I like it !  A scrambler !!  

Actually , I like the Yamaha Scrambler --- But --- I ain't paying for a brush type alt. that spins a wound rotor on a vibrating crankshaft.  

So, the Enfield looks good , and it get over 70 mpg according to their data.  I'm guessing a 400cc class bike would redline high gear about 85 mph but with a chain things can change easily .     A 400cc might not be too ruff on the modern chains we have now ???

Peaked my interest  

Springman......like most dual sport bikes - this one is tall.  The seat height is 31.5".  MMRanch wouldn't have a problem - but it is a bit tall for me, you, Stewmills..and the rest of us that have a 30" or less inseam.  It could be worse however....as the KLR650 and some others have seat heights up to 35".....I rode a V-Strom 1000 and could only reach the ground with my tippy toes!

420 pounds dry and only 25 hp. I'm no expert but I think that performance is likely to be lacking. I mean, the stock S40 has 5 more hp and weighs about 30 lbs less, and it's no ball of fire.

ohiomoto wrote on 11/21/17 at 06:25:15:


Well, then never mind, everything's OK.  

I sat on a 300 Versys not too long ago at a local dealer. Even with my 30" inseam the 32.1"     seat height wasn't a problem. The rear suspension compresses a good bit when you've got your weight on it.. The front of the seat is pretty narrow too. I had the balls of my feet solidly on the floor and I suspect with some miles on the bike to soften the suspension up a bit I could flat foot it no problem.

The tag on the bars said $6299, which I think is MSRP+setup/destination. Add sales tax, which is 8% here, and DMV fees and you're getting pretty close to $7K.

Top speed on the RE is around 80 I think. The Kawai will hit a bit over 100. I'm sure the Versys is a better bike, but it ought to be considering how much more it costs.

Another thing I think is pretty neat is the racks that come already installed on the RE. I looks like you could hang a lot of crap on that thing without buying anything except some straps or bungees. All the bodywork on the Versys is plastic. Not going to carry much on that without buying some luggage made specifically for the bike I don't think.

springman wrote on 11/21/17 at 19:50:37:


I do believe it is the kind of bike that folks will buy....then after a little while move on to something else.  If you wait a few years, you can most likely get a low mileage bike for half price.  I seriously doubt if I will ever buy another new bike in my lifetime - as a little time spent browsing Craigslist and eBay can get you some incredible deals on used bikes.

Dave wrote on 11/21/17 at 04:17:13:

Y'know, I had a similar problem with my (former) Yam XT225. While the bike ran fine, I had to "cowboy up" to get in the saddle. That meant, while on sidestand, left foot on footpeg, hold handlebars, rise up and swing right leg over. Stoplights required a "leaner". I long for the beautiful scramblers of the '70s. I would jump at the chance to get a new Honda CL175, but it's not going to happen.