Was a rider. And want to be one again. Currently $600 less.
3 years Unlimited km Warranty
LAMSApproved
Roadside Assistance
Click on "find bikes nearby" to inspect and test drive before u buy
Was a rider. And want to be one again. Currently $600 less.
3 years Unlimited km Warranty
LAMSApproved
Roadside Assistance
Click on "find bikes nearby" to inspect and test drive before u buy
Air cooled isn’t uncommon in the bike world.
@Brick Tamland
for new ones? ignoring two wheeled tractors (H-D)
.
Sure. For example, Honda still makes air cooled bikes at the lower price points. Until a few years ago, the Triumph Bonneville T100 was still air cooled too. Air cooling is becoming increasingly less common, but it works just fine.
@TheyCallMeMike: Triumph was oil cooled - this is much more effective than air cooling alone. I suspect they didn't have the sloppy tolerances that air cooling alone necessitates - I know that my dr650 didn't.
Yeah. BMW, Moto Guzzi and Ducati still all sell brand new air-cooled bikes. These are all super premium bikes too
Air/Oil cooled Tractors thank you.
Which Harleys are air cooled?
Never had an issue with heat with my Aircooled Ducati Scrambler. You just need to have a good quality seat.
Nothing wrong with air cooled. Some people even prefer it.
Indeed, I'm holding onto my old air-cooled Ducati Monster with the dry clutch rattle.
Not much power but puts a big smile on my face every time I ride.
My seat is lined with space shuttle tiles. No point cooking the wedding tackle for a fang.
Bloddy marketing department!!!
I looked at the title and my ears and attention switched to alert. My brain interpreted the letters to Ariel Red Hunter 350.
Any old ferts would automatically link a 350 single "hunter" to the manufacturer ariel.
Would the Enfield Bonneville 650 be on the drawing board for next year?…. or the Enfield Commando?
Ok @Nugs cool your keyboard
Yes it’s 2023, the bike has ABS & EFI accordingly
The engine is equivalent to a high revving lawnmower of the same capacity.
I don’t want liquid cooling on my lawnmower or my Harley in 2023 and fins look good on these bikes
| I don’t want liquid cooling on my lawnmower or my Harley in 2023 and fins look good on these bikes
I doubt you own either.
Newer Harleys have larger cooling mass for better and manageable air cooling. One thing's for sure, Harleys will be worth 30% more after a decade of ownership whereas the sewing machine RE will be lying at the bottom of garbage tips.
Doubting someone owns a lawnmower is a super weird flex.
Ok, ill bite.
What's fueling your doubt?
There are some very affordable harley options out there, its not a 'baller' claim.
And why would you doubt someone owns a lawnmower?
Don't most bikes cool the rider with the air whooshing past them? I don't see how that's special.
best comment
I must be getting old as I recall the first? water cooled production motorcycle the Suzuki GT750. They nicknamed it the Kettle and I heard some UK owners would drain off some hot water from the Rad to make a cup of tea while on long rides in the winter : )
Common reason to switch to water cooling in a motorcycle is to get high power out put while maintaining effective emissions control and fuel efficiency standards, while air cooling is low maintenance and more reliable at the cost of performance. RE 350 J series line up is about honest around town leisure pace riding with some highway work at a low maintenance and low running cost.
For hooning sorry sporty riding around town there is KTM Duke/RC 390 for 7-8k and has liquid cooling. If you can build Ikea furniture you can service RE 350 J series with a good tool kit and consumables every 10K. KTM 390 will require going to dealer and paying $550 every 10K unless you are mechanically inclined.
Please note these Royal Enfield is not the one we know from our parents era. Like MG, etc. Another brand owned by giant multinationals. Vintage yes. These revived 2023 ones…I personally avoid. For LAMS or commuting….I would go Japanese for reliability. You will get better resale once you get your licence and want to upgrade.
I’m not a biker, but weren’t Royal Enfield historically Indian made, or at least that was their biggest market? Are there any historical British bikes left? I think BSA came and went again a few times, yes?
EDIT: I forgot Norton, but they seem to be gone too.
Triumph
No one complaining about Royal Enfields classic credentials is going to vote for a triumph. That brand got bought and they don't even make the same bikes. At least you can still buy an Enfield bullet.
Nothing wrong with Triumphs, they make decent bikes, but the Enfields still make some of their old bikes
historically indian made when they bought the english tooling and rights! prior to that, historically english made.
Same as their famous taxis.
BSA went broke and closed down. It's now owned by Mahindra, who recently launched the new Gold Star 650. It seems to look the part, but I think it was designed and built from scratch. Some would call it a historical British bike; others wouldn't considering it's essentially a new bike, made by a new company.
If it doesn't leak oil it is not british.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Enfield_(India)
It is the one from your parent's era, unless that era was prior to the 60s. India has a lot of motorcycles and Royal Enfield are well regarded and hold their value quite well, suggesting that they are reliable bikes.
Depending how long in the tooth you are…. from 1962 india was fully producing 350cc "enfield of india"s, having bought the tooling from royal enfield of england.
English made enfields of any type faded into extinction in the 1960s. If your parents were familiar with them they must have been rocking on in the 50s or 60s.
I'd venture to suggest that the indian bikes are pretty similar to those bikes of the 1950s and 1960s in design and metallurgy ….. with a few new fangled things like brakes and maybe electric starts added…. perhaps even functioning lights!
Brushing up on my wiki, I see that the indians did have a hiatus from about 2002 to the early teens, but then resumed. I remember putting my hands on a new one in the late 1980s, and being dismayed at a thread stripping when I looked at it too long.
It's the same factory and company.
lmao an extremely well-informed comment! i've been dailying my RE650 for 3 years now, it hasn't missed a beat.
pretty sure they've been making royal enfields in india longer than they ever made them in the UK. it's not MG where a multinational bought the brand and 'resurrected' is as a badge engineering exercise.
royal enfield went kaputt in the UK but the indian arm had no reason to stop doing what they were doing, so they didn't. the brand was revitalised with some new designs a few years ago under new leadership, but it's no MG-esque pseudo-vintage revival.
Royal Enfield has greatly improved its reputation for reliability due to the quality of their output over the last decade.
The old Bullet 500s from your pops era were dodgy, not these new ones.
these days they look and feel cheap and tacky. Friend had the GT650 and his speedo cluster came off at 100km/h.
They're crap. these will stacked 20 ft high at the local tip in 10 years unlike Triumphs.
Ever been to India? They are everywhere. Made in India since 1955.
The are a pretty lazy bike but you can fit a family of 5 on them.
The are a pretty lazy bike but you can fit a family of 5 on them.
Of course you can. Plus the mother in law and the 2 goats.
get a KTM duke instead
if you are in nsw then go for the 200cc - do they still make them?
great little bike, cheaper to run, great mileage and cheap greenslip/rego since it's under 225cc
200 is just not enough, OK if it's one of your 3 bikes and you have bigger ones
Get a mt07 and rego as mt03..
Way better bike for less money 💰
How do you register a bike as thr wrong model, they check the vin
@CauseNEffect: If the cops checked it would have the wrong vin. You also get checked at roadworthy
Outside a mistake i dont think yiu could actually do this.
Big risk of fine if cops caught you too, more than the difference in rego. Not that smart
390 Duke way more fun.
Got to agree. I've tried side grading to a ninja 400 twice and just can't do it.
got the husky version (for my partner), can confirm it's a fabulous bike. stupidly capable for what it is.
Royal Enfield is the world's longest continually-operating motorcycle manufacturer. They're owned by a large multinational these days, but they're making the exact same kind of bikes that they always did, since 1901. They're your parents' Royal Enfield, and maybe even your grandparents' too.
They aren't as reliable as Japanese brands, but they're better than ever as of the new post-2018 models (the 650 twins, and J-series 350 singles).
They've been making them in India since the 1950's. Originally the same bikes as the UK ones. Very slow model evolution (decades rather than years) so plenty of time to get it right. It's really not like MG which was just a badge buying exercise.
Nothing wrong with the revived MG either. I see many of them on the road!
Just letting people know that many of the modern revived brands may not be the same as what you grew up (I am feeling really old…) hearing…the brand that made its name initially.
Yes when I hear RE I think of the 50s early vintage models.
You see a lot because they're cheap, which does not mean they're good quality (they may be, but it's not proven yet). The MG's are nothing to do with the old MG's other than the badge, whereas the RE's are an evolution of the original and can claim the heritage.
@wfdTamar: From what I've read, the new Moto Guzzis have more QC issues than the average bike, but become very reliable once those are fixed if you happen to encounter them.
I'd love to own a V7 anyway, but my problems are that:
I'd seriously consider buying one if I lived near a dealership or mechanic, but the nearest to me is 800 km away.
That's why I prefer Royal Enfield by comparison. They're simple (no shaft drive), and sourcing parts on eBay isn't just easy, it's often very affordable since they can be bought direct from India.
@TheyCallMeMike: I see what u did there.
MG certainly an acquired taste. My buddy owned 10+ when he died. I couldn't see the attraction.
@brad1-8tsi: Different strokes, I guess. I love the aesthetic and character of classic bikes. All bikes are fun, but classic bikes, or at least modern classics, appeal to me in a way other bikes don't.
@TheyCallMeMike: i would also love to own a guzzi. they are just cool, hey.
i have fewer excuses than you as i live pretty close to a dealer and my father-in-law lives in italy and owns a couple of guzzis, but it's still a bit off-putting getting parts and diagnosing stuff etc. that alone puts them in an enthusiast category vs a RE which i can happily daily and know that there's infinite parts availability from not far away.
not that you would need to 'baby' a guzzi… but i wouldn't want to rely on it as my only vehicle.
Don't bash these bikes until you've ridden or owned one. They're a hoot to ride! I've had my 350 for about 3 years now and it has been basically bulletproof and very reliable. For the money, you are getting alot of bike imo. Yes, RE may be Indian made nowadays but they've really stepped up their build quality in this generation. I've done a lot of research on these before I bit the bullet with mine and haven't been unhappy since. Most reviewers tend to agree. Sure, I could spend a few grand more for a equivalent japanese bike but these lower end bikes be it japanese or not are mostly built in SE Asia anyways..
100% agree with you.
also i find it quite funny that some of the other bikes recommended here (ktm 390, bmw 310 GS) are also made in india lmao.
I would argue that they've always been Indian made and that Royal Enfield is no longer British but an Indian company. The British arm went bust a lifetime ago.
The Honda GB350 is the way to go for who wants a entry level bike, $8,000 but worth it.
I wish they made it years ago when I bought my first bike Suzuki TU 250X, it was a nice bike but the 250cc engine was too limited for the freeways.
you'd probalby have the same issue here
this is a 20hp 350cc single so expect to get dusted by small hatches
also i always find it funny how a bike that is $3,000 aud in india gets to $7k once it lands here…
someone is getting rich
I wonder if you were on a repositioning cruise and bought one in India and were allowed to brung it back , what the formalities and costs would be.
what the formalities and costs would be
The Australian government has made it impossible, again we elect rich people who should protect citizens!
@billadm: it protects dealers and multinationals
a bike is a bike is a bike
as long as they have ABS and pass emissions and EU regs. then why shouldnt they be ok for aust. roads?
its not like as if there's local production industry to protect
@tonyjzx: In the late 70s there was a 1 make race series of identically prepared Yamaha 250s. The bikes were imported by Yamaha Australia and never complied. I was offered one at a crazy cheap price but getting a compliance plate was impossible.
it protects dealers and multinationals
It protects politicians and their corporate friends and relatives.
I'm not free to go to India or any country in Europe, buy a motorbike, use it as long as I want and return with the bike in Australia, call it freedom!
bit of a problem converting to right hand drive.
ahem….
They are built better before being shipped here. Automotive standards are much lower in India. They are not the same bike.
bring back the 45hp 250's
ozbargainers from NSW will max out at 225cc
otherwise you pay $500 extra on greenslip/rego
Say what?
Source?
Edit - is this what you meant?
@lordra: heres an article from 2022 about the differences in annual fees based on cc in nsw
https://www.greenslips.com.au/blog/get-the-cheapest-green-sl…
closer to around $300 a year though, over stated it a bit..
considering the duke 200 is the better than the vast majority of 250cc around you can have your cake and eat it too
otherwise just get something like a vstar 650 and enjoying a more leisurely ride
@desync: Yep, thanks for that, same link.
226cc to 725cc seems to be the sweet spot. I'd say go a bit bigger but deffo NOT this crap! Duke 390
Sadly, after 390 comes the 790. If it was just a wee bit less, could get it under the 725cc bracket.
Yamaha DT230 (it is 224cc) and KTM EXC 150 or 200 are the true NSW rev head Oz B bikes. The KTM's are not so practical on the road, requiring pre-mix fuel. The DT does have a handy little on-board oil mixing system.
I've been riding for 4 decades. I'd try and talk people into a SV650 for just that little bit more $. Absolutely getting your money's worth for a few more grand. Think the cheapest I've seen recently brand new $10490 ride away.
Can confirm. The secondhand ones are so good for value. I would get but I love groms too much ahahah
Yeah. I'm not knocking the post here at all, haven't really gone down that rabbit hole. I haven't ever been on a grom, I should sometime. 🙂
@seamonkey: Haha everyone has their own priorities and interest so more power to them. It's a fun little thing. Not too fun but heaps more skill involved if you want to mod or take it off roading
@cerealsmok3r: What's the best price you've seen on a Grom..Curious. Also did you see that BMW that was just posted as a new post on ozbargain? That looks like a deal.
SV650 is great bang for buck
I had a SV650 fully faired for a couple of years. Very forgiving, great bike, handled like a dream. Loved her dearly.
GB350s were designed and built by India Honda!. I think they might be built elsewhere now.
KTM duke 200 imho
Shipment included?
Shouldn't it be 'ride'away?
Freedom on a full tank
Bikies
I own this bike (well wife does but I bought it).
Great reliable and the perfect LAMS bike. Sounds great, has enough guts for freeway cruising. this is a great deal
Do you ride together? How’s the ride quality ?
You are talking about the bike?
Yes we do. I have a BMW G310 GS, but I have actually done more kms on the Hunter 350 as I only got the BMW recently.
Ride quality is excellent and when using it for the check ride and then test later at the rest center (Hart here in Melbourne) both my wife and I received lots of compliments. The instructor even asked if it was a aftermarket exhaust (it was the original) as it sounded so good!
I'm 6 foot tall, will this be a comfort ride? Will ride only twice a week under 30 kms
Hard to say. You're pretty tall for this bike, but comfort is very personal. Your best bet would be to find one at a dealership and try sitting on it; see now it feels.
Wait for a deal on a Royal Enfield 650. These 350s don't have enough on the highway.
these are always going to be $10k and at that price you got more options
i actually like the looks of this and the meteor 350 but i reckon that could have done the 650 twin in at $7k
Fair enough, wasn't aware the 650 was 10k+. Only have experience with the 350 signals edition, but to say it was leisurely is an understatement.
Air cooled? Less to go wrong, but it is 2023
.