Royal Enfield Bullet / Classic pillion review 

Yes it was interesting and thanks for sharing I was on the fence between the 500 and the new 350 and after many videos and vlogs I opted for the 650 interceptor- a 2022 with 2300 miles loaded with extras for 4000 US dollars minty condition And my main reason for this was having the ability to get out of potential trouble I have been on two wheels in the past 60 years that I lost count of all the bikes I owned but looking to downsize decided on the interceptor as my last bike was a 650 v strom which I really liked a lot but is a little top heavy and a hard bike to get a leg over Wishing you all the best And not sure if I would keep 2 low horse bikes Regards from Florida

Too many people rush around,it's nice to bimble around taking in the beautiful scenery, great video Ian and Sue 🙂🏍🇬🇧🌞

Hi guys, my only frustration with my 350 classic is its lack of top speed, but then in the real world out on Sunday riding the coast road to Granville from Mont st Michel via pontabault Averanches a mix of all types of roads going into Granville followed 2 guys riding a 1100 monster and a MT Yamaha and to be honest on the straight bits they would pull away a bit but next set of bends / junction / traffic / etc and we’re all doing the same did I miss that 15 kmph that I feel it needs ! Nope not at all, did 150km Sunday, again completely satisfied with my ride, relaxed, clear headed, and luckily not frustrated with traffic 🥴 nice to see you both, Sarah loves it on the back of the classic Sue, but luckily she doesn’t have to cope with dodgy road surfaces and traffic, good vid guys …. Pete🇫🇷

Interesting pillion viewpoint. I’ve done most of my riding solo, but now that my wife and I are retired, we’re doing more two-up rides. She’s about the same height as your wife, and shares some of her issues. Primarily, she struggles somewhat getting on and off my VStrom 1000. It’s a great bike for a passenger once onboard, but climbing on is a challenge. We find having a top box does make it easier, though that seems counterintuitive. I also have a 650 Interceptor and we ride it together. I added a backrest to make it more comfortable. Honestly, we both prefer the Interceptor in many ways. It’s not as intimidating and it is more relaxing on slower back roads. We live in the Appalachian mountains here in the US, so we have similar terrain to you. I’m finding the mid-40 horsepower of the Interceptor is fine for traveling up to about 70 or 75 mph once I replaced the OE Ceat tires. They made 60 feel like the maximum cruising speed. I don’t know if it was poor balancing, or just a questionable tread pattern, but I really like the bike with the Bridgestone tires I have now. Many complain about the suspension on the Interceptor, but on decent roads it’s fine. If you decide to replace one of your bikes, I’d recommend trying the Interceptor before you make a purchase.

Ive toured two up with luggage on a himalayan (Im a big lad built for comfort not speed but had a light pillion) and vibration and speed wasnt really an issue although 70/75 was on the edge of its comfort zone. Biggest problem was pillion space/room on the seating which was cosy to say the least. It will be interesting to see how you two get on. I have my 11500 mile yam xjr for distance,comfort and grunt. Keep them coming. 👍

My 500 has more power than my Himalayan. However, I don't believe either was meant to do long rides with a pillion. This is why I bought a Super Meteor 650 Touring for the wife and I to tour around on. Plenty of power and comfortable. Bumps are a little jarring, but the bike handles them well. A great bike for 2 up riding. I do have a pillion seat on my bullet but ride solo. It's my "me time" ride. My Himalayan and my KLR 650 are my mules for commuting and camping. If I wanted a fast bike I'd have bought another sport bike or a big adventure bike. Speed and power were fun in my younger years but as I've gotten older (now 52), I've realized enjoyment comes from slowing down, taking in the scenery, and enjoying the ride. I'm not worried about the impatient drivers and speed demon riders. Let'em pass.

Great to have you both together for the conclusion! Apart my Himalayan that I bought this year for riding in the speed limits without too much pain, I kept my Suzuki GSX 1400 to ride with my wife in the swiss mountains where we live. Heat and lorries remember me my travels in the 70's on my 125 DTMX... Same problem, but the 70's lorries produced so much soot that our faces became... black 😅

Here on the Isle of Wight it is pretty much all twisty roads and people tend to stick to the speed limit or less. I've ridden in Britain and through France and have found that so long as you can cruise faster than the lorries, which are speed limited, I have no problem but then I don't carry a pillion. In Bulgaria with their drivers maybe an Interceptor is the answer but then I could never give up a 500. They are a very special machine. So much character and way better than the new 350's, which are basically modern half plastic bikes, just made to look like a 500. The 500 also has 30+% more power and 30+% more torque than the new 350.

Nice to see you out enjoying the bike, well done Sue on a good report (vibration etc) from the pillion seat. The 500 classic is a very good looking bike (to people of a certain age?) I also agree you can get a feel for a bike with loaning one but its not the same as owning it. thanks for the nice ride out in the sunshine, and its great to hear from genuine motorcycle people. still just get audio playing when I hit the join button (no idea what that is about at all sorry). take care, till next time, Don.

Good video , very objective and honest . 500 cc is not a big bike these days , most small cars will be faster . For me , motorcycles are about performance , the ability to accelerate away from trouble is very important . But it is very rarely mentioned. So I'm glad you brought it up . You can always ride slowly on a fast bike too , hard sometimes , I know . Re bike choice , it's " horses for courses " . I too , have specced out a bike and thought it would be ideal , only to find when I rode it , that it was not what I expected . But part of the fun is the search for a new machine . Good luck .

I am currently drawn to the 650 super meteor for the extra power output and it’s a lovely looking bike

I think that both of you need to go back to GB where there is a lot of twisty roads with actually no traffic. I do think that you would enjoy it. Yeah I do know why you leaved GB and it is entirely your own decision, which I respect. I live in Sweden and that is of course a completely different story. Have a great day on the Enfield!

Very interesting review and I agree totally regarding the limitations of the 500. It’s still a great bike providing you stick to anything below 60mph. Above 60 mph, and as Sue pointed out - vibrations make it uncomfortable, particularly on long journeys. However, beautiful bike, weather, scenery and wife - what more could a man ask for?

I have a newer 350 classic and it's much the same as your bullet... I always heard how people said after I sold my classic 500 that the new J series isn't as powerful as the old 500s but it doesn't have the vibration and pulls 2 up just fine. I also have a himi, which I take to Spain to ride the mountain roads... And it's superb 2 up, my wife is 5ft 2 also and small, I am 19stone ex prop😂 and it holds power superbly, faster roads it sits at 65 and rarely drops to 60 on good hills and it has enough power to spin up to 75 to overtake. My 350 is more leisurely but still far better than my classic 500 I had 😊

Great review. Don't usually get a pillion rider review. Do i get a hint that you might be talking yourself into getting another bike? If so, i have been there on many occasions 😅

You will be fine with the bullet on Transfăgărășan . It is steep but there are many many curves, so, a moderate speed won't be an issue.

You spoke about the artic drivers. Have you ridden or driven in Serbia or any of the other former Yugoslavian countries. The lorry drivers over take in gangs on mountain bends there. I think it must be like a sport for the drivers. Lots of little memorial stones on the roadside with a picture of the fallen drivers.

It would be a terrible shame to get ride of the Bullet! Have you considered putting a 535 or a 612 kit in it? One of my 500s has the Hitchcocks 535 kit and it makes a huge difference. I use that one for pulling my sidecar.

One problem Ian is that the Bullet is a old design trying to coup with traffic 40 -50 years from its design period! when I started riding in the 70's a 500 was a semi large bike! now days it's considered small. But one positive thing was it coped with you and Sue on it impatience of any driver whatever the country is a sad thing 🤬

Great review, I know the feeling, I make sure i always stick to country/small roads, im 34 and still need to stop after an hour for a leg stretch, pot holes in the uk are getting worse but hey all fun isnt it! Only thing i really struggle with.. when stopped in idle in traffic, i find my vision wobbles due to the vibration.. 🫨

Yes it was interesting and thanks for sharing I was on the fence between the 500 and the new 350 and after many videos and vlogs I opted for the 650 interceptor- a 2022 with 2300 miles loaded with extras for 4000 US dollars minty condition And my main reason for this was having the ability to get out of potential trouble I have been on two wheels in the past 60 years that I lost count of all the bikes I owned but looking to downsize decided on the interceptor as my last bike was a 650 v strom which I really liked a lot but is a little top heavy and a hard bike to get a leg over Wishing you all the best And not sure if I would keep 2 low horse bikes Regards from Florida