To Bu or Not To Bu: Royal Enfield Bullet Buying Dilemma

[vijay_968]

This is about the BU, Royal Enfield Bullet.

Flash-back: In childhood, I was awestruck by the dug-dug-dug-dug sound of Bullet. One of my uncles had three Bullets at his home for nearly a decade; one Petrol and two Diesels. Proudly they were doing the rounds at the pattaka City Sivakasi. Laaaate at nights, in the dimly lit streets, the beat cops used to Salute us (could be Inspector Sahab) when we passed them. Apart from that and the sound, in my memory it was unadulterated irritation for them; it wouldn't start, one had to pull three-four levers after every kick when it didn't start, it was bloody painful to push it then, good old Amby gave better mileage, lot of times it was with the mechanic, it didn't know what agility meant etc etc. After a few attempts with the Bu, my dream of owning a Bullet was wiped and I used to pick-up the spare M80 over the Bullets whenever I needed a 2W at Sivakasi. Compared to those Bullets, their current 100CC / 150CC bikes, my current TVS Star City (even earlier KB 4S) are totally trouble free. I would say Bullet is Virender Sehwag of IPL-2015 and the current crop of 100/125CC bikes are DEPENDABLE like VVS/Dravids; the 150CCs are the AB de Villiers/B.McCullum/MS Dhoni etc.

Not-to-Bullet: Driving in highways, I generally notice the Bullet guys are a unique band unto themselves. They drive at the dead center of road, uphill acceleration is woefully slow (I could stop the car, drink coffee, have a fag, and still catch them after 3 minutes), Traffic Cops and elder Citizens would love their Speed (mileage related ???). However, any group of Bullets normally are driven on the side of the road but with ALL other characters intact. Yesterday, 'Google Now' suggested me a very interesting and hilarious article. The title is 6 reasons why I would never buy a Royal Enfield! by Akhil Kalsh Dt 22-Mar-2014. The reasons he gives are:
1. Bullets are slow
2. Royal Enfields are unreliable
3. Bullets are noisy – and the bad kind of noisy
4. Bullets have really bad brakes
5. Bullets give poor mileage
6. Bullets are unnecessarily heavy
The author has added 3 additional reasons too:
7. Bullets have spoked wheels
8. Bullets have a frigging long waiting period
9. Royal Enfield doesn’t give a damn about its customers

Interested can read the full article (which is below the belt fun-filled attack) here 6 reasons why I would never buy a Royal Enfield! - RiderZone.

From that article, I went over to 15-June-2009 dated article by Yogesh Sarkar at Why I would never buy a Royal Enfield Bullet! - YogeshSarkar.com. I would say the above fall under "Not To Bu".

To Bullet:
This post 14 Signs That Show You Are A Royal Enfield Fanatic will definitely make you forget what you read above and wanting to get one dug-dug-dug-dug. After reading the 14th point, I finally understood why my uncle had three Bullets at home. Then you can browse thro' the 10 reasons why riding a RE Bullet is the ULTIMATE here Here is why riding a Royal Enfield Bullet is the ULTIMATE experience! - daily.bhaskar.com.

The third slide is "Deserts in Rajasthan to Mountains in Leh". Ultimate Bakwas. For my 100CC, as long as there's Petrol in the tank, it is kick-and-go. Its chassis is ROCK-SOLID even after 8+ years on BLRs moon-crater roads. Whereas, I've seen Army soldiers spend an hour a day with their Bullets to keep them running fit for next day in Pokhran. For 90% bullets owners it is "Desserts at Ice Cream Bar to Couch at Home", AFTER marriage and/or fatherhood. For my Uncle and sons, it was home-sabji_mandi-home-office-client_place-home-blah blah blah. There was once-a-month visit to relatives' home 30km away in all three dug-dug gaadis. Heck, my ditched KB-4S too did that from Vivek Vihar (in East Delhi) to Paschim Vihar just like that every 2nd week (once upon a time in Delhi).

Bottom Line: Bullet is to kindle the desire in one's heart. Question is "Does it" in reality or does it drive one to desperation ?

PS: I enjoyed reading the articles quoted here and made it as a fun read. Hammer and Tongs are welcome. Only request is, don't come with a knife to a gun (Bullet) battle.

@ moderators
Please move to relevant forum, if not applicable here. thanks

 

[threeace777]

vijay nicely written. let me expand on the 14 points listed :-

1. Bullets are slow -- yes initial acceleration is slow. if you give me a duke 200 in hand then i will leave bullet behind in terms of initial acceleration. but given a clear road as
in highway bullet will leave me behind. it all depends where you are driving it. plus the extra useless weight they carry already covered in 6th point but i'll get to it.

2. Royal Enfields are unreliable - think of a important day or rather any other day for that matter. if my bullet gets punctured since standard model don't come with tubeless tires. that
would be painful time for me. first searching for mechanic. then pulling it to a mechanic or spending taking mechanic to a bullet. i don't see a reliability in that.
although i would like to add that it can happen to any bike a puncture but I see cheaper and better bikes than bullet coming with tubeless tyres then why do with bullet.

3. Bullets are noisy – and the bad kind of noisy --- yeah they add to noise pollution but for some its a thrill like for my colleague he specially likes the noise it makes. its annoying
to me but its thrill for him. also its a alarm for unwanted people that you are nearby. like your making a statement to come and get you. i wouldn't want to do that unless i really want
people to know am coming.

4. Bullets have really bad brakes -- with an old technology they have not upgraded the brakes. they increased the price but didn't do anything for the breaks. companies increase price
introduce new stuff and be innovative at the same time. bullet doesn't. i have seen people skilling and breaking bones. in a city like bangalore you need good breaks. infact in any city
now in india you need good breaks. i compare bullet breaks to kind of large truck or bus breaks. you brake and then you hope it will stop and then it finally does but on some occassions
its too late. better avoid than be sorry later

5. Bullets give poor mileage -- well all high cc bikes are not mileage champs. still if your looking for mileage bullets are not the right choice. i would say go with commuter or any 150cc
bike for that matter. some 200cc bikes are also giving good mileage but then again it depends on your driving style.

6. Bullets are unnecessarily heavy -- see i gave a deep thought to a daily scenario. at the end of day am really tired and i want to drive back home or start of morning in city like
bangalore or going out for shopping for that matter. I don't want to extra concentrate and carry that weight with me. it really requires extra efforts to drive a bullet with all heavy
metal and an uneven balance bullet has to provide to add to it. like i said they never cared for innovation and so its been the case. in a worst case scenario you go down with a bullet
you're bound to loose one of your body parts. can't risk my well being for a bike.

The author has added 3 additional reasons too:

7. Bullets have spoked wheels -- yes thats a problem when it comes to cleaning the bike for me. i don't have the time or the energy or the money to give it something which i use as
a daily commute. i want it to be quick. i want it to be easy. i don't want it to be time wasting and difficult. i got better things in life to do than cleaning spoked wheels of a bike
or keep giving them for service for cleaning. thats like burning a whole in my pocket in every aspect. fuel, maintenance, everything. not good.

8. Bullets have a frigging long waiting period -- I called like 4 showrooms for bullet delivery and the first of all the attitude they carry. as if they are selling something without
which life will come to an end. and then 3 months 6 months i was like keep it with you guys. i don;t have the time to wait for something 6 months which i need today or rather next week
that defeats my purpose and i have to put hold on lot of things because i don't have a bike .


9. Royal Enfield doesn’t give a damn about its customers -- yep i mentioned the attitude showrooms carry. its the same with service dealers. my colleague has some mechanic set
where he takes it every time he has issues. eventhough he braggs about bullet and power all the time he is always stressed and frustrated. that tells a lot about what he spent
and how he has to manage with it now

In the end i would say for many that its a long hard earned money we save to buy something which makes our life easy, brings us happiness and helps us to move ahead in life not
which makes our life more tougher, makes us cribbs all time and makes us stagnant.

decision is yours where you want to go from here

 

[vijay_968]

@ threeace777
... the extra useless weight they carry ...
... if my bullet gets punctured ...
... making a statement to come and get ...
... you brake and then hope it will stop ...
... you're bound to loose one of your body parts ...
... burning a hole in pocket in every aspect ...
... as if they are selling something without which life will come to an end ...
... he is always stressed and frustrated ...

Man, was I smiling. Tinge of humour everywhere. Your frustu also is expressed nicely. I wish someone from RE reads your comments and does something to improve the Bullet. To clarify, I'm not interested in buying RE. Bike has become a short-distance drive for me, ever since Verna entered our lives. Perhaps 3,000 km (Vs 34,000 in Verna) in the past two plus years.

Some of us might end up living a childhood fantasy by buying an RE, but there's no fun in the long-term ownership. When my uncle sold the last of the three Bullets, with a very serious face I suggested him a new RE. His crisp reply was "enough". BTW, Yogesh Sarkar has also written what he expected in RE Bullet, which I forgot to mention. The link is at Kind of Royal Enfield Bullet I would like to buy - YogeshSarkar.com. Owners of current Gen Bullets can share if RE has changed since June 2009 (when that article was written).

Finally, I would like to comment on your Point #1. The actual strength of RE Bullet is its stability vis-a-vis other bikes at highway speeds of 100 to 120kph. That is 91 to 109 ft/sec, riding on poor brakes. Is it a strength then ? Shall we say, for a 2W on the highway, either "with concrete and without good brakes" or "without concrete and with good brakes", safe is to enjoy cruising at 80 kph (73 ft/s); AND, don't try to race the cars too closely.

 

[vijay_968]

Just now saw this link The Sad Reality Of A Bullet Owner due to post # 1163 at Pg 78 of "Tickle your funny bones" thread. By far this is the MOST hilarious writing I've read on RE Bullet. You'd love the Pics and Captions on mileage and Girlfriend.

@ generalmax Thanks buddy. And care to share a brief on your Classic-350 ?

 

[generalmax]

Vijay,I had written in that page many pros and some cons of the bullet in the feedback section. Basically,bullet riding is about the type of person you are.You want to go from point A to B,you don't mind 100cc or a scooter,then bullet is not for you.But at 40 I don't want to be seen on a 100cc or on a Kawasaki Ninja as they are very boyish .That is why I got on to a bullet. Yeah we are all car drivers.On a day,when we want to let ourselves free and want to roam around ,just wind on the face,that day jump on the bullet and cruise away.

Though still there are quality control issues,my bull had never let me down anywhere.Yeah it gives hell lot of heat on long runs ,but that gives me 40 Kmpl too.Braking is a skill now to learn, having front and back brake approach. You brake hard,you will skid,brake slow you will hit .I use the bullet not as a speedster nor as a show off.I ride it in the cool night to feel the cool wind.About the tire, Classic bullets had got a very strong tire which is not prone to puncture.Altogether maintenance and reliability issue is not to crib around as I have got friends with Avenger crying about maintenance and reliability.

Now the best part is my bull is,its not new,I bought it second hand with 12000 Km on ODO in October 2014 and now its 17000 Km.Just paid 2000 Rs on a 5K service. I had been in and around Bangalore riding on this bike.I can vouch for a Classic 350 any day anytime.

Last but the least my son giving a comment "I want a bullet" .Why? "All heroes have bullets" .This is one thing that connects me to my grandfather and to my son .Somewhere there is an unseen link.

All in all Ill give a for owning a bullet.

PS: Don't mind bullet maniacs and bullet haters,take a balanced approach!

 

[vijay_968]

... I can vouch for a Classic 350 any day anytime.

Last but the least my son giving a comment "I want a bullet" .Why? "All heroes have bullets" .This is one thing that connects me to my grandfather and to my son .Somewhere there is an unseen link.

All in all Ill give a for owning a bullet.

PS: Don't mind bullet maniacs and bullet haters,take a balanced approach!

Thanks for sharing. Yep, there's something about the RE and RX100 that connects with the Indian Bikers. For those not connected, I guess, it is "to be or not to be", just like Skoda Cars.

 

[generalmax]

There are people who says,you have never ridden a Harley or Kawasaki,or a 1 L Yamaha and that's why you are supporting Bullet. But the truth is I cannot afford that, to run nor to maintain .Even if I possess one, the feeling will be way different.

 

[rajanysvv]

There are two types of people:-

1. People who buy a bike a bike to commute. (These types generally consider price, looks, resale, mileage and hell of other criterias.) Here the mind is mostly applied.

2. There are the second type who are passionate and simply buy a Bullet. Here people in this category apply their heart.

Bullets are a cruiser bikes with a good beating and long lasting if not ever lasting. (The only bike in India to last 50+ years and still running). Bullets are the only bikes (excluding vintage bikes) that get back your basic cost price on re sale.

How to know that you want a Bullet?
Whenever a bullet passes by you, do you turn/follow your gaze at it? If yes then simply buy.

No doubt that I derive greater satisfaction riding my Bullet STD 500 (Rs 1.5 lakh) than my Scorpio S10 (Rs 16 lakh incl accessories).

 

[RohanR]

I found bullet to be quite well suited for Indian Conditions.

 

[RideOrDie]

I was actually planning to go for a used Bullet..but after reading all the comments, links, reviews I'm in a second thought

 

[generalmax]

I was actually planning to go for a used Bullet..but after reading all the comments, links, reviews I'm in a second thought

That link was a sarcastic view of ownership.
But any hardcore bullet fan will vouch for the machines endurance now. Other than some minor oil leak,I can't find any issue with my bullet now.I would definitely suggest you to go for a second hand bullet,but choose with caution. Get the ones after 2010 if you want a ride with less trips to mechanic. Do the recommended service and oil change.

 

[rakeshkn]

In my point of view, What Akhil Kailash mentioned his blog was absolutely right. I knew it or I experienced that unreliability more than once.

I ridden my Pulsar 150 DTSI, more than 500 KM in a single stretch without a single issue and On a bullet I broke accelerator cable with in 100 KM, was that indicates reliability? But the fun factor was I ridden back home on the same bullet with on hand and another hand wrapped with the accelerator cable.,

I like Bullet for that tradition but as a bike its scores much lesser than their counterparts.

 

[generalmax]

In my point of view, What Akhil Kailash mentioned his blog was absolutely right. I knew it or I experienced that unreliability more than once.

I ridden my Pulsar 150 DTSI, more than 500 KM in a single stretch without a single issue and On a bullet I broke accelerator cable with in 100 KM, was that indicates reliability? But the fun factor was I ridden back home on the same bullet with on hand and another hand wrapped with the accelerator cable.,

I like Bullet for that tradition but as a bike its scores much lesser than their counterparts.

I don't want to fall in to unnecessary controversies.Still,accelerator cable getting conked of shows up the service level of that bike.I do have friends whose Pulsar also have broken clutch cables and accelerator cables.I say,they don't mind there vehicles. Before going for a 100 Km trip,wouldn't you check your cables and brakes. I also told to be cautious about the type of bike being bought second hand.Comparing a pulsar 150 Dtsi and bullet 350 is unimaginable. Do you want a day to day commuter just for the sake of it or a bike which have some heart in it ?

 

[rakeshkn]

I don't want to fall in to unnecessary controversies.Still,accelerator cable getting conked of shows up the service level of that bike.I do have friends whose Pulsar also have broken clutch cables and accelerator cables.I say,they don't mind there vehicles. Before going for a 100 Km trip,wouldn't you check your cables and brakes. I also told to be cautious about the type of bike being bought second hand.Comparing a pulsar 150 Dtsi and bullet 350 is unimaginable. Do you want a day to day commuter just for the sake of it or a bike which have some heart in it ?

I am not offending you. But I checked everything before going that trip as always I do. It was happen several times, accelerator cable, missing, not starting, oil drain yes I am not listing all issues I faced on our 2001 RE Electra here

BTW what you mean by 'heart in it'?

 

[generalmax]

I am not offending you. But I checked everything before going that trip as always I do. It was happen several times, accelerator cable, missing, not starting, oil drain yes I am not listing all issues I faced on our 2001 RE Electra here

BTW what you mean by 'heart in it'?

That is what we love in bullets. The feeling of a heart in the bike. I may not be able to explain it but there is a feeling of connection to the bike.. May be this the exact reason why you don't support the crazy bullet fans. A bike is a bike.That's it? I agree with your problems with pre 2010 Bullets.Maintenance was high as well as less reliable. The current machines are really good.I would prefer classic model than the electra.