The Bullet hits home!

Yours truly in my R Heroes workshirt with the Baja Bullet!

Things are coming together. My good buddy Victor delivered the 500cc Royal Enfield Bullet this afternoon (hereafter to be referred to as the Baja Bullet), and it’s yet another wow-this-is-an-incredible motorcycle. Jet black, pinstriped, aluminum engine, electric start, fuel injection, and a looooong-stroke 500 single. That combination offers a riding experience that is uniquely satisfying, and it does so in an age when most motorcycles feel and run like a Cuisinart (not that there’s anything wrong with Cuisinarts, but you get the idea). Nope, this is a motorcycle. You know it as soon as you see it, but just in case you don’t pick up on the magic, you’ll know it for sure when the hammer drops and the Bullet comes alive . You can literally feel every piston stroke going down the road, and that’s a good thing. It’s a machine, a real motorcycle, and it feels like one.

Topping off at the local gasolina store…

Imagine that…a motorcycle with a motor you can see!

This is really, really cool…a beautiful motorcycle bound for Baja. Jet black paint, silver pinstripes, polished aluminum. What a life!

Like I said, things are coming together. I’ve got my BajaBound insurance (wow, those guys make it easy). Gresh texted me a couple of hours ago as he blew past Quartzite, which means he’ll probably be here in another 2 or 3 hours. I was worried about who would ride which bike, but truth be told, I’m going to be a happy camper on either of these magnificent motorcycles. Joe and I will be trading off bikes regularly, and you’ll get both our impressions. Mine are overwhelmingly positive so far.

I’m 18 again. I’m a little heavier and I have a lot less hair than I did when I was 18, but trust me on this…I’m 18 today. I feel very British, which is odd, considering that the bikes are made in India, we’re in America, and we’re going to be riding in Mexico. Globalization, I guess. I sure am glad the Royal Enfield folks in India kept the Royal Enfield marque alive, not only in name and logo, but with that awesome Britbike feel.

More to come, folks. Much more. And hey, sign up for our email updates. You just might win one of our moto adventure books. In the meantime, if you want to get a jump start on what it’s like riding in Baja, check out our Baja page!

Joe Berk