Forum

[jefrs]

Dunno that I'd want to try starting the EFI with its 8.5:1 by hand but I've never needed to throw my toys out of the pram at it and it seems well up to its job to me. I usually try to push it right through to the end of its stroke so it disengages. It can kick back which might sting a bit if you're wearing flip-flops but it's hardly a knee breaker.

But it is not supposed to leak, especially when new. And I'm none too sure it's a common problem on the EFI, it is the first time I've seen it mentioned.



Otoh the cover plate for the little filter is mentioned fairly often in India, my C5 has leaked from there. On inspection the plate was not flat so I carefully levelled it, and then mic'ed up the depth of the groove and found it too deep for the supplied O-ring. The levelling got it to seal but I have since obtained some 2.5mm and 3.0mm thick O-rings. The groove is 30mm OD and 25mm ID, the original O-ring slops around like a pea in a bucket, the thing needs to be compressed to provide a seal.

[Rattlebattle]

My supplying dealer put in 10/40 oil too, albeit of a good quality. It wasn't in there long because I put the correct grade in myself when I did the first service. It's always had Motul in it since. Frequenting the forums a lot I can't say that leaking Kickstarter shaft seals is often mentioned, nor failing kickstarters, though I do recall one breaking. Probably a combination of the wrong grade of oil and the seal being nicked on assembly. These bikes are hand made you know. That's a good thing, isn't it........I believe that most if not all the new Moto GB dealers think that the RE is just like any other bike and that it isn't necessary to treat them differently, so they all get the "house" oil.

[nigelphoto]

Rattlebattle, unless the Dealer has been well established (e.g. Watsonian) they won't know a lot about Royal Enfields - and why should they as its usually an add-on brand when they take Chinese Twist-a-go-go's, Hyosong-a-sixpence and Daeliminators etc? I bought my new B5 from just such a Dealer who doesn't seem to own any spanners so no PDI (yes really!) but i have to say MotoGB were very helpful when I complained and transferred my contact over to Steve Smith at MRE Wem. There's not a lot he doesn't know about RE present and past. Or if you're in a fix, then our hosts will sort it for you . . .

[Smudger]

Just to say again, are you sure it isn't chain grease that has got hot and run down over the casing cuz mine does this.

[PeteF]

[Continental Daz]

At first I thought it might be chain oil off the front sprocket but I'm pretty sure after its first 46 miles it's the kick start shaft seal... I'm assuming that 15/50 oil is a little thicker then??? But I am a little concerned it's not porous cases???? It's an easy bike to start with the kick, just push it through slowly then second kick it fires no probs...
Thanks all for your input. It's appreciated

[Rattlebattle]

Nigelphoto: I'm sure you're right about how it actually is under MotoGB. My dealer started the RE dealership on the back of watching Guy Martin on tv, doing some research and finding out that MotoGB, from whom he has a sideline business in selling Chinese scooters, are also the importers of RE. Since taking on RE he now is a dealer for Husqvarna, though he doesn't seem to sell many of those either. His core business, as an ex-racer of no mean success, is using a dyno to tune customers bikes as well as carrying out repairs and maintenance. He certainly has a lot of kit and has a reasonable reputation locally. You ask why should he know about RE. All the other dealers from whom I've bought new bikes in the last five years (Honda, BMW and Triumph) have to send their technicians on the appropriate training courses as and when new models are released. If standards fall, the dealer risks losing the franchise. AFAIK RE does not require much of its dealerships. I wonder if it even gets involved or whether it leaves that side of things to the importer. So, no, I don't accept that a dealer has no responsibility to ensure it maintains a current knowledge of the product it sells - maybe RE itself needs to raise it's game in this respect if it wants to expand further into Europe and the USA rather than in India alone. It cannot expect to be accepted as a mainstream manufacturer whilst not setting and ensuring its standards are met. For my part I get by on my own - for me I am the best mechanic if it's a job I know how to do. At least I know I've done the work and that it's been done in accordance with the maintenance schedule (or better). Essentially it's not much different to a new old English bike, even more so since I put a carb on it...

[nigelphoto]

Rattlebattle, you are very lucky to have such a good dealer with a sound technical base and lots of experience in the motorcycle industry. The dealer I purchased from was much more of an 'under the railway arches' type of operation with a scattering of new Bullets and Contis amongst a jumble of used cars, Chinese scooters and old Jap bikes being sold out of a workshop (no showroom). As you say, any normal manufacturer/importer relationship would include technical training for the Dealers but that doesn't happen with Royal Enfield. Unfortunately despite RE CEO Sid Lal's pronouncements that he aims to capture the global 'mid-range market' (assumed to be 250-750cc) there is absolutely no support whatsoever from the factory to MotoGB and as a relatively small organisation the latter can't afford to fund technician training on its own from just 1,000 units a year sold in the UK. And no, I'm not a MotoGB apologist, they must share some of the blame for appointing unsuitable dealers after they took over the franchise. Again, if you understand the history of the changeover from Watsonian to MotoGB then its understandable that as they were already well established with a wide spread of dealers across the country selling Chinese product it was the quickest way to get the Royal Enfield brand out there. The problem is a cultural one - in India each village has its own 'mechanic wallah' who has grown up on Bullets and can spend 2 hours fixing whatever breaks and charge $2 for doing it, so there is just no need for dealer technical courses. Royal Enfield India has always been very slow to understand how a modern, developed-world market works - I have had a long conversation with Roger Slater on just such problems which he experienced in the '70's when he imported Bullets and nothing has changed in the last 40 years. Hopefully, for those of us who love this ancient, crappy, poorly-made but utterly wonderful machine, with Siddartha Lal relocating to Bruntingthorpe he might start to get some feedback and alter the company philosophy accordingly so that we get some decent service back up . . . but hey, we've got MrH so who cares what the dealers are like?!

[papasmurf]

I was shocked to find out from a motorcycle mechanic that there is not one training course available in the UK specifically aimed at servicing/working on motorcycles. (He wants his son to be trained formally.)
I also know someone who is having the same problem getting an apprentice in his garage on a car mechanics training course as the nearest suitable course is 180 miles away.

[Mark M]

Actually there are courses dedicated to Motorcycle Maintenance! The old Merton College courses (now South London College) was for a long time the only dedicated course for the industry and very highly regarded. I'm pleased to see it's still going and offering City and Guilds qualifications levels 1 to 3. Unfortunately for many it's in Tooting, South London so not that handy for the north. I lived in the Tooting area for many years and knew several guys who had done the course and praised it highly even after many years working in the trade.

REgards, Mark