Hello.
Join me as I have a tickle in the Derbyshire Peak District.
On the Agenda today, is my thanks to you for reaching 1000 subscribers.
After a previous vlog when I “possibly suggested” that my Royal Enfield Classic still didn’t quite have the same build quality as some other manufacturers a viewer of the channel pointed me in the direction of potential issues elsewhere.
I also share some of your wonderful photographs.
Please send your photos to
shottostravels@Gmail.com
Ride Safe 👍
[Music] hello thanks for joining me I hope you’re well I’m just on a little tickle out but I’d be neglecting my duties if I didn’t say the very first thing is and I bet you know what it’s going to be it’s thank you a great big thank you to everybody for getting me to 1 th000 subscribers now when I started this that was the least thing on my mind I just wanted to um to have a tickle round on me new bike and see if anybody shared me interest and apparently you do I’m not the only one there’s thousands of us isn’t there enjoying tickling around on our little Royal M fields and other bikes so well thank you doesn’t seem enough all the comments and the likes and the and the subscribes and all the thumbs up and all that sort of stuff it’s been wonderful it really has so I’m going to you know I don’t I don’t know what else to say thank you very much for joining me on this little journey that I’m on and you’re very welcome to it if you get any value out of it that’s marvelous and um well thank you once again now topic of conversation for today is something that I made I made a comment on my last video when I went down to that Canal Basin and I was talking about build quality and I made the statement oh dear I made the statements that Royal Enfield Old Quality I felt still although you know you know what I think of this little bike I think I think it’s wonderful but it still probably isn’t quite right up there with the triumphs and the unders and stuff like that that was the statement that I made now I may have been corrected I don’t know tell me what you think and don’t get me wrong I’m not slagging Royal l l one in any shape or form I love it I think it’s brilliant what are just made an off thee cuff comment you know like I do butterfly brain riding around that maybe they weren’t quite as good and one of me subscribers now I think oh my goodness me I forgot it already I think his name was Barry I think his name was Barry he said well you know he said before you go saying things like that and in fact I don’t even think he said that what he said just shut me visy now I hope you can hear me all right cuz I’ve got a a new microphone so that’s another reason I’m out today just playing with this see if it works okay if it does I’ll put it on if it doesn’t I’ll have to do it again but right Barry I’m sure his name was Barry he said well you want to have a look at this video on YouTube and not only what happened but but the way Triumph have dealt with it and I’m not knocking Triumph because I’ve had no real dealings with him so who am I to say I don’t know it’s just this one Fell’s experience so I had a look at the video and it was entitled it’s something like if you search it it’s easy find on YouTube I think he’s in America or Canada this F and um it’s something it’s entitled 2013 T 100 Bonnyville catastrophic failure if you just put that if you just put Bonnyville catastrophic failure in you search it’ll come up his name was Serge muon or something like that so anyway this Fell’s issues revolved around well what he did was he he was pressing his starter motor Button he’s pressing the starter button and all he was hearing was a spinning a wearing noise he demonstrates this on the video so he took the clutch cover off where the where the uh starter motor is and he found that the starter when he pressed the button the starter motor was spinning but it wasn’t engaged with a great big wheel like a big steel wheel that engaged with the sprad clutch which started the engine so if you’re following me I’m not following myself cuz I’m not technically minded so don’t quote me if I’m wrong on any of this but anyway the starter motor was spinning but what it but the shaft wasn’t engaging with a cog that should have been Turing the engine and the reason for that was because the rod that holds this Cog on had broken off from its mouns on either side of the crank case so on on the so it had broken off from the clutch cover that he taken off and the other end had broken it now whether this was a bit of metal fatigue going on whether this is a common occurrence who knows but surely that shouldn’t have happened you know it should last the life of the bike shouldn’t it now I did check and the the bike was a 2013 bike I don’t know how many miles I don’t I don’t imagine it had been abused it doesn’t look like it does a 2013 bike and he was posting this in around that worked out 2020 2021 something like that so it was it was 7 years old but yeah it seemed to me that you shouldn’t be EXP expecting that to happen on on a bik like that now what had happened I have no idea lots of people watching this and he’ll go to view the video after watching me or or say oh well you know they know more about it than me I’m not an expert I don’t know anything but so what he went on in in his second video which follows on is his response from Triumph and uh let’s say he didn’t get the response that he he wanted so if you watch the video it’ll tell you more than I have I haven’t put it very well but there seemed to be a problem there as I say whether it’s metal fatigue whether it’s a one-off whether you’ve heard of any other cases I don’t know well that’s that but that led me on to and lots of people will have seen this possibly because I’ve only been around this YouTube mil for a few months so it’s all new to me and I have seen Stuart fillingham and I’ve seen comments odd comments like oh Stuart Fielding me H triumphs but if you watch the the the video that I watched or you know he’s telling you about his experience with with I think they were water cool triumphs so they were later than the one that Serge had in America or Canada and to be honest he’s had a bit of a t time and he’s une earthed and apparently it’s well known amongst Triumph forums there’s a there’s an issue with them and Triumph are less than I don’t know with willings the word or less than able to find a permanent fix and again so that might be another one to watch Stuart fillingham on his Triumph for gearbox water cooled gearbox issues so that all brings me back to where where I’m going with this is and I’ve got no ax to grind against triph at all none whatsoever um it was just an off off the cuff comment saying that uh you know maybe maryal Enfield isn’t quite as good as a Triumph well it seems that in some respects you know um although it might be on the face of it a little bit basic it’s got everything you need and the most and the best thing you can have is that it’s it’s so solid so durable you know okay we might have a sticking Speedo now and again and I might have a more coming guard and I might have a bit of steaming up in me clocks but it didn’t stop me from riding it work is it or for a teckle around in the Peak District or whatever I want to do whereas if some major goes bang with it like the lad in in in America or Canada then that is clearly a problem that needs addressing and the interesting thing is it it’s ongoing now and they don’t seem completely able to uh to sort it out a bit quick down here Keith go steady what’s up with you you know that’s what I do but I’m talking away I’m enjoying the scenery I’m sort of looking at the scen it’s all it’s all overload and I can’t te everything in and uh anyway I’m doing 30 now so that’s not too shabby so that’s that one so uh thank you for drawing that to my attention Barry I think it was Barry I will check and if there’s a if I’ve got that wrong I’ll put a correction on the screen around now so if I’ve got it wrong accept me apologies but my brain don’t work like it used to now Gary Gary’s from windsford I seem to remember and he’s got a classic 350 a red and chrome one they obviously didn’t have the superior Chrome bronze one at the time when he ordered it cuz obviously they had one of them instead I want to joking right now so he’s got this red and one and he sent me a lovely couple of pictures up up near the Ponderosa place called World’s End now I said to him oh I think that’s where I dropped me Kawasaki remember I told you dropped me Kawasaki in a Ford and i’ be on the first day about 2 hours after that it brand new um I don’t know where I’m getting down here I think I’m lost I think I’m lost anyway he sent me these two lovely pictures of his Chrome red red Chrome near replac called World’s End near in snow near is it is it no a far enough across the snow down here is it but uh yeah World’s End near that Ponderosa CAF where we got the sausage BS from so thanks for sending them Gary them are wonderful now Morgan Morgan’s in Spain and he’s a regular supporter of the channel little efforts here so thank you Morgan he’s been in touch a few times he was the man who does the shooting on a Sunday and that picture of that big sausage hey that was wonderful wasn’t it I do like a picture of a sausage anyway he’s got his bike he’s been waiting for this bike come for a while now and it’s finally landed and that’s another red one another one oh they callon them redens are AR they them oh dear dear dear but anyway again another one perhaps he couldn’t get a brown brown one anyway he’s got this beautiful little red red Chrome classic and he’s he’s been the dealer and collected it and he said he rode home about 45 mph and every man in his dog was overtaking him but he does say he loves it already I think he’s out of Bonnyville he’s always he I don’t know if he’s still got his Bonnyville but H he said the the the weight is so much lower down on the on the end field and uh and he loves it to bits so that’s brilliant that is Morgan thanks for thanks for sending the pictures and uh we’ll know that to E from you soon take care mate joony from Warrington now I can’t believe this I can’t believe I’m having a run a red Chrome red there’s another one here he’s from Warrington and he sent me a picture I think he says he’s in the lanes of cheser somewhere so we nice picture there and if you notice he’s got a he’s got a really nicely upholstered seat on that that he said he had done by a local guy so I don’t know who did that but that’s marvelous oh now these this is a Ford normally so Hey where’s the water up here we’ve had it’s going underneath the underneath the road here and oh it’s here he’s a Ford look oh no look at this Ford I Hae Fords this is where I go sideways now we go through here ever G cuz I don’t like them because I’m not good with them they get really slippy oh my goodness me oh it’s cobbles it’s cob oh God above it oh dear oh de keithy keithy stand oh thank goodness for that oh oh no I hate him I Hae him cuz you know what happened with M Kawasaki I told you oh I’m going to go steady now while I just dry everything off good Lord anyway we threw it and we and we live to fight another day we’re getting up this hill now I’ll just go a bit steady up here so where was it then we’re on another Chrome bronze Wen we uh was it Tony from Warrington yeah thanks for sending that mate that’s brilliant I’m sorry I got to I was getting a bit distressed but that’s what happens when I go through a for cuz I got Abit to get sideways on them oh don’t know which way to go now which way do we go Road closed here oh that’s good be then you know look at that I think I’m in I don’t know what gear I’m in I think I’m in third second third and it just pulls don’t it from low revs is it fantastic hey it puts up from from nothing right let’s get up here now and uh just have a look who’s next on me list hope you did another Chrome red I’m sick of them I’m sick of them I am uh oh dear which way should we go now I don’t know let’s go that way oh there oh there was s here oh we all show you it’s that plaque there it’s that plaque there that blue I’ve seen this before I don’t know where the flags on somebody’s necked it now then there’s a black there I see you can see do you see that there I hope you’re picking that up because I can’t see my screen very well it says 1914 1918 Buton a doubly thankful Village all our serving Villages return safely from both world wars so in the war I’ve heard of this before but obviously lots of lads and and women sadly met the Fate in the world wars didn’t they but some Villages sent men to fight and the came back that this is one of them that a doubly thankful Village nobody who went to fight in the world wars from here all the area around here was killed in the in in the war isn’t that marvelous very rare very rare we’ve all we’ve all got memorials haven’t we in most villages in the UK honoring the war dead well they a one here cuz nobody died I think that’s fantastic you know I thought I’d just come back to this little tunnel cuz it’s just long enough to let us have a look at what lighting we’ve got obviously the lights on all the time and this time when I go through it I’ll try not Mel switch God how thick am I goodness me so you know I thought i’ come back to this little tunnel I’m virtually finished for the day but I thought I’d test the these lights out oh I’m not there I thought it was around that corny but anyway so we’ll have a ride through this tunnel and hopefully there’ll be nothing in it and I might even stop offway and we’ll have a look at what our you know what the beam patterns like on the headlights cuz I don’t know I’m sure you know lots of people be all know what it’s like but there’s be lots of people out there who’ve just had the new little classic 350 it won’t have a clue and I’m one of them cuz I haven’t been out in the dark yet and to be honest I probably won’t use it to go out in the door very much oh you know I thought that tunnel was just around the corner from where I was then but uh well it’s in the first thing I’ve got wrong is it now this shely around this cor a that’s why it says 20 there that’s why cuz it saying slow down because uh because of this tunnel so let’s have a look oh my God I’m wrong I’m wrong again can I believe it you know when I come out and do these Vlogs I think I’ll just have a tickle around and I end up with too much material I think you know by the time I’ve talked about the the Triumph and the gearbox and what that fell told me and put a few photos on that would be plenty but end up with like 15 hours footage s let me goes right am me he is the tunnel now he’s a tunnel now let’s have a look at the beam pattern in here so I’ll go in the middle of this tunnel there’s nobody in it so there are about that’s what we’ve got that’s the flashy and that’s I beam so I don’t know what we can deduce from that but the lights are all right only for the performance that we getting so that’s low and that’s all so there you are there you have it about sound of this in that tunnel I tell you what I haven’t got me ear plugs in got them in all pushed by their cyclist don’t get messing with them you know what I’m like with cyclists right so there you have it there’s your beam pattern if if you haven’t seen it yeah you have now right I wish you all a good day or a good evening or a good night or wherever you are in the world wherever you are in the world listen at me um in the meantime make sure you ride safe watch out for the pools and the lunatic drivers take care of yourselves and uh I’ll see you on the next one thanks again for getting me to 1,000 subscribers what can I say thank you by [Music] [Music] [Music] oh [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music]
27 Comments
I can find videos of just about every make of bike ,some where the owners praise their bikes and some where they curse the bike and its maker . I've been operating machinery all my life and have developed an ability to identify quality engineering. What I can say is that both RE and Triumph make good bikes .
Triumphs are a little better finished that's all . But like all machinery , some will fail from time to time and for unusual reasons , it just happens .
You can't expect a manufacturer to repair a bike for free when its years out of warranty .
I know of one RE that had a catastrophic engine failure , but it was fixed by RE because it was under warranty . My own Triumph had a fault which was fixed under warranty without quibble .
So what does that tell you ?
Not much really .
I have given up reading sob stories on the internet . The reason being that the author only tells you what he wants you to believe .
We cannot know all the facts and therefore shouldn't condemn a bike or it's maker on the word of just one person with an axe to grind.
Re the quality of Royal Enfield have a look at Glyn Owen rebuilding a crashed 350 Classic, long videos but shows how really well the Classic is built ! 😊
I've been amazed at the quality of design and build quality of both my Meteor and now my Hunters. But I've no experience of other modern bikes. Certainly mine are very reliable – how long they will last of course, only time will tell. Probably last me out!! 😂😂
Beautifull ride and environment! Yeah, maybe the finish on triumph is little better but comes with a price. Both the enfield and triumph are Beautifull bices. At the end its all about how you take care of the motorcycle.
I am not the Berry you did mention. Going on a ride now on the royal Berzan, my little friend the classic 350.
Hope i can go to Schotland one Day, what a Beautifull land it is. Ride save and regards from Holland
Morning Keith your intros lately are so good the bike bit spoils it, 🤣🤣🤣🤣 no seriously brill ride mate, love the area and but a cobbled ford is a nightmare combination mate 😳 re build quality, with manufacturers having bikes being built all over the world, and sourcing parts manufactured all over the world, and manufacturers sharing parts, I do find it difficult to label one bike built better than another, everything is built to a price point so if you buy a £24k GS1250 like a Mercedes compared to a fiesta the finish and equipment is going to be different to say my classic 350, simple🙄 the ford crossing made me giggle mate and prob will for the rest of the day 😂 We have a vill 5 mins from us St George’s grehaine this was a village that survived both wars untouched, to commemorate this they have decorated a grott with religious statues etc at the entrance to the village I’ll send a photo asap go steady mate ….pete🇫🇷
Morning Keith, another cracking vlog buddy, as you know I am fortunate enough to have both a modern Triumph and a modern Royal Enfield and I love them both but I do have to say that the Triumph is definitely more authentic,,,, the Enfield doesn’t have a oil leak 😮😂😂😂 just my personal experience. Have to say that your production is getting very slick,, though the presenter is still a lost cause 😂😂😂 All the best buddy 👍
Another good video Keith, I remember FortNine did a video testing particulate levels at the first oil change, this showed the R.E. engine machining is right up to standard. As for total build quality, I guess we won't know that for another 20 or so years when we see how they fare in the long run. Though the emissions laws will probably make us all outlaws by then!
I'm a retired factory worker that worked on machinery my whole career. All machinery has broken when age and stress happens. The same with people. 😥😥 All my bikes will outlast me and if I have a broken one it will be fixed and the others will temporarily fill it's place. No worries.!! Nothing is perfect. Congratulations on the milestone. Can't wait for the next one. My Classic is patiently waiting for it's first service. Down to one tech and Spring is not the time to expect priority service. Been raining a lot in my area, so riding whenever I can. "CHILL" –my favorite way of thinking. Lol. 👍👍5🏍🙋♂️
Hi,I had seen the 2 videos you mentioned and thought Triumph let themselves down badly. Until recently I owned a Bonneville as well as my 2 REs, and I had to let it go as I plain and simple did not enjoy riding it. Yesterday I rode a Shotgun, given it for an hour and I took it back after 40 mins again I just did not enjoy the ride and disappointed as I was about to buy one😮. Final point you demonstrated well with your light test in the tunnel the throw pattern of the light beam, which many owners will not know means that it does not toe to the side as regular headlights do. The history of this is I'm just about to export my Meteor to Portugal and contacted RE customer support to find out the part number for a different deflector/headlight for Europe and this is what they said "The headlight is common and has a symmetrical beam that can be used for both right hand and left hand side driving"
Hi Keith another great video and we'll done again on the 1000 subs !!!!!! As you know my 350 has taken me to work every day for the past 18 months 2 x Winters and have no complaints on the build quality 👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽 got steady.
Matt from Sunny stoke
I have yet to hear of any fails with this new J series engine. A well know reviewer did an experiment on the first oil change on numerous big name motorcycles. Try searching "fortnine first oil change" . You will be impressed.
😂sorry bud you going through that ford you sound like me on gravel, l bloody hate gravel. That was great seeing Butterton and Wetton Mill again after nearly 30 years 👍
Great video Bud , keep them coming.
Wrong Keith from my experience the build quality onR/E is up there with the Japanese motorcycle build quality, I've over 50+years riding experience personally all my R/e are built like tanks, enjoy ur Enfield Keith. 😅😊
Hi Keith, you want to own an old Ducati went through sprag clutches like something else, due to a under charged battery. Royal Enfield have come leaps and bounds. People say these bikes are cheap ? They are cheap compared to other manufactures but remember they are priced accordingly, old technology. Don't get me wrong all the technology that are on other bikes are not really required. I use own an Royal Enfield Himalayan that had problems: Blown head-gasket, twice, headstock bearers and rust. I sold it in the end. I now own a 350 classic, so different on quality, no problems so far covering 4000 miles.
What's all this chrome fixation about? Mine's Halcyon Black and I chose that, because it's understatedly Classy, and easy to clean! Just saying, Cheers, DINO, Let's get another 1000!
Hi Keith, great vid, my classic is the same as yours and I love it, only had it since March an have already done a few light mods, talking of which the 1st one was to change the miserable front lights which were like candles, tigers eye bulbs worked out at 30p each and the headlight at 4.50,the best thing is motorists can now see me coming, highly recommended from a certain auction site, keep up the good work, safe riding
Another enjoyable video ride!
Thanks for including my photos on this one.
Looks a great route, keep wishing there was a map with it though to go exploring.
Recognised it when you got to the tunnel, coincidentally That Bloke On A Motorbike went through on his latest video on same bike as yours
https://youtu.be/VMGgFp2xWPY?si=pSUw7SSXXwsD_f-d
Triumph isn't Even up to the Build Quality Any Honda lmao 🤣
And Certainly not any better than Any Royal Enfield Built Now 👍
Cheers Paul Foster 👍
That ford at worlds end is a bloody nightmare. Nearly came off my 500 classic there last year. Foot down saved me.Insanely slippy and on a sharp bend
To me, the mark of quality is reliability. I’ve not heard of one single major reliability problem with the Classic 350, yet there are plenty well documented problems with retro Triumphs
Another fun ride along Keith. Your new microphone is working well. I worked for Honda for 37 years. Most of my bike ownership experience has been with Honda until I bought my Classic 350 this year. I am impressed with the build quality this far and I expect it to continue. It has exceeded everything I expected from the Lil' Darlin'. Any manufacturer can have an issue from time to time, it is how the respond to and stand behind it that matters most. Congratulations on the milestone, well deserved friend!
Personally I think it's horses for courses about the build quality etc. My Triumph didn't have the problems Stuart Fillingham complained about, and none of the front brake squealing either – lots of people moaned about that one. After seeing his video on the gearbox fault I was always expecting mine to play up, but it didnt.
Yes the cable going to the headlamp was sorted out under warrantee and a problem with the antilock braking sensor was changed, however there are no complaints from me. Except how heavy it was.
But at well under half the price of a Bonneville who am I to complain about the quality of my Classic 350 and so much more manoeuvrable than the Bonnie.
BTW the bikeshop has now got a bronze model in stock, but I still prefer the red and chrome model 🤣
I do like your riding scenery, very green.
I’ve had four Hinckley Triumphs in the past and consider the Royal Enfield easily as well built. If the brand badges were removed and you didn’t know any better most people would think the bikes were made in the same factory. Just got mine and seriously impressed with the quality of such a reasonably priced bike.
Thanks for showing the pics Keith, there was a brown/chrome available they're all gawjuss bikes but the Red just pipped it for me(silent MUFC fan) another great bimble. Stay safe pal.
Nice video, with some lovely scenery, thank you.
Can I just say that, even if the quality is slightly off what we have come to expect from the likes of all the big manufacturers, you are only paying a fraction of the price of those other manufacturers. I am more than happy with the quality of my Classic 350 (sorry Keith, another red/chrome one), especially as I only paid £3,400 for a year-old bike with 2,000 miles on the clock.