2003 Royal Enfield 500 Deluxe

The rubber washer I softened in boiling water has not leaked since, but bought a couple of Viton washers anyhow.

Today, tdc tool and degree disc arrived - ordered from Hitchcocks only yesterday. Was going to use the tool to, uhm, find top dead centre. But when I pulled the spark plug out, noticed it's BR8ES and the plug cap is NGK marked with 5kΩ So both the plug and the cap are resistor type. Don't think that's quite right, not sure if it would be enough of a problem to cause the running issues?

Swapping to non-resistor plug caps gave a problem with Miss November, the Boyer ignition required correct resistance - take a look here:

https://www.xs650.com/threads/miss-november-xs2-tribute.55057/post-702362 - Thank you 5T - I learned something from that incident

Rummaged in my box of XS bits and found the offending non-resistor caps and fitted one to the Bullet. Haven't done thorough test yet but I would say it ran better. Though at one point, as we went up a slight rise, the exhaust let out a sound like a shotgun being discharged!

So, still need to check the ignition timing. It's a shame Bullets don't have a scribed mark on the stator to assist - gonna have to mess about with the tdc tool and maybe fit the degree disc to the crankshaft to see if the timing is right.

Onwards and upwards.
 
Old gentleman from Atlanta area, Beni Rodi, has several that he races in vintage events.
His dad owned several dealerships in Atlanta years ago, Beno acquired all the novelty items, that amounts to around 100 bikes, mostly together and ample racks of parts
 
I remember a BSA 500 that could kickback severely ..so being careful with the advance and kicking cant hurt
You are right, Jan. The Bullet is in a soft state of tune, low CR, and it hasn't kicked at me. Yet. When it has misbehaved on kicking, usually a backfire through the carb and a puff of unburnt fuel comes out from the K&N.

Advice from experienced Bulleteers on the Unofficial Royal Enfield forum is to look at whether the tap is flowing enough fuel, also check the float height. I still have not checked the spark timing and their feeling is, if the bike runs, it's probably close enough for now.

Yesterday, held a cup under the fuel tap to check the flow. Maybe best describe as like a 5 year-old boy peeing rather than a vigorous grown man. The tap is very small bore, but seems to be flowing freely. Hitchcocks offer an ethanol fuel tap which has a larger bore and that might be worth thinking about.

I don't think there is much wrong, but it is very easy to lose direction and just cast about in the hope of solving the poor running.
 
Not too old - not wanting to prostate the obvious health hazards faced by men of a certain age . . .

Spoke to a very helpful man at Hitchcocks today. He felt tap not flowing enough fuel unlikely to be the problem. Suggested checking the float height and looking for tampering or sticking float pin. Had the carb apart, can't see any obvious problem, went for a run. Not too bad but twice the bike cut back and stalled. Both times was going from very small throttle to a bit more. Say, transition from pilot to needle? Tomorrow,might try dropping the needle one notch to see if that cures too rich on the transition?

Only one carb, one needle, easy to access, maybe worth a try.
 
Not too bad but twice the bike cut back and stalled. Both times was going from very small throttle to a bit more. Say, transition from pilot to needle? Tomorrow,might try dropping the needle one notch to see if that cures too rich on the transition?
Unless you have other clues suggesting too rich, hesitation transitioning from one circuit to the next is usually (not always) a temporary lean condition. If dropping the needle doesn't help, you might consider raising it one notch.
 
Unless you have other clues suggesting too rich, hesitation transitioning from one circuit to the next is usually (not always) a temporary lean condition. If dropping the needle doesn't help, you might consider raising it one notch.
That got me thinking. There's so much going on, yesterday found the carb was black and sooty inside:

PICT0202.JPGPICT0203.JPG

Soot on the slide too. Apologies for the awful picture. Bottom of the slide and top of the needle are black and there is soot from the slide back upstream to the filter - the engine manifold side is clean, presumably gets washed by petrol. Started thinking maybe the inlet isn't closing fully.

Today, checked the tappets. I know, shoulda been in there before this, but anyhoo, both are quite loose. You pull the side plate off for access to the lower end of the pushrods, which on a cold engine should twirl freely with no noticeable up & down play. If the inlet isn't closing, the rod should be tight even at tdc. What I found in fact was both rods loose with minor but distinct up & down. Will need to tighten 'em sometime but as my pal Elliot says, 'a tappy engine is a happy engine' so that can wait for now.

It was the soot had me thinking 'too much petrol' hence should lower the needle, but your post made me realise I have no real evidence of the bike running rich. The sooty carb remains a mystery for now but might be due to backfiring, on kicking over and occasionally when running.

So I lifted the needle - moved clip from third lowest to second lowest notch.

Seems your suggestion was correct. Only done three miles - up to next village and back. The good news, bike behaved. Provoked the conditions which have led to holding back in the past, opening to half throttle from low speed. Fine, no holding back or dying, in fact bike feels a lot happier.

Too early to say that's it fixed but a definite step in the right direction.

A thought crossed me mind this morning. I should be pleased this bike just needs a bit of tuning - was in a much worse place this far into owning Miss November . . .
 
Turned out nice today. So just been for a bimble on the single. Went as far as Ancrum along little back lanes and even a few miles on the main A68 as well.


PICT0205.JPG



A 22 mile ride with no unexpected stops. In fact the bike felt quite happy so I was able to bask in the delights of low-speed 1940s style riding.

Getting there . . . ?
 
Soot on the slide too. Apologies for the awful picture. Bottom of the slide and top of the needle are black and there is soot from the slide back upstream to the filter - the engine manifold side is clean, presumably gets washed by petrol. Started thinking maybe the inlet isn't closing fully.
I'm wondering if you might have some exhaust reversion going on....
It's easy enough to check for. Take the air cleaner off and rev the engine while looking into the carb... see if there's a cloud of fuel/air blowing out the back of the carb at a certain rpm. I'd think it'd have to be pretty bad to blow exhaust soot out with it, so I'm kinda doubtful it's happening. But as easy as it is to check for, might as well have a look, no?
 
Back in November, I wondered which market this bike was intended for, due to having a KPH speedo and I suggested the V5 ownership doc might tell me if it was originally sold in some other country:

https://www.xs650.com/threads/2003-royal-enfield-500-deluxe.60842/post-718081

I don't think I ever reported back on that? Well, the V5 has date of first reg and date of first reg in the UK as 3rd February 2003, so it was sold new here with a KPH speedo. Odd? Also means the speedo I replaced was very likely the original so the bike did less than 10,000 kms in its first twenty years of life. Not hugely surprising.

Anyhow, here a couple snaps from this morning at local beauty spot Lindean Loch.

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The pictures don't show the family of swans that swam over. Out of curiosity, or hoping to be fed.

Off to the garage now to oil the front brake. Or summat. Has a tendency to bind on so will need to look at the pivots and also try to understand how the tls adjustment works.
 
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I really enjoy my one lunger 500. Its fuel injected, electronic spark and hydraulic lifters... so just chain oil, adjust the chain and feed it a rear tire. Great hack tugger. Humm's along at 50-55 all day long the prefect speed to enjoy the scenery .... wave at the farmers. 😎
 

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Among the issues to be addressed, the front brake has a tendency to bind on. Time has arrived to attempt a service.

Preliminary investigation shows that the tls mechanism has been buggered with - BTW that's not cussin', it's a technical term. The tie rod has r/h thread one end and l/h t'other, with appropriate trunnions to attach to the actuating arms. Except one of the trunnions has been drilled out, so it slides over the threads. Apparently, many Bulleteers believe that makes it easier to adjust the front brake. Seems to be a marmite subject . . .

Whatever, the immediate problem in pulling the brake apart was the back-plate nut. Tight? Yup. Inaccessible? Yup, got a wheel spindle poking out. Awkward? Yup, attached to the free spinning brake plate which rotates if you try to apply any torque.

To cut a long story short, this was the set-up that persuaded the nut to see that further resistance was futile:

PICT0217.JPG


27 mm, deep (fitted over the wheel spindle), hardened, 6-point impact socket, extra leverage, link rod tightened to lock the brake on, sat with one foot on the actuator to further lock the brake. The nut is only 1" AF but the 27mm managed enough purchase. OMG I hate when things are so over-tightened.

Enough for today, Tomorrow, have a think about what to do with the messed-up mechanism.
 
Been on to Hitchcocks and ordered replacement for that nut. Isn't badly butchered, but for £3 might as well, plus of course a r/h thread trunnion to replace the drilled-out one, plus a heavy-duty brake cable. Should be here today or tomorrow.

Did not buy new brake shoes. The upgrade path is to fit better UK-made shoes. Present shoes have about 4.3mm of material, I doubt they're the original Indian ones, and a PO would have bought the better UK made ones, wouldn't he?

Went to Halfords, now for those of you not from Britain, Halfords has shops everywhere, they sell bicycle, car and motorbike products, tools, a few spares. Call themselves the UK's largest retailer of motoring and cycling products and services. Had the idea that they might have a 1"AF combination spanner to assist in putting the replacement nut back on the brake plate.

Called an assistant over to the glass cabinet with all the combination spanners, hanging neatly in rows from 6mm to 36mm. Asked him, 'Do you stock AF?' He's looking slightly puzzled. 'I'm looking for 1" across the flats?'

'What's that mean?'


It's OK, I told him, if you haven't heard of it, you don't stock it.
 
Been on to Hitchcocks and ordered replacement for that nut. Isn't badly butchered, but for £3 might as well, plus of course a r/h thread trunnion to replace the drilled-out one, plus a heavy-duty brake cable. Should be here today or tomorrow.

Did not buy new brake shoes. The upgrade path is to fit better UK-made shoes. Present shoes have about 4.3mm of material, I doubt they're the original Indian ones, and a PO would have bought the better UK made ones, wouldn't he?

Went to Halfords, now for those of you not from Britain, Halfords has shops everywhere, they sell bicycle, car and motorbike products, tools, a few spares. Call themselves the UK's largest retailer of motoring and cycling products and services. Had the idea that they might have a 1"AF combination spanner to assist in putting the replacement nut back on the brake plate.

Called an assistant over to the glass cabinet with all the combination spanners, hanging neatly in rows from 6mm to 36mm. Asked him, 'Do you stock AF?' He's looking slightly puzzled. 'I'm looking for 1" across the flats?'

'What's that mean?'


It's OK, I told him, if you haven't heard of it, you don't stock it.
At least he asked 'whats that mean' shows a willingness to learn:hump:
 
Today, I have mainly been dismantling and cleaning the front brake. Home-made wheel trueing stand first use since I had a Triumph.

PICT0219.JPG

Its good news, the wheel stops randomly so balance must be good and there's not enough runout to worry about.

Cleaned up the back plate, note cams marked for position and orientation:

PICT0220.JPGPICT0225.JPG


The operating cams:

PICT0221.JPGPICT0223.JPG


There's a little corrosion on the bearing part of the cams, but nothing to frighten the horses. Can't feel it with my thumbnail, and these are semi-static parts so that'll be fine.

And the new brake parts ordered from Hitchcocks yesterday were here by 10am this morning.

PICT0226.JPG


The link rod now has two threaded trunnions as Royal Enfield intended. Heavy duty brake cable, back plate nut, new handlebar bracket, or perch if you prefer.

Pause now - gonna have to do a bit of research to check how to get it back together and correctly adjusted.

Wot! Now you tell us? You don't even know how to put back together ferrchrissake!
 
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