Hitchcocks Forum

We have a charity ride happening later this month starting from Nepal and the bikes are being ridden through Nepal, Vietnam, Burma and a few other countries and then across Australia back to Melbourne. 2 UCE's and 2 Cast Irons. Problem is carrying parts for the UCE's because of dodgy fuel etc through the Asian countries they will need to carry a spare fuel pump, computer and the other components required to keep the electronic ignition, fuel injection working if some component breaks down. Unlikely to be able to get these parts from the side of the road vendors and to have these parts in the spares box just incase of is apparently going to cost $1500. Cast Irons need a spare coil, points, condensor, about $50. So much for progress

Norm we have charity rides here you know, i.e. Lands end to John o Groats or even over to Brighton promenade..

All done in a weekend… But Nepal to Melbourne… thats roughly 6000 miles of bad road… Jeez Norm thats some jolly jaunt..

Take flipping months.. Take my hat off to you Aussies. Hope the charity of choice really appreciates..

Hi Norm - I've ridden Bullets in Nepal and India. They were old, carburettor models - 350s and 500s. They were well maintained and even on seriously rough roads they gave very little trouble. I think they'd be first choice for this sort of ride as they're so easily fixed by any local mechanic and can tolerate just about any old fuel. Best of luck with the newfangled ones! I hope in due course we'll be able to read a full account of this interesting ride. In October I was touring in North Vietnam on 650 Urals. They have many of the qualities of the Bullet as regards toughness and repairability plus surprisingly good handling on bad roads. More power than the Bullet but a good bit heavier. Best of luck with the ride - I'm a bit envious!!
Geoffers.

Gwilly and Geoffers I feel this ride has all the potential to turn ugly, 4 riders 2 have only in the last couple of weeks even heard about Enfields, one only got his motorcycle licence 3 days ago, the third has 6 months Enfield riding experience and he rides his UCE like he stole it, the fourth rider will have to try and maintain all 4 bikes because the others just don't have a clue. My main point with the post was to highlight the cost of emergency parts needed to be carried for the UCE's compared to the Cast Iron's

Couldn't agree with you more on the "progress" issue Norm. As for the bloke who's only just got his bike licence, I don't think he realises the risk he's taking. The nature of the roads and the mindset of the local drivers mean that even experienced, competent riders will need to be totally switched on all the time and particularly for the first few days. I salute his courage and commitment but advise him to be extremely cautious. I'd also like to wish the riders every success with this ambitious undertaking.

a great challenge but would hope for more experience riders if i was doing this!!
there was a young lad not far from me was going to ride from here in Devon to south Africa .
again he did quick access bought a BMW GS and off he went did a thousand miles or so then had a big off broken arm etc.
lack of experience????
and that was here not INDIA .
i did the foothills of the Himalayas in October fairly hard and you do need to have a few miles under your belt .
(45yrs riding plus a RoSPA instructor)

john

We are all watching this unfold and we are taking bets as to how far they get before it all goes to pot. One of the problems is the organizer of this ride has little interest or knowledge of Enfields and I doubt his temperament will be able to cope with the usual Enfield breakdowns and problems without spitting the dummy.He and the chap in his seventies both ride BMW's and have no Enfield knowledge at all. Time will tell

If memory serves me well, in the 70’s Ted Simons, a complete motorcycle novice, passed his test on a Honda 90, then a couple of days later rode around the world alone on a Triumph 500. He did it again several years later when he was 69. This time on a BMW GS, a pushrod version, not the modern behemoth. Far too big and heavy for anything other than good tarmac.
So don’t worry about your companions lack of experience. As long as they have common sense and a willingness to befriend strangers and embrace cultures.

Ted Simons had several breakdowns on the Triumph but overcame all and did the journey in four years.

Wish I was going with you.

Hi chaps.Like many others I wish I as going on this jaunt.The most adventurous trip I've ever made on my 2008 iron Bullet
500 was Northants to Turkey (and back).That pales into insignificance compared with what you are talking about Norm.
Are you giving these guys some "basic training" Norm? Such as what to carry other than electrical parts.Gear selector return spring for example is a good bet.
Best of luck to them anyway,lucky devils.Oh yes,couldn't agree more regarding supposed progress!!
ATB DaveP.

Hi Dave, one member is very experienced in long distance Enfield traveling and he is also the only one who knows anything about Enfield maintenance. Some years ago he rode across the Nullabore Plain at 40kph because he knew the floating bush was failing. He also broke a piston once in the outback and by chance the bloke he was riding with had a spare one in his saddlebags so he fitted it on the side of the road and was able to ride it back to Melbourne at least 2000ks away so he is going to be fine, it is the others we worry about