Forum

[Norm]

Not sure what you want to bump up, you have obviously read info on the Electra so if it is more info you want buy one and then you can develop your own opinion and then you will be in a position to advise others

[Robin]

My Electra X's bottom end is spitting out bits of metal, I've discovered three bits in the sump. They are all of even size - 6mm long, 4mm wide and 0.7mm thick, ever so slightly concave. I thought previously that they may be bits of piston ring, but the top end is fine, and they are too wide to belong to a piston ring, and the quality of steel too inferior. Why on earth did Royal Enfield put crappy steel like that in the crank assembly! Anyone know where they might come from and what they may be? The bike runs really rough and is obviously on it's way out...Thanks for any replies.

[Robin]

By the way, no swarf in the rockers or any other metal debris found in the oil. Rod side to side movement at the top is 4.5mm, and no up and down play.

[Norm]

Robin,
Unlikely you will get swarfe up in the rockers because they are different and as there is no whitemetal bush in there it won't show up. I would go into why it is falling to bits but the abuse aint worth the effort. As for the bits, hard to guess but I would assume edges of one of the main bearings

[Robin]

Hi Norm! I thought bearings were stainless steel. These bits don't look stainless, and why would they all be the same size and shape? My apologies to 'The Italian' by the way for hijacking this thread, but I thought this might be relevant to any discussion about how good or bad the Electra X is.

[STU]

Having owned an Electra XS for the past five and a half years from new I think that I can safely say that the Electra is by no means a bad bike. There is no doubt that the steel conrod, roller bearing big end, gear type oil pumps, electronic ignition system, five speed 'box and some updated design points are all significant improvements over the iron engined bikes - one of which I also owned.
Build quality of both is similarly 'fair', neither being better or worse than the other in my experience.
The issues raised with Electras are all true, but this forum (and other sites) is littered with significant reports of iron engined bikes failing con rods, fragile floating big ends, issues with points ignitions, high oil consumption, poor compression/performance, breaking pistons, primary chaincase oil leaks, poor gearboxes, poor TLS front brakes etc etc. These are issues that the AVL design has mostly all alleviated.

The UK importer Watsonian Squire and two RE dealerships that I know have had almost no failures of AVL big ends or con rods/pistons. One has to question any that have gone could be down to poor oil/filter changing and/or over reving - just like what happens to all the Jap/Italian/German bikes that one reads on forums with the same failures sort of failures.

In my opinion the AVL starter sprag is weak and the solenoid poor quality. The WS green TCI has completely halted any kick-back and therefore banging of the sprag - which used to occur all the time with the original TCI. This has taken the strain of the sprag and therefore it will last much longer. The solonoid can be replaced with a Honda one for £10, which will probably last for ever. The rest of the bike is 'reasonable enough'.
Don't misunderstand me, the Electra is not brilliantly made or engineered but it is a short stop gap improvement on the original design.
If you want a really well made reliable Enfield buy a post 2009 EFI Classic!

[Robin]

Hi Stu - I too did ride the bike hard, but never for prolonged periods, as that isn't possible on the twisty country roads I frequent. The same applies to over-reving. Perhaps all the short periods I pushed the bike hard did all add up in the end. Now I can push it as hard as I want (by hand). I did do frequent oil and filter changes. I don't know much about motorcycles, but I would say the gearbox and clutch are very good, as is the engine top end. I rode 22000 miles, most of that without an airfilter attached to the carb, and the barrel and piston and rings are looking good and are well within maximum clearance specs. Wheels are good, frame is reasonable, electrics are bad, frame fasteners and some of the attached bits and bobs are pretty awful. I won't mention the bottom end in this list! Great little bike which has served me very well. I like it so much, that a crank case rebuild with better components may be on the cards sometime in the near future. Hope this helps anyone contemplating an Electra X.

[The_Italian]

Thank STU and Robin. Thanks all !

I have been reading about Enfields for 5 years, and have one for 2 years.
Looks like, correct me if wrong, that some of our babies, are born better than other.
someone told me last week at the Irish reoc meeting in Clonmel, that his bike was shredding / grating the bearings, ( sorry about my English) apparently due to the fact that who built the engine didn't push the bearings well inside their location or the tollerances were wrong and they moved out a bit

My own Enfield ( 2002 classic I'm the 3rd owner) didn't gave me any issue. I bought it with 6500 kms, i did 9000 on top of that, went to France with GF and luggage ( total weight carried +- 180 kgs).
only stop and go were points lose, burnt bulbs, dirty carburator. Note that in the last year I added an Indian sidecar.

Hopefully, an AVL Electra X , would be even better.

I'm wondering is there a check list for them ? like : sobstitute solenoid, check oil leaks,..... you know.
Is there a better year for them or is the last year the (Hopefully) better one ?

I don't want to go racing with it and the roads in Ireland are slow anyway, but I'd like to know that I bought a better bike that what i have now.

Thanks
Ride safe, ride enfields !

[The_Italian]

can Anybody please post or send me a couple of pictures of what is underneath the side panels of an electra x ?

[email protected]

Thanks Again.

[STU]

Enrico, sorry no photos but under the timing side panel is the air filter, on the primary side panel is the battery/fuses/solenoid.
If you must have an AVL Electra buy the latest, lowest mileage most immaculate example that you can - preferably from a dealer with warranty.
Best of luck, they are lovely to ride it must be said.