It's true, the machines were designed in the late '40's and early '50's of the last century. But these were in many ways the salad years of technology; just think Lougheed Constellation, GM Diesel Locomotives, and Scenecruiser highway passenger busses. Or the Cessna 185, the '56 Chev Belair, or the Sturmey-Archer 3-Speed Bicycle Hub. The days of Christmas gifts of Meccano sets, Chemistry sets, and do-it-yourself magazine subscriptions for Dad.
Motorcycles of the day were designed primarily for the enthusiast, the future owners were presumed to have some degree of mechanical savvy, but this was because they did, or they just bought a car and didn't bother with the noise, the wind, and the occasional listening to the sound of their engines. Many of the rest of us bought motorcycles as "Meccano Sets You Can Ride," and never looked back.
The Bullet, unlike the later-to-come Japanese (and "American") machines, is not a Riding Appliance. But then, even they require a certain amount of attention - not as often, perhaps, but when it is required, it is most usually much more complex, and a lot more expensive. So the two, in the eyes of many, balance out - the difference being that the older British-style machines allowed for owner maintenance, rather than the much pricier expertise available only at the educated dealer.
Parts are generally much less expensive, too - and also often much more available, since there have been so few models, and changes, produced over the past more than 50 years. This is particularly true of the Royal Enfield Bullet, since it has been manufactured, although only in India since the early '60's, the whole time. It still is.
The machine is much less complicated. Sporting a single cylinder, and pushrod valve actuation - a much simpler arrangement than the almost-ubiquitous multi-cylinder overhead-camshaft configuration of the more "modern" (and higher output) machines, it can actually be understood by the average owner. And, once it's understood, it's requirements can be anticipated and attended to in timely fashion. If this is done, the machine can be depended upon to reward its owner with many years of faithful service.
So a choice must be made. (Or must it? - their Bullet is not the only motorcycle of many owners!) The Enfield is a machine which allows a totally different kind of motorcycling experience for the rider who has the time and space to stick to the 50mph back roads, to take a little extra time learning to understand his machine, and the will to develop a little mechanical expertise to keep it maintained. In the eyes of many happy owners, the rewards are many, and the sacrifices few.
First of these is in engine breathing. The stock muffler and air cleaner, striving to be well within EPA guidelines, seriously restrict the engine's breathing. Single-cylinder engines, exhausting as they do in one gigantic pulse every second engine revolution, are difficult to impossible to silence completely if they are to run properly. Consequently, the popular choice is to use a considerably less restrictive muffler. This, coupled with common sense - avoiding high-throttle work in congested areas (especially those congested with law enforcement professionals - congestion being more than 0) and a little respect for the neighbours, particularly at night, will yield great benefits in smoother and more powerful running. Dan Holmes, at DRS Cycle, a prominent US dealer, has found with dynamometer testing that a 20% increase in power is gained simply by fitting a high-flow muffler and air filter. The factory air filter was also designed for dusty and dirty third-world conditions, using low throttle to save fuel. Here in the Land Of The Crazies, a high-flow air filter - or, in cases of low dust (all paved roads) no filter at all, is the preferred setup. Fuel economy, although not nearly so much a consideration here, is still not particularly compromised by these changes.
Simultaneous with that is the headlight. To satisfy EPA requirements for a setscrew-aimable headlight, the factory was forced to ship the machines with an undersized headlamp, set in an adapter ring providing such adjustment. The regular 7-inch headlamp is also adjustable, but in another way not as apparent to those who bestow EPA approval. One would guess. At any rate, the knowledgeable Bullet enthusiast wastes little time in replacing the factory-modded Sillylight with the regular 7-inch ring, and usually a Halogen light as well. This brings about a serious increase in nightime light performance, and is recommended soonest.
Another EPA-dictated disaster was the Left-Foot Gearchange. In order to comply with this requirement (right-shift being the norm for British machines of the original design period), the factory came up with a bodge involving an external cross-over linkage fitted behind and under the gearbox. It was, to put it mildly, a disaster. Many owners have discovered that the extra time required to re-learn to change gears with their right foot - and to use the left for the rear brake - pays for itself many times over with a very much improved feel and utility with respect to gear changing. There is a kit available through the distributor/dealer network to effect this change, and its installation is thoroughly covered in this manual. An intermediate step, reported to be satisfactory by many owners, is the bushing kit designed by DRS Cycle, which eliminates some of the slop inherent in the necessarily over- complicated external mechanism.
For the regular Bullet, 5-speed gearboxes, and more even-ratio gearsets are available. The price/performance ratio is high, however, and thus few owners seem to deem either modification cost-effective, or really necessary. Still, they are there for the really interested. The Left-Foot Shift aspect cannot be retrofitted, however, since major changes to the engine castings are required - the shifter shaft passes through a passage cast into the integral oil tank, and also through th primary case.
These are the most-done modifications to the basic machine. Some owners elect to do some performance work, detailed in the last chapter of the manual under "Performance Modifications," but most owners find that, by the time they've done those mentioned above, their machine is getting close to Just Right.
It would appear that they appeal at some instinctive level to people who otherwise don't even notice motorcycles. The stories are many of a single Bullet parked in a block-long phalanx of shiny motorcycles, usually at some rally or another, being surrounded all day by admirers, many of whom are in fact the owners of the other motorcycles, many costing five or six times as much. There is just something about the Bullet look and sound that in themselves would appear more than to make up for any inconveniences "suffered" by actually learning something about one's machine in order to use it successfully. But if you're at all inclined to be anti-social, forget the Bullet. Stick with a UJM (Universal Japanese Multi), or the Ubiquitous H*ley. Blend in with the crowd. You won't find any "flies on the wallpaper" riding Bullets! On the other hand, if you're on the outgoing side, and especially if you prefer talking to riding, be sure to order up a few books on the development of the Royal Enfield, and be prepared for Orals every time you park the machine!