of, it's not at its best at constant motorway speeds.
The chassis is a single downtube steel frame with the engine and gearbox unit as a stressed member. The brakes are definitely "classic", being cable operated twin leading shoe at the front and rod operated single leading shoe at the back. Though not as powerful as disks, they are sufficiently effective.
Switch gear is conventional, the same used on Suzuki's Hyabusa. The clutch is cable operated. Seat height is 760 mm.
It takes an expert to spot the difference between a 1955 Royal Enfield and one made yesterday. Often you will be congratulated on having restored it so well. Those who have never ridden an "old British bike" will be pleasantly surprised by the slow revving low-down power. It's not a machine that needs generous helpings of throttle to get it moving.
Rarely is there a need to change down going uphill or heading into a strong headwind.
The five-speed gearbox is a huge improvement on the original four-speed and has much better spaced ratios. Top, or fifth gear, is high, almost an overdrive and rarely used below 50 mph.
The biggest surprise is how light the machine feels and how well it seems to hold the road. Cornering is a sheer delight and in places where much wider tyred modern machines have had difficulty staying in contact with Mother Earth, the Royal Enfield behaves as if it were on rails. The 19-inch wheels help smooth out the worst our Irish roads can offer. It handles well with two up and our pillion critic declared it "quite good".
This machine will happily burble along all day on highways and byways. Its effortless cruising speed is in the 60-65 mph range. You can use a motorway but it encourages you to seek out routes which are more in keeping with its ancestry.
The Royal Enfield can accelerate quite briskly. With good observation and careful planning reasonable progress is attainable. In the town and suburbs it can easily pull well ahead of the four-wheel pack.
A couple of minuses . . . the indicator warning light is so minuscule that it can only be noticed at night and the standard horn is less powerful than the village shop doorbell. We also had an indicator problem, eventually traced to poor location of the flasher unit which was not properly insulated from vibration.
For those who like to customise, several British specialist firms offer a comprehensive range of engine tuning parts and extras such as individual leather seats and 1960s-style panniers and fairings. For under €6,000, a virtual classic, performing well, a pleasure to ride and cheap to run.