Royal Enfield reviews

Here's an exercise: What do you enjoy about motorcycling? Seriously, think about the best times you've had on two wheels and a motor and consider what made those the best times. Each rider will have a variation on multiple themes. I have commuted, toured, and explored on motorcycles. Some of my destinations have been hundreds of miles away, some just 10 miles away. I have enjoyed many motorcycles from a Honda 160 Dream to a BMW R1100R. With about 150,000 miles on two wheels and about 50 years on and off of two wheels, I have developed some preferences regarding what situations to avoid and which to seek. I try to avoid: interstate highways, many miles in a straight line, bikes that fatigue me, frequent fuel stops, bikes that are so thirsty that a four wheeled roadster would be more economical, bikes that are not designed for challenging terrain and of course, bikes that break down without any hope of a roadside repair. I seek winding, hilly country roads loaded with blind corners and perhaps livestock. I like lonely stretches where I don't feel pressured by traffic to go with the (illegal and insane) flow. A mount that is not perturbed by a bit of broken pavement, sand, gravel or other less than ideal surfaces. I like to be able to obtain fuel economy that is remarkably better than my four wheeled alternative. I like to hone my riding skills without breaking bones or traffic laws. I am in a state of gradual physical decline that is not unusual for those that have been alive for more that an fistful of decades, so I also seek to avoid motorcycles that I can't get back up on their wheels (unassisted) if they should fall. Chances are good that you don't agree with me on the previous two paragraphs. If so, the bike that you would find ideal would not be the same bike as I have found to be ideal. As you may expect, I have purchased and enjoyed a Royal Enfield Himalayan. If, like me, you are into comparisons of specifications, the Himalayan is far from impressive. That intrigued me, how could a motorcycle that is so numerically inferior be worth a second look, let alone a purchase? How could the moto-vloggers that rave about this bike have a rational perspective? Do the numbers misrepresent the case? Some folks seem to have never experienced the need for speed, the need for a shot of adrenalin prompted by the wide open throttle of a powerful machine, the ability to out accelerate and out run nearly everything else on the road. Others of us have done that, been there, and don't care to go back. Is the perfect road less perfect at a slower speed? In this time of inflation, a Royal Enfield Himalayan may well cost less new than many of the used bikes for sale. Once past the test of patience known as the break-in period, my Himalayan became more of a joy. As the miles have increased, the rough edges of the machine became smooth and I was also honed to a different edge. I hope that this is true for many riders of their individual favorites, the machine begins to conform to the rider and the rider to the machine. I quite enjoy the average fuel economy of more than 75 mpg, the range of more than 250 miles per tank and the improvement in top end response as the parts become more familiar with their mates. The greatest test this year will be a trip of at least 800 miles near the end of summer. My typical Google Maps options are no highways, no tolls and no ferries. While the Himalayan can attain 70 mph, I don't care to use it that way. I get to enjoy more of America by actually having a bit of time to look at it, albeit at the cost of delaying my arrival by an hour or so. Is the Himalayan for you? To answer that question, you must assess your expectations, then learn about the motorcycle to see if it can fulfill them. Show less

I have now had my Ravishing Red Int. 650 for a year and a half. It still runs, looks, and sounds PERFECT. I love the modest but torque filled performance of the butter smooth six speed gearbox. I had to get a custom leather aftermarket seat for comfort, but absolutely LOVE this bike. Show less

I really love this bike for riding around town. It's great that it has a 3 year warranty. It's peppy too, great for twistys and always gets compliments wherever I go. The cons, it's not always easy to get parts and go on eBay to get anything I want because it's faster/quicker than what the dealer can do. Also, not happy with the dealership (Paradise Harley), who's the only one in town that sells them. And the 1st service, (the valve change), is $400. Other than that, I really love the bike. Never had any problems, and feel like it's a solid investment if you like this kind of bike. Show less

Having had about 20 different motorcycles over the years, I finally found a bike that encompasses all of the features that make a motorcycle a true joy to ride. The Enfield is light, maneuverable, simple, economical and simply a blast to ride. The sound of that 500cc single is constant music to the ears. I've enjoyed all the bikes I've owned, but the Royal Enfield is pure joy and has become my favorite! Show less

I love this bike. I don't care much for modern bikes, so this fit the bill perfectly. It's brand new, parts are available and it is beautiful. It actually looks and feels like a motorcycle. But, do not compare it to Japanese bikes. It may be brand new, but it is still very much a vintage British bike. It has a long stroke engine with a low redline. I wouldn't recommend riding it over 60 mph. for any length of time. Speaking of time, that's exactly what this bike is. It's a time machine that takes you back to a simpler era. I have never ridden a Japanese bike that came anywhere near being this much fun. If you want speed, look elsewhere. If you love vintage bikes, and understand their limitations, this is for you. Show less

I bought this bike from a dealer in Missouri. It is perfect for an around town and commuter bike, much more so than my bigger bike. I've never been on something that corners so effortlessly. If you haven't checked out this dealer you must! Randy is just the best and it really matters to him that you get the bike you want. Show less

I bought the RE G5 Classic in March and have put 5,000 miles on it. I have ridden it from sea level to 8000' and from 110 degree temps to 35 degree temps. The EFI does an amazing job of keeping up with all the climate changes. It starts well with either the electric starter, or the kick starter. I like to use the latter most of the time. It has had its top speed run to a remarkable 84 mph. and has a grand 19 bhp. at the rear wheel. It is enough to easily handle city traffic. It has been averaging about 72 mpg. over its lifetime. It's very comfortable, I have many over 200 mile days on it from the mountain twisties to the freeways of SoCal. It handles quite nicely, but don't expect it to stay up with modern bikes with good riders in the twisties. There just isn't enough rubber on the ground! But it will easily stay mid pack of any group. It cruises easily at 65 on the freeway although it is accompanied with a bit of vibration, but doesn't put any bits of my body to sleep as my old Yamaha SR500 or some other old English bikes I've owned, singles or twins. The only problems I've had with it are a loose connection in the side stand safety that caused some occasional misfiring, and the OEM Avon tires that are not compatible with my riding style. Replacement Dunlop K-70s made me a very happy camper. I work on the bike more than I have worked on any bike since I had a Nortless (Norton-Matchless) cafe racer, because it is easy and fun to work on. Most modern bikes are a real problem to work on so I don't. So, since I work on it a lot, I have to do something to it, so it's slowly morphing into a cafe racer. I'm currently waiting for some rear sets for it and I may change the seat. Otherwise it is mostly finished. Maybe I can get back to work on my GB500! Show less

Granted, I'm a new rider and this is obviously my first motorcycle, but I love my 2011 G5 Classic. Before buying I read tons of reviews, all of which were positive, especially the Jay Leno one, and since the price was significantly less than a Moto Guzzi V7, Triumph Bonneville and HD Sportster, I knew this would be the one. So now that I've put 300 miles on it in a bit less than a month, breaking the engine in according to the owners manual, mainly commuting to work and just riding around town, I totally love it. It starts up everytime with the EFI, no false neutrals, handles wonderfully. Just make sure your tire pressure is 20 in the front and 30 in the rear. The dealer had mine set way too high, which caused a pretty noticeable wobble at medium speeds and in turns. This was totally fixed once the tire pressure was set to owners manual specs. Another great thing about this bike is the Royal Enfield USA website has a very active community forum full of riders and wrenchers to share your experience with, always willing to offer advice and help out if you need it. If you buy the bike new, it also comes with a 2-year warranty for peace of mine, but I don't anticipate having any problems. These new EFI UCE bikes are really known to be trouble-free machines. Show less

I picked her up and drove her home in the rain last Saturday. Only out for a 30 km. ride one evening this week. Anyway, I've owned a lot of bikes over the last 35 or so years of riding. This one really reminds me of my 1972 BMW R60. Not tons of power, but tons of fun to ride. I had it up to 100 kms./hr., just breaking it in so I'm going easy on it. I did try a 2010 Bullet out and had it up to 130 kms./hr. So I know that they can get up there. It feels a little loosy goosy on curves if you push it hard, but then so does my 2006 Harley Street Glide. But that's not why I bought it. I was looking for an older bike from the '60s to play around with, love the old school bikes. I even tried an '09 Triumph Bonneville T100' but didn't care much for it. They were trying too hard to make it nostalgic, I guess, but cheaply built and very cheap parts. So any how, I heard about the Enfields, read reviews, watched videos on UTube, eyeing one up at the local dealer for over a year now, took the plunge and brought her home a few days ago. It even has a nice deep sound through the exhaust. It has lots of low end torque, pulls really hard, which impressed me, tons of parts available to customize it, etc. But I'll put some more miles on it and give a better review. Show less

don't get me wrong, I still love my Bullet. Over the last couple of months I have encountered some severe winds while covering doing some freeway miles. I know that the Bullet is not meant to be a freeway bike, and I would prefer not to have to take it on the freeway (it is only a 500 single after all.) But gas prices and time constraints dictate that sometimes you have to get somewhere in a hurry. 40-50 mph. gusts can be downright scary. A strong head-wind has limited me to an indicated top speed of around 55. As with any other motorcycle that I am aware of, a side wind will cause the Bullet to lean into the wind. A strong side-wind will cause a rather deep lean, which really causes the butt-cheeks to pucker when a truck passes and blocks the wind for a short distance. In strong winds, I have learned to expect to occupy every bit of the width of my lane in an effort to stay as close to the middle as possible. Lowering the rider's profile (feet on the rear pegs and chin on the speedometer) does help a little with both side and head winds, and is more comfortable in a strong head wind in my opinion, but still not ideal. Ideally I would not be riding on the freeway, or in high winds. Even so, it's better than driving, right? 5 star rating is still based on the fact that it is everything I could hope for from a 500 single with that much style. Show less