*Background
*The RE 500 is the most powerful bike under production in India currently, but other than that, the bike needed a lot of attention from the company, which it has done now. Presenting the new 500LB from RE. The company is already selling these in UK and other countries for a long time now
*Looks
*For me, RE bikes look macho. Period. And yes, they are classy too, tons of chrome all over the body makes it stand out with ease. In no way is a RE bike beautiful or sexy. But then those who ride it never wanted it to look so:)
*Engine/performance/fuel economy
*The new 500LB has an upgraded engine now, along with left side gear-shifts, a welcome change for the 500 model.
The engine pumps out 2 more BHP(the torque too has gone up.) and the claimed power now stands at 24bhp. What puzzles me is that the bike has the power(500cc, 24bhp), still it is no match for smaller bikes(karizma 223cc 17bhp and Pulsar 220 220cc, 20bhp), which can easily leave it in the dust. I m sure the amount of power reaching the reach wheels is very less. Yes, it weighs around 175kilos but then it has 250cc+ more and 4-7 bhp more than the p220 or the karizma.
Anyways, RE bikes were never about performance, they have always been for relaxed cruising and torque lower down in the rpm zone. And the 500 LB does this job quite nicely. Pondering along at 60-70km/h with the bike in top gear, she is as stable as a rock and if you need to gather speed, just twist the throttle without downshifting and there you go. 80-90-100. hold on, and you will see 120-125 on the speedometer too.
Vibs are quite controlled, but what I missed was the legendary RE beat from the exhaust. Its got to do with the latest noise and emission norms. what a shame. But you can always fit an after market exhaust:)
Fuel economy is decent for a 500cc bike, 25-28kmpl in city. One thing which RE claims is that they have reduced the oil leakage a lot, and it is a good thing.
*Ergonomics/suspension/handling
*The 500LB is a fit even for tall and heavy people. The seat is comfy and so is the suspension, although some may feel it is a tad too stiff. There is no shortage of leg room here, the bike fits people of all sizes quite nicely.
Handling in a straight line is superb and you can even flick it around corners, although changing to better tyres is highly recommended. Braking too is great, thanks to the disc brake set up(front)
*Verdict
*Everything seems to be going in favour of the bike till you come to know its price. Almost 1, 20, 000 OTR price in Mumbai! WHAT?!?!
This kind of money can buy you two 150cc bikes or a 2 yr old well kept M-800.
The price is just not justified. You arent getting any gizmos here and the bike basically still uses age old technology. You can buy yourself a Pulsar 220 for 85-90000 and you get a far more advanced bike, fuel injection, goodies, power etc.
The 500LB is a great machine, but the price is just too high. It even makes sense to go in for a Thunderbird instead.
If you have extra money to spend, then it is not an issue but for the middle class bikers, its a difficult buy