Forum

[Bertie the Bullet]

It was a fine sunny day, very warm in the garden of England, Bertie urged owner to go for a ride, so owner saddled up and off they went, they flew off at 55 down the M2 towards Broadstairs, at a slip road one of them stupid smidsy's nearly Splatted Bertie, Bertie's brakes were pulled to breaking point, the horn was pounded and owner shouted lots of strange words that Bertie didn't recognise. When they reached Minster at Thanet Owner pulled over at a small brick building for reasons humans do, as they stopped owner pulled the clutch lever and Bertie stalled, "Thats odd" Bertie thought, so he willed owner to break out the tool kit and investigate, there was over an inch of play in the clutch cable," it was ok an hour ago" owner muttered, "cable adjuster is tight, main adjuster is tight, how could that happen ? ", owner was puzzled so he took up the slack with the cable adjuster to get them home. Owner is still baffled by Bertie's little problem, gearbox casing comes off tomorrow to have a better look. If any one has any ideas how this could happen  Bertie's owner would be very interested to hear them...

[Les H]

It could be the mainshaft nut that holds the clutch centre/hub on has come loose. This will allow the clutch to move away from the direction of the clutch pushing movement. You will need to remove the springs to remove the pressure plaet, the clutch friction plates can be kept in situ. Put bike in top gear and hold wheel with rear brake whilst tightening nut to correct torque. Normal RH thread.

[Les H]

correction: This will allow the clutch to move away from the direction of the clutch PUSH ROD movement ETC ETC.

[TimG]

Hi Bertie

Tell your owner to be very suspicious of the clutch cable...I had just this problem on my Classic (who is not yet fully anthropomorphised so cannot yet speak for him/herself, but is working on it). A significant number of cable strands broke about halfway down the cable, inside the outer, rather than at the more usual place of handlebar lever or gearbox lever end. This had the weird effect of making the rest of the cable inner stretch like bubblegum, but taking up adjustment let me get home. In fact I rode with the cable like this for some time before replacing it...once I had replaced the cable, back to normal operation.

I prefer the "catastrophic" (and more common) failure caused by the cable snapping at the handlebar or gearbox lever end...at least you know where you are with that!!

Cheers

TimG

[Alan R]

Hi TIM G ------------Amfor???....Annethor???...Anther-'m-dooings??.Do what?? I asked my bike but HE hasn't a clue, either.!! I liked Mrs. BUCKET ( that's BOO-Kay!) with her "Riperian Activities". My clutch cable gave way at a mini-roundabout, outside the Army Base main gates, at 17.00hrs just as all the people I worked with were on their way home, and behind me. Gravel on the botty-kins & EGG on face !! Only that very dinner time---2.5hrs, we deserve it though-------I had been extolling the virtues of Royal Enfield as a commuter bike.

[TimG]

Hi ALAN R - strictly speaking, Bertie is a generalised anthropomorphic representation....well what else would you call a bike that talks rather like Enid Blyton on mushrooms?? Talks??? Er....wot?? I can't believe I'm having this conversation...my bike doesn't talk to me (yet), but does telepathically urge me to ride it rather than decorate the house...so far resistance has proved futile...cheers TimG

[Alan R]

And talking of resistance being futile---------I'm beginning to think that Royal Enfield and "THE BORG" are one and the same !! Slowly we are all being assimilated into the "collective" where all experiences are collated and become "The Prime Directive". Hang on, what's that eye-piece I'm wearing?--and come to think of it the building at Chadwick End does look like a cube. OO-er!! Sorry Bertie, gone off-song a bit here. My bikes always "talk" to me but the problem really is :---- as a life-long Mechanical Engineer, have I learned the language yet ?? Be seeing you----------

[Les H]

Bertie, before you disappear back 3 pages....did you sort out your clutch cable slack yet?