[ramakashyap1999]

Some things to consider:-

- I have been a pillion rider on a lot of bikes, from my first ever bike being the 2009 Bajaj Pulsar 200, to the 2010 Royal Enfield Classic 500, to the 2013 Harley Davidson Iron 883 and ending the forever pillion rider journey on the 2016 Hyosung Aquila 650; but this Enfield is the first bike I myself have ever owned, and rode extensively for now.
- I am currently 22 years old and a student, and besides being an admirer of bikes and slightly familiar with technical terms; I am still not too well versed with technical terminologies/workarounds, so kindly forgive my ignorance in certain matters.


Personally, I had parted ways with my Dad in the Spring of 2015; and with him had left his Harley as well, my mother had gifted me a Vespa LX125 in yellow and he had ruined riding the vespa to the extent of just selling it off. When the bike had parted I had promised to myself that I will gift myself a bike when I consider myself ready to face on this world, and ever since my savings fund had opened up for the bike.
Fast forward to March of 2021- in third year of college, and my mother slowly seeing through the sunset of her life, she one day asked me what's the current market for 2 wheelers, and I was like the TVS Luna costs roughly 37-38,000 on road in Guwahati; and she was dumbfounded and observed a minute of silence.
Next question from her :- you have rode scooters, why do you want to not grow up ? Why don't you consider a bike for yourself because I can't hobble around taking you to places, or making you rely on public transport because I know how tiring it is; and by selling paintings and photographs online (online = reddit and discord) you have made around 2 lacs in savings.
My answer :- sure, let me look for how much hero glamour or the honda unicorn is.
Mom, slightly raising her voice to get my serious attention :- How much do Enfields cost ?
Me :- I don't know, maybe around 1.5-1.7 lacs.
Mom :- Alright cool, keep looking out for bikes in that price range; but son- no KTMs.
Meanwhile, one of my school friends owned a Jawa 42, and I had a lot of love for the Jawas, specially the looks, and his phone call convinced me enough to not pick up a Jawa. Then I looked for the Benelli Imperiale 400 and not seeing too many on the road along with somewhat questionable service costs, I decided to chuck that out as well. Pillion comfort mattered to me because my mother would definitely go out on rides with me so the Dominar 400 was ruled out as well. So Enfield it was.

Next day in the gym, I meet up with my friend who's another automotive junkie and his current fleet is a Kia Seltos GT and a Jeep Compass S after selling off his Audi A4, and I casually tell him that my mom wants to get me an enfield, do you have any leads ? He was like, he's got acquaintances in Chirag Enfield, and he immediately gives a call to the owner who apparently was his school or college mate, and so I have made it final that I will get an Enfield (look at me, I don't even know till then how to ride a motorbike).
After returning to the gym, on 10th March- both me and mom visit the Chirag Enfield dealership to check out the Bullet ES and surprised to see the amount of classics and himalayans, the sales executive was like "go for the classic than the bullet, because given your stature (context- I am 5'9, weighing close to 98 then), the bullet's rear tyre is somewhat thin and the braking is somewhat iffy (again, I am believing him cause I really have not ridden a bike), and my mom too really really liked how the classic looked. When he started showing the colour schemes and paused on the chestnut red- both me and mom stopped then and there, and immediately booked the Classic in Chestnut Red. Estimated delivery time, a month and given my mom being an astrologer; she chose April 16th as the date because it was the new year in the Assamese calendar; Bohag Bihu as we call it. Everything was settled and the price then came to a precise 1,94,000/- including a small discount as well as the crash guard. Meanwhile I would loan a Honda Unicorn from one of the residents of my apartment building and quickly picked up the basic skills of riding the motorbike. And slowly I was realising the sheer thrill, the unspoken bliss motorcyclists go through which made me crave and lust for the Classic even further. Plus, the ever present emotional thump, the poster boy road tripping image of the royal enfield was printed in bold inside me.

Skipping a few niggles, occasional stallings and a price hike (mine was not affected though) later, finally my bike was ready for delivery- the bike which was meant for me, had some manufacturing niggles and they asked me to wait for another week. I had waited for a month and 16 days additionally and was quite emotional, and then called my friend from the gym. Magically a perfect Classic 350 in Chestnut Red was ready, and so my bike was delivered- had 23 kms on the odo, MRF nylogrip tyres, but there was two minor niggles- the enfield sticker on the right side of the tank was very minutely scratched and the check light unit (engine light, fuel and ABS check) was misaligned; but besides that everything was good. Paid off in cash, and my learner's licence on the way, I had tears in my eyes, when I rode back the Classic to home (not long, but roughly 200-300 metres from where my friend dropped me off) and had the puja done as well. Probably had one of my most peaceful nights, and the next day me and my mother went to the temple nearby, had another puja done and the bike was parked alongside my Mom's Micra (her first car) and what a beautiful picture it was- both of our lives' first vehicles.

My smile disappeared the next day, when I crashed head on my Enfield against a Police gypsy, which resulted in some MAJOR repair costs borne by me for the gypsy- where my takeaway was, to use rear brake along with the front brake; and Enfields are actually built to last you a lifetime.

Chirag Enfield workshop did a slow yet fantastic job of repairing the bike which took a time from the last week of April to the second week of June (because of a lockdown), and now my experience will resume from the day I got my bike from the workshop to the time I now write my post.

First and foremost, I was stunned as to how good the heat dissipation was in the BS6 engine of the Classic- like, despite being air cooled and notoriously RE (gotta admit RE is a very polarising brand in the country even now). I have rode it wearing everything- from a very careless slipper-short combo for a quick bazar errand, to a proper boot trouser layout for solo rides to and fro; despite Guwahati's infamous humid heat, the engine did keep its cool.

Second, rider comfort- this keeps short; in my humble observation- I don't regret buying the Classic for it's genuinely one of the most comfortable bikes I have sat on; front's got enough plushness for me to just you know, putter around and the pillion seat is enough to take care of my mom's hip comfort as well. The suspension does a good job of taking on what lies ahead, from small medium potholes, to worn out yet high speed breakers, to iffy roads- handles pretty good.

Third, mileage- the bike so far has gone through two servicings so far, and I am getting an average of 32.76 in city riding. I use an app called Fuelio to keep a track of fuel expenses and so far, the lowest it has dropped to is 29 point something while the former number is the highest it has returned.

Fourth, stability and handling- the bike's heavy ? yes. Is the bike nimble ? not in my opinion. Being near 200 kgs, been through a few twistys and some trivially sharp corners, the bike once again in my opinion holds its line well and doesn't let me know it's heavy, and the only time it does is if I am counting the sparrows at a traffic stop or if I am trying to turn around my bike through some tight parking spots.

Fifth, mechanics- forgive my ignorance if I misinterpret something here; but to me the gearing is appropriate, and specially the low to mid range is stupendous- I can easily move around the city sticking at 2nd to 3rd without too much shifts, and both the box and the clutch do not feel hard or laid back or like, something could have been fixed.

Now, the downsides:

FIRSTLY, the lack of a fuel gauge- RE should have definitely brough through the new instrument cluster that they currently have on the Classic reborn in the BS6 update, so that a continuity could be felt. Or at least, give us the fuel gauge in that tiny round unit, while one could fit in the engine check light and the ABS check at either of the two empty boxes inside the previous odo and speedo only instrument cluster.

the vibrations- Usually in my opinion, it's the vibrations that make me feel more connected to the machine, and making the experience even more livid; but it does become a bit damp when the vibes could be felt through the mirrors as well but yes, compared to the BS4 and BS3 Classics, it's significantly lesser- and I verified it from another school friend of mine, whose father has a BS3 classic and his face was gleaming when he rode mine.

the braking- nothing to write home about, but could have been a wee bit sharper.

In a nutshell, seeing the Honda H'ness 350 or the new Classic Reborn doing so good in the market, do I have a buyer's remorse ? Oh hell no. What I have in my garage, is a ride bought with my own blood and sweat, a ride that I bought by staying sober (it's been two years since I have stopped being an alcoholic along with other vices like smoking), it's a ride that truly and wholeheartedly makes me feel like a biker, gives me therapy and makes me smile every single time I kickstart it up. It's been a beautiful 2000 kilometres so far, and I wouldn't trade anything for it.

A very funny encounter- me and my mom were heading out somewhere, and she saw the Interceptor 650 in the orange and was like, "oh damn what is this magnificent beauty", I replied, "maa, it's the interceptor 650- it's got the zoomies, and it's one of my dream bikes."

"how much does it cost ?"
"around 3.15 lacs on road."
"I could have given you a lac more to get yourself that ?"
"YOU ARE TELLING ME THAT, NOW ?!"

These things like my love for watches are like an addiction, once it bites you, it doesn't go off. Here's to me adding more alongside the Classic.
Also have named the ride "Buell" (Red Dead Redemption 2 fans will definitely know).
Also a few pictures of Buell:

[shancz]

Quite a ride you guys have been through but the feeling of earning the classic will be unmatched whatever your next ride is.

Your observations are accurate.
Classic is a good bike to get your basics right, sharpen your skills, learn manouvering a 200kg bike and the other will feel like cakewalk. Just don't get used to the laid back power delivery

Glad to know that your ride has rid you of multiple other vices. It will teach you important lessons everytime while putting a smile on your face, that's the crux of it all.

Good Luck and Ride On.

And Welcome to TBHP

[ramakashyap1999]

Thank you so much, this bike will never be traded apart from my life for anything else come what may, for the lessons it has given me, and it's like a milestone in my journey through life.

Also given your input on the laid back power delivery, yeah now at times, it does make me leave wanting for more, and so now my fund opens up for a bigger, faster bike given 4-5 years down the line. I am yet to learn driving a car, so motorcycles it shall be for now, and I do have a firm belief that even if I do learn driving a car and start having fun in it, I will just be sticking to bikes.

[shancz]

Originally Posted by ramakashyap1999

I will just be sticking to bikes.

Ditto and when you practice the sync between clutch and throttle the biggest challenge in learning a manual car is already completed. Only thing remaining is managing the box around.
Although sometimes you'll want that box to stay dry and warm. After all riding in pouring rain for the 10th time isn't as fun as the first

IMO bikes to me are the epitome of freedom.
Enjoy the Rides.

[ramakashyap1999]

Will definitely keep that in mind, thank you once again.

[Maverick_4662]

Your post took me through all the emotions I went through when I got my Classic 500 Stealth Black in 4th year of college! Congratulations for the ride! Absolutely love the chestnut Red color; It was my choice if I were to pick up a 350. Close to 4 years on , my bullet still brings a huge smile to my face every time I take her out, And I wish you years and years of that exact feeling and miles. Do invest some money and get decent riding gear. Start off with the best helmet you can afford and add the rest. Since you are just learning to ride, Go through the forum and pick up safe riding techniques including how to ride defensively, how to hold the handle just right, how to counter steer and most importantly how to brake. Wish you lots of safe and happy miles! And welcome to TeamBHP!

[ramakashyap1999]

Thank you so much for your feedback, means a lot. Also another reason to choose red over black was because of my mom reading my astrological chart as well (I kid you not).
As of riding gear, I got a decent set of gloves and a touring boot with certified protection from RE themselves, and I have been looking at both theirs and Rynox's riding jacket as well as jeans/trousers. But then regarding helmets, as of now I got a beautiful HJC harley branded helmet DOT certified from back in the day, and I have no idea where to look into. Some which I have been considering are Bell's full faced helmets, and RE's own full faced helmets with ECE badges. I asked a few folks around in the DanDan Fireman's discord server and they said it's absolutely good if it's at least ECE 22.05 certified. So there it is.

All now I need to get a grip on, is how to brake and then continue while riding uphill.

[Maverick_4662]

Originally Posted by ramakashyap1999

All now I need to get a grip on, is how to brake and then continue while riding uphill.

When stopping uphill, use both the brakes with more pressure on the rear pedal. Once you're at stop, hold bike with the rear brake or even better, use both! Grab just the front brake on a good enough gradient when stopped uphill, and your front tyre will start skidding and you will move backwards.

To start off, hold the bike with both brakes as above, Slot into first and slowly let go off the clutch. Basically practice till you know for sure the point at which your clutch bites. you will feel the RPM slightly going down once you get there, give a hint of throttle and slowly let go off the brakes once you feel the bike is trying to move forward. This is much easier in a car with a handbrake but is essentially the same. Find an empty stretch and practice this a lot.

[ramakashyap1999]

Thank you so much, will practice this on a small hilltop not too far away from my house.

[voyageur]

Congrats on the bike! Wishing you many happy miles, ride safe.

Any hobby related to automobiles turns out to be an expensive affair. You will never have enough to spend on any other vices, that's guaranteed.

My 2 cents, since your motorcycle's got front discs, 70-80% of the stopping power is going to come from the front. The rear brakes are there to support. This varies if both front and back are drum brakes. There are situations where you use the rear predominantly, like at slow speeds (parking lots, etc) when your handlebar isn't straight. For the purposes of moving off from a stop uphill, you can use the fronts to stop and when you're ready to take off, slot it into first gear. Engage the rear brakes and let go of the front brakes. Give it some beans while rolling off the clutch. As your motorcycle moves, come off the rear brakes. Also, depending on how steep the hill is you might need to also engage the front brakes using index and middle finger along with the rear brakes. Practice is the key, so try whichever method works for you.

Cheers!