Royal Enfield Bullet Launch Thoughts | What happened to the 500cc Thumper?
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- Опубликовано: 1 окт 2024
- My thoughts on Royal Enfield's launch of the new Bullet motorcycle for 2024. Did Royal Enfield drop the ball on this one? The initial reaction from fans hasn't been great.
Agreed, possibly the most disappointing bike launch of the year. Let’s face it, we all wanted a 500!
I am from India i have got to say it's the taillight that's the issue with the bullet other than that it's allright. It's got people riled up. Bullet badge with RE is like Note for Samsung and Air for Apple, just a 100 times over more serious. People are attached to it. Brands gotta be careful when playing with fire. All they had to do was use any other old fashioned taillight that didn't exactly match the current classic. Lack of chrome in the top version might have also irked many.
I expect them to put the newly developed 450 water cooled engine in a 500 Bullet.
The new 450 is not a good fit for a classic bike since it is a very modern looking engine.
They won't do it. They are however, working on a Bullet and a classic 650
No they wont
I saw a video of a bloke who fiddled a 650 twin in himalayan frame and called it the super himalayan. Awsome machine.
Historically, the Bullets were only single cylinder 350 and 500 cc. So I don't see how a Bullet 650 twin would fit in. Enfield's twins were named Meteor, Constellation and Interceptor. And we already have the new Interceptor and the Super Meteor 650, the latter being already based on the "classic" J-platform frame (probably reinforced/enlarged)... Should we then expect a new Constellation 650 "classic" based on the SM650 frame instead? 🤔
My gut feeling is RE won't put the 650 twin motor into a Bullet.........as the result will be too similar to what they already have with the Interceptor.
Congrats on the breaking the 20K subscriber count Mr WM, it's very richly deserved. Top quality interesting 'straight to the point' content refreshingly devoid of annoying 'in-yer-face' long intros, music, or catchphrases.
Thank you mate!
It was as i expected..its for the Indian market where it will be a huge success...i really like the new Bullet it looks great cant wait to see them in the flesh ...i remember the old Bullets and this is a thoroughly modern design of a well loved bike ....the only people who were ....disappointed were you tube vloggers and motorcycle press ...second guessing..it didnt meet Their expectations that is all .
Nice one, i still think RE have a few surprises up their sleeves, a 650 classic has been seen out testing in India, a 500 bullet could be on its way using the new Himalayan 450 motor.....
Siddhartha Vikram Lal DROPPED THE BALL ON THIS ONE,,
he should have NEVER let the company REBADGE a 350 with bullet badges. we don't need no stinking badges, we bees a bullet 500 or 600 engine.
Everyone here in India knew that it was the Bullet 350 that was launching on the 1st of September. I guess it was mostly some British RUclipsrs who were mistaken about the 500 because of a couple of the logos in the teaser. A 500 was never on the cards especially given the narrow gap between the 350 and the 650. If it was, they would have started with a Classic 500 and not the model that all the purists love. Even the UCE based Bullet 500 (350 too) was derived from the Classic so as to ease their customer base on to the new platform. The customers that buy the Bullet are mostly traditionalists that are the slowest to accept changes. Most of those potential buyers hate the fact that the new Bullet does not have a kickstarter and the old taillight. Otherwise, it is a great option especially since its base variant is a little bit cheaper than that of the Classic 350.
But you do seem to understand most of this as is apparent from your video.
Royal Enfield needs a Himalayan 650 adventure bike. It will place them in the hot seat if they can keep the price well below the V-Strom 650.
RE needs to bump up the Bullet to 500cc single or 650cc twin if they want a bike that can be used on all US roads. US speeds and distances work against a 350cc single, cool as the Classic may be. The INT650 does work here.
The air-cooled 500 is dead as a single. They could down size the 650 and re release the 500 twin.
The big releases IMHO are the new 450 models
It's fine. They're just keeping the Bullet badge in production.
Think they are aiming for the longest production bike record for the bullet are still selling the 500 in India? Just carrying on the name. I might have considered it as looks great in black and gold. But very happy with my signals already done the 300 miles 😊
Nice thoughtful video. I think the little 350 classic a great looking bike but not for me. I just can't put any trust in spoked wheels with inner tubes. The Hunter has a vaiant with cast wheels and the horrid meteor also has cast wheels. Unless the 350 gets cast wheels I'll not be shopping in that market.
seen the bullet this week it looks great, I have a classic , if given a choice when I bough the classic it would have been a hard decision to choose , hope that a 650 classic is coming or maybe a larger engine bullet I will probably get one
Here in the U.S. we dont even have the Super Meteor yet and the response to another 350 hasnt been all that good. But whats getting a little concerning here, getting parts within a reasonable time, people are waiting 3-4 months for warranty parts which in some states, thats almost the entire riding season. They need to worry about getting parts out quicker rather than releasing another 350. Makes no sense, they have a office here in the States, youd think they would stock up on parts for people who live in the same country...i know a few people who sold off their Enfields because of part wait times.
That’s not good. Sorry to hear that.
Unfortunately RE cannot do much about that. It's a USGOV induced problem. The rest of the world (wich is 80%) has no problem getting parts and accecories.
It is still an attractive bike.
Very. I’m a fan of the Black and Gold.
It is a great looker. I hope RE wil develope nice hard pannies now that will fit the Classic too.
RE has said all along that the 500 is not being replaced as it didn't sell well in their home market, not the companies fault that people didn't listen or thought they knew better
I was hoping for the 500 with a balance shaft. guess I will look for a used one with out balance shaft. or a used yamaha 650xs. The entire world is not moving away from petrol only idiots are. If they stopped diesel today two weeks from now we would be starving to death. Everything we buy, everything we wear, everything we eat comes on diesel trucks. No Trucky no eaty!
UK seems to be moving back to fossil fuels. 😂
Well done mate on 20k subs. You have a great voice and interesting content. It certainly helped me in adding a Baker Express to my garage.
Thank you sir. 👍 Great choice on the Baker Express!
Really interesting take on what’s been going on and likely to happen all things RE. Really appreciate the time you take to create this content. As a long term follower I’m hoping you grow so you can spend more time creating more content. Thanks for the ride so far…😊
Thanks mate.
Great video with some interesting thoughts. RE could potentially come out with a 500 Bullet either using a bored out 411 engine or the new 450 with a faux air cooled cylinder. However, both of these would require a new frame design. I’m more inclined to believe, like you, that a 650 Bullet would require less work and money. I still think an electric Bullet will happen. In fact they have probably already made one. Keep up the good work.
Instead of that cruiser esque Meteor 650 perhaps it would have been wiser to built a 650 Bullet. Nevertheless, we will wait and see if that 500 tease transpires to anything by years end.
scott squirrel
It is more of a 'Indian' thing, the Bullet. Means far more to them. Something their domestic market have been conditioned with over the years.
Of late in the UK, folks are more in to the 'brand' rather than one particular model.
It was not so much a bit of a disappointing Bullet launch, more so it was very disappointing.
Unless other Bullet variants of differing cc are coming out later, just what were they promoting in mentioning the Bullet 500? and other variants as they did. That disappointed folk, raising expectation and not initially fulfilling that demand.
What many folk do want IS a 500.
Not some poxy 450 to compete with HD 440's and other such Indian & foreign made 400 to 500cc motorcycles emerging over there.
To bring out this acclaimed 450 Himalayan seen out and about being tested and other models based on a new RE 450 engine would be a big mistake. Just a bigger piston & barrel and plenty more money could be charged.
Even an air cooled 500 engine, with J series tech, up to Indian & Worldwide emission regs developing 30hp & 30ft/lbs of torque is something many RE 350 owners would sooner have, as indeed other enthusiasts would like.
A 30/30 being preferable to a 20/20.
YES, we knows some die hard 350 owners are convinced they would sooner have a 350, but a 500 at the time was not on offer, was it. A 350 or a 411 or a 650.
An air cooled 500 single would not weigh much more, having that extra performance would tempt me that is for sure.
A 500 would fit in half way between the popular 350 range and the 650 twin. A step up of 150cc between them. Logical to me, what I would do.
I hope the established spiel about the new engine being a 450 was just misinformation, put out there by official RE types to these journo cronies. Conditioning & programming enthusiasts with the idea that this new liquid cooled engine will be a 450, THEN upon near release actually reveal it'll be a 500.
Thus SURPASSING expectations.
IF it does turn out to be 500, then we will know that RE knew all along the way it was going to be a 500, yet allowed that misinformation to be out there in peoples minds. Deceiving them in such a 'sneaky Hobbit' way.
Anyway, decent enough commentary from Wildlife Moto. Informative and entertaining. So glad to see that Wildlife Moto has not gone down the 'begging for money' route on this YT platform as other RE pundits have.
Darcy & the old man malarkey wanting folk to 'buy them a coffee'. Yes mate, we'll send you a nice check to your large expensive homestead with garages of motorcycles, BMW 1800's etc. Utter grifters.
AND I noticed today even the Begging Bingley Wheeler putting his cap out for money in a recent video. That I swiftly let it be known he'd be best to think again on the matter. Have they no shame?. Going down the wrong route.
Doing things in this video producing pastime for financial gain CHEAPENS what they are doing. All for a few quid.
Right then, yes it was a disappointing Bullet launch.
Lots of back slapping for these RE execs no doubt getting on & off these bikes they were showing. Getting their 15 mins of fame.
If they are that concerned about the Bullet maybe best they had brought out a J series Bullet version from the start, then later the Classic.
From what I have seen, this new liquid cooled RE engine of whatever cc it actually is will likely have the performance, but would the more modern Japanese looking engine look right matched up to a RE Classic or a Bullet?.
In a Hunter or Meteor format maybe not so bad.
Ideal in a more modern looking Hunter, that would compete with the new Triumph 400 gold forks.
That GREEDY Triumph UK will try to screw £5000+ from UK enthusiasts even though, from the Indian price, we can work out that BAJAJ are making them in India for about £1200.
Then selling them on down the line to Triumph, (though likely built for a specified price with a tad bit of leeway), The Triumph companies profit, the Triumph dealers profit, tax man etc.
All wanting their money out of it. Adding costs to something that in the UK, COULD be sold for £4000, but Triumph UK will want a sale price of over 4 times the actual cost of physical production. £5000 minimum. They can stuff it!.
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A 500cc liquid cooled Hunter or as preposed a 'roadster' 500 would compete in the Non domestic Worldwide market, especially when priced lower than the Triumph 400 gold forks.
Maybe similar performance, but an extra 100cc and it being cheaper would sway many. BOTH being made in India.
Big deal if Triumph UK designed it, those gold coloured forks look dreadful. Far too modern looking.
Rock on then Royal Enfield, you are making some great bikes of late. I would be happy with any model. Especially the Interceptor 650. All History repeating itself isn't it.
The Interceptor 650 = the Honda CB750 of 50+ years past. NOW the enthusiasm is being fulfilled coming out of India, not Japan. They have gone down the wrong route.
Performance over looks and how a bike makes you FEEL is their mistake. And their expensive prices.
Hideous looking Japanese bike on the whole these days, sheer nothingness of motorcycles.
Yes with bags of performance, but that is usually something folks grow out of.
I'd sooner have a RE Classic than a Bullet, though the burgundy one does look nice. It is all more choice for the Motorcyclists so well done to Royal Enfield for that.
Yea I was always a Honda fan-boy, but when I recently got back into bikes, first site I went onto was Honda....and first thing that came out of my mouth, "Wow, Honda has fallen asleep at the wheel". Vanilla motorcycles . I then went onto Yamahas site, ok..some retro looking stuff with their XSR line, but those are just sportbikes with a flat seat, yea Yamaha cant get themselves off the race track long enough to think about the folks who don't race. Needless to say, once I hit Royal Enfields site after some of my friends recommended me looking at them, fell in love with the classics and the Hunter, the Hunter reminds of an early 80s roadster I use to see, sit and get rides on when I was a kid. Their old, 1940s military looking classic 350s got me hooked...love the old army green looking one. I do like their Super Meteor model as it's got just enough modern parts on it to make me really, really want to see one in person, love all of the brushed aluminum bits here and there. But this new "Bullet", as a new to Royal Enfield person myself?, nope...not interested in the slightest.
Personally I’d take a twin all day long! Very interesting to hear your take on things. Huge congrats on the success of your channel, it’s very well deserved. Slightly off topic, but wouldn’t you love to see a new BMW 650/750 flat twin, I know I would 😀👏👍
Thank you 🙏 Yes that would be an interesting BM for sure.
Whats the difference between the older classic 500 and a bullet 500?
Is it not just about the same as the difference between the new 350s?
I guess the old Classic was a version of the Bullet, now the Bullet is a version of the Classic.
@@WildlifeMotoThe UCE Bullet was derived from the Classic 350. It just had a heavier crankshaft, larger diameter rear wheel and different mudguards.
@@twowheeledparadox and the different seat/handlebar combination contributing to a slightly different posture and sense of balance i.e. same as the difference between the J1 Bullet vs Classic
@@fuelarjun Yeah, the Classic was derived from the Bullet and the Bullet from the Classic. They have always been closely related. People just forgot, I guess.
@@twowheeledparadox Yup, and that's how it is now ... the Classic is numero uno to the current generation and the Bullet is an off-shoot, history be damned ;)
350 backfired
The J-platform is a well developed and good platform. To redesign it for a 350 Bullet is just not worth the expense for them. The frame and the engine is to be regarded as a unit on the j-platform.
EDIT: A 650 Bullet would be on the 650 platform. A redesign of the look of the Continental like the 650 Super Meteor.
Totally agree that you wouldn’t re-design the engine. But considering it’s a flagship model, maybe a bit more should have gone into making it unique?
@@WildlifeMoto RE is govern by the same as every other manufacturer: Money and Profit. They would never spend more money on development than absolutely neccesary. The whole vehicle market is full of design tweeked "new models" so the market is expecting it by now. I personally would love a new 500 Classic with the same engine updates as they gave the 350 Classic. That would be a international hit that would blow their own 350 platform out of the water. That might be a factor that hinders a 500 from being developed: It would compete with themself.
Are they euro 6 though? No good for the ever expanding London emissions zones.
ULEZ is Euro3 < for MC.
Thought it was going up to 4 for bikes
I agree with you about the limited appeal of the new 350 Bullet in the current range, perhaps if they had launched it instead of the Hunter? I feel that the 350 could just do with a bit more oomph then maybe there would be no need for the 500. I would like to see Royal Enfield sort out the mess of getting spares since the split with Motogb. I have a friend who has waiting 2 months for a new fuel pump under warranty. Secondhand trade in prices have also taken a kicking since Motogb slashed prices to shift stock.
That’s interesting. I’ve seen used prices of RE bikes take a dive recently. Maybe that’s part of the issue.
@WildlifeMoto MotoGB dealers have been knocking £500 of the interceptor, £350 off the classic, Meteor and Himalayan. Trade in values for the Himalayan are on the floor what with the price cut plus the announcement of the 450. I will be keeping mine as it does everything I want from it.
The Hunter was a runaway success. RE sold 100k units of that model in the first 6 months of launch and there are already more than 200k Hunters on the roads now. It was absolutely needed. The Bullet 350 is an essential model in the home market. Its appeal is only hampered by the lack of a kickstarter and the old taillight.
@twowheeledparadox I think you're right about the Bullet being an essential home market model. I personally like the Hunter and would buy it over the Bullet if I was in the market for one. It would be interesting to know what the sales split in the UK was between the Standard Bullet 500, the Classic 500 and the 500 trails
@@AliasMrHackenbacker As someone from the home market, I am certain that the Bullet is essential here. For many, "Bullet" is synonymous with RE and for the uninformed, it is the one and the same. One day I didn't ride my Interceptor to the office and the security guards asked me how come I didn't bring my Bullet! The Hunter is the cheapest RE in India and the base variant with wire spoke rims and a rear drum brake that the UK does not get is quite affordable for many. The other variants look more modern and attract a different type of customer than who would buy a Bullet. It's mostly younger buyers. As for UK sales figures, I'm afraid I do not know where this information would be available.
Don't worry, royal Enfield is working on a Bullet 650 and a classic 650.
The sad part is that alot of potetial buyes want a single not a twin.
@@RiderOftheNorth1968not really. Look how sales exploded with the launch of the twins. Big Singles are a very niche market
@@morri03 OR people buys twins due to the lack of big singles. I know MANY potential buyers of a big classic single bike that´s not full of modern things like rider modes and the like. Remember that RE is a classic bike brand here in the west. If "we" want a classic "look-alike" we can buy a Triumph or a BSA. If we want a "real" classic we look at Re.
@@RiderOftheNorth1968 sorry you are just plain wrong. You and your many friends are in an echo chamber. The market for old unsophisticated single bikes in the west is tiny. That’s why no one makes one. If what you said was true then sales of the old classic 500 would have been huge not just a rounding error in a report somewhere. Then when the twins were launched sales boomed. Most riders interested in retro styling want an essentially modern motorcycle that is stylish, simple and reliable
@@morri03 Some fact here: First of all: The world is so much more than USA. In Europe the singles would sell very well. The old 500 did not sell very well, as did the old 350. Reason? The old ones was not that good . The improvement done in the new J- series 350 is huge when it comes to reliability and reduction of vibrations, to mention a few. A new 500 is not on the horizon most likely due to exhaust regulations. The twins where successful partly because they are "primitive" compared to other "classics" on the market like Triumph. Several people from the UK bought a Classic 350, thought after a while that it might be a bit low on power and bought a RE 650 instead. Just to switch back after a few month since they realised that the 350 is more likeble to have. The calmer ride a single gives is something adult riders often appreciates especially when commuting.
RE modernized their model program beginning with the 411 Himalayan, the 650s and then the 350s. The reason the twins was a hit was due to the better quality of them compared to the earlier 500. The 350 is selling very well, even thou it is a smaller bike, due to it´s character and charm. A bigger version would out sell the 650s on some markets. You should really inform yourself about reality before you comment.
Agree, this would have been the right time to unveil a retro/classic bullet with the 650cc engine in it. I know people think the Bullet has to have the single, but the 650 platform would make more sense.
😂
OK RE was too clever for there own good,,,,,thats life.... In my opinion I would either buy a chinese 650 single like the mash Engined bike (unlikely) or I would use the 650 twin,, I would have a single injector with (wait for it) it bored out to 850...and fit twin discs (I would rather have two cheap calipers then one cheap caliper),no need for any fancy frame just tune for torque...,and sell as cheap as possible ,,The cheapest Mash 650 is under £5000,,,,RE you can do it if you really want to.... do,nt grill me too much ,I,m just day dreaming...
There will be no difference with the optimal (lean) air/fuel ratio with an increase in cylinder capacity. How do you think petrol cars get past emissions with their larger capacity? Where is the source for your statement that there is excess fuel "slopping about" in 500cc? Long stroke should give time for the fuel to burn completely. Valve overlap is the main source of excess fuel in the exhaust. The engine would need to be at least oil cooled like the current J6 platform to meet current emission regs and possibly water cooled thereafter
Most modern cars are liquid cooled and have different regulations to bikes. The 500 single was cancelled due to Euro5. Who said anything about fuel “slopping about”? Are you talking about unburned fuel providing cooling? So what’s happening with the vapours from that unburned fuel?
Cars do have stricter emissions test in euro 6. The EFI 500 was a very lean burning British design. To pass Euro 5 it could have been modified with an oil cooler like the J6. If a 350 can pass there is no technical reason why a larger capacity cannot do the same. I'm sure one of your comments (now deleted) had the phrase 'slopping about'. My apologise if that is incorrect@@WildlifeMoto
@@xtc2v My hypothesis was that a 500 would be inherently hotter than a 350 and therefore would run into thermal problems under leaner conditions. As hydrocarbons at the tail are problematic for emissions, one would assume that they’d be constrained to a super lean mix under the assumption that the cat could effectively deal with the NOX. I’m guessing the reason we don’t see this in production is thermals. This is why I referenced the water cooled 650 BSA as it appears to be the only working solution to pass these larger CC singles.
@@WildlifeMoto My theory is that the amount of waste heat produced by an engine in a given time would be directly proportional to the power its developing. (Power = Watts x Time). The 350 produces only 21 bhp at a leisurely 6100 rpm. The 500 efi does not manage much more (but at lower revs with more torque).The higher revving Interceptor can produces 47bhp. With that extra 20 bhp the cooling fins dissipation speed is not enough on their own to hold the engine temperature within tolerance. (meeting Euro 5 means tighter piston tolerances hence the need to keep expansion due to temperature within narrow limits). Power output and its effect on tolerances is why there is water cooling on the 650 but its not needed on the 350 plodder. Both engines will be run as lean as each other so this can't be the reason