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Royal Enfield

M

Merlin

New member
Joined
Nov 26, 2019
Hello All,

I'm new to riding and haven't bought a bike yet. I'm leaning towards getting a Royal Enfield, but my brother, JesasaurusRex, recommended checking in with this forum before making the purchase. He is not familiar with the brand. I've seen a couple reviews and they are not flattering about the acceleration. My brother told me it will still probably be fast enough for me. Are there any good reasons not to get one as my first bike?

Merlin
 
Welcome to the land of TMI...

For starters, which Royal Enfield model are you considering?

Lower seat, smaller engine, lighter weight, these are the usual attributes for a starter bike.
 
Because your brother never heard of it is a good reason.
 
Honestly I was looking at Royal Enfield as a first bike 4 years ago or so. I really liked the look, however I learned that the bike I was considering at the time (continental gt) was simply mediocre. I even rode one and from what I gathered, it was slow, heavy, couldn't corner well, and had sketchy build quality.

Although... I have been seeing news and watching videos recently of the new Royal Enfield Continental Gt 650. They apparently stepped up their game in all fields: power, build quality, and weight/performance. The best part is they kept the low price.

Check this video out from the YouTuber Fortnine. I personally think he's an excellent content creator who is seemingly unbiased and has great production quality in his videos. Also I believe Motorcyclist Magazine did an MC commute review of the gt 650. Both reviews were positive

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6qXM_N34TI
 
XC horizon said:
Honestly I was looking at Royal Enfield as a first bike 4 years ago or so. I really liked the look, however I learned that the bike I was considering at the time (continental gt) was simply mediocre. I even rode one and from what I gathered, it was slow, heavy, couldn't corner well, and had sketchy build quality.

Although... I have been seeing news and watching videos recently of the new Royal Enfield Continental Gt 650. They apparently stepped up their game in all fields: power, build quality, and weight/performance. The best part is they kept the low price.

Check this video out from the YouTuber Fortnine. I personally think he's an excellent content creator who is seemingly unbiased and has great production quality in his videos. Also I believe Motorcyclist Magazine did an MC commute review of the gt 650. Both reviews were positive

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6qXM_N34TI
Click to expand...

FYI fortnine is basically Canadian RevZilla. Ryan, the got who dies their videos, is just an employee there. :thumbup
 
Only 2 bikes should ever be considered as "first bikes".
Ningette or turbo 'Busa.
You guys should know better.
 
My thoughts, you don't know what kind of riding you'll like. Your first bike will be a learner. Buy a well known Japanese starter bike used. Learn what works for you, learn to ride and maintain it. Then buy the bike you really want.
 
Everyone has different thresholds for "value". Some people, me being one, subscribe to the notion of buying cheap, pre-scratched, used japanese small displacement bikes.

If you absolutely must buy new, and have your heart set on the the latest 650 twins, the Continental GT or the Interceptor will be a perfectly good first bike. They are beautiful, authentic, and enough power to explore and enjoy as a learner. I test rode the Continental GT during a demo day and the bike is really well finished. The only part that I didn't like was that power is lacking for a more experienced rider who is used to the level of motor found on the Triumph 1200's. If you've got the money, go get a RE. You'll drop it, learn to ride it, learn to fix it, and love it.
 
I believe Royal Enfield sells the most motorcycles on Earth for the last few years. Value for their target demographic. India is big market.

Edit: hey, welcome!
 
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I own a Royal Enfield and I'm quite passionate about the brand. I WILL tell you everything you want to know, the good and the bad. Feel free to ask away
 
295566 said:
FYI fortnine is basically Canadian RevZilla. Ryan, the got who dies their videos, is just an employee there. :thumbup
Click to expand...
Ah, I thought that was the case. I remember checking out fortnine.ca the other day and it rerouted me to revzilla :)
 
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The fortnine video about the 650 is a joke. Doesn't go into depth or actually talk much about the bike at all. It's a nice attempt but doesn't really do much, quite frankly.

That's true about sales. Sold over 800,000 bikes in one year recently. Merlin, if you're on FB, look for the Royal Enfield USA owners group. You'll get a treasure trove of answers for any questions you have and they'll be completely unbiased. There's people there who love the bikes and people who hate the bikes, but most importantly, they all KNOW the bikes. It's best to get answers straight from the horses mouth instead of people who have heard this or that about them. Not stating that about anyone here, just saying in general. If I have a question about a Grom, I'm going straight to a Grom owner or knowledgeable group of folks, etc
 
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norcalkid said:
My thoughts, you don't know what kind of riding you'll like. Your first bike will be a learner. Buy a well known Japanese starter bike used. Learn what works for you, learn to ride and maintain it. Then buy the bike you really want.
Click to expand...

+1 this. For some, motorcycling is more than what they could muster. Buying used is an easy way to see if it's really for you.
 
Royal Enfield wouldn't even be on my radar. Its a first bike and you might not like it. I'd look for something thats easy to flip just in case you decide the RE isn't what you wanted. Unless you're 60 you might come to that conclusion.

But why you even looking for your own bike when you can just borrow Jrex's bikes :ride
 
maidenfan84 said:
. Merlin, if you're on FB, look for the Royal Enfield USA owners group. You'll get a treasure trove of answers for any questions you have and they'll be completely unbiased. There's people there who love the bikes and people who hate the bikes, but most importantly, they all KNOW the bikes. It's best to get answers straight from the horses mouth instead of people who have heard this or that about them. Not stating that about anyone here, just saying in general. If I have a question about a Grom, I'm going straight to a Grom owner or knowledgeable group of folks, etc
Click to expand...

I disagree, model specific FB groups are biased to that model. People who don't like the bike and sold it, usually don't stay around and continue to criticize the bike.
 
Merlin said:
Hello All,

I'm new to riding and haven't bought a bike yet.
Click to expand...

buy used, japanese, and lightweight.
when ur new, u dont have any idea what u like.
if you don't like the bike, sell it and try another.

I been riding for 2 years and on my 8th bike! :laughing
 
I've ridden the Continental GT650, INT650, and Himalayan. They seem like good bikes to me. It ain't no Ducati but it's a decent motorcycle. In fact if I was looking for a small adventure bike the Himalayan would be at the top of my list. Simple and tough. They're not very expensive also. The new 650s are great also.

I have demo'd over 100 bikes and they seem ok to me. But what do I know I only own slow bikes. I wouldn't shy away from them if that's what you want. I've never seen one on the road so it'll look something special.

Is your name really Merlin? There's not too many out there.
 
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