Ride Report: 2012 Royal Enfield 500 Bullet

[Gummiente]

One of the perks of working in a bike shop (Old Vintage Cranks in Hillsburgh, ON) is that I get to ride most of the bikes that we sell and service, like the new Royal Enfield 500 Bullet I recently took out for a pre-delivery test run.



This is the first time I've ridden a Royal Enfield and, coming off a bigarse Harley Davidson Road Glide, I was a little sceptical that I could fit on the small frame much less ride it. Starting it was easy; simply turn the key and wait for the fuel pump to stop whirring, then thumb the starter button and it springs to life right away on the first try. There's a fuel enrichener lever (looking very much like a traditional choke lever, right down to the graphic engraved on it) for cold mornings, but the EFI didn't require it in the balmy 8C weather. I let it idle for a bit to warm it up and the noise it made while sitting there chuttering happily away brought back memories of my old BSA - good memories. This bike may be made in India, but it sounds like the old British thumpers of days gone by and oozes personality instead of oil onto the pavement.

Once it was warmed up, I swung a leg over and popped it off the centrestand. I was expecting the fit to be a little cramped and it was, but nowhere near as bad as I’d thought. The shifter lever is set a bit too close to the footpeg for the big clunky work boots I was wearing, but the seat height put my knees at a relaxed bend and firmly clamping against the tank rubbers, while the handlebars were at just the right height and reach. However, I looked like a circus bear on a moped making a mad dash for freedom, but that is to be expected when a guy my size hops on a bike made for those who are, um, less circumferentially enhanced (see the reflection in the showroom window).



Keeping in mind that the idea here was to do a shakedown cruise and not to complete the break-in period for the new owner, my route was only about 8km total and ridden at a relaxed pace. I took it to the edge of town and back, then out on the secondary highway for a short cruise. The 5 speed gearbox seemed pretty well sorted out for ratios and was very easy to nudge up or down a speed despite my big boots. I went up a rather steep hill in 5th at just under 90kmh and, not surprisingly, the one lung motor ran out of steam pretty quick. The speed dropped to 80kmh in the blink of an eye, but she chuffed along up the hill without much difficulty. I swear I could feel every single power stroke of the piston, though.

Handling was neutral and predictable, with no wandering about on acceleration or braking. It is very easy to toss into a corner, requiring just a light touch of countersteer to initiate a lean and very little effort to hold it there. The single disc front brake has good feel at the lever and is easy to modulate while slowing to a stop. The small rear drum brake isn’t going to help much in a panic stop but should do nicely for most braking scenarios.

There is mild vibration felt in the footpegs and handlebars, more noticeably when the engine is working up a hill or hauling away from a stoplight. At steady cruising speed it settles down, but still lets you know you are riding a single cylinder machine with a solid heritage from the Mother Country. I wouldn’t want to tour cross Canada on one, but for relaxed rides or daily commutes at sensible speeds I think this bike would be a great compromise between classic good looks and modern dependability, with decent fuel economy as an added bonus. Yes, there are bikes with more performance, better mileage and a cheaper price, but that’s not the market the Royal Enfield is playing in. Like the Russian made Ural, this Indian beauty is a niche bike aimed squarely at the older generation of riders who cut their teeth on Brit bikes back in the day and want to revisit those golden memories without the need for excessive maintenance. I don’t think you’d go wrong if one followed you home from the showroom.

[SEVEN40iL]

Nice write-up!

I always loved the sound of a Bullet that would go by my house as a young kid in India. They are the reason why I got into cruisers vs. sport bikes!

[Rotten_Ronnie]

Thanks for sharing.

Watch "Riding Solo to the top of the world"

And

"One Crazy ride"

To learn how well they handle touring and off road.