Why you want a Royal Enfield, explained

You want a Royal Enfield because you recognize it. 

 You should read Aayush Rathod's TopSpeed article about Royal Enfield and the popularity of motorcycles that look old-fashioned but function as well as modern motorcycles. 

It's entitled Retro Revival: How Retro-Styling Is Taking Over The Industry. 

I'm not so sure about the headline. The article provides no hard statistics to show that Royal Enfields or any retro-styled brand is outpacing other looks. As a former newspaper copyeditor, I know that the author of the article and the writer of the headline are often two separate people. 

But that doesn't mean the headline is necessarily wrong: we know that Royal Enfield is going Great Guns, and competitors are moving fast to muscle into the retro market worldwide. In the United States, Harley-Davidson and Indian are long on retro, and they are everywhere on our streets. 

"Everyone and their grandmas are eyeing such motorcycles," the author writes, and his explanation for why this is so strikes me as right on.

Read the article, which is well reasoned, nuanced, and amusingly written. But allow me to repeat and briefly expand on some of the points he makes:

Really old motorcycles were unreliable, leaking, vibrating contraptions. But they established the definition of "motorcycle."

Naked, with parts that you could see and recognize. Rugged (even if unreliable).

Simple (if crude by modern standards). Broken, they could be fixed without calling in a specialist.

Tight-fisted customers who needed to ride to work (not just to play) liked what they knew and bought it. Rathod compares the motorcycles of the day to denim pants. Never fully in style. Never really out of it.

Time created tremendous brand familiarity. Harley, Indian, Triumph, BSA, Norton. Even, in India at least, Royal Enfield.

The old motorcycles weren't just the thing of the moment. They were, to use Rathod's word, "timeless."

And modern motorcycles (always on the cutting edge) are not timeless. Simple as that.

But so what? Who values timelessness?

Rathod supplies the answer: effectively, everybody human.

Here's the proof: roll your retro out of the garage and see the number of times people signal their admiration, ask how old it is, and whether you "restored it yourself."

No, I don't mean that you're looking to be admired and, frankly, it's hard to have to admit that you didn't restore it; you just paid for it at a dealership!

My point is that the onlooker is the one experiencing the pleasant thoughts, perhaps of days gone by. Even a child will recognize an old-fashioned looking motorcycle as the storybook symbol of freedom, fun, and adventure.

This is natural but it's also not left to chance. Brands are selling this to you. Rathod observes that modern marketing of any product is more about telling stories than comparing statistics.

The formula is to establish a human connection and then make the sale. Nostalgia is a powerful emotion. So is the hunger for the "joy of riding" conveyed by the iconic image of the simple motorcycle.

A retro-style motorcycles likely will not win any war of statistics with a high-tech superbike (except on price). But it is far ahead on emotion.

Crudely put, the subhead on Rathod's article tells us to "Expect more retro sports bikes, retro ADVs, and retro cruisers in the near future because they're all the hype."

Hype? Well, OK.

But sales actually depend on more than hype. Money changes hands when customers see real value in a product. Retro delivers.

New car can't touch old Royal Enfield

 I hate buying cars. I recently bought a new (to me) car. It's a used Toyota. Toyotas are said to be dependable. Good. Because that should mean I won't have to buy another car for a long, long time. 

The problem, of course, is money. I'm a cheap guy, I admit. A friend tells me I need to open my wallet occasionally, just to let the moths out. 

But there is an even bigger hurdle that makes shelling out for a car so painful for me. 

It's this: motorcycles are so much cheaper. 

Especially Royal Enfield motorcycles. Especially the new ones.

And, if you live in Florida, as I do, you can get anywhere you want to go on a motorcycle, all year 'round. I don't even remember what it is like to turn on the "heat" in a car. 

Sure, it rains it rains in Florida. (I enjoy riding in the rain, as long as it's not a hurricane.)

I can't bring home a Christmas tree on my Royal Enfield motorcycle. But Christmas only comes once a year.

You know what I notice most about my "new" car? It's full of "features." Safety features, sure, I love those.

Having a back-up camera will be nice. (Has anyone else noticed that the back-up camera, being on the dashboard, can't be seen when you turn your head to look out the back window, as you still must do? I think the back-up camera screen ought to be on the rear package shelf, where its wider field of vision might be a help.)

In context, my Royal Enfield motorcycle, of course, doesn't even have a reverse gear. If it's going to back up it's because I'm (slowly) pushing it backwards. No back-up camera needed.

Most of the features of my "new" car are fundamentally entertainment features. How many speakers are there? Six? All to keep me amused because driving a car is, basically, a bore.

In fact, some of the safety features are there to keep the car in its lane if I get so bored I stop paying attention.

Riding a motorcycle is never boring. You'd better pay attention.

The new automotive technology is amazing (and amazingly expensive, of course).

My "new" Toyota has an eight-speed gearbox. This car replaces my previous Toyota, which had six speeds (and I thought that was a lot). The goal of having more gears is saving gas.

For miles per gallon, my "new" car still won't touch my vintage Royal Enfield motorcycle.

Someday, late model cars may catch up with all the advantages of my 25-year-old Royal Enfield.

But, my gosh, what will they cost then?

Shock! 2001 invoice for Royal Enfield

Invoice for my 1999 Royal Enfield Bullet. 
Actual out-the-door cost in 2001 was $4,100. 

 How much did you pay for your Royal Enfield?

Look up that old bill of sale. The answer may surprise even you. (I'm still amazed at what I paid for mine.) 

Recently a 1986 invoice for a 350cc Royal Enfield Bullet purchased in India went viral. Here's why: the 1986 price struck customers in India as incredibly cheap compared to what a Royal Enfield costs in India today. 

Judging by the number of times this 37-year-old invoice showed up on social media, the price "increase" over time was seen as flabbergasting. But in fact, the reverse was true. It was the 1986 price that, adjusted for inflation, was more expensive. 

Jorge Pullin notes on his blog My Royal Enfields that the 1986 price on the invoice, adjusted for inflation, is actually more than a Royal Enfield 350 costs today! 

And, indeed: today's Royal Enfields do seem incredibly cheap to me. 

Here's why: my 1999 Royal Enfield Bullet came with no electric start, no ABS, no passenger seat and a headlight so dim you have to squint into the darkness to see anything. Tripper navigation, five (or six!) speed gearbox and disc brakes were unthought of when I bought my Royal Enfield in 2001.

Yet my Royal Enfield Bullet cost me $4,100 U.S. dollars, and I considered that a real bargain at the time. (At the time I considered almost any motorcycle a bargain, compared to the automobile I would have needed to buy instead.) Adjusted for inflation, that price was the equivalent of $6,900 in 2023.

Today that will buy you a technically vastly superior, brand new 2023 Royal Enfield motorcycle.

Now THAT is a real bargain.

Me leaving work in 2001 on my new Royal Enfield Bullet.

Is a Royal Enfield fixer-upper a good deal? Is love?

A sad old Royal Enfield. Low miles. But why doesn't it run?

Got your eye on buying an old Royal Enfield that might just need a little fixing up?

I recently corresponded with a gentleman who ended up buying a 2003 Royal Enfield Bullet that didn't run. As we discussed it, the question of how much to offer kept coming up.

I'm not a mechanic, so my reaction was that no price could be too low as long as the seller wasn't  willing to even try to get it going. Maybe some fresh gas and jumper cables would have produced at least a couple of hopeful hiccups.

But the buyer was confident of his mechanical abilities and was looking for a project anyway. So he made the leap. I hope it works out.

If the thing indeed just needs gas and a battery, he got a nice bargain.

More money (and thus more risk) was involved in another email conversation, this one with a man eyeing a 1968 Royal Enfield Interceptor. Fixing a common 15-year-old Bullet, with parts galore available from India, is one thing. Fixing a rare 50-year-old British motorcycle is another.

Despite its age and rough condition, the would-be-buyer thought it would still be a "worthwhile investment."

I know little about classic Interceptors, except that they are impressive in every category, including power, performance, style, beauty and asking price. So I kicked the question to Chris Overton, a Royal Enfield enthusiast who knows them well.

His reply:

"The word 'investment' in his letter may just be an unfortunate word choice. The economics of fixing up bikes is well known, and the book-keepers equation does not balance without a substantial measure of emotion or neurosis as a sort of thumb on the scales."

That sums it up pretty well, I think.

Even a non-mechanic like me has had the experience of encountering a needy old vehicle with some admirable traits and thinking "I could fix that. I could save it. I can imagine how wonderful it could be again."

In my hands, too many times that story has ended with the object of my enthusiasm going to the junk yard. None of those vehicles ever cast a sad eye after me as I walked away.

We love things. Things don't love us back. But we love to forget that.

Here is a Holiday Guide to Gifts for Royal Enfield fans

What does a Royal Enfield fan really want for Christmas?

Here's a Gift Guide for the U.S. rider who really loves Royal Enfield motorcycles.

A Royal Enfield 2013 Calendar. The Royal Enfield Magazine calendar looks good. $13.08 on MagCloud. This print calendar comes with a free digital version for iPad, PDF or WebViewer.

A Royal Enfield book. A wide variety of outstanding Royal Enfield books are available from writer and motorcycle adventurer Gordon May at Royal Enfield Books. My favorite is "A Ride In The Sun"  by Peggy Iris Thomas. Gordon brought this book back from being long out of print. It's a young woman's story of her 14,000-mile ride across America on her tiny BSA Bantam motorcycle. Check out the picture:  she took her dog along! Note: You must order before Monday, Dec. 10 to be comfortable your book will arrive by Christmas.

Vintage stuff. Every owner of a classic motorcycle like a Royal Enfield treasures old stuff — the greasier the better. Visit your local antique shop or, if imagination fails, check out the online store Three Potato Four for somewhat insane suggestions. I like their vintage cans of "Nitro-9 for Motorcycles,"  $20 for the pair. Incredibly, they say they will ship these. Keep them away from the menorah candles. For delivery in the U.S. get your order in before Dec. 17.

Brit bike wear. Her Majesty's Thunder offers truly inspired t-shirt designs by Chris Bartlett. Quality is high and you will like the prices. Order before Dec. 11 for international shipping or Dec. 18 for the U.S.

Beverages. Royal Enfield Beer? Ale? Wine? Gin? They're all "available," if you are creative enough to counterfeit a label on your computer, print it out, and attach it to an actual beverage bottle. My daughter did this for me and the results were totally convincing. Here's how: Web sites help you turn out a genuine looking label.

Toolbox stuffers. Every Royal Enfield Bullet comes with "toolboxes" handy for storing tools. Here's a list of things your motorcyclist needs to carry. Reader George Smith recently left a comment with another suggestion: a first aid kit! Got you thinking?

Anything else. Your online shopping center for Royal Enfield "stuff" from books to clothes to fenders and oil filters is NField Gear the online store of Royal Enfield USA. If you can't find it here you won't find it. The site is conveniently organized and nearly all items are pictured. Best to order by Dec. 18 for delivery by Christmas Eve.

Merry Christmas from me to you and yours.

Royal Enfields look sooo cool, but should you buy one?

Older Royal Enfields don't just look old fashioned. They are old fashioned.

Should I buy a Royal Enfield motorcycle? One of the old ones? Or one of the new ones?

These questions keep popping into my mailbox. Here's one that's typical, from "Stu" in Pennsylvania, who is considering a 2009 Royal Enfield Electra:

"In my discussion with the salesman, he said that if I intended to ride it on weekends and not want to work on them, that I should not buy it. That the Royal Enfields need maintenance on a regular basis, even new ones. Spoke of oil problems. Also, said I would need a wrench on a regular basis to tighten up nuts as they become loose due to vibrations. Now, I planned on riding it occasionally in the spring/summers. I live in Pennsylvania and was looking forward to this. But I am not a mechanic, and the closest dealership is 200 miles away, so I would not be able to take it to them. The motorcycles seem sooo neat!!!!!!! I appreciate it if you let me know your opinion."

Dear Stu,

I am not a mechanic, and I have ridden my Royal Enfield Bullet 40,000 miles. Now. That being said, the motorcycle keeps trying to make a mechanic out of me. Little things demand attention: a screw disappears, so you find another one in your junk drawer and put it in. The horn bracket breaks (from vibration) so you find a piece of metal in the garage, drill a hole in it, and make a new horn bracket. The clutch cable breaks, so you order the part, disconnect the broken cable and connect the new one. The valves make a rattling noise, so you open up the little door, take the wrenches from the tool kit, and tighten the valve adjusters — but not too much. The motorcycle is hard to start one day, so you put in a new spark plug. Easy. You can do it. Little by little, you learn how to do a lot.

But. Is that what you wanted to do? Or did you want to just twist the key and go for a ride?

Dealers do their best to scare away riders who aren't willing to learn how to take care of the motorcycle because they know that most of us have been spoiled by the absolute bullet-proof reliability of Japanese products. They don't want you to be disappointed.

These days, people tend to think that if an appliance needs fixing or adjustment, it's a piece of junk. It didn't used to be like that. People used to think that an Electrolux vacuum or a General Electric toaster were better because you could fix them when they broke or wore out. They would last forever — if you kept repairing them. Today, you just throw them in the garbage and buy a new one at Target — it's cheaper than getting them fixed.

In fact, today they aren't made to be fixed. That's why you'll see a warning on the bottom of the electric mixer: "No customer serviceable parts inside."

The very newest Royal Enfields, with fuel injection, automatic adjusting valves and electronic ignition, need far less maintenance because they were designed in the modern era. But the motorcycle you are considering is a machine out of a time warp: roughly out of 1965. It is not just an old-fashioned looking motorcycle. It is an old-fashioned motorcycle.

That is the experience I wanted, and I got it, believe me! But if I wanted to go for a ride with my buddies on Harleys on the weekend with never a need for fiddling.... ummm. Last time I tried that, I was the only guy who had to walk back along the road to find the bit that fell off and put it back on. I didn't mind, of course. I expected it. I thought it was amusing. I was proud that I knew how to put it back on. But you might not find that so funny.

We love our Royal Enfields but we hate to disappoint you.

Royal Enfield is a little old, a little new, seller explains

1964 Bullet began life in Britain, lived it in India and now in U.S.

The pretty 1964 Royal Enfield Bullet offered for sale on eBay recently sparked a lot of Internet chatter about its authenticity as a product of Britain. One complaint was that people with questions weren't able to pose them to the seller. Had he blocked questions to avoid having to give inconvenient answers?

Apparently not. The seller edited the ad to apologize that not all questions were getting through — some did, including one I asked — and he provided his email address for anyone who couldn't reach him through eBay.

As for the motorcycle, it has a Colorado title, the seller says — and it's a motorcycle born in Britain, shipped to India and finished and restored there.

"I ... appreciate opening the discussion about the origins and authenticity of British vs. Indian Royal Enfields," he wrote, in answer to my question on eBay.

"This discussion could go on forever, and as you have seen, when you get down to it,  the lines of the who, what, and when become blurry the closer you look. I have spent a lot of time in India motorcycling as well as lot of time looking and learning of the history of these bikes. Most people in India, even the experts (of which I am not) and members of the RE business family have no idea exactly what every change was and when they occurred.

"I have been to the factory, and have even talked to the VP at the time over lunch in Madras years ago about the history of Enfield India and  its future (this was before the fuel injected models came out). I have looked at the ... Brit bike forums on this topic, and agree with many of them on what makes an Indian vs. British bike. I have a few 100-per-cent British Enfield Bullets as well, and am familiar with some of these differences. (Of course, there is always more to learn about these machines.)

"This is obviously not a 100-per-cent British bike. I tried to make it clear in the ad that this bike has a VIN, which I found through the REOC chairman in England, which is on record of being made in and leaving the Redditch factory. I used to own a motorcycle shop here in the states, and am active in vintage motorcycle clubs and scenes. I completely understand the mentality of the vintage purists, and I as well appreciate that level of authenticity.

"However, motorcycles are both a passion of mine, and a hobby. I have fun with it, try to not take it too seriously, and more than anything just love the machines; machines of all kinds. But especially Enfields.

"That being said, I do want to make it clear that I am most definitely NOT trying to pawn anything off on unsuspecting buyers. On the contrary, I believe I described what this bike is and which parts are NEW. As most people know, only the Royal Enfield factory in Madras, India is still making NEW parts.

"I recently edited the ad as I saw that it was not clear that there is a title with the bike — and  I do have a Colorado title that comes with this bike. This bike is being sold ONLY in the U.S., and this may be why people in Britain, Australia, etc. are unable to send questions to me over eBay, which may in turn look like I am blocking questions. I have received questions from many Ebay buyers, all stateside I presume, and have gotten back to each and every one."

Royal Enfield: Made in UK? Made in India? Or both?

Royal Enfield made in England, shipped to India.

A 1964 Royal Enfield Bullet for sale on eBay in Denver, Colo. is the inadvertent subject of Internet discussion about how to tell British-made Royal Enfields from those made in India.

The attractive motorcycle is offered for a Buy It Now price of $2,950. According to the seller, there is much more to like about this motorcycle:

"I personally purchased this bike in India from the original owner who has had it since 1964," the seller writes in his ad. "The bike and VIN has been verified by the chairman of the Royal Enfield Owners Club in England as 'Dispatched from Redditch on the 10th April 1964 to Enfield India.' I can provide a copy of this verification for the winning bidder. This Bullet had been well taken care of throughout its life and not abused like many of the Royal Enfields you see from India."

He goes on to detail a thoroughgoing restoration: everything from complete dismantling and rebuilding of the engine and transmission to new wiring harness, tires, DuPont paint and clear coat finish. The brakes have been upgraded. The seller will ship the motorcycle by air. The only mention of a title is that it is "clear."

The motorcycle went up for sale in the midst of a lively discussion on the BritBike Forum titled "Indian Bullet vs. UK Bulllet? What to look for?" 

"If I had two Bullets in front of me, one UK and one made in Madras, (other than obvious items like seats, signal lights, headlight frame numbers) how do I tell them apart?" the original poster asked. Answers ranged from humorous ("the UK one has clip-ons") to technical ( cast headstock from Britain, welded headstock from India) to equipment (steel tube center stand from India, cast alloy from Britain).

The eBay ad entered the fray when it was cited as "an example of what folks can try to pawn off as a bike built in India from parts made in Redditch."

"In 1964 Royal Enfield Redditch wasn't making any parts that would be considered correct on that bike. It was all Made in Madras, lock, stock, and barrel," alleged one writer.

Small differences, or large?

Another comment: "This photo nicely shows the bolted construction of the seat post tube that the India factory adopted. All Redditch versions of the early frame had formed tubes, which were welded at the seat post."

I don't know enough to spot the differences myself, so I wrote to REOC Chairman Graham Scarth to ask if the machine had in fact been considered by the club. He replied:

"The REOC has always considered that any bikes recorded in the Redditch ledgers were produced in the UK.

"These factory ledgers record 350 Bullets up to frame number 600xx (April 1964), which includes the machine the 'doubting Thomas's' are now discussing. The vendor provided me with photos of frame and engine numbers as requested and I verified the date.

"The bikes were supplied to Madras Motors up until June, 1956, all of these machines being completely assembled as far as we know. From July, 1956 they were supplied to Enfield India. It is believed that all these machines were supplied in kit form, with an ever decreasing number of components over the eight-year period.

"It is generally accepted that the tooling for the old frame went to India quite early on and that they revised the frame construction over a period.

"It is also obvious that they were producing their own mudguards/brackets quite early on as these are a different shape to those from the UK.

"Whilst the bike in question may well have some later Indian components, the photos supplied to me show the numbers quite clearly. They are not overstamped or tampered with, so the dispatch date taken from the Redditch ledgers is beyond dispute."

Buying used Enfield? Check the sprockets

Royal Enfield Motorcycles (this blog!) is starting to get comments like this one:

"I'm looking to buy a 2000 Bullet Deluxe 500 Military... any thoughts?"

The challenge is providing a meaningful answer. Does the questioner realize that the Deluxe and the Military are two separate models? Probably he is looking at a Military with all the features. What would you tell him? Here's what I said:

"2000 was a good year; there were improvements made mid-way through 1999. The advantage to the Military is that if there's a flaw or rust you can repaint it easily. Real military motorcycles weren't showpieces. Some owners complained that the metal pannier boxes rattled and were not well made. If that is a problem you can always replace them with canvas rucksacks typical of real military bikes of World War II vintage."

I also referred the reader to my post on How to Buy a Used Royal Enfield. My advice applies to most older model Royal Enfield motorcycles made in India. Here it is:

Buying a used Royal Enfield motorcycle is a bit different. For one thing, you probably don't have a dealership close by and, if you did, it may not have a used motorcycle in stock. If you buy used, you may have to buy from a private owner and that means "as is," and "where is." No warranty.

Furthermore, just about everything on a Royal Enfield can be fixed or replaced. There is no such thing as plastic side covers they don't make anymore. That is one advantage of a design that has changed so little over the decades.

Even items that are rare (some switchgear from some years) can be replaced by aftermarket goods. So, finding a Royal Enfield with a few counts against it may not rule it out if the asking price leaves room in the budget for some parts and repairs.

Obviously, you will want to avoid major engine or transmission work, out-of-round wheels and damaged wiring looms. If the motorcycle runs well, rides well and makes no disturbing noises, you may have done all you can to protect yourself from these sorts of unseen problems.

For the rest, a bit of detective work may be necessary. My Bullet has 41,000 miles on it. If I had been a potential buyer looking at it over the years, here are few things that might have bothered me:

1. Noise. My main bearing went bad at 40,000 miles. The noise it made was not loud, but it was distinctive and the key was this: the knocking came when I let OFF the throttle.

2. Sprockets. Look carefully for wear. My rear sprocket wore out at 30,000 miles. You can't see the front sprocket but take my word for it, it will need changing at the same time and it is a far more difficult and, thus, more expensive a job. If you see wear, ask for a reduction in the selling price.

3. Cables. They are not terribly expensive to replace but they do have the potential to strand you immediately. If you detect a weak clutch cable (I could when I bought mine), gently ask the owner if he has a new spare cable to throw in.

Finally, consider why someone sells a Royal Enfield. In many cases it will be because they thought they were buying a motorcycle that could cruise with their faster friends. Ask as innocently as you can "how fast can she go?" If the owner claims to have held 75 on the expressway you may be looking at an abused motorcycle -- or a liar!

A Royal Enfield that has been cared for and well sorted out by a previous owner could in fact be a better machine than it was when it left the factory. Items like better after-market mirrors, conversion to right-side shift, sprung seats, 18-tooth front sprockets and retro-fitted exhaust systems are often made by the first owner. They improve the Bullet greatly. By buying used, you may pick these things up at a fraction of their cost and none of the trouble to install them.

Why buy a Royal Enfield? It just moves you

Freelance motorcycle writer Jerry Smith has written an eloquent description of why he has wanted to buy a Royal Enfield Bullet. The item appears on his blog, Tread Life. But here's an excerpt:

"When I started riding motorcycles they all had point/coil ignition that could barely keep a spark plug hot enough to prevent fouling, skinny rock-hard tires with nail-attracting tubes in them, and wet-cell batteries you had to refill as often as the gas tank or they’d boil dry and die.

"This combination of sub-par systems meant you never really knew if you were going to get where you were going on time—or at all. You don’t get that with modern bikes, and that takes something away from the adventure that is riding motorcycles.

"But every time I look at a Royal Enfield, the possibility of getting stranded and having to push it home is the first thing that enters my mind. And for some perverse reason that makes me want to swing a leg over it and tempt fate."

Well said. Smith's comments certainly apply to the classic Royal Enfield. They do not apply so well to the new unit construction engine (UCE) models on the way, with their modern fuel injection and brakes.

But the point is not that risking a breakdown is high adventure. The point, I think, is that wrestling the bike into shape for the journey (even if it is just going out to breakfast) puts the emphasis on the joy of getting there. If it's just twist the key and go, why not take a car?

The added connection between rider and motorcyle is something that comes with every Royal Enfield so far, and I expect it will extend to the new ones as well. There will always be easier and faster ways to get where you're going, if all you want to do is get there.

Learning to love the new Royal Enfield

Dealers watch disassembly 0f UCE engine.

They rode the motorcycle! A dozen Royal Enfield dealers gathered at importer Classic Motorworks Feb. 12 and 13 in cold Faribault, Minn. They were there to learn to service the new unit construction engine (UCE) that will transform the Royal Enfield motorcycle when it arrives in the United States.

What they really wanted to do was to ride the one UCE motorcycle on hand: a lovely G5 Royal Enfield Bullet.They rode, in some cases, without helmets, without gloves and, in one case, even without a hat, in weather below freezing.

A look inside the new UCE engine.

It would be hard to imagine a group of people more enthusiastic about a motorcycle. But, in fact, there were three men on hand who fit that description.

These three were from the Royal Enfield factory in India, visiting Minnesota to introduce an amazing accomplishment: a Bullet that is faster, more reliable, nearly maintenance free and that doesn't seem to want to leak oil.

V. Vikram, K.S. Sarveswaran and Hari Kumar Kanakala did not hide their obvious pride as the Americans expressed surprise and delight at the UCE Bullet.The phrase, repeated over and over again, was: "this is a game-changer."

'Plastic Motor Works?' Oops.

Spanish dealer showcases Royal Enfields

Royal Enfield dealerships around the world vary in appearance but few can possibly be as nice as the new facility in Barcelona, Spain. Borja Basso Bosch, general manager of Royal Enfield for Spain, shared these pictures with us. This is the dealership for Barcelona and the headquarters for Royal Enfield in Spain.

The showroom was created in June, 2007. It shows a real designer's touch and the photographs show it off to advantage. Basso recounts the progress the brand has made in Spain:

"Royal Enfield was managed by another distributor for eight years. During this time no money was invested in the brand, marketing, showrooms, promotions, or press. We were the dealership for Barcelona during two years. We sold more bikes in one year in Barcelona than the distributor in the rest of Spain. We prepared a good business plan and we took over the brand six months ago.

"Now we are introducing the brand from scratch. We have opened six new dealerships and launched a marketing campaign. Also we are selling bike trips in India.

"We will finish our new web site in February: http://www.royal-enfield.es/

Why do owners sell their Royal Enfields?

Royal Enfield guru Pete Snidal recently spotted something about the motorcycles shown for sale here on this blog.

"I notice one thing all the Bullets for sale seem to have in common - can you guess what it is?" he wrote me.

Pete is the author of the acclaimed Royal Enfield Bullet owner's and workshop manual. He frequently chimes in on the Royal Enfield Yahoo message board to help troubleshoot problems owners experience.

But what could he possibly be seeing in the for-sale ads?

I guessed that maybe the Bullets listed for sale here tend to have low mileage. Obviously, some owners buy them and then sell them without riding very far. I was on the right track, but Snidal had something else in mind. He wrote:

"Look at all their exhaust systems. Something I discovered very early in life with Brit singles is that they became completely different machines with free-flowing (i.e., loud, requiring using your head about where and when to apply large gobs of throttle) exhaust systems. And that they were much less satisfactory when stock.

"An exception was the Velocettes with that monster Brooklands silencer, and the Goldstars, which already came with noisy mufflers. Some AJS/Matchless, too.

"My theory is that the owners who never 'bothered' with the first-stage mods, i.e., inlet and exhaust mods, just fell into the doldrums with their Bullets, and ended up putting them on the market. If you wonder, try putting your stock exhaust back on, and see for yourself.

"Instant Bow-Wow!"

Snidal was seeing the big, bazooka shaped factory muffler, which restricts performance, in the pictures of the bikes. Replacing it with a shorter and nosier silencer (and tuning appropriately) is an easy way to increase performance.

As Snidal observes, that makes for more owner satisfaction.

Big factory silencer affects performance.

You can buy a new C5 but can't have it yet

A brand new 2009 Royal Enfield Bullet Classic 500 motorcycle is offered for sale on eBay. You can Buy It Now for $6,970 but it will take a while to actually get it.

One clue is that the pictures with the eBay ad are from the Royal Enfield India web site.

The motorcycle is offered for sale by a dealer in Bellingham, Wash. I asked whether he actually had it in stock. The Bullet Classic 500, referred to as the C5, is the latest thing from Royal Enfield. In fact, you might say that it is the first really completely new thing from Royal Enfield India since 1955! It was introduced to the world just last fall and is just now on its way to the United States.

The seller answered: "The picture is one supplied to us from the distributor, and you are correct that this bike is still waiting to be released to the dealers. We will be shipping as they are released over the next 90 days or so. We will be seeing our first one for technical training this weekend."

Another shopper got this response: "This bike is a new model and is being released to the dealers over the next 90 days or so. Your order would be placed on a list and shipped as soon as it is released. You can call us directly at 866-411-8725 for more detailed info on timing of shipments. Thanks for your interest."

Let the bidding begin.

Royal Enfield sales soar as others tumble

London Bikers reports that Royal Enfield motorcycle sales in the United Kingdom rose 30 per cent in 2008, bucking a trend toward fewer motorcycle registrations in the country. That makes nine straight years of growth for Royal Enfield in the UK.

The news is good in the U.S., too, where Kevin Mahoney of Classic Motorworks reports:

"I hate to jinx the trend, but in December and January we out sold the same two months the previous year. In a very down economy we are very pleased. I think a lot of this has to do with the low price and high value that the Royal Enfield provides. Our new line of Bullets sets a new benchmark for reliability and economy and we are hoping this trend will continue."

Economy of operation has something to do with the sales in the UK, too, according to Ben Matthews, Royal Enfield sales director there.

But London Bikers goes on to theorize that sales there also were pushed by buyers who wanted to get an iron-barrelled, old-fashioned Bullet before the discontinued model was sold out. Meanwhile, even more economical and advanced new models became available, attracting buyers of their own. There was, at least for a time, something for everyone.

It's nice to read some good news these days, isn't it?

Imagine a world populated by motorcycles

There's a bumper sticker you sometimes see, "Motorcycles Are Everywhere." It is intended to remind other car drivers that they should be alert to the possibility that something small and vulnerable could be in a blind spot, or crossing the highway ahead. It's meant to encourage safe driving.

But it also points to something completely obvious: motorcycles are relatively rare in the United States. In most of the nation, they vanish from the roadways entirely five months of the year. The rest of the year they are weekend playthings, mostly. As a motorcycle commuter, I was in a tiny minority even here in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, land of year-'round sunshine.

I've written before about my envy of Royal Enfield riders in India. They have a chance to enjoy a companionship that I can't experience. Now I've come across something out of Britain regarding motorcycles in general that awakens that same feeling. Here's a press release from BCA, which bills itself as Europe's largest used vehicle auction company. They held an auction just for motorbikes.

"Peterborough was the hub of the UK motorcycle scene on Friday, 29 February when BCA in Boongate staged a special auction featuring 188 motorbikes. Records fell as 176 motorbikes were sold...

"Bidding was fast and furious on the wide range of motorbikes on offer including Ducati, Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, Yamaha, Harley-Davidson and BMW and a broad selection of scooters and mopeds from Aprilia, Gilera, Peugeot and Piaggio. There was even a vintage 1950 Royal Enfield on offer."

Imagine an auction just for used motorcycles! This particular press release is rather old, but BCA continues to sponsor monthly motorbike auctions. The next is Friday, Jan. 30, at BCA Peterborough. I can't make it, but that's not the point.

My point is that, obviously, if you're able to hold full-fledged monthly auctions, motorcycles (even used ones) are closer to the center of daily life. In fact, you could say, "Motorcycles Really Are Everywhere."

Buying used Royal Enfield? Look carefully

This blog lists used Royal Enfield motorcycles for sale in the United States. The information naturally comes from the sellers' ads and sometimes it raises real questions. Are the sellers being honest?

Let's go easy on them. It's quite common for Enfield owners to say our bikes are "from 1955" or that they are "English bikes." That's their heritage, and it becomes a shorthand way of talking about them. Is that what the seller is doing?

More seriously, fudging the year of construction (or, sometimes, the mileage) is a common dodge around restrictive registration rules in the U.S. Some buyers may be comfortable with that, if it gets them on the road. I can't object to this too much, if the buyer understands what is going on.

What does bother me is motorcycles being marketed as something they aren't, where the effect, even innocently, could be to mislead the buyer.

Since the Royal Enfield Bullet has been built for so many years in India, and India has such a culture of recycling and refurbishing goods, nearly any variation is possible. No problem, as long as the buyer know what he is getting.

Is that "1965 350 Bullet, made in England and restored in India" really what it claims to be? Or is it an Enfield 350, of whatever year, made in India and shipped into the U.S. with paperwork that says it is from 1965?

Looking at the picture, we might see up-to-date looking turn signals -- odd for a 1965 machine. But they could have been fit as part of the restoration. What about the right-shift transmission? That could indicate an original English motorcycle, but Enfields made in India had right shift as well. Many U.S. left-shift bikes have been converted to right shift, for that matter.

What about the Indian-style license plate, the little rectangular plate under the headlight? That says "India" to me. But an English style pedestrian slicer plate might not indicate a British bike, since these are popular accessories worldwide.

A glance at the history books provides a possible answer: The Bullet with separate Albion transmission came to an end in England in 1962; the Bullet name continued on in Britain, but on a motorcycle with engine and transmission in a single unit. That means a "1965" Bullet with the separate engine and transmission likely not only was restored in India, it was born there -- not England.

Does it make a difference? Not as long as the buyer is aware what he is buying.

2003 Royal Enfield is suddenly a 1955

Apparently the fellow advertising the 2003 Royal Enfield motorcycle smuggled into the United States in parts and then assembled has decided he was naive to include that information in his ad. The lastest CraigsList advertisement for the motorcycle simply says:

"I have a 1955 Royal Enfield for sale. This bike has only 300 miles on it, and is like new. Has the 500 cc engine, 4 speed trans, and shifts gears on the right side, not the left."

Previous ads were charmingly honest in describing how the motorcycle was shipped from India bit by bit and then put together. The bike hasn't sold, even though he tried moving the ad from CraigsList to eBay in an effort to sell it. Motorcycles naturally sell faster on eBay, with its worldwide audience. But this one didn't.

Why? Maybe the smuggling aspect scared off buyers. So now the seller is just advertising on CraigsList a "1955" motorcycle that somehow has only 300 miles on it. The advertised price is $3,500.

Judging by the chatter on message boards, lots of people seem interested in importing their own Royal Enfield Bullet from India. If that is what you want, fine. But this fellow's troubles seem to suggest you might have a motorcycle future buyers will shun. Just for reference, here is what the seller's ad said back in September, when I first saw it:

"Up for bid, 1955 Royal Enfield Bullet motorcycle with only 350 original miles. I don't know a lot about this bike, as I received it through a trade. This motorcycle was brought over to the US one piece at a time in 2003 until the entire bike was here, then assembled. Motorcycle was titled a 1955 (Arizona clear titled) because it shifts on the right side not the left like newer bikes. So what you're bidding on is a 2003 motorcycle with a 1955 title... This bike is outlawed in the state of California, but may be registered there because it has a 1955 title, and will not need to pass emissions. This bike comes with no warranty, and you're buying as is."

How to buy a used Royal Enfield in India

Jean-Paul van Buul has produced a useful blog about how to buy a used Royal Enfield when in India. He takes a hard-nosed and opinionated view of the pleasures and (mostly) pitfalls of dealing with buying, registering and riding a Bullet in a country that often confounds foreign travellers.

You know you are getting straight-from-the-shoulder tips when van Buul opens his blog with: "I would highly recommend a Honda." This guy is not misty eyed about the delights of a vintage thumper. Enfields are over-priced, over-rated and unreliable, he says.

But, then, you have to realize, van Buul is talking about riding in some pretty drastic conditions. This statement, for instance: "However the Big issue I had with the drum brake was when I was coming down from the Himalayas." Yeah, coming down from the Himalayas on primitive roads could be an acid test.

I disagree with van Buul on a couple things. He thinks points ignition is a problem because it never can be set perfectly. I would argue that, well, it doesn't have to be perfect, and you don't need a strobe light to come close enough to ride.

But much of his advice is probably right on target. One thing that surprised me was that he suggested paying more for a newer bike, even though India is capable of restoring anything. He is a colorful guy and his blog is worth a look. I especially like that he links to my own WikiHow article on how to buy a used Enfield in the United States.

Below is van Buul's video of himself crossing a river in the Himalayas.

Royal Enfield powers through Recession

India television is surprised and enthusiastic that sales of Royal Enfield motorcycles continue to increase despite the domestic downturn in two-wheeler sales and the "severe depression" in export markets.

Catch the happy tone (and charming accents) in this television news broadcast from Delhi. SCROLL DOWN TO SEE THE VIDEO. Reporter Sumantra Barooah of CNBC-TV18 tells it all:

"The brand positioning of Royal Enfield has helped it grow during the rough patch — though it’s a pretty intangible factor. The damp mood in the economy has not impacted the Bullet’s customers yet. Sales of the biking grand-daddy grew 20% year-on-year."