Three months after purchasing a bullet (deluxe 97 model), I am an extremely happy person.
I simply love the way it handles, love the respect it commands on road, and the comfort it offers on bumpy roads. As I get ready for my true test by taking my beloved BULL for a long ride (800 kms), I guess its time for me to write a decent review. As most reviews here will show, that despite all the shortcomings of the BULL, bullet lovers adore the bike... and I am no exception.
All owners of the bull know that the bike can be a troublesome starter, spews oil from the chain onto your trousers, leaks oil from all possible parts, etc. But, one look at the activity in the community bulletin board of Royal Enfield will show how passionate the owners of the Bullet are. There are a few things which makes a bullet such a passion:
1) the huge bike frightens off a lot of people looking for buying one, and that gives a sense of exclusivity, which in turn satisfies the huge ego
2) the distinct thump which turns heads wherever you go, though people have been hearing it for the past 50-60 years!
3) the excellent posture, and heavy frame of the bike makes it a good choice for long rides without fatigue (though the bull is notorious for breaking down for apparently no reason)
4) everything right from setting the ammeter for starting to kicking the neutral lever while coming to a stop has a certain amount of uniqueness to it
5) the classic and attention demanding design of the bike is unparallelled.
6) the sense of pride that fills you in owning a piece of history... it is the oldest motorcycle brand still in production
As you peruse through the points I have noted down, you can see that most of the reasons for owning can be associated to passion one has for the Indian Thumper. Because there are a lot of lighter, more economic, quicker, cheaper bikes which could beat the BULL in all specifications (except the engine CC of course).
I just love the bike for precisely the same reason: The attention you get on road is amazing. You can expect people to give an envious look on a well maintained shining bullet anywhere you go. The ride quality is excellent, and I should say, for a technology that is almost half a century old, it still does start pretty nicely (provided you learn the art very soon). The mileage is not too bad (hell, pulsar 200 also gives a similar mileage) if you consider you are riding a vintage bike, with a huuuuge cylinder.
There is no rival for bullet even now for a highway ride in terms of riding comfort and handling even in breezy conditions (you never feel safe on those lighter ones).
So if you are a person who likes some attention on road and love to be part of Indian Biking history of sorts:
own a gleaming bullet yourself.
Happy Thumping!!!!!
Bullet Lover