Enfield Bullet 500
Royal Enfield is launching a back-to-basics Bullet, designed to keep the Indian-made British bikes in touch with the low pricing bracket that they’ve long been associated with.
The key selling point of the new machine, simply called the Bullet, is that it will retail for just under £4,000. This is £500 cheaper than the previously cheapers Enfield, the Electra EFI, and a full £2,000 less than the two-tone Fury EFI. The Bullet though still gets the latest EFI engine, catalytic converter and so on, so it will be much more everyday usable than older generation Enfields, and as such even competes with scooters as a left-field, low cost commuter machine, especially as it will be capable of 80mpg.
The bike will go on sale during June 2011 for £3,995.
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Wed, 25/05/2011 - 19:20
#2
'tis better value... I went to look at the Enfield as a possible commuter lured by the 80 mpg+ and I like old bikes. I didn't expect the build quality to be comparable to a Japanese bike but even in this context I was underwhelmed... The brush painted welds on the chrome parts for example.... A tad crude. I bought a Thruxton, not the same thing but within a few pounds of the Fury model.
At this price the quality might be more acceptable.....
Tue, 31/05/2011 - 00:50
#3
That's more like it Royal Enfield, at this price this bike should appeal to the cost consious as a viable commuter and help to convert a few more to the classic style bike too. Other marques prices have rocketed which makes this bike a bit of a bargain in these tough times. I had a go on a classic which was OK but I felt it was not hitting the mark somehow, this base model looks more convincing I feel with all the advantages of recent updates but being back in the roots of what motorcycling was about, that is cheap reliable transport that is fun too. Stick a Scottoiler on and you're away with minimal maintenance compared to the Enfields of the past.
Thu, 21/07/2011 - 21:17
#4
How generous of the importer. Or are they not selling as many these days? Someones still making a fotune check out the Indian prices for this delightful rehashed old ploder.
Perhaps a Jawa 350 would suit the bill, with no need for a scotoiler as it has an enclosed chain.
Thu, 21/07/2011 - 22:23
#5
I wonder what the Jawa actually costs to make and who makes how much on the way from the factory to day the keys are handed over to the proud new owner. I dare say a similar percentage of profit could be shown as with the Enfield.
This base model Enfield has obviously been brought into the range to bolster sales and not much appears to have been sacrificed in the process, making it a bit of a bargain for those who would consider an economical retro thumper for day to day commuting duties with a bit of fun thrown in. If my circumstances were different I could very well be one of those people.
Fri, 22/07/2011 - 06:42
#6
I wonder what the Jawa actually costs to make.
I was in the Jawa factory a couple of years back and it is heart breaking to see it. The building is massive and at one time was a huge and proud manufacturing concern. Judging by what I saw at the time it costs about thirty quid and half a curly wurly to put the bikes together.
They have developed a new model using an off the shelf four stroke engine. It does not look at all bad and I shall see if I can find a photo of it. The impression that some people have over here however is that the company are not that interested in actually selling the bikes but by developing it they continue to get government money thrown at them. Goodness alone knows the owners are not investing hellish much back into the place.
During my visit there I was taken to a dank, dusty room and shown inside. There were some priceless pieces of motorcycling history there including the GP bike that Bill Ivy rode. They are a company with quite some past. It is a shame what the communist regime did to it first and then lack of opportunity and subsequent apathy have done since.
I will try to go back soon and see if it is getting any better as I still have the contacts inside.
Wed, 21/09/2011 - 04:57
#7
I'm a european expat living in India since 2008 and ride an Enfield, although not this model. The fact of the matter is that the bikes are optically cheap on the European market but the models do not differ substantially from what's available in India where it retails for about 2000 GBP.
After riding one for two years I can safely say that yes, as a commuter bike it may work, provided you do not have to use motorways or any road where normal speeds could reach 90 km/h (55 mph) or above as neither the engine, the frame nor the brakes are designed to deal with high speeds. In India speed is a moot point anyway, occasions where you reach 90 are few and far between. What you'll need to watch in the beginning is build quality, which is truly abysmal. Nuts and bolts vibrate loose and detach, strange electrical problems pop up and the motorcycle doesn't like water one bit, it starts rusting faster than a piece of iron suspended in hot brine. This is likely to be a problem in the UK climate. After the first year I'd replaced all nuts with locknuts, replaced the wiring and life was sweet ever since.
Your life will get a lot easier -not to mention cheaper- if you can do the maintenance yourself, which is not at all hard with an Enfield.
It will give truly phenomenal fuel efficiency, my 350 cc does about 38 km/liter on average, you should be able to get about 33 km/l from the 500 cc version even when *ahem* driving aggressively. It makes for a good commuter (and I took mine 3000 km through the himalaya last summer so touring is certainly not impossible) but know that you'll get an old-school bike that needs to be treated gently, takes some TLC and won't go fast.
Wed, 21/09/2011 - 09:48
#8
It's worth bearing in mind the ones we get in the UK have had quite a lot done to them compared with the home models. The importer replaces a lot of items including many which are susceptible to corrosion, as well as tyres, brake shoes or pads and so on, while the factory itself is aware that expectations are higher in western export markets, and its export bikes use some higher quality components.
The latest engine is far better suited to higher speeds (I was going to say high speeds, but that'd be exaggerating...) and sustaining them than the older ones too.
Even so, you'd not want to do more than a short stretch of motorway on one, it will rust faster than average when exposed to a British winter and reliability is never going to be at Yamaha levels.
I've ridden the new 500 and I'll be posting a review shortly.
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For four grand you have to say that it is pretty good value. If it gets the latest engine etc and I assume, as it is on sale in Britain, that it has decent brakes etc then where have they made the savings? Is it kick start only, has carbide lighting, leather belt drive or ... ?