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Making a relaxed 28bhp, the Woodsman EFI isn’t a thrasher’s dream, but it makes big handfuls of torque right from tickover in a charismatic, lumpy fashion. The alloy-construction engine revs better than older Enfields, but it’s happiest using the low and mid range torque. 70mph cruising is comfortable, 85mph possible flat out. It feels best at 50-60mph on country roads.

All Enfields are built in India these days – fit and finish is crude in places. Reliability is better, and they’re dead simple to maintain, but still expect to have to get hands on once in a while. The Woodsman is a model created in the UK, adapted from a standard Bullet EFI by the importer. The conversion parts are well made.

The Woodsman handles better than it’s dynamically similar Trials brethren, thanks to running decent Avon road tyres instead of knobblies. It’s not sharp, and being brutal will tie it in a knot, but smooth use of the wide bars results in a respectable ability to maintain momentum through bends. Suspension quality is low, crashing over potholes and such, though it’s merely slightly bouncy over better maintained surfaces. Just keep in mind what it is, and it’s fine.

It’s not ludicrously expensive, but neither is it cheap. It’s cheaper than pseudo classics like the Triumph Bonneville, but then it’s not quite as able. It is, however, genuinely descended from classic British machinery from over 50 years ago, and remains the most authentic way to get the classic biking experience on a zero-mile machine.

Equipment is good compared to Enfields of old – the fuel warning light, fuel injection, electric start (plus a kicker for those of burly leg) and disc brake make life simpler. There’s a luggage rack behind you for strapping your sarnies to. That’s about your lot – it’s simplistic motorcycling. There’s not even a trip meter.

The Royal Enfield Trials’ engine is a subjective issue – base the score on performance, and it comes out low. It’s slow revving and is uncomfortable much past 65. But it has chunky single-cylinder torque right from tickover, and although it’s vibey they’re part of the character. As long as you don’t ride for hours flat-out, it’s part of the appeal.

It’s A 50 year-old design produced in India (converted to trial spec in the UK), so it’s fairly crude up close. It’s solid though – the motor is a piece of cake to home-service, everything is simple and accessible and it’s a tough old beast. It remains to be seen how the fuel injection will holdup under long-term ownership – it’s the only thing you might ever need to trouble a dealer to sort out.

Modern bikes chase chassis rigidity – the Enfield’s steel tube design merely holds the components together and might as well be made of rope. Even riding slowly you can feel the chassis flex as the engine loads and unloads the rear wheel. Saying that, taking smooth lines, make your inputs progressive and accelerating through bends helps maintain momentum. The knobbly tyres are soft, so leaning over gently doesn’t stress them too much – it’s possible to scrape the centrestand and rear brake pedal. The ride is a little bouncy – exacerbated by the sprung saddle. It will go off-road – but only gentle green lanes and fields unless you want to bash it in to pieces. It’s a style thing.

Just under £4500 buys you a Suzuki Gladius  or a Kawsaki ER-6n – both more practical and better performing. But Enfield buyers are unique – it’s an ownership experience rather than a purchase you rationalise too much. It’s also the sort of bike you could keep for life – you won’t get the same feeling with the Jap bikes. As long as you truly know what you’re getting, it’s a great authentic experience of classic motorcycling – except with better backup, reliability and a lower price than you might pay for a ‘real’ classic bike.

Centrestand, a rear luggage rack, a fuel light and an electric start are the only real luxuries. But they do mean it’s surprisingly utilitarian – it’ll happily commute across town every day, where the tight turning circle and narrow width is useful. But remember: real men learn to use the kickstart, even if the fuel injection makes it slightly easier.

By no means comparable to any Japanese sportster, but decent enough to go bend swinging. No seriously, those skinny tyres, single front disc and old-school suspension make A and B-roads quite a giggle when the pace hots up. The ace bars and flat seat aren’t the torture implements you’d think – it’s actually quite comfortable.

Ask any owner of a modern Enfield and the chances are you’ll hear nothing but praise. This is not to say there the bike is faultless. It’s just that Enfield buyers are generally the sort of person who buys with their heart rather than demands for performance and practicality.

Without doubt the best engine Enfield has ever produced. The engine now figures unit construction, whereby gearbox and crankshaft share the same engine cases. Fuel injection and electronic starter system makes makes starting an absolute joy. Although classic purists will, no doubt, prefer to make use of the kick starter. Although a 499cc 2v four-stroke, you have to remember it’s not built to be hammered to the limit while delivering big horsepower. Instead regard it as an engine made for leisurely romps through the countryside.

Ride an Enfield, particularly the Clubman or Scrambler version, and you get such a feeling of pride and joy that £5k seems negligible for the smile it puts on your face. Yes, it should be cheaper, but so should many other things in our lives. The final word is this: many people in MCN Towers would dearly love to have a Clubman in their garage.

An extra mark is awarded because of the hand-crafted aluminium tank is simply a work of art. Otherwise the Clubman carries nothing different to any basic motorcycle… unless you consider the historical background to Royal Enfield, plus the wonderful styling exercise.

Royal Enfield have tried hard to meet new Euro 3 emission laws without ruining the feel of their classic 500cc single, and it’s worked. The all-new unit-construction lump is fuel-injected yet still feels like an Enfield, mostly because it still has the 84mm bore, 90mm stroke and heavy crank of the old Electra. It may be made in India but it’s a traditional British push-rod single. Rubber strips between fins are there to reduce engine noise, but sat on top of you’re still treated to a nice classic sound that should endear the bike to old-fashioned purists. It’s still a lazy little engine, but it accelerates slightly quicker than the old model and has a touch more top end too.

Reliability with Enfield’s is patchy at best, with poor electrics. They’re very easy to work on though and there’s nothing that can’t be put right with a little patience and a Haynes manual. Finish is poor and goes off quickly if not cared for. These bikes are built in India so if you’re used to Japanese standards of build quality, you could be in for a shock.

The brakes aren’t up to much, with a single disc on the front and a drum brake (how quaint) on the back, so it’s a good thing the engine’s only packing 27.5bhp. It’s relatively comfy, until you get up to speed and the vibes start to kick in. It’s definitely not a bike for long journeys or sustained top speed. Compared to the competition, like the Kawasaki W650 or the Triumph Bonneville, handling and suspension lack quality.

Enfield claim 87mph for the Electra EFI, so with today’s fuel prices it could make alot fo sense as a cheap commuter. These bikes are so simple servicing can be done at home- in fact it’s probably a big part of the fun for alot of owners. The cost for a new one is very low and used bikes can be picked up at rock bottom prices.

One look at the pictures should tell you that there’s no on-board computer or digital tyre-pressure sensors here! The Enfiled aims to recreate biking from a simpler time. 2 wheels and an engine are about all you get for your money, but if you’re here reading this and considering one of these bikes, that probably forms a big part of the appeal.

In standard trim the Royal Enfield Bullet 500 single makes a claimed 22bhp, with another 2bhp squeezed out of the Clubman cafe racer version. The notchy gearbox takes some getting used to, but one thing you’ll have whilst riding a Royal Enfield is time, as progress is leisurely, and there’s no difference wit hthe Royal Enfield Bullet 500.

Build quality improved gradually on the Royal Enfield Bullet 500 from the late 1990s onwards, as Eicher’s new Indian factory took over and over 100 detail improvements have been made to the motorcycle in the last decade or so, by the factory and the UK importers. The Royal Enfield Bullet 500 is now a classic motorcycle you can use regularly.

The Royal Enfield Bullet 500 runs on skinny old tyres and handles OK for something so old fashioned, equipped with such basic forks and shock absorbers. The Bullet 500 can’t really go fast enough to test its chassis to the limit, which is probably a good thing.

As a used buy, the Royal Enfield Bullet 500 makes a whole lot of sense, as owners tend to be fussy types and £1000 upwards gets you something in OK nick. As a new bike, four grand is quite expensive for a 75mph cafe racer – a decent 650  Bonnie/750 Commando could be had for the same cash and arguably worth more in the long run compared to the Royal Enfield Bullet 500.

Old fashioned drum brakes can cause a few heart-stopping moments on the Royal Enfiled Bullet 500 and many of the pre-2004 model 500 Bullets have no electric start either, so you have to master the knack of kick-starting. The Royal Enfield Bullet 500 Trials and Army versions look like they’ve come straight from the set of `Heartbeat ‘ and have the most old school detailing.

Although the Royal Enfield Bullet 350 made in India today is a different engine from the old 60s British Enfields, it’s still a simple, low comp four stroke plodder, with an antiquated gearbox bolted onto it. The 350 Trials version has another 2bhp, but don’t expect to be going anywhere fast, as the Enfields were always designed for sedate cruising.

The UK importers have spent their own time and money making various mods to the Indian made Enfields over the last decade or so, plus general quality has improved over in India in the last five years or so. Vibes tend to loosen things on the Enfields, but otherwise, you shouldn’t have any major problems.

For what it is, the handling of the Royal Enfield Bullet 350 is surprisingly good. The bike steers very well and you can nip through traffic easily, it just has a certain bounciness on bumpy roads which warns you it is an old chassis design. Drum brakes are a bit scary in any emergency situation.

When you consider what it can cost to restore a genuinely ancient classic Brit bike, a new Royal Enfield Bullet 350 for £2000-£2600 seems a bargain – you even get a warranty! Emissions laws have pretty much ended the 350′s lifespan in the EU, but a good used example can be had for about £1000-£1500.

The Royal Enfield Bullet 350 Trials certainly looks the part, with an upswept exhaust, single saddle, alloy mudguards, luggage rack and trailie style handlebars. The 350 Classic is more basic, but the last of them were sold off in 2006 for just two grand new, so you can’t complain too much.

The Royal Enfield Bullet Electra’s lazy SOHC single cylinder lump makes peak power at around 5500rpm, though keeping it there for any length of time will probably strain both you and the bike beyond endurance. Boasts a newer ‘lean burn’ engine for emissions purposes, which replaces the old British designed motor.

New bikes only come with a 12-month, 7500-mile warranty. Reliability is patchy at best, with poor electrics. They’re very easy to work on and nothing can’t be put right with a little patience and a Haynes manual. Finish is poor and goes off quickly if not cared for.

Thankfully the absence of any serious urge doesn’t test the Royal Enfield Bullet Electra’s brakes too much. The ride is pleasant, but compared to something like Kawasaki’s W650 or the more expensive Triumph range it lacks polish. The heavy weight makes the Bullet feel heavy around town, too. Comfy as you like. Until the vibes intrude.

With excellent fuel economy, returning over 70mpg, cheap servicing you can easily do at home the Royal Enfield Bullet Electra can make a frugal commuter. New bikes are very cheap and used examples can be had for the price of a shonky scooter.

There are few concessions to modernity with the Royal Enfield Bullet Electra . No rev counter, for example, the lights are poor and older model Bullets (pre-2004) have old-school right hand side gearshifts and an upside-down shift pattern. Enfield offer a massive range of tuning parts.