Hitchcocks Forum

I am now decidedly fed up with my royal enfield bullet so much has gone wrong and I have repaired all the problems but I long for a trouble free ride when I can enjoy the sunshine and not be listening to the engine sound or gearbox grumble
,or the spit back when I kick up my beloved enfield , I have not yet surrendered to despair I just want to go for a ride in the sunshine and enjoy the ride , not think what is going to go wrong next, I dearly love my bike but reaching the end of a planned ride and not thinking what do I need to repair /replace now is loosing its attraction .

Taper. Why not keep the Enfield and enjoy it, warts and all, but have a reliable bike as well. i have a collection of classics including Nortons, Ariels, BSA's etc but I also keep an electric start (say it softly) modern or modernish bike in the garage. Currently I have a Hinckley Thruxton and there is also a 2001 Honda CB500 in the garage. The Honda is for sale if it helps. Whatever you do do not give up on the Enfield. You can beat it.........eventually.

Royal Enfields do not self tune , when one trys the effects are very pleasing .

just about to strip the clutch assembly and find out what is causing the latest problem on my bullet , I may have been a little bit miffed yesterday with the bikes ability to give me some trouble free riding but considering my 350 bullet is 48 years old what else can I expect , I will continue to lavish lots of care and repairs on my bike and will I am sure eventually get that trouble free ride.

Mike I disagree with you there, not every body is capable of keeping an Enfield going,they take certain skills and not everybody has those skills, time or patience

-------------------- all the more reason to join a club or forum then !!!!

Know how you feel Taper? I've reached this stage now, only 15000km's on my 2000 Classic and I'm looking at the end very soon...
I unearthed this earlier on here:
"Ian Martin Subject: Re: piston slap
Nowt wrong with a bit of slap now and again. Wait till the oil consumption is more noticeable than usual, a trail of "smoke" emits from the exhaust pipe even when the wet sumping stuff has been returned to the tank, the compression is so low that the engine can be kicked over by my mum and the whole plot has lost the will to pull up steep hills then get it re-bored, fit the next oversize piston and rings and start all over again.
Enjoy
Ian
Posted: 10:57pm 19th February, 2010"

I'll add to the above statement, which is all true, 4 piston seizures in 6 weeks (pull over and it'll start again no problem after a minute!), 1 head gasket last month, and now virtually no compression. Still keeps going though, just? Add to this the bent crank due to rotor failure, all in all, this genuine, unmolested, bog standard Indian engine is virtually scrap. T&T expire end of September, but I don't think it'll last that long, but I might just make it until the end of July when the insurance expires.
I, and it, will then come back re-born as a Diesel.........That's the plan anyway?

Dieselrider

And I'll add to the above, although this four year "relationship" with my first Bullet has been a bit "stormy", aside from the actual engine unit, nothing else on the bike has really failed or let me down, aside from replacing broken/fractured bits with better, stronger stainless bits, a tough old girl in the main.
Dieselbikerider

so far I have found some wear at the end clutch plate and the clutch pad where they mate up , may be this is part of the problem with the clutch travel / adjustment leading to the problematic gear changing , I will investigate further and let you know the result, however it may be a week or so before I can give you an update due to other commitments.

I must say that I had a few foibles with my 350 engined bullet usually carb/ignition related since converting it to a diesel the bike has been reasonably reliable in all departments except for a Chinese main bearing now the Electra is behaving very well except for the clutch although I have a few tricks left up my sleeve for that,I find the diesel a very relaxed ride and the Electra good for over 70mph for long distances lacks more top end although that would be law breaking which would not be condoned by the local constabulary anyway hope you get sorted taper atb paul