Biker Group & Bullet: Why Enfield Bullet?

No machine is bad. There are machines built for different situations, each made to give its best in its own arena. The point is to find out which class belongs to you. That is a task that requires lots of thoughts. It took a while to find out I belong to the Bullet class. In other words it’s a result of few myth bursting.

The myths
There is a preconception that a Bulleteer sacrifice a lot to stay with Bullet.
(1)Low mileage, (2) left side break and right side gear shifts, (3) High maintenance- cost and frequency, (4) oil leaks, (5) uneasiness to handle it in traffic and city driving conditions, (6) Low initial pickup, (7) Stiff ride- might break your back borne, (8) Poor breaking, (9) kick backs, (10) highly priced…….
The list is endless. Anyway I found some time to think about the above mentioned criticisms just to burst these myths. I thought it worth spending time for that coz… Because it is obvious that without a reason this machine wouldn’t have lived in the hearts of thousands for decades.

Bursts
Thousands still ride their age old legends. No one wants to carry a burden and spend time for something which is a junk.
(1) Mileage:
A decent rider gets 35-40 km from an 18bhp powerhouse. Is that bad?
The new generation AVL engine offers much more than that, though I don’t like AVL much for some specific reasons; may be I can explain it later. I’m sure no one compares bullet with a use and throw new generation 100kpl bike. Intention is not mere transportation. If that's the case, a moped will do the job.
(2) Left side break and right side gear shifts
If one finds it hard to get used to this system, better keep away from bullet. I’ve heard a funny quote from a bulleter. “A bulleteer is not supposed to ride other bikes and vice versa, that’s the reason for left side brakes and right side gear system”…. Never mind... :)
(3) High maintenance- cost and frequency
I know people who like to spend time with the machine and mechanics with unnecessary tune ups and touch ups here and there. I’ve never felt that bullet is a frequent mechanic visitor. That is my personal experience. I’ve never done anything other that what I used to do on my old RX100- only the routine maintenance. If you ride with respect, it will never give a trouble. Give respect and take respect. I don’t believe that the so called niggling problems really exist.
Two exceptions…
(a) Hard core riders who live to ride and ride to live.
(b) Owners of very old machines. When the machine is 20 or 30 or more years old, yes, it definitely is an exception
(4) Oil leaks
This can be linked with the above mentioned points.
(5) Uneasiness to handle it in traffic and city driving conditions
Bullet is for people who know riding or atleast for those who have the heart to learn it. If you have just rode bullet once or twice and wish to ask “how the hell do u handle this in traffic”, sorry I can't answer. Believe me it is easy as a knife through butter.
(6) Low initial pickup
Bullet is not a sprinter.
No comparison between a cheetah and a horse.
No comparison between a 100m sprinter and a marathon runner.
(7) Stiff ride
You decide if you want a stiff ride or a smooth ride.
Most of the bulleters comment that the ride on bullet is more comfortable.
Anyway, honestly I’ve found the bullet a little stiff, especially the back shock absorbers. There definitely is an alternative. That is, to fix a pair of new generation gas shock absorbers. Issue solved.
(8) Poor Breaking
Not satisfied with the breaking? There is disk break available. Solid, it is.
(9) Kick backs
Hmm… The art of doing decompression is very simple if it’s a point timer system.
Anyway you will learn that it’s important to keep your feet (?!) healthy to withstand a stroke. Keep working out :)
Not satisfied? Go for electric start, there is option to upgrade to electric start.
(Can we call it kick back? Anyway you’ve got what I meant.)
(10) Highly priced
No comments…
Anyway, old ones are pretty cheap, I haven’t seen a hard core bulleteer going behind a brand new one. Most of the new models, I feel, are for pulling customers from the small bikes segment. Business side, I’m least concerned about…

Ultimately what matters is whether you get what you want or not…
It is a fact that for decades a bulleteer gets what he wants. Or else this machine would have been history like its co-riders. It survived for a long time and it will for another… I don’t even have a guess ‘for how many more years'…

Finally (if you are a bullet lover), what if someone asks you “Why Enfield Bullet?”
For most of the bullet lovers, the most complicated question to answer…
There is an interesting answer from someone...
“What if your wife asks you for a reason to love her? It’s something difficult to answer. There are things which your heart does on which your brain doesn’t have a say.”
Emotional attachment with this machine, for some people is unexplainable. One shared the emotional attachment his father has with the bullet. He wants the machine too to be buried with him when he dies. Which other machine has this privilege?
Anyway most bullet lovers stay with it because of……….
The Feeling it gives (feeling the bike/ride is something which only a bulleter has experienced)
The Thump
The power/torque it delivers
The individuality it gives you
The stability it has on high speeds
The ability to stay strong on long rides
The cool, majestic, and mind blowing looks
….. The list goes on and on…..
I like and respect this ‘machine with history’. And I’m sure that this legend is ‘not going be history’ in anywhere near future.