New Royal Enfield faces tough test

Overland Journal, the outstanding magazine about vehicle expeditions, will put a new Royal Enfield motorcycle to the test, in North America for starters.

The Royal Enfield Bullet is an adventure motorcycle everywhere else in the world. Riding the Himalaya Mountains on an Enfield seems to be the dream of every motorcyclist. They routinely cross continents and conquer the highest roads in the world. Now we'll see how the G5 Bullet, with its unit-constructed engine (UCE), fares on expedition here.

Overland Journal executive editor Jonathan Hanson proposed that Royal Enfield let him make the bike a project vehicle for the magazine. The Arizona-based magazine calls itself "The publication for environmentally responsible, worldwide vehicle-dependent expedition and adventure travel."

It is an impressively thick, bound publication on quality paper with quality writing and photography. Expedition products from Land Rovers to tent pegs are thoroughly tested. A two-year subscription (10 issues) is $80.

"The first trip I have in mind is a circumnavigation of the Grand Canyon, using as many back roads as possible and staying as close to the rim as possible," Hanson writes.

"I think it's the sort of trip a Royal Enfield is perfect for. No high-speed highways, no really nasty terrain, just lovely country suitable for a leisurely motorcycle ride, with some rough dirt roads mixed in with two-lane tarmac. The photo opportunities would obviously be spectacular.

"After that, who knows? I know a really cool route in Kenya ..."

Pictures here show the test bike being unpacked and how it looked after an initial test ride. The Royal Enfield G5 has the new fuel injected UCE motor but not the retro-styling and sprung seat of the C5.

"I decided to go with the G5 rather than the C5," Hanson says. "The G5 is a little more mainstream looking, and I think it'll be more likely to intrigue potential RE buyers as a simple, inexpensive bike capable of serious touring. Also, the kick-start option is a nice backup for a weak battery in the middle of nowhere. And I think the dual seat will be easier to use with soft panniers.

"I'm hoping to do the Grand Canyon circumnavigation with it in June. I'll keep you informed."

Spy shot: C-5 Royal Enfields bound for U.S.

Spy shot! New Royal Enfield C-5 motorcycles bound for the U.S. are shown undergoing packing at the factory in Chennai, India. The picture was supplied by U.S. importer Kevin Mahoney, who visited India recently. Mahoney describes his travel, complete with lost luggage, on his Buzz Blog.

The dramatically new, yet retro-styled C-5 is officially named the Royal Enfield Bullet Classic 500. When it arrives in the U.S. it probably is going to commonly be called the C-5, however, to distinguish it from the G-5 already on sale here.

Like the G-5, the C-5 uses Royal Enfield's new unit-constructed engine, with fuel injection and maintenance-free hydraulic lifters, improved clutch and a front disk brake. It has an electric starter but, unlike the G-5, no kick starter.

The C-5 is designed to resemble a Royal Enfield of 1951. That makes it even older in appearance than the 1955 model Royal Enfield Bullet built virtually unchanged in India all these years. It is considerably more retro-looking than the G-5, which resembles the '70s-styled Electra model.

Unlike Royal Enfields of previous decades, both UCE models are designed to cruise at 70 mph with a little extra in hand for passing. They remain 500cc machines with long-stroke single cylinder "thumper" engines.

The suggested price for a new C-5 in the U.S. is $6,395, making it Royal Enfield's most expensive model here. That price doesn't include set-up, shipping or tax.

What?! Royal Enfield is the 'best value'?

"The Royal Enfield without question is the best value on the motorcycle market today." Did you ever think you would read those words? That's the claim made by U.S. importer Kevin Mahoney on his blog.

Sure, you'd expect someone who markets a product to consider that product the best there is, and say so. But Mahoney isn't given to fluffy claims.

And he knows the history of Royal Enfield in the U.S. He has been with the motorcycles through the years when they wet sumped, rattled off parts and destroyed their own starter sprags. Horn brackets always broke. Electrical connectors routinely disconnected themselves at random. The factory tended to put paint on a key grounding point. The factory-supplied fuse looked like a part from a novelty store gag.

Mahoney patiently helped owners through the teething problems. His demeanor, expressed on message boards and on his web site, suggested the best way to own a Royal Enfield: "First, keep your sense of humor," he seemed to imply.

He's not joking when he says, now, that "Royal Enfield without question is the best value on the motorcycle market today." He makes the claim in connection with the new "ultra reliable" Unit Construction Engine.

"The new bike is so reliable that we have doubled the warranty to an industry leading two years," Mahoney writes.

That's outstanding. However, "value" has many components. Perhaps, like Hyundai, Royal Enfield has a better warranty. But Hyundai builds cars that are just as fast and cost no more than competitors. Royal Enfield still competes against motorcycles with lower price tags that go faster. So how can it be "the best value"?

The answer, for me at least, is that Royal Enfields are not Hyundais. They are not just an alternative to taking the city bus. They inspire passion and reward enthusiasm. They have a history and a long tradition. In this, I would compare them to Jaguar -- in more ways than one.

For instance, warranty or not, hydraulic lifters, fuel injection and all, I suspect you will still want to keep your sense of humor. Or, maybe I should say, your sense of joy. That's where the real value is. Money can't buy you love.

You can buy Enfield's newest motor now

The new Royal Enfield Classic 500 motorcycles aren't for sale in the United States yet but the time to order one of these bikes -- referred to as the C-5 -- may be now (see previous post).

It's important to note that Royal Enfield motorcycles with unit-constructed engines, fuel-injection and front disk brakes ARE at dealers now.

These are the 2009 G-5 Royal Enfields. They have the Electra body style, more modern looking than the all-retro C-5. Interestingly, they also come with old-fashioned kick start in addition to push-button starters. The C-5s will not have kickstart levers. The G-5s also have lower suggested retail prices.

Some dealers already are advertising these brand new bikes on CraigsList and eBay, creating a bit of a dilemma for me. I do include new Royal Enfields in the listings on this blog, even ones advertised by dealers. But so far I have not listed the latest unit-constructed models here.

Why? Well, I figured that readers would expect the latest models to be available at dealers, so there was no need to mention them. According to the ads I'm seeing, the bikes are there for you.

It's amusing to see what the dealers choose to emphasize in their ads. "Leak free," notes the dealer in Osseo, Minn. "Automatic valve adjustment."

Rapid Cycle in South Jordan, Utah includes a string of new features in its ad for the new G-5. In particular, it notes that the muffler (some consider it unsightly) can be changed without remapping the fuel injection. In other words, a nicer looking one is an option!

Pete ponders a UCE manual after all

UPDATE: Pete Snidal now says he is considering producing an owner's manual for the new Royal Enfield Bullet motorcycles with the unit constructed engine (UCE).

Snidal told me he didn't think the new Royal Enfield would need a manual since it is not "a Do-It-Yourself" kind of motorcycle. Apparently he has changed his mind.

"Yes, I think I have," Snidal wrote to me. "It'll be a while, though, because I have to accumulate a mess of second-hand experience of the new model, and that will take time.

"I don't anticipate doing one that can be called a Workshop Manual, either. More an owner's manual, which I think is appropriate, due to the different nature of the bike and therefore the different nature of the folk to whom it will appeal."

Snidal is the author of owner's and workshop manuals for the classic Indian made Bullets. They enabled owners without great experience to do basic chores with confidence. While those Bullets needed and benefited from involved tending, the new UCE models are designed to minimize maintenance.

Enthusiasm for the new model seems to be a big part of the motivation for Snidal. He wrote on the Royal Enfield Yahoo message board to say:

"I've been looking at what I could find (and that's quite a bit!) on the new UCE, and I have to admit that I'm impressed. So impressed that I think I just may do a manual on it -- but I'm going to wait till the results are in from as many directions as I can muster... If I had the time/money/access, I'd LOVE to spend this summer intimate caress mode with a new UCE!"

What they're saying about the new Enfield

As a "fly on the wall" at a gathering of Royal Enfield motorcycle dealers, I took notes on comments they made about the new Royal Enfield unit construction engine (UCE) and the new G5 and C5 motorcycles it will go into.

The dealers attended a training session on the new engine Feb. 12 and 13 at Classic Motorworks, the U.S. importer. Dealers are the people most in touch with customers. Here are some of the things they had to say as they learned about the new engine and sampled a 2009 G5 motorcycle:

"The older the look, the better."
"How many senors are there that can fail; that WILL fail?"
"Brilliant." (Said sincerely.)
"No left-hand threads?
"No Whitworth? I'm out!" (Said in jest.)
"People are in love with the kickstarter."
"Very Japanese." (Said as a compliment, I think.)
"It's a gamechanger."

Kevin Mahoney, head of Classic Motorworks, made comments of his own. Among them:

"The hydraulic valve lifters are imported (to India) from America."
"You just get on it and ride."
"The warranty has doubled to two years. We haven't put a mileage limit on
it but we may, because I think these bikes are going to get ridden."
"It's a gamechanger."

The Indian engineers doing the training were naturally full of praise for the new Royal Enfield they helped created. Suddenly, the Royal Enfield Bullet, almost unchanged for 55 years, has a modern engine, goes faster, stops better, and gets even better mileage. With hydraulic lifters, O-ring chain and fuel injection it will require less maintenance.

So, yes, the Indians too said: "It's a gamechanger."

Enfield switches gear for new UCE motor

The Indian engineer helping disassemble a prototype of the new Royal Enfield motorcycle engine paused a moment and held up a pretty metal gear. He had just pulled it from the cam array deep inside the unit constructed (UCE) motor.

Now he wanted to draw the attention of his audience, American Royal Enfield dealers gathered Feb. 12 for a training session on the new engine.

"Only metal in the prototype," said K.S. Sarveswaran. "In the production bikes it is plastic."

The dealers literally gasped. A plastic gear near the beating heart of a Royal Enfield motor?

The dozen men had watched the disassembly of the UCE motor with obvious approval. Although the prototype engine had been used hard (it had served about 20,000 miles they were told), it still looked great. UCE motors like it will power the new Royal Enfield G5 and C5 motorcycles when they go on sale soon in the U.S.

But a plastic gear inside the motor, where it turns the oil pump? The dealers couldn't believe it.

"We'll be making those out of metal," one commented, to general agreement.

Sarveswaran, a senior manager for Royal Enfield engine design and development, seemed a bit bewildered by the reaction. "In production, only plastic," he repeated, explaining that "it does not take any strain." The dealers were skeptical.

Watching, Kevin Mahoney of Classic Motorworks, the U.S. importer, seemed to realize what they were thinking.

"Is it a cost issue?" he asked the three Indian engineers present. "Is the gear made in plastic because of the cost?"

No, he was told: it's not a cost issue. The gear is made of plastic to reduce noise in the bottom end. Sound was a priority in designing the new motor. While the traditional Royal Enfield Bullet exhaust "thump," beloved by Indian riders, was to be saved, the noise from gears and push rods was to be curbed.

The dealers nodded. That might be OK, although one spoke about getting some of those gears made up in metal -- just in case.

The disassembly manual dealers were given shows the gear in white plastic.

It drives an oil pump that is said to deliver four times as much oil as the spindle gear arrangement of classic Royal Enfield Bullets, and to do it without maintenance.

That has to be the case, of course, since the unit constructed engine encloses all its bits deep inside, whereas the classic Bullet oil pump can be pulled out roadside, if you have to.

My guess is that few dealers and even fewer owners will ever see the plastic gear.

Enfield's new motor running in Europe

Royal Enfield motorcycles made in India have come with the same basic motor for 55 years, so it seems strange to refer to the new unit construction engine (UCE) as their "latest" motor. But new it is, and dramatically advanced beyond the time-honored iron barrelled engine.

New as it is, the UCE is not unknown. It has been on sale in Royal Enfield motorcycles in Europe since mid-2008. By the time it reaches customers in the United States this year it should be well tested.

The UCE motor combines engine and transmission into one neat package served by one supply of oil. That's not all. It adds hydraulic valve lifters, fuel injection, black box ignition and sensors that monitor themselves while they monitor the motor. It is said to be faster, more reliable, and dramatically easier to maintain.

Says who? Well, hopefully these selling points will be confirmed by buyers in Europe. At a training session for U.S. dealers Feb. 12, Royal Enfield's senior manager of international service "Viki" Vikram noted that the UCE bikes already are giving good service in Europe. He cited figures about how many were there, but I didn't write down what he said at the time.

Recently I asked him to confirm the figures. His reply:

"The first 100 bikes were delivered to customers in Europe between April and June, 2008. Out of these more than 20 bikes have covered over 8,000 miles and more than 50 bikes have crossed 5,000 miles."

He went on to note that deliveries have continued but I think these bikes, which got wrung out in summer time, are the most significant.

Brainy new gizmos improve Royal Enfield

Sensors will help manage the new unit constructed engine (UCE) on 2009 Royal Enfield motorcycles. They are designed to be trouble free, so most riders won't even notice them, but the clever ways they improve performance and fuel economy are worthy of notice.

The sensors monitor engine speed, temperature, throttle position, manifold air pressure and oxygen in the exhaust. Another notices if the bike has fallen over, and cuts the engine. Still another sensor warns the rider that fuel is low: when the Low Fuel warning lights up on the gauge, you're "on reserve" (less than 1.7 gallons) and need to find a gas station.

Also in that gauge in the headlight housing is the Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL), shaped like a little motor. It warns the rider that a sensor has notified the black box under the seat of a problem. That electronic control unit (ECU) will remember the problem and pinpoint it later for a mechanic.

It's all part of an Engine Management System that employs electronic fuel injection, electronic ignition and catalytic converter to make the Bullet faster, more reliable, more fuel efficient and cleaner.

Most of the sensors are tucked out of sight but one, the oxygen sensor on the exhaust head pipe, could not be completely hidden. To work, explained Royal Enfield's Hari Kumar, the sensor must be an exact distance down the head pipe from the motor.

To continue working, it must stick into the head pipe from above, so moisture and carbon fall off instead of falling inside it. To be replaceable, should it ever stop working, the senor must stick out of the head pipe, which could make it a wart on an otherwise handsome part of the motorcycle.

Hari smiled as he used his hands to describe how Royal Enfield engineers were required to angle the sensor so that it worked and was safe but enters the pipe from just around the left side of the bike, where the frame down tube partly hides it and distracts the eye.

It's just an example of the surprising care that Royal Enfield put into the new product. The UCE engine will power the G5 and retro-look C5 motorcycles when they go on sale in the U.S.

Royal Enfield dealer sees improvements

(Jon Bushey Photo)

While three engineers from India demonstrated the features of the new Royal Enfield motorcycle engine to dealers recently, one man was carefully taking notes. To Jon Bushey, of Rapid Cycle in South Jordan, Utah, the technical tips sounded like selling points.

When he got home, Bushey typed up his notes and shared them with me.

"I think the dealer meeting went well and I am excited about Royal Enfield's future," he wrote. Here are excerpts from his notes about the new Royal Enfield motorcycles and their new unit constructed engine (UCE).

"There will be two new models for 2009 with the G5 available now and the C5 available in July. Both models have the same basic engine, a 500cc UCE EFI.

"Engine selling points:"

• The genuine sound (long stroke thumper) of the Royal Enfield stays the same.


• Horsepower and torque are improved over the old engine – stock is 27 hp.


• EFI system is the Keihin brand, used in Honda motorcycles and scooters.


• Fuel injection mapping is able to process at altitudes up to 18,000 feet.


• Two-year warranty on engine, parts and labor.


• High quality parts used like Brembo brakes, Deniso starter, Italian suspension.


• Reduced maintenance for life, just change the oil.


• Has catalytic converter in muffler.


• Muffler can be changed without remapping fuel injection.


• Bolts and nuts are metric with consolidated fastener tool sizes.


• Clutch is heavy duty – much improved over old.


• Now has seven plates and larger plate surface.


• Clutch pull is greatly reduced, about half the effort of old clutch.


• Engine has one oil for all parts and has sight glass for checking oil level.


• Oil pump is improved type and pumps four times the volume – improves engine cooling.
• Primary chain is now self-adjusting.


• Engine does not require break-in, but do not tell the customer that!


• Crank is balanced three times to insure minimal vibration.


• Computer simulation was done for three years to insure quality and reliability.


• Engine uses modern multi-layer gaskets. Gaskets protrude slightly around sealing edges.


• Engine parts are now pressure-cast and polished.


• Check Engine light is used to tell rider of possible sensor malfunction.

Jon Bushey samples new UCE G5 Royal Enfield; below, his dealership.

Imagine a Royal Enfield that doesn't leak

Scooter Bob, left, and factory reps "Viki" Vikram, next to Bob, and "Sarv" Sarveswaran, at right, take on the new UCE.

His name isn't Bob and he never sold scooters, but everyone calls Greg Stewart "Scooter Bob." It's a happy sounding nickname for a "just folks" kinda guy who loves Royal Enfield motorcycles.

Stewart is also obviously tremendously competent when it comes to things motorcycle. Again and again, the former dealer for and now employee of Classic Motorworks shares what he knows.

The occasion was a training session Feb. 12 and 13 for Royal Enfield dealers at the U.S. importer of Royal Enfield motorcycles. In front of a dozen men, all experts themselves, Scooter Bob disassembled and then put back together Royal Enfield's new unit constructed engine (UCE).

He had a lot of help from three men from the factory in India: Royal Enfield's V. Vikram, senior manager of service; K.S. Sarveswaran, of engine design and development; and Hari Kumar Kanakala of engine management systems.

The new engine, in Royal Enfield terms, is nearly a miracle. The classic Bullet motorcycle, made in India almost unchanged since 1955, carries oil in the engine, different oil in the transmission and yet another batch of oil around the clutch. Typically, it leaks from all three places!

The UCE combines all of the bits into one lump served by a single supply of oil. Elaborate precautions have been taken to make sure none of it leaks.

That is only the most obvious improvement to a motorcycle that still looks like a classic, but analyzes its own faults with an on-board computer. More about that tomorrow.

Sarveswaran, left, and "Harry" Kumar help as Scooter Bob disassembles the new motor.

New Royal Enfield adds performance

2009 Royal Enfield Bullet G5 is faster.

The big news for Royal Enfield motorcycles in 2009 is added performance.

The new unit construction engine (UCE) looks great, saves gas and stands to be far more reliable and need less maintenance than any previous Royal Enfield motor. But who cares? What we want to know is: how fast it will go!

Sure seems like an odd question, considering that for 50 years Royal Enfield has been selling tradition and, in effect, encouraging riders to slow down and enjoy the ride. Actually, there was no need to slow down. The rider of a Royal Enfield Bullet would have to look hard in the United States to find a speed limit he could exceed for any length of time.

Royal Enfield dealers from around the Midwest gathered Feb. 12 and 13 in frigid Faribault, Minn. to see and sample the new Royal Enfield Bullet G5 with the UCE engine. They actually rode it, in 20-degree weather, and found it definitely stronger than Bullets that have come before.

You could really feel it," one said. And it wasn't just the wind-chill factor. Engineers on hand from the factory in India distributed materials that promised a top speed of 82 mph and acceleration of 0-60 in 3.9 seconds! OK, that's 0-60 kilometers per hour; roughly 0-40 mph in 4 seconds. Enough to keep up with the minivans in city traffic.

How much of an improvement is that? The charts tell the story best. Here are graphs comparing the new engine to Royal Enfield's AVL (all alloy) motor now in showrooms and to the classic iron-barrel engine whose design dates back to the 1940s.

When it comes to speed, the Royal Enfield Bullet is really only in a race with itself. You do not buy an Enfield to go fast. In fact, you might say that you would buy a Royal Enfield to travel back in time, not forward.

Soon, however, you will be able to buy one of these time machines that will keep up with traffic. The 2009 models are arriving in the United States now, according to Classic Motorworks, the U.S. importer. They will be at your local dealer soon. Last we heard, Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price for a 2009 G5 Bullet was $5,995.