Hitchcocks Forum

Hello folks,

I recently purchased a second hand standard Bullet 500. It's my first bike, and I've just had my first major problem with it. I rode 80 miles over two days, then came back to it after a 2 hour nap and found it wouldn't start, and the needle on the ammeter wouldn't move when kickstarting it.

I think I noticed before that the needle wasn't moving as much to the left as I've read it should when kicking it over (3/4 to the left? Mine was going closer to 1/3 I think). Other than that it was completely unexpected.

What I'm looking for is two things:
- Advice on starting the bike with no power
- Advice on finding the source of the problem

In particular, I mean:
- I've tried push starting it but have had no luck so far. Can anyone confirm that it's actually possible on a 2000 standard Bullet 500?
- Can I safely jump start it from a car battery?
- How else can I charge the battery?

And:
- Can anyone give me detailed advice/point me towards a thorough guide on finding the source of electrical problems on a Bullet?
- What tools will I need to fix general electric problems? I'm guessing a portable ammeter and a soldering iron, as a start?

Thanks in advance!

Geraint

I've got a 1999 Enfield. It has a 4 wire alternator. When the battery is flat (or the power is low), it just won't start. It took a couple of months before I found the fault. My stator was knackered. However. Before you start buying parts. I suggest you charge the battery. Start the engine and then check the output of the alternator with a multimeter.

Hi Geraint and welcome to the "Enfield Afflicted" group !!--LoL!!....OK, as you are new to the group and to bikes please give us a rough idea as to what level we pitch our answers by giving your approx. age range and any Mechanical / Electrical experiences....it does help, honestly..... Your questions}--1) Where to find answers??..Follow this route on-screen}---Home page}--Information & Forum}---Tech.Notes}--Electrics}---Bullet Electrics 1999 on.

2) Can you use a car battery ??..Yes, but it must match the voltage of your bike's battery----which I take it is 12 VOLTS ??... and connected in PARALLEL...This means the POSitive ( + ) RED terminals connect to each other, and the NEGative (- ) BLACK terminals connect to each other..........I keep one in the garage for emergency use for the car and the 3 bikes ( all of which are 12 VOLTS systems )....3) General tools required ??---A Multimeter, preferably of the moving arm type....soldering iron, wire strippers, various mini- screwdrivers, terminal crimps, FUSES !!, insulation tape, various length of wire with crocodile clips and pointers attached ( for extending the reach of the Multimeter )....a steady hand, a beady eye and a good sense of HUMOUR !!..................Your Bullet ( along with other makes ) is a 500cc, single cylinder, 4-stroke motorcycle with 12v DC electrics and runs on petrol via a carburettor....It doesn't get more basic than that, really.... ( OK Stinkwheel, I hear you, LoL !! )... other than a 2-stroke that is...Stay with it and along the way you'll learn many different "Trades" as well as meeting a whole bunch of like minded "Heroes".....Enjoy !!--------------PS}-- Please do try and use photos and I recommend this link}---https://imgbb.com/ ......

First of all you need to establish how good your battery is by measuring the voltage.You will need a multimeter which measures voltage and current.Its an invaluable tool and you can buy one for £20.Forget about a soldering iron for now and establish you have a 12 volt reading on your battery.Theres a load of info on you tube on Enfield maintenance.

Yes, no point trying to find a charging fault with a less than perfect battery so as above, make sure it's good first.



It's also worth having a quick check of the frame earth because you'll be in the vicinity of it when messing with the battery. This is where the battery negative attaches to the frame, usually a ring terminal trapped under the bolt that holds the battery shelf to the frame (but follow the wire that attaches to the battery negative to find it). This needs good bare metal-to-metal contact with the frame. Rust does not conduct electricity in any meaningful way. Any of these I've looked at have been badly corroded. May as well clean that up while you're in there. Remove the corrosion with emery paper, bolt it back down and cover with a smear of vaseline/dielectric grease to prevent future corrosion. Something to do while you're waiting for the battery to charge.



Also worth having a quick look under the seat and making sure you don't have any loose wires going into the regulator rectifier unit.

Where are you? It sounds as if your knowledge is limited at the moment and answering some basic questions would be easier done in person. Maybe someone near might be able to drop by? If you're within 50 miles of NN12 I'll do it!

REgards, Mark

Should be noted that Royal Enfield in no way have the monopoly on charging failures. I'd go so far as to say I'd trust my bullet charging system more than the one on my Honda VFR.

----and yet my XBR500 continues faultlessly with original equipment----as did my recent CD200 Benly, both being over 20 years old.....having now said that I bet it'll fail when 200 miles from home and in the pouring rain !!

As per Mark M----if you're close to postcode TF2 then I'm also happy to be of assistance...100% fully equipped workshop at your service !!...........

Mark M and Allan R it's not often on motorcycle forums you see such a great offer of help.Great to see.