Break it down like this.....

First and foremost...Your power requirements....350 or 500.
1) If you are not a speed junkie 350 fits....will cruise all day at 70-80Kmph (it will go higher but it wont be happy at those speeds)

2) If you are a speed Junkie 500 sort of makes it up (the reason for saying this is cos i see many in this category going towards CBR250R) - Here you have options
A) You are hellbent on buying a Royal Enfield - Buy it eyes closed - Will do 80-100 Kmph all day (it will go higher but it wont be happy at those speeds)
B) You are into touring but not really hellbent on buying a RE and confused with Japanese bikes - Well in this case all the glaring short-comings of a RE start coming to life (Reliability, power Vis-a-vis similarly priced bike, handling, safety features like ABS etc) - Better dont lie to your self in this case, DONT get a RE motorcycle.

Having the power thing sorted out - Time to decide on which model you need to buy (Classic/STD/TB/Electra) - Lets get some basic stuff out of the way first
- All these aren't great handlers but for convenience sake i will rate them using a ROYAL ENFIELD HANDLING SCALE, that means the best handling RE gets '10'
and rest bikes are compared wrt it.
- RE bikes are not big on reliability. So, a rule of thumb in case of RE is that the more the gizmos the more reliability issues/questions.
- Carb vs EFI - This is one unending debate. Old school guys want carb, they like to play with it a bit. Roadside mechanic can also play with it, this can have cold-start issues, most sturdier of the two. On the other hand, EFI, better throttle response, negligible start-up issues BUT, roadside mechanic will not have expertise to repair it, this makes the bike costlier by a good 15-20K, and with so many sensors that have to be present for the EFI, you might want to refrain from a thorough wash every now and then. That said, i would prefer a CARB personally- keeps life simple. A Bullet is all about simplicity after all.

Lets start:

1) STD - Still retains the charm and the only bike still coming with hand painted fuel tanks. Does not come with disc breaks, has a lower voltage battery so in case if you want to
buy spanking new sets of high powered headlights, you might need to work on the original wiring (This will only stand for 350CC). That being said, will have least issues as it comes with least bells and whistles. For someone, who is a die hard fan of the vintage hand-painted Golden lines in the black background, nothing really stands-out - This is a bullet for the purists (who wont buy a used Cast iron one). Front tyre is 19' while rear is 18'. While i am writing this, i cannot see a STD 350 on RE website, so this one might be only available in 500CC engine option. Handling 6/10.

2) Electra - Bike which i owned and relished. This baby is only second in chrome after 'Classic chrome'. Comes with disc, seats are comfier compared to STD, some even report this as being faster than STD, looks great (subjective), 350CC with Carb (500CC Deluxe with EFI). One interesting fact is that both the wheels are 19 inchers, so you will have to have to have 19' spare tube with you at all times (even with STD as it comes with one 19') as these tubes are not readily available. Also, tyre options are very limited, compared to those 18 incher rear tyres present on STD, Classic or Tbird. Handling (8/10)

3) Classic - Style looks great. Seats are not so comfortable. Funky color options. Only available with EFI. Nothing really that stands-out here. You buy this one for the looks. Handling (8/10)

4) TBTS - This one is a completely different story in terms of bells and whistles and maybe even handling. Firstly, an advanced display unit - shows you RPM, FUEL INDICATOR, tripmeter, Hazard lights, Projecter lights, Biggest fuel tank 20 liters (compared to others 12-13 liters tanks), rear disc breaks, comfortable seating, a miniature (almost useless) backrest for the pillion, EFI. Best handling RE (until cafe racer is launched) gets 10/10. Only thing bothersome here is the presence of so many bells and whistles here, RE aint particularly known for the quality of its equipments, you might find yourself having to deal with something or another but, if you have money in your pocket and don't mind paying for such niggles then go for this definitely.

Disclaimer - I might be wrong with some ideas here, but hope to atleast touch the gist of an answer that the above question should get.

Regards,

Personally I adore the Electra. Can u shed some light on the Machismo. Also,if I want to buy a used one can you suggest some options along with what should I be paying for?

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I will just list my requirements. 350 is good enough. I understand that Bulls require some maintenance. However news of maintenance of old STD makes me jittery. So a UCE or AVL should work just fine. I was looking at Machismo since they are easier to maintain or so I was told. Primary use would be potter ring around in town on weekends and for touring. I have a P220 for my quick point to point rides like home to office and back. The Bull is purely for leisure rides Anyways I am open to all inputs. Thirsty for knowledge and suggestions.

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Hi. Thanks for the gyan as the name rightly suggests. So I have decided now the UCE Electra. However,the million dollar question is how much should I put down for a used one? Once again suggestions welcome.

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Well written but at few places you have given wrong information.

STD does comes in 350 and
Classis does come with carb, the 350 classic. And I am not sure what made you think that nothing really stands out in classic?

Besides all 350 has the same engine and same engine characteristic and same goes for 500 just that STD 500 comes with carb and Electra EFI option(delux) model still not available in India neither the cafe racer.

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I don't know man. There are so many options out there. Its confusing. However say if u were to get one what would u do? I am thinking of putting aside 55 - 60 k aside for it. Do u think its enough?

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I don't know man. There are so many options out there. Its confusing. However say if u were to get one what would u do? I am thinking of putting aside 55 - 60 k aside for it. Do u think its enough?

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This helps sir. If a year old bull can go for a lac rupees then I think a 4 year old is well within grasp

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Btw,can anybody tell me why do TB sell for lesser than Electras? Are they technologically more advanced? There are 5 year old ones for real cheap. Are they worth looking at?

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This helps sir. If a year old bull can go for a lac rupees then I think a 4 year old is well within grasp

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Btw,can anybody tell me why do TB sell for lesser than Electras? Are they technologically more advanced? There are 5 year old ones for real cheap. Are they worth looking at?

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