[Vaastav]

Background
My uncle had bought a Bullet back in 1990 when he was posted in Kanpur (he was in the army) after having used my father's Bullet (1988 model) while my father was in field area (he was also in the army). Unlike my father's Bullet which saw a lot of use (it even rode around Nepal), my uncle used his bike sparingly (it had done only 36402 when I got my hands on it now in 2023).

The original payment from the CSD (note that the CSD price for a Bullet was Rs. 23,324 in 1990)

The bill for the add-ons fitted at the dealership

My father's Bullet was sold in 2008 for Rs. 10000 by his mechanic as he had been instructed to sell if anyone came around offering decent money, as my father had been getting back-to-back field postings. My uncle's bike however, followed him around the country, and then back to our native village near Roorkee after he retired. Its use gradually lessened to the point where it was just kept in running condition by the mechanic when he came once in a few months.

It was brought back to running condition for being re-registered in 2021, but that was it, nothing major was done (in some places some jugaad was also done just to pass the RTO inspection). I turned 18 in 2021, and knowing my interest in vehicles, my uncle asked me if I was interested in the bike. I said yes, but due to various commitments (not least going to college in Pune) and finally when I got around to returning to my village this year, I asked about the bike.



The odometer reading when I first got it. It still has its original speedometer

The Starting
The bike had been gathering dust in a garage for some time, and I wasn't very confident about the battery, but rather surprisingly after putting some petrol in, and giving a few kicks, it thumped to life. But it was misfiring a lot and there was some white smoke coming from the exhaust. Not an encouraging sign. The nearest bullet mechanic was 17km away in Roorkee, and so I went with my father and looked for someone who was willing to come to our orchard where the bike was to get it in a condition to ride to Roorkee. After a few failed enquiries we came upon the garage of Haji Rais Ahmed, near Vaishali cinema. He was willing to come, and sure enough he came the next day with his tools and worked on the bike. The misfiring was traced to the spark plug lead not conducting properly. After this, the carb and points were also set and then we set off in convoy for Roorkee.

The condition it was in when I got it


The mechanical work
Riding to Roorkee also brought to light a few more issues, such as the clutch plates sticking and the gearbox sometimes skipping a gear entirely while changing up. The issue of white smoke was traced to the piston rings being jammed with oil and also becoming brittle. Upon opening the head, we found that the valves also needed changing and their seats needed cleaning, as they were fouled with hardened carbon deposits. This, incidentally was the first time the bike's engine had been opened up since the day it was bought. The mechanic also remarked on the condition of the bore (still standard size).
Long story short, the engine was overhauled, oil was changed and the bike came out of it sounding like a different machine, smooth and refined.

Haji Rais in the foreground and his assistant Waseem leaning on the seat. Both are very skilled mechanics and their shop is a treasure trove for old parts cosmetic and mechanical.


After the block had been removed


The right side was also completely opened up as I decided to have the chain sprocket changed after a close look at the rear sprocket which was looking a bit saw-toothed. The clutch plates were also changed.
All of this work took the better part of a day and I decided to come back the next day for the cosmetic work.

The cosmetic work
The primary cosmetic work was getting the original petrol tank back on. It had been taken off when the bike was being readied for its renewal as it had petrol gummed up inside it and had been lying at the old mechanic's garage since then (he was the family mechanic, with whom my father's Bullet used to stand when he was in field). The blue petrol tank was from a different bike and had been put on as an interim measure. Thus, I went to his garage where I met him and his son, and he gave me the original petrol tank, which had its ENFIELD monograms a bit worse for wear but otherwise intact. With the tank tied to the back of my bike I went back to Haji Rais' shop. Over there, first order of business was to clean the tank, which was done by first putting many nuts and bolts into it along with some petrol, then vigorously shaking it and then having it pressure washed from inside. That was successfully accomplished, then I was informed that they had a pair of ENFIELD monograms in the shop, and would I like them. I jumped on the opportunity, as they were in much better condition than mine. I think the ones that I bought are from an older model, as the fonts are different.

The monogram from the petrol tank.


The logo I bought.

Then I also got the buffing of the clutch cover, gearbox and timing cover done. The Bullet 350 stickers were also changed, as one of them was rather worse for wear.

Clutch cover being buffed

Gearbox being buffed


After all the work.

[ArTigor]

What a machine, the before and after pics talk so much about the transformation. One thing I love about the Bullet is that regardless of all the negatives, if you take periodic regular care, it can last really long. That luggage box is so 90s, reminds me of the 'Yeh Bullet Meri Jaan' old advertisement in which you can see these CI bullets with the side box.
On another note the Blue tank seems to be from the very initial batch of Electra, which in itself is awesome.
In the before pics I can see a lot of chipped and cracked paint surfaces for example the picture of the speedometer, the front mudguard etc. did you also do a repaint?

[aviator1101]

Originally Posted by ArTigor

One thing I love about the Bullet is that regardless of all the negatives, if you take periodic regular care, it can last really long.

You are very right Sir.
I own a 2000 model 350cc Bullet Standard.
After 20 years, a simple paint job did wonders and now it's as good as new again.
And parts are also dirt cheap, though sourcing them are becoming difficult with time.
However, apart from the engine and clutch part, all other parts are common even to the UCE bullets, hence no major issues.
They are truly ageless machines...
Sharing a few pics of my Bullet after the paint job.

[5hank3r]

I am sorry, but I think the original blue color and the golden painted logo looked much better. After painted black, it just looks like any other classic on the road, like it lost its charm. Apart from that, thanks for the post and wish you a great time ahead with that machine.

[Vaastav]

Originally Posted by ArTigor

In the before pics I can see a lot of chipped and cracked paint surfaces for example the picture of the speedometer, the front mudguard etc. did you also do a repaint?

Thanks for the kind words. The paint was touched up in some places where there were visible cracks/scratches

Originally Posted by 5hank3r

I am sorry, but I think the original blue color and the golden painted logo looked much better. After painted black, it just looks like any other classic on the road, like it lost its charm. Apart from that, thanks for the post and wish you a great time ahead with that machine.

The blue petrol tank was of another bike, and I wanted to use the old Enfield monograms on the original tank.

[raptor_diwan]

It does look stunning, indeed! Nice restoration job! Take it for a long run and keep it hot and running. I wish you all the best with your beautifully restored vehicle.

[Vaastav]

Since this bike was a single owner vehicle, all its paperwork was intact. Including 33 years of Road tax, insurance and other such documents.
The original brochure. I was interested to learn that there was even a version of the Bullet called the Super Deluxe, as I had never heard of it before. The Deluxe I knew of as a friend's father had one for some time




The user manual


An interesting document I have is the army's Driving and Maintenance course precis which has a section on MCEI (Motor Cycle Enfield India). This was given to me by my father, as he had done the course (and topped it). It has detailed information on how every aspect of the Bullet works as well as instructions for maintenance.

[theqca]

Nice...congratulations on a bike that now looks great!

I have a few bullets and your post reminded me of the one I had in the late 90s - red and chrome like the one you've shared in the advert.

The user manual you have looks a bit different from the one I've got. Any chance of exchanging scanned copies of the user manual?

[Vaastav]

Originally Posted by theqca

Nice...congratulations on a bike that now looks great!

I have a few bullets and your post reminded me of the one I had in the late 90s - red and chrome like the one you've shared in the advert.

The user manual you have looks a bit different from the one I've got. Any chance of exchanging scanned copies of the user manual?

Thank you for the kind words. I wouldn't mind exchanging scanned user manuals. Where can I send you mine?

[aviator1101]

Originally Posted by Vaastav

I was interested to learn that there was even a version of the Bullet called the Super Deluxe, as I had never heard of it before. The Deluxe I knew of as a friend's father had one for some time.

Congratulations for inheriting a really unique piece of machine. Maintaining documents so meticulously can be expected only from a Military person. Kudos for that.

The Bullets in the 1990s came in various permutations and combinations of features. More so, such changes were made to the export models than the models available in domestic market. The bullet which I own is a 2000 Bullet Deluxe 350 which came with chrome mudguards and everything else like a Standard Bullet 350. The Super Deluxe 350 was the first model in the line up which came without the typical Tiger-Eye Bullet nascelle. Instead, it had an adjustable headlamp with two pods on top, one containing the Speedo and the other the ignition key. The front shockers has rubber boots instead of metallic extension tubes. The rear mudguard was a rounded one unlike the box pattern standard mudguard and the front mudguard was also much sleeker in dimensions. Compare with the features of a Electra or Machismo launched some time later and you would notice the similarities.

[SidharthaN]

The old CI and UCE Bullets keep running if you do basic maintenance and riding them, without modifications to silencer etc. I have a 2016 Thunderbird UCE running at 1,28,000 kms on the odo. Last September did a 3000kms trip on it and it ran perfectly fine.

[tharian]

The last picture in the opening post of the bike ,looks amazing. Nice to see youngsters take an interest in these old Bullets and reviving them. They are incomparable and a rare sight as well.

Similar to you, back in 2000, I had a chance to get my uncle's 80's model STD Bullet. It was a heavy crank and that is why I wanted it more. Sadly, I couldn't get my hands on it and ended up buying a new Electra couple of years later, after college.

The most important aspect of owning an old Bullet is to get a reliable and good mech, which I think you have done and that is most of the battle won. Next , just enjoy the bike. The more you look after it, the more enjoyable the ride will be.

[Vaastav]

One more item of work that I wanted to get done was bringing the bike back to its original looks.
To this end, I looked around for the old style levers, wiring harness, switches and ignition and brake light. After much hunting in Roorkee, Saharanpur and Khatauli, these parts were finally found in a small shop on Kanwali road in Dehradun


This is how the handlebar looked before they were fitted


And this is how it looked after


After the work was done, I decided to take advantage of the good weather in the middle of rainy days and went for a ride in the Forest Research Institute, Dehradun






I would also like to thank all of you for your encouraging words, and any advice/tips would be welcomed.
Phir milenge

[SgtGAWD]

Excellent write-up Vaastav. These old-CI bulls are a charm to ride and simple to maintain. Throughout the 80s and 90s, they've been a staple of the uniformed forces throughout the nation.

I got my hands on a '95 CI Bullet as I transitioned from school to college and it was an extremely fun project to slowly transform a battered specimen to a daily-driver that I could take to college everyday in it's final avatar. You can check out the thread from my profile. Coincidentally, my Enfield was also running a standard bore like yours . Also like you, I remember having 2 spare fuel tanks with my Bullet because of the rusting




The niggles are constant in these old machines and one needs to remember the limits of the machine before venturing out astride them into modern traffic. However, the sheer mechanical knowledge you'll gain from your ownership of this timeless classic is unparalleled.

Also, the MT School Service manual you've got is a great resource for maintaining a CI Bull in Indian conditions. Can it be shared with other fellow enthusiasts by any chance?

Wishing you smiles for miles on your machine. Happy thumping.

Regards

[Vaastav]

Originally Posted by SgtGAWD

Excellent write-up Vaastav. These old-CI bulls are a charm to ride and simple to maintain. Throughout the 80s and 90s, they've been a staple of the uniformed forces throughout the nation.

I got my hands on a '95 CI Bullet as I transitioned from school to college and it was an extremely fun project to slowly transform a battered specimen to a daily-driver that I could take to college everyday in it's final avatar. You can check out the thread from my profile. Coincidentally, my Enfield was also running a standard bore like yours . Also like you, I remember having 2 spare fuel tanks with my Bullet because of the rusting
Attachment 2477620

Attachment 2477621

The niggles are constant in these old machines and one needs to remember the limits of the machine before venturing out astride them into modern traffic. However, the sheer mechanical knowledge you'll gain from your ownership of this timeless classic is unparalleled.

Also, the MT School Service manual you've got is a great resource for maintaining a CI Bull in Indian conditions. Can it be shared with other fellow enthusiasts by any chance?

Wishing you smiles for miles on your machine. Happy thumping.

Regards

Thanks for the praise. Your Bullet is an impressive specimen too, and I did read your thread with all the details of how you came by it, the various problems it threw up etc with great interest.
As for the MT manual, I would be happy to scan the section on the Bullet, but I'm not sure where to post it