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The needle nudges 140. Hands tingling, I slow down to 50 and am instantly transported 10 years into the past. The slow thumping reminds me of my first partner in crime for Motorcycle Physics experiments. It all began with, of all the things, a Bullet. It refused to wheelie depsite my desperate, pleading efforts. It wasn't all that fast. Not until my life depended on retardation did it feel way too fast. It was as agile as a 200 kg block of iron. Er, which it was. Sunday mornings were spent cleaning it, and being a Bullet, there was always a lot to clean on the it. There was usually more oil on the outside of the engine than on the inside. I used to look at other motorcyclists' trouser bottoms and wonder why they weren't black. It seemed only natural, you see. The Classic 500 doesn't do any of these things.
What you see in these pages is a Bullet too. No matter what names Royal Enfield sticks onto their bikes, they will always be called Bullets. Well, at least I will. And ever since the Classic 500's launch, I was looking forward to see how much of the Bullet essence it retains. And it pleases me no end to state that it retains what Bullets are renowned for - character. It's a misunderstood attribute, this character. Character should make a motorcycle more involving to ride, and not make it blow a fuse, loosen its tappets and leak five litres of oil every 100 kilometres, which Bullet-folk have resigned themselves to believing. The Classic 500 changes all of that.
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