a sweet little bike

I recently was reading about enfields and they get really bad reviews. Don't get me wrong I wouldn't turn one down they look cool as hell but supposedly unreliable.
 
My friend has a new Enfield. I don't like it.
If you read the Dec/Jan "Cafe Racer" magazine, pg. 106, there is an article about the Royal Enfield they have been trying to get over 100 mph. When this bike was at Loaded Gun Customs in Selbyville, Delaware, (They were on Season 1 of the show and in Oct/Nov issue with the Enfield, pg. 100) I was able to ride that very bike in the magazine. It felt the same as my firends...just plain unsafe. Even Blake Kelly, Cafe Racer's own two wheeled test pilot, reports that it, "...scared...Kelly into new underpants everytime the machine thumped past 80mph due to a nasty, high-speed wobble...".
The brakes were for shit too. It just felt toyish and unsolid.
Just my personal experience with one though.
 
Reminds me of the cafe thumper Ryca motors is offering. Its a single too. Check out there website.
jefft
 
It is a nice looking bike, I agree.

If I were to get a new single to turn into a Cafe, I would go for the Suzuki S40. That's what Ryca uses as their base for their kit. It's a single 650cc engine that looks good too.
Here's a pic,
ryca-cs1.jpg
 
Yea, I can't quit looking at that bike since I first seen it a few days ago. One cylinder, one carb. It just seems like it would be a lot of fun. I was really surprised they were able to turn what I thought was an ugly bike into something so appealing.
Jefft
 
Gents, don't forget that back in the day of the 45 c.i. sidevalve/30.5 c.i. overhead valve rule in AMA Expert class (that's 750 cc./500 cc. to you young 'uns), Shell Thuet was tuning Enfield Bullets (the original English editions) to go forth and do battle with Harley KR's and Brit 500 twins. That cafe edition doesn't look much like the standard Indian Enfield line--full-float rotor with 4-piston calipers, Ohlins(!) shocks, all kinds of little items that look like they've been done right. Of course it's a very dated pushrod motor; but then again so were the BSA Goldstar and the Matchless G50, either of which in a good state of repair will put any of the current crop of Japanese street singles in its place. There's potential in that engine, but whether or not it would be cost-effective to find it is another question!
 
littlebill31 said:
It is a nice looking bike, I agree.

If I were to get a new single to turn into a Cafe, I would go for the Suzuki S40. That's what Ryca uses as their base for their kit. It's a single 650cc engine that looks good too.
Here's a pic,
Click to expand...



why do people do that to a bike?... no fenders must never rain in their world, flat no padding seat, oh my aching ass, low set short bars so you can man-up and torque those over-sized ill-handling square cornered set of tires thru a corner?... needs pipe wrap and a four foot sissybar to complete its transformation to totally useless barhopper/poser bike
 
Guess 'cuz they can. I like it. I wouldn't own one without fenders and signals, but I think it looks neat. Hell, my hardtail had a horn, two mirrors and front/rear signals. I ask that about people who own 4X4 as their daily, highway driver, but actually use the 4-wheel maybe once a year. Or owning a vehicle that goes 170mph when the speed limit is only 65mph. My neighbor has a '63 vette with 30K miles on it. Not sure why he never drives it. It is a car ya know.
Just personal choice.
 
jayel said:
why do people do that to a bike?... no fenders must never rain in their world, flat no padding seat, oh my aching ass, low set short bars so you can man-up and torque those over-sized ill-handling square cornered set of tires thru a corner?... needs pipe wrap and a four foot sissybar to complete its transformation to totally useless barhopper/poser bike
Click to expand...

Dang dude, give it a rest already. Their bike, their choice.
 
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I owned a 2004 Royal Enfield Bullet "Sixty-5". Bought it new, sold it yesterday. Put 16K on it. It was the original iron barrel 500cc engine they have been making since 1948. carb & points, pushrod pre-unit construction single. It did have a 5-speed right shift gearbox which was a lifesaver. 19 inch avon roadriders front & rear. For the most part it performed well considering the design era. The handling was real nice but the cruise speed was limited due to the old iron barrels inability to dissipate heat at higher RPM. It would lock down or hole a piston. You were required to vary your speed constantly. Realisticly, it was made to run 55mph.The build quality was questionable with concerns about metallurgy especially the aluminum/alloy parts and hardware. I ended up replacing most things other owners had problems with and after carb,exhaust and gearing changes ended up with a pretty cool little bike. It did get awesome gas mileage And I thought it looked pretty cool........
 
Last edited:
jayel said:
why do people do that to a bike?... no fenders must never rain in their world,
Click to expand...


Never understood this. I've been riding since I was 19, 30 now, with 9 of those years owning no car. 1 year in Vegas, 4 years in Colorado and 4 years in North Carolina so I got to experience all seasons. Only ran a front fender on my first bike, the one I owned in Vegas, and never had any trouble in the rain or snow. I get more water on my face shield from the actual rain than what is thrown up by the bikes, of course my gloves do have a built in squeegee!
 

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