Hello, my name is Alan, i am a 20 year old wanna be rider hahaha, ive riden my fathers motorcycle a couple of times, it is a dirt bike and i have decided i would like to try it myself since ive always been hungry for the whole horse of steel concept.
I am a Paramedic student in Tucson AZ and i dont have a lot of money, i am considering in buying the Royal Enfield military as my first motorcycle. I have a dog and have in mind adding a sidecar for him since I have familly down in Mexico, six hours away from Tucson.
I was wondering if you think this motorcycle is not powerful enough for this regular trips i have in mind?
Is it a good begginers motorcycle? What would you recomend?
There are 3 types of engine, depending on the year;
Up to about '08 was the iron barrrel, 4 speed. It was designed in the 50's for post WWII English country roads for commuting and delivering the mail. The design changed very little; it requires a fair amount of regular maintenance that is not difficult- just time consuming. Top freeway cruising speeds are around 50-55mph.
From '08 to '10 is the AVL / aluminium barrel, 5-speed. They look similar, but are actually quite a bit different- using some better internal parts. They come with an electric start that is an abortion and should be considered kick-start only. It was not designed into the engine, it was added on as a sales incentive. Your lawn mower has a much better sprag in it. It is not as maintenance intensive, but does need the contempletive hands on moments that create man-motorcycle bonding. It is a great bike for the maountains, while cruising the freeway is comfortable at 60-65.
The new (starting in '10) UCE- Unit Construction Engine- seems to be almost Japanese like in it's lack of maintenance needs. Electronic fuel injection, hydraulic valve lifters, etc. On one model they attempted to just leave off the kick-start lever but people got too upset- so they put them back on the bike (Basically for looks) It should do freeways at 65-70 no problem.
So- you're probably looking for an iron or aluminum barrel bike.
Sidecar; a whole new animal- no longer a motorcycle. It will not handle anything near to how a motorcycle does- because it's no longer a motorcycle. There are only a very few sidecars small and light enough for an Enfield. You might get away with one as long as you stay in the flat lands, but hills are going to kill you.
A great place for sidecar info; www.sidecar.com
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Several people get Enfields as a first bike, actually. While it's not for flustery light-weights, there is a ton of support for anyone who has one and wants to learn how to take care of them. Here's the American forum;
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Hey thanks beans! you sure know a lot about engines i appreciated it. So if I am looking to get an Enfield it needs to be either a 2010 model or a 2011 so that it can reach 70 mph on the highway, groovy.
Do you think maybe a Honda shadow would be a better choice?
And when you say that a sidecar is whole other thing, what do you mean? Its maximum speed will diminish wont it?
A Honda Shadow will be a lot better on the freeway.
Running flat out to keep up with traffic on the interstate is not a comfortable situation to be in for long periods of time. The Enfields are fun little bikes for running around town on (or for learning to ride), but a long-distance slab-cruiser they are definitely not intended for.
A sidecar rig handles much differently than a standard motorcycle. Turning especially takes some practice to get used to. The top-end speed will diminish on a bike such as the Enfield as well.
I remember when those Enfields were on the road. They are great around town bikes. Even with regearing you will burn one up on the freeway.
As a new rider, you should be avoiding high speed any way.
If I lived in town, Id have one just because they look the way they did 50 years ago.
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