Royal Enfield 650 GT Continental

[dern]

Fitted some TEC levers to replace the Hitchcock shorties that were on the bike that felt crap. These are much better quality and for £50 for the pair represent very good value considering the quality.

lever.png (1.78 MiB) Viewed 915 times

I also fitted a Royal Enfield centre stand which makes oiling the chain, removing wheels a lot easier. The bike also takes up less room in the garage as the sidestand holds the bike at a significant lean angle.

[dern]

Installed a baffle as the bike was pretty loud. Baffle was incredibly effective and made the bike very quiet indeed. Baffle removed again.

Update ends.

[KungFooBob]

You need some of these...

[Dodgy69]

and I couldn't have my clutch cable adjuster left like that either.

[dern]

You need some of these...

I’ve fitted some of those, fret not.

[dern]

and I couldn't have my clutch cable adjuster left like that either.

What’s wrong with it?

[Dodgy69]

I got this thing about the cable slot facing down .

[dern]

I got this thing about the cable slot facing down .

lol, ok.

[dern]

I did 80 miles on it today. I went to Calne bike meet and back. The meet was ok but nothing special. Shit burgers, look at me throttle wringers and a few nice bikes. I did the whole trip on wide open A-roads (the a4 through Hungerford and Marlborough to Calne) and struggled a bit with the bike. I think that if you're ok with staying at 60mph it would be ok... dull but ok. If you're not then you're going to feel busy all the time and potentially get quite tired quite quickly. I enjoyed it way less than more windy roads, obviously. I'm also really struggling with getting full fitness back several week after ditching suspected Covid and that may be a big factor today.

It definitely isn't a do it all bike for me, it isn't powerful enough, 47bhp isn't enough to overtake without slow or very cooperative traffic on roads with the national speed limit.

I also put a baffle in (as I said above) as I thought it was too loud and then took it out again. This is because one of the defining things about the bike is the noise and when that's gone it didn't feel that special anymore. It was so different that I stopped on the way to Calne after 5 miles to go home again and pull the baffle out again.

I'm going to see what it's like on the roads in Norfolk and I suspect that it'll be great for that. If so that's fine but if not I won't have this long I don't think.

I'm absolutely fine with this and wouldn't think twice about buying any bike I fancy and moving it on if it doesn't do what I want.

[Horse]

I got this thing about the cable slot facing down .

lol, ok.

If you don't get it wet, dirty or dusty, it's not a problem.

[Skub]

I got this thing about the cable slot facing down .

Facing backwards or down works for me. It keeps out road dirt,or rain from the cable. I've always adjusted cables this way.

[Cousin Jack]

.......................... I think that if you're ok with staying at 60mph it would be ok... dull but ok. If you're not then you're going to feel busy all the time and potentially get quite tired quite quickly. I enjoyed it way less than more windy roads, obviously. I'm also really struggling with getting full fitness back several week after ditching suspected Covid and that may be a big factor today.

It definitely isn't a do it all bike for me, it isn't powerful enough, 47bhp isn't enough to overtake without slow or very cooperative traffic on roads with the national speed limit.

I am surprised. My CB500F is the same power, maybe a few kg lighter but not that much, and I can cruise at 70+, with burst of up to about 95 true. Wring it's neck a bit harder. Overtaking with 47 bhp is not as easy as it is with 100+, but it will do it, you just need to rev it out.

[dern]

.......................... I think that if you're ok with staying at 60mph it would be ok... dull but ok. If you're not then you're going to feel busy all the time and potentially get quite tired quite quickly. I enjoyed it way less than more windy roads, obviously. I'm also really struggling with getting full fitness back several week after ditching suspected Covid and that may be a big factor today.

It definitely isn't a do it all bike for me, it isn't powerful enough, 47bhp isn't enough to overtake without slow or very cooperative traffic on roads with the national speed limit.

I am surprised. My CB500F is the same power, maybe a few kg lighter but not that much, and I can cruise at 70+, with burst of up to about 95 true. Wring it's neck a bit harder. Overtaking with 47 bhp is not as easy as it is with 100+, but it will do it, you just need to rev it out.

It'll definitely do it, it's happy at 80, it's just not how I want to do 80.

[Dodgy69]

I agree about overtaking, doesn't have the power for a quick out and in, but doable with patience. I'll know more in a few weeks but its pretty much what I expected. I think it'll be happy at 80 on a motorway if needed ( not ).

Im still on honeymoon but definitely a keeper...for now.

[Bustaspoke]

Chop it in for something with more than 47 HP...
If you like the retro look demo a Triumph T100 or Kawasaki W800 if you just fancy blatting around on a Ptwin demo a MT 07.Z650,Honda Hornet etc,V-twin try a SV650 or maybe a monster, Guzzi V7? I''m usually out on my SV650 whilst my mates are on a Bussa,BMW GS,XJR 1300,Harley,on the roads & pace we ride the SV has no problem keeping up or setting the pace & I've no doubt the other bikes I've mentioned would be equally as good,maybe not the Guzzi.

[Dodgy69]

It'd need an Enfield badge sticking on it.

[KungFooBob]

I had a Guzzi V7 II (the 750 one, not the newer 850).

It was a lovely thing, but dog dog slow and I couldn't make it handle. It's certainly no quicker than the 650 Enfield.

[Bustaspoke]

That's the impression I got from reading reviews,hence me buying a new SV650.
The Guzzi's certainly look pretty

[dern]

I’m not chopping it in until we move and I see how it suits the new roads. It’s been a lot of fun on the smaller roads I normally go out and play on. All the other bikes are in storage at the moment so it’s being asked to do everything. I’ll go and have a play this morning, I’m sure I’ll be happy again afterwards.

Mind you, aside from a very tasty rd that would probably cripple me in a mile, the only bike I saw at Calne yesterday that had me searching eBay was this…

IMG_6128.jpeg (529.39 KiB) Viewed 720 times

[v8-powered]

I would have said for a lot of Norfolk and Suffolk roads, that would be ideal