Modern Buddy

NOT A WORD.

I hear a rumor they passed EPA in the fall, but they're waiting for their documentation to be approved or something. More red tape.

babblefish wrote:I was picturing high scrambler pipes, a raised front fender, and semi-knobby tires would make this thing really interesting.

Why weren't you picturing that it looked like this?

Dooglas wrote:

babblefish wrote:I was picturing high scrambler pipes, a raised front fender, and semi-knobby tires would make this thing really interesting.

Why weren't you picturing that it looked like this?

Because I like the scrambler bike look. Reminds me of the bikes I used to ride in the early 70's.

I hope Genuine management is enjoying watching Zongshen RX3s and Benelli TNTs sell like hotcakes while Genuine struggles to bring an existing ShineRay motorcycle to the US market.
"I'm not angry; just very disappointed". -Marvin the Martian

Philadelphia Scooters seems pretty confident.... Not holding my breath, just crossing my fingers.

https://www.facebook.com/PhiladelphiaSc ... 8577325264

PhillyKick wrote:Philadelphia Scooters seems pretty confident.... Not holding my breath, just crossing my fingers.

https://www.facebook.com/PhiladelphiaSc ... 8577325264

Digging that green & creme color scheme!

FAKE NEWS!

(I don't actually know)

The picture of the goats and the motorcycle, that's a Mash 500, not g400c.

I hope that isn't the green paint that is being used. I had my dealer, Carlisle Cycle and Scooter change my pre-order to from red to green based on Scooter File's sneak peak of the green. It looked great with the silver. With the cream... bleh.

Genuine - when will we get it? Been waiting since Oct 2015.

dasscooter wrote:FAKE NEWS!

(I don't actually know)

You're probably right. I still like that color scheme, though. Horses for courses as our Brit cousins would say.

Or, goats for gateways.

How much for one of those goats, and are they available in a different color? I'm thinking lime green with pin stripes...

babblefish wrote:How much for one of those goats, and are they available in a different color? I'm thinking lime green with pin stripes...

Asking the hard hitting questions!

I'm back to wanting one of these again. I sort of drifted toward the Royal Enfield 500 awhile, mainly on the looks of it. Sort of soured on the cost, reliability, weight, performance, vibration, brakes & such after much research. But if this thing isn't here by the end of the year I think it's over. Reminds me of the Elio Motors car. Trying to get off the ground since 2014 & not one sold yet. Update: I just did a search & found a link to dealer accepting deposits & shows delivery date of 7/17. Maybe it's a go after all.

New2Scoots wrote:Reminds me of the Elio Motors car. Trying to get off the ground since 2014 & not one sold yet. Update: I just did a search & found a link to dealer accepting deposits & shows delivery date of 7/17. Maybe it's a go after all.

Heck, I'll accept your deposit for an Elio. I just won't promise that you'll get one by next August - or any other August.

The Genuine 400 will be just a nice, desirable bike. The Elio, if successful, will ignite a big change in the way we commute. I still Agee with your comparison. I,m just a bit of an Elio fanatic.

New2Scoots wrote:I'm back to wanting one of these again. I sort of drifted toward the Royal Enfield 500 awhile, mainly on the looks of it.

Well, take a deep breath because Royal Enfield is on the verge of announcing their 750 twin, which (I'm hoping) will be more than a pretty face. We should see an announcement by early April.

Build quality is always going to be an issue. I make no excuses. This is why I own a Honda motorbike, right? But there's something irresistible about the Royal Enfields. I think the 400C has that same appeal. I just hope Genuine can get them here for the 2017 riding season because the window of opportunity is narrowing as we speak...

I just saw this on Scooterfile. I'd probably look like a gorilla on a BMX bike, but I'll take a look.

That's excellent news! I wonder who will be the first here to get one...

Sorry Genuine, I just found my calling, a 2017 Triumph Street Scrambler. Time to start saving my pennies...

While we were waiting, a different 400cc motorcycle also caught my eye.

Meet the Royal Enfield Himalayan (also not currently available in the USA).

jrsjr wrote:Meet the Royal Enfield Himalayan (also not currently available in the USA).

If Enfield is smart - it will be.

Dooglas wrote:

jrsjr wrote:Meet the Royal Enfield Himalayan (also not currently available in the USA).

If Enfield is smart - it will be.

Dude, that bike has "winner" written all over it! I'm looking at an English-language Indian site and the price they quote for the recently updated fuel-injected version of the Himalayan is about 2 lakh. At today's exchange rate that is $3112. I would buy one TOMORROW at that price! Of course, they will be much more if/when they reach our shores, but it still looks like a great bike that I would actually go out and buy.

I hope the Genuine C400 will inspire the same emotional response from US buyers. I'd love for Genuine to have a winner right out of the gate like they did with the original Buddy 125 all those years ago. (More than a decade if you can believe it)

The next few years could be a great time for folks who like light single-cylinder motorcycles. We'll know it's happening when Harley rolls out a thumper...

That Enfield looks great! There's a short preview article on it in the December 2016 issue of Cycle World magazine. They say that Royal Enfield is hinting at a price of around $4,000 to $5,000. It will also be available in black (looks really good in black). It's a bit heavy at 410 pounds, but the weight is carried low in a frame design specifically for it. The engine is air-cooled, carburetted and is 410cc - no mention of HP though. They go on to say that the suspension and brakes are adequate and the handling is good. The engine doesn't mind being reved and that vibration is minimal. Sounds like a winner to me. Now lets see how long it takes to get to our shores. I'm thinking that if it does show up here DOT approved, it will probably be with FI because of emissions laws. This bike gets my juices going more than the G400C because it just looks the part. Plus, it's way cheaper than the Triumph Scrambler which sells for around $14K OTD at my local dealer. Kind of a apples to oranges thing, I know, but it sure is more within my reach.

babblefish wrote:That Enfield looks great! There's a short preview article on it in the December 2016 issue of Cycle World magazine. They say that Royal Enfield is hinting at a price of around $4,000 to $5,000. It will also be available in black (looks really good in black). It's a bit heavy at 410 pounds, but the weight is carried low in a frame design specifically for it. The engine is air-cooled, carburetted and is 410cc - no mention of HP though. They go on to say that the suspension and brakes are adequate and the handling is good. The engine doesn't mind being reved and that vibration is minimal. Sounds like a winner to me. Now lets see how long it takes to get to our shores. I'm thinking that if it does show up here DOT approved, it will probably be with FI because of emissions laws. This bike gets my juices going more than the G400C because it just looks the part. Plus, it's way cheaper than the Triumph Scrambler which sells for around $14K OTD at my local dealer. Kind of a apples to oranges thing, I know, but it sure is more within my reach.

I think you're right abut the fuel injection. If you Google "Royal Enfield Himalayan" you will see that Royal Enfield introduced the FI version of the Himalayan last week. This is because of air pollution regulations in India. The latest regulation is Bharat Stage IV, abbreviated BSIV. According to the new law, vehicles which do not meet BSIV standards cannot be sold after April 1st 2017. For that reason, RE has been rapidly converting their lineup to FI. I'm told that dealers in India were offering hot deals on remaining stock of non-BSIV bikes since they would essentially be boat anchors after April 1st. No wonder RE booked record sales in March!

Anyway, I love it that the 400cc space is heating up. I hope it works out for Genuine.

babblefish wrote: It will also be available in black (looks really good in black).

P.S. I agree that it looks good in Black.

I want one of those RE's in Army green with a white star in the middle of the knee cutout on the tank. Yes please.

k1dude wrote:I want one of those RE's in Army green with a white star in the middle of the knee cutout on the tank. Yes please.

I can't wait to see how yours looks after you paint it.

P.S. Is it best to start with white or black for painting?

jrsjr wrote:

k1dude wrote:I want one of those RE's in Army green with a white star in the middle of the knee cutout on the tank. Yes please.

I can't wait to see how yours looks after you paint it.

P.S. Is it best to start with white or black for painting?

I think I have one of those buried in the garage somewhere. I'll have to dig it out and take a picture of it.

jrsjr wrote:

k1dude wrote:I want one of those RE's in Army green with a white star in the middle of the knee cutout on the tank. Yes please.

I can't wait to see how yours looks after you paint it.

P.S. Is it best to start with white or black for painting?

Is that bike yours or is it a stock picture? I know someone that has one almost exactly like that one. He even has the sidecar to go with it. And it was actually in the background in the movie, Captain America: The First Avenger.

cummingsjc wrote:Is that bike yours or is it a stock picture? I know someone that has one almost exactly like that one. He even has the sidecar to go with it. And it was actually in the background in the movie, Captain America: The First Avenger.

Valuable collectors item, but not an everyday rider. It is a Harley-Davidson WLA.

cummingsjc wrote:

jrsjr wrote:

k1dude wrote:I want one of those RE's in Army green with a white star in the middle of the knee cutout on the tank. Yes please.

I can't wait to see how yours looks after you paint it.

P.S. Is it best to start with white or black for painting?

Is that bike yours or is it a stock picture? I know someone that has one almost exactly like that one. He even has the sidecar to go with it. And it was actually in the background in the movie, Captain America: The First Avenger.

I wish that bike was mine! I nabbed that pic off a Google search. That might well be a pic of your friend's bike.

I just received a response to an enquiry that I sent to Royal Enfield USA regarding the Himalayan - they are expecting to release it here in the U.S. in late Summer, 2017. There should be announcements on social media coming soon. They did not give me any pricing, though I did find out on my own that the engine makes 24.5HP@6500RPM.
So, this release time frame seems to coincide with the expected release of the Genuine G400C. This is going to get interesting, and maybe a little bit of a dilemma for some. Personally, I can't wait to throw a leg over both of them to see which one I like the most. Btw, there are a bunch of Himalayan videos on YouTube. Here's one that I liked, mainly because I could understand what the reviewer was saying a little easier than some of the others.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zxa9QBTMabo" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Oh, and AU$6990 = US$5305
Lastly, I found hints of a possible 600cc version of the Himalayan.

Cool, babblefish! Thanks for the info! There's more! Last week, Royal Enfield announced that they are going to sell their motorcycles in an Indian Motorcycle dealership in Milwaukee. In the press release about the deal, Rod Copes, President of Royal Enfield North America said, “Partnerships with excellent dealer operators are an important part of our strategy to grow our footprint.� Considering that enthusiastic statement, I would expect to see RE bikes in more Indian Dealerships (at least).

P.S. For folks who think Enfields are for posers, give this a quick watch.


<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8_4Q0Ma9XzI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

I wouldn't walk that "road"!

Awesome road! I'd jump at the chance to ride that. I've driven my Jeep on trails rougher than that though. The highest road I've ever driven was around 11-12K feet elevation in Colorado. Just walking around took the wind out of me.

I'm not too sure about the Himalayan after watching some of the video reviews from India. A good amount of comments from Indian viewers seem to deride the quality of the bike and RE in general. One video reviewer went as far as saying "the welds looked like they were done by two year old paraplegic monkeys with anger issues", Lol. He's right, I've seen some of the welds on an RE bike. The consensus of reviewers concerning it's top speed seems to be around 110 KPH (68 MPH), not very fast for a 400CC bike. Heck, my Blur will do that all day long. But, most of the reviewers tend to like the bike regardless of it's limitations and flaws. Maybe I'll wait until the Himalayan matures a little bit more before making a decision.

With some basic performance tuning and gearing changes, I'm sure you could hit 69mph on that Himalayan.

When I heard about it at the Royal Enfield display at the mc show last fall I was completely smitten with the idea of the Himalayan as I was trying to learn to ride off road for the first time on my nearly 500lb (when loaded) F700 GS...and it was not going well for the bike or me . So the Himalayan seemed like a really great second bike possibility for me since I need something street legal. Did only a little research like Babblefish pointed out, and found they have all kinds of serious quality issues. I was beyond disappointed.

Fast forward to several weeks ago, after months of research, I found the lowest street legal enduro for off road exploring -the TW200, and its a blast on the street too, although slowwwww. Unfortunately my sweet Buddy had to take the fall to make it happen , although he went to a very good home.

Sweet ride Miss Peabody! I've always liked the TW200. When you say slow, do you mean in acceleration or in top speed? It looks like a nice cushy ride that's able to soak up pot holes, dogs, and the occasional small child.

thanks! I would say slow on both counts, in order to feel happy exiting an intersection, I am already in 3rd (out of 5 gears) After a time, his top speed is probably 65? These are pretty known for doing just great on trails. I took him on a very rutted, rocky, sandy road by the beach and he did great. It was like riding on a tractor, and all of a sudden that 1-5 mph in first gear felt valuable.

Because that's a chain-driven motorcycle, you could change up the overall gearing by swapping out the sprockets, but you would be trading low-end grunt and trail riding ease for a little bit of top speed.

Sorry to hear that you had to part with your Buddy. But I'm glad to hear it went to a good home. That was a 2007, a 10 year-old-Buddy, almost old enough for middle school.

seeing the Buddy go was hard, I am embarrassed to say I cried in front of the buyer. This 07 was the replacement for the lemon 2006 I had, and it had been perfect. Needless to say it was hard to say good bye after 11 years of Buddy ownership, as it was my gateway to riding. Thanks for the advice about the sprocket on the TW, since I want the very best low end off road performance, I better keep it the way it is. The BMW if definitely going to remain my primary pavement bike.

Too bad Yamaha didn't include a dual-range transmission in the design. That would make the TW200 almost perfect.

peabody99 wrote:seeing the Buddy go was hard, I am embarrassed to say I cried in front of the buyer. This 07 was the replacement for the lemon 2006 I had, and it had been perfect. Needless to say it was hard to say good bye after 11 years of Buddy ownership, as it was my gateway to riding. Thanks for the advice about the sprocket on the TW, since I want the very best low end off road performance, I better keep it the way it is. The BMW if definitely going to remain my primary pavement bike.

I don't mean to make you cry again, but how many miles did your Buddy have when you sold it?

babblefish wrote:Awesome road! I'd jump at the chance to ride that. I've driven my Jeep on trails rougher than that though. The highest road I've ever driven was around 11-12K feet elevation in Colorado.

If you find yourself on the Big Island of Hawaii, rent a Jeep (many available) and drive to the top of the Mauna Kea volcano - 13,802 feet! And you don't have to risk death to do it, though the rough gravel road and occasional ice patches can be a challenge. Last time I went up there, a fellow rode a mountain bike to the top - he evidently had bigger lungs than most of us.

Dooglas wrote:

babblefish wrote:Awesome road! I'd jump at the chance to ride that. I've driven my Jeep on trails rougher than that though. The highest road I've ever driven was around 11-12K feet elevation in Colorado.

If you find yourself on the Big Island of Hawaii, rent a Jeep (many available) and drive to the top of the Mauna Kea volcano - 13,802 feet! And you don't have to risk death to do it, though the rough gravel road and occasional ice patches can be a challenge. Last time I went up there, a fellow rode a mountain bike to the top - he evidently had bigger lungs than most of us.

Been there done that. Used to have the T-Shirt around here somewhere...

On the mainland, if you want the thrills and chills of that Sach Pass road, try the Mount Evans road. The run along the ridge before the traverse has that same crumbling edge dropoff of death with no guardrail thing going on. When you have to move to the "outside" to accommodate a pickup truck flying down the road going the other way, it will give you a few thrills. It sure frightened the bejeesus out of me!

Dooglas wrote:

babblefish wrote:Awesome road! I'd jump at the chance to ride that. I've driven my Jeep on trails rougher than that though. The highest road I've ever driven was around 11-12K feet elevation in Colorado.

If you find yourself on the Big Island of Hawaii, rent a Jeep (many available) and drive to the top of the Mauna Kea volcano - 13,802 feet! And you don't have to risk death to do it, though the rough gravel road and occasional ice patches can be a challenge. Last time I went up there, a fellow rode a mountain bike to the top - he evidently had bigger lungs than most of us.

I've heard about some of those trails and would love to go explore them. Alas, I'm still waiting for my Lotto number to come up...

babblefish wrote:

peabody99 wrote:seeing the Buddy go was hard, I am embarrassed to say I cried in front of the buyer. This 07 was the replacement for the lemon 2006 I had, and it had been perfect. Needless to say it was hard to say good bye after 11 years of Buddy ownership, as it was my gateway to riding. Thanks for the advice about the sprocket on the TW, since I want the very best low end off road performance, I better keep it the way it is. The BMW if definitely going to remain my primary pavement bike.

I don't mean to make you cry again, but how many miles did your Buddy have when you sold it?

A little over 19k. All problem free.

peabody99 wrote:

babblefish wrote:

peabody99 wrote:seeing the Buddy go was hard, I am embarrassed to say I cried in front of the buyer. This 07 was the replacement for the lemon 2006 I had, and it had been perfect. Needless to say it was hard to say good bye after 11 years of Buddy ownership, as it was my gateway to riding. Thanks for the advice about the sprocket on the TW, since I want the very best low end off road performance, I better keep it the way it is. The BMW if definitely going to remain my primary pavement bike.

I don't mean to make you cry again, but how many miles did your Buddy have when you sold it?

A little over 19k. All problem free.

Sniff...I know what you mean. I don't know if I could give up my Buddy. Lately, I've been riding it more than my Blur. Maybe it's because I can get away with doing stupiter (is that even a word?) things on it.

Jawa has checked in with their version of the ShineRay XR thumper.
http://newatlas.com/jawa-motorcycles-35 ... age/49270/