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[Gwilly]

Hmm Half my text disappeared.. Was going to say they may have been using the alloy clamps with pinch bolts fitted to the new 2012 model thunderbird which had the redesigned straight slider/axle very similar to the new Conti GT...

[another Allan]

So it looks like Thunderbird yokes will be needed to fit the non-screw stanchions. That's a pity because I like the casquette. When I get a chance, I'll be stripping down some forks to see if the old type stanchions will fit the new sliders.

[Norm]

Hi Alan, you may be able to get some local retired engineer to cut threads on the tubes because that is obviously what they have done with the C5. Gwilly you could be right, maybe the new GT uses these forks without the thread as well as the Thunderbird

[another Allan]

Hi Norm. Having a thread cut sounds like a good idea. I'll have to strip them first so that the stanchion will go in a lathe chuck, so I may as well see if the new sliders will fit my old threaded stanchions. When I get the chance to do it, I'll update the post.

[Gwilly]

Norm just picked up on what you said about the C5 forks, NO loctite is required.

They are designed like a camel, functional but wtf was the guy thinking..

I thought they were having a laugh when i read that the fork has to be removed from the bike in order to change/top up the oil??
So lets see, jack up the bike, remove the brake calliper, mudguard, speedo drive cable and wheel.
Also the clutch cable from the nacelle, because the outer WILL get chewed by the allen key

You couldn’t make it up really.. Because you can drain the fork from the allen bolt in the slider but there’s no fill hole in the top..

Under the chrome screw is the fork cap, a piston like lump with a left hand thread and o ring turned by the usual 12mm key..

This screws internally into the fork tube, anti clockwise to tighten looking downward..

The fork tube has the usual external RH thread into the nacelle.. Sooo if you turn anti on the plug it will tighten into the fork tube and the fork tube will tighten into the nacelle, Clear? with me so far? he he…

How do you get it out..? If you release the pinch bolt on the lower tree and turn the plug clockwise you will wind the tube out of the nacelle.

Great except your left with a tube with a bloody tight plug in the end and no way too grip the tube…

Plan B, loosen pinch bolt and turn clockwise on the key until you feel the tube give in the nacelle. Now tighten the pinch bolt and go clockwise to break the plug in the tube.. Release the pinch bolt and using latex gloves for grip unscrew the fork leg from the nacelle complete with fork cap…
Remove cap and invert over a bucket to clear oil. NB Two springs in this model,Long spring as in all and a short rebound spring… Enough, i’m off to bed… gwilly

[Norm]

Thanks Gwilly, so the thread in the top of the fork tube plug is left hand? This is what I'm thinking, will have to make up a clamp to hold the stauntion below the slider after removing the lower leg so you can screw the tube back into the casquete but if this is the case how do you put oil in the fork after you assemble it because you can't put oil in the fork through the top anymore. Speedy was on about having to put the oil in before you fitted the leg because you can't remove the plug once it is assembled in the bike. His aren't too bad because his race bike is like a Honda, tubes not threaded and pinch bolts top and bottom of the triple tree. What a wonderful move backwards

[Norm]

Today at 5:27 PM
I have a 2011 C5 500cc EFI Royal Enfield.
I have the “Service Manual” for this bike. (Updated December 2010 version)

I am currently working on the front forks.
Please refer to the illustration on page 08-2 of the service manual.

A few issues with lack of information:
1. The drawing does not show a thread on the top and outside of item 3 (Main Tube) where it screws into the bike
2. Nowhere does the manual inform that item 1 (Bolt cap) has a left hand thread.
3. There is no specification for fork oil in either the owner’s manual or the service manual.
4. As there is no oil specification there is also no quantity mentioned.
5. The manual does not give any advice on when and how to replace the fork oil

Please write back giving the oil specification for the forks and quantity for each fork leg.
You may also consider updating the owner’s manual and the service manual to give information on changing fork oil.


This is an email the owner has sent to the factory, see what sort of answer they come back with

[Mark M]

What did I say about the Thunderbird forks?!
REgards, Mark

[Norm]

Mark, there are fitted to a C5 Bullet and probably the B5, maybe even the G5 who knows The unthreaded ones as you say probably the Thunderbird

[Norm]

Today at 9:17 AM
Norm:
It seems that I missed the page with information in the service manual.
They have provided attachments.
“Fork Oil Replacement interval” shows a 12,000 km interval
“Front Fork” gives the oil quantity and specification.

I was looking in the section that covers maintenance of the forks and a reference from there would have been handy.

It is interesting that there is also a table in the owner’s manual that advises that the fork oil level should be checked every 1,000 km or earlier as required.
How this is done is beyond me apart from viewing an obvious leak.
This differs from what I have now found in the “service manual” which advises that a check of the oil level be carried out every 6,000 km and that this involves removing the forks .
Then an oil change every 12,000 km.


RE have indicated that the threaded tubes were only used for a short time on bikes like mine with 18” wheel so that is why the outer thread is not included in the drawing shown in “service manual”.

RE have at this time agreed that they have missed mentioning the L/H thread on the top plug.



This is the reply from the Factory, from what I'm reading into this, screwed in forks are not being fitted to any of the newer models