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Royal Enfield UK - Cape Town - Practical or mistake?
My first Post on here so dont be too hard on me :-) - I'm planning an overland trip from the UK to Cape Town and am contemplating which bike to use. I currently own a BMW R100PD, XT600 Tenere (3AJ) and a 2002 Enfield Bullet 350 which I've only done 250 miles on. I know which of the bikes I should be going on but there is something which attracts me to the Enfield. I've read a few stories of them coming back overland from India but nothing much of travel elsewhere.
Has anyone travelled accross Africa on an Enfield or is there any literature I can read to help me. I'm hoping to do the trip in 3 months which I feel should be enough. I've also done a few mods to the bike for UK use including change of Exhaust, Air filter, electronic ignition and seats. Any advice would be appreciated REgards Rob |
touring Enfield
Hi and welcome!
An Enfield would make a nice pleasant bike if you understand it's capabilities, a great way to travel and by using the RE you will not have the opportunity to travel too quickly thus missing out in appreciating the countryside. You will obviously have to 'keep on top' of maintainence more often than perhaps the BM or Xt, but if you have confidence in your own or local mechanics the 'go for it and good luck. It may be a good idea to visit the RE owners club website and even join the club to find out any particular things that may be a weak point on the bike for extended touring and attend to anything before leaving. All the best |
I see no reason why it would not be possible. I suggest you contact
Hitchcocks Motorcycles -- Royal Enfield and Amal Parts and Kits they do a massive range of goodies and upgrades for the Enfield range. Be aware though they will want to sell you stuff. So think carefully before parting with cash to see if it will benefit you. There is a 20 litre tank available for about £120. See also the german Enfireld websites, as thes bikes are popular there too so many goodies can be had. The 350 is the model still using the original 1955 tooling, and is pretty much the same as then. It will be probably be well worth checking over carefully. It is my favourite offroad bike. A 500 with electric start is a better bet. Not because of the electric start, but because when they fitted teh electric start they did the job properly, so rather than just hang it on, they redesigned the crank case and made it much stiffer. no reason not to use a 500 bottom half and keep your 350 barrel and head. or part exchange the bike. by far the best is the Electra, which is a totally new and different motor. In five years time people will start to realise this. The whole bottom end is much stiffer and designed by AVL to run reliably continuously at 44hp, It actually comes to you with 25-31hp so they are very robust. Your 350 has a RH gearchange, if you prefer this the new Electra can be converted to that for about £125 or so. ( if it hasn't already been done) Whichever bike you choose the high mpg will be a help and I wish you well. |
Suggest you contact DougieB
Well, it has certainly been tried before...........
I suggest you contact HUBB member DougieB, who has considerable experience about the joys/pitfalls of riding an Enfield in Africa. I won't pre-empt his answer, but last I heard maybe Dougie was shopping for a KTM instead? Dougie - if you are out there, care to shed some light on your fine machine in Africa?? cheers Matt Roach |
Imho...
I rented an Enfield 500 in India back in 1999 and spent three weeks riding around on it. I also owned one for a time in Canada.
IMHO... this is a bad idea. I don't think the Enfields are quite as unreliable as some people make them out to be - but you would definitely have problems on a ride of that length - and then what would you do for spare parts? Enfields are great for India, where a mechanic who knows the bike is usually only a few kilometers away. Africa is a completely different story. Again, IMHO... get a Japanese-made bike instead. The reliability is an order of magnitude (or more) better. |
Many thanks for the replies to date - they are as I would have expected. I cannot yet contact DougieB as I need to post 8 times before sending a personal message. I have however spent many hours in the past searching the Hubb for Enfield travellers and DougieB seems the only one who has done what I am planning. I know he had some pretty major problems requiring a new frame at some point but I cannot find his diary which I'm sure I read some months back so dont know the current situation.
I feel that with the 'unreliability' of the Enfield - preparation would be absolutely crucial - maybe dismantle the new bike and rebuild from scratch? - whilst the PD would need relativly little work for a tour the XT600, due to its condition, would need a total rebuild before I would entertain a trip of this length I like the thought of a slow ride so that I can see something of the countries I am passing - I also own an R1 and enjoy riding it fast where its safe and suitable but apart from the track places seem pretty limited now. Maybe its my age (47) but even with the limited miles covered my favorite bike is the Enfield as I can spend time watching life go by instead of just holding on and hoping I'll last to the end of the journey. I did ride one for sometime when I spent 3 months in India so know that they are capable of riding in the extreem conditions - maybe its that we know that other bikes are more reliable that steer us away from the likes of the Enfield - when Ted Simon started his travels his triumph was good enough and the engine rebuilds were just part of normal life - I think if you are aware that you are going to have problems its not as bad - I have a good mechanical knowledge so engine rebuilds on the side of the road would not scare me too much but the practicality of getting parts would be of concern however with modern technology parts can be shipped to most parts of the world. I think another point would be the frame of mind (character?) of the person riding the bike - mine is 'laid back' acording to the wife - its been many years since I worried about anything in life so maybe this could/would help. Would appreciate any further points All the best Rob |
Enfield
Is getting any spare parts to you in Africa for a Enfield any different than getting them for any other bike? If you have internet access or even a mobile phone signal, you can get parts for anything anywhere anytime. Take the Enfield and I look forward to hearing of your experiences after your trip. I ride a Aircooled BM and like old Brit machines can 'lend itself' to a certain amount of 'Bodgeability' from time to time!! so would feel comfortable on either BM or RE anytime
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looking for partner to cape town
hi rob,
my name is robin.... listen, im also planning on going on down to cape town. when are you thinking of leaving? i've got rough plans for leaving in october 07. and am wanting to take it easy... like 8 months to a year. im a south african, (from cape town - its a homecoming mission) and am 27 years old. let me know if your interested. robin. |
Rob , I think you have answered your own question .
Anything is possible with the right frame of mind . I once read the blog of a couple that rode up through Africa on an Enfield pulling a trailer . Is that cruelty to dumb Enfields or what ? If I find that blog ,I'll send it on to you .Another blog was about a guy who equiped his bike with TKC 80 tyres and was doing reasonably well until he had his bike stolen at gunpoint . So the bike's reliability may not be the only issue you have to worry about . Hell ,you could even take your R1 that's been done as well ![ you would be able to outrun the bandits anyway !!!!] . Have fun . |
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Travel elsewhere
Hi Rob
Check out Luna on her Enfield travelluna . home I believe she has sold it now - maybe there is an answer there! Best wishes Alec |
I say go for it. It may require more maintenance than a more modern jap machine but it's much easier to fix at the roadside with minimum tools if you need to and have the skills. I'd happily attempt such a trip on our Bullet. Good luck.
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Robin - I'm planning to go Sept 07 but can only really take 3-4 months as we have 4 young children at home and my good dear wife can only take so much with a full time job as well!!
Well I've been doing some thinking and feel that with some good preparation the Enfield could work and will be spending some time doing some mods to it. If anyone could get hold of DougieB I could do with finding out which parts of the frame broke so that I can get them strenghtend - I may possibly buy another frame and get the whole thing re-welded just to be safe and swop all the bits over to it. Will be posting over the next few months with progress and will be going to the UK HUBB meeting which I missed last year All the best and many thanks for the replies Rob |
from the reports it looked like the rear mudguard supports broke, not the frame itself.
I say go for it...we are going to do a rtw on 2 enfield electra's that i'm preparing now.done thousands of trouble free miles so far:mchappy: . |
DougieB diary
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Hi Rob,
I'm on the way to Cape Town at the moment with a 55 500 Bullet. We're doing it two up so there are a whole load more issues in that but I would say a 350 would be absolutely fine solo. I rode a 350 down to the South of Morocco three or so years back and had no probs on the pistes I did. You shouldn't have any problems with the frame at all. The rear mudguard supports can break, I've done it once but two up. It's still OK to ride for a while with one broke but if you want to do some pre-emptive mechanics just strengthen the weld around the lower mounting a bit. 350s tend to be a bit tougher than 500s but I would recommend gearing up slightly as 60kph on the longer stretches can be a bit wearing! If you're interested in more we've got a HU blog - http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/tst...nfieldtravels/ and you're welcome to ask anything on list or off. Cheers Richard |
Well, I'd say the Enfield is a pretty good choice. The terminal problems I had were the rear struts (the kind of bent ones holding up the rear mud guard) snapped twice. This was on (probably) the roughest bit of road I got to (between Senegal and Mali). But the bike carried on and I got into Bamako, got new parts and all was fine. The second time they snapped I think rear shocks had just had enough, and that was the problem. I should've replaced the rear shocks sooner (they are £20 or something?). But the second time was the second worst road (Moyale/Marsabit). It's a real weak point on the bike if you are going over really rough stuff.
Other stuff? Carb rubber split in France, replaced with a part form a Ford Sierra in Mauritania. One puncture, you can fit TKC80's. Sump plug threads were stripped by a French mechanic, luckily the bike has two! Clutch cable went, someone in Togo welded a blob of weld onto it...sorted. Those TKC80's, one was not quite round by the end..though still good enough to scrape the pegs on the Addis/Gondar road in Ethiopia. It also did about 80/90 mpg's! Matt's right, I was looking for a KTM. But the whole un-reliability thing turned me off. And the high state of tune was the main thing I was worried about. But I was interested because I like riding faster than the Enfield was able to go. Enfield again? yeah, why not. It was a laugh. It felt pretty good sitting having a beer and seeing the Bullet parked up amongst the 'serious' overland bikes, so far away from home. By the way, I checked the tappets three times. They didn't need adjusting. So I just kept an ear on them. 16,000 kms overall. Hitchcock's were very helpful, as were the guys on their forum. some photo's are here : http://www.soogate.com/travel/Africa/Africa.html, you can see the struts that break. Oh, get the front engine bars, good for resting your feet on those long 60 kph days.. If there's anything else I check here every so often, or PM me if you post enough... cheers, Doug |
Hi Doug - been reading your diary but cant find anything past Oct 05 - what happend next?
I found the Diary very interesting and from the bike's point of view will fit a 22ltr petrol tank, Hagon rear shocks and possibly some trial handlebars - I'm still thinging about other mods to do and spares to carry. I think weight distribution will be very important on such a light bike and will try and put some of the load over the tank - I like the idea of softer panniers but a little concerned with security when compared to solid ones Will send a pm when I'm up to 8 posts All the best Rob |
I had the standard tank, and had no problems with range. Good idea with the rear shocks. I fitted a pancake air filter, it looks better and works better than the standard one. Check the rubber hose between air filter and carb, that split on me so if you can replace it with some radiator hose from a car you can foget about it. Plastic gasket and plastic metal were useful. I don't think you need to take that much for this bike. Some good (long) tyre levers.
Just remembered, Hitchcocks do a stronger kick start return spring. The original one on my 500 kept coming off. Once I fitted the Hitchcocks one it never came off again. My old army bags were excellent. I didn't have anything too important with me, nothing that couldn't be replaced. All my documents and things I just kept in a small rucksack on my back. Remember you're going to be travelling slow, so you'll need lots of water at times. That was a big hassle. Try attaching 3 x 2lt bottles to your bike. I hadn't even thought about that, and my pathetic attempts with string/rope/bungies always resulted in at least one bottle bouncing off. After Oct05? I got myself into a spot of bother... What route are you taking? cheers, |
'spot of bother'?
with regard to which route - at this point I'm keeping both East and West coasts open as options but will choose nearer the time depending on the Political situation in various Countries - I may have the opportunity of going down one coast and coming back up the other but my current thoughts are to ship the bike over to S America from Cape Town and resume my journey after 12 - 18 months I take your point with the fuel tank but the larger tanks are very cheap from India and I just want to eliminate fuel as a potential concern. Valid point regarding water though as I drink a lot here in the UK and had a bad 'trip' due to dehydration in Sri Lanka some years ago. So what was the bother then?? All the best Rob |
Enfield in Africa
Now that Enfield have a strong presence in South Africa, there's no reason why you wouldn;t be able to get parts air-freighted to you even more quickly than elsewhere.
The local agent for Enfield is a guy called Terry Behan, e-mail terry@thefearlessexecutive.com Africa on an Enfield? Why not? It's a fab idea. locodog |
Hi,
I have both an Enfield and a Yamaha XT. The Xt is my personal choice for a travel bike, but I think with the right prep. and maintenance you should be fine. Just be aware it'll be much slower than a modern bike, although that is not nessecarily a bad thing! As mentioned before, 19" TKC80s will fit front and back of your bullet and make it look tres gnarly! You might want to think about improving the electrics. Many bullet breakdowns are down to something as simple as a bad earth. Go over the electrics of your bike thoroughly before leaving, take some spare wire, a multi meter and lots of fuses! You might want to replace your regulator/rectifier units with a Boyer Bransden powerbox, which also allows you to run the bike without a battery (which may or may not be useful!). It might also be worth considering changing your ignition to a modern digital system for reliability. Other than that I'd put threadlock on all your bolts and regularly check them. Definately worth beefing up the sub-frame/rear mudgaurd hanger for carrying luggage. You could probably buy one from Watsonian Squire very cheap to weld bits on and generally make ugly, retaining the original to put back on the bike when you return. Watsonian are the UK importers of enfields and remove the original fit mudgaurd hangers when fitting their own custom ones for their trials/cafe racer models. The aforementioned HItchcock's are a very good source of info. and quality aftermarket parts. That's all I can think of right now! Matt |
you tend to see alot more of life on an enfield as well. 50mph gives you time to look around, rather than 75mph every time the road opens a bit.
after all isn't that what this is all about? hitchcocks do some metal panniers and frames for the enfield, like the bike itself they're crude and rugged and probably worth looking into. as for the water thing, i've just returned from a blast to the france/andora border. its only the second bit of touring i've done, but every time i filled the bike up (circa 180 miles) i had a rest and supped about a litre of water each time. i was still slightly dehydrated at the end of the day, but felt much better than previous jaunts when i waited till i was thirsty. rdjc |
Quote:
That's why I love doing my rtw on an old Ducati 250. Top speed ain't what I'm after. I bought a CamelPak in Australia. My favorite purchase! I didn't have a thermometer, but I saw pictures of the same area I was in that said 128F/53C. Soak myself at stops which would dry out fast, and drank lots. --Dave |
enfield to SA? sure why wouldnt it cope? just get to know the bike very well before you go, as you should any bike i suppose, and at least they are much simpler than nearly any other bike i can think of. these days we have 'death by electronics'
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May not be a good idea
Hello,
I have some observartions to share. SOme time ago a Norvegian fellow with an Enfield made from India to Istanbul. The bike had crankshaft problem. To find a mechanic was not easy. He had some repair in Iran. It look like they made even more damage than repair. Parts were ordered all the way from İndia. They cost next to nothing but still some vital parts were missing. Finally the bike was sent to Norway via cargo. Anothe traveller ended up leaving his bike some where in Eastern Turkey. Unless you travel with lots of parts, and you know how to fix that bike, I would not advise it. Once you are in India I hear you can find a mechanic very very easily. Take your Yamaha or BMW, enjoy the ride... Have good one. Burak |
Its the Enfield
OK so I've decided on the Enfield and done a fair amount of preparation to the Bike - the list includes:-
Replacement inner tubes (also taking 2 spare) Strengthen front mudguard New front springs New rear shock absorbers (Hagon) New 5 speed gearbox ( original was 4 speed - big gap between 3rd and 4th) Electronic ignition ( will take spare points/condensor in case) Boyer power box to replace Regulator and Rectifier High performance coil All electrics moved into left hand tool box Front brake modification ( it now nearly stops!!) Complete check of wiring circuit and improved earth contacts 'O' ring chain New Amal carb (had the slider machined and fitted with brass sleeve) with free flowing filter Made some sponge type outer filter to fit onto cone air filter Big 18ltr fuel tank Single seat strenghtend rear mudguard (although the 350 ones are stronger than the 500 bullet ones already) Side stand with wide metal plate on 'foot' High rise handlebars Replaced all cables with new ones and had the new inner cables replaced with Japanese non memory ones ( also taking 1 spare of each) A friend of mine is currently making a luggage system for the rear which will be supported on the frame and not the Mudguard. Also taking 3 X TKC80's which I have fitted provisionaly to make sure there are no problems ( needed to cut away part of front mudguard ) I've done most of the work to keep costs down and used some S/H parts like the fuel tank - some people would say I'm going over the top with preparation but I know I'm going to have problems and I just want to reduce the amount!! Forgot to say all this has been done on a bike that has only just covered 400 miles Should be off in September down the West Coast of Africa. Going to the UK Hubb meet if anyone is interested in a chat All the best Rob |
Nice one Rob, looks like you've constructed yourself a nice little adv-tourer! I'll keep an eye out for it at Lumb farm!
This is probably unecessary to say as I'm sure you know but remember to run that bike in REALLY gently. They're not made to the same tolerances as 'modern' bikes. The good thing about that though is how the bikes feel improves over the first 1000km. Mine felt SO much nicer at 1000km than it did at the start. Matt :) |
Hi Rob,
All the mods to the bike look really sound. We've made it to Ethiopia with our Bullet now, I'd suggest a couple more mods from our experience: the primary drive cover is really vulnerable to damage from rocks, a bash plate is a must to avoid this - the ones available from Watsonian and Hitchcocks look nice but are too narrow for real hard going, I bought a Hitchocks one and then enlarged it by fitting a large ally plate over it to give a bit more protection. It helps to drill a large hole in the bottom so that you can get to the oil drain plug too or else it is a real pain to change oil. The other mod is really simple and a bit of a bodge but I've found that in sandy conditions the oil filler cap is pretty vulnerable to attracting sand all around it, to get over this you can just cut a length of bicycle inner tube and stretch it over. This keeps out sand and if you drop the bike oil will not spill out. Would recommend getting a Hitchcocks oil breather mod to go with this too and oiling the chain manually. If you don't use the Hitchcocks mod then check that the oil tank can still breath OK with the rubber sleeve over it. Hope that helps. At the pace you are planning to ride we'll probably be in SA at the same time. It would be cool to have a mini HU Bullet meet in CapeTown. Good luck, cheers Richard |
Rob,
What sort of spares you planning on? I've had a 2002 350 for the past year and have just clicked over 10,000. Also curious as to your choice of an Amal carb. What did you go for and what influenced your decision? |
Hi Foxy
With regard to spares - at the moment I'm going to start the trip with some Avons and take 3 TKC 80's for when the roads get worse. I have a spare set of most cables and spare 'o' ring chain. Top end gasket set, 2 spare inner tubes ( british made and I changed the original Indian ones too), puncture repair kit, Iridium spark plug, set of points and condensor ( although I have electronic ignition fitted). I may add to the list but if anything drastic happends ( which I'm expecting! ) I can arrange to send out parts to wherever I am. With regard to carb - I went for the concentric - I must admit I dont like Amals but I dont like the original carb either - I have too many friends who have had problems with the standard carb and are much happier with the Amal so I listened to them and to date I can honestly say the bike starts and runs much better All the best Rob |
You may also want to consider an oil pump spindle - these can and do fail and if they do it'll be sudden and you'll be stranded. Only about a tenner though, and lightweight too. Spare spokes may be an idea too as they can get bashed about a bit and don't have the best reputation for strength. Would presume you have found Hitchcock's by now - certainly by far and away the best company I've ever had regular dealings with. May be worth speaking to them for advice and they'd certainly be top of my list for sourcing spares. Their improved 5 plate clutch is supposed to be an absolute gem, especially if lugging luggage or off roading or in hotter climates. Or all three as it could be!
Re the carb, Concentrics can wear out to the point of uselessness in 6000 miles if used in unfriendly conditions. While the standard 24mm Mikarb is tiny it does offer better economy, better reliability and in my case is set up pretty much perfectly. Being a copy of a Mikuni it is also easier to source spare parts. The only advantage of the Amal I've seen is easier starting owing only to the tickler & variable choke and the increase in performance owing to it's larger bore. Once sorted they do work quite well, but I have been meaning to try using a VM28 from a 500 for performance with reliability and economy. FWIW with respect to the 500s the figures I've seen bandied about for fuel consumption is around 90-100mpg with the VM28 and 75-80mpg with a 30mm Concentric, which I'd imagine would be fairly similar to the figures for the 350. Re tyres, I've used Avons up to now but have heard very good things about the block pattern Chen Shin classic tyres. Understandably with that name most are dubious, but it seems that those who try them are impressed by their grip and longevity. The block pattern also works surprisingly well off road and not only are they dirt cheap but they are also a universal fitment - meaning front and rear are exchangeable, which makes for an easier life. Even the stock Avons aren't too bad at all off road in the dry though. Congrats on the 350 as well - they definitely seem to be more robust for long distance work than the 500. |
Will be at the HUBB UK meet on Friday, Saturday and Sunday if anyone fancies a chat - dont think there will be too many Enfields there but my registration finishes in VCC just in case
All the best Rob |
Romantic idea, the Enfield, but is it practical?
I think that you are brave to undertake the trip across Africa on an Enfield. Sure, do, it, but I'd be inclined to use a BMW R 80 GS, XT 500, XT 600, R 100 GS, R 1200GS, BMW 1150 Adventure, the Enfield would worry me. I remember my BSA all too well, my Land Rovers as well. I'm more of a BMW or Land Cruiser type of bloke after 53 bikes. Something that will just slog on and on.
I have been stuck on the side of the road with broken down bikes on only a few occasions - many years ago - even a Yamaha TTR 250 is a good choice, check out Lois on the Loose - The TTR250 - ready to rock I live in Africa, have for most of my life, if your bike breaks down here in a place you don't want to be, it can cost you your life. That's not romantic. |
A Bullet is perfectly capable, if prepped right. The nightmare stories I have read seem to stem from people riding ropey second hand Indian home market bikes long distances. Later export spec bikes are better made and with the right modifications are quite impressively robust. Even with the improved quality of the export market bikes there are still certain improvements that can greatly improve reliability. The main bearings can be quite suspect and it would be prudent to strip and rebuild the motor with western European made main bearings. This will also give you the opportunity to check over the rest of the motor and address the other main problem area - lubrication. There are alot of pros and cons relating to the use of high capacity oil pumps, and IMO they may not be worth the expense but there are simple modifications and checks that can be done to ensure the lubrication system is working efficiently.
The 350s certainly seem to be more robust than the 500s and, again IMO, are better suited to distance work regardless of the extra torque provided by the 500 engine. Essentially the 350 has noticeably less reciprocating mass which means less stress on the bottom end and less vibration which is of benefit to the whole bike and the rider. Properly sorted what you end up with is a fairly robust bike that while more maintenance intensive than more modern designs is very easy to work on and pleasantly characterful. I have found spares backup in the UK at least to be far better than any other bike I have owned, and the company in question ships very quickly domestically and do also ship overseas. This company is Hitchcocks and they also have a wealth of experience relating to running and modifying post war Royal Enfields, especially the Bullet. |
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