Who has a new Royal Enfield?

There was also the Super Meteor twin, a 692cc if memory serves. And yes, Royal Enfield is the oldest motorcycle company in the world that's been in continuous production. It goes back to between 1897 and 1902 depending on which account you read.

Since I think I'm the only actual RE owner who has posted I feel the need to clarify a few things.

No doubt, the older bikes needed a lot of work to keep going. As did all the bikes from the 50s. It's just that up until recently RE was still building pretty much the same bike, so where other makes had become far more reliable RE had not. The new engine is amazing and takes very little regular maintenance BUT the bike is still built in India at a factory that is running as hard as they can to keep up with demand. A few parts, like the sprag clutch in the starter, still aren't up to snuff and there are occasional reports of failure even on the new bikes. And to be honest the fit and finish is lower than almost anything else out there. These bikes are literally hand made, you can tell by looking at the welds which are all hand done. The workers truly do nudge things into place with hammers on the assembly line. Most of the problems are ironed out but it seems almost everyone has some minor problem or two in the first 1,000 miles. There are 2 or 3 total lemons I've seen on the RE board but to be fair, the company is pretty good with warranty. They even replaced one guy's whole engine.

When comparing to the Bonnie, well, the only thing these bikes have in common is retro English look. The Bonnie is a thoroughly modern bike dressed up to look like a vintage bike, and it that's what you want you wouldn't like an RE. The RE is a vintage bike, just with a modern engine. Most of the other parts on the bike would fit right up to a 1950s model without modification. The Bonnie has a modern, counter balanced, short stroke twin. The RE has a long stroke, unbalanced single. It's got lots of torque for its size at low revs but it's closer to the old engine, just with electronic ignition and EFI. Oh, and they finally put the brake on the right and the shifter on the left. The pre UCE bikes had the controls in those locations but they both pushed levers that went to the other side of the engine. It was really still set up British style with the gears on the right and there was a popular kit to convert back to that.

When comparing to the TU-250, well, no comparison in my mind. Don't get me wrong, I like the TU-250. It's a really nice bike but it doesn't have the authentic flare of an RE. Take a look at both bikes up close. The lines and the details on the RE are so much prettier. The TU looks a bit unfinished to me, not smoothed over. Don't forget, the 50s was the end of the industrial revolution and all the skills metal workers had gained over the last 50 years went into their vehicles. Swoopy lines and tanks were the order of the day. Also, the cylinder on the RE is dead vertical and the engine has certain proportions that come from having a chain drive between the engine and tranny, not gears like the TU and most modern bikes. It's a subtle styling queue but one I noticed. Maybe it's a little subjective but I think the REs look way better.

As far as rideability, the RE will do 70mph all day long if you really want it to. It's not very comfortable over 60 because of the wind blast but I've taken it up to 82mph terminal velocity many times. It doesn't get there in a super hurry but I've never had trouble merging onto the freeway. Also, about a month after I got the bike I rode from Portland, OR to San Francisco, CA and back. About 1,600 miles over 4 days. The only problem I had was a loose speedometer cable. I haven't ridden the TU but I don't know if it would be able to do all that.

These bikes are small by modern standards and I'd say they're not suited to high speed freeways. Aside from that, they aren't the fastest bikes out there but they are very capable. They all have a few quirks to iron out. Now, are they a bike for everyone? Not in the US, that's for sure. They shake, they rattle, they need some TLC. Like I said, it's not a retro bike, it's an old bike with a new motor. If you need to go fast, need your engine to purr as smooth as a kitten, or don't like futzing around in the garage on some small things, it ain't for you. If you have grease in your blood and appreciate old machines but only want to do about 10% of the maintenance that a real old bike requires, it might be for you. It it is, there's very little it won't be able to do.

To be fair, the price in the States and Europe is kind of high for what you get mechanically. You can easily get an SV-650 for the same or less, a far more capable motorcycle in many regards. You have to want the bike for what it is, not because it looks good on the balance sheet. The overriding sentiment on the RE board is that it's a bike that puts a grin on your face you just can't wipe off. I have to agree.

Scott