Royal Enfield Adventure Bike – Have I lost my mind?

First, quick story, about 20 years ago I destroyed a 2 week old dirt bike while walking away without a scratch. Last year, I took the MSF basic rider course and bought a new bike, a Royal Enfield Electra, 6 months later I purchased a Triumph Bonneville. I am hooked on riding again…
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I am debating about turning my Enfield into a light weight adventure bike. Currently, I use the bike as a daily driver to run around town (can’t beat 70 mpg). I have made changes/modifications to the bike, mostly to increase available horse power. I also have brackets/mounts that with some minor mods can be used for hard cases.
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What I am looking at are tires, handle bars, a seat and a fly screen of some sort.
Tires – Michelin Anakee 100/90 19 both front and rear (both tires are a front tire with the tire in the rear being run in reverse direction)
Handle bars – Stock bars replaced with a braced “Scrambler” style with about 4” of rise over the stock bars.
Seat – A Scrambler type that is about 2/3rds of the length of the stock seat.
Fly screen – I will fabricate myself
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My goal is a bike that is comfortable on dirt roads and some 2 track.
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So, have I lost my mind?

Some extra information: the Enfield Electra has a re-designed motor that is many times more reliable then the original motor. I can run the bike at 65 "all day".

My Enfield as it is today.

Love your Enfield, Staplegunnr, and yes, you have lost your mind, but please share more of your insanity with us.

Dont question your sanity just start cuttin'and hackin' etc.................

I think it depends on how adventuresome you want to get. I've owned an Enfield Bullet. I put quite a bit into the engine, porting, polishing, high comp. piston, Amal Carb, BSA exhause, etc. I got rid of the battery box, relocated the coil, did all sorts of stuff. At one time it was probably making more power than any other Bullet in existence. I was invited to lunch with some reps from the factory in India and they were amazed at how much power my bike was making. That being said, without spending a lot more money (and ruining the classic good looks) on things like brakes, the bike just wasn't a very capable stopper.

They're a very simple bike, and easy to wrench on. From that standpoint they're probably an ideal adventure platform. If you don't plan on spending much time on superslabs, or expect much offroad, it would probably work okay. Since you already have a Triumph, I think I'd be more tempted to get something like a Scrambler to use as an adventure mount. It's more modern in about every way.

Definite style points for adventurin' on the Bullet. It looks like a sweet bike.

I think you will find that the Royal Enfield is used quite often as an adventure bike in places like india

why not start with the trials kit?

not sure how much is compatible with the Electra, but......

Hmmm, this is on the local CL..... Just sold one of the WRs.....



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go nuts!

this video shows a fellow on a seriously loaded enfield doing some adventure touring.

he carried all his camera equipment. he'd stop, set up his shot, then ride through, then go back and tear it down.

here's the trailer.

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You should definitely try it so long as you get a kick out of it and you can live with your nice bike getting beat up. I think it's very cool. I used to love to ride my harley on dirt roads.

Maybe you can get some kind of bash plate and guards to protect that engine case? Looks like going down in rocky terrain would do a real number on it as is.

kevrider - my idea is a non-farkled version of the Indian kit. Most of the parts will not work on the Electra.

tweeker43 - that vid, and this site was what has lead me to loosing my mind.

Yes, I have lost my mind....

thanks for the replies

buy a klr650

Enfields are one of the Original Adventure bikes. I wouldn't consider them anything less.

Upgrade to knobbies and you're finished.

nope you haven't, they are great adv bikes

check out this 32,000km adventure pictorial through South America and Africa

http://www.royalenfield.co.nz/gallery-benno-thecla/index.html

Staplegunnr,

I have decided that all bikes are "adventure bikes", but not all riders are adventure riders.

Ride on!

I say go for it! I'm bored to tears with most modern bikes that have no soul. Plastic bikes just don't do it for me. It's nice to ride a bike that you don't see 10 just like it every time you take a ride.

boy, ain't that the truth!

Any bike you can fix with a big rock and a wire coat hanger is definitely "adventure worthy"...

I guess it all depends on what kind of 'adventuring' you want to do, but seeing as you already have the RE, you know the shortcomings.

It's an old versus new design bike thing Older bikes are easier to fix, but need fixing and servicing much more often. Newer design bikes go better, handle and stop better.

I rode the RE a few years back (military look-alike) when I was looking for a thumper for dirt road exploring. Seemed it would do ok, but the tall first gear and limited 'comfortable' cruising speed (anything much over 55mph seemed to vibrate my boots off the pegs), as well as the stodgy suspension, put me off.

Plus I'm not really somebody that enjoys futzing with valves and such every 1000 miles or so (what the dealer told me).

But have at it despite the issues: different strokes for different folks.
Tou don't need the latest / greatest equipment to have fun. After all, I adventured a Vespa P200E 2-up back in the early 80s on paved and dirt roads, and had a lot of fun.

200 - 300 miles in a day was much more of a challenge than on my K100RS of the time, but just as fun in a different way. As long as you aren't in a hurry or trying to break any records, pick your routes, and don't need to keep up with a KTM Adventure 990, the RE should do it.

Heres a bit of inspiration from some of the members of the RE forum I belong to.