Winter has barely started, it's cold.....better buy a motorcycle!

[telepraise]

Looks like a total chic magnet (if you're young enough for that)! But seriously, buying a motorcycle in December in South Dakota?!?

 

[John Backlund]

Nice bikes! I can't figure out if the shiny chrome tank is good because it acts like extra mirrors or bad because it could blind you under sun or high beams.

It might bother me if I didn't wear a full-face helmets, or goggles with an open-face type, but both visually block direct sun reflections off of the gas tanks, so it hasn't been a problem for me.

 

[John Backlund]

Looks like a total chic magnet (if you're young enough for that)! But seriously, buying a motorcycle in December in South Dakota?!?

It's a form of 'Cabin Fever', and the resulting psychosis causes me to acquire unfitting items at the most inopportune times.

 

[HaWE]

Look at some of the fun stuff you can get for the RE 650's...
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Wow, great looking parts - I like bikes that you can modify to your own taste

 

[imwjl]

I wanted to get rid of the Royal Enfield 350 that I bought late last August because I was so disappointed in its anemic performance (20.2 hp/430 lbs) that I stopped riding it after a week or so, and it's been parked alongside a wall in the garage with only 510 miles on it ever since.

So, I decided to just get away from it and get something that I would ride, and rather than wait until spring to trade or sell it, I just went ahead and traded it in for a new Royal Enfield Continental GT, which is the cafe-racer styled version of the 650 Interceptor that I have had for almost a year now. They are mechanically identical, the difference in the two being the fuel tank, lower, semi clip-on bars, and more rear-set foot controls.

I will trailer the 350 to the dealership tomorrow morning, then haul the new 650 back home.

I didn't take photos of the actual bike I'm buying (will tomorrow) but it's exactly like this one....
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Motorcycles? I have been thinking about skis close to your neighborhood. I have two lift tickets I can redeem at Terry Peak. I know little about it except that it would be faster to arrive than CO and could be done sans-airlines.

Enjoy the new one in good health!

 

[Dan German]

We had this one (less than 10 km, sad story) in our used inventory. I borrowed it for the weekend. The optional S&S mufflers were awesome. Nice tone, not neighbour-annoying. 6 days later I had my hand-breaking fall. Very glad I took the opportunity, because it was such a pleasant bike to ride. It’s all two lane winding roads around here, which are perfect for it. Woulda bought it if I had the funds.

 

[black_doug]

You must feel like a king on the Royal Enfield.

 

[thunderbyrd]

The XS650 had a bit more hp than the current Enfield 650's do. If I recall correctly, the Yamaha 650 had 53 hp(?), while the modern RE 650 has 47. Not a lot, but I would think that the Yamaha would feel a little 'snappier' than the RE.

One category that the Enfield 650 beats the old Yamaha 650 twin by a wide margin is in vibration suppression. I can remember my 1972 XS2D Yamaha just about blurring my vision at highway speeds from engine vibration, and numbing my hands after a few miles.

The Royal Enfield 650 is an impressively refined motor.

The Yamaha, however, with it's 360 degree firing, would sound more authentically 'British twin' than the Enfield's 270 degree firing, which in sound, is more comparable to a smaller V-twin.

my 650 was a '78. they improved them somewhere before that. it was wonderfully smooth, with exactly the power i wanted. i'd love to ride it again.

 

[Dan German]

my 650 was a '78. they improved them somewhere before that. it was wonderfully smooth, with exactly the power i wanted. i'd love to ride it again.

They never rubber mounted that engine or counterbalanced it, so the vibes were basically the same for all of them. Not that they were any worse than any other 360 parallel twin. They were great bikes.

Edit: they did improve engine mounting and handlebar damping as time went on

 

[ritten70]

Did you get it up here from the dealership in Spearfish? Curious what your take on them is/was.
Thanks!
Paul

 

[boop]

You bought another of the bike you already have?! I’ve been casting around for a first bike and intend to buy used. I just missed a perfect sv650. The RE 650s look cool, if one pops up I’ll try and get it. Otherwise I’ll get one of the small displacement ninja sport bikes which weigh about 80lbs less. Looks fun. Enjoy winter

 

[John Backlund]

Did you get it up here from the dealership in Spearfish? Curious what your take on them is/was.
Thanks!
Paul

No, I bought this one from the Rapid City dealership Black Hills Powersports.

I purchased my '22 Interceptor from Baxter Cycle in Marne, Iowa. That was last winter, and before the Rapid City shop took the brand on.

 

[John Backlund]

You bought another of the bike you already have?! I’ve been casting around for a first bike and intend to buy used. I just missed a perfect sv650. The RE 650s look cool, if one pops up I’ll try and get it. Otherwise I’ll get one of the small displacement ninja sport bikes which weigh about 80lbs less. Looks fun. Enjoy winter

It's different in certain cosmetic details, but yes, it's pretty much the same machine.

I had also been considering a Kawasaki Z400, but just went with the RE 650.

The Z400 is about the same hp as the 650 Royal Enfield, but it has to wind up pretty high to use most of it, but they're great little bikes, and I know I would enjoy one.

 

[ritten70]

No, I bought this one from the Rapid City dealership Black Hills Powersports.

I purchased my '22 Interceptor from Baxter Cycle in Marne, Iowa. That was last winter, and before the Rapid City shop took the brand on.

Thanks. I’m pretty sure Black Hills Powere Sports (the old Rice Cycle?) took over or partnered with the Spearfish dealership a couple years ago so I was curious how they were.
Thanks again and enjoy the new bike!

 

[Flat6Driver]

I like the title of this thread. A month ago, I bought another (old) bike. It's been cold and I've been busy. I still haven't burned through the tank of gas it came with.

 

[John Backlund]

Thanks. I’m pretty sure Black Hills Powere Sports (the old Rice Cycle?) took over or partnered with the Spearfish dealership a couple years ago so I was curious how they were.
Thanks again and enjoy the new bike!

Black Hills Powersports and the Spearfish store are competitors, they have no other business connection.

 

[MarkieMark]

You bought another of the bike you already have?! I’ve been casting around for a first bike and intend to buy used. I just missed a perfect sv650. The RE 650s look cool, if one pops up I’ll try and get it. Otherwise I’ll get one of the small displacement ninja sport bikes which weigh about 80lbs less. Looks fun. Enjoy winter

In my personal experience, comparing the two after 30-40 minutes would be:
"Gritting my teeth so hard I think I drove some into my brain"
vs.
"Picking the bugs out of my teeth from grinning"

 

[DesmoDog]

The Yamaha, however, with it's 360 degree firing, would sound more authentically 'British twin' than the Enfield's 270 degree firing, which in sound, is more comparable to a smaller V-twin.

Smaller twin? I thought the 270 degree twins were meant to be more comparable to something like this for vibes and sound?

(For those of you who aren't obsessed with this sort of thing, that's a 90 degree V-twin with a common crank pin)

 

[Dan German]

Smaller twin? I thought the 270 degree twins were meant to be more comparable to something like this for vibes and sound?

(For those of you who aren't obsessed with this sort of thing, that's a 90 degree V-twin with a common crank pin)

Thanks for posting the pic, I never get tired of seeing a nice trellis-frame L twin Ducati. But more to your point, I don’t think a 270 twin sounds as much like a V twin as people make out. It is similar, for sure, but I think it’s a (good) thing all on its own. The important thing is that it has the feel of the V twin. Within a fairly short period of time, I rode three twins with similar horsepower, the Continental GT, a CB500, and an MT-03. Unlike the Royal Enfield, the Honda and Yamaha had 180 degree cranks. While the Honda and Yamaha both had more horsepower (and a bit less weight) than the RE, they had less torque (partly a function of the smaller displacement) and had rather boring exhaust notes. Of the three, I would readily have gone with the one that is lowest-performance on paper, the RE.

 

[marshman]

That full fairing kit looks fantastic. Enfields are not my first choice, but pretty damn close to the top of the list as far as new bikes go.

I recall reading an article in (I think) Cycle World back @ 2000 about a guy in Oregon (maybe?) that was remanufacturing vintage Nortons and the unit he sent to the mag for their test ride was totally chrome and looked magnificent. I've had a soft spot for similarly chromed out bikes ever since.

2021 I went to NJ Motorsport park for the Superbike round on Sunday...we caught the Junior cup race and as much as I love the action, those little 400s sounded sooo sad tached-out at the end of the front straight. I then hadda follow one home and the sound was even sadder with street legal exhaust.