[NMS]

Hi Friends,

I have been riding a bullet for the past 6 years now.
Earlier I had a 82 Model for a couple of years, which I sold off cause I couldn't afford maintaining it then
Then around 3.5 years back I bought a 92 Model Std 350. It has served me well in this duration. However, off late there were too many vibrations, and also the engine noise was very gruff. So I decided to go in for a complete engine overhaul. The mechanic I went to is the one who sits at the petrol pump opposite E-square. Now the reason for going for this fellow is that he has been servicing my bullet ever since I bought it and the previous owner as well.
I spent around 30 K for a block piston change and the works. Along with some chroming work that was now due. However I haven't been very satisfied with the outcome of the entire overhaul, and I feel I was overcharged for the entire thing. The ride though is much more comfortable than how it was earlier.
The tappet sound is still there. And I have had that in both my bullets.
But I desperately want to get rid of it. I know that most people would consider it normal and live with it. But that slight bit of sound irritates me no ends, another thing that I have noticed is that @ lower RPM's the tappet sound is not present!!
Any suggestions, DIY's that can be done to get rid of the tick tick tick, (and if there are some suggestions for avoiding those oil leaks )!!

[Jeroen]

Just got my 1973 350 Royal Enfield a few weeks ago. I've done just over 500 kilometers and I'm very pleased with.

One thing though has started playing up over the last 200 kilometers or so. When the engine is properly warmed up, when releasing the throttle, the engine won't fall back to normal idle. It will idle at a distinct higher rpm than normal. If I put it in gear and gently let the clutch out a little bit, the engine rpm will drop to normal idle.

I've checked the throttle cable and there is sufficient slack. So it's not the cable adjustment, also normally it idles fine.

I'm suspecting that the valve slide inside the carburetor somehow sticks a bit, but only when the engine is properly warmed up. Especially when I let out the clutch a bit, it seem to draw the valve slide down and normal idle returns.

Working on my Royal Enfield is new to me. I've worked mostly on cars (and anything you would find on a ship). Any thoughts or suggestions?

thanks

Jeroen

[voodoochild]

Originally Posted by Jeroen

When the engine is properly warmed up, when releasing the throttle, the engine won't fall back to normal idle. It will idle at a distinct higher rpm than normal. If I put it in gear and gently let the clutch out a little bit, the engine rpm will drop to normal idle.

Jeroen, does she still idle high if you turn the motor off and on again when hot? I can think of either timing advance weights sticking, or probably some air leaks in the rubber. Either way, maybe she'd run better when you tune the carb to your satisfaction.

Cheers,
Rahul

PS: Interesting that you've worked on ships. What speed do they idle at?

[john doe]

Originally Posted by NMS

Hi Friends,

The mechanic I went to is the one who sits at the petrol pump opposite E-square. Now the reason for going for this fellow is that he has been servicing my bullet ever since I bought it and the previous owner as well.
I spent around 30 K for a block piston change and the works. Along with some chroming work that was now due. However I haven't been very satisfied with the outcome of the entire overhaul, and I feel I was overcharged for the entire thing. The ride though is much more comfortable than how it was earlier.!!

Sorry to say this, but you spent 30 K with the worst possible mechanic I know of! Ramesh is a complete conman, and thrives on mainly students and out-of- towners. A block piston costs less than 5 K. Where did the rest of the money go?

There are a couple of very good mechanics in Vimannagar and Airport road. One is Alex and the other is Kunal. Both can be found via google. Ask them for a second opinion.

[Jeroen]

Originally Posted by voodoochild

Jeroen, does she still idle high if you turn the motor off and on again when hot? I can think of either timing advance weights sticking, or probably some air leaks in the rubber. Either way, maybe she'd run better when you tune the carb to your satisfaction.

Cheers,
Rahul

PS: Interesting that you've worked on ships. What speed do they idle at?

thanks, when I switch off and back on, high idle remains. Hadn't thought about the timing advance, I can check that easily. I did think about leaks, but all the rubbers/gaskets are brand new and I checked the tightening. Seems ok. But unless you have visual clues, always a bit tricky to completely verify.

I'll have to pull the carb of this weekend. Not a big job, but I do need to get a different set of spanners. I brought some of my tools when I moved to Delhi, but all my spanners are metric. Looks like every nut and bolt on my Royal Enfield is imperial, or whatever it's called these days. I guess "imperial" size isn't politically correct anymore? Still, putting a metric spanner on them, will just ruin them! Better get a good spanner set.

I don't think it is the tuning of the carb perse, because it runs fine, good pickup, no black smoke. Runs pretty efficient too, I'm getting 25 kilometer per litre, but then I do drive very carefully! What with me being brand new to riding a motor cycle and Delhi traffic in general!

Marine diesel idle at very different rpm. The very large two stroke marine diesels could run at as little as 30 rpm! Four stroke Medium speed diesel, probably a couple of hundred RPM and upwards.

Jeroen

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by john doe

Sorry to say this, but you spent 30 K with the worst possible mechanic I know of! Ramesh is a complete conman, and thrives on mainly students and out-of- towners. A block piston costs less than 5 K. Where did the rest of the money go?

Agree 100%. He is a con artist of longstanding ill repute. Someone beaten up multiple times by sundry Bulleteers (but will still not learn). And extremely dirty and low quality work at the end of the day (you only have to see his workshop to understand his work ethic).

Give your bike to someone else man. Alex has a good setup with good manpower.

[NMS]

Originally Posted by john doe

Sorry to say this, but you spent 30 K with the worst possible mechanic I know of! Ramesh is a complete conman, and thrives on mainly students and out-of- towners. A block piston costs less than 5 K. Where did the rest of the money go?

There are a couple of very good mechanics in Vimannagar and Airport road. One is Alex and the other is Kunal. Both can be found via google. Ask them for a second opinion.

Hmmm I now know, the only reason for going to him was because of the long time my bike was being serviced by him. And to add to the misery I already knew about Alex's garage and I work in Viman nagar !! I will check with them for a second opinion.
There were quite a few parts that were replaced in the bike though .... But 'still the result isn't how I would have liked it to be :(

[Rhoads]

Originally Posted by Jeroen

I'm suspecting that the valve slide inside the carburetor somehow sticks a bit, but only when the engine is properly warmed up. Especially when I let out the clutch a bit, it seem to draw the valve slide down and normal idle returns.

Working on my Royal Enfield is new to me. I've worked mostly on cars (and anything you would find on a ship). Any thoughts or suggestions?

thanks

Jeroen

Hi Jeroen..
I went through the same issue and decided to check this up myself. With about 1/3rd an inch of free play on the throttle, I was wondering what was wrong.

Then I even opened the carb and checked it up and it was okay too.

Finally, I was wondering if the cable itself was not okay and this exactly was the culprit. This is because the cable was stuck in the sleeve and was not free to move.

Therefore, after I let go of my throttle, the spring in the carb had to bring this back to normal although very slowly as opposed to how this had to work otherwise. When I removed the cable from the throttle and the carburettor, I found that I really had to pull the cable pretty hard from one end to see the effect on the other end. This was hindering the regular functioning of the carb.

Older cables (probably like the one in your bullet) are structured such that the cable is directly in contact with the cable outer sleeve. Such cables need lubrication which needs to be checked periodically.

A new standard throttle cable available at RE spares shop should fix your issue. This is because unlike the older cables the new ones have a nylon layer between the outer sleeve and the cable thereby eliminating the need for any lubrication. A brand new cable costs approx 60-80 bucks at the original spares shop. Try getting one and replacing it by yourself. I am sure it's worth the effort.

Why yourself? I am sure those bunch of unscrupulous mechanics out there are waiting to fox you into doing MUCH bigger jobs that are not needed.

Hope this helps!

Happy riding, mate!

[Jeroen]

Originally Posted by Rhoads

Hi Jeroen..
I went through the same issue and decided to check this up myself. With about 1/3rd an inch of free play on the throttle, I was wondering what was wrong.

Then I even opened the carb and checked it up and it was okay too.

Finally, I was wondering if the cable itself was not okay and this exactly was the culprit. This is because the cable was stuck in the sleeve and was not free to move.

Therefore, after I let go of my throttle, the spring in the carb had to bring this back to normal although very slowly as opposed to how this had to work otherwise. When I removed the cable from the throttle and the carburettor, I found that I really had to pull the cable pretty hard from one end to see the effect on the other end. This was hindering the regular functioning of the carb.

Older cables (probably like the one in your bullet) are structured such that the cable is directly in contact with the cable outer sleeve. Such cables need lubrication which needs to be checked periodically.

A new standard throttle cable available at RE spares shop should fix your issue. This is because unlike the older cables the new ones have a nylon layer between the outer sleeve and the cable thereby eliminating the need for any lubrication. A brand new cable costs approx 60-80 bucks at the original spares shop. Try getting one and replacing it by yourself. I am sure it's worth the effort.

Why yourself? I am sure those bunch of unscrupulous mechanics out there are waiting to fox you into doing MUCH bigger jobs that are not needed.

Hope this helps!

Happy riding, mate!

Hi Roads,
thanks for the information that is very useful.
I have take the carb apart and the slide valve was fine. I took the ignition apart and on the advance mechanism there was definitely some stickiness. So cleaned it all up and it seems that has cured the problem. I had to adjust the idle RPM a little bit, because after fixing the advance mechanism the engine stalled a few times. I just adjusted the idle screw. Did not bother to reset the whole carb. It only required less than 1/4 turn adjustment on the idle screw.

So far so good. But thanks for the suggestion. I'll keep it in mind and I'll have to make sure the cable keeps properly lubricated.

Jeroen

[Mighty_Lothar]

Owning a bullet was one of my childhood dreams. I am slowly reaching towards this milestone. Yes, booked a Royal Enfield Desert Storm 500 in last week. I have couple of queries on the accessory part which I would like to clarify.

1) The stock silencer is straight and flat and not the one they show it in their advertisement. Therefore, I had a word with the staff and was told that the off-road silencer costs additional 3000Rs and it gives a better thump. Though I did not notice much difference in the sound, I love this one than the stock piece. Should I change it after registering the bike? I do not think RTO entertain this silencer.

2) What should be the other recommended accessories other than a crash guard? I believe the side saree guard is coming by default with DS 500.

3) I live in Bangalore and I have seen some TB 500/350 on road with a brutal thump. If I have to go for the traditional thump of old bullets on DS 500, is this something safe to modify? If yes, can you help in finding the best man on job in Bangalore?

LOTHAR

[arjithin]

Originally Posted by Mighty_Lothar

Owning a bullet was one of my childhood dreams. I am slowly reaching towards this milestone. Yes, booked a Royal Enfield Desert Storm 500 in last week.
3) I live in Bangalore and I have seen some TB 500/350 on road with a brutal thump. If I have to go for the traditional thump of old bullets on DS 500, is this something safe to modify? If yes, can you help in finding the best man on job in Bangalore?

LOTHAR

COngratulations !!!how much is the waiting period quoted? Where did you book it?

[swami.n]

Originally Posted by Mighty_Lothar

Owning a bullet was one of my childhood dreams. I am slowly reaching towards this milestone. Yes, booked a Royal Enfield Desert Storm 500 in last week. I have couple of queries on the accessory part which I would like to clarify.

1) The stock silencer is straight and flat and not the one they show it in their advertisement. Therefore, I had a word with the staff and was told that the off-road silencer costs additional 3000Rs and it gives a better thump. Though I did not notice much difference in the sound, I love this one than the stock piece. Should I change it after registering the bike? I do not think RTO entertain this silencer.

2) What should be the other recommended accessories other than a crash guard? I believe the side saree guard is coming by default with DS 500.

3) I live in Bangalore and I have seen some TB 500/350 on road with a brutal thump. If I have to go for the traditional thump of old bullets on DS 500, is this something safe to modify? If yes, can you help in finding the best man on job in Bangalore?

LOTHAR

Congrats Lothar. Welcome to the RE club. The 500 has fantastic initial pull compared to the 350.

Coming to your queries
1. I assume you are talking about the curved silencer. Yes it does have a better thump than the straight one. You will realize it when accelerating and not in idle. What I would suggest is to take the delivery of bike, then purchase the curved silencer and then change it after 1000 or 2000kms after running in. Make sure you have the stock silencer with you. Usually they charge you for the new one and keep the old one with them. It happened to my cousin here in Chennai.

2. If your model comes with a single horn, make sure you replace it with a double horn. The single horn doesn't suit the size of the bull. I have got a Bosch pair in mine.

3. My suggestion would be to take it easy and not go for too open silencers for the initial 2000kms atleast. Later once the engine settles in, you can experiment as much as you want.

[Mighty_Lothar]

Originally Posted by arjithin

COngratulations !!!how much is the waiting period quoted? Where did you book it?

Thanks brother!

They have quoted 6 to 8 months waiting period. I have booked it from Royal Enfield (EICHER MOTORS LIMITED, Next to Jaydeva Hospital) in Jaynagar, Bangalore. On-road price is 1.76Lacs.

LOTHAR

[Mighty_Lothar]

Originally Posted by swami.n

Congrats Lothar. Welcome to the RE club. The 500 has fantastic initial pull compared to the 350.

Thanks Swami.

Originally Posted by swami.n

Coming to your queries
1. I assume you are talking about the curved silencer. Yes it does have a better thump than the straight one. You will realize it when accelerating and not in idle. What I would suggest is to take the delivery of bike, then purchase the curved silencer and then change it after 1000 or 2000kms after running in. Make sure you have the stock silencer with you. Usually they charge you for the new one and keep the old one with them. It happened to my cousin here in Chennai.

So you meant to say that, a brand new curved silencer costs only 3000Rs? If yes, thanks for this information. I was agreed to replace the stock silencer as per my discussion with the sales guy. I will talk to him. Thanks again!

Originally Posted by swami.n

2. If your model comes with a single horn, make sure you replace it with a double horn. The single horn doesn't suit the size of the bull. I have got a Bosch pair in mine.

Yeah true. But i loved the horn that they have it in new TB 500.

Originally Posted by swami.n

3. My suggestion would be to take it easy and not go for too open silencers for the initial 2000kms atleast. Later once the engine settles in, you can experiment as much as you want.

LOTHAR

[swami.n]

Originally Posted by Mighty_Lothar

They have quoted 6 to 8 months waiting period. I have booked it from Royal Enfield (EICHER MOTORS LIMITED, Next to Jaydeva Hospital) in Jaynagar, Bangalore. On-road price is 1.76Lacs.

LOTHAR

That seems to be quite a long waiting period. Only the 350s have such a long queue. Probably things are different between Chennai & B'lore. I think you will get your bike in 3 - 4 months max. They have told you 6-8 months just in case there is an unexpected delay.