So, with all of the time it takes to get the garage queen unlocked, get shoehorned into my leathers, then garage locked up again, I am looking at maybe getting something cheap to pootle about on without having to get leathered up, carry a humungous lock and chain and sweat like fat lad in a lapdance bar. enfield 500's (some with a 535 conversion) look cheap and good old fashioned easy maintenance, with an air of the modern-retro look about them (without even trying). Anybody got/had one?
I have had three Bullets (2 x 350; 1 x 500) they were the 'real' versions from the 50s / 60s. Very reliable, easy to start, economical; but they leaked oil from various points and they were rusting badly. However, I recently had a ride on a 2015 Continental GT with electric start and efi. No leaks, seemed reliable, slow by Ducati standards - and about 75mpg - a tankful would last at a guess 200-ish miles. IMO, finish in general on the 'panel work' was good, but the frame, although painted, was spoiled by some crap welding and odd fixing details. I had a choice between the Harley and the Enfield, but opted for the Harley mainly because it is a V twin. AL
Thanks Al. the price differential is pretty big, though. an 883 sportster will be around the £3k mark, a 500 (or 535) bullet will be around £800 to £1500. being a cheapskate as I am, I am loathe to throw more than a grand or so at something to "pootle around" on. looking at around year 2000- 2007 ish, so hopefully they won't come with the obligatory "old-brit" oil leaks. cheers, Pete
I wouldn't have a Sportster as a daily hack to commute or general pootle around on - it would get nicked fairly quickly. The Enfield is a good alternative if you can live with the fact that the barrel and head are still in the same old bolt upright position, and the zorst pipe never seems to get much in the way of a re-design to stop it looking like an aorta with an aneurysm for a silencer. But if it was me buying one, I would go for a carb version, despite the advantages of EFI as I have discovered there are also disavantages to EFI, like you can't tweak it yourself etc etc. (Like wot is on my Sportster).
A friend of mine who did a motorcycle maintenance course said half the people on it had bought Enfields and were finding them horribly unreliable.
Perhaps that is why so many end up on the market at low prices - but honestly I did several miles on the new-ish GT and couldn't fault it other than what I have already mentioned - it certainly didn't vibrate that much - no worse than the SS anyway. My last 'real' 350 was so reliable over two years; I rode it every day in summer, winter, rain and snow etc. I never spent any money on it other than for petrol and a pint of oil - never did an oil change either, the reason for a pint of oil is that it did leak but not that badly. IIRC I even had some of the original pint left when I sold the bike. The first 350 was a bit of an arse until I got used to the advance and retard lever, the valve lifter, the choke and the kickstart - the combination of getting those four right at the same time was pretty hit and miss - several times I nearly did my right leg a mischief getting it started. And....the clutch friction plates were so worn, as I couldn't afford new plates, I decided to get it working one way or another - tested the clutch first by making circles out of cornflake packets and inserting them either side of the worn cork plates - it worked for 5 miles or so. So I made the circles (I think there were at least four, maybe six of them) out of Fairy Liquid and Sunlight bottles - they worked perfectly well - didn't even melt. I sold the bike eventually after I had done at least 2500 miles on it and the clutch was still working. The 500 was a different animal though - the Amal Monobloc carb had a whacking great ram pipe made out of copper - It ran well but the sod sometimes used to spit back through the carb when I least expected it - it set fire to my jeans on one occasion.
