Forum

[DannyDan]

Ed.laza the speedo didn't work when i got it so I have no idea how many miles it's done! It only said 4000kms! Compression is good and I got a new cylinder/piston/rockers about a year ago so they SHOULD be ok. I will get the tank off then and check the valves for leaks. The air filter and brakes are ok.
............ The carb could be an issue. Took a look at the plug and it seems to be running rich. I have a 100 main jet and 27.5 pilot in there to match the exhaust/K&N. And I live at approx 3000ft but performance up to 5500 is important. I've heard of dropping the needle by 1 notch and opening up the air screw. Is there a way to tune the Main Jet? I don't think this is the main issue though. The bike had the same problem before I fitted the new carb and jets.............................Mine also will absolutely not cruise happily at 65mph! 55 is about the max for cruising and probs 65 flat out................. Ric, it's a shame you found the TDC tool inaccurate because unfortunately it's the best I have here. The only other option is mechanics who just do it by 'feel' :S.............It's very interesting to hear opinions of it's performance with relation to other bikes. At least this is a sort of benchmark to aim for. I know the KTM 200 well and never had any hopes of matching it for speed etc. Like you said it's a very different bike from a different era. The story from stinkwheel of being overtaken by a C90 made me laugh. I really hope it was the 125 version! At least now I can start to think of the power in terms of a 125. Although at the minute the torque seems to be the problem, bullets are meant to be fairly torquey (rather than bhp) machines but at the moment it feels like there a hole underneath it where all the torque just falls out!

[Alan R]

Hi Danny--------- try this idea for a bit of "Outside the box" thinking }------- Why not make contact with those Holiday Companies that advertise Royal Enfield Tours of Nepal and see what Technical set-up they are using ??.......... Here's a couple for you to try---- https://royalenfield.com/rides/events/ton/ --------------------- and }.... https://www.aaryatravel.com/package/roy ... _in_nepal/ .......That TDC tool fits into the plug hole which is set over at an angle....Therefore you will always get a slightly innaccurate reading.....Better to place a timing wheel on the crankshaft.....Don't forget that your Albion type gearbox will have a very large "Gap" between 3rd and 4th...Hilly conditions will tend to magnify this quite a bit.... Would I be correct in thinking that you are a wee bit younger than 50 years old ??......and that this is maybe your first Enfield / Old Brit bike you've owned ??........I ask this to try and gauge your biking experiences and hence your expectations of an old 350 Enfield.........Maybe our friends in America--Canada---South Africa who live and ride "Up in the hills" can lend a hand here ??............

[DannyDan]

Hey Alan, you are completely correct. This is the first bike I have ever owned, save for a few months each with a Suzuki GN125 and a Yamaha RX135 2stroke (great little bikes, particularly the Yamaha) and I'm over 20 years short of being 50! The old bullet was always my dream bike since I moved here though. Very happy to finally have one!

I have taken a look at the tour companies and sent out a message so hopefully they have some good ideas. I actually know one company around Kathmandu as well, but the mechanics are pretty much just more of the same as everywhere else... Half fixing one problem and creating two more. I will speak to them again though to see what they might know.

[Mark B]

I've ridden a 350 Bullet in Nepal; we got up to 2,500m with some very twisty steep hills, and the bike was fine; I don't remember dropping below 3rd much at all. 55mph was a comfortable cruising speed and I never tried taking over 65. Blazing Trails, the company I was with, also do a tour from Manali to Leh, the highest navigable road I believe, and they then use 500 Bullets because of the altitude.

[ric]

DannyDan, one method to remove any inaccuracy is to put a timing disc on the end of the alternator rotor, slowly bring the piston up to say 15mm before tdc using the tool and note the disc reading against a fixed pointer.
Rotate the engine backwards until the TDC tool reads 15mm (after) TDC and note that reading and then position the crank so the pointer is halfway between the two readings.
That position will be a far more accurate indication of TDC
You can even use a bit of circular card blue tacked onto the rotor if push comes to shove and mark the two positions and then the third (TDC) position with a pencil.