Forum

[doug hepburn]

Hi My first post.I'm 80 years young and wish some advice on which model Enfield to buy. I think for my wife who just wants to bimble around locally the 350cc meteor should fit the bill. For me I want to tour two up in comfort I'm a careful rider and not fast weight 11.5 stone height 6ft1. I've always had bikes of 1000cc and over so I understand there will be some changes to get used to .Any advice will be welcome and thanks in anticipation.

[Wheaters]

Welcome to the forum!

Are you buying one bike, or two?

The 350 Meteor is so new that I doubt you’ll be able to find much practical advice on it.
However, I have an old 350 Bullet which may well be as powerful as the Meteor since I’ve tweaked it a bit. I suspect you might find a 350 a bit underpowered for two up in today’s traffic.

I’d go for the 650 twin for two on board.

[RoSy]

Why not an Enfield with a sidecar, a 500 C5 will pull a sidecar with ease you won't have to worry about the weight of a solo machine should you ever be in the unfortunate position to have to pick it up, I hope that doesn't sound patronising but I am nearly 80 and I find all my bikes are getting heavier by the day. So I haven't ruled out going back to a sidecar outfit they are great fun.

[stinkwheel]

One thing I'd say about the newer 500 models with separate saddles is that when my friend and I hired them a few years back, both of our wives nearly had a revolt after about 100 miles about the comfort of the pillion seat. To the extent we nearly had to leave one of them at the side of the road and ride back for the van to pick her up. Both refused to go on them again for anything beyond a trip to the nearest town.

It's not like they aren't used to being on the bike, both of them are very used to long distances riding pillion. My wife also has her own bike and is a moto marshal for British Triathalon. What I take from that is the pillion seats are no good on these bikes. The riders seat is fine though, no issues there.

I don't think this is an insurmountable problem, I'm sure I remember seeing someone had fitted a second riders saddle to one in the pillion position for this exact reason but it's worth knowing about.

[p]

Perhaps I'm going to get some flack for this.........
I had to leave my bigger bike abroad a year ago due to covid evacuation; realizing I would be without it for some time - I still am - I went out and bought myself a brand new little 125 produced in China. Contrary to all I read, quality, finish and comfort is excellent and performance not very different to say a 350 RE. It revs like a chainsaw, struggles to use as much as a gallon of petrol in 120 miles, and is great fun to row up and down the gears. There was enough change from 2 grand to tax and insure it for about 5 years! ( someone will be saying "if it lasts that long!", but I am of an age to remember that being said of Hondas etc years ago!)
Someone else once said a little bike ridden fast is more fun than a big bike ridden slowly, well it's certainly light and easy to live with!
Not suggesting that this is a solution for the OP, but 2 modest bikes may be a viable alternative to pillion use of one bigger one.

[papasmurf]

Perhaps I'm going to get some flack for this.........
I had to leave my bigger bike abroad a year ago due to covid evacuation; realizing I would be without it for some time - I still am - I went out and bought myself a brand new little 125 produced in China. Contrary to all I read, quality, finish and comfort is excellent and performance not very different to say a 350 RE. It revs like a chainsaw, struggles to use as much as a gallon of petrol in 120 miles, and is great fun to row up and down the gears. There was enough change from 2 grand to tax and insure it for about 5 years! ( someone will be saying "if it lasts that long!", but I am of an age to remember that being said of Hondas etc years ago!)
Someone else once said a little bike ridden fast is more fun than a big bike ridden slowly, well it's certainly light and easy to live with!
Not suggesting that this is a solution for the OP, but 2 modest bikes may be a viable alternative to pillion use of one bigger one.

I agree with you , (apart from buying Chinese,) due to age and decrepitude I have ended up with a new Honda 125 Supercub. Which thus far seem to be doing about 160mpg.

[Duke of Wybourne.]

Hi My first post.I'm 80 years young and wish some advice on which model Enfield to buy. I think for my wife who just wants to bimble around locally the 350cc meteor should fit the bill. For me I want to tour two up in comfort I'm a careful rider and not fast weight 11.5 stone height 6ft1. I've always had bikes of 1000cc and over so I understand there will be some changes to get used to .Any advice will be welcome and thanks in anticipation.

I would say the Meteor is possibly a good choice. From the YouTube reviews I've watched its easy to get on and off, and the low speed stability etc seems good. It'll be slow two up though. I've travelled many miles two up on a 350 Bullet, and it's easy to get used to, planning routes avoiding motorways etc, becomes the norm. One suggestion I would make is to have a look and a test ride of an Interceptor. It's one of the easiest and most flexible bikes to ride I've been on in a long time, and they've been on the go long enough to be proven.

[Spudgun]

Shhhh. Don't tell anyone but I've got a Chinese built AJS Cadwell in the stable. It's great fun on the twisty bits and around town but it's nowhere as 'leggy' for longer journeys. Enfields make for relaxing and unhurried biking. The Ajay is for the 'fun stuff'.

[windmill john]

Interesting stinkwheel, my wife is okay with the separate pillion seat; I asked her to make sure.
We had a similar arrangement on T3 Guzzi ex Carabinieri.

[doug hepburn]

Welcome to the forum!

Are you buying one bike, or two?

The 350 Meteor is so new that I doubt you’ll be able to find much practical advice on it.
However, I have an old 350 Bullet which may well be as powerful as the Meteor since I’ve tweaked it a bit. I suspect you might find a 350 a bit underpowered for two up in today’s traffic.

I’d go for the 650 twin for two on board.

Welcome to the forum!

Are you buying one bike, or two?

The 350 Meteor is so new that I doubt you’ll be able to find much practical advice on it.
However, I have an old 350 Bullet which may well be as powerful as the Meteor since I’ve tweaked it a bit. I suspect you might find a 350 a bit underpowered for two up in today’s traffic.

I’d go for the 650 twin for two on board.