Is Royal Enfield a thing of the past? I have just completed a 3000 km tour of Rajasthan on a 350 Bullet and I believe that the answer is yes, the time of Enfields is over. There are three reasons why I say so. First, the technology of the Enfield is old. Second, it can let you down anytime and anywhere. Third, Hero Hondas.

There are many ways to be bikers, I am of the sort that wants his machine to work well. I care about the looks, sound and spirit of a bike, but ultimately it's reliability, driveability and performance that rank highest in my order of priorities. If you are the kind of guy that wants people to look at you when you pass by on the saddle of your machine, then the Enfield is your bike. If you want to re-live the dream of charras-smoking hippies on the road to Goa, then once again the Enfield is your bike. However, if you think that getting from A to B without stopping at the mechanic every 200 km is also important, then the Enfield is not your bike. The dream vanishes fast when you are stuck somewhere because one of the hundreds of mechanical failures that Enfields are prone to experience suddenly materializes. Once it is because the points go off synchronization, another time it is because there is an electrical problem. Another time, it is the chain that comes off or the forks that leak...

What is amazing is just how badly Enfields are built, when you compare them to modern bikes, but also in absolute terms. Just to give you an example, this is a bike that was conceived with a special lever - that to my knowledge no other bike needs - to find the neutral position. If you come to a stop and you are in, say, 3rd gear, you need to press this special lever to take the bike back into neutral, so that you can start it again. As it happens, the neutral lever is usually so hard that it is actually of no use at all. But, leaving that aside, the mere fact that a neutral lever is needed should tell the engineers at Enfield that something wrong is going on in the gear box. Indeed, changing gears is a nightmare, so much that you get used not to change them anymore. First gear for slow traffic, fourth gear for cruising. The good thing is that the engine is very flexible and allows you to go at 20 km/h in fourth gear no problem, and pick the revs up until you do 80km/h, with no need to change gear.

I have been using a '96 350 Bullet model that received full restoration by an expert mechanic, Niru in Pushkar (I will say more about him later on). The engine received a complete overhaul. Gear box, clutch plates (of the 500cc bike, which last longer), piston and cylinder, break pads, shock absorbers (front and rear), wheels and electricals were newly fitted, together with a new tank, new tyres, new battery and new seats. This job costs around 18.000 rupees (400$, 280 euros) and I watched Niru while he was doing it. I bought the bike for 32.000 rupees (730$, 500 euros) and sold it back to Niru after a month for 25.000 rupees. I must say that the bike never let me down (thank God) in the middle of a road. However, I am sure that I was lucky.

Driveability and performance are just treacherous. The bike has 12 hp and weighs around 200kg. If you are carrying a second person (as I was), luggage for two, full tank and luggage carrier, you will realize that the bike is as fast as a turtle, which is just what you do not want when you take over big lorries on a busy Indian road. The frame bends like a snake when you take a bend or you dodge a cow, while the shock absorbers are unable to cope with the ubiquitous pocket holes. This means that you will not average more than 30-35 km/h. The front drum brake is non existent. They might as well remove it. More recent models are fitted with a disk brake, which works well in comparison to the drum brakes of the '96 model. However, beware, strong front brakes in conjunction with poor forks is a dangerous mix, that can throw you off the saddle easily.

Finally, Hero Hondas. These are little 100 -125- 150 bikes that have invaded the Indian market during the last few years. They don't look good. I would say that they look rather uncool, in fact. They do not sound well, just like a scooter. However, they are cheap and reliable. So much that Indians have by and large relinquished the Enfields and opted for one of these sturdy machines, that can carry an entire family if needed. They average more than the Enfield and have engines that last longer (around 45K km vs the 20K km of an Enfield, after which you need to change at least cylinder and piston). There is one more advantage of Hero Hondas, they have a huge market. You can buy one and sell it back to Indians (not only tourists) for 15.000 rupees easily, as there are so many of them around.

Having said this, in fairness Enfields remain the best looking bike you can find in India, with an incredible sound and a great history behind. Indian youngsters who want to play it cool love Enfields and will often ask you if you sell them your bike. The Enfield remains the ultimate symbol of machismo in India, so much that one of their new models is called Machismo.

Buying an Enfield
Delhi probably offers one of the largest markets for second-hand Enfields, however it is rather chaotic and you will have to drive the bike out of Delhi, which will be a nightmare. A better place is Pushkar, where you can chill out while you wait for your bike to be ready. As I mentioned before, Niru is a very reliable mechanic and seller. Various friends of mine bought their bikes there in the past and were all happy. Niru cares a lot about his reputation and good name. Best is to get a complete overhaul, which gives you a good chance not to meet main problems for the first few thousand km. If you are short of time, you can phone Niru in advance and tell him to prepare a bike for you when you get there. Normally he will do it. He deals almost uniquely with standard 350 Bullets from the last 15 years or so. The electric start of the Electra 350 Bullet is generally unreliable. While the 500, so he tells me, is built more cheaply than the 350. He will give you the regular ownership paper. Niru is located in the main street of Puskar, you can't miss him, and his number is

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