i will add this. i am now in bali, indonesia on a brand new yamaha vixion 150cc, front disc, fuel injection and there is no way i would want to have this bike for a trip in india.
too flimsy. the wheels too small. i go over a small hole in the road and it feels like a railroad track. my enfield would go over it without notice. there is no place to tie luggage. few spots even to weld to. and most westerners going thru india do carry a larger load than locals. the enfield is 100 times better suited for that.
as to the point of needing to stop quickly. on an enfield, you are not going too fast to begin with so you can spot trouble sooner and brake accordingly.
my friend used his honda kharizma 220 and loved it. on the few patches of open road he cut my time in half. i really cant imagine going 120kph+ on most indian roads!
to each their own. to call an enfield, in so many words, terrible in comparison to a modern jap-type bike is unjustified in my opinion.
like you say, its all about the ride. and we all have our own ideas of that.

Mitchell,

You really want to reignite this thread?

Why do so many Enfield lovers think that suggesting that Enfields are not the best bikes in India is the same as saying they are rubbish? It's not what I'm saying. In many situations and for some purposes they are not the best bikes, but in many situations they are.

Suggesting going 120kmh was never the purpose of me suggesting owning or renting a Karizma.

Did I ever call Enfields terrible? No
Worse handling? Yes
Slower braking? Yes
Older technology? Yes
Heavier? Yes
Better suited for touring? Yes/possibly
Less fun on a twisty road? Yes
Worse for new riders? Yes

Did you actually read my post where I admitted that an Enfield 500 Bullet was probably better for touring because it has more torque and ability to carry luggage? I'd also rather be on an Enfield on a bumpy boring straight Indian main road. But a twisty mountain road? Sorry, a Karizma every time.

Also many Enfields in India are very old and held together with pieces of wire and prayers to Lord Shiva! Many others are actually 350s wearing 500 badges.

Touring aside, foreigners that rent bikes (who are the massive majority of foreign riders in India) in places like Goa to ride locally would mostly be better off with a Karizma than an Enfield.

__________________
National Motorcycle Club in China: http://www.the-fmcc.co.cc

not intended to ignite anything!
and of course youre right about the goa day tripper types.
maybe i just enjoy going slowly. also, the enfield is the only bike i have ever owned. so that taints my perspective.
sorry to have riled you up...

It's OK, no stress.

It's pretty normal, most motorcyclists believe their bike to be the best machine ever or really hate it, if it's been causing them problems. Only a few can seem to sit objectively in the middle and see both sides.

So many people want to form cliques and clubs around motorcycle badges, or can never be persuaded that alternative bikes are worthy or their own bikes have some issues.

__________________
National Motorcycle Club in China: http://www.the-fmcc.co.cc

Hi Matt,

Like you, i heard Enfields break quite a lot and i am looking at other options. i will be living in Pokhara, Nepal from Jul 2010 onwards and am looking to buy something in country. just wondering where you got to with your non-Enfield purchase and if you have any advice.

Thanks

Mark

Hi there,

i was interested by your words. I will be arriving in Pokhara, Nepal in July for a job which will last about a year. i'd like to get a bike asap when i arrive and the obvious thing is a Bullet. i'm interested in understanding what other options there may be. Any advice on that or on buying and riding an Enfield would be greatly appreciated.

Whereabouts have you notched up your 3k?

Cheers

Mark

900 miles was in pouring rain on a trip back to the UK, mostly on motorway type roads. The rest just exploring the local French countryside in hot dry weather, although I did get caught two or three weeks ago in a thunderstorm
The recent cold weather makes it run virtually silently and turbine smooth, so I think it will enjoy next years (oops this year now) planned trip to the Alps.