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6 Jul 2013
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Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Norfolk/Suffolk border
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Quote:
Originally Posted by oldbmw
Since my last post I have been to Poland via south of France, N. Italy , Austria and Czech republic to see the "Flytrap" plus a few trips to various rallies. On the downside I had a big end fail due to a faulty crankpin. other than that it has been fine. The big end bearing and crankpin was replaced with a UK made bigger better set, and at the same time all the bearings were replaced with European ones.
I have managed to set the ignition timing correct ( It was too advanced and combined with a badly heat treated crank pin was jointly responsible for the bearing failure) It now runs smoother and with more "pulling" power. It is happy from the low forties (MPH) up to the low sixties. still turns back about 95MPG (Imperial). It has now done 16 k miles and still on the original Indian made primary chain. Although those are lifed at 18K miles. I have a genuine Reynolds to replace it this winter. It eats Indian made rear chains at about 6k miles, but the cheaper Italian Elite chains are twice as good. At 3k miles significantly less worn than a new Indian made one.
I find I make on average more miles per day on the Enfield than I did on my faster BMW. Partly because I only need to stop once a day for fuel and partly because it is much more comfortable and less tiring. Just seem to bumble along quicker. Bit odd I know.
You will need to carry more tools because they seem to have decided never to use the same size fastener twice. If you have to undo three nuts/bolts you will need at least four different size of spanner.
The only thing that was better on the BMW was no chain maintenance. The problem is that the Enfield is oiltight and you will need to oil the chain daily if doing significant mileage. There is not room enough to use X or O ring chains.
Apart from the chain, I just do an annual maintenance which is good for 3K miles. more than that requires an oil change (DINO cheap oil).
I use soft luggage except for a givi top box. and have an Avon (Sprint) full handlebar fairing like the 1960's UK police. This keeps rain, insects and road debris of my upper body and there is no windchill to my upper body. If I could find one I would have used something similar to the old Avonaire touring fairing for all over protection.
Hope that helps.
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Flytrap, what is that?????
atb 
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11 Jul 2013
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Contributing Member
Veteran HUBBer
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Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Aus. Qld. Mackay
Posts: 474
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Royal Enfield
Does anybody have a link to the Greg Staves story, it looks interesting, but 13 years ago. Greg Staves, raising money for cancer research, rode an Indian-
built 500cc Enfield from Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, to Ushuaia, Argentina."
Cheers
Paul
Also anybody know where I can get hand protectors (Barkbusters) for an Enfield. ?
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20 Oct 2013
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HUBB regular
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Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: UK
Posts: 26
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Handguards
Paul,
Did you finally get any hand guards? I have a 2012 Indian Enfield here in Dubai, great fun  and use it for camping trips. Have made a number of changes but spares are mainly Indian here so not bothered with the engine yet.
Rgds
Bob
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27 Oct 2013
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Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Aus. Qld. Mackay
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Royal Enfield
No still haven't found any hand guards yet ! I may have to by a generic set & make them fit !!! I don't really need them for dropping the bike etc. but more to protect my hands from the cold.
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2 Dec 2013
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Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: UK
Posts: 26
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Royal Enfield
Since the last post I was retuning from a camping trip in Oman and one of the many crazy drivers here, turned left and sideswiped me. No other cars on the road, claimed he did not see me. Result; me - broken ankle, bike - trashed rear end, bent frame, bent shocks, bent swing arm, metal panniers trashed, handle bars bent, mirrors smashed, brake leaver broken, foot peg snapped, switchgear trashed.
As i play the slow motion crash in my head, the biggest problem was that as i was hit square from the side the foot peg dug into the road and flipped the bike (they are fixed). This caused most of the damage. car and i had both just gone over speed hump so not moving much above 35kph.
So all fixed now, but first change was to make new folding foot pegs. Also have changed shocks to ones 1" higher. Bought Adventure spec soft luggage metal was trash, not using them again. As i always wear full body armour (camping in the mountains here equals no phone reception) back was saved as i did a half somersault and landed flat on my back. Also wearing adventure boots so fracture was not so bad. Lots of lessons learnt for future long rides (like this weeked ) repairs her ran to approx £500 so much cheeper that UK.
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8 Feb 2014
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Location: Aus. Qld. Mackay
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Enfield
WOW thats was a nasty development....glad all good now. I don't like
soft panniers, my wife has them, crap to pack, crap security, just don't like them, I am still going to ride my Enfield to south america so one ? why raise the bike 1 inch ? Will be changing my foot pegs after reading your post as well.
Cheers
Paul
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15 Aug 2014
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Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Northumberland, uk
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I tried living with an standard carb model, iron barrel indian enfield 500 last year, after having used a Enfield 700 super meteor as a daily hack for a few years (long time ago but an excellent bike - better than a bonny i also owned). With the 500 I modified it to try and improve it a bit - made it more of a street scrambler upgraded, bars, shocks, seat, upgraded brake to disc, rewired it and fitted electronic ignition, it was still just a huge compromise. The gear shift being on the right was not a problem but then again i have owned right shift Laverdas, triumphs and so on before and you soon adapt to riding with gears on the opposite side however the lack of power / speed was a problem in faster moving traffic or more so on long hills when loaded for a bit of camping, the brakes were woeful more so in the wet even though it was fun to ride it made every journey feel three times as long and god was it uncomfortable, it did not soak up the road or the bumps on gravel it was very harsh and so was tiring to ride. I am 6ft and the bike felt too small, my back ached, my knees were too high so for me the ergonomics were simply wrong. I know people have done massive trips on these bikes in my humble opinion they need a medal for such an achievement, a pushbike would be a better choice. The Enfields was sort of reliable enough but needed fettling a bit now and then, and I constantly wondered given the general standard of build quality when the big end would go or the some other catastrophic failure at some point. The 350s are far more reliable with little in power loss.I would say the general build quality, fit and standard of materials and engineering was simply awful. (moreso in like for like comparison to the original British built Enfields. Jake.
Last edited by Jake; 15 Aug 2014 at 11:45.
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22 Nov 2016
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Join Date: Nov 2016
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Greg Staves
Dear PaulD
I was at school with Greg Staves in the 60s. Sadly I lost contact with Greg and only found out about his life after school a few years ago - and after he had passed away. I too would like to learn more about this. Did you come across any links about his epic ride?
Many thanks
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21 Dec 2016
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Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Northumberland, uk
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In praise of the new Enfield's, as much as i have criticised the old iron barrel indian enfield i owned, I have to say a lad at my local bike club bought a new efi enfield just at the end of september.
He is a rather large chap, as is his missus - he traded in a BMW 1200 RT.
So since buying it in Late September he added a top box and panniers, and both him and his missus have clocked up over 3000 trouble free miles, he is not what i would call mechanically inclined so jumps on and rides it, all weather and anywhere.
Talking to him last week he was saying how much both he and his missus love the bike, find it easy to ride and very very comfortable. They do look a bit like a cartoon both squeezed on the bike - but hey ho ! it's really working for them.
I hope it continues to work for them and stays reliable. It's nice to hear a positive slant on these bikes.
Tchus and merry christmas to all. Jake.
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12 Jul 2013
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Flytrap
Quote:
Originally Posted by floyd
Flytrap, what is that?????
atb |
It is the test site where the nazis were experimenting with antigravity propulsion. All the technology that was movable was taken back to the USA at the end stages of the war. the device was described as being bell shaped. Which is exactly what the Roswell initial descriptions claimed. Roswell is close to area51 where the technology was taken. and also where many "flying saucers" have been claimed to have been seen. a bell and flying saucer is near enough the same shape if you do not know how else to describe it.
sorry can;t post a picture here.
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