• NEW USERS: If you haven't received your Confirmation Email: There has been an ongoing issue with the forum's send mail function and many new users haven't received the email to confirm their registration. I've done my best to manually process these, so there's a good chance if you've signed up in the past 30 days that you've already been validated and can proceed with posting on the forum (don't forget to introduce yourself!). If you still can't get in, please use the Contact Us link on the bottom of any page to send me a message and I'll process you manually. Thanks for your patience! ~Jerk

A possible return to the fold?

BSA Biker

Well travelled
Location
Tarragona, Spain
Perhaps we could put the Triumph 400cc engine into the RE Classic frame and like the Tritons of yesteryear we could call it a 'RESpeed' - just an idea. :unsure::unsure:

As for using the classic on the motorways it's quite simple really, just ride at its happy speed of 50 to 60 mph and ignore other vehicles.
Well that's what I did last year with my camping gear on it, which was okay but lorries had to be overtaken on hills when going slow and then they would overtake me again on the flat. :mad:
 

Steve 350

Finally made it
In the constant search to try to get Mrs. 2LZ back on two wheels, how is the seat heights between the Classic (stock seat of course) and the Triumph Speed 400? They seem like an awfully good bargain for the $$$. Hard to believe but specs actually show the Speed 400 a tad lower. May not even be noticeable.
I love my new Classic, but open freeway does not exist here.
Yes, for the money the Speed 400 is an outstanding buy. The motor makes all the difference because it really performs. The riding position is generally straight up (and comfortable) with a slight lean forward, whereas with the Classic 350 there is no lean. The Speed 400 is surprisingly comfortable given its sporting intention, but the Classic 350 beats it by a small margin. Seat height I would say is about the same, but for passengers the Classic 350 (or Bullet) is a much better bike. Everything about the Classic 350 is more geared to passenger comfort -- foot peg height, seat shape and size, ease of getting on, etc. The Classic 350 works acceptably well for passengers, but I don't think the Speed 400 does very well. My wife doesn't ride with me anymore so it wasn't an issue when I was deciding which to get. I strongly recommend a test ride of the Speed 400, it's quite a machine for less than $6K out the door.
 

gzrfox

Finally made it
Location
Greece
I tried the Speed 400 before I got the meteor and it seemed well made and it certainly a lot faster but I found it misses the mark on the whole "vibes" aspect. It's an intangible thing, for sure but we love the Enfields for that special thing they make us feel that makes them more than the sum of their parts. Not to mention, I found the Triumph's actual vibes (as in, vibrations) more annoying than the Enfield's, strangely.
 

Turbofurball

Well travelled
Location
Catalunya
Interesting that nobody mentions the Voge AC350 alongside the "small" Triumphs, far cheaper and you get a 2 cylinder engine which is apparently good. Downside is it's really ugly, and some people might not like it being Chinese.
 

StefArmstg

Well travelled
Location
Colorado
I tried the Speed 400 ...but I found it misses the mark on the whole "vibes" aspect... I found the Triumph's actual vibes... more annoying than the Enfield's...
Sometimes that goes right to the heart of it. My all time favorite bike was a Cagiva Elefant 650. It was the perfect Colorado bike. Long legged enough for the highway, quick in the canyons, and great on dirt roads. But the parts availability was terrible.

I replaced it with a Transalp. The motor felt wimpy in comparison. Worst of all, it was buzzy. I could ride the Elefant all day at highway speeds. The buzz made long hauls on the Transalp exhausting.

My Interceptor makes power like the Elefant, with the same kind of vibes. It's why I love it.
 

2LZ

Well travelled
Location
Volcano, CA
Yes, for the money the Speed 400 is an outstanding buy. The motor makes all the difference because it really performs. The riding position is generally straight up (and comfortable) with a slight lean forward, whereas with the Classic 350 there is no lean. The Speed 400 is surprisingly comfortable given its sporting intention, but the Classic 350 beats it by a small margin. Seat height I would say is about the same, but for passengers the Classic 350 (or Bullet) is a much better bike. Everything about the Classic 350 is more geared to passenger comfort -- foot peg height, seat shape and size, ease of getting on, etc. The Classic 350 works acceptably well for passengers, but I don't think the Speed 400 does very well. My wife doesn't ride with me anymore so it wasn't an issue when I was deciding which to get. I strongly recommend a test ride of the Speed 400, it's quite a machine for less than $6K out the door.
Thanks for the great info!(y) A passenger wouldn't be an issue, as this would be her bike she'd ride. Fortunately, if she ever decided to get on two wheels, our dealer sells both brands so the comparison could be made in-house. We rode together and bike camped for more than two decades. It was our only hobby around full-time careers. Then one day, she was done. :cry:
 

Turbofurball

Well travelled
Location
Catalunya
Thanks for the great info!(y) A passenger wouldn't be an issue, as this would be her bike she'd ride. Fortunately, if she ever decided to get on two wheels, our dealer sells both brands so the comparison could be made in-house. We rode together and bike camped for more than two decades. It was our only hobby around full-time careers. Then one day, she was done. :cry:
Sometimes I fall out-of-love with a hobby too, and there's no way to re-kindle the flame ... have you got anything else you can do together as a couple? Last year due to circumstances me and my other half took our two dogs in the car on a holiday for the first time, and we found we really enjoyed having a road trip and an adventure together that way. One of us feeds the other one snacks while driving the car too, which is a bit tricky on a motorbike.
 

2LZ

Well travelled
Location
Volcano, CA
Sometimes I fall out-of-love with a hobby too, and there's no way to re-kindle the flame ... have you got anything else you can do together as a couple? Last year due to circumstances me and my other half took our two dogs in the car on a holiday for the first time, and we found we really enjoyed having a road trip and an adventure together that way. One of us feeds the other one snacks while driving the car too, which is a bit tricky on a motorbike.
LOL! Love dogs (I guess one can tell from my avatar). As my buddy says, "They're very 'food motivated' " :ROFLMAO:
She does love her firearms and has quite the collection of weaponry. I also enjoy shooting, but I'm more of an air gunner. Being retired F&G, I'm all for hunting to maintain healthy herds, but the most work I want to put into my BBQ is removing the cellophane, spice it up a bit, and toss it on a hot grill.
If I'm going to do nothing more than work on my accuracy and poke holes in paper, my magnum air guns can do it all day for $5.00 worth of .22 pellets. Powder burner shooting has gotten expensive, and ammo has become a challenge to get here in CA the last few years. We'll straighten that out eventually.
I really don't think it was a fall-out-of-love thing with her. I think it was more of a "I've got well over 100k crash-free miles under my belt and I turned 62. How much longer do I want to roll the dice?" thing.
 

Turbofurball

Well travelled
Location
Catalunya
I'm sure with a little thought you can come up with some way to spend more time together, it's valuable so you've got to make the most of it!
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2LZ
Top Bottom