Interested in a Trials 500

Robbi

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Seen a very tidy 2021 500 trials with 1800 miles on it, Red frame etc. at £4250 in a dealer so I'm tempted.
Looking for first hand ownership experiences, pros and cons to help me make up my mind.

Thanks in advance
 
Friend of mine has one, have swapped bikes on several occasions. I found it quite comfy, surprisingly nippy but a bit under braked, having said that the engine braking is superb. The caveat is, that said mate can't resits fiddling with his bikes so none are standard:blast. Probably best to see if you can get a test for a reasonable time, I did wonder when I first rode it why anyone would have one, but after half an hour or so it grew on me (not enough to buy one though!)Cheers:beerjug:John B
 
As John says, have a test ride or borrow any similar aged 500 for a day if you can. They’re best described as a bit quirky and unlike shit wine, they do get better with age as both the brakes and the engine bed in.

They benefit from changing the air filter and spark plug but no matter what you do it’s still a budget bike and you need to limit your expectations or you’ll be disappointed. I think my 500 is a great bike for pottering around the countryside but I wouldn’t take it on a motorway because it’s too slow and wouldn’t have the power to get me out of trouble while maintaining a degree of mechanical sympathy.
 
AndyB_11 said:
As John says, have a test ride or borrow any similar aged 500 for a day if you can. They’re best described as a bit quirky and unlike shit wine, they do get better with age as both the brakes and the engine bed in.

They benefit from changing the air filter and spark plug but no matter what you do it’s still a budget bike and you need to limit your expectations or you’ll be disappointed. I think my 500 is a great bike for pottering around the countryside but I wouldn’t take it on a motorway because it’s too slow and wouldn’t have the power to get me out of trouble while maintaining a degree of mechanical sympathy.
Click to expand...

Good Post, and food for thought. I think the " expectations" may be an issue so I'll try and book a test ride.
 
Does anyone know if the ABS can be disconnected ?
 
Robbi said:
Does anyone know if the ABS can be disconnected ?
Click to expand...

You might want to check the legality of that, in full, as if it's on the vehicle it appears to need to be fully functional.
If totally removed, that's a different kettle of fish, but a sticking point might be that there will be an idiot light for ABS, and if you just remove the bulb, the lack of it (or failure to "sequence off") would be an MOT fail. You'd probably have to obscure it completely.

There's a great many online threads about it, including some on here, but the ultimately correct answer will come from DVLA/VOSA or an MOT testing station. :thumb
 
Thanks for that, a bit more investigation required I reckon.
 
AndyB_11 said:
You don’t need ABS on a Royal Enfield 500 so there’s no need to concern yourself with disconnecting it.
Click to expand...
Oh you do, legally anyway, and it's an MOT fail if the bike is post 2016....

On January 1st, 2016, it became mandatory for all motorcycles that have an engine displacement greater than 125cc to have an ABS system fitted.
 
Jazbee said:
Oh you do, legally anyway, and it's an MOT fail if the bike is post 2016....

On January 1st, 2016, it became mandatory for all motorcycles that have an engine displacement greater than 125cc to have an ABS system fitted.
Click to expand...

I doubt if you could lock the front unless it was pissing down or freezing and you have to stamp pretty hard on the back to put a black line on the road.
 
Jazbee said:
Oh you do, legally anyway, and it's an MOT fail if the bike is post 2016....

On January 1st, 2016, it became mandatory for all motorcycles that have an engine displacement greater than 125cc to have an ABS system fitted.
Click to expand...

How's that work then?
Both my enfields are2017 and 2018.
Both C5 Classic 500. Disc front and drum rear.
Defo no abs.
Engine and frame numbers show them to have been made after 2016.��
 
Kenny Rodkiss said:
How's that work then?
Both my enfields are2017 and 2018.
Both C5 Classic 500. Disc front and drum rear.
Defo no abs.
Engine and frame numbers show them to have been made after 2016.��
Click to expand...
Dunno, are they imports or UK spec bikes? Maybe there was a dispensation, but a quick search tells you about an EU law that was introduced in 2016.
My RE only has one piece of 'tech' and that is ABS and the only reason it has it is because they couldn't sell it without it.
 
Jazbee said:
Dunno, are they imports or UK spec bikes? Maybe there was a dispensation, but a quick search tells you about an EU law that was introduced in 2016.
My RE only has one piece of 'tech' and that is ABS and the only reason it has it is because they couldn't sell it without it.
Click to expand...

My 2019 Monkey125 had to have ABS fitted. Mine was only on the front wheel. No buttons to switch it on or off, just a light. Ironically Honda chose not to develop an ABS unit for the monk. They just fitted a 2018 or 17 Fireblade unit. Apparently it was 9 channel with cornering ABS, wheelie control ect. Honda used one channel and turned the other eight off.
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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