Best-ever Royal Enfield CraigsList ad

What if you wanted to sell this Royal Enfield?

 Here's the best Royal Enfield ad I've ever read on CraigsList. Catchy. Honest. Sincere. With links to descriptions of the accessories fitted. Good photographs, including a photo labeled with the selling points identified in the ad. 

And there is one element that, in particular, nails down the seller as a genuine fan of Royal Enfield motorcycles. I'll save that to the end. 

For starters, consider the way this ad, from California, begins: 

"I love this bike. Excels at nothing but does everything well." 

Wait: he loves this Royal Enfield INT 650 and celebrates its capabilities as an all-arounder. Yet he's selling it? That's what I call catchy. You want to know more.

And, boy, do you get it.

It's a l-o-o-n-n-n-g ad, including descriptions, with links, to accessories the seller fitted, all keyed to a labelled photo of the motorcycle.

You just don't get this on CraigsList, normally home to the lazy expression "what you see is what you get."

But this ad is not just a list. The writing is engaging, convincing you that the seller, like you, is an enthusiast.

Here's just part of the ad:

"It’s a right-down-the-middle retro bike with the updated safety, convenience, and reliability that you would expect from a modern bike. A perfect blend of form and function. RE’s goal with this platform to challenge the American market and they did it by building a great, stylish, unpretentious bike for half the price of the European competitors.

"The simple, surprisingly grunty twin puts out nice linear power, making for a fun, confidence-inspiring ride. At 650ccs and 50hp, I would be happy to recommend this bike to most anyone. Perfect for a beginner who wants something approachable that they won’t wind up bored of in a year or two. Great for a lapsed rider who misses riding but doesn’t miss the constant wrenching of a true retro. Awesome for an experienced rider looking to take it back to the simple basics.

"In short, it's the perfect bike for someone who just wants to cut through Santa Cruz traffic with groceries and their work clothes and get home in one piece, go cruising up through the redwoods on the weekends, and maybe take a summer road trip or two.

"When you look below, you’ll see that (almost) everything I have done to this bike has been in service of comfort and utility.... I’ve really leaned into the 'standard' of this modern retro standard: it will do it all."

Go read the ad to learn about all the "farkles" (as he calls them) he added to the motorcycle.

Numbers key to accessories added to the motorcycle.

But here is the ONE thing he did that really tells me he sincerely loved this Royal Enfield and what it represents:

He added "OEM 'Interceptor 650' side panels — Honda owns the rights to the name 'Interceptor' in the U.S., so around here they badge them 'INT 650.' Dumb name. I got these from British eBay for a touch of class."

That's classy. Who would even notice except someone who truly appreciates Royal Enfields?

So why is he selling? I wrote to ask and got this honest response:

"I just upgraded to a Honda CB1100, which fills the same 'naked retro standard' niche but does literally everything better. I just can’t justify keeping both."