Couldn't Enfield source a complete single cylinder motor from an established motorcycle maker? Maybe Yamaha? Alright, if that would have proved expensive, couldn't RE look at dedicated engine makers like Bombardier? Or develop a single with an established motorcycle maker who would have liked to benefit from cheap labour in India?
The point I am driving at is that RE needs a refined, reliable, economical and green engine -- and the Twinspark model looks like an interim, unrefined, oil dripping option more than anything else. It could have been done better... period. I can hear the excuses already -- we will steadily improve the bike over the years, right? Well, aren't you bored doing that already?
In short, I would still rate the 500 LB with electric start over the Twinspark T-bird as the motorcycle of choice from the Enfield stable. And that is only because Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki and Suzuki and perhaps Bajaj have not understood the need for a large bore, single cylinder motorcycle to satiate my appetite. Change, as they say, is the only constant in this world and in the case of Royal Enfield, I am happy to attest, it is a continuous process rather than a sudden phenomenon.
If you are looking for an ownership experience that would get you ready for even tougher institutions like marriage, then the Royal Enfield is for you. It continues to be a character building exercise rather than a mere motorcycle. And when the lust is lost and love translates to care... you will go a long way with a Royal Enfield. To sum up, Enfield continues to be in a league of its own and that means I have no option but to recommend it. Try the 500 LB too before you sign on the dotted line, okay?
Photograph: Royal Enfield
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