Thoughts on a Royal Enfield C5 Military

[Sportsman Matt]

I've been reading the forums and looking into a new bike to use as a daily rider / expo bike.

So far I've looked at several bikes out there, and for some reason I keep coming back to the Royal Enfield C5 Military. 499cc Air cooled single cylinder engine, 5 speed transmission, and the new ones are EFI.

Here's a pic

Any thoughts?

 

[Marcie's Disco]

I love the retro styling of the RE but have been reading some opinions on ADV that have caused me to shift the object of my ownership lust. For fashion's sake it would be fun to ride. Ownership doesn't sound like it is without trouble. As much as possible, I try consider where my dollars are spent and what nations economy benefits from my spending...RE didn't appeal to me on that level either. They look cool though. If fashion is first, RE is hard to compete with.

 

[taco2go]

Having test ridden these on several occasions-
1.They are true to their WW2 roots- so I agree it is a fashion statement, in a sense. It's also the oldest motorcycle company still in production.
2.Lots of good first hand information here
http://www.enfieldmotorcycles.com/forum/
I think the team at Overland Journal has one on long term loan as well.
3.Couple of prior EXPO threads
http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=40834&highlight=enfield
http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=49388&highlight=enfield
4.Try to see and ride one for yourself and assess the vehicle on it's own merits. I'd also advise you to really look into which country's economy is benefiting from your spending. It may not be as unappealing as you may be led to think, actually...

 

[Martinjmpr]

Gorgeous, bit probably not a great bike to ride past city limits.

I have this t-shirt at home. I think it says it all:

If you want an olive green retro bike with style that also has a great reputation for reliability and quality, look at a Triumph Scrambler.

For the cost of a new RE (around $5k) you can get a decent used Scrambler if you shop around.

 

[whatcharterboat]

There an open book I think.

I'd have this one below any day. The last 2 pics just thrown in for interest.

 

[Enfield Aili]

I own that

I OWN that - yes, envy me. Notice all the naysayers don't own one. I've spend many hours in the saddle and you can take my word over that of someone who has only taken a 10-mile test drive.

Contrary to what I've read on this forum, the C-5 Military is NOT "impractical, slow and handles like a sack of potatoes." I've had mine up to 85 mph (it could go faster, I could not given conditions). It corners beautifully, is well balanced - it really prefers to stay up on its tires, unlike my Honda dual-sport which really likes to fall over. With the shocks adjusted to softest (easy to adjust) it rides smoothly too. I did have some issues, covered under warranty: my speedometer froze at 30 one day, and my low-gas light stuck on.

It came with a box of spare cables, which are still in my basement. I asked for a shop manual but the dealership has had trouble getting me one. I haven't had to work on it, but I plan on keeping it for a long, long time and eventually will have to.

One caveat: size. Its a small bike. If you're 6' tall and 190 lbs, you're going to look like a Shriner on the C-5.

 

[Enfield Aili]

Hey Martin, where did you find that t-shirt?

 

[ruffshod67]

I remember an ad that was for royal Enfield or maybe ural the slogan was UNTAINTED BY TECHNOLOGY.I would love to have a shirt with that on it.

 

[marksbonneville]

I've been reading the forums and looking into a new bike to use as a daily rider / expo bike.

So far I've looked at several bikes out there, and for some reason I keep coming back to the Royal Enfield C5 Military. 499cc Air cooled single cylinder engine, 5 speed transmission, and the new ones are EFI.

Here's a pic

Any thoughts?

I have a good friend who has a RE (4spd kickstart only) and I work on it when needed which is seldom. Not a fast bike but a lot of fun to ride, rugged, reliable, and pretty much a great back roads bike. In my experience most who have negative comments about them have not ridden one and quite possibly never even seen one in person. I would make fun of my friend as he is a big guy (6'4") and like someone else said looks like a shiner when he rides it but of all his other bikes (KLR, R100GS, Thruxton) he likes the RE best, in his words "its the funest thing on two wheels". I did not understand why he liked it until I rode his and I will have one someday myself. In my opinion they are easy to ride and a very forgiving motorcycle that is made for secondary roads.