I’m happy to see your run in is progressing well! Beautiful photos! I’m always struck by , how perfect your Royal Enfield looks in your country settings. 
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2003 Royal Enfield 500 Deluxe
- Thread starter Raymond
- Start date
Nice words. I could not have said it better.I’m happy to see your run in is progressing well! Beautiful photos! I’m always struck by , how perfect your Royal Enfield looks in your country settings.
Thank you, Gentlemen. I think I have said before that the Bullet is a very charming and apt machine for chuffing around on the little lanes and quiet country roads we have in this part of the World.
Today, adjusted the chain again, this time the objective was to replace the snail cam adjusters.
The new adjusters have little square holes cut out, which it is suggested allow use of a tool to turn the cam. So, it was loosen the locknuts etcetera, seize manfully upon the rear wheel and heartily pull it back to adjust the chain, take the spindle out, replace the snails and put all back together.
Won't be until next time that I'll find out if the cut outs in the cams make it any easier.
But if not, all that manful heaving is just another part of the charm . . .
Today, adjusted the chain again, this time the objective was to replace the snail cam adjusters.
The new adjusters have little square holes cut out, which it is suggested allow use of a tool to turn the cam. So, it was loosen the locknuts etcetera, seize manfully upon the rear wheel and heartily pull it back to adjust the chain, take the spindle out, replace the snails and put all back together.
Won't be until next time that I'll find out if the cut outs in the cams make it any easier.
But if not, all that manful heaving is just another part of the charm . . .
The holes for plugging a ratchet into Raymond?
Oh, it didn't click (sorry!) - one of these.
That's a 1/4 inch drive and it has clearly been made for this to fit. Well, that's the tool sorted then . . .
That's a 1/4 inch drive and it has clearly been made for this to fit. Well, that's the tool sorted then . . .
You'll want one of these then...
Running-in continues and today the Bullet did some outings with purpose. First was to the filling station, then went all the way to Galashiels for some shopping. It's only about seven miles but the return distance makes this the longest run since fitting the new piston. And dealing with traffic. The 500 lived up to the task.
Has now run more than one hundred miles since the latest rebuild and am now building some trust. This afternoon, a little trip to Lindean Loch. I suppose it would be called a local beauty spot, but fortunately either most people don't know the place or they don't bother to go there much. There was one group of four people dressed with intent to go bird-watching, I'd say - not in the photo below.
And a general view across the Borders from near Lindean.
Very typical of this region - rural, distant hills, a farm. In the distance, on the right, the keen-eyed might spot Rubers Law, extinct volcano and local landmark.
All in all a very good day with the Bullet 500.
Has now run more than one hundred miles since the latest rebuild and am now building some trust. This afternoon, a little trip to Lindean Loch. I suppose it would be called a local beauty spot, but fortunately either most people don't know the place or they don't bother to go there much. There was one group of four people dressed with intent to go bird-watching, I'd say - not in the photo below.
And a general view across the Borders from near Lindean.
Very typical of this region - rural, distant hills, a farm. In the distance, on the right, the keen-eyed might spot Rubers Law, extinct volcano and local landmark.
All in all a very good day with the Bullet 500.
Very nice Raymond! Arizona has quite a lot of volcanoes, I’m thinking of riding to one when it cools back down.
The Volcano's or the heat?Very nice Raymond! Arizona has quite a lot of volcanoes, I’m thinking of riding to one when it cools back down.
My old riding buddy made about 3 cross country trips to Laguna Seca for the superbike races. The last time he went he took a southern route to visit family in Texas and some sites across the southwest.
He left one morning from Tucson heading up towards Phoenix and the heat coming off the pavement was so uncomfortable that he stopped in a movie theater in a town along the way and watched 2 films to cool off.
Rubers Law, just less than 1400 feet at the summit, makes a landmark because it dominates its local area of Denholm and Hawick. Looked on fondly, because being conical it corresponds with people's idea of a volcano.Very nice Raymond! Arizona has quite a lot of volcanoes, I’m thinking of riding to one when it cools back down.
There are three conical volcanic peaks - the Eildons - just outside our village, not true volcanoes but described as igneous intrusions. Various other volcanoes in the Borders, but they have been extinct for 350 million years or so I've been told. Britain is very stable geologically. Maybe not politically or economically . . .
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Thursday, three outings, plus adjusted the tappets. Engine sounding good and feeling good. Still keeping speeds down but thinking that the running-in is progressing well. Maybe we can put the early - misadventure - of a seized piston behind us?
Drew up a list of some of the jobs I would like to do on the Bullet. Doesn't mean they will all happen anytime soon but meantime intend to enjoy the laugh-out-loud delights of riding this anachronism.
Drew up a list of some of the jobs I would like to do on the Bullet. Doesn't mean they will all happen anytime soon but meantime intend to enjoy the laugh-out-loud delights of riding this anachronism.
Great report Raymond; seems you have got over the problems of the first run-in period. I would still take it easy for the first 150 miles or so.
Ads.
Beautiful Summer day.
Bit of tinkering in the back yard. Main idea was to sort the throttle cable - gets trapped between frame and tank. The tank drags the cable, pulling a little bit open. So I fitted a shorter inlet, to pull the carb forward a bit. Did that work? No, after a short run, still found the tick-over had risen far too high.
Next thing to try, fitted a clear plastic tube over throttle cable. Surprisingly, that did work! After a short run, the tick-over went straight back to, uhm, too dammed slow. Fiddled with the throttle stop till we had a nice slow thump, thump, thump. Ooh, that's better. The exhaust now pops on closed throttle - hmmm, do I need to set tick-over a little higher or does it need a size up on the pilot jet?
But the good news is, with the cable running through that length of clear tube, it feels like I have much better throttle control - lighter action, more positive opening and more positive closing.
Did the tappets again, job which calls for:
because with the Bullet on its centre-stand, both wheels are on the ground. Putting the special tool in place means you can use the rear wheel to turn the engine to tdc. In fact, makes a host of jobs easier if you can turn the wheels.
As said before, access to the tappets is very good, but it's still a faff peering into a little dark space trying to engage adjusters and locknuts with the special skinny self-turning spanners. To cover all eventualities, the spanners carry Imperial size at one end, Metric at the other. They're called self-turning spanners, by me at least, because no matter how you lay them down, pick one up and offer up to the adjuster and it's the wrong bloody end yet again. So at last have fixed them with some shrink wrap:
Now even dumbass will offer up the right end . . .
More than 200 miles since the rebuild, felt that an early evening ascent to Scott's View might not be asking too much:
All in all, a good day with the Bullet.
Bit of tinkering in the back yard. Main idea was to sort the throttle cable - gets trapped between frame and tank. The tank drags the cable, pulling a little bit open. So I fitted a shorter inlet, to pull the carb forward a bit. Did that work? No, after a short run, still found the tick-over had risen far too high.
Next thing to try, fitted a clear plastic tube over throttle cable. Surprisingly, that did work! After a short run, the tick-over went straight back to, uhm, too dammed slow. Fiddled with the throttle stop till we had a nice slow thump, thump, thump. Ooh, that's better. The exhaust now pops on closed throttle - hmmm, do I need to set tick-over a little higher or does it need a size up on the pilot jet?
But the good news is, with the cable running through that length of clear tube, it feels like I have much better throttle control - lighter action, more positive opening and more positive closing.
Did the tappets again, job which calls for:
because with the Bullet on its centre-stand, both wheels are on the ground. Putting the special tool in place means you can use the rear wheel to turn the engine to tdc. In fact, makes a host of jobs easier if you can turn the wheels.
As said before, access to the tappets is very good, but it's still a faff peering into a little dark space trying to engage adjusters and locknuts with the special skinny self-turning spanners. To cover all eventualities, the spanners carry Imperial size at one end, Metric at the other. They're called self-turning spanners, by me at least, because no matter how you lay them down, pick one up and offer up to the adjuster and it's the wrong bloody end yet again. So at last have fixed them with some shrink wrap:
Now even dumbass will offer up the right end . . .
More than 200 miles since the rebuild, felt that an early evening ascent to Scott's View might not be asking too much:
All in all, a good day with the Bullet.
Nice Raymond! Always something to do on these old bikes eh? Pretty sunset! 
Great improvement Raymond. Love the spanner fix too.
You will make a daily runner of it soon no doubt
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Thanks, Ads. It pretty nearly is a daily runner - at the mo, goes out 2 or 3 times a day. This morning, after a trip to Galashiels on the Orange Peril, rode the Bullet one mile to the filling station. After filling up, eked out the return to fifteen miles. Feel I can ride normally now - won't treat it harshly, but not so worried about overheating and seizing again.
Took 8.06 litres to fill after 133 miles - works out to 75 miles per Imperial gallon.
The Summer weather continues. Spent the larger part of the afternoon giving the bike the attention it deserves.
The tray was a precaution but not needed, sometimes there's a drip out the primary.
Went round the chrome rims, first with a dry cloth wiping dust and loose dirt away, then used a bit of steel wool to wipe a few rust spots off, then wiped all over the rims with a paraffin (kerosene to N Americans) rag. Ended up giving the whole bike a spruce up.
The alloy parts, where I've previously polished with Solvol, came up brilliant after a paraffin wipe over.
The chrome isn't very thick. Rims, exhaust pipe, mudguards have a few spots showing through. Well, the front mudguard is clear of spots but it is a flimsy structure. The chrome trim round the headlight seems good and deep though.
Quality on the Bullet mostly spans solid to robust to good. Not very many cheap parts to let the game down. I think the Indian built old-style Bullets have suffered from outmoded design features, variable quality control at the factory, unreliable electrics and modern prejudice against a bike that demands a certain level of owner involvement. Oh, and the American market suffered from a constellation of problems of their own - headlight on all the time led to awkward changes to the electrics, also dodgy left-foot gearbox linkages, not the best dealer network, leading in turn to poor customer support.
But if you are willing to rewire the bike, welcome owner involvement and enjoy outmoded . . . it can be a lot of fun.
The tray was a precaution but not needed, sometimes there's a drip out the primary.
Went round the chrome rims, first with a dry cloth wiping dust and loose dirt away, then used a bit of steel wool to wipe a few rust spots off, then wiped all over the rims with a paraffin (kerosene to N Americans) rag. Ended up giving the whole bike a spruce up.
The alloy parts, where I've previously polished with Solvol, came up brilliant after a paraffin wipe over.
The chrome isn't very thick. Rims, exhaust pipe, mudguards have a few spots showing through. Well, the front mudguard is clear of spots but it is a flimsy structure. The chrome trim round the headlight seems good and deep though.
Quality on the Bullet mostly spans solid to robust to good. Not very many cheap parts to let the game down. I think the Indian built old-style Bullets have suffered from outmoded design features, variable quality control at the factory, unreliable electrics and modern prejudice against a bike that demands a certain level of owner involvement. Oh, and the American market suffered from a constellation of problems of their own - headlight on all the time led to awkward changes to the electrics, also dodgy left-foot gearbox linkages, not the best dealer network, leading in turn to poor customer support.
But if you are willing to rewire the bike, welcome owner involvement and enjoy outmoded . . . it can be a lot of fun.