[SamtheLeo]

Guys,

I would like to state one thing with out sounding too rude!!!
We all are like minded people who love to drive Bullet because of its power & experience (we have nothing better made in India), In this free world everyone has its right to choose, some would like to have a cruiser, some a cafe racer, some would like the Thump some would love the new technology, so there is no point is saying that this is no good & that was no good.
What came then was best of its time & people still like it the biggest proof of it
What come now is still the best we have got (till we get something better)

So this typically is based on personality types & choices a person want to make, may be possibly some body wants spend more money & have some in the stylish looks of TB & its powere with technology but some one else would still feel the old simple std 350 is more worth then TB.
Every one has its own right & choice to make.
However our point of discussion should be Why cant some other manufacturers make something better???
Also not to forget If we talk about Reliability how many 30 yr old bikes do we see on road except a Bullet??
Personally, I am a STD 350 & Lightning 535s fan & it is not because i have driven thousands of km on them or I own them. It is because I feel like my first love for them just cant get rid of it

[Spitfire]

Originally Posted by SAMUDRA

one major Con

CON???

Why is it a con?

You talk about modern, better, blah, blah and then want it to be repaired by the local mechanic? I am lost here.

Originally Posted by Gurpartap Singh

There's no Bullet 500cc available. So you are limited to 350cc capacity manliness only :b

I guess you haven't seen it enough.

Isn't Machismo 500 a 500CC one? For your ease below is the direct link. Bullet Machismo 500 | Motorcycle India

[sam_sant2005]

Originally Posted by Gordon

Most look at Team-BHP as a correct, unbiased and reliable source of information. When one advices and says "I have a Bullet for 1000kms and I am the right person to advice you", one must be sure of himself. Because the information is going out to a lot of people. Now when someone mentions "STANDARD 350 IS THE BIKE TO BUY", a fellow member may read it. For all you know he'll go and place an order for it. What happens later?! Inside 1000kms he has serious issues. Whom will he blame?! Team-BHP!

Gordon, I dont really know why you always take my words in the wrong sense. Iam never against the bullet.

By the "1000kms" advice I just meant I wanna advice people who are gonna buy a NEW bullet. There may be many guys who have owned bullet for decades but Iam a person who has had issues with a new Bullet. In that regard I said Iam the apt person to advice. Just to caution a person who might go and take a brand new bullet and later be surprised to find niggling issues.
This is an open forum and we dont intend to spread wrong info. All the while I wasnt trying to downtrade my new bull nor was i too expectant based on its lineage. Just that I felt everyone should be aware that taking a bullet is not a cake walk. I do agree I was more immature when I spoke blindly about thumping. But thats history! I have learned a lot from the forum and by riding the bull. I feel a lot better now .

Thanks to team-bhp.

My last word is :- Approach a new bull with Caution and 'Heart'. You will appreciate the marvel of the 50 year old technology sooner or later. Iam enjoying my bull

I read the whole thread. 'Schitre05' are you still confused or More confused? Well apparently I was looking into buying a Electra myself for my Weekend cruises after a month or two. I dont want to steal your thunder(Schitire) but I weight 67 KGS should I be riding a bullet? People discourage me saying You wont be seen.

[SAMUDRA]

Originally Posted by Spitfire

CON???

Why is it a con?

You talk about modern, better, blah, blah and then want it to be repaired by the local mechanic? I am lost here.

Hi Spitfire,

what I meant here is that the mechanics who used to work on older bullets will not be able to work on the new TBTS UCE engine until they have some hands on experience on working one.

[Gordon]

Yes. Everyone has their own right and choice. But after they buy it, they suddenly become "BULLET KNOW IT ALL". They speak according to what they have heard. And they do not bother to realize the truth. Its like I hear "Bullets mark their territory", so when another Bulleteer has a problem about oil leak he gets to hear - "Dont worry its okay, bullets are like that only. Ignore it."

Each one has his/her own taste, but that by no means has enough justification for giving crappy suggestions/judgements/rules about other Enfields or even other bikes.

Speak with authority ONLY when you make sense. Not with hearsay/word-of-mouth/or things that do not make sense and is not backed with any base. Else what the so-called-Enthusiast is doing is destroying Enfields reputation, putting other Enfields down with his/her crappy stupid bike.

There have been numerous occasions when a rubbish maintained Bullet stops beside me and laughs at my bike and say "arre kya kiya? (what did you do?!)". And I just pity him for his understanding, his no-basis pride in a bike that is in pathetic condition.

[SamtheLeo]

Originally Posted by D-Man

I read the whole thread. 'Schitre05' are you still confused or More confused? Well apparently I was looking into buying a Electra myself for my Weekend cruises after a month or two. I dont want to steal your thunder(Schitire) but I weight 67 KGS should I be riding a bullet? People discourage me saying You wont be seen.

D Man,

Dont even think about it. If my mechanic at 5ft 4inches can drive a Bullet , be a Ace Mechanic in Delhi, Modify Bullets & travel with firangs to Leh numerous time on his own Bullets. Why cant you. When I started owning a Bullet I was in 11th std.

Dont let all this crap stop you from Niravana. All you got to do is Balance, rest all happens automatically


@ Gordon

Could not agree with you more. Their is a difference between Enthusiasm & Arrogance

[dwaraka]

Originally Posted by schitre05

I have been riding on the indian roads for about a decade and a half now, and my rides have been mostly indo-japanese. but everytime a bullet went past me or even if i saw one, i used to watch for it like a road side romeo watches a princess.
I always wanted to own a bullet but was wary of all the problems it had as requiring more than regular maintainance (a high maintainance princess)

Schitre,

When you referred to bullet as a Princess, definitely princess is costly to maintain.

But not to scare you off.

Go for T.Bird or 350 cc 5s Electra AVL. Both give about 30 kmpl in city condition and on highway 35 at the least. Regular servicing is a must to keep the bullet in good condition, which is also the case with other two wheelers.

Dwarak

[Torque-ative]

Originally Posted by madhokritesh

Sorry to say this but the AVL ie Aluminium engined Enfields are not the real ones, If you want a real Bullet the Cast Ironed ones are the way to go.

I tend to agree. I bought a brand new Machismo 4 speed with discs in 2003 and sold it in a year. I was younger and wanted something fast.

Big mistake,..Enfields are not bikes you buy if going fast is the primary agenda. So that bombed,..and the worst part was the raket the AVL engine made. It sounded more like a Ape' three wheeler than THE Bullet.

I would have been better off with a new Cast Iron 500. I still think unless Royal Enfield does something radical and comes up with a twin (not happening any time soon), the cast iron engine with the classic look is the bike to go for.

Unless I find a good used 500 in Delhi,..the next best option would be to get a Electra 5 speed (for the cast iron engine) and swap the handlebars and mudguards of the std. That way I get better highway crusing (5 speed)and still retain the classic look with the narrow handlebars and full flared mudguards.

To Answer Gordan in the "Explain the thump" bit,...!!

Well thats something I thought too when I bought the avl Machinsmo back then.
I was of the same openion that buying into technology was more important than buying into tradition,..but you know what unless RE does what triumph did for the Bonnie (a lot more power, OHC over OHV etc),..I think tradition is all that RE has.
The muted Thump during idle or full blown throttle input is the essence of the bullet. The Thump is clean, the thump is as inseperable as is the classic look,..and having owned a bullet I can say I sorely missed that in my ride.

Originally Posted by SamtheLeo

D Man,

Dont let all this crap stop you from Niravana.
@ Gordon

Could not agree with you more. Their is a difference between Enthusiasm & Arrogance

Thanks Sam! I am 6 so height isnt an issue. Your opinion shall help me join the 'enfieldness' around. BTW Imagine Hummer getting affordable? Same thing applies many bullent enthusiasts went ahead and purchased one and later turned out to become arrogant.

[v12]

Post on behalf of Gordon:

Correct me if I'm wrong but I don't recollect AVL engine with 4speed.

Originally Posted by Torque-ative

The muted Thump during idle or full blown throttle input is the essence of the bullet. The Thump is clean, the thump is as inseperable as is the classic look,..and having owned a bullet I can say I sorely missed that in my ride.

There is no "true" thump. You cannot classify it according to your liking.

Okay now answer this. I have a Machismo 350 AVL with a Goldstar silencer that can put most other CI engines to shame in terms of sound, EVEN with a Goldstar silencer. I have with me two other Enfields (2004 Electra 4s and 1984 Standard 350) both of which have the same Goldstar silencer that I have on my bike and an open air filter. Both don't sound ANYWHERE as loud as the Machismo 350 AVL. Is mine thump or not?!

If you say mine isn't "thump" and just "noise", then what you are saying is that even the DRS Enfield Racer is not even a Bullet since it doesn't have thump but a loud "noise".

And moreover, if I take this one step further. If you say mine is "thump", then the Thunderbird AVL with a similar silencer should sound the same. So is that a Bullet or not?!

Lets go more deeper. I wouldn't comment on the Thunderbird being a Bullet or not, but just so that you know. The Thunderbird AVL and Lightning 535cc have a very very similar chassis. Only difference is the engine.

[Torque-ative]

Hi Gorden, I owned one I should know right. The machismo was sold with the all aluminum engine with a standard 4 speed gearbox on the same side as the std bullet. They soon moved the avl to the all chrome version with the 5 speed box. The existing machismo got the cast iron engine a 5 speed gearbox and the Electra was born.

V-12 why are you so mad,..its just a person point of view. This is what I feel, not implying that other bullets (aluminum) are lesser bullets. It was but a insight on my ownership and the opinions were just mine. I am sure you bikes are fast as they are good looking !! Cheers enjoy your steeds and don't let anyone come in between what you like and appriciate. For me it'll continue being a Cast iron classic. Maybe I am getting old !!

[Gordon]

Originally Posted by Torque-ative

Hi Gorden, I owned one I should know right. The machismo was sold with the all aluminum engine with a standard 4 speed gearbox on the same side as the std bullet. They soon moved the avl to the all chrome version with the 5 speed box. The existing machismo got the cast iron engine a 5 speed gearbox and the Electra was born.

I'm completely lost with what you're on about. The Machismo (with a half chrome tank available in I guess red/chrome and black/chrome) had a cast iron engine with a right shift 4 speed gearbox. No Machismo "got" a cast iron engine. It was always cast iron until the AVL with 5-speed gearboxes and a completely new Machismo was launched. The Machismo AVL never came with a 4 speed gearbox in India.

Get your facts checked again.

Do you have a pic of your bike?! What you're actually talking about is probably a cast iron 4 speed gearbox Machismo.

Originally Posted by Torque-ative

For me it'll continue being a Cast iron classic.

I seriously doubt you had an AVL. You had a cast iron. If your bike was red-wine in color it has to be cast iron. So basically everything you said was in regard to the cast iron engine and not an AVL. All the problems you faced in a year were caused by a cast iron engine:

Originally Posted by Torque-ative

I tend to agree. I bought a brand new Machismo 4 speed with discs in 2003 and sold it in a year. I was younger and wanted something fast.

Big mistake,..Enfields are not bikes you buy if going fast is the primary agenda. So that bombed,..and the worst part was the raket the AVL engine made. It sounded more like a Ape' three wheeler than THE Bullet.

Unless I find a good used 500 in Delhi,..the next best option would be to get a Electra 5 speed (for the cast iron engine) and swap the handlebars and mudguards of the std.

The Electra 5s and your older Machismo (CI 4-speed) have the same engine. For your sake and others on the forum, I hope you check what you had properly.

Originally Posted by Torque-ative

V-12 why are you so mad

That wasn't V12. That was me which is why I mentioned: "Post on behalf of Gordon". Posted when V12 was logged in. Forgot to log him out. Sorry for the inconvinience.

If its really a 2003 Machismo AVL with 4 speed, then your statement can be considered. Else blatantly wrong.

[Gordon]

Oh and how come none of you "Bullet Thump Experts" answered the question properly:

Originally Posted by Gordon

Explain thump.

Originally Posted by Torque_ative

The muted Thump during idle or full blown throttle input is the essence of the bullet. The Thump is clean, the thump is as inseperable as is the classic look,..and having owned a bullet I can say I sorely missed that in my ride.

Thump is variable. There is no "definite" thump.

Originally Posted by Gordon

Okay now answer this. I have a Machismo 350 AVL with a Goldstar silencer that can put most other CI engines to shame in terms of sound, EVEN with a Goldstar silencer. I have with me two other Enfields (2004 Electra 4s and 1984 Standard 350) both of which have the same Goldstar silencer that I have on my bike and an open air filter. Both don't sound ANYWHERE as loud as the Machismo 350 AVL. Is mine thump or not?!

If you say mine isn't "thump" and just "noise", then what you are saying is that even the DRS Enfield Racer is not even a Bullet since it doesn't have thump but a loud "noise".

And moreover, if I take this one step further. If you say mine is "thump", then the Thunderbird AVL with a similar silencer should sound the same. So is that a Bullet or not?!

Lets go more deeper. I wouldn't comment on the Thunderbird being a Bullet or not, but just so that you know. The Thunderbird AVL and Lightning 535cc have a very very similar chassis. Only difference is the engine.