Royal Enfield reviews

I'm at 1500 miles in 4 months, and have been riding my Electra mostly to and from work. It allows me to really enjoy my commute, and to save quite a bit on gas in the process. I've had no problems with the bike; it's a fun ride and very reliable. The only thing I'd change would be to raise the seat a bit, but at 6 foot 5, not much really matches my height. Show less

A 1950s motorcycle still being made today. People may complain about maintenance, minor leaks, etc. Well, back in the 50s and 60s these weren't major problems, they were a reality with all brands. Owners back then didn't mind making adjustments and getting their hands dirty, it was part of ownership and brought you closer to your machine. You want the look of an old bike with modern reliability? Buy a new Triumph, and it will feel and sound like a new Honda. You want a real classic bike? Buy an old bike and restore it OR buy a brand new Royal Enfield. The amount of parts and upgrades you can do to these bikes are extensive (not expensive). And reliability is what you make it. Yes old bikes require more love, but this brings you closer to your machine. No bike I have ever owned has given me the satisfaction and joy that the Royal Enfield Bullet has. You are literally riding a piece of history when your thumping down the road on one of these. Nope, they don't perform well on highways. Those types of roads didn't exist when these motors were designed. Stick to backroads/take the scenic route and the bikes performance will shock you. They are easy to fling through corners, they handle really well, and there is quite a bit of torque on these 500cc machines. Not to mention they are very nice looking bikes. To be perfectly honest, I have had a few VERY minor issues with the bike. Some of these issues, in the hands of an incompetent owner, may trigger a negative review. But the competent owner, or should I say real motorcyclist, will buck up and fix it. And that's the beauty of them, they are so easy to fix, all you need is the shop manual and the ability to follow instructions. No need to take it to the dealer and get charged $500 for it to be hooked up to a diagnostic computer. The reality is if you want a real classic bike, which will give you the full experience, you cannot go wrong with the Royal Enfield Bullet. Show less

Just wanted to give an updated review. I've got 500 miles on the bike now and it's been pretty enjoyable and fun. No major mechanical issues except a wire that came loose and caused some frequent stops for a day or so trying to figure out why the motor kept shutting off. I was able to take care of it pretty quickly myself without having to take her into the shop....which is the wonderful thing about these bikes. They are so simple that as long as you have taken care of them and done your preventative maintenance, if anything does act up chances are it is nothing major and can be taken care of yourself pretty easily. Still, if you are looking for 75mph+ speeds, look elsewhere. You'll just tear up an Enfield in it's stock form. But for 50mph or so cruising it sure is fun!!! You will be surprised at the number of folks who stop and talk to you about it. Show less

First off, I've rated it as a 4 star just because that's what it seems to have earned so far. If my opinion changes I'll let you know. Now, I've only got 70 miles on it but I am pretty pleased. Over all workmanship seems pretty good. As good or better than several Japanese models I looked at. Sounds like a RE, and runs real smooth. Starts with the push of a button and usually on the first try with the kick starter. It's pretty comfortable all things considered. I'm a tall guy and I don't feel cramped or uncomfortable. Granted I haven't taken any long runs. I haven't had it over 50 mph yet just because I plan on breaking it in nice and slow and the roads I travel to work on are 45mph anyway. But it cruises nicely and seems to have some good bottom end. I don't think this would be a bike for someone wanting speed and intersate highway commuting and what-not but for cruising the backroads it's a good choice IMO. Show less

I only have 240 miles on the Electra, of which the dealer rode 107 miles to test the bike. So far I am very pleased with the bike as I break it in at speeds under 50mph for the first 500 miles. In fact I love it so far. Handles like a dream, nimble as a small dirt bike, and absolutely beautiful to look at. Very vintage looks. don't buy this bike if you don't like attention. Definite eye candy. I am very excited about the prospect of riding this bike after the break-in period. I believe the Royal Enfield Bullet Electra will be in my garage for as long as I ride motorcycles. Yes, if you like to tinker with a bike, do most of your maintenance, and you consider yourself an individualist, then this might be the bike for you. Show less

I bought this bike because I liked the retro style. Many times when I ride the bike people always ask me questions or comment about how good the bike looks. The only problem I have had was a bad transmission - which my dealer is replacing under warranty. I have been very pleased with the bike and have taken short road trips with no problems. The engine keeps getting better as it breaks in. At this point in the break in the engine excels in the 50-65mph range on the highway. I have had up to 75mph. If you like the retro look and the feel of a torquey thumper, you will like this bike. Show less

I watched the evolution of the Royal Enfield line for several years. I saw the inclusion of the 5-speed gearbox, general improvements in quality, and and a gigantic increase in available accessories. I finally bought an Electra becuase I liked the new engine. At first, I thought I'd made a mistake -- that I should have bought a Bonneville -- because the bike was so slow and weak. But, I took the time to break it in gently, and I found out that these bikes aren't wimpy after all, they're just tight. I installed a performance kit to let the little motor breath better. What a difference. I can keep up with traffic on any road and cruise at 70 with about one third throttle left. With every mile, I am happier with this bike. It reminds me of the roadsters of my youth, but better (things don't fall off and it doesn't bleed all over the garage floor). Show less

This is not a sport bike, but it's light and handles very well. This is not a touring bike, but it will take you just about anywhere you want to go. This is not a big, fat cruiser, but it gets nods, comments, and the thumbs-up wherever I go. The mileage is hard to beat at around 70 mpg, the styling is excellent. The quality has improved greatly over the past several years. Everything about the bike screams classic motorcycle. The bike gets a little better every time I ride it. don't be afraid to turn a wrench and care for the bike like it says in the manual. Proper run-in is extremely important and it needs a lot of TLC during these formative miles, but the end result is a solid, economical, extremely stylish motorcycle. Show less

I bought a 2003 RE Bullet Deluxe second hand from a NC grad student who purchased it new. The bike had 475 miles on it when I bought it. The previous owner was replacing the spark plug due to fouling every 50 miles or so. When I got the bike home I found it would start missing badly above 1/4 throttle and did not shift well at all. I wound up ordering a 34mm Mikuni carb kit and cured my missing problem. A clutch adjustment cured the shifting problem for the most part and she seems to run a bit better every time I ride now. Now I will be the first one to tell you, these aren't for everyone. But, I'll also say I wouldn't have thought it was for me till I started fooling with it. Along with Pete Snidal's excellent tech manual for these I have been able to troubleshoot and fix every little problem to come along, and probably could have tuned the stock carb if I would have received the manual before the carb kit, and I have never been one to turn a wrench before. With this bike, it's actually fun and rewarding to tinker, or "fettle about" as the Brits like to say. If you are thinking of buying one of these, be forewarned. It will probably have some teething problems and will not run like a comparably sized Japanese machine. The "run in" procedure must be adhered to and the first 500-1000 miles is critical. Even once this is done and it is running right it will never be a sportbike (contrary to the importer's cafe racer kits for it). What it will be is nice rugged solid transportation that yields about 70mpg and gets lots of looks and draws much conversation. It's great on the back roads and around town and though I've not tried it (yet), many people around the world use it like an adventure touring bike. I wouldn't call it a great beginner's bike because the beginner needs to concentrate on developing riding rather than wrenching skills first. It is probably the perfect training bike if you want to learn about working on vintage motorcycles as they are extremely straight forward and the importer has excellent parts and tech support. This alleviates the extra hassle of having to track down parts or second guess the quality of used parts. I personally enjoy being able to work on mine myself and not having to rely on the local motorcycle repair shops that either won't work on a machine that is not mainstream, or taking 8 weeks for a simple job. Show less

I have had my 500 "bullet" for about three weeks now, and have a little over 600 miles on it. Sure it had a few "new bike bugs", but all in all I LIKE IT ! Checking milage, so far I have averaged 58.4 miles per gallon on it. It's no "hot rod", but it cruises at 60 miles per hour as easily as any other bike. The key is to have the 18 tooth front sprocket installed. This lets the bike run easier at higher speeds with fewer r.p.m.'s. With the heavy fle wheels, the bike still has plenty of torque. Show less