2003 Royal Enfield 500 Deluxe

Today, dropped the needle and bike was unrideable. Oops. Put the setting back and went out for a dander.

PICT0503.JPG


That's the Lindean TV transmitter, one of the tallest man-made structures in the Scottish Borders at about 800' high. Couldn't find a perspective to avoid the telephone cable 'coz it's strung all the way along the side of the road.

But for me, the main thing was the bike behaved, in fact running well. Could be the mixture is close to as good as it's going to get?
 
But for me, the main thing was the bike behaved, in fact running well. Could be the mixture is close to as good as it's going to get?
With the needle back to behaved, how does it do at WOT? If it runs good there and the plug looks decent, I'd start going the other way (raise the needle) until it runs rough again, then drop it back one (or two) slots.
 
Thank you for your interest, Gentlemen. The current set up has the old Mikcarb, with the needle at its highest - clip in lowest slot. I thought that after fitting a free-flowing petrol tap, the mixture was now too rich. Took the carb apart this morning and above the slide was wet with petrol, which seems to confirm that, so I lowered the needle, but the bike did not like that at all so I reversed the change. Obviously, there is no room to move the needle further up so some other change would have to be made - different shape of needle or larger main. But I'm still not convinced that the mixture is not too rich already?

WOT? Have never given the bike full wide open. For one thing, until I've been inside the engine, I don't want to push the speed much past 55-60 mph. The original Indian-made cast pistons have a tendency to come apart at the cast-in cooling slots if asked to sustain a high speed. If the bike still has the original, I will fit a Hitchcocks forged piston, said to eliminate that problem.

So all it gets is occasional fairly big throttle, typically for a few seconds going up a hill. Provided we're going quite fast, seems to respond quite well to a handful. At lower speeds, too much throttle does not seem to give acceleration, the exhaust get louder but the bike feels woolly which is why I think it might be rich?

Starting, if I put the choke/mixture enrichener on and leave the throttle shut, the engine will turn a few times but not keep going. Best way to get her started is to leave the choke off, open the throttle a particular amount - too little does nothing, too much leads to spitting back, but get it right and goes to a fast tick-over. I usually hold that for about a minute, gradually reducing down to slower revs.

I find it difficult to be scientific because I have a tendency to ride around problems. Over-developed mechanical sympathy? So I'll always be playing with a little more/a little less throttle to keep things feeling happy. And when the engine is cold I'm nearly always holding a tiny bit of throttle in case it stalls. I've never been in the habit of winding the tap open in a hurry - on all bikes, I gradually open up and add more as speed picks up.

Hope this answers you questions or at least sheds some light?
 
Last edited:
Well if you seldom wind the throttle all the way open.... I think I'd try one step up on the main. That should allow you to step the needle back down somewhere around mid point.
Then you'll have room to play with it up or down and see where you're at.... too rich or too lean. Or perhaps even just right. ;)
 
Going to put an order for jets and carb bits and I'll use Hitchcocks. Cheaper buying from India and I've bought few bits from there but for techie bits I'd rather pay more for reliable quality. Sent H's an email asking about needle clips - yes, they stock them. The clip in the Mikarb has been on and off, I'm sure it's getting bent and one of these days it's going to break. Or fly.

But in the meantime just ride. Yesterday, one trip to Kelso and shoved some fuel in, then out to Galashiels, trip to the shops. Came home the long way, needless to say. So about 40-50 miles in total and if I'm picky it feels a bit 'woolly' at times but otherwise running well. Took the plug out and it's a nice pale brown.

The 1940s riding experience, sitting upright in the sprung saddle, just taking one's time, backing off the throttle and selecting the correct line for curves. Find meself laughing out loud at times. But that might just be me.
 
Today, went to see my friend Elliot in Northumberland. 110 miles round trip and the Bullet performed just as it should.

Setting out, slight slippage going uphill a couple of times - will go and adjust the free play. But just chuffed along like a good 'un.

The weather is forecast to turn a lot colder - the dreaded salt might make an appearance over the next few days, so that might be the last decent ride of the year.
 
Let's start with a gratuitous pic taken from inside the back lobby. This was after a pre-breakfast petrol run.

PICT0505.JPG

But the business of the day was fitting a new saddle. Doesn't quite seem right to call it a seat?


PICT0506.JPG PICT0508.JPG


Fitting was a major faff. You have to put bolts and washers inside the springs, which can only be done by bending the whole spring and they are quite strong springs. Old screwdriver held in a vice as a lever, two hands to bend the spring enough to edge a bolt head between the coils with your third hand? Then slip a washer over the bolt except you can't get at it and if by luck you get a washer to engage then as soon as you tip the spring to move the bolt to where it needs to be the bloody washer falls off again . . . . but at least I won't have to do that again. And forget using a spanner to tighten the nut on the front fitting, which has to go inside a frame bracket - only managed to get it beyond finger tight by pushing it round with a long screwdriver. However . . .

Visually, the new saddle looks huge and cobby. Ungainly even. Oh well, having come this far, let's at least try it out.

The test ride showed a number of differences. First, and obvious even before you climb aboard, the new saddle puts you higher. It's only a few inches but as we all know a few inches can make such a difference.

Riding the bike, sitting higher makes the bike feel smaller, very small in fact.

Oddly, and I hadn't expected this, it made the handlebar more comfy. Up till now I've felt that the bars make my wrists bend too tight but with the new higher position, they felt better. So if I go back to the other saddle, I'll try rotating the bars back and down a bit.

Also the tank rubbers make more sense. Before, they weren't in a natural position to grip, but now they are. I guess my legs will benefit from being less bent, but today's test was too short to say for sure.

However, the new saddle is a lot plusher. As well as having padding, the whole seat area is backed by springs. It really is a spring-interior motorbike seat.

It's won me over. On looks and ease of fitting, the old one wins. But for comfort, that's wrists and legs as well as posterior, the new one stays.
 
This is the well in Bowden, the next village to us and the place the Bullet has struggled to reach a few times.


PICT0525.JPG


So as we chuffed confidently through that village today, I thought the well might be a photo op?
 
We have a new Royal Enfield dealership in Victoria BC. A friend and I dropped in yesterday as we were out for a ride. There are some fine looking machines. The Classic 350 in particular is quite cool, and the 650s do feel good to sit on.
 
We have a new Royal Enfield dealership in Victoria BC. A friend and I dropped in yesterday as we were out for a ride. There are some fine looking machines. The Classic 350 in particular is quite cool, and the 650s do feel good to sit on.
The new Classic 350s are probably very good bikes and draw on the family resemblance but they are a totally new platform from the quirky old Iron Barrels designed back when when we weren't even a twinkle in daddy's eye.
 
Taking the 500 for its MoT test on Monday. Don't know if it will pass or not but never mind.

Thing is, the first thing they do, especially if it's a bike they ain't seen before, is check the identity of the bike presented to them matches the V5 ownership document. Registration number and frame number must match the V5. They could check the engine number too, it's on the V5, but I don't recall that ever being looked at.

Thinking ahead to Monday, thought I should check for meself. I know where the engine number is but could not remember if I have ever looked at the frame number. Usually, it's on the headstock but maybe Bullets are different because the casquette and all the wiring hides that area. Very quick look and can't see a number on the headstock. Some bikes have a little plate attached to the frame somewhere, so went on line - where is the frame number on a Royal Enfield Bullet? First answer that came up said, it can be hard to read, but it's on the left hand side of the headstock.

Back to the garage, pulled the bike out into the Autumn sun, turned the steering fully to the right and lo, there is a number punched into the metal, but I can't read it. Cloth, little bit of oil, rub the area, specs on, torch for maximum light, can just make it out - emm, ae, dee, ee, eye, enn - bloody hell, its says Made In India. Doh!

You guessed, the frame number is on the other side of the headstock. Hard to get at and unreadable. Cross that bridge on Monday.
 
Last edited:
Today was the day, Bullet MoT test. Took it to the place where I have had nearly all MoTs done over the past seventeen years - you could say the staff and I know each other quite well!

Not at all sure whether it would pass, but kept my concerns to myself. Lights all came on, turn signals worked, horn sounded, levers, foot pegs etcetera all tightly attached, wheels in line and so forth.

I suggested brake efficiency was tested using the old-fashioned static method with a pull wire connected to a big dial. That's what they used to do but now they strap a decelerometer to the pillion and take the bike for a road test. I was concerned because the tester might find the bike, uhm, a bit too quirky with a right foot, one up three down gearchange. But the tester wanted to go out on the bike so of course I could not really object. To my relief, brake test went well.

Final test was the headlight Dipped beam pattern. Failed!

But then the tester found that when he selected Main, there was a good beam cut-off. He suggested it might have been wrong since leaving the factory? I put him right on that, I have completely re-wired the bike so any error is mine. Can I borrow a flat-head screwdriver please? Head lamp out, main and dipped feeds swapped, re-test, that's fine now.

Pass issued!

Not the first time I have found meself singing inside my helmet on the way home from an MoT.
 
Back
Top