At the age of 85 I recently changed from heavy 4 cylinder bikes to my new Yamaha MT03 & loving every minute of it 😃 At 168 kg, 100 + MPG & plenty fast enough to keep up with modern traffic, what's not to like. As far as I'm concerned, the saying "you can have more fun on a smaller bike" is true. I think a lot of bikers miss out because they see a smaller capacity machines as "not macho" Many years ago, 500 cc was seen as quite a big bike, 250 & 350 cc being more common. How things have changed over the years 🤔
I did similar and just love my mt 03. It’s great fun to ride and is a very underrated bike. Fast enough, certainly, the engines straight out of the R3 which has it’s own racing series. I’ve seen mt 03’s keep up with much larger bikes, and even overtake them on track days. I regularly see 93 mpg on mine but have never 100 yet, perhaps I’m having too much fun.
Well done you! But I'm a little disappointed Yamaha can't bring the weight down even more - my Street Triple with Arrow titanium can and tail tidy doesn't weigh much more.
I agree with every thing you say you can enjoy a smaller capacity bike just as much as a big bike , I love the royal Enfield 500 single , sounds fantastic but it’s everyone to there own choice.
Absolutely bang on the money. I have been biking for almost 38 years and at last count I embarrassingly realised I've had 19 motorcycles in those years. In November I spent 5000 euros ( I live in Italy) on a Royal Enfield Himalayan. Probably the lowest capacity bike I've had for over 25 years. Without doubt it is the best bike I have owned! Why, well it requires me to engage with it, to consider every action and as a result it totally rewarding. I find I am riding far better, using the correct gear on almost every occasion and simply enjoying my biking more than I ever had.
Touring on a low capacity bike? Absolutely! For me it’s about setting your expectations to simply enjoy the journey, the sights, the scenery and the people. My first ever tour was over a thousand miles around the north of Scotland, on my own with all my camping gear at the age of 64, on L plates, riding a 125 Honda Varadero. This year I’m 69 and will be camping around the Highlands again. This time on my trusty 500cc 2004 Royal Enfield Bullet 65. Pre unit engine, with a proper carburettor, contact breaker ignition and a twin leading shoe drum brake at the front. Magic.
I agree Denzel, but I don’t think of “all of us motorcycle”. Is perfectly understandable why in India small capacity is a pillar, but is a different market. I’m not saying better or not, only different
@@monkeyoutside6802 yes the markets in western countries are very different. It's more about hobby and partly a purpose owning a Motorcycles in West. Where as in South East Asia motorcycles are hugely about mode of transport. But if we consider petroleum market and policies around the globe, it's so interconnected, and we do see the effects here too. Just like the recent price hike. Also all our new Motorcycles have become Fuel Injected, making them 20 to 30 percent more expensive.
@@denzel9518 I agree, but I still not get the point :) A motorcycle is often a luxury “object”, an expensive toy that shouldn't be counted in these matters. I have nothing against small capacity motorcycles, I had plenty of them and my triumph is 650cc…so :) The point is discerning between a client commute/working vehicle and a leisure one. If we’re talking about work..well, use an electric scooter is the be best choice. But if we’re talking about leisure…well everything is disputable and in the end costs aren’t so decisive. Beside, cc isn’t only speed… Of course if you’re fan of Royal Enfield, small is better, I’m only saying that this isn’t an eye opener, but a nice thought of someone with a passion for REnfield.
Living in a 3rd world country like colombia has teach me about the importance of small bikes and how fun can they be, is actually much more fun to ride a small bike fast than a big bike slow, much safer and cheaper. either way for us in this country, a motorcycle is more than a toy or a hobby, it's your daily transportation, it's the way yopo travel and go places, and in the current world, at least in my country, a small bike it's the way to go. Of this i'm a sinner myself as I have a Continental 650 but again it's not that powerful, it's powerful enough I believe. it's great to watch your videos stu, thanks for the upload
The same is true in India. 150, 160 and 200cc bikes are very popular here. 20 years ago the competition was between 100cc motorbikes. Bajaj changed that in 2001 with the introduction of the 150cc Pulsar. Introducing the NS200 in 2012, they again changed the market situation. Currently 100 to 1000cc motorcycles are available in India. But 150 to 200cc motorcycles are the most popular. Very few people here consider the motorcycle as a toy. For most of us, motorcycles are our daily means of transportation.
As always Stu, you have hit the nail on the head. This actually holds true for most vehicles on the road. We talk about climate change yet 90% of vehicle usage is ego masterbation. The press is right behind this. You only have to look at the world travels of the likes of Stef Javons and Itchy Boots on 250 - 300s A couple doing the Argentina to Alaska trip, him on a Africa Twin, her on a 250. One of the things that came up in conversation was how jealous he was of the 250 and sick he was with all the extra weight of the Africa Twin. At 65 I have down sized to a 250. It's riding envelope exceeds mine and I am too beat up to be pushing bigger bikes around. Must say the RE Meteor is very appealing. Keep them come. Thanks.
Tim, as a 60 year old who owns a Meteor, I get it. YOU'LL LOVE IT! Though it's the smallest, proper motorcycle I've owned, it's one of the best I've ever owned. I downsized for similar reasons, plus those that Stu mentioned, such as running cost, doing my own maintenance, etc.
Some of the best fun I ever had on bikes was when I was only 17 (many many moons ago...) I had a Honda C90 and my mate had a C70 (he was a bit lighter than me which we agreed sort of evened things out cc-wise..) We both worked for the same firm and on Fridays we finished early at 3pm so if it was dry weather we'd race to the Barber's in the next village about 7 or 8 miles away for a haircut - We called this important event in the road-racing calendar 'The Haircut TT' or 'The Haircut 100' (I think that was a play on 'The Southern 100' road race in Northern Ireland and a pop band at the time of the same name..) It was a two lapper - one lap there, one lap back - and I shouldn't think we ever exceeded 45mph but it was always a close run thing, faster on the return lap of course due to the twin weight reductions of less fuel and less hair !!.. It all ended when my opponent decided he wanted a Triumph, but unfortunately it was a Toledo, not a Bonneville.. Note to Stuart...Apologies for the above, I know you were a Copper and racing on the Queen's Highway is illegal of course but in my defence the rural 'B' roads were pretty much deserted back then, we never ventured off our own side of the road and definitely never broke the speed limit, in fact unless you actually KNEW what we were up to you would probably have never noticed, although our 'racing crouch' might have been a bit of a giveaway !..
Loved this, it made me smile, at myself of course. Recently struck down by two crippling strokes, but mobile again with a three wheeled licence free mobility scooter I am experiencing all sides of road-craft up to 15mph of course and it’s great. I will be touring around the Norfolk lanes this summer. Give me a wave if you see me. My 1950 350 Bullet is long gone. Just fond memories. Like my Fathers 1300 cc V twin three gears, gear lever o the tank, fishtail silencer a real rumbeler.
I am compromising and sticking with my 500 RE Pegasus 🤡🇬🇧 PS: it does 85 to the gallon, it’s FI, and catalytic converted. This should have really pleased the snowflakes, but sadly not. Apparently.
I watch this as I wait for my Meteor 350 to arrive to my local dealer, which I'll be part exchanging for my current bike, a Bonneville T120. It's a really significant bike downsize, but after I did a test drive on the Meteor I realised that I spend the vast majority of my time riding in B roads, where I don't get anywhere near using the full power of a 1200cc engine. As someone said, it's more fun to ride a slow bike fast than to ride a fast bike slow. I also found that I had to choose gears much more carefully with the Meteor, in order to get the most out of it in different situations, which actually made riding a lot more engaging, fun and technical.
Totally agree. Takes me back to when I had my first bike in my late teens. I couldn’t afford a powerful bike, but I remember riding being so much more fun then. It was all about getting the most of the small amount of power on offer.
Excellent video Stuart. Covered a lot, that I've experienced since 'downsizing' from an 1100 to a 300. I'm convinced, that a lot of people don't realise (yet, and then it'll be too late), how life, as we know it, will be changing over the next few years and by 2030, whether this be restrictions to our use of private transport an our general standards of living. The subtle introductions and manipulations, leading towards 'their' ideological "Great Reset", are becoming more noticeable by the day.
Tomorrow I am riding my 1976 Ducati 900NCR for a ride with some mates. She is a beast to ride, uncomfortable, noisy, antisocial cafe racer but at fairly legal speed she does 60 mpg on super unleaded. You gotta ride em before you are too old to kick em up. Go for it sensible bikers!
Yet "They" will always have access to all they would deny us. World Revolution against the elites and the woke brainwashed is the only answer, the only way the Western native peoples and our civilization will survive.
I've a friend who had a 1000cc Yamaha tourer. I told him he didn't need a bike that powerful and he poo poo'd me. Then he dropped it in the woods, was stuck under it for more than an hour. Then, later, he hit a barrier and broke his leg, arm and shoulder. He's got a smaller bike now.
Hello Stuart, very thoughtful vid as usual. Personally I moved over the last 10 years from high powered sports bike, briefly to adv bike and now to Guzzi V7, so 150bhp pls down to 52bhp. What’s interest to me is that I ride the V7 much more than the other more powerful bikes I had in the past, just because it’s more relaxed, spend less time donning a power ranger leather suit and am quite happy popping down to the coast for a coffee even though it’s only 8 miles away as I can wear, still protective gear, but actually walk around comfortably at my destination . I also commute 70m round trip to the office a couple of days a week through the new forest to Southampton, on the country roads with mostly a max speed limit of 40mph and it’s great as I have time to appreciate my surroundings, dodge the ponies, occasional pig or chicken and clear my head of any stress that I am dealing with. Even though my V7 is larger than the capacities you mention it still returns 65-70 mpg which is not too bad (and more on a run if careful with the throttle). Keep up the good work and thanks for posting…
Because of a fluctuating weight problem I gave up on all the fancy road gear.(.Power Ranger).. I now buy off road type protection ie: elbow and knee protectors, that strap on under my jeans and jacket, there are a few companies that make some very good comfy under garment gear..
I had a Honda transalp700 fora bit The most boring bike I’ve owned, it was totally functional, you couldn’t fault it on any point but I couldn’t find anything I actually liked about it. But it did what it said on the tin, but I got rid because, no matter how I rode it , I couldn’t get better than 45 mpg. The point being, my spada 1000 used to regularly do 50 plus, on all sorts of riding. And about twice as fast as the Honda. Enjoy your V7.
I’ve been riding for 42 years and it wasn’t till 5 years ago that I bought a bike bigger than 650cc I currently own three bikes. A 125, a 650 and a 1000cc Honda The 1000cc is not 8 times the fun of the 125 , but on the Canadian highway, there is a comfort factor on the bigger bike on long journeys. When I go back to the UK, my clapped out CB500 is ideal for the roads I like to ride on(previous to this I had a 650 Yamaha). There is a perception in N America that bigger bikes are safer, but I don’t see that in accidents. Often it’s low time riders on bikes they just can’t handle. In summary, for most riders , for most of the riding that they do, smaller bikes are actually a better “fit”
I'm tired of taking five minutes to put on boots, pants, jacket helmet etc to go a mile to the grocery. I'm thinking of an electric bicycle but I love the current crop of 300cc to 500cc bikes.
Nahthen from Lincoln Stu! Having recently passed my A licence I went out and bought my dream bike, a Triumph Bobber 2017 reg. But before that, as I have mentioned a few times in your comments section I had a Chinese manufacturered UM Renegade Commando 125. I will have nothing bad said about that bike - cheap as chips, sipped fuel, and its liquid cooled engine took me touring all over the country on L plates. I'm loving my Triumph, all 1200cc's of it but in many ways I really miss my old 125. Let me attest to all your viewers who might read this comment, what you say about the joys of riding lower powered bikes is true. When eventually I feel I'm getting a little long in the tooth for heavier big engined bikes, rather than just give up I plan to move down in power and weight, and CARRY ON!!! It was one of your videos that inspired me to tour on a 125cc - therefore enabling me to do that on L plates, and therefore getting me hooked on biking propper, so thanks for another great - inspiring - video! 👍
I grew up on American Military Bases all over the world and learned first hand that a big cc motorcycle was a luxury. I graduated high school, in the USA, riding a 150cc Lambretta everyday. Having owned many large cc machines over my lifetime, I still fondly remember those carefree years on that Lambretta and have found myself yearning for one of the 300 to 400 cc Japanese Scooters in the US Market to ride as I am quickly approaching my 71st birthday. I am 2 feet taller and a bit heaver than I was back then. In my Stable I have a 1200cc Yamaha Tenere, a 900cc Ducati Elefant, a KLR 650 and several 70's model Honda 125's in pieces. I live in Texas now, so having a scooter with smaller cc's would be suicidal. (Sub 50 mph) But I agree, the need for speed is relative. I'm sure I could live quite happly on a smaller cc scooter where I live and would love to be able to brag about trying to get 100 MPG's out of it. Sadly I think the Worlds Governments are going to cram electric short range motorcycles down our throats, whether we want them or not. And it's too bad that here in America we have forgotten that our Politicians are supposed to be working for us and have no Royality Status to dictate anything we don't want.
Some words of wisdom at the end about the art of riding a low-powered machine and the satisfaction to be had from it. The love of my motorcycling life was an old Triumph 3TA (still in existence somewhere), not quick, not powerful but handling beautifully and so comfortable. A machine with character and lovely bottom-end torque. She had an inexplicable affection to one particular road junction. Every time, the engine would stop and ignore any attempts to restart until we had sat there for a few minutes. The journey could then continue as if nothing had happened. Such a pleasure to ride!
I so agree, Stuart, and the last point, that gradual friendship that builds almost into love between a rider and his relatively low powered small to medium capacity machine is what first hooked me into motorcycling. From the early 1960s I had 250 to 350 cc machines, don't think I ever got above 500, almost always 4 strokes, always kept them for ages; they were companions. I may be a sad old loner but I never wanted to ride in a group, only attended shows etc by myself; looked for any good reason to sort of saddle up ride off. Perhaps it's similar to having a horse or pony; they needed looking after, understanding, attention and a degree and skill and dedication. The rewards were somehow around the getting the best for and from my machines, the best for them and the best for me. You get out most the more you put in. Yes, later I did have bigger bikes; but, even with these, I still wanted torque more than bhp, preferring long stroke singles and V twins. The only real exception were things like the Triumph triples, which could still be ridden with finesse rather than razzed! I still ride, I still like to go off , alone, and explore byways and countryside, and I still find huge solace and satisfaction fettling, fixing and riding my bikes. I know that they are inanimate but looking after them looks after me too. ;-)
I’m with you completely Stu. I’ve got three big bikes that I’ve picked up over the years (ST1100 / Bonneville / America) which I will keep and cherish. But I won’t be spending more money on big CC machinery. This time last year I went and bought a Honda C125 Super Cub and haven’t looked back. The sheer happiness of back to basics inexpensive biking is unparalleled, turning days out into full on adventures. And given the direction that the world is heading it just makes more and more sense.
Yet another great video, raising an extremely valid point. Since passing my test in the 70's, my bikes became larger, more powerful, and with a multitude of electronic rider aids. I've now, however, bought a RE Himalayan and the fun factor has returned. Not that I didn't have fun on the larger capacity bikes, but I can now return to doing my own maintenance without needing a laptop, and riding a bike to near it's limits is much more practical than riding a massively powerful machine to a quarter of its ability. Pushing yourself to take a large, powerful machine too far, and, one day, your talent will run out. The 250 I passed my test on had more power than my current 24bhp Himalayan, has made me appreciate weather conditions, road surfaces, and braking distances again and I love it! Back to basics, low power, low capacity fun.
My tu250x became the bike of choice after adding a custom carrier for my shepherd. Being lower, it's perfect. I've also got an Interceptor and a himmi which are getting ridden less often. As soon as the garage door goes up she's sitting on the TU. I've created a monster. lol
Fascinating video, thank you. You have absolutely nailed the difference in satisfaction between large, powerful machines and the smaller ones. I passed my motorcycle test in 1966, and always felt that I wanted more performance than was offered by the bikes I rode. After a break of 15 years (wife and kids) I bought a 750 VFR, thinking that finally, I would have my dream bike. Loads of torque, 150mph capability, just what I’d always wanted. In reality, I found it so boring, that it put me off motorcycling for years. Press the starter, twist the throttle, and then just sit there. The bike did everything without my having to work with it. I realised that what I had was a high performance two wheeled car. I’ve recently taken up motorcycling again, and am buying a 1927 350cc OHC Velocette. It weighs only 100kg, and has a top speed of around 75mph. A tuned version of this machine won the Junior TT in 1926, 1928 and 1929. These bikes are renowned for their excellent steering and handling. Three speed gearbox, kickstart, manual valve lifter, manual ignition advance/retard, manual choke, you actually have to work with the bike to get the most out of it, but it’s very light, smooth, nimble, quick enough, and fun and involving to ride. Cheap insurance, no tax or MOT, and about 80mpg. Perfect for any kind of road except motorways, for which I’ll take the car.
Hi Stu, must admit I have had over 15 motorcycles many over 1000cc and I must admit the most fun have been on the 250, 350 &600 cc ones .I think things are changing back to motorcycles like they were in the 60s more riding skill and enjoy 😊
Totally agree. My last bike was 1000cc and I never enjoyed riding it. I want a bike I can pick up without busting a gut, and handles well in the twisties. A few years ago I told a motorcycle journalist that the future of biking was inexpensive middleweights, and he completely disagreed.
@@borderlands6606 Absolutely, I'm settled on my Striple 675, its quick enough for me and is incredible nibble on twisty roads. You can be a Hooligan or 'Go For a Ride'...it never disappoints. I'm considering a Enfield 350 for a pure 'Go for a Ride' bike...
Couldn't agree more, I gave up large capacity bikes six years ago, the last one being an XJR1300, I got fed up of the weight and forty odd miles to the gallon after owning it for seven years, since then I won't entertain anything that won't do at least sixty to the gallon, which my Interceptor and my six fifty Vstrom easily do, and regularly more than seventy to the gallon, and my wife's Hanway 125 scrambler does a hundred and five to the gallon! As for touring capabilities we've done countless trips on the Vstrom two up and fully loaded, absolutely no problem, As for tear arsing around all over the place ,can't be bothered, I just relax and enjoy the ride , particularly on my Interceptor and will be doing a lot of touring on it also this year. For myself smaller capacity bikes are the future.
When I was 17 years old, back in the mid 1970's just after I'd passed my motorcycle test I rode from Manchester to Dover and got on a ferry. I then rode through Belgium, France, did a bit of Germany and ended up in Switzerland. I think I also crossed over into Italy, just to say I'd been there. About 3000 miles in 2 weeks, all on a Suzuki A100 single cylinder two stroke! Didn't even have any proper waterproofs and got soaked plenty of times. Loved every minute of it though!
This is one reason many/most of us like the "classic" bikes...we like "classic" and low-tech things that are meaningful, satisfying, and compatible with us humans. The technocracy of "no gas" "no speeding" "no private vehicles" "no mods" and "we're tracking you" is a dystopian nightmare. Thank you very much I can chose my own fuel, set my own speed, plot my own route, apply my own brakes, and decide where/when/how to ride. Never give up freedom.
Uh huh.tend to agree with you all the way through. As an aside, similar comments can be made for cars! Frankly, the most bored and frustrated I’ve been driving a car is when it’s large capacity high speed model trying to keep within road conditions! In my sixties I’m now seriously contemplating taking to biking to retain my personal travel independence at manageable cast!
Years ago, after the usual break from being a sixties biker... to a car driver....I bought a C90 step through Honda. the thinking at the time was economy...However, it rekindled the 'Rocker' in me. I swopped it for an XS 250... big mistake... then after drooling over a Moto Guzzi 850 Le Mans...I exchanged the Yamaha for the Italian Stallion! I gradually moved to an increasing engine capacity...BMW R100RS. Now, years later I reversed that trend, having now settled on a 675 Striple.... I'm thinking of going Enfield 350 for that ''Go for a Ride''..concept. having satisfied my desire to be a Hooligan.. will keep the 675 just in case! .... Greeting from España
Spot on my friend. I also ride a Triumph street triple 675. I love it with a passion. It is the most capable motorcycle I have ever owned. That says it asks alot from the rider. You are on it all the time. Sometimes I'm in the mood for that and at other times I prefer a relaxed pace. That's why I'm thinking of getting the scram 411. Two bikes for two very different reasons. If your going to own two bikes make sure they are chalk and cheese.
hey uncle stuart, greetings from India, i drive a 250cc bike, it does everything what i expect from it, i also emphasise on enjoying journey rather then reaching from point a to point b as fast as you can.
Stuart, my neighbor recommended your channel to me (cheers from the US). I really appreciate your insight around the 6/7 minute mark. I was wracking my brain over this - do I spend everything I have to get a freeway-suitable bike to feel comfortable? Or do I save money to get a bike that will make freeway riding possible (but very uncomfortable)? The one thing that was bothering me was the future. You are absolutely correct... it’s extremely important to have money in the bank. A reserve. Because even if our currency loses value or the next few years are crippling - stores will always accept cash for basic necessities. And what do people do when they have no money during tough times? They sell their assets for fractions of what they paid. It could be a double whammy. So thank you for confirming some things for me and mentioning that “any size motorcycle can be used for touring”. I decided I want a motorbike that is in my budget and the savings will stay in the safety net. When the world recovers (fingers crossed) years later, can always come back to the table and reconsider.
Well conveyed. I'm asked "When are you going 'bigger'?" It's an expectation in the states that you'll ultimately end up on a V twin, especially at my age-- 63. "You know you're going to outgrow that 650.'' When I say say, "If I get another it'll be smaller." The reaction is almost always puzzlement and a shake of the head.
So true! I've had a gaggle of small 125s since the 1990's and overlooked my full licence until my later years (family commitments etc.) I find myself on an awkward, ugly to some, but characterful 250cc vtwin after chasing the tail of the dragon for a few years and realising that to have fun puts life, limb and livelihood at great risk. I've been luckier than many in that my bumps were had on smaller capacity machines and I'm very glad I waited until mature enough to undertake the full bike bike journey. I have my little Hyosung Aguila 250 fully kitted for touring and love taking in the countryside at usually less than 50mph and >80mpg 😁
I just bought a Royal Enfield Meteor 350 as my first bike, I'm 51, I want to ride casually without a need to blow anyone's doors off or pop wheelies. My main goal is a relaxing ride, great MPG and not dying
It's something that comes to most of us when we have been riding bikes for years, Stuart. I've ridden them all since I was 16. Glad I got those superbikes out of my system. They are for the most part a vanity project. I am now 58 and my greatest pleasure is riding my Vespa GTS. The most fun, easy-going, enjoyable, and endearing two-wheeler that I have ever had the joy to own.
Again, Uncle Stu, you have hit the proverbial nail on its head. Like the fuel crisis of the early 70’s, smaller engines and vehicular size may start to influence and sway Joe Public’s attitude and financial resources out there. This is almost at our door step and getting ready to knock. Great video as always!… Stay safe my friend.
Best thing I ever did was dropping down to a 250 and a Himalayan. Because on a fast bike, you're focussed on power and the rush and the risk. Now I'm focused on the bike, the ride and the world I'm traveling though...
On moving to Brittany I bought a Honda Shadow 125. I can ride that on a car licence and no learner plates needed. Taking the French test would be an expensive nightmare. I went for a run with an English friend who has a Honda 750 sports bike. We didn't hang about but stuck to limits on twisting country roads. My friend said it was one of the best rides....he wasn't bent over the tank with a narrow focus on the road ahead. He saw the countryside, smelt the flowers and the farms making cider.
I started riding with a 500 cc Enfeild, then got a 1200 cc triumph thunderbird storm onto a ducati 12000 cc MS enduro 160 bhp . Sold that got a GS rallye then I got my self a hypermotard followed by a himalyan Enfield , now the GS and Himayan remain . I rode the latest Enfield classic 350 about 2 weeks ago and I must say this ….. the classic 350 has been one of the most fun to ride bikes of all of them .
Thanks for the thoughtful chat about small capacity bikes. My first bike was a second hand Honda CD175 on which I did 30,000 miles including a camping trip to the Isle of Man TT in 1975 and trips to the Lake District and Devon and many trips from home (near Peterborough) to Leeds (University) and back. I have to say that it would have been nice to go a little faster on the motorways but it was more than adequate for most other roads. It was simple enough that I did all my own servicing/repairs apart from the replacement of the rear mudguard demolished by a tailgating Audi with lousy brakes.
Thank you for sharing your insight Stuart. I remember going to the 1979 TT, with a group of friends, on my Honda CB200, but the more surprising thing was that we ended up giving shelter and sharing our supplies with a young German lad, who had ridden from East Berlin on a Yamaha DT175.
Agreed.. Iv a collection of bikes from 50cc to 1400cc. As a former Irish road race champion iv had my fill of going round in circles at 4 million mph hence my latest purchase, a Royal Enfield Meteor.... Life in the slow lane rocks🤣🤣.
Bought an MT03 in 2020 as a run around while my project bike was in bits (it still is) found I was using the MT every day, so much so I got rid of the car, wife still has a car I can use if I need to carry a bit more in one go, having a blast. Great advice from Uncle Stu as ever. Love the fuel economy it easily get to motorway speeds if needed, although I tend to avoid traffic is a doddle in a smaller bike.
I did similar, the MT 03 is a brilliant little bike and very underrated. It certainly has got the speed but it gets a bit windy on the motorway. Ridden carefully, I’ve managed to obtain 93 mpg. (Uk gallons).
Great advice. I will say that I get 60+ MPG (as you did) on my Triumph Speed Twin and my Ducati SuperSport, and to be honest... that's plenty good enough, and rivals (or exceeds) the MPG of most modern hybrid cars. As I commute on my rides year-round outside of snow and ice, economy was something that I considered, but a lot of the smaller-displacement motorcycles lack some of the items I wanted, like better braking systems and the like. I hear Triumph is coming out with an old-fashioned single, as an aside; feeling challenged by the RE 350, no doubt!
To hold up the point of the ability for touring - my first "motorcycle" tour was me going all around germany in 6 days on a 50cc simson moped, it will still do its advertised 60kph even fully loaded up. Had the time of my life. Yes its slow, and mountain roads are terribly slow. But it works.
I bought a Monkey bike a couple of weeks ago, and it's the best thing I've ever bought! Perfect for the welsh country lanes and brings smiles and curiosity wherever I go. Parked next to some Harleys and Ducattis in town yesterday, and when I got back to the car park guess which bike had a crowd of people round it?! When I'm doing 40 round the lanes I feel like Guy Martin in the TT. It's become my go to bike now as I can just wheel it out of the shed jump on and go.
Love this video. Right on. Back in Belgium in the 70s I used to ride and restore British bikes (Triumph, Norton, AJS, Vellcettr...). Got back riding motorcycles about 4 years ago and just bought an Interceptor (well INT650 here in the US) and absolutely love it. This bike was made for me! I think you really explain what this bike is all about.
Nice one, I did have an SV1000s 8 years ago big mistake it was heavy, a gas gussler, no soul round normal roads, stalled. It got tail ended so was written off, ended up buying an SV650s 02 plate carbs what a game changer more fun on A roads, lighter, fuel efficient, cheaper insurance, and you interact with the engine. You are spot on thanks
Agree with much of that. The most enjoyment I've had from a motorbike was riding around north Wales on a 175cc Honda during the seventies when petrol prices went stupid. So good was it that I'm still into bikes and have five road legal ones in the garage ranging from 125 to 1200cc (four of which work). Motorcycling is still a very cost effective way of getting around.
I have never agreed so much with everything you have said Stuart what a great vlog one of my bikes is a new cb125f I love going on it you have more time to look around and observations on a small bike I also according to my my computer average 155 MPG it's a cracking little bike love being on it costs nothing to run or very little to maintain. thanking you again for the great common sense vlog loved it bill near Durham ❤️
ROSE COLOURED TESTICLES!?!? OH I see spectacles...spectacles. Great Video and great points. Makes me feel good about the Honda NAVI That I have on order. A full 8HP I believe. As a teenager I toured long distances (if I was lucky two up)on a Puch 125M with converted army surplus back packs for panniers. Keep up the great work.
I've come down to a versys 300 and I love it. Enough power to keep up with the traffic and very economical on fuel. It's fun to ride and more comfortable than the ninja I had before.
Hello Stuart, in Australia we are now paying around $2.20/litre for 91 octane unleaded, which is about £1.70. Semi trailer (articulated) trucks are limited to 100kph. Our maximum speed limit anywhere here is 110kph and we refer to motorways as feeways.
I have a 750 and 125. The Zuma scooter is my daily, year round commuter. It’s perfect for in town and 35-40 mile trips. TONS of fun, twist & go, no shifting in 25-35 MPH traffic. Very relaxing!
Evening Stu, Time to chew some cud: I was raised on British bikes, my dad started his post-army career as a motorcycle policeman riding the newly introduced Velo LE Noddy bikes (there's an age giveaway) and got me into bikes from a very early age. The last BSA he owned was an M21 fitted with a Watsonian outfit to carry his young offsprings. He was a friend of Johnny Brittain who, after retiring from his riding career, opened up a motorcycle shop in Bloxwich, on my dad's patch, and I spent a lot of childhood Saturdays in that shop. Zoom forward in time, I get my first BSA road bike at 15, take my test in 71 and progress to a BSA B50SS, then onto various Jap bikes and cars (family man). After my older brother died, I purchased another B50SS in 2017 as a nod to the old days. I retired in 2018 and have had a few years feeling young again, exploring the Staffordshire and Shropshire countryside on the old thumper. But I'm getting no younger, and that 500cc lump is getting harder to kick over. I need something that thumps, vibrates and can be heard from a few hundred yards away. More importantly, I need an electric starter. Would you, hand on heart, recommend the RE Classic 500? Or perhaps the new RE classic 350? Been following your channel for a few years now and thoroughly enjoy your videos and your topics. I just need convincing that RE can replace BSA in my garage. What do you say? G
Great video as always!! The RE 350 engine is a phantastic little powerplant with enough torque to be great fun. As far as the future legislation is concerned - the only crisis we have to worry about is the governement crisis we have in the western world. They all forgot who pays their salaries !
So true - I’ve ridden Vespa scooters for the last 20 years and some of my happiest memories are of touring around the UK on a 125cc with my fellow Vespa chums. I also have an Interceptor 650 at the moment, but am seriously considering swapping it for the new 350 Classic.
I’m a Husqvarna 401 Svartpilen rider. Fun is the name of the game but the light weight and simplicity are key factors that increase smiles and reduce spend. Would I tour on it? Part of me would love to because it would be a proper adventure… and those aren’t so easy to find these days!
Great content as usual. I am entering a change in my life. Marriage over and moving into a small apartment. In doing so I have to drive over 60 miles on California freeways back and forth. These trips are usually stressful but the last trip I decided to return at 65-70mph on cruise control. Believe me, that’s slow on our freeways where some people drive 80+mph. This last trip was a revelation. I was relaxed and serene for a change. Of course I still had to be alert as you should always be, but it was a more pleasant drive. On a smaller motorcycle it would definitely be do-able. I have ridden big cruisers and ADV bikes but never really used their potential. Cross country on a Harley was a great experience. A shorter distance in a day on a smaller, nimble bike could potentially be just as fun if not more. That’s my thoughts and one of the changes in my life will be a 350 Royal Enfield this year or next. Thanks for your videos. 😊
I absolutely love your comment Stuart about "harmonising" with a low powered motorbike - it's so poetic way to describe it. Absolutely love your channel. I wait for every new episode the way I used to wait for top of the Pops on a Thursday night when I was a teenager! Really loved seeing you pulling around Brighton a few weeks back. you went straight past my door!
Excellent video Stuart with plenty of food for thought. Thinking back to the beginning of my motoring career, there was the best part of a decade when I only had a full license for two wheels. I did my fair share of summer touring, the main bikes being a Honda CD175 (17bhp), a tuned MZ 150 (15-ish), a Honda 400-4 (37bhp) and a T140 Triumph Bonneville (58-ish). The Triumph twin and the Honda 4 were great fun but consumed twice the fuel of the other two (45mpg vs 90mpg). I hate biking on motorways and you don't need buckets of power to enjoy biking on A-roads. I don't favour one mode of personal transport over another but now in my 60s it *is* horses for courses. If I need to cover hundreds of motorway miles in a day (or if the weather is sub-zero) I'll take the car. For motoring pleasure (touring country roads), I'll take a motorcycle. If I'm going into the city (Nottingham hates motorists) and have nothing much to carry, I'll take the Brompton as folded it goes under the table in a pub or cafe. 😀
Thanks for another thought provoking video, I’ve been toying with the idea of getting a KTM 390 Duke as it seems to me you can have great fun for very little money. It’s also super light to move around and at age of 69 that’s a bonus.
Hi Stu, thank you for being so consistently and refreshingly honest, another great video, please keep them coming. I'm 62 and own a 1000cc sports bike, an 800cc adventure bike and an older air cooled Hinkley Bonneville, I find myself riding the wee bonnie more and more, as you say it's not about speed but about the enjoyment of riding, the sounds, smells and the feel. Cheers Dave
Absolutely!! We should be encouraging more people onto bikes, and smaller, lower powered are surely the best way to do this. Yet on some forums, new riders are encouraged to get a big bike; "small bikes can be dangerous" "a big bike gets you out of trouble". And I think it applies to cars as well - my current car is a 3 cylinder 999cc, producing 140BHP; On our crowded roads I'm not sure I need much more. And then you get the fuel prices.......
Stuart's always very educational and enjoyable to watch. I too in the near future will be prepared for a small capacity bike in order to continue my two wheeled pleasure.
Stu, once again, you NAILED IT! I have a Meteor 350 now, and it has all the virtues of a small bike that you mentioned here. It sips gas, or petrol for you guys. It's easy to work on, so I can do much of my own work. It's cheap to insure; even with full coverage, generous medical, and so on, I only pay $440 a year. And, since I'm 60 and done with doing triple digits, what do I need a big bike for?
Good video Stu. I’m coming to the same conclusions about bike size. I got rid of a Triumph Trophy as it was too big and heavy. I still have a Honda Blackbird and an old 650cc Matchless sporting 35bhp. I now tend to ride the smaller bike as it is much more engaging. I spoke to a guy at work who has a Yamaha MT 10. He was saying you need power. Then you don’t have to change gear much. He couldn’t understand when I said balancing speed and gears is half the fun. All the best.
I learnt to ride on a BSA Bantam and since it was my first motorised vehicle. it felt unbelievably powerful. It was so eay to exceed the speed limit. Wikipedia it. Thanks Stuart.
I totally agree with you that smaller capacity motorcycles are the way to go; however, capacity, and cost, are really relative terms. Comparatively, our Triumphs, at around 65 mpg, are more than double the fuel efficiency of my hybrid SUV. And, I've come very close to 70 mpg by staying in rain mode and riding in a nice smooth cruising pace rather than racing off at every traffic light. I am now finding myself using my Triumph more, and leaving my SUV parked in the garage, only to be used when I need to carry loads that won't fit in my saddle and sissy bar bags. Another thoughtful video! Keep them coming...
Once again a very relevant piece of commentary on the human condition as it relates to motorcycling. Thanks for posting! Back on the year 2000, I was driving in a lorry at 50 mph on a motorway in France returning to St Malo. At one point, two lads known to me at the time, passed me on their 1300cc hyper bikes at more than 150 mph. When we got to St Malo, they were three cars ahead of us in the queue for the ferry. We had had a lovely trip and seen some interesting scenery by the side of the road in our 50 mph lorry. We arrived at the ferry in good time and completely unstressed. Both those lads, in the last 20 years, lost their lives in accidents on trips to the continent. I've recently bought a 20 hp Benelli 400 single and am looking forward to a trip or two, across to France for a bit of 50 mph "Tops" touring myself!
Your video sent me way way back into my past. Riding a Pelham and Moore single cylinder Panther 120s 650cc. Ever journey was an adventure, what was going to break first this time. It ate clutch cables, vibrations split the fuel tank seams, I should have let it burn! But it taught me so much about repair and maintainence, Lucas electrics, what tools were essential, reading the road and traffic (drum brakes were "interesting") I moved on over the years via BSA then Honda, Yamaha and Kawasaki but most of them were just transport and somehow soul less. Now retired I want to return to two wheels, the car is just too expensive to run, A small capacity bike that can cope with steep hills, deal with potholed ruts, lights that make night riding possible rather than dangerous, that is my goal. There are so many to choose from. 250 to 500, (no I don't want recommendations as that spoils the fun of me browsing and selecting). So thank you for the reminder of long lost days of youth and the crystalisation of why it is such a good idea.
Agree whole heartedly. I love my FZ6 (I know it only has a measly 96hp), but find myself going for my 12hp Spade 150cc 80% of the time. The Spade was a purchase to ride while doing some major maintenance on the FZ6 since motorcycles are my primary transportation. It was also to use until I figured out what I really wanted in my next long term bike. I've learned how much more joy I get out of the smaller bike most of the time. through town (obeying the laws) on a high powered bike is boring. On the smaller bikes it's much more fun. Even took it instead of my FZ on a 1200 mile tour in September and it was one of the best trip I've ever taken. I'm looking at many bikes in the 300 to 500cc range including the RE Classic 350, Husqvarna Svartpilen 401, KTM 390 ADV or possibly Himalayan. The Classic is in the lead though.
Terrific video, as usual, and hit the mark dead center. One thing though that you didn't mention about the advantages of going small is that a small displacement motorcycle will compel you to become a batter rider. I saw this illustrated most effectively by a rider who had taken his small displacement bike to a track day - I think it may have been a Kawasaki Ninja 250 - and made a video with a GoPro. Most if not all of the other bikes on the track with him were 650cc sport bikes. As he went around the track, over and over you saw the same thing: As he approached a corner he would overtake the other bikes due to maintaining his speed into the corner, by cornering more smoothly and aggressively, and by shifting into the proper gear. But then, once he'd passed the apex of the corner, the same "fast" bike would then accelerate past him. The riders on the bigger displacement and more powerful bikes were using their engines like rocket boosters. One could easily reach the conclusion that had the riders on the more powerful bikes simply used the full capability of their machines, as did the guy on the 250, that the small bike would have never gotten past them to begin with. I once read somewhere about small displacement motorcycles that the first 250cc was to haul the rider, and the rest was to haul his ego.
Totally agree with every word... I've been riding since 1967 and in that time have owned many many bikes from 50cc to 1200cc. Ridden thousands of miles touring Europe, and I have to say the most fun I've had was tours of Ireland & Scotland on a 125. I have recently traded a GS1200 for a new 650 Vstrom but next year will be definitely trading down to 350 or even smaller for all the reasons you mentioned.. alas my age will also define the size and weight of the bike !
Hi Stuart, i totally agree on every point of view, watching your videos with the RE Classic 500 were very inspiring for me, in the impossibility to get the one that i wanted and not being ready to pay for overpriced uses ones, i decided to test ride the new Classic 350. It took me a few days to think about it, well i ordered mine today! Cheers from Luxemburg!
As a Rider Coach for the MSF in the U.S. I spend a lot of time working with riders on 125-300 cc bikes. They don't let you hid bad technique and I often coach riders learn to ride a small bike well, it transfers to everything you ride. We are cut from a similar cloth, always look forward to a new video on your channel.
I agree with your thoughts but I take a slightly different approach, after two years ownership of the fabulous Interceptor 650 and a constant struggle to accomodate my 6' 1" 32" leg frame on the Interceptor footrest set up I decided to let it go and replaced it with a Triumph Tiger 850 Sport. The reason I chose this bike was its size and the fact that the engine has a lower BHP than it's 900 big brother which for me makes it easier to live with. I think your, right smaller capacity/lower BHP is the way forward.
You are bang on the money here, I'm of the same dimensions, I look silly on some small bikes and some big bikes, I went small engine with the crf300 rally, the tiger was considered but no local dealers, the size is right for me and I'm used to the reduced power now.
Thanks for that. I’ve been questioning myself on the rideability of a 350/400cc bike, but what you said has made a lot of sense. I really like the new Royal Enfield Classic 350, keen to see what you think if you do a review. Thanks for another great video.
Hi Stu, very insightful video, and unfortunately so true.....reference touring, I've had all sorts of machines, 100cc, 550cc, 650cc 750cc, 800cc, 1000cc, 1300cc over many years but in 2019 got a bullet classic RE, light to handle, fun to ride and as you describe, much more man and machine than the big machines, it may be an age thing!! but I just love to be enjoying the ride on A&B roads instead of the only memory of any ride being black tarmac blurr,
I much prefer to chug along & enjoy the ride than go stupid speeds whilst missing out on everything around you. Honest video which does get people thinking about what motorcycling is really about. 👊😎👍
I’ve been riding an Orcal Astor 125cc. It’s a Chinese bike that is also delivered in the UK as the AJS Tempest Roadster and I love it. Used to ride big capacities bikes, stopped for almost twenty years, but when my fiancee wanted to start riding, I bought two 125cc’s for the price of 1 Vespa 125 scooter. Lots of fun and the top speed is more than adequate for all roads in Belgium except the high speed motorway, but I really don.t want to ride at 120km/h with an 126 kg motorcycle. 70km/h or 90km/h is more than ok.
I used to be a man who only used accelerator or throttle as on/off switches and still have a 125H.P bike I bought it 21 years ago and it came with a chronometer. We used to crunch miles me and my mate back then thinking we were going quick checking the chronometer you were right average around 40ish M.P.H Even if we tried hard to go fast to increase that average 50 was just a dream and pushing it. I bought a second hand Chinese bike in 2016 (still have it) for push bike money it wasn't even three years old, just to commute 8 miles each way through hull city rush hour traffic . I thrashed the poor little bike on a daily basis down 2 or 3 miles of A63 and through the back streets particularly if running late. I did this for over a year of owner ship. never let me down and never broke. I filled the 10 liter tank once a month. After a year I bought a brand new A.J.S Cadwell and this was for the same job initially until the beginning of the cough 19 season when I was laid off , I then got a job in Beverly for a couple of months and had to do that from Hessle. After this I now do Scunthorpe almost every working day. 40 mile round trip for a tankish full of fuel. 2 weeks ago I bought my 3rd new Chinese bike a 310 this time and it's average fuel consumption isn't far off the 125 plus the Scunny run means free bridge tolls which pays for most of the fuel. In the time the Cadwell did it it must have saved enough to pay for that bike 35,000k.m.s that bike has done for me. The other thing I noticed was if people have to get past you because you are on a small bike when you get to traffic often you catch them up or pass them any way. don't dismiss the Chinese bike if you need cheap motorcycling. You do a great no nonsense job of looking into motor cycling.
You hit (at least) 2 things bang on. 1. Big bikes are becoming a liability. 2. We are being driven/herded towards a level of quality of life between Albania during the Soviet era & Mogadishu. So having cheaper fun is a good mitigation strategy. And you & i know that you have more pure fun at 50-60 mph on twisty minor roads than 100+ mph where the consequence of failure is severe. Keep doing what you do 👍🏻
I live in the US and both of my cars show average overall speed driven at 38 MPH on their computers. I have had both large CC bikes and small ones, the small ones are by far more fun, one of my best 1000-mile tours was on a CB360 twin. I am currently looking into the RE 350 Classic to add to my garage. Your commentary is spot on, the global conditions are faltering. We will see all those shortages, restrictions and regulations soon. Stay safe.
WELL, now that we're on the topic... (Serious fuel economy from necessity): I have a vivid memory of the gas crunch in the 70s... it made a big impression! Gas went from something like twenty five cents per gallon to a dollar, then there were shortages and rationing! AND we slowly forgot about hundred-octane gas.... (I didn't drive at the time). Vast busy highways became empty, especially in off-hours and weekends. SO, a friend of mine became an early adopter of MOPEDS which at the time were not popular... 50cc two strokes. He and his wife got one each, and put some baskets on them, and were able to go out for long rides on weekends, go camping. I think they had a gallon gas-can each, plus what was in the tank. It seemed fantastically eccentric at the time! His stories of driving down the major highways in the Miami area on these tiny vehicles... and being the only traffic...were so entertaining! Hadn't thought of this in a decade or so, 'till this video brought it to mind. Meanwhile I just saw a picture of an ancient Italian specialized racing bike of history, with a water-cooled engine that seemed so impossibly tiny! Like the size of your fist... but still clearly a motorcycle. Roughly the shape and size you would think, with skinny tires, and a LOT of open space in the frame! You could see right through it! Was it for Time-Trials? Not an off road thing, a real motorcycle. I thought "maybe THIS is what I really need!". You could just pick it up!
I’ve just picked up a meteor 350 to replace an 2009 ER6n that wasn’t reliable and was only getting me 38-40mpg on my commute. I love it, more fun and less stressful to ride, will do 70mph if I need to and according to other owners I should be able to get around 100mpg from it. I use it instead of having a second car to get to work, it means I skip the traffic and don’t have to pay for parking either
This is one of the many reasons I love your channel, you always have top notch information. I run the vehicle maintenance shops for a transportation agency here in Texas which is federally funded so the push towards electric vehicles is a very real looming shadow for me. The problem I have with it is simply there is no infrastructure in place to support a fleet of all electric vehicles. Its just another example of the typical "Cart before the horse" method employed in transit here and I'm sure its the same across the pond for you. Now in my opinion this obsession for larger capacity motorcycles all revolves around ego, or what I call "little man syndrome" or simply just trying to fit in with the crowd.. I've had the big cc HD bikes and spent more money then I care to admit on them, all so that they could collect dust because I did not enjoy riding them. Once I realized that any good times I ever had on two wheels happened on dirt bikes zipping around the country roads I grew up on, I shifted my focus to smaller capacity bikes. I sold the HD and ended up with a Speedmaster and there was no looking back. 1200 cc isn't terribly small, but it is lighter, more nimble and a joy to ride. However (and because of you, thanks) I started looking at the RE and purchased my second bike. My Interceptor, hands down, brings me the most joy when it comes to being on two wheels and puts my Speedmaster on the back burner most of the time.
I have gone full circle in my biking life from big fast bikes ,one of which I still own but is in todays world, pricing itself off the road ,back to a 1975 Cz 250 twin. 4 gears and just 16 bhp , I had one at 17 years of age . Its fun , quirky ,but so much fun and gives an immense amount of pleasure just bumbling along on a slightly weird machine . As you say Stuart, the modern bikes are "on demand" with very little effort needed to ride them . The CZ on the other hand, needs skill and involvement to get the best from it .
That was probably the best video I've seen in years,not to say that the others weren't good but I don't think that could have been said better,that final point is exactly how I feel when riding on my classic 500,so much so I'm seriously considering swapping trading KTM gt in on an interceptor sunset strip 👌👌 I'm actually going to watch it all again
The touring on Low capacity bikes is a point I argue a lot. I rode my RE classic 500 from perth western Australia, to Tasmania and back. 10k km round trip. The enfields did very well and even in the worst kind of weather. I had a Kawasaki w800 and I had to sell one of my bikes. The Kawasaki fell short as it was not as enjoyable as the Royal enfield. I also went from a Ktm exc300, to a Honda xr400r. And now looking for a old Suzuki ts185er. As it’s so much fun fighting your way up hills than just twisting the throttle
"the absence of sterile ease makes it better" - that sums it up right there. The focus on over-engineering everything to the n'th degree has come to it's fruition the time for huge bikes is over. You can see this reflected in some of the Japanese brands now dropping bigger capacities and expanding on the smaller capacity bikes. You can only push horsepower and torque figures so much until the bike just becomes the same as a car, it does everything while you're along for the ride. Great video, very Buddhist ideas following the middle way, not too much not too little, the middle path. In the 80's I did a trip across Australia from West to East and back on an 1100 Yamaha. I saw a Japanese guy at a fuel station on a 125 two stroke road trail bike, loaded up to the hilt crossing the Nullabor plain, I couldn't believe my eyes, but he thought nothing of it, touring bikes in Japan are rarely big cc's. It's only really in the West where we've become fixated on huge engines.
Brill vid for people who are contemplating changing to a smaller cc bike 👍 I bought a new 2018 BMW R1200GS 'Rallye' , but got bored with it very soon, I sold it back to the dealer 3 yrs later with 1350 miles on..(I was using my Burgman 400 as my daily rider/commuter as it was more fun to ride) with the money I bought the wife her first ever new motorcycle a '21' Suzuki SV650 as a surprise, to see the happy tears in her eyes made my biking life when she said "whats that?" i said "yours" and threw her the keys (she had to ride mine for 30 yrs) and my self a new '21' RE Himalayan, I have put double the mileage of the BMW on the Himmy in 10 months and love it! I get excited every time I put the key in the ignition, every ride is a pleasure and time just isnt an issue anymore..I will get there when i get there with a smile on my face..I Picked up a '22' Interceptor on the first of March and even running it in is pure motorcycling utopia..what an excellent bike to experience..both RE's are my lifetime keepers 😍, when i go camping/touring then the Himalayan will still be my first choice to take..
Good points, well made as always. I would happily be riding a small capacity bike now if only they were available in a larger frame. As I have said many times before, Enfield would be on to a winner if they did that for the 500's and 350's for the western markets. Much as I love my NC750X, I can still see a 350 Classic in my future. This future would be much closer if only my 3 nearest Enfield dealers were not all 250 miles away. Given the state of the economy, hopefully the tyre industry will start producing sensible road tyre that last longer. (whisper it, but tyres do not have to be anywhere near as wide or as soft as they currently are...)
YES! I wish SOMEONE would think of this! EVERYONE seems to be competing to have lower and lower seat-height. I want something that's a little bigger all around, but still light, simple, maintainable! As a cranky old retired engineer I can almost imagine some bike in vast production could come in a small or large frame!!! It wouldn't be such a vast change to the production setup I think.
These are the reasons I actualy bought a Royal Enfield Classic 500 ( my 16.th bike in 50 years) three years ago, coming from a powerful four cylinders. And I love the Classic easyness of use , economy and joy of each ride. And above all I feel safer and relaxed in traffic.Travelling 400/500km a day is equaly enjoyable as in a big bike. It's only a question of getting in the right state of mind.
I now have a 125 purely due to funds and it does ridiculously high miles per gallon and still is enjoyable and as an added bonus is very light to manoeuvre into the garage etc.
👍👍👍 .. good comment .. thanks. I've always enjoyed medium-range bikes more than the larger capacity machines .. my first purchase back in the early 70's a Suzuki 250cc twin and the largest ever, a Kawasaki GPZ 550. As one gets older, this mind-set becomes more attractive. Here in Switzerland, the speed limit on the secondary roads is generally 50 mph, Autobahns 56/70 mph with the Swiss Authorities having not much of a sense of humour regarding speedsters. Anyway, anything more than 100 kph, for me, especially over long distances (the majority of my motorcycling having taken place in South Africa) I found to be tiring .. not worth the effort. Now, after 70 Summers, 80 kph on the Secondary Roads suits me just fine. Switzerland has a well established road network where one can avoid using Autobahns .. the alternatives being more interesting, scenic and relaxing. Your non-rant on the powers-that-be, oil, carbon-neutrality insanity, globalism, etc, etc .. spot on! Take care .. be safe out there .. Tommy
I'm 63, had more than 50 bikes over the years, mostly trail bikes with about 10 big bikes. I've downsized to the re 350 and love it. It's brilliant on rural nz roads.
At the age of 85 I recently changed from heavy 4 cylinder bikes to my new Yamaha MT03 & loving every minute of it 😃 At 168 kg, 100 + MPG & plenty fast enough to keep up with modern traffic, what's not to like. As far as I'm concerned, the saying "you can have more fun on a smaller bike" is true. I think a lot of bikers miss out because they see a smaller capacity machines as "not macho" Many years ago, 500 cc was seen as quite a big bike, 250 & 350 cc being more common. How things have changed over the years 🤔
I did similar and just love my mt 03. It’s great fun to ride and is a very underrated bike. Fast enough, certainly, the engines straight out of the R3 which has it’s own racing series. I’ve seen mt 03’s keep up with much larger bikes, and even overtake them on track days. I regularly see 93 mpg on mine but have never 100 yet, perhaps I’m having too much fun.
So much unnecessary chatter my friend. Are you talking about everything or just motorcycles, because many things you’re saying are plainly bs.
Well done you! But I'm a little disappointed Yamaha can't bring the weight down even more - my Street Triple with Arrow titanium can and tail tidy doesn't weigh much more.
I agree with every thing you say you can enjoy a smaller capacity bike just as much as a big bike , I love the royal Enfield 500 single , sounds fantastic but it’s everyone to there own choice.
And here I was worrying that at age 72 I am too old to ride a motorcycle. :)
Absolutely bang on the money. I have been biking for almost 38 years and at last count I embarrassingly realised I've had 19 motorcycles in those years. In November I spent 5000 euros ( I live in Italy) on a Royal Enfield Himalayan. Probably the lowest capacity bike I've had for over 25 years. Without doubt it is the best bike I have owned! Why, well it requires me to engage with it, to consider every action and as a result it totally rewarding. I find I am riding far better, using the correct gear on almost every occasion and simply enjoying my biking more than I ever had.
Touring on a low capacity bike? Absolutely! For me it’s about setting your expectations to simply enjoy the journey, the sights, the scenery and the people. My first ever tour was over a thousand miles around the north of Scotland, on my own with all my camping gear at the age of 64, on L plates, riding a 125 Honda Varadero. This year I’m 69 and will be camping around the Highlands again. This time on my trusty 500cc 2004 Royal Enfield Bullet 65. Pre unit engine, with a proper carburettor, contact breaker ignition and a twin leading shoe drum brake at the front. Magic.
Hi Simon, its been a year. Tell us more; please, the highlights at least
That's an eye opener for all us Motorcycle lovers. Here in India, small capacity Motorcycles are actually one of the four pillars.
I agree Denzel, but I don’t think of “all of us motorcycle”.
Is perfectly understandable why in India small capacity is a pillar, but is a different market.
I’m not saying better or not, only different
Denzel, I envy you. At least you still have a degree of personal freedom in India.
@@monkeyoutside6802 yes the markets in western countries are very different. It's more about hobby and partly a purpose owning a Motorcycles in West. Where as in South East Asia motorcycles are hugely about mode of transport. But if we consider petroleum market and policies around the globe, it's so interconnected, and we do see the effects here too. Just like the recent price hike. Also all our new Motorcycles have become Fuel Injected, making them 20 to 30 percent more expensive.
@@denzel9518 I agree, but I still not get the point :)
A motorcycle is often a luxury “object”, an expensive toy that shouldn't be counted in these matters.
I have nothing against small capacity motorcycles, I had plenty of them and my triumph is 650cc…so :)
The point is discerning between a client commute/working vehicle and a leisure one.
If we’re talking about work..well, use an electric scooter is the be best choice.
But if we’re talking about leisure…well everything is disputable and in the end costs aren’t so decisive.
Beside, cc isn’t only speed…
Of course if you’re fan of Royal Enfield, small is better, I’m only saying that this isn’t an eye opener, but a nice thought of someone with a passion for REnfield.
Living in a 3rd world country like colombia has teach me about the importance of small bikes and how fun can they be, is actually much more fun to ride a small bike fast than a big bike slow, much safer and cheaper.
either way for us in this country, a motorcycle is more than a toy or a hobby, it's your daily transportation, it's the way yopo travel and go places, and in the current world, at least in my country, a small bike it's the way to go. Of this i'm a sinner myself as I have a Continental 650 but again it's not that powerful, it's powerful enough I believe.
it's great to watch your videos stu, thanks for the upload
The same is true in India. 150, 160 and 200cc bikes are very popular here. 20 years ago the competition was between 100cc motorbikes. Bajaj changed that in 2001 with the introduction of the 150cc Pulsar. Introducing the NS200 in 2012, they again changed the market situation. Currently 100 to 1000cc motorcycles are available in India. But 150 to 200cc motorcycles are the most popular. Very few people here consider the motorcycle as a toy. For most of us, motorcycles are our daily means of transportation.
As always Stu, you have hit the nail on the head. This actually holds true for most vehicles on the road. We talk about climate change yet 90% of vehicle usage is ego masterbation. The press is right behind this.
You only have to look at the world travels of the likes of Stef Javons and Itchy Boots on 250 - 300s
A couple doing the Argentina to Alaska trip, him on a Africa Twin, her on a 250. One of the things that came up in conversation was how jealous he was of the 250 and sick he was with all the extra weight of the Africa Twin.
At 65 I have down sized to a 250. It's riding envelope exceeds mine and I am too beat up to be pushing bigger bikes around. Must say the RE Meteor is very appealing.
Keep them come. Thanks.
Tim, as a 60 year old who owns a Meteor, I get it. YOU'LL LOVE IT! Though it's the smallest, proper motorcycle I've owned, it's one of the best I've ever owned. I downsized for similar reasons, plus those that Stu mentioned, such as running cost, doing my own maintenance, etc.
Some of the best fun I ever had on bikes was when I was only 17 (many many moons ago...) I had a Honda C90 and my mate had a C70 (he was a bit lighter than me which we agreed sort of evened things out cc-wise..) We both worked for the same firm and on Fridays we finished early at 3pm so if it was dry weather we'd race to the Barber's in the next village about 7 or 8 miles away for a haircut - We called this important event in the road-racing calendar 'The Haircut TT' or 'The Haircut 100' (I think that was a play on 'The Southern 100' road race in Northern Ireland and a pop band at the time of the same name..) It was a two lapper - one lap there, one lap back - and I shouldn't think we ever exceeded 45mph but it was always a close run thing, faster on the return lap of course due to the twin weight reductions of less fuel and less hair !!.. It all ended when my opponent decided he wanted a Triumph, but unfortunately it was a Toledo, not a Bonneville..
Note to Stuart...Apologies for the above, I know you were a Copper and racing on the Queen's Highway is illegal of course but in my defence the rural 'B' roads were pretty much deserted back then, we never ventured off our own side of the road and definitely never broke the speed limit, in fact unless you actually KNEW what we were up to you would probably have never noticed, although our 'racing crouch' might have been a bit of a giveaway !..
@@jjrider6758 Happy days, great to hear.
Thanks Stu. Having just passed my full license, the RE350 Classic is top of my shopping list 😁
Buy it with alloy wheels it seems to be awsome
@@hakshayak2044 ooh, wire wheels on the classic for me...alloys on the meteor though, if I get one of those as well 😁
Excellent choice, good luck with it.
Loved this, it made me smile, at myself of course. Recently struck down by two crippling strokes, but mobile again with a three wheeled licence free mobility scooter I am experiencing all sides of road-craft up to 15mph of course and it’s great. I will be touring around the Norfolk lanes this summer. Give me a wave if you see me. My 1950 350 Bullet is long gone. Just fond memories. Like my Fathers 1300 cc V twin three gears, gear lever o the tank, fishtail silencer a real rumbeler.
I'm sticking with my 1000cc but will be buying another. maybe a Royal Enfield. lifes too short.. have fun and spend what you can afford.... 🙏
I am compromising and sticking with my 500 RE Pegasus 🤡🇬🇧 PS: it does 85 to the gallon, it’s FI, and catalytic converted. This should have really pleased the snowflakes, but sadly not. Apparently.
That is, until you're sick.
I've got a 650cc but I've also got a small 125cc for pottering around and the 125 is ulez aswell where the 650 isn't
I watch this as I wait for my Meteor 350 to arrive to my local dealer, which I'll be part exchanging for my current bike, a Bonneville T120. It's a really significant bike downsize, but after I did a test drive on the Meteor I realised that I spend the vast majority of my time riding in B roads, where I don't get anywhere near using the full power of a 1200cc engine. As someone said, it's more fun to ride a slow bike fast than to ride a fast bike slow. I also found that I had to choose gears much more carefully with the Meteor, in order to get the most out of it in different situations, which actually made riding a lot more engaging, fun and technical.
Totally agree. Takes me back to when I had my first bike in my late teens. I couldn’t afford a powerful bike, but I remember riding being so much more fun then. It was all about getting the most of the small amount of power on offer.
Excellent video Stuart. Covered a lot, that I've experienced since 'downsizing' from an 1100 to a 300. I'm convinced, that a lot of people don't realise (yet, and then it'll be too late), how life, as we know it, will be changing over the next few years and by 2030, whether this be restrictions to our use of private transport an our general standards of living. The subtle introductions and manipulations, leading towards 'their' ideological "Great Reset", are becoming more noticeable by the day.
Yep! really had to bite my tongue on this one!
Biting my tongue, indeed. I keep having to discard my comment drafts.
Tomorrow I am riding my 1976 Ducati 900NCR for a ride with some mates. She is a beast to ride, uncomfortable, noisy, antisocial cafe racer but at fairly legal speed she does 60 mpg on super unleaded. You gotta ride em before you are too old to kick em up. Go for it sensible bikers!
Yet "They" will always have access to all they would deny us. World Revolution against the elites and the woke brainwashed is the only answer, the only way the Western native peoples and our civilization will survive.
I've a friend who had a 1000cc Yamaha tourer. I told him he didn't need a bike that powerful and he poo poo'd me.
Then he dropped it in the woods, was stuck under it for more than an hour. Then, later, he hit a barrier and broke his leg, arm and shoulder.
He's got a smaller bike now.
Hello Stuart, very thoughtful vid as usual. Personally I moved over the last 10 years from high powered sports bike, briefly to adv bike and now to Guzzi V7, so 150bhp pls down to 52bhp. What’s interest to me is that I ride the V7 much more than the other more powerful bikes I had in the past, just because it’s more relaxed, spend less time donning a power ranger leather suit and am quite happy popping down to the coast for a coffee even though it’s only 8 miles away as I can wear, still protective gear, but actually walk around comfortably at my destination . I also commute 70m round trip to the office a couple of days a week through the new forest to Southampton, on the country roads with mostly a max speed limit of 40mph and it’s great as I have time to appreciate my surroundings, dodge the ponies, occasional pig or chicken and clear my head of any stress that I am dealing with. Even though my V7 is larger than the capacities you mention it still returns 65-70 mpg which is not too bad (and more on a run if careful with the throttle). Keep up the good work and thanks for posting…
Because of a fluctuating weight problem I gave up on all the fancy road gear.(.Power Ranger).. I now buy off road type protection ie: elbow and knee protectors, that strap on under my jeans and jacket, there are a few companies that make some very good comfy under garment gear..
I've had select V7s on my mind for years now. It's on my list. I've yet to even ride one of the contemporary MGs.
I had a Honda transalp700 fora bit The most boring bike I’ve owned, it was totally functional, you couldn’t fault it on any point but I couldn’t find anything I actually liked about it. But it did what it said on the tin, but I got rid because, no matter how I rode it , I couldn’t get better than 45 mpg. The point being, my spada 1000 used to regularly do 50 plus, on all sorts of riding. And about twice as fast as the Honda. Enjoy your V7.
I’ve been riding for 42 years and it wasn’t till 5 years ago that I bought a bike bigger than 650cc
I currently own three bikes. A 125, a 650 and a 1000cc Honda
The 1000cc is not 8 times the fun of the 125 , but on the Canadian highway, there is a comfort factor on the bigger bike on long journeys.
When I go back to the UK, my clapped out CB500 is ideal for the roads I like to ride on(previous to this I had a 650 Yamaha).
There is a perception in N America that bigger bikes are safer, but I don’t see that in accidents. Often it’s low time riders on bikes they just can’t handle.
In summary, for most riders , for most of the riding that they do, smaller bikes are actually a better “fit”
I'm tired of taking five minutes to put on boots, pants, jacket helmet etc to go a mile to the grocery. I'm thinking of an electric bicycle but I love the current crop of 300cc to 500cc bikes.
Nahthen from Lincoln Stu! Having recently passed my A licence I went out and bought my dream bike, a Triumph Bobber 2017 reg. But before that, as I have mentioned a few times in your comments section I had a Chinese manufacturered UM Renegade Commando 125. I will have nothing bad said about that bike - cheap as chips, sipped fuel, and its liquid cooled engine took me touring all over the country on L plates. I'm loving my Triumph, all 1200cc's of it but in many ways I really miss my old 125. Let me attest to all your viewers who might read this comment, what you say about the joys of riding lower powered bikes is true. When eventually I feel I'm getting a little long in the tooth for heavier big engined bikes, rather than just give up I plan to move down in power and weight, and CARRY ON!!! It was one of your videos that inspired me to tour on a 125cc - therefore enabling me to do that on L plates, and therefore getting me hooked on biking propper, so thanks for another great - inspiring - video! 👍
I grew up on American Military Bases all over the world and learned first hand that a big cc motorcycle was a luxury. I graduated high school, in the USA, riding a 150cc Lambretta everyday. Having owned many large cc machines over my lifetime, I still fondly remember those carefree years on that Lambretta and have found myself yearning for one of the 300 to 400 cc Japanese Scooters in the US Market to ride as I am quickly approaching my 71st birthday.
I am 2 feet taller and a bit heaver than I was back then.
In my Stable I have a 1200cc Yamaha Tenere, a 900cc Ducati Elefant, a KLR 650 and several 70's model Honda 125's in pieces. I live in Texas now, so having a scooter with smaller cc's would be suicidal. (Sub 50 mph)
But I agree, the need for speed is relative. I'm sure I could live quite happly on a smaller cc scooter where I live and would love to be able to brag about trying to get 100 MPG's out of it.
Sadly I think the Worlds Governments are going to cram electric short range motorcycles down our throats, whether we want them or not. And it's too bad that here in America we have forgotten that our Politicians are supposed to be working for us and have no Royality Status to dictate anything we don't want.
Some words of wisdom at the end about the art of riding a low-powered machine and the satisfaction to be had from it. The love of my motorcycling life was an old Triumph 3TA (still in existence somewhere), not quick, not powerful but handling beautifully and so comfortable. A machine with character and lovely bottom-end torque. She had an inexplicable affection to one particular road junction. Every time, the engine would stop and ignore any attempts to restart until we had sat there for a few minutes. The journey could then continue as if nothing had happened. Such a pleasure to ride!
I miss the comfort the 70s and 80s bikes had . thats why i ride a scooter now at 61 Two spinal fusions🥵
I so agree, Stuart, and the last point, that gradual friendship that builds almost into love between a rider and his relatively low powered small to medium capacity machine is what first hooked me into motorcycling.
From the early 1960s I had 250 to 350 cc machines, don't think I ever got above 500, almost always 4 strokes, always kept them for ages; they were companions. I may be a sad old loner but I never wanted to ride in a group, only attended shows etc by myself; looked for any good reason to sort of saddle up ride off. Perhaps it's similar to having a horse or pony; they needed looking after, understanding, attention and a degree and skill and dedication.
The rewards were somehow around the getting the best for and from my machines, the best for them and the best for me.
You get out most the more you put in.
Yes, later I did have bigger bikes; but, even with these, I still wanted torque more than bhp, preferring long stroke singles and V twins. The only real exception were things like the Triumph triples, which could still be ridden with finesse rather than razzed!
I still ride, I still like to go off , alone, and explore byways and countryside, and I still find huge solace and satisfaction fettling, fixing and riding my bikes. I know that they are inanimate but looking after them looks after me too. ;-)
100% agree.
I’m with you completely Stu. I’ve got three big bikes that I’ve picked up over the years (ST1100 / Bonneville / America) which I will keep and cherish. But I won’t be spending more money on big CC machinery.
This time last year I went and bought a Honda C125 Super Cub and haven’t looked back. The sheer happiness of back to basics inexpensive biking is unparalleled, turning days out into full on adventures. And given the direction that the world is heading it just makes more and more sense.
Yet another great video, raising an extremely valid point. Since passing my test in the 70's, my bikes became larger, more powerful, and with a multitude of electronic rider aids. I've now, however, bought a RE Himalayan and the fun factor has returned. Not that I didn't have fun on the larger capacity bikes, but I can now return to doing my own maintenance without needing a laptop, and riding a bike to near it's limits is much more practical than riding a massively powerful machine to a quarter of its ability. Pushing yourself to take a large, powerful machine too far, and, one day, your talent will run out. The 250 I passed my test on had more power than my current 24bhp Himalayan, has made me appreciate weather conditions, road surfaces, and braking distances again and I love it! Back to basics, low power, low capacity fun.
It was a tough decision for me to decide on a 125cc commuter, but I did it and I don't regret it
which one did you get?
@@arjunarun3033 Pulsar 125 BS6, it's more than enough to have some fun rides on weekends considering Indian road conditions 😂
My tu250x became the bike of choice after adding a custom carrier for my shepherd. Being lower, it's perfect. I've also got an Interceptor and a himmi which are getting ridden less often. As soon as the garage door goes up she's sitting on the TU. I've created a monster. lol
Fascinating video, thank you. You have absolutely nailed the difference in satisfaction between large, powerful machines and the smaller ones. I passed my motorcycle test in 1966, and always felt that I wanted more performance than was offered by the bikes I rode. After a break of 15 years (wife and kids) I bought a 750 VFR, thinking that finally, I would have my dream bike. Loads of torque, 150mph capability, just what I’d always wanted. In reality, I found it so boring, that it put me off motorcycling for years. Press the starter, twist the throttle, and then just sit there. The bike did everything without my having to work with it. I realised that what I had was a high performance two wheeled car. I’ve recently taken up motorcycling again, and am buying a 1927 350cc OHC Velocette. It weighs only 100kg, and has a top speed of around 75mph. A tuned version of this machine won the Junior TT in 1926, 1928 and 1929. These bikes are renowned for their excellent steering and handling. Three speed gearbox, kickstart, manual valve lifter, manual ignition advance/retard, manual choke, you actually have to work with the bike to get the most out of it, but it’s very light, smooth, nimble, quick enough, and fun and involving to ride. Cheap insurance, no tax or MOT, and about 80mpg. Perfect for any kind of road except motorways, for which I’ll take the car.
Hi Stu, must admit I have had over 15 motorcycles many over 1000cc and I must admit the most fun have been on the 250, 350 &600 cc ones .I think things are changing back to motorcycles like they were in the 60s more riding skill and enjoy 😊
Totally agree. My last bike was 1000cc and I never enjoyed riding it. I want a bike I can pick up without busting a gut, and handles well in the twisties. A few years ago I told a motorcycle journalist that the future of biking was inexpensive middleweights, and he completely disagreed.
Same here Tony, I absolutely love my Bullet efi 500 scrambler ,it is a joy to ride .
@@borderlands6606 Absolutely, I'm settled on my Striple 675, its quick enough for me and is incredible nibble on twisty roads. You can be a Hooligan or 'Go For a Ride'...it never disappoints. I'm considering a Enfield 350 for a pure 'Go for a Ride' bike...
62k miles on my Honda GL500. Love it.
Couldn't agree more, I gave up large capacity bikes six years ago, the last one being an XJR1300, I got fed up of the weight and forty odd miles to the gallon after owning it for seven years, since then I won't entertain anything that won't do at least sixty to the gallon, which my Interceptor and my six fifty Vstrom easily do, and regularly more than seventy to the gallon, and my wife's Hanway 125 scrambler does a hundred and five to the gallon!
As for touring capabilities we've done countless trips on the Vstrom two up and fully loaded, absolutely no problem,
As for tear arsing around all over the place ,can't be bothered, I just relax and enjoy the ride , particularly on my Interceptor and will be doing a lot of touring on it also this year.
For myself smaller capacity bikes are the future.
When I was 17 years old, back in the mid 1970's just after I'd passed my motorcycle test I rode from Manchester to Dover and got on a ferry. I then rode through Belgium, France, did a bit of Germany and ended up in Switzerland. I think I also crossed over into Italy, just to say I'd been there. About 3000 miles in 2 weeks, all on a Suzuki A100 single cylinder two stroke! Didn't even have any proper waterproofs and got soaked plenty of times. Loved every minute of it though!
This is one reason many/most of us like the "classic" bikes...we like "classic" and low-tech things that are meaningful, satisfying, and compatible with us humans. The technocracy of "no gas" "no speeding" "no private vehicles" "no mods" and "we're tracking you" is a dystopian nightmare. Thank you very much I can chose my own fuel, set my own speed, plot my own route, apply my own brakes, and decide where/when/how to ride. Never give up freedom.
I'm one payment away from owning a RE C500. I've never been more excited. I am a first time rider with no prior experience.
Uh huh.tend to agree with you all the way through. As an aside, similar comments can be made for cars! Frankly, the most bored and frustrated I’ve been driving a car is when it’s large capacity high speed model trying to keep within road conditions!
In my sixties I’m now seriously contemplating taking to biking to retain my personal travel independence at manageable cast!
Years ago, after the usual break from being a sixties biker... to a car driver....I bought a C90 step through Honda. the thinking at the time was economy...However, it rekindled the 'Rocker' in me. I swopped it for an XS 250... big mistake... then after drooling over a Moto Guzzi 850 Le Mans...I exchanged the Yamaha for the Italian Stallion! I gradually moved to an increasing engine capacity...BMW R100RS. Now, years later I reversed that trend, having now settled on a 675 Striple.... I'm thinking of going Enfield 350 for that ''Go for a Ride''..concept. having satisfied my desire to be a Hooligan.. will keep the 675 just in case! .... Greeting from España
Spot on my friend. I also ride a Triumph street triple 675. I love it with a passion. It is the most capable motorcycle I have ever owned. That says it asks alot from the rider. You are on it all the time. Sometimes I'm in the mood for that and at other times I prefer a relaxed pace. That's why I'm thinking of getting the scram 411. Two bikes for two very different reasons. If your going to own two bikes make sure they are chalk and cheese.
hey uncle stuart, greetings from India, i drive a 250cc bike, it does everything what i expect from it, i also emphasise on enjoying journey rather then reaching from point a to point b as fast as you can.
Stuart, my neighbor recommended your channel to me (cheers from the US). I really appreciate your insight around the 6/7 minute mark. I was wracking my brain over this - do I spend everything I have to get a freeway-suitable bike to feel comfortable? Or do I save money to get a bike that will make freeway riding possible (but very uncomfortable)?
The one thing that was bothering me was the future. You are absolutely correct... it’s extremely important to have money in the bank. A reserve. Because even if our currency loses value or the next few years are crippling - stores will always accept cash for basic necessities. And what do people do when they have no money during tough times? They sell their assets for fractions of what they paid. It could be a double whammy.
So thank you for confirming some things for me and mentioning that “any size motorcycle can be used for touring”. I decided I want a motorbike that is in my budget and the savings will stay in the safety net.
When the world recovers (fingers crossed) years later, can always come back to the table and reconsider.
Back when I started riding in the 70's my road bike was a Honda CB 360T and it took me everywhere.
Well conveyed. I'm asked "When are you going 'bigger'?" It's an expectation in the states that you'll ultimately end up on a V twin, especially at my age-- 63. "You know you're going to outgrow that 650.'' When I say say, "If I get another it'll be smaller." The reaction is almost always puzzlement and a shake of the head.
So true! I've had a gaggle of small 125s since the 1990's and overlooked my full licence until my later years (family commitments etc.) I find myself on an awkward, ugly to some, but characterful 250cc vtwin after chasing the tail of the dragon for a few years and realising that to have fun puts life, limb and livelihood at great risk. I've been luckier than many in that my bumps were had on smaller capacity machines and I'm very glad I waited until mature enough to undertake the full bike bike journey. I have my little Hyosung Aguila 250 fully kitted for touring and love taking in the countryside at usually less than 50mph and >80mpg 😁
I just bought a Royal Enfield Meteor 350 as my first bike, I'm 51, I want to ride casually without a need to blow anyone's doors off or pop wheelies. My main goal is a relaxing ride, great MPG and not dying
It's something that comes to most of us when we have been riding bikes for years, Stuart. I've ridden them all since I was 16. Glad I got those superbikes out of my system. They are for the most part a vanity project. I am now 58 and my greatest pleasure is riding my Vespa GTS. The most fun, easy-going, enjoyable, and endearing two-wheeler that I have ever had the joy to own.
Im 61 and ride a 155cc yamaha smax going on 2.5 years and ive probably be thru as many as you have😁
Again, Uncle Stu, you have hit the proverbial nail on its head. Like the fuel crisis of the early 70’s, smaller engines and vehicular size may start to influence and sway Joe Public’s attitude and financial resources out there. This is almost at our door step and getting ready to knock.
Great video as always!… Stay safe my friend.
Best thing I ever did was dropping down to a 250 and a Himalayan. Because on a fast bike, you're focussed on power and the rush and the risk. Now I'm focused on the bike, the ride and the world I'm traveling though...
On moving to Brittany I bought a Honda Shadow 125. I can ride that on a car licence and no learner plates needed. Taking the French test would be an expensive nightmare.
I went for a run with an English friend who has a Honda 750 sports bike. We didn't hang about but stuck to limits on twisting country roads. My friend said it was one of the best rides....he wasn't bent over the tank with a narrow focus on the road ahead. He saw the countryside, smelt the flowers and the farms making cider.
I started riding with a 500 cc Enfeild, then got a 1200 cc triumph thunderbird storm onto a ducati 12000 cc MS enduro 160 bhp . Sold that got a GS rallye then I got my self a hypermotard followed by a himalyan Enfield , now the GS and Himayan remain . I rode the latest Enfield classic 350 about 2 weeks ago and I must say this ….. the classic 350 has been one of the most fun to ride bikes of all of them .
Thanks for the thoughtful chat about small capacity bikes. My first bike was a second hand Honda CD175 on which I did 30,000 miles including a camping trip to the Isle of Man TT in 1975 and trips to the Lake District and Devon and many trips from home (near Peterborough) to Leeds (University) and back. I have to say that it would have been nice to go a little faster on the motorways but it was more than adequate for most other roads. It was simple enough that I did all my own servicing/repairs apart from the replacement of the rear mudguard demolished by a tailgating Audi with lousy brakes.
Thank you for sharing your insight Stuart. I remember going to the 1979 TT, with a group of friends, on my Honda CB200, but the more surprising thing was that we ended up giving shelter and sharing our supplies with a young German lad, who had ridden from East Berlin on a Yamaha DT175.
Agreed.. Iv a collection of bikes from 50cc to 1400cc. As a former Irish road race champion iv had my fill of going round in circles at 4 million mph hence my latest purchase, a Royal Enfield Meteor....
Life in the slow lane rocks🤣🤣.
Bought an MT03 in 2020 as a run around while my project bike was in bits (it still is) found I was using the MT every day, so much so I got rid of the car, wife still has a car I can use if I need to carry a bit more in one go, having a blast. Great advice from Uncle Stu as ever. Love the fuel economy it easily get to motorway speeds if needed, although I tend to avoid traffic is a doddle in a smaller bike.
I did similar, the MT 03 is a brilliant little bike and very underrated. It certainly has got the speed but it gets a bit windy on the motorway. Ridden carefully, I’ve managed to obtain 93 mpg. (Uk gallons).
Great advice. I will say that I get 60+ MPG (as you did) on my Triumph Speed Twin and my Ducati SuperSport, and to be honest... that's plenty good enough, and rivals (or exceeds) the MPG of most modern hybrid cars. As I commute on my rides year-round outside of snow and ice, economy was something that I considered, but a lot of the smaller-displacement motorcycles lack some of the items I wanted, like better braking systems and the like. I hear Triumph is coming out with an old-fashioned single, as an aside; feeling challenged by the RE 350, no doubt!
To hold up the point of the ability for touring - my first "motorcycle" tour was me going all around germany in 6 days on a 50cc simson moped, it will still do its advertised 60kph even fully loaded up. Had the time of my life. Yes its slow, and mountain roads are terribly slow. But it works.
Your videos are perfect lessons about motocycling and gepolitics! The simple man's voice always speaks the truth!
I bought a Monkey bike a couple of weeks ago, and it's the best thing I've ever bought! Perfect for the welsh country lanes and brings smiles and curiosity wherever I go. Parked next to some Harleys and Ducattis in town yesterday, and when I got back to the car park guess which bike had a crowd of people round it?!
When I'm doing 40 round the lanes I feel like Guy Martin in the TT. It's become my go to bike now as I can just wheel it out of the shed jump on and go.
Love this video. Right on. Back in Belgium in the 70s I used to ride and restore British bikes (Triumph, Norton, AJS, Vellcettr...). Got back riding motorcycles about 4 years ago and just bought an Interceptor (well INT650 here in the US) and absolutely love it. This bike was made for me! I think you really explain what this bike is all about.
Stuart, an excellent "article" as always confirming and articulating, in a better way than I, what I've been thinking. Thank you
Your take on current events is spot on
Your B.S. Meter is very well tuned.
Best Wishes ! M.H.
Nice one, I did have an SV1000s 8 years ago big mistake it was heavy, a gas gussler, no soul round normal roads, stalled. It got tail ended so was written off, ended up buying an SV650s 02 plate carbs what a game changer more fun on A roads, lighter, fuel efficient, cheaper insurance, and you interact with the engine. You are spot on thanks
Agree with much of that. The most enjoyment I've had from a motorbike was riding around north Wales on a 175cc Honda during the seventies when petrol prices went stupid. So good was it that I'm still into bikes and have five road legal ones in the garage ranging from 125 to 1200cc (four of which work). Motorcycling is still a very cost effective way of getting around.
I have never agreed so much with everything you have said Stuart what a great vlog one of my bikes is a new cb125f I love going on it you have more time to look around and observations on a small bike I also according to my my computer average 155 MPG it's a cracking little bike love being on it costs nothing to run or very little to maintain. thanking you again for the great common sense vlog loved it bill near Durham ❤️
ROSE COLOURED TESTICLES!?!? OH I see spectacles...spectacles. Great Video and great points. Makes me feel good about the Honda NAVI That I have on order. A full 8HP I believe. As a teenager I toured long distances (if I was lucky two up)on a Puch 125M with converted army surplus back packs for panniers. Keep up the great work.
I've come down to a versys 300 and I love it. Enough power to keep up with the traffic and very economical on fuel. It's fun to ride and more comfortable than the ninja I had before.
Hello Stuart, in Australia we are now paying around $2.20/litre for 91 octane unleaded, which is about £1.70. Semi trailer (articulated) trucks are limited to 100kph. Our maximum speed limit anywhere here is 110kph and we refer to motorways as feeways.
I have a 750 and 125. The Zuma scooter is my daily, year round commuter. It’s perfect for in town and 35-40 mile trips. TONS of fun, twist & go, no shifting in 25-35 MPH traffic. Very relaxing!
Evening Stu,
Time to chew some cud: I was raised on British bikes, my dad started his post-army career as a motorcycle policeman riding the newly introduced Velo LE Noddy bikes (there's an age giveaway) and got me into bikes from a very early age. The last BSA he owned was an M21 fitted with a Watsonian outfit to carry his young offsprings.
He was a friend of Johnny Brittain who, after retiring from his riding career, opened up a motorcycle shop in Bloxwich, on my dad's patch, and I spent a lot of childhood Saturdays in that shop.
Zoom forward in time, I get my first BSA road bike at 15, take my test in 71 and progress to a BSA B50SS, then onto various Jap bikes and cars (family man). After my older brother died, I purchased another B50SS in 2017 as a nod to the old days. I retired in 2018 and have had a few years feeling young again, exploring the Staffordshire and Shropshire countryside on the old thumper.
But I'm getting no younger, and that 500cc lump is getting harder to kick over.
I need something that thumps, vibrates and can be heard from a few hundred yards away. More importantly, I need an electric starter.
Would you, hand on heart, recommend the RE Classic 500? Or perhaps the new RE classic 350?
Been following your channel for a few years now and thoroughly enjoy your videos and your topics.
I just need convincing that RE can replace BSA in my garage.
What do you say?
G
In a heart beat!
Great video as always!! The RE 350 engine is a phantastic little powerplant with enough torque to be great fun. As far as the future legislation is concerned - the only crisis we have to worry about is the governement crisis we have in the western world. They all forgot who pays their salaries !
So true - I’ve ridden Vespa scooters for the last 20 years and some of my happiest memories are of touring around the UK on a 125cc with my fellow Vespa chums. I also have an Interceptor 650 at the moment, but am seriously considering swapping it for the new 350 Classic.
I’m a Husqvarna 401 Svartpilen rider. Fun is the name of the game but the light weight and simplicity are key factors that increase smiles and reduce spend. Would I tour on it? Part of me would love to because it would be a proper adventure… and those aren’t so easy to find these days!
Great content as usual. I am entering a change in my life. Marriage over and moving into a small apartment. In doing so I have to drive over 60 miles on California freeways back and forth. These trips are usually stressful but the last trip I decided to return at 65-70mph on cruise control. Believe me, that’s slow on our freeways where some people drive 80+mph. This last trip was a revelation. I was relaxed and serene for a change. Of course I still had to be alert as you should always be, but it was a more pleasant drive. On a smaller motorcycle it would definitely be do-able. I have ridden big cruisers and ADV bikes but never really used their potential. Cross country on a Harley was a great experience. A shorter distance in a day on a smaller, nimble bike could potentially be just as fun if not more. That’s my thoughts and one of the changes in my life will be a 350 Royal Enfield this year or next. Thanks for your videos. 😊
I absolutely love your comment Stuart about "harmonising" with a low powered motorbike - it's so poetic way to describe it. Absolutely love your channel. I wait for every new episode the way I used to wait for top of the Pops on a Thursday night when I was a teenager! Really loved seeing you pulling around Brighton a few weeks back. you went straight past my door!
Excellent video Stuart with plenty of food for thought.
Thinking back to the beginning of my motoring career, there was the best part of a decade when I only had a full license for two wheels. I did my fair share of summer touring, the main bikes being a Honda CD175 (17bhp), a tuned MZ 150 (15-ish), a Honda 400-4 (37bhp) and a T140 Triumph Bonneville (58-ish). The Triumph twin and the Honda 4 were great fun but consumed twice the fuel of the other two (45mpg vs 90mpg). I hate biking on motorways and you don't need buckets of power to enjoy biking on A-roads.
I don't favour one mode of personal transport over another but now in my 60s it *is* horses for courses. If I need to cover hundreds of motorway miles in a day (or if the weather is sub-zero) I'll take the car. For motoring pleasure (touring country roads), I'll take a motorcycle. If I'm going into the city (Nottingham hates motorists) and have nothing much to carry, I'll take the Brompton as folded it goes under the table in a pub or cafe. 😀
Thanks for another thought provoking video, I’ve been toying with the idea of getting a KTM 390 Duke as it seems to me you can have great fun for very little money. It’s also super light to move around and at age of 69 that’s a bonus.
Ridden one. Great fun bike.
Hi Stu, thank you for being so consistently and refreshingly honest, another great video, please keep them coming. I'm 62 and own a 1000cc sports bike, an 800cc adventure bike and an older air cooled Hinkley Bonneville, I find myself riding the wee bonnie more and more, as you say it's not about speed but about the enjoyment of riding, the sounds, smells and the feel.
Cheers Dave
Absolutely!! We should be encouraging more people onto bikes, and smaller, lower powered are surely the best way to do this. Yet on some forums, new riders are encouraged to get a big bike; "small bikes can be dangerous" "a big bike gets you out of trouble".
And I think it applies to cars as well - my current car is a 3 cylinder 999cc, producing 140BHP; On our crowded roads I'm not sure I need much more.
And then you get the fuel prices.......
Stuart's always very educational and enjoyable to watch. I too in the near future will be prepared for a small capacity bike in order to continue my two wheeled pleasure.
Stu, once again, you NAILED IT! I have a Meteor 350 now, and it has all the virtues of a small bike that you mentioned here. It sips gas, or petrol for you guys. It's easy to work on, so I can do much of my own work. It's cheap to insure; even with full coverage, generous medical, and so on, I only pay $440 a year. And, since I'm 60 and done with doing triple digits, what do I need a big bike for?
Good video Stu. I’m coming to the same conclusions about bike size. I got rid of a Triumph Trophy as it was too big and heavy. I still have a Honda Blackbird and an old 650cc Matchless sporting 35bhp. I now tend to ride the smaller bike as it is much more engaging. I spoke to a guy at work who has a Yamaha MT 10. He was saying you need power. Then you don’t have to change gear much. He couldn’t understand when I said balancing speed and gears is half the fun. All the best.
As an American, I'm envious of the style of riding I see in Europe.
I learnt to ride on a BSA Bantam and since it was my first motorised vehicle. it felt unbelievably powerful. It was so eay to exceed the speed limit. Wikipedia it. Thanks Stuart.
I totally agree with you that smaller capacity motorcycles are the way to go; however, capacity, and cost, are really relative terms. Comparatively, our Triumphs, at around 65 mpg, are more than double the fuel efficiency of my hybrid SUV. And, I've come very close to 70 mpg by staying in rain mode and riding in a nice smooth cruising pace rather than racing off at every traffic light. I am now finding myself using my Triumph more, and leaving my SUV parked in the garage, only to be used when I need to carry loads that won't fit in my saddle and sissy bar bags. Another thoughtful video! Keep them coming...
Once again a very relevant piece of commentary on the human condition as it relates to motorcycling. Thanks for posting! Back on the year 2000, I was driving in a lorry at 50 mph on a motorway in France returning to St Malo. At one point, two lads known to me at the time, passed me on their 1300cc hyper bikes at more than 150 mph. When we got to St Malo, they were three cars ahead of us in the queue for the ferry. We had had a lovely trip and seen some interesting scenery by the side of the road in our 50 mph lorry. We arrived at the ferry in good time and completely unstressed. Both those lads, in the last 20 years, lost their lives in accidents on trips to the continent. I've recently bought a 20 hp Benelli 400 single and am looking forward to a trip or two, across to France for a bit of 50 mph "Tops" touring myself!
Your video sent me way way back into my past. Riding a Pelham and Moore single cylinder Panther 120s 650cc. Ever journey was an adventure, what was going to break first this time. It ate clutch cables, vibrations split the fuel tank seams, I should have let it burn! But it taught me so much about repair and maintainence, Lucas electrics, what tools were essential, reading the road and traffic (drum brakes were "interesting") I moved on over the years via BSA then Honda, Yamaha and Kawasaki but most of them were just transport and somehow soul less.
Now retired I want to return to two wheels, the car is just too expensive to run, A small capacity bike that can cope with steep hills, deal with potholed ruts, lights that make night riding possible rather than dangerous, that is my goal.
There are so many to choose from. 250 to 500, (no I don't want recommendations as that spoils the fun of me browsing and selecting).
So thank you for the reminder of long lost days of youth and the crystalisation of why it is such a good idea.
Agree whole heartedly. I love my FZ6 (I know it only has a measly 96hp), but find myself going for my 12hp Spade 150cc 80% of the time. The Spade was a purchase to ride while doing some major maintenance on the FZ6 since motorcycles are my primary transportation. It was also to use until I figured out what I really wanted in my next long term bike. I've learned how much more joy I get out of the smaller bike most of the time. through town (obeying the laws) on a high powered bike is boring. On the smaller bikes it's much more fun. Even took it instead of my FZ on a 1200 mile tour in September and it was one of the best trip I've ever taken.
I'm looking at many bikes in the 300 to 500cc range including the RE Classic 350, Husqvarna Svartpilen 401, KTM 390 ADV or possibly Himalayan. The Classic is in the lead though.
Terrific video, as usual, and hit the mark dead center. One thing though that you didn't mention about the advantages of going small is that a small displacement motorcycle will compel you to become a batter rider.
I saw this illustrated most effectively by a rider who had taken his small displacement bike to a track day - I think it may have been a Kawasaki Ninja 250 - and made a video with a GoPro. Most if not all of the other bikes on the track with him were 650cc sport bikes. As he went around the track, over and over you saw the same thing: As he approached a corner he would overtake the other bikes due to maintaining his speed into the corner, by cornering more smoothly and aggressively, and by shifting into the proper gear. But then, once he'd passed the apex of the corner, the same "fast" bike would then accelerate past him. The riders on the bigger displacement and more powerful bikes were using their engines like rocket boosters.
One could easily reach the conclusion that had the riders on the more powerful bikes simply used the full capability of their machines, as did the guy on the 250, that the small bike would have never gotten past them to begin with.
I once read somewhere about small displacement motorcycles that the first 250cc was to haul the rider, and the rest was to haul his ego.
Good saying! I like that!
Totally agree with every word... I've been riding since 1967 and in that time have owned many many bikes from 50cc to 1200cc. Ridden thousands of miles touring Europe, and I have to say the most fun I've had was tours of Ireland & Scotland on a 125. I have recently traded a GS1200 for a new 650 Vstrom but next year will be definitely trading down to 350 or even smaller for all the reasons you mentioned.. alas my age will also define the size and weight of the bike !
Hi Stuart, i totally agree on every point of view, watching your videos with the RE Classic 500 were very inspiring for me, in the impossibility to get the one that i wanted and not being ready to pay for overpriced uses ones, i decided to test ride the new Classic 350. It took me a few days to think about it, well i ordered mine today! Cheers from Luxemburg!
Great to hear!
As a Rider Coach for the MSF in the U.S. I spend a lot of time working with riders on 125-300 cc bikes. They don't let you hid bad technique and I often coach riders learn to ride a small bike well, it transfers to everything you ride. We are cut from a similar cloth, always look forward to a new video on your channel.
I agree with your thoughts but I take a slightly different approach, after two years ownership of the fabulous Interceptor 650 and a constant struggle to accomodate my 6' 1" 32" leg frame on the Interceptor footrest set up I decided to let it go and replaced it with a Triumph Tiger 850 Sport. The reason I chose this bike was its size and the fact that the engine has a lower BHP than it's 900 big brother which for me makes it easier to live with. I think your, right smaller capacity/lower BHP is the way forward.
You are bang on the money here, I'm of the same dimensions, I look silly on some small bikes and some big bikes, I went small engine with the crf300 rally, the tiger was considered but no local dealers, the size is right for me and I'm used to the reduced power now.
Thanks for that. I’ve been questioning myself on the rideability of a 350/400cc bike, but what you said has made a lot of sense. I really like the new Royal Enfield Classic 350, keen to see what you think if you do a review. Thanks for another great video.
Hi Stu, very insightful video, and unfortunately so true.....reference touring, I've had all sorts of machines, 100cc, 550cc, 650cc 750cc, 800cc, 1000cc, 1300cc over many years but in 2019 got a bullet classic RE, light to handle, fun to ride and as you describe, much more man and machine than the big machines, it may be an age thing!! but I just love to be enjoying the ride on A&B roads instead of the only memory of any ride being black tarmac blurr,
I much prefer to chug along & enjoy the ride than go stupid speeds whilst missing out on everything around you. Honest video which does get people thinking about what motorcycling is really about. 👊😎👍
I’ve been riding an Orcal Astor 125cc. It’s a Chinese bike that is also delivered in the UK as the AJS Tempest Roadster and I love it. Used to ride big capacities bikes, stopped for almost twenty years, but when my fiancee wanted to start riding, I bought two 125cc’s for the price of 1 Vespa 125 scooter.
Lots of fun and the top speed is more than adequate for all roads in Belgium except the high speed motorway, but I really don.t want to ride at 120km/h with an 126 kg motorcycle. 70km/h or 90km/h is more than ok.
I used to be a man who only used accelerator or throttle as on/off switches and still have a 125H.P bike I bought it 21 years ago and it came with a chronometer. We used to crunch miles me and my mate back then thinking we were going quick checking the chronometer you were right average around 40ish M.P.H Even if we tried hard to go fast to increase that average 50 was just a dream and pushing it.
I bought a second hand Chinese bike in 2016 (still have it) for push bike money it wasn't even three years old, just to commute 8 miles each way through hull city rush hour traffic . I thrashed the poor little bike on a daily basis down 2 or 3 miles of A63 and through the back streets particularly if running late. I did this for over a year of owner ship. never let me down and never broke. I filled the 10 liter tank once a month. After a year I bought a brand new A.J.S Cadwell and this was for the same job initially until the beginning of the cough 19 season when I was laid off , I then got a job in Beverly for a couple of months and had to do that from Hessle. After this I now do Scunthorpe almost every working day. 40 mile round trip for a tankish full of fuel.
2 weeks ago I bought my 3rd new Chinese bike a 310 this time and it's average fuel consumption isn't far off the 125 plus the Scunny run means free bridge tolls which pays for most of the fuel.
In the time the Cadwell did it it must have saved enough to pay for that bike 35,000k.m.s that bike has done for me. The other thing I noticed was if people have to get past you because you are on a small bike when you get to traffic often you catch them up or pass them any way. don't dismiss the Chinese bike if you need cheap motorcycling. You do a great no nonsense job of looking into motor cycling.
You hit (at least) 2 things bang on. 1. Big bikes are becoming a liability. 2. We are being driven/herded towards a level of quality of life between Albania during the Soviet era & Mogadishu. So having cheaper fun is a good mitigation strategy. And you & i know that you have more pure fun at 50-60 mph on twisty minor roads than 100+ mph where the consequence of failure is severe. Keep doing what you do 👍🏻
Spot on Stu; nearly 80 mpg on my Himmy I’ve rediscovered why I got into motorcycles in the first place and I’m having fun
I live in the US and both of my cars show average overall speed driven at 38 MPH on their computers. I have had both large CC bikes and small ones, the small ones are by far more fun, one of my best 1000-mile tours was on a CB360 twin. I am currently looking into the RE 350 Classic to add to my garage. Your commentary is spot on, the global conditions are faltering. We will see all those shortages, restrictions and regulations soon. Stay safe.
WELL, now that we're on the topic... (Serious fuel economy from necessity): I have a vivid memory of the gas crunch in the 70s... it made a big impression! Gas went from something like twenty five cents per gallon to a dollar, then there were shortages and rationing! AND we slowly forgot about hundred-octane gas.... (I didn't drive at the time). Vast busy highways became empty, especially in off-hours and weekends. SO, a friend of mine became an early adopter of MOPEDS which at the time were not popular... 50cc two strokes. He and his wife got one each, and put some baskets on them, and were able to go out for long rides on weekends, go camping. I think they had a gallon gas-can each, plus what was in the tank. It seemed fantastically eccentric at the time! His stories of driving down the major highways in the Miami area on these tiny vehicles... and being the only traffic...were so entertaining! Hadn't thought of this in a decade or so, 'till this video brought it to mind. Meanwhile I just saw a picture of an ancient Italian specialized racing bike of history, with a water-cooled engine that seemed so impossibly tiny! Like the size of your fist... but still clearly a motorcycle. Roughly the shape and size you would think, with skinny tires, and a LOT of open space in the frame! You could see right through it! Was it for Time-Trials? Not an off road thing, a real motorcycle. I thought "maybe THIS is what I really need!". You could just pick it up!
I’ve just picked up a meteor 350 to replace an 2009 ER6n that wasn’t reliable and was only getting me 38-40mpg on my commute. I love it, more fun and less stressful to ride, will do 70mph if I need to and according to other owners I should be able to get around 100mpg from it.
I use it instead of having a second car to get to work, it means I skip the traffic and don’t have to pay for parking either
This is one of the many reasons I love your channel, you always have top notch information. I run the vehicle maintenance shops for a transportation agency here in Texas which is federally funded so the push towards electric vehicles is a very real looming shadow for me. The problem I have with it is simply there is no infrastructure in place to support a fleet of all electric vehicles. Its just another example of the typical "Cart before the horse" method employed in transit here and I'm sure its the same across the pond for you. Now in my opinion this obsession for larger capacity motorcycles all revolves around ego, or what I call "little man syndrome" or simply just trying to fit in with the crowd.. I've had the big cc HD bikes and spent more money then I care to admit on them, all so that they could collect dust because I did not enjoy riding them. Once I realized that any good times I ever had on two wheels happened on dirt bikes zipping around the country roads I grew up on, I shifted my focus to smaller capacity bikes. I sold the HD and ended up with a Speedmaster and there was no looking back. 1200 cc isn't terribly small, but it is lighter, more nimble and a joy to ride. However (and because of you, thanks) I started looking at the RE and purchased my second bike. My Interceptor, hands down, brings me the most joy when it comes to being on two wheels and puts my Speedmaster on the back burner most of the time.
I have gone full circle in my biking life from big fast bikes ,one of which I still own but is in todays world, pricing itself off the road ,back to a 1975 Cz 250 twin. 4 gears and just 16 bhp , I had one at 17 years of age . Its fun , quirky ,but so much fun and gives an immense amount of pleasure just bumbling along on a slightly weird machine . As you say Stuart, the modern bikes are "on demand" with very little effort needed to ride them . The CZ on the other hand, needs skill and involvement to get the best from it .
That was probably the best video I've seen in years,not to say that the others weren't good but I don't think that could have been said better,that final point is exactly how I feel when riding on my classic 500,so much so I'm seriously considering swapping trading KTM gt in on an interceptor sunset strip 👌👌 I'm actually going to watch it all again
The touring on Low capacity bikes is a point I argue a lot.
I rode my RE classic 500 from perth western Australia, to Tasmania and back. 10k km round trip. The enfields did very well and even in the worst kind of weather.
I had a Kawasaki w800 and I had to sell one of my bikes. The Kawasaki fell short as it was not as enjoyable as the Royal enfield.
I also went from a Ktm exc300, to a Honda xr400r. And now looking for a old Suzuki ts185er.
As it’s so much fun fighting your way up hills than just twisting the throttle
"the absence of sterile ease makes it better" - that sums it up right there. The focus on over-engineering everything to the n'th degree has come to it's fruition the time for huge bikes is over. You can see this reflected in some of the Japanese brands now dropping bigger capacities and expanding on the smaller capacity bikes. You can only push horsepower and torque figures so much until the bike just becomes the same as a car, it does everything while you're along for the ride. Great video, very Buddhist ideas following the middle way, not too much not too little, the middle path. In the 80's I did a trip across Australia from West to East and back on an 1100 Yamaha. I saw a Japanese guy at a fuel station on a 125 two stroke road trail bike, loaded up to the hilt crossing the Nullabor plain, I couldn't believe my eyes, but he thought nothing of it, touring bikes in Japan are rarely big cc's. It's only really in the West where we've become fixated on huge engines.
Brill vid for people who are contemplating changing to a smaller cc bike 👍
I bought a new 2018 BMW R1200GS 'Rallye' , but got bored with it very soon, I sold it back to the dealer 3 yrs later with 1350 miles on..(I was using my Burgman 400 as my daily rider/commuter as it was more fun to ride) with the money I bought the wife her first ever new motorcycle a '21' Suzuki SV650 as a surprise, to see the happy tears in her eyes made my biking life when she said "whats that?" i said "yours" and threw her the keys (she had to ride mine for 30 yrs) and my self a new '21' RE Himalayan, I have put double the mileage of the BMW on the Himmy in 10 months and love it! I get excited every time I put the key in the ignition, every ride is a pleasure and time just isnt an issue anymore..I will get there when i get there with a smile on my face..I Picked up a '22' Interceptor on the first of March and even running it in is pure motorcycling utopia..what an excellent bike to experience..both RE's are my lifetime keepers 😍, when i go camping/touring then the Himalayan will still be my first choice to take..
Good points, well made as always.
I would happily be riding a small capacity bike now if only they were available in a larger frame. As I have said many times before, Enfield would be on to a winner if they did that for the 500's and 350's for the western markets.
Much as I love my NC750X, I can still see a 350 Classic in my future. This future would be much closer if only my 3 nearest Enfield dealers were not all 250 miles away.
Given the state of the economy, hopefully the tyre industry will start producing sensible road tyre that last longer. (whisper it, but tyres do not have to be anywhere near as wide or as soft as they currently are...)
YES! I wish SOMEONE would think of this! EVERYONE seems to be competing to have lower and lower seat-height. I want something that's a little bigger all around, but still light, simple, maintainable! As a cranky old retired engineer I can almost imagine some bike in vast production could come in a small or large frame!!! It wouldn't be such a vast change to the production setup I think.
These are the reasons I actualy bought a Royal Enfield Classic 500 ( my 16.th bike in 50 years) three years ago, coming from a powerful four cylinders. And I love the Classic easyness of use , economy and joy of each ride. And above all I feel safer and relaxed in traffic.Travelling 400/500km a day is equaly enjoyable as in a big bike. It's only a question of getting in the right state of mind.
I've been all over the UK and Wales (except Scotland and Northern Ireland) on my RE Himalayan.
I now have a 125 purely due to funds and it does ridiculously high miles per gallon and still is enjoyable and as an added bonus is very light to manoeuvre into the garage etc.
👍👍👍 .. good comment .. thanks.
I've always enjoyed medium-range bikes more than the larger capacity machines .. my first purchase back in the early 70's a Suzuki 250cc twin and the largest ever, a Kawasaki GPZ 550. As one gets older, this mind-set becomes more attractive.
Here in Switzerland, the speed limit on the secondary roads is generally 50 mph, Autobahns 56/70 mph with the Swiss Authorities having not much of a sense of humour regarding speedsters.
Anyway, anything more than 100 kph, for me, especially over long distances (the majority of my motorcycling having taken place in South Africa) I found to be tiring .. not worth the effort. Now, after 70 Summers, 80 kph on the Secondary Roads suits me just fine. Switzerland has a well established road network where one can avoid using Autobahns .. the alternatives being more interesting, scenic and relaxing.
Your non-rant on the powers-that-be, oil, carbon-neutrality insanity, globalism, etc, etc .. spot on!
Take care .. be safe out there .. Tommy
I'm 63, had more than 50 bikes over the years, mostly trail bikes with about 10 big bikes. I've downsized to the re 350 and love it. It's brilliant on rural nz roads.