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[ed.lazda]

Bullet 350, standard apart from bellmouth and short silencer. Takes a while to get there but will do a genuine 65 mph on the flat. Seems to smooth out a bit over 57-58.

[Midge]

Mines a 500. At a true 60+mph the speedo was reading somewhere over 80, although my vision was getting a bit blurred and the needle was gadding about no end! - It was like the scene in that '50s film where the jet pilot was trying to break the sound barrier!

[simon]

Got an effortless 70mph on my 350 bitsa a few times but it overheats if it is sustained. Sounds as sweet as a nut with a homemade minimally baffled Burgess style muffler. It does have further to go and I believe it would do 80 mph but,like others I wish to play another day.

[m1ks]

Mine was an indicated 60mph, (no idea of the true speed), having been held for about 5-6 miles when it seized,
350 classic all stock settings, airbox pipe etc.

[simon]

Did about 2 miles at 70 mph today with this post in mind. There is a motorway section down the road from me with an excellent downhill slopping on ramp. The 350 hums along at 70 mph and this is measured on a fairly accurate and recently calebrated chronometic speedo. The bike sounds like a sewing machine at that speed but I think for any sustained periods at this sort of speed I'd need the aluminum barrel conversion.

[Alan R]

Hello guys --- and SIMON. You're a HERO indeed !!! In my opinion anyone who ventures onto a MOTORWAY on any Enfield---old OR modern is a hero in my books. I'm not saying "don't do it", just showing my admiration, that's all ( NO SARCASM implied or intended!!). However, 2 miles at 70mph is less than 2 mins. exposure so more of a "test sprint" than an actual motorway journey then ?? A long-time friend and 350/500 Bullet owner MIKE C from the Bewdley area always maintains that his 350 runs a lot sweeter and smoother than the 500.---- both are in standard, stock set-up. I've never ridden one myself but others all say the same. Trouble with the Enfield 350 is that it's in a heavy rolling chassis which suits the 500's power better. For my money the BSA B40 350 Ex-WD is the ideal 350. Next time any of you are out on your beloved Bullet and, mindful of this thread, are reaching for the "outer limits"---SORRY< that should read "Upper limits" of RPM just remember it's an ALOOMINUM Con-Rod (not H-section forged steel) and a piston with only 2 square inches attaching the crown to the body, in an engine initially designed for touring !!!It's been my experience that engines--- if they are going to--- tend to "let go" not so much whilst on full song but just as the throttle demands have been SUDDENLY reduced. So, having been up to the MAX.---it's EASE the throttle down, not snap shut.......STU, can I ask how you knew it revved-out at about 5,500rpm ?? Mind you, those Electras do shift, don't they ??

[STU]

Hello Alan, firstly thank you for the link to the website about the 'Italian Decoke' - to be fair that suggests a sustained period of holding the engine flat out in the lower gears but I would never treat my beloved RE like that! Now my car could probably benefit from this but as it is a 275 bhp deisel Jaguar there is nowhere you can do it because even holding it in 2nd on the paddle shift if would go well beyond the speed limit!!!

Anyway, back to the bike, the Electra XS (and XR) are the only Enfields fitted as standard with rev counters. The handbook claims that max power is developed at 5000rpm. I don't think that the highway kit and exhaust mods would increase this figure. Certainly by the way it rides the engine seems to give its maximum at around an indicated 5100rpm and it won't really go beyond this. It is not straining and as Electras do indeed have I section steel conrods, improved piston and rocker design and gear oil pumps over the iron engined models I felt safe taking it to these revs in top for a short blast.

I used to own a Sixty-5 and whilst it did do a 20 mile motorway run it was not happy over about 65mph, and I wouldn't of held it there for long!

Normally on fast road riding I change up at about 4500 rpm and the bike does indeed shift well if ridden like this - certainly keeping up with my mate on his Honda Bros 400. I regularly go on motorways (when I bought it new in 2007 it's first trip was the 100 mile M6 run home) and it cruises at 72-76 mph very nicely with a run into the middle and outer lanes up to about 80mph comfortably for overtaking. It never feels underpowered on any road.

Midge I have ridden many examples of the EFI UCE bikes. The Classic EFI with one of the shorter silencers was the best. It cruised on the motorway more smoothly and quietly than mine and felt more relaxed. Max speed was 82mph on the flat sitting upright and it felt very comfortable at 72mph. I would have no qualms about using the EFI bikes on a motorway - the factory have designed them to be suited to touring.

[STU]

Sorry guys, just reading my posting from yesterday I don't think that I got to 5500 on my top speed run. I can't remember the exact rpm figure (and hopefully I was concentrating on breaking the speed limit!) but it would be more like 5200 rpm or so. I do think that the engine would go a tiny touch higher but it would clearly be revved-out beyond its power peak by then.
I think power drops off very quickly after 5000 rpm on my bike and none of the mods done to it would have shifted power further up in the rev range.
It does feel a very 'mid range' type of delivery engine - as a pushrod single is very likely too, I suppose.

[Chris Tindal]

Alan R I had a Redditch 350 snap its alloy conrod on the busy M62 a few years ago. I was just passing a junction and cruising at a sensible indicated 50mph with a lorry coming on the motorway on my inside when all hell broke loose and the engine blew. I had to pull the clutch in and free wheel/paddle then push my way to the hard shoulder, horrible experience! They were classed as 'sports'machines in their day but not designed for sustained high speed riding.

[simon]

Your right Alan this was no long term thrash. 60mph is my usual motorway speed but you have to remember I'm talking a New Zealand motorway here which is far more like an A Road than the M4. Although to somewhat retrieve my Dare Devil status I did ride from the West Country to Suffolk more than once two up on a 52 M16S in the 1980's. Could be the reason that my wife will have nothing to do with motorcycles these days.