[//M]

It had been over a year since I had been looking for a new bike. But for quite sometime I was not sure of my requirements. My budget was around 1.25 lakhs. Months passed and I rode almost all bikes available in the market in my budget, but somehow none of them had hit the sweet spot. I had a Bajaj Pulsar 150 and a Yamaha FZ-S and I think I wanted a more powerful bike that could double up as a comfortable highway cruiser too. But still I was confused. I lusted for a Ninja 250R, but it was way beyond my budget.

Bajaj Avenger: My roommate had a Avenger 200. Though I loved the bike, I never had the fascination to own one. No specific reasons though.

Yamaha R15: The R15 was brilliant. I loved the sharp handling and light weight of the bike but I was a bit confused if I really wanted to own it.

HH Karizma ZMR: The Karizma ZMR was not to my tastes and I was sure that I didn't wanted it. No offence to anybody.

Bajaj Pulsar 220: I own a Pulsar 150 UG3 (2008 model) so I didn't wanted to buy another Pulsar, not even a Pulsar 220.

Confusion prevailed and then news was out that the Honda CBR250R's launch was around the corner. I waited for the launch desperately fingers crossed.

Honda CBR250R: The bike looked good, had a great spec sheet too. I was expecting something in the league of the Ninja 250R, but still the CBR250R was great for its price. Shortlisted.

Yamaha R15 V2: Brilliant but again I was not sure if I wanted one as the CBR250R non-ABS was a way better bike even though it was priced at 40K's over the R15 V2.

I had almost decided to go for the CBR250R but then one day I rode my friend's 1998 Bullet Electra. It was the first time i rode a Bullet and it was then that the bug had bitten me. Next day I went straight to a RE dealership and wanted to test ride the Thunderbird 350 and Classic 350.

RE Thunderbird: Perfect. But somehow I prefer the flat handlebars. The TBTS was shortlisted but then I became a fan of a Classic 350's looks. Confusion again.

RE Classic 350: I loved the retro looks. The bike was very good and although the charm of the good old Electra was missing, I had decided that I will buy this one.

The waiting period in Bangalore was around 8-10 months. I was in no hurry and I was still deciding between the CBR250R and the Classic 350. I read that RE launched the Classic 500 Chrome and the Classic 500 Desert Storm, but anyway they were above my budget.

One fine day I was crossing the RE showroom in Lalbagh Road, Bangalore when I saw something. Went closer and saw the Classic 500 Desert Storm. It looked amazing. I touched it and yes I was confused again.

Days passed and I was busy with my graduation exams. I intended to keep the bike in Ranchi, my hometown. The RE dealership in Ranchi did not deal with 500cc bikes till then. So finally on 29th December 2011 I booked the Classic 500 Desert Storm from the RE dealership in Shakespeare Sarani, Kolkata. The waiting period was 5 months and I was promised a delivery date by May 15th.

I was happy with my decision and yes till then I didn't even did a TD of the Classic 500. Later by February 2012, a new RE dealership opened in Ranchi. So I cancelled my booking from the Kolkata showroom and booked it from Ranchi on 20th March 2012. I was promised a delivery date by 20th May.

Fast forward to 11th May 2012. I got a call from RE dealership Ranchi and the SP told that a Desert Storm is available and I can take delivery of the bike by paying the remaining amount. I was ecstatic, but at that moment I was in Chennai. I rushed to Kolkata the same day and then to Ranchi by 12th May morning. Logged on to Team-BHP to know the procedure to decode a VIN number of an Enfield and also to double check the things on the PDI list.

Completed all the document work, got the Demand Draft and rushed to the showroom. There were 2 Classic 500 Desert Storm's available. One was a January 2012 make and the other was a March 2012 make according to the VIN numbers. I staright away demanded the March 2012 bike. PDI done, I got the upswept exhaust fitted too. Finally got Desert Storm'd !!

The details are:

Model: Royal Enfield Classic 500 Desert Storm
Price: 1.56 lakhs OTR Ranchi
Accessories: 2900/- for the upswept exhaust

The Desert Storm is such a looker. People do ask about the bike as this is one of its kind in a place like Ranchi. I have clocked up 203 kms on the odo in a week and the fuel economy I have been getting is around 23 kpl.

My mom thinks I got the bike straight out of a battlefield from Iraq.

First Impressions

LOOKS

The Desert Storm is a looker. Its very attractive in the flesh and the matte finish is unique so it turns more than just a few heads. People stop by to inquire about the bike and I also get many thumbs-up's in traffic.

COMFORT

The saddle is adequate for city runs. I have not yet taken my bike for long highway runs yet so cannot comment on the comfort level so soon. The seat is better sprung than the early Classic 500's.

PERFORMANCE

With so much power and humongous torque, performance is more than adequate. The Bull has terrific initial response from the throttle and I am sure highway riding and overtaking will be pure bliss.

BRAKES

The brakes are good. The front disc has a good bite. Hopefully the future C5's will feature a rear disc too.

GEARBOX

A bit notchy and takes time to get used to it. But not much of a concern.

RIDE AND HANDLING

The Classic 500 doesnot feels as heavy and the handling is actually good for its size and weight. The ride is great on most surfaces.

FUEL ECONOMY

I am getting around 23 kpl currently and would like to increase this figure further.

OTHER ISSUES

1. Vibrations at low speeds. Tends to smoothen up as speed builds up.
2. The trademark tick-tick sound during start-up when the engine is cold.

[balajiisworking]

Congratulations! I know exactly how agonising the wait period can be. Ask me, I got my Thunderbird on the 4th of this month and an awesome 2 weeks since then.

Only thing I think you need to bother about is how to maintain the matt finish. Not many bikes around come in that texture and therefore not many know how to keep that finish. Not even sure what products are available for upkeep, like wax n stuff.

Run it in like your life depended on it, and she will thank you for it all her life. Congrats once again!

[Parthasarathig]

Ooh la la!! She is one hell of a looker in that color. Going to follow this thread till I get mine how does the thump feel? Also please write us a review about how good the bike feels on the highways and speeds. And more pictures please. This is some drool stuff. In bangalore its 9 months for a classic 350.

P.s is it possible to change the helmet or get a matte finish one to matcb the bike?

Happy thumping!!!

[Puffdamgcdragon]

Congratulations! The Desert Storm really looks good.. Run it in slowly till 1,500- 2,000 kms.. Motoman method DOES NOT work on R.E. A knowledge i gained the hard way!! All the best.

[Blow Horn Ok]

Congrats on the battle beast //M. I guess the 5th pic location is the HEC area. Do share the initial riding experience. I am sure no one would ever mess with your machine in that city!

[ruchirtnt]

congrats My DS friend, I completely agree with you on this. migrating from TB to DS, i always give excuses to myself for riding it even in hard hot may days

[//M]

Originally Posted by balajiisworking

Congratulations! I know exactly how agonising the wait period can be. Ask me, I got my Thunderbird on the 4th of this month and an awesome 2 weeks since then.

Only thing I think you need to bother about is how to maintain the matt finish. Not many bikes around come in that texture and therefore not many know how to keep that finish. Not even sure what products are available for upkeep, like wax n stuff.

Run it in like your life depended on it, and she will thank you for it all her life. Congrats once again!

Yes I know it will be difficult to maintain the matte finish in the long run. Hope the Bull will be trouble free. It rides brillaintly and after riding it, I can actually say my life depends on it.

Originally Posted by Parthasarathig

Ooh la la!! She is one hell of a looker in that color. Going to follow this thread till I get mine how does the thump feel? Also please write us a review about how good the bike feels on the highways and speeds. And more pictures please. This is some drool stuff. In bangalore its 9 months for a classic 350.

P.s is it possible to change the helmet or get a matte finish one to matcb the bike?

Happy thumping!!!

The upswept exhaust has a heavier thump and it feels great. I have not taken the bike in the highways as it is in its run-in period so riding it at 40-50 kph is a must. But I do intend to take my bike out soon. Will keep it slow but just want to ride it on open roads.

Originally Posted by Puffdamgcdragon

Congratulations! The Desert Storm really looks good.. Run it in slowly till 1,500- 2,000 kms.. Motoman method DOES NOT work on R.E. A knowledge i gained the hard way!! All the best.

Yes but with so much power its actually difficult to keep the bike at sane speeds. I have been riding at 40-50 kph at all times now.

Originally Posted by Blow Horn Ok

Congrats on the battle beast //M. I guess the 5th pic location is the HEC area. Do share the initial riding experience. I am sure no one would ever mess with your machine in that city!

Thank You. You are correct. Most of the pics have been taken around HEC area.

Originally Posted by ruchirtnt

congrats My DS friend, I completely agree with you on this. migrating from TB to DS, i always give excuses to myself for riding it even in hard hot may days

Thank You and so true. I get up at 5 am these days just to ride it in minimal traffic. And since you have clocked up many kms on the odo, I know whom to ask if I get into any trouble with my DS.

[octane1002]

Congrats dude on the awesome ride.One helluva head-turner I say.Ranchi has another CL500 I guess.Know the owner through common friends.Just hope the RE guys are upto it when it comes to maintenance and service.You'll have a tough time keeping away from over-eager bandana-clad racerboys zigzagging in front with their r15s/pulsars at ranchi if you know what I mean.

OT:Ranchi is my hometown too keep shuttling between Ranchi Kolkata every month.My vRS is currently used by my cousin in ranchi since the past couple of months.Amazing roads I say for ripping it up late nights.I could see Ashok Nagar/Morabadi/Shyamali colony(Im guessing) in d pics.Awesome setting.Enjoi the ride.

[//M]

Originally Posted by octane1002

Congrats dude on the awesome ride.One helluva head-turner I say.Ranchi has another CL500 I guess.Know the owner through common friends.Just hope the RE guys are upto it when it comes to maintenance and service.You'll have a tough time keeping away from over-eager bandana-clad racerboys zigzagging in front with their r15s/pulsars at ranchi if you know what I mean.

OT:Ranchi is my hometown too keep shuttling between Ranchi Kolkata every month.My vRS is currently used by my cousin in ranchi since the past couple of months.Amazing roads I say for ripping it up late nights.I could see Ashok Nagar/Morabadi/Shyamali colony(Im guessing) in d pics.Awesome setting.Enjoi the ride.

Thanks a lot. I share the same feelings about the boy racers here. Ranchi's traffic doesn't help either.

The pics have been taken in Shyamali Colony, Satellite Colony and HEC area. There are more than a few Classic 500's here including a couple of Classic 500 Chrome's too. But I am yet to see another Desert Storm.

Good to know you own a vRS. I would love to meet you sometime.

[octane1002]

Originally Posted by //M

Thanks a lot. I share the same feelings about the boy racers here. Ranchi's traffic doesn't help either.

The pics have been taken in Shyamali Colony, Satellite Colony and HEC area. There are more than a few Classic 500's here including a couple of Classic 500 Chrome's too. But I am yet to see another Desert Storm.

Good to know you own a vRS. I would love to meet you sometime.

Yeah the shyamali -satellite colony area is very scenic.i used to frequent the area to meet up with friends been a long time now.good to know there are so many cl500s there.your bike would surely stand out in the 'regular' lot of bulls if you could call them that.Does Ranchi have members from the Eastern Bulls?

As for vRS it's just been a couple of months since I sent it back to ranchi.it was in Kolkata before that.Do drop me a pm with your location in ranchi n we'll catch up the next time I'm there.

[//M]

Originally Posted by octane1002

Does Ranchi have members from the Eastern Bulls?

I am not sure of members of Eastern Bulls but there is a club of Enfield owners here. Will get to know the details about it in a few days.

[ArizonaJim]

Originally Posted by //M

...Yes but with so much power its actually difficult to keep the bike at sane speeds. I have been riding at 40-50 kph at all times now....

During the initial 500 kms break in period you can safely use 65 kph (40 mph) as a upper limit with short bursts to 70 kph (45 mph).

The important thing to remember is not to "lug" the engine by trying to accelerate in the higher gears.
Also, do not run the motorcycle at any one fixed speed for long periods of time. A little "faster" then "slower" is much better than droning on and on at one speed.

In the 500-1000 kms break in period you can safely use 90-95 kph for a upper limit and begin to appreciate the power the motorcycle is capable of delivering. Just remember to vary your speed and give the engine a cooling off rest every so often.

Enjoy your DS and treat it with respect. It will serve you for many years.

[TaurusAl]

Congrats! That's one great buy. Loved you photography.

Is the upswept exhaust reason for a low mileage ? 23 kmpl sounds on a lower side. Do check your tyre pressures too.

[//M]

Originally Posted by TaurusAl

Congrats! That's one great buy. Loved you photography.

Is the upswept exhaust reason for a low mileage ? 23 kmpl sounds on a lower side. Do check your tyre pressures too.

Thank You TaurusAl.

I am not sure if the upswept exhaust is the reason. But I hope after the first servicing the figures will increase. Tyre pressures are optimum as mentioned in the user manual.

[//M]

The pic that justifies the moniker. Desert Storm.