Hitchcocks Forum

Today, being the first decent day this year, I took out the trials styled 500cc Bullet with open exhaust and mk 1 30mm concentric and ripped it out to the Trossachs in Stirlingshire, Scotland. Usual gathering of faceless Jap bikes ridden by men of a certain age who don't want to spanner anymore but then circled round my bike reminiscing, you know the score. One of them had a fully kitted out Triumph Rocket 3. After admitting said Rocket 3 was far too heavy he and his pal on the Jap bike set off - blimey talk about slow - I ripped past them on the Bullet, and continued to thrash the bike over hill and dale. Great machine, and this is a great forum. One drop of oil on return home from offending bush gear selector pin. Ok, sorry, not a technical question, just a post celebrating these bikes, but I do have an oil leak...

I ripped past the Rocket 3 on the Bullet and continued to thrash the bike over hill and dale. Then I WOKE UP.

It is true it is true! Goes to show that it is not what you ride it is how you ride it.

He's not wrong Crusader, I eat Milwaukee agricultural appliances for breakfast

You overtook it three times ??.... Both my Enfields share that same oil leak, by the way - haven't lost any sleep yet for either of 'em..........

Guy on the R3 was probably terrified it was going to shred itself. Good thing about these machines, they have all the personality of classic machinery but all parts are freely available at reasonable prices. Of course if you are in a mood to be unreasonable you can trick them out to the enth degree without any sacrifice of old machinery. I must admit to being haunted by the concept of a 612cc cafe racer.

My 1995 Bullet export Gear operator pin and bush leaks less with the correct ratios of 00 grease and SAE 50 oil , on my last box rebuild I smeared Blue Hylomar on the threads on assembley which helped even more but alas it never stopped totaly nor the wetness around the kick start and gear lever shafts even with a new O ring ...just enough to still call them Royal Oilfields .

------------- "Oil be with you , in Apple blossom time--------------".. Does a leak count as one of your 5 a day ??-------------Ok, now play this FULL SCREEN, FULL VOLUME ( and look-out for GRUNDA 12 on lead vocals !!)----------- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6ERCPESV6A -----------

Lets get real here. Bullets are a lot of fun & handle well considering the age of the design. Indeed, on the country lanes and B roads even my 350 Bullet will easily outperform my mates newish 1400cc (or 1600cc) Harley but any longish straight section of road undoes my gains. The Rocket 3 is a different beast. Yes it's heavy but it has SEVEN times the power of a Bullet. It also goes around corners, unlike a Harley, though according to my neibour who has one, the footpegs do touch down too easily, though nothing like as easily as on the average Harley. Don't get me wrong. I've not personally ridden one but I think I would struggle to keep up for long on my lightly modded 535 Bullet.
Both the Rocket 3 & the big Harleys make a statement, but I still prefer to ride my Enfields, for fun & smiles but not for outright performance.

My BSA Rocket Three wouldn't have taken much blowing off in the 1970s. It spent most of its time in bits in my shed absorbing all my time and money which I didn't have. There's no real wonder the firm went bust when the build quality was so appalling. Hole in the centre piston, disintegrated rear wheel bearing, broken spokes, mashed up speedo drive, two new clutches, unbelievable 'snatch' in the transmission....etc...etc...etc. And only 6 months guarantee from new!! This bike broke my bank at £614 in 1970, when for another £30 I could have had a Honda 750 Four with a disc brake, 5 gears, electric start, indicators, and most of all RELIABILITY! I think today's Triumphs are fantastic bikes, but I think many of us old enough to look back at the 60s and 70s do so with rose tints.