Royal Enfield The last real motorbike maker ? Plus that China syndrome  

Hi all Thanks for those comments, I’m currently in India , running around on an RE classic/bullet. I’m so glad you guys could see what I was driving at here,?it’s not to bash Chinese bikes but to try and see what the future could be around the motorbikes in general. I’ve just heard another major dealer has gone down in Sussex . I fear greatly for the future of biking. So hold on to your home maintainable bikes like you biking life depends on it 😂

A thoughtful and fair -minded piece. Well presented nicely filmed. Thanks.

I agree.. I think PCP deals have made bikes (and cars) a ‘throwaway’ product for many. Ironically this pushed prices up as people just saw the monthly payment, not the final payment/end price. This left a gap for cheap Chinese bikes to fill and as you say, servicing, repairs and longevity are an issue. Certainly residual values are shocking. I feel sympathy for local independent dealers who have been caught up in this and I’m sad to see Groombridges close.

This is so true -- I recently enquired with Reiju about the Aventura 500 (a Chinese bike) about spares availability and back up. They wouldn't even reply ---------------------

Very insightfull. Thanks.

Very interesting and very true. Thanks for posting.

Fantastic video & food for thought for all to consider. Must say, the Voge bikes look great & are amazing value, but only time will tell if there will be spares available. I'd say we'll know in the next three years.

Thank you. Very thoughtful.

Good points, agreed

Great piece. There’s so much hype around certain chinese bikes such as the CF Moto 450, Kove 450 etc. It is easy to get swept along, but the reality is, at some point in the future you will need parts and it will be a pain in the butt. Imagine needing parts during a touring holiday? Or simple, consumable items, sprockets, shifter linkage, fork seals etc… They are cheap for a reason, you could even argue they are not cheap enough.

So true. My local re dealer in chichester were selling them like hot cakes but still ceased trading. Very sad

I also hope R.E. keep away from lcd displays as my "bulletproof" Yamaha XSR700 display packed in 3 months outside its warranty leaving me with a £500 bill! I distrust anything lcd/digital now and got no time for these new bike/car reviews embracing digital screens which in my view maybe good for a few years till the display pops rendering the whole vehicle useless ( and worthless). My truck is 10 years old and runs great but looking at all the new ones with massive screens just leaves me cold..never mind operating them as you drive along at 70 mph....geez!

Also, unlike the MZs, CZ/Jawas of 40 years ago, these Chinese bike models will change every few years. The old Commie bikes and cars stayed the same for decades. I needed a rear lamp lens for my ETZ250 and the dealer just took it off of one of the showroom bikes rather than have me wait for a few days for it to arrive. He knew I needed my bike for shift work and wanted to provide the best service. You mentioned the bike shop closing down. This is the 3rd RE dealer closure that I have heard about in the past couple of weeks. If you want an Enfield in Scotland there are now only 2 dealers left !

Soul has been lost in 99% of modern techno bikes. Enfield still has a soul and character in spades

Retired this year. Bought my forever Puppy (Ahhhh) and my forever Bike a RE Scram, I am hoping all 3 of us last 10 to 15 summers 🙃 I don't blame the manufactures for a throw away society, its the consumers at fault. Got a rear puncture at 417 miles, trip to Halfords for a repair outfit "Sorry Sir". I called my dealer "Sorry Sir we don't advise repairing a tube" ok I will take a new tube "Sorry Sir we dont have 1" Granted they had 1 delivered later the next day. Its a throw away society. Peeps just don't keep there vehicles 5 plus years like they used to. P.S. kept the old wife ! safe move !

New subscriber here, Great comments and well thought out, PS Your sitting in my happy place, if I could find it!

Other than the political situation,the spares and dealer back up has been my major concern regarding Chinese bikes. The four big Japanese manufacturers,especially Honda have worked really hard in the past 60years to establish a dealer network second to none,I don't see that happening with The Chinese makers and they're not alone Triumph aren't very good either,Freddie Dobbs couldn't get head gasket for his 10year old Bonneville,KTM are a disgraceful company their after sales reputation is awful!! story:- I had Blackpool Honda main dealer service my 14 year old NT700 and fit new tyres,when the tech removed the rear wheel the bearings were rough,no problem sir we have those in stock,so they replaced them there and then,that's one reason why I like Japanese bikes.

Some interesting thoughts, thank you for sharing them. Having been able to enjoy bikes for 30+ years it’s only recently that I have been lucky enough to own 2 new bikes, both Enfields. Affordability a strong factor it makes sense to buy a new machine for the same price of a used ‘big four’ machine. Thinking back I wouldn’t have considered buying an Indian bike 15-20 years ago and I was berated by main dealers for buying a grey import. I agree that most everything in life is considered consumable now but in the end may all be immaterial with the move to electric bikes. Interesting times. Again thank you

5k for a BSA goldstar 650. What a deal!.seriously considered getting one until I investigated further. Warranty issues, unavailable parts and dealers dropping the brand. Thought I'd wait a bit to see if things improve. Think I'll be waiting a very long time.

Enfield here are massively exposed to the risks posed by the Chinese bikes because their distribution and dealership network also sells the Chinese bikes. One of the big dealers (Groombridge) went bust a week or so ago and another moved to much smaller premises.

Couldn't agree more and l have mentioned this problem on other channels. 40s 50s 60s 70s bikes were made to last and were serviceable. Modern bikes especially Electric bikes means hanging around the Dealership looking for parts that aren't available and paying huge service prices. Itchy Boots choose an old Yamaha for her new adventures because it serviceable at the side of the road. If something goes wrong with these new bikes today while your touring, you've had it. Digital bikes, crammed with technology are for World Super Bike Teams but not yer average Joe.

Very wise analysis of the Indian verse China design ethos, plus you can communicate far easier directly with a royal enfield parts supplier in India if UK bits are not available.

Totally agree i was considering a cf moto 450 mt as a replacement for my cb500x but to be honest I know it would be smarter to buy the nx500 I can easily buy service parts only rely on the main dealer for the more complex jobs like valve adjustment. Just a note the music on the video comes clear through both ear pods but when you are talking it’s only the left ear pod and my left ear unfortunately is bugged tinnitus suspect caused by covid vaccine who knows.i always have the Bluetooth speaker to fall back on if your commentary is mono only.

There is an on line store called Uncle Wang’s that deal with most modern Chinese machines such as CF Moto. I can readily order parts such as replacement plastics, oil filters, clutches, wheels etc for my CF Moto 450MT. Delivery times are pretty good as well.

I think you can buy a Chinese air cooled...Parts Problem is not so important when you run air cooled.