2003 Royal Enfield 500 Deluxe

Well this certainly has to be frustrating for you. I feel your pain, my XS2 was giving me fits……until I installed a Boyer ignition. Then it was all 🙂.
But first…..go with the wine. 🍷
Edit: Oops! I forgot you’re already running a Boyer.
 
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Raymond, I know this sounds simplistic but are you cleaning or changing the spark plug often among all the changes you've been making? I notice a good bit of carbon build up on the plug and this can cause a lot of problems itself. I've changed carbor tracking plugs that caused the same issues you're having. Don't depend on it to burn off.
 
Van Islander, Boyer do indeed make ignition for the 2002 Bullet. I have a funny feeling it doesn't replace the advance unit - IIRC it's something like a sender plate that fits in the points housing so you lose the mechanical points but the Boyer still relies on the mechanical advance? Might be talking rubbish. Maybe I will take another look and think about going down that route.

Kojack, I have been swapping a couple of new plugs, well they were new until I started swapping them in and out. With the bike not running properly, they seem to go black and wet quickly This might be mixture too rich but maybe it could be poor spark? When it won't kick start, it often blows a puff of smoke/unburnt petrol out from the air filter.

Oh, I wish I could ask the bike what it wants.
 
This might be mixture too rich but maybe it could be poor spark? When it won't kick start, it often blows a puff of smoke/unburnt petrol out from the air filter.
Try taking the air filter off for easy access... or leave it on if it's quickly removable....
Carry along a can of starting fluid or penetrating oil or somesuch.... anything that has "highly flammable" on the label (not paint).
Run the bike until it does the won't kick start thing.
Squirt a little fluid down the carb and try again.
If it still won't start then yeah, I'd suspect you have a sparking problem.
If it roars to life and then dies off, it's most likely a carb/fueling problem.
 
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When I followed Bob's lead on the Boyer it was the best thing I've done for my TX. Can you get one for the RE?
Said I would have another look at the Boyer?

What I said above was indeed rubbish - the Boyer replaces the points, condenser and auto advance. Fits in place of the points backing plate, the points cam is replaced with the magnetic rotor and the clever box works out the spark timing for starting, idle and advance. As usual with Boyer, they recommend fitting then checking with a strobe. Then forget.

So I've placed an order. I wanted the Bullet to run on points but hoping that this will take away a lot of doubt about the, ahh, issues.

More money, bought this bike for cheap tinkering too . . .
 
Thursday, Friday Elliot and I fitted the Boyer then spent nearly two days trying to get the bike to start. We found at least one problem that would account for it's reluctance - fuel flow from the tap was like a slow drip, , , drip, , , drip. We emptied the tank into clean buckets - no rust or sediment. Elliot blew through the tap and a more generous flow was established. Played with the Boyer static set up, no joy. To state the obvious, Elliot was very patient but our efforts were not rewarded with success.

The only moment there was any sign of life was with a shot of carb cleaner - ran for ten seconds. That reminded me of Jim's advice at #486 - must be carb.

Today, I adopted Mrs suggestion and put the old carb back on. A faff of course - need to use the old air filter, manifold and throttle cable, which means tank off, feed cable through the casquette and along the frame, tank back on, find the cable is trapped, time for a coffee, tank off and on again, need a pee by now . . .

But with the old carb, choke on and no throttle, the bloody bike started 1st kick. Revving away, popping and banging, but it goes!

With Mrs as willing assistant, used the strobe and found timing was over advanced. Couple of adjustments and it's as near as dammit. Managed to adjust to a nice, slow tick-over, checked the strobe again and it's pretty much on the marks at tick-over and high revs.

Test run as far as the village car-park - not running right and there's still holding back on opening the throttle. Tomorrow will be moving the needle and see if I can get that transition a bit better. For the moment, I will be pleased if I can get it to run proper with the old carb then think about trying the new Mikuni at a later date.

But today has been a good day for the Bullet.
 
The saga continues. Monday, moved the needle to highest position - clip at lowest notch. Tick-over good, transition to maybe ¼ throttle seems good. In fact the bike seems willing to rev. Helmet, gloves, set off up the Bermuda incline to the next village. And got about half way before the bike held back - more throttle, less throttle, no thank you - and stopped.

This has to be the fuel tap? Re-started and we trundled back down the road. Measuring jug, fuel pipe off, half a pint takes nearly 3½ minutes. More of a dribble than a flow - would take nearly an hour to pass one gallon.

I fink inadequate fuel has been an underlying problem all along. The bike starts easily, runs as long as I want in the back yard, ride off through the village, fine, get on to the slight incline which must increase the demand and it goes half-a-mile, just about long enough to drain the float bowl.

Tuesday, looked on line and found this little tap at Feked, other suppliers are available, but it was here this morning.


PICT0493.JPG PICT0495.JPG

Hoping the larger orifice will bring a happy result.

Onwards and hopefully even upwards along the Bowden Road.
 
Yes!

Fitted the new fuel tap - stinker of a job, hate getting petrol all over. And why do fuel taps always seem to leak if you disturb them? To cut a long story short, new tap fitted with Teflon tape to stop it leaking. Detail photo didn't come out 'coz the camera flashed which washed out the image but here's a general shot after a test run. If you zoom, can just about make out the new tap . . .

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Today, this Royal Enfield Bullet managed the ascent to the next village, in fact went round a short loop about seven miles. Behaving as in not giving up after a mile. Could run better, felt a bit 'dull' with larger throttle openings, which felt like maybe mixture too rich. Will need to play about, probably meddle with the carb again, but this will do as a base setting.

Starts first kick, runs nicely, sounds so old-fashioned. What's not to like?
 
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Yes!

Fitted the new fuel tap - stinker of a job, hate getting petrol all over. And why do fuel taps always seem to leak if you disturb them? To cut along story short, new tap fitted with Teflon tape to stop it leaking. Detail photo didn't come out 'coz the camera flashed which washed out the image but here's a general shot after a test run. If you zoom, can just about make out the new tap . . .

View attachment 225196


Today, this Royal Enfield Bullet managed the ascent to the next village, in fact went round a short loop about seven miles. Behaving as in not giving up after a mile. Could run better, felt a bit 'dull' with larger throttle openings, which felt like maybe mixture too rich. Will need to play about, probably meddle with the carb again, but this will do as a base setting.

Starts first kick, runs nicely, sounds so old-fashioned. What's not to like?
Well done Raymond; your perseverance is at last rewarded and going in the right direction.
 
Uhm, well, yeah, sometime - hope so, but got to build a bit of trust in the bike set up like it is now. Then give it a go.

And at least, should be able to rule out ignition or fuel tap when the bike plays up. But next on the agenda is submit for MoT test.

Should never have said I bought the Bullet to tinker with . . .
 
Excellent Raymond, you have been the very picture of patience and persistence and it sounds like you may have finally slayed your dragon. Good idea holding off on reinstalling your new carb for a bit. I have made the mistake before , of making too many changes at once , then trying to sort out an issue, and it can be a bit confusing where to start.
Yeah the tinkering never really stops does it? 😉
 
Every ride is an adventure.

In an effort to build trust, headed out along the Bowden road again. And the bike chuff-chuffed along very nicely so, emboldened, carried on round a short main road loop. But when we reached the turn-off to our village, the thought occurred that we could go and see the MoT tester in another wee village five miles further on. Had a chat with the very pleasant chap who usually does the inspection - they are busy for the next couple of weeks so he suggested waiting until early October. But he showed polite interest in the Royal Enfield, asked what work I had done on the bike. And the bike dutifully started first kick as we headed home. Luvvin' it by now.

OK, a round trip of only about sixteen miles, but when you are riding something that has been managing just one mile before spitting its dummy out, it's such a great feeling to arrive home with hindsight telling you Yeah, knew she would be fine!
 
Ooh, there's plenty tinkering left - sort the mixture, maybe have another go with the big Mikuni, tidy the wiring - it works but could with some neatening - and the oil leaks are only going to one way . . . Thinking later this year do a top-end rebuild, check what piston is in there, if it's original, will be replaced with a forgery, assess the bottom end . . .

Not many times in life a forged item is better than an original?
 
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Further adventure today, rode up the steep hill to Scott's view. I know, been there a few times before the bike began playing up . . .

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So I suppose today's visit was about building trust. Performed just fine.

Always attracts attention, in a good way. The bike that is, not me. Had the fun of explaining to a couple of interested visitors that this was indeed a 1940s British bike built in India in 2002 . . .
 
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