Spring of 2021 looks interesting! While we are not getting the new Honda CB350 (yet) we are getting something that I like more. I’m actually surprised by how good Royal Enfield did with the styling of this new tiny cruiser. Aimed at competing with Honda’s Rebel 300 the new Meteor should come in below the Honda’s $4599 price tag.

The new RE Meteor engine is smaller than its predecessor (roughly half the size and one less cylinder) but I’m ok with it because this bike is aimed at attracting new riders with its retro looks and what should be a fairly low price tag. You can still have a ton of fun on a bike with a small engine. This bike will crank out just barely over 20 hp which is quite a bit more than my first street legal motorcycle and I had an absolute blast on it!

I hope these sell well.


Link to Cycle World article

Sharp looking ride. They’ll sell in large numbers. Hopefully the dealers are up to supporting them.

Wiring and gauges by Lucas?

quote:

Originally posted by Johnny 3eagles:
Wiring and gauges by Lucas?

I believe the proper reference is SIR Lucas, Prince of Darkness!

quote:

Royal Enfield revives the Meteor for 2021

Nice thumper, be a good first bike.

That looks like a really short wheelbase.
I'm not even sure if we have a RE dealer here in Houston. If we do, I've never seen it.

Royal Oilfield.

Royal Enfield: "Built Like a Gun"

"Too bad it wasn't built like a motorcycle"

Take the micky all you like - but they outsell Harley-Davidson.

A guy I shoot with, a veteran of the IOM TT more times than I've had hot breakfasts, has raced Enfield motorcycles, old and new, since the late 60's.

He currently has ten of them, all but two made in India.

With electronic ignition, and no sign of the Prince of Darkness to be seen, he's clocked up over half a million miles on these easy to fix, easy to tune and easy on the pocket blasts from the past.

He can rebuild ANY of his bikes for the cost of a service on any of his Ducati's.

I could see myself owning one of these as a daily driver for my nine mile daily commute. I love small displacement bikes. My first street bike was an early eighties Honda CM400. I loved that bike.

The Indian dealer right next to our Flea Market here in northern Kentucky added the Royal Enfield and KTM to their line for sale. I havn't gone over yet to see them. Rumors of the Victory bikes returning also.

Sigcrazy7, yeah man! A 400cc Honda is in my opinion some of the most fun you can have on two wheels. I am so lucky to own one of THE best 400cc bikes Honda ever made, a sky high revving 4 cylinder CB-1. It is my most cherished bike in my collection. In my opinion 400cc is the sweet spot when it comes to displacement.

I'm more interested in the Rebel 1100 with the Africa Twin’s engine in that cycle world.

https://www.cycleworld.com/sto...bel-1100-first-look/

Honda corporate needs to 100% fire it’s design/styling department. Just about everything they have made lately has very questionable styling. I don’t think Honda’s current Rebel will ever grow on me in its current form. Even the Afrika twin needs some mods before it becomes palatable to me. It is the Yamaha Virago for the next generation, a hideous horrible looking bike in OEM form with some custom bike potential but just terrible looking in its stock form. Honda should know better. Their CB350 was legit but it’s mainly an Indian market vehicle. Honda will occasionally knock it out of the park but lately it’s been pretty sad.

Dang it, stickman, I was fine until I visited this thread this morning. I've spent the entire day wondering if I would be happy on a Meteor, Classic, or Interceptor, or if I should by a classic Honda and do a restore (I've always wanted a CX series, for some reason).

While I do have fond memories of traversing the back roads of SW Virginia as a youngster on my CM400, I am also cognizant of how things go here in Utah. If you happen to find yourself on I-15 and you aren't going 75 in the far right lane, you're getting run over. I love how old-school these RE bikes are. I wasn't all that up to speed on them until your thread sent me down the rabbit hole.

My wife is going to freak out in about 30 minutes when I get home and inform her that I need a new bike.

Restore a classic man. That’s what I’d do. Sure it’s a perpetual project but the feeling of satisfaction when she is running right and you have successfully fixed an issue is absolutely euphoric.

I like the look of that RE bike, and I'll bet it sounds great! My first bike was Honda's first 350cc twin, back in 1973. It was a great bike to learn on and do commuting.

flashguy

Just because I like to share in your cycle topics now and then, a friend who buys storage units just brought back to Kentucky, from Delaware a '81 Harley shovle head. Previously, he bought a unit which contained a '88 Yamaha Route 66. Its a really sweet vanilla color 250 which was stored over 6 years. Had West Virginia tags. After major tank cleaning, intake replacement and carb rebuild, he has it running nicely.

quote:

Originally posted by stickman428:
Restore a classic man. That’s what I’d do. Sure it’s a perpetual project but the feeling of satisfaction when she is running right and you have successfully fixed an issue is absolutely euphoric.

That’s true, but I could do both. Right now I don’t have a street bike, and I must admit that hard riding a YZ450f seems to be bringing me closer and closer to my demise. Wife says I should hang up motorcross, so that could be my lead with her. Sell one of the YZ450f and get two retro road bikes, one to ride and one to restore. I can always satisfy my need to go dirt track nuts on one of my Raptors, which is more fitting for a guy in his fifties anyway.

quote:

Originally posted by sigcrazy7:
early eighties Honda CM400. I loved that bike.

Ha! I had the CM200T.



(Not my pic. Image grabbed from the Web.)

I like it!

Is that a kick starter I see!? Now you’re talking.