Hitchcocks Forum

Hi there

I owned an Indian 350 Bullet from 2006 to 2009 when I sold it and since then have had a series of Japanese bikes. At present I have a Yamaha SR400 as a) I like thumpers and b) I like simple. The SR is a lovely bike and although not blessed with great power it does have a fair amount of torque.

However I have a hankering for an EFI 500 but just wanted to ask a couple of questions. My old 350 was great but it did lack torque, hills were usually taken in ever decreasing downward gear changes. I do a lot of my riding around the lanes of the Peak District and wondered how the EFI would handle this. What is it like on steep hills taken at sub 40 mph speeds or long slow ascents taken at 50ish?

Secondly what is the fuel consumption like? I'm currently getting around 75 to the gallon using the Yamaha mostly for B roads riding and the occasional A road blast.

I hope you don't mind me asking but the SR is just about my perfect bike and I don't want to swap it for something less able.

I rather suspect that people buy and use an Enfield because they want one, pretty much everything else is secondary. From what I have experienced and read elsewhere, they are not particularly reliable, quality control is not brilliant, and finish can be dubious. compared to a Japanese Bike of similar capacity, I rather think that the jap will fare better in pretty much all areas.

Don't misunderstand me I have a 500 classic which I love.... I use it for my daily commute (15 miles each way) But I'm never too far away from the tool kit and have rebuilt the engine a couple of times in the 38k miles I have covered. I can squeeze 75 mpg out of it, torque is ok but wind and hills will take its breath away.

In summary if you want an Enfield one get one by all means, if you want a bike that will do it all without fuss....... Maybe the jap is a better bet.

I would expect a 350 bullet to appear a bit lacking when compared to a Yam SR..

Your best bet would be to book a test ride through a dealer, (don't have to buy) if your underwhelmed by the 500 then you can hang on to the Yam and be thankful..

Hi I own a 500efi traills and recently covered 3000 miles on a trip through Europe with no problem s the bike was loaded with me 16 stone plus 3stone of camping gear I had no problem with mantaining 60 mph on all roads ( I had to as the French lorries travel at 56 mph ) I did however have a power commander fitted and had the bike dynoed , which made vast difference try one you will be surprised

I wonder if by asking the question you halfway know the answer?

Smithy,
I was torn between a SR400 and a Bullet as I like my bikes simple as well - you may spend more time with a spanner but it's good fun knowing how they work, and then modifying (in some cases improving) them, but in the end the styling of the Bullet got me. The SR400 is a lovely looking bike but I wanted something that stood out more. It's a shame they didn't but a 500 engine on the SR400 (I guess then it wouldn't be an SR400) as I think it would have benefitted from the extra 100c. The SR400 is specified at 17.1 kW @ 6,500 rpm with 27.4 Nm @ 3,000 rpm while a 500cc modern EFI Bullet is 20.3 kW @ 5250 rpm and 41.3 Nm @ 4,000 rpm, so there is more oomph, at least at the engine side, how that translates onto the road is arguable. To be honest for these figures I doubt whether you'd feel more power on the road, but with a bullet you wouldn't feel any less than an SR400, and, in my opinion, the Bullet looks way better...

Dean

Thank you all so much for your replies and the information you have given me. Between you you have given me a very balanced view of the Enfield. I must confess at this moment I will probably hang on to the SR as it does everything I want and need really well, better the devil you know etc.

I won't however rule out having another Enfield one day but maybe when I have time for a project rather than need for a daily rider.

Cheers chaps

Smithy