Hitchcocks Forum

Hi all
I’m new to the forum, but this weekend’s events have led me to finally register.
I gave my 2012 EFI E5 Bullet Electra a 13,000km service this weekend. Amongst other things, this included replacing the fork oil for the first time. After checking the workshop manual and Pete Snidal’s CD, this seemed like a pretty routine task; remove the drain plugs at the bottom of each fork, allow the oil to drain out, undo the filler screw plugs in the headlight casket, refit the drain plugs, fill with fluid.
However..
Upon removing the drain plugs, barely a single drop of fork oil came out. I opened the filler plugs thinking a vacuum may be retaining the oil. Nope. Not a drop more came out. Had my forks been leaking? Not a chance. I’m the sole owner of the bike, it’s been parked in the same place practically every day and there’s never been any leakage of any type.
By now I was starting to wonder what was going on, to put it mildly.
Next step then. Fill some oil into the forks. I took off the chrome filler screws, measured out 250ml of oil, put a funnel in the hole and poured slowly. Result: Oil all over the show. What on earth? Not a drop of oil would pass through the funnel into the hole. After much mopping up and inspection of the hole it becomes clear that this hex-shaped hole is only about 3cm deep. The only thing to put in there is an Allen key – certainly not oil.
Next follows much frantic re-reading of manuals, google and youtube searching. The nearest I got to any clue was 5mins 35secs into this video for a G5 Electra (= an E5 with more chrome).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eY8F-J0ej2Q
And I quote:
“Some never models do not have a filler hole under the top chrome screw plug.
Their forks must be taken off to change fork oil.
Their drain plug is also different.”
How the video maker knew that, I don’t know. I was certainly grateful to him.
Thus ensued a full-frontal lobotomy involving taking off the wheel, removing the forks with above-mentioned Allen key and filling the oil from the bottom.
Now. I don’t mind doing a job – if I know what’s involved. I don’t blame Pete Snidal. I’m certainly not impressed by the totally misleading and plain wrong expensive official factory manual, however.
Far more seriously, my bike has done 13,000km without a drop of oil in the forks. I’m angry, dismayed and feeling relieved I’ve not had a critical failure and accident.
Please, if you own an E5 or G5 and you’ve never changed the fork oil, I would urge you to loosen the drain plug at the bottom of each fork and see if any fluid at all comes out. If not, you too could be running on a potentially lethal bone-dry front suspension. You might also like to remove the filler plugs in the casket to see if the hole is blocked off.
I’m going to contact the factory to see what they have to say about it and I’ll keep this forum informed of their reply. For me, shoddy doesn’t describe it. I’m going to ask them for new fork assemblies, as heaven knows what condition the springs are in.
Thanks for reading and wishing all safe riding.
Matt Rayner

Er, this is an Indian Enfield, what did you really expect? I could be wrong, but assuming this is your first Enfield, there's plenty more surprises coming your way because very Enfield is its own particular can of worms. But thats all part of the fun. So long as you're handy with the spanners you'll be fine.

Thanks Eddie.
Next time I take a vehicle into road traffic I'll bear it in mind that it's all part of the fun to have a head on collision.

I am puzzled as to why you did not notice a problem because the bike must have been like riding a two wheeled bouncy castle with no oil in the front forks.

"Waiting for a reply from the factory"...



As an apprentice, I was sent to the stores foreman to ask for a long stand. Your reply from the factory may be in the same vane.

It does seem odd the problem was not picked up on the Pre Delivery Inspection or the first service.

My point is Matt that a problem like this is typical Enfield and to be expected, I was n't being sarky or glib. The Indians have the right ideas but just don't know how to put it into production, a good example is the cast-on grease nipples in the girder forks refered to in another post. And the idea of quality control is just paper exercise, it does n't actually exist on these bikes. Which is why we all have "housemaids knee" from kneeling on the driveway every weekend checking and checking again nothing is missing or about to fall off. As I've mentioned here before, I was once employed to rebuild these bikes as they came out of the crate and to put them into some kind of condition to make them safe to ride so nothing Enfield surprises me. Not much has changed in the last 35 years i'm afraid although I'd certainly go and kick ass wherever you got the machine from. Their pdi leave much to be desired.

As already mentioned in a previous post This should of been picked up on the pre delivery inspection and initial build up of the bike by your dealer/seller its there responsibility to check all oils and the machine is road worthy before sale. I would contact the the supplying dealer and asked why he did not inspect at time of build up of bike or on first service.

That is an unacceptable maunfacturing defect that should be referred to the selling agent for rectification.
Because someone has found a similar problem and bodged his way round it is no reason why you should do likewise. Nor is it any reason to be upset with Snidal or with the "expensive official factory manual" when they are clearly not at fault.

P/s this like may be worth reading. http://www.enfieldmotorcycles.in/2011/0 ... klist.html