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[ric]

I dropped an 8.8 Stainless Allen bolt in mine after setting the forks parallel.
The original one snapped at the end of the threaded section whilst being torqued down.

[Deanobats]

Hi Ric, interesting that you had one break too. Unless the spindle is too narrow or the inside diameter of the fork end too wide, I can't see how you can torque a 6mm bolt enough to pinch on the spindle. I'll see what the dealer says, pity he's an hour and a half's ride away...

[ric]

When compared to the Japanese forks fitted on one of my other bikes where a hardwood wedge needs to be tapped into the split section to release its grip on the spindle to prevent galling of the alloy, the fit between these safety critical parts on the RE is quite appalling.

Working on the theory that a replacement part was likely to be as loose as my original one I'd considered plating the gripped section of the wheel spindle to improve its fit if the Allen bolt hadn't been so successful.

[Deanobats]

ric, has your bike got the spindle offset forward from the bottom of the forks like mine in the picture above? At some point is seems Enfield switched this design on the Classic for the ones with no offset in the current models where the pinch bolt fits horizontally under the spindle like in Les's picture.

[ric]

I have B5 forks on my 2015 Bullet (there's a handy sticker on them to let me know)

[2cvandy]

An interesting thread, I was doing a few jobs on my Electra EFI yesterday and happened to look down on the front mudguard, it was obvious that the wheel was off centre to the guard and quick look revealed that the RH fork leg was closer to the wheel than the LH one. On closer inspection it appeared that the bottom of the fork (where the pinch bolt is) was too far along the spindle, there was a line clearly visible where I'm sure the fork leg should have been. My first thought was that there was a spacer missing between the fork and the speedo drive but a look at the parts book says there isn't one, so I took the wheel out and refitted it and the forks now sit parallel with the wheel central. What seems odd to me is that the speedo drive is still held tight by the spindle and even though in the second picture it looks like there might be a spacer in there, there isn't. I can only assume that the previous owner pushed the fork leg along the spindle before tightening the pinch bolt, or is it possible for the fork leg to "walk" along the spindle if the pinch bolt doesn't pinch?

[2cvandy]

Damn, wrong code for the pics! Hopefully here now,,,,,,,,,,,,

[Boxerman]

Perhaps the previous owner tightened the pinch bolt before tightening the nut on the end if the spindle? Frank

[Deanobats]

2cvandy, I think the spindles are wider on the right hand side so that they pull onto the Speedo drive and hold it when you tighten up the wheel nut on the left hand side. The right hand fork is then free to float back and forth along the spindle until you tighten the pinch bolts. It does look odd and I guess the temptation would be to push it hard up against the Speedo drive as it looks like that's what stops the wheel drifting along the axel to the right, but, as you say, if you do that then the forks aren't straight.

[Dennis C]

If the wheel can slide side to side along the axel then something is very wrong and would be an mot failure.