Why The Royal Enfield Classic 500 is the perfect Gentleman's Touring Motorcycle!

The Bullet proved itself to be a very capable touring machine on my recent jaunt into North Yorkshire. She is never going to win any land speed records but then she doesn't need to Because Gentlemen don't rush!

[flapjackphil]

Spot on Sir! Clever marketing tells me I need too big a bike to impress people that I don’t know, offered on easy PCP payments that I can’t afford! Clever marketing also sells me high performance and then lauds the fact that there are in built safety features to slow me down! So I am being asked to pay twice - first for the enhanced performance (that I cannot really legally use) and then second for all the safety features to save me from the performance! Stay safe!

[fernandomagalhaes]

The Classic 500 offers a sense of security that others, very technologic ones, can't transmit. It's not romanticism or nostalgy. Driving it is more relaxing than many other powerful bikes, not only because i am never driving in a hurry, but also because:
1-I never feel the need to obsessive and stubbornly overtake every moving object in front of me, as in more powerful machines.
2-I find myself peacefuly in the flow at every moment except when lorryes overtake me in dual carriage main roads.
3- I have a engine with such a retention power that you may dispense high teck and very performing brakes. I use predominantly the engine brake.
4- I hardly aproach cars running in the same sense at very higher speeds than those they practice.
5 I have a engine that accomodates very well with low revs and it complyes perfectely with the smoothness of throttle rotating angles and the little engine speed variations induced by..
6 I feel a multy task and easy bike to manoeuver, although not being light.
7 I can carry the bike with all my stuff, even without rigid panniers; only saddlebags and other soft bags secured by compression straps.
8. At his prefered speeds and engine revs I can forget the roughness of the great majority of the pavements.
9 The front head lamp is enougth for the ambitions and speeds of the bike in complete darkness.
10 Only by night and with wet vibrating rear mirrors I have some difficulties to distinguish multiple vheicles and their aproaching speeds in other lanes.
11- The fuell tank capacity exceeds by far my interval needs to pee.(note : I am riding for the last 40 years all sorts of bikes In Portugal and Spain).

[adrianroberts]

Stuart. Your honeyed words finally did the trick. The idea of getting back on a bike, and more particularly a Royal Enfield has been a persistent itch I've resisted scratching for several years now. However, with retirement and a few quid in my back pocket, I finally "bit the bullet" (sorry!) a month ago, and a Classic 500 now lives in my garage. What a joyous experience it has been so far. Living and riding in North Derbyshire I'm in perfect Bullet territory, and loving every minute. Many thanks for the inspiration to take that leap back into biking.

[TheChrysler]

Stuart………..you talk my language. You riding your Mule 500 is like me in my early days of lorry driving, driving a lorry with a manual 10 speed gearbox where you have to use your senses and the sound of the engine to know when to change gear and we all know you don’t need a rev counter to have that special bond with our machines wether on two wheels or 14 wheels spread over six axles. I reckon you’re like me…..a genuine gentleman that doesn’t ask for anything other than the love of a great motorcycle and beautiful places to ride it in and not forgetting an understanding partner i.e. “She Who Cracks The Whip” in my case namely Lynne. Just like to say! I’m getting through your videos at a fair pace now and enjoying them more and more.

[beardypete]

Couldn't agree more. A week ago I got back from a 7 day. 1200 mile camping trip on my Classic 500. I meandered lazily from Glasgow down to Norfolk over 6 days of seeking out the smallest roads before doing the 450 mile return leg in one, just to see how the wee bike coped with it. It never skipped a beat, as usual drew loads of attention wherever we parked up and handled the hundreds of miles of motorway on the final day just fine. I'm not sure riding a Royal Enfield is enough to make me a gentleman though!

[carlarthur]

The R E looks like a bike that most people would really enjoy 😊 if they left their Egos at home 🏡 just enjoy the bike and ride for what it is, I don't care how big or small a bike is I just enjoy motorbikes. Great video as usual. Thank you 😊

[peterprior]

You said what I have been saying since I bought mine. Love riding mine over Dartmoor with its 40mph speed limit, dodging the ponies, sheep and Highland cattle.

[CoastalDiariesUK]

Stuart I have watched this too many times that I’m minus 5k. But I do now have a beautiful piece of history that I admire every day.

[andreVEBK]

Exactly Uncle Stu! That is the reason why I traded my Goldwing for my Black Chrome Classic 500 last year. I have been riding for 48 years and have not regretted buying the Bullet… ever. As we used to say in the Airforce… spatial and situational awareness indeed Stu. Thanks again my friend. 👍

[pilotsproject]

for a German bloke as I am it feels so nice to listen to your authentic british accent ... it reminds me of my good old times visiting GB when I was a t young age 😀

[BulletWanderer]

Since December, when I started riding both the Bullet, and motorcycles in general, I've done about 7200 miles on the Bullet and loved every second of it. There's been a puncture here, or an exhaust bolt snapped there, but on the whole, I love the lifestyle of it, and how it seems to just encourage you to go at a leisurely pace wherever you go. My longest 'tour', I suppose, so far was a 300 mile round trip to Dingle, and to me (granted, I don't really know other bikes), the vibrations were never an issue, and only become noticable past 100km/hr, or if you're not treating it right! To me anyways, its the perfect tourer, commuter, and explorer, and I wouldn't trade it for anything. Anyways, enough romanticizing the Bullet from me. Will have to try the Yorkshire Dales next summer! Thanks for sharing, Stu!

[Britishshooter]

"Wafting through the countryside" (8.50 TO 11.25) sums up the emotion of riding a bike better than I have ever heard anywhere before. Brilliant job Stuart.

[dng]

Great to here someone else with a view that mirrors my own.

[punitkhatri]

He's always spot on with his narration. It's like listing to a podcast. Royal Enfield Classics are all the love, you expect from a motorcycle.

[fredzuccarelli]

An ex-copper here agree with you on everything mentioned! Another awesome vid!!!!

[brianperry]

Thank heavens for Stu riding through the Yorkshire Dales.. Sanity in a world of doom and gloom in the media.... Your take on 'sport bikes' was interesting because I too have ridden down that road. I came to Spain about twenty years ago bringing my Triton with me. Riding mostly in concentrations I found the speed just to slow...mostly.. Thirty or so years before I owned a couple of BMWs... the seventies air cooled Boxers...Like you I would ride the country roads, In my case, Southern England for hours with nothing more than the soft burble of the engine to keep me company... it was great and relaxing, no rushing about!. I owned Guzzi Le Mans and Ducati 900SS.... 'Scratching' the the A and B roads was great but intense concentration drains you.... Those of us who survive that period of our motorcycling journey settle down to where we all must go eventually ..Los Motociclists, son los Ultimos Espiritus Libres ... (Motorcyclists, the Last of the Free Spirits) Thanks for the ride Stu...

[nigelcopestake]

Obviously you picked some good weather to tour gods own country. I thought Scotland was the place to go, but the Yorkshire dales looks awesome. Yet again a great vlog, you've done it again 👍👍👍

[leeward]

I bought a classic 500 in 2012 and really enjoyed it. People have to accept it for what it is. A great bike. Last year I fell in love with the Interceptor and had to have it. The dual exhaust and styling that reminded me of the 60's bikes did it for me. I still miss the "mule" sometimes but the Interceptor is a thing of wonderment. Thanks Stu.

[peterwest]

I’ve had mine for 5 years, my first bike. Love her, and agree totally with your assessment, particularly on the vibration and lack of cowling. This is authentic motorcycling at its finest.

[desperado.]

I’m not even sure how I stumbled upon your channel because I’m not a motorcyclist (I somehow had it in my mind that I’d become too old to be one) but after watching two of your videos I suddenly want to become one, and riding the 500 at that. It’s easy to see your passion for riding and your videos were really enjoyable. Keep up the great work, good sir, and take care!