My enfield was in for some work and I was loaned a Super Meteor 650 for the day and I was going to write down my feelings about it so that I don’t forget things. However I thought why not share it here? That way I might be able to find it again in the future!
The Bike
Issues for me:
- Handlebars too far away for my short arms giving me an aching shoulder. I’d have to look at some way to bring them back to me or spend some time on a rack.
- I suffer arthritis and found the clutch lever surprisingly heavy in traffic and it started hurting after a while. Surprising as these are supposed to be quite light clutches.
- The right hand engine cover was wide and my right calf was resting against it when stationary. The longer I rode the less it affected me because I was placing my foot further out. However I do wonder how it could be in the heat of summer. (It was between 4-7 degrees today).
- Gear lever was too far back/up making changes awkward. I’m sure this could be adjusted better for me.
- Low speed fueling in town wasn’t as good as my carb’d triumph but I did get used to it after a while.
Now the good points.
The engine note and feel was beautiful. Pipes sound good (standard). The engine has a feel of a v-twin and was a lot different to the enfield coninental GT 650 that I’d ridden before. I’m assuming enfield have done something to the timing/fueling. I liked it a lot, it was addictive to just wind it on from low revs.
The brakes were pretty good, I tried a few emergency stops and it wasn’t lacking (2 finger braking). The bike had done around 1800 miles so they would be bedded in.
Suspension was good on smoother A-roads (UK in 2024 smoother!) and fine on bumpy potholed back lanes.
Handling felt very secure although the roads were greasy so I didn’t get the chance to go for it.
The bike looked very well put together, I don’t think it’s led a well cared for life as the chain was rusting (I lubed it as soon as I could) and the tyre pressures were very low but apart from the chain I couldn’t see any signs of corrosion etc.
Considering it’s quoted weight (241Kg wet) it didn’t feel heavy even wheeling it around at home. Getting it on the centre stand was easy.
Overall it’s a bike I’d be quite happy to own, apart from the stretch to the bars, it was very comfy but I’d probably prefer it if the footpegs were closer to me.
I had hoped to ride a himalayan 450 but they didn’t have one in and I’m glad I tried the super meteor.
