[dkaile]

Sadly, Bullets really need to pull up their socks. I have owned the first Bullet 500 of North India when I was in college 25-30 years back and recently a Himalayan, both of which I have since sold. Fortunately my Himalayan was a impeccable piece with zero issues. Can't say the same of the pre-historic 500 I had decades ago. I still feel, even after all these years, Enfields have not matured enough like a Triumph for example. Where they have combined both their traditional values and looks along with modern engineering.

Still a long way to go Bullets, a long way to go. Cheers...

[Yieldway17]

Originally Posted by adrian

I remember one member sharing his experience on his security guard at the Office reserving a particular place of the parking lot for his Bullet. May be we will have to ask that security guard as to why he thinks that the Bullet is special when compared to others.

Bullets used to be special to me because of its rarity. Now that I see 100s everyday, I don't see it as special anymore. My office parking lot has so many Bullets everyday, wonder any person really cares when someone is seen riding a Bullet anymore. If our security has to reserve a spot for the Bullets, he has to cordon off big sections of the lot.

RE to its credit has milked the brand well enough. But the simple fact is that it's not a showstopper in the cities anymore like it used to be, it's another mass market motorcycle.

[extreme_torque]

Originally Posted by v12

This is a very insulting ad - Bajaj shouldn't have done such an ad. I wonder what triggered this ad.... probably their recent partnership with Triumph to fhanlkenge RE Bullet in the classic segment. The brotherhood ad was amazing....why couldn't they do something in similar lines. Waiting for RE's response now.

Why so defensive? An RE guy is not going to stop loving his bike after watching this advert. Beyond that RE has been the butt of jokes for I do not know how long.

[Nilesh5417]

Originally Posted by extreme_torque

Why so defensive? An RE guy is not going to stop loving his bike after watching this advert. Beyond that RE has been the butt of jokes for I do not know how long.

Ha ha..that is so true! And majority of the jokes are cracked by the RE owners themselves. These are stories to be shared over drinks years after the ride has finished.

BTW - i feel the ad only got Bajaj into some discussions on internet / chai time talks which are limited to RE vs. Bajaj. I'm yet to see this ad resulting in a passionate Dominar vs. Bullet discussion. I dont think the ad did anything to add to the below par sales of Dominar. The issue isn't that Dominar is not being accepted as a good bike. The issue seems to be that Bajaj aimed to take on RE with Dominar and all the talk that Rahul Bajaj seems to do about this goal on every media interaction - which in the hindsight seems totally illogical. Had they focussed on the merits of the Dominar, spent money to build an ecosystem like RE or Harleys have for their owners, it would have been money well spent i think. Dominar's case seems to have an analogy to the Nano case - complete misreading of how to position the product and make it a success. The product itself may have its merits but its the perception that kills any chance of success. Dominar to me now seems to be suffering the same fate.

[Latheesh]

OT
Ad says RE guys - "For years we marched as one, stuck together through ups and downs, and keep the tradition alive" with a trademark RE thump in the background. But looking at the speed and the way Dominar guys riding (wrong side) in the ad - They won't live long to do any of it. Not to mention the fake Dominar engine note! That sounds like a super bike.

[parik_ind]

I think the response to the Bajaj ad says it all. It was put together by riders who love what their REs mean to them. If RE were to respond it would dilute the whole debate. That would just become 2 more brands going at each other.

[wrongturn]

Originally Posted by howler

lol ! That's cute . Dyou know how or why Enfield's are associated with kings / royalty in india only, very curious to know? I can't imagine any of the maharajas sweating over starting a leaky Enfield , or being overtaken by the general public while he waits for his ride to cool down.

I have encountered numerous RE riders riding in the first lane of a highway cruising at around 60 - 80 kmph who won't budge no matter what, riding like a KING. All the others must give him the right of way beacuse that noob things he is a KING riding an RE. It's not only dangerous for the noob King but also for the other vehicles on the road. This behavior can also be seen while driving in the city but can be overlooked.
Also, it might be just me, but I have seen a lot of casualties happening in and around my circle involving RE, mainly due to people tend to ride them at speeds they cant control and when that elephant falls, the rider doesn't get up ever again.
I don't have a personal vendetta against RE or its riders, I have ridden it, my friends own it and its a beautiful machine. But then there are some folks who abuse it in the name of riding and bring bad name to the whole community. Specifically those noob KINGS.

[srishiva]

I have been thinking of owning a Classic in white colour for a looong time. Only thing thats stopping me is the reliability. One of my friend owns one and although he likes it, advises me against owning one.
I still feel like owning one though... Its so sad that a company cant make a reliable two wheeler in this age.

[redeff]

I wouldnt buy that outdated an engine for the price they ask. That simple. The cafe racer was the only one that was worth considering RE for me and that too was let down by the engine.

And its not just about the power. I understand the lack of power in a cruiser. What I dont understand is the lack of both power and refinement. IMHO, RE does not need a twin 750. It needs a twin 500 in the price range it offers. Forget the power, give us some refinement.

Anyway, the RE and the Dominar cater to two different audiences. The attempt to poach however is quite commendable.

[farhadtarapore]

Originally Posted by Ry_der

. After pampering it with all your love, money and time, you get emotionally attached to your bike.

For me it was the opposite. After pampering it with my money and time, I finally got the Duke 390. Brain and heart were both in absolute agreement.

[Sankar]

Originally Posted by adrian

Don't know if it is the appropriate thread. Bajaj Trolls RE.
Time to wake up and reply Royal Enfield !

https://www.Youtube.com/watch?v=PU_6JYmLXQE

Hahaha! Nice ad. I don't see anything insulting in these ads. This kind of subtle ad-war rivalries keeps both brands on their toes, gets the creative juices flowing in R&D and marketing. I feel people are getting easily offended these days. Its nice to see the ad agency relate Enfield to an Elephant, Elephants are magnificent animals.

I hope Enfield comes out with a counter ad and keep this going.

Originally Posted by payeng

Life's come full circle.

https://www.Youtube.com/watch?v=84f4Labix8c

I wonder why Bajaj took this long to to come out with a reply. Does the chant say "Hoodibaba"?

[Ry_der]

Originally Posted by farhadtarapore

For me it was the opposite. After pampering it with my money and time, I finally got the Duke 390. Brain and heart were both in absolute agreement.

I totally support your decision to move on from your RE. There is nothing wrong in taking a practical decision.

Infact, during my early ownership, I too got offended by the build quality, frequent visits to A. S. S. But once I switched from A. S. S. to local bullet specialist, things started to fall in place. During the last 3 years I have shifted twice, but first thing I do after reporting to my new boss, is that I search for a local bullet specialist.

Today I know the limits of my bike, and I totally respect those. You cant expact a long bore engine to be rev happy. You cant expect zero vibration on a stock exhaust.

Live to Ride

[androdev]

I don't know how to ride a bike but I feel RE is the only Indian company that has built a great fanboy-level brand. Bajaj ad is clever but comes out like a sore loser. Evokes the feeling of a low life dog barking at a majestic elephant. They absolutely should not have used elephants - which are majestic and culturally always seen in positive light. Their drivers in the ad come across as spoilt brats.

The RE cult just happened. Perhaps the only good thing RE did was not to screw it up by going after money trying to cater to every demographic. I don't know if RE intentionally did not keep up with times and become a "player" in the two wheeler market or they were too lazy a company like Hindustan Motors but things just worked out for them.

[Ohh!Oxygen]

I own an 15 year old AVL Thunderbird and I agree with the punchline "Hathi mat palo".
The intro thump was overkill but they should have used white elephants instead

Game on Bajaj. Nation eagerly wants to know what is coming out of your recent partnership.

[howler]

Originally Posted by adrian

No offense taken. Just some points (from within our forum) for you to ponder.

While a Bullet has niggles associated with it (I agree that there shouldn't be any compared to the price we pay) every other brand with new technology isn't niggle free. It has it's own share to give a sleepless night to the owner.

Your remarks on the rider sweating out to kick start the Bullet and waiting for his ride to cool down is not true even with older models.

A well maintained Bullet starts with the first kick and never over heats.

Ask any Bullet owner in this forum or run a poll and you will get the answer.

The problem is not with the motorcycle. It lies with the after sale service. They do no corrective action to your motorcycle during service, which results in parts failing prematurely.


We have 9 Bullets in our ride group. We have CIs and UCE. They not fast like a KTM. But they have taken us to remote places and have never let us down. And yes we do a proper preventive maintenance in our Bullets .

So sweat live a slave in the maintenance session and ride like a king in the travelling session !

Edit : OK I missed your why it is treated royal question - Please go through the Why Bullet thread and you will find the answer. I remember one member sharing his experience on his security guard at the Office reserving a particular place of the parking lot for his Bullet. May be we will have to ask that security guard as to why he thinks that the Bullet is special when compared to others.

Thanks, to each his own i guess. Just to clarify , my issue has never been with the bike, the fundamental design or whether it does 0-60 faster then the rest. The original RE bullet is a gorgeous machine to ride, G2 or earlier. The design of the motor was a robust one with a low CI, pushrods and the ability to take abuse without completely giving up, the only weak link being the oil pump design.
My grouse is with RE India compromising on a solid design with low quality cycle parts and poor metallurgy. what could have been a beautiful classic machine has been screwed over by the boffins at the bean counters at RE. I have owned a 93 CI350, a 07 500 machismo and now a himalayan, so i am not making statements without putting my money where my mouth is. The amount of time and money i have spent on my CI is an embarrassment, so there was no dearth of 'maintenance'. That very same half baked philosophy has now manifested itself in the Himalayan (8 visits to the SC in 1 year). For a 1993 bullet i could have forgiven the quality issues, in 2017 no way.
So when i see folks standing up and defending this company that takes close to 2 l INR for a sub standard product, i go .
Ride safe.



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