Forum
For Royal Enfield owners and enthusiasts
- Sat Sep 05, 2015 9:37 pm
#50828
How many pumps did it take on the starter to wind it's spring up?
just joking, they are great bikes. neat Rotax engines.
How many pumps did it take on the starter to wind it's spring up?
just joking, they are great bikes. neat Rotax engines.
REOC 15084
Tabellarius de verbis. Ostensor gaudium
Tabellarius de verbis. Ostensor gaudium
- Sat Sep 05, 2015 9:47 pm
#50829
The guard on my exhaust has now become really loose, so I'm going to drill out the pop rivets and take it off before It falls off and I lose it. The dealer can then refit it it properly at first service, as agreed. I'll have a look to see if it's been fitted back to front; that would explain the lack of clearance between the guard and the kickstart shaft even if I press the former to allow it to sit flush against the silencer cover. Re the alleged fragility of the sprag clutch, I'm only going by the number of posts on the subject on this bulletin board. I should be able to use the kickstart to start the engine if I choose; it's what it's for...
- Sat Sep 05, 2015 10:40 pm
#50831
That's the spirit, grab it forcefully by the handlebars and give it a damn good kick! That will show it just who is in charge!
which colour did you get? Did you get the green one? Is there a picture?
That's the spirit, grab it forcefully by the handlebars and give it a damn good kick! That will show it just who is in charge!
which colour did you get? Did you get the green one? Is there a picture?
REOC 15084
Tabellarius de verbis. Ostensor gaudium
Tabellarius de verbis. Ostensor gaudium
- Sun Sep 06, 2015 9:48 am
#50833
Yes, that's what I'll do now that I've drilled out the rivets....
Mine is the green variant. AFAIK it is the only export one available. Apparently the desert sand variant all sold within hours via auction in India. The less popular blue ones are still available. I bought mine (number 9 of 200) because I like the look of it. I doubt very much that it will appreciate in value during my lifetime. Although each one has a unique paint job one could argue the same for all Indian REs! I used to own a Jubilee Bonneville and although only so many were made that year (1977) I reckon that most of that year's production was devoted to that model; you certainly don't see many S reg ordinary T140v bikes.
Just checked the tyre pressures on Number 9. Little relationship to those in handbook and W/S manual. Are these tubeless Avon Roadriders with tubes fitted supposed to run higher pressures? Avon website useless for finding out. Anyone know?
Off for a ride one neglected Sprint GT now.
Mine is the green variant. AFAIK it is the only export one available. Apparently the desert sand variant all sold within hours via auction in India. The less popular blue ones are still available. I bought mine (number 9 of 200) because I like the look of it. I doubt very much that it will appreciate in value during my lifetime. Although each one has a unique paint job one could argue the same for all Indian REs! I used to own a Jubilee Bonneville and although only so many were made that year (1977) I reckon that most of that year's production was devoted to that model; you certainly don't see many S reg ordinary T140v bikes.
Just checked the tyre pressures on Number 9. Little relationship to those in handbook and W/S manual. Are these tubeless Avon Roadriders with tubes fitted supposed to run higher pressures? Avon website useless for finding out. Anyone know?
Off for a ride one neglected Sprint GT now.
- Sun Sep 06, 2015 10:08 am
#50834
The mechanic at the dealers I bought mine from said tyre pressures on these were a little vague, but he usually put 18 psi in the front and 28 in the rear and that 'seemed about right'. That's actually what the manual says as well, though this is for a 19" rear, I think the classics have an 18" rear?
- Sun Sep 06, 2015 1:31 pm
#50836
Yes, 18 inch rear. Manual gives the figures you quoted so I'll use those. Shame the dealer didn't....
I only asked because my ancient Triumph uses similar low pressures but I was advised that modern Avon Skidmasters are of different construction and need higher ones. Oh well.
Thanks for the reply.
PS starts on kickstart now I've removed the guard.
I only asked because my ancient Triumph uses similar low pressures but I was advised that modern Avon Skidmasters are of different construction and need higher ones. Oh well.
Thanks for the reply.
PS starts on kickstart now I've removed the guard.
- Mon Sep 07, 2015 7:04 pm
#50849
If the kickstart fouls the exhaust heat shield, it might be due to incorrect fitting (as I have just found out). I don't know if your exhaust is the same as mine, but mine has a chromed metal screen offset from the exhaust and anchored by four screws. The little wire guard that fouls my kickstart is attached to this. I took off the shield to change the pop rivets on the wire guard for machine screws and found that the shield wasn't seated properly, pushing it out by about 5 mm. There is a bracket welded (badly) to the exhaust under the shield that is supposed to seat inside another on the shield itself. As these didn't line up properly, the shield was sitting on top of the bracket not in it and leaving the shield too far out, so it fouled the kickstart. A bit of fiddling with a pair of pliers managed to align the brackets and sort out the problem. It also gave me an opportunity to ACF-50 under the shield as well.
On a different note, you may find assessing the oil level a bit interesting. When I picked up the bike from the dealers, I checked the oil, right to the maximum mark. By the time I got it home (40 miles) and put it in the garage, no oil was showing in the sight glass. Mild panic set it and I checked for leaks (none at all), though I did find that one of the bolts from the oil filter cover under the engine had fallen out. Luckily I had something which would fit. So I took the bike out onto the drive to see the oil level better, and it came back, not full, but just up to the min mark. Back into the garage, and it went again. Both surfaces are effectively level, so just a few degrees off will dramatically affect who much oil you see.
The rest of the saga of 'the search for my bullet's oil' will have to wait as I've just been told off by the wife for spending too much time on motorbike forums...
On a different note, you may find assessing the oil level a bit interesting. When I picked up the bike from the dealers, I checked the oil, right to the maximum mark. By the time I got it home (40 miles) and put it in the garage, no oil was showing in the sight glass. Mild panic set it and I checked for leaks (none at all), though I did find that one of the bolts from the oil filter cover under the engine had fallen out. Luckily I had something which would fit. So I took the bike out onto the drive to see the oil level better, and it came back, not full, but just up to the min mark. Back into the garage, and it went again. Both surfaces are effectively level, so just a few degrees off will dramatically affect who much oil you see.
The rest of the saga of 'the search for my bullet's oil' will have to wait as I've just been told off by the wife for spending too much time on motorbike forums...
- Mon Sep 07, 2015 9:25 pm
#50854
Thanks for that. The exhaust cover and small guard sound the same as yours except that they are Matt black. When I investigated the problem I too removed the heat shield, finding that the screws were quite loose (the only fasteners to be afflicted by the vibration so far). I therefore refitted the cover tightly. In my case the pop rivets were really loose and although the dealer will sort the issue at the first service I thought it prudent to drill out the rivets and remove the guard before it fell off. I can't see that it is much more than a styling issue anyway as it doesn't do anything useful.
Re the oil level I had the same scare. On the side stand it looks as if there's none there but it appears in the sight glass when the bike is on the main stand. Fair enough and logical. But the level on mine when cold was barely visible so I added a bit. I should have checked it as per manual (engine warm then wait a couple of minutes) as it is now a little high. Oh well. FWIW my Triumph Sprint GT, BMW F800GT that preceded that and the Honda Deauville before that all needed the oil level checking when warm. Don't get me started on the arcane ritual needed to get the correct level on the oilhead Beemers I used to own......At least on the RE the sight glass is held in place by a circlip; the Beemer ones had a habit of blowing out as they age hardened, especially if too much oil was in the sump....
Re the starting technique, my original question, I find it quite difficult to achieve using the kickstart. Mine seems to need the cold start device (bi starter) to be held open as well as needing a bit of throttle. I find it quite awkward to do this, not helped by the quick acting throttle, making it difficult not to open it wider than intended. Dunno why it couldn't have had a manual valve lifter like the Moto Guzzi Nuovo Falcone on which you dropped the valve lifter once the starter was spinning over the motor quite quickly. I suppose I'll get used to it.
Over 100 miles done so far, so it shouldn't be too long before the first service and I can increase the speed a little. I shall give mine an oil and filter change at 1,000 miles too.
Re the oil level I had the same scare. On the side stand it looks as if there's none there but it appears in the sight glass when the bike is on the main stand. Fair enough and logical. But the level on mine when cold was barely visible so I added a bit. I should have checked it as per manual (engine warm then wait a couple of minutes) as it is now a little high. Oh well. FWIW my Triumph Sprint GT, BMW F800GT that preceded that and the Honda Deauville before that all needed the oil level checking when warm. Don't get me started on the arcane ritual needed to get the correct level on the oilhead Beemers I used to own......At least on the RE the sight glass is held in place by a circlip; the Beemer ones had a habit of blowing out as they age hardened, especially if too much oil was in the sump....
Re the starting technique, my original question, I find it quite difficult to achieve using the kickstart. Mine seems to need the cold start device (bi starter) to be held open as well as needing a bit of throttle. I find it quite awkward to do this, not helped by the quick acting throttle, making it difficult not to open it wider than intended. Dunno why it couldn't have had a manual valve lifter like the Moto Guzzi Nuovo Falcone on which you dropped the valve lifter once the starter was spinning over the motor quite quickly. I suppose I'll get used to it.
Over 100 miles done so far, so it shouldn't be too long before the first service and I can increase the speed a little. I shall give mine an oil and filter change at 1,000 miles too.
- Tue Sep 08, 2015 5:53 am
#50856
Sounds a bit familiar. I checked mine when it was warm, after leaving a few minutes for any oil to drain back again, and it was still below the bottom of the sight glass - I had to tilt it a fair way to see the oil in there. I was going to top it up with some 10w40 that I already had as the dealer said that he'd put 10w40 in and 'It'll be fine'. The manual states 15w50, and there are a whole set of pages out there discussing 10w40 vs 15w50, but I thought I'd stay on the safe side and whizzed off to Infinity motorcycles and got a litre or two of Motul 15w50.
So I get back and this thing takes 200ml before reaching close to the max mark, which is a fair bit of oil. I run it for a bit, stop it, leave it to drain for a few minutes and the oil is gone from the sight glass again! Nothing! Thinking something must be seriously wrong, I work the kickstarter a few times and the oil comes back! Not just to the max mark, but way over. Clearly, getting oil levels right with this thing is going to be a whole new mission.
Good luck with the kick start. I've not managed to get mine to catch yet using the kickstarter yet, though that's probably poor technique. As you say, the manual makes no mention of it at all.
So I get back and this thing takes 200ml before reaching close to the max mark, which is a fair bit of oil. I run it for a bit, stop it, leave it to drain for a few minutes and the oil is gone from the sight glass again! Nothing! Thinking something must be seriously wrong, I work the kickstarter a few times and the oil comes back! Not just to the max mark, but way over. Clearly, getting oil levels right with this thing is going to be a whole new mission.
Good luck with the kick start. I've not managed to get mine to catch yet using the kickstarter yet, though that's probably poor technique. As you say, the manual makes no mention of it at all.
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