[anandkenkare]

I have had a closer inspection of the engine in broad daylight and can clearly see oil leaking from both rocker cover gaskets as well as from a small hole located on the RHS of the engine just above the engine head gasket.

CL500 gurus, pls advise what should I do. The bike is about 3 months old and clocked about 1500 Kms. I am based in Muscat and bought it from a dealer here.

[ArizonaJim]

I would return the motorcycle to the dealer. Do not clean off the oil you have found on the cylinder/head.

Show him the oil leakage you have found and ask him to fix it. Make a special point of finding the oil leakage around the head gasket.

The reason for making an issue out of the head gasket leakage is because that requires that the cylinder head be retorqued to factory specifications.
Occasionally, retorquing the cylinder head will not stop a oil leak from the cylinder head gasket. If it still is leaking the gasket itself should be replaced.

This can be considerably more work than merely retorquing the head bolts and it should be done by a authorized Royal Enfield mechanic.

The leakage around the rocker covers can also be fixed by tightening the bolts that hold it in place.
This is a simple repair.

[akshay4587]

I have a query
I got CL500 chrome on 14th December 2011 and till date i have managed to clock only 1290kms
I got 1st oil change at 500kms after a month of purchase,and will be going in for a second oil change in a day or two.
I have not exceeded 80km\hr till date.
So for how many kms more should i keep a tab on the revs before i start opening her up?

[anandkenkare]

Originally Posted by ArizonaJim

I would return the motorcycle to the dealer. Do not clean off the oil you have found on the cylinder/head.

Show him the oil leakage you have found and ask him to fix it. Make a special point of finding the oil leakage around the head gasket.

The reason for making an issue out of the head gasket leakage is because that requires that the cylinder head be retorqued to factory specifications.
Occasionally, retorquing the cylinder head will not stop a oil leak from the cylinder head gasket. If it still is leaking the gasket itself should be replaced.

This can be considerably more work than merely retorquing the head bolts and it should be done by a authorized Royal Enfield mechanic.

The leakage around the rocker covers can also be fixed by tightening the bolts that hold it in place.
This is a simple repair.

Doesnt rocker cover leak indicate that the valves could be leaking perhaps?

There is a small hole on the RHS of the engine just above the head gasket area from where also some oil seems to be coming out. Any idea what this hole is meant for? Does this indicate some problem with the valves, etc ?

[ArizonaJim]

According to the break in instructions in my 2011 500cc UCE Owners Manual after 1,000km the motorcycle is finished with its break in so there is no limit on the speed.

In my opinion, if the engine has been run at high speeds for a long period of time it is wise to slow down for a km or two to let the engine cool down before turning it off.

[bradhey]

Originally Posted by anandkenkare

Doesnt rocker cover leak indicate that the valves could be leaking perhaps?

There is a small hole on the RHS of the engine just above the head gasket area from where also some oil seems to be coming out. Any idea what this hole is meant for? Does this indicate some problem with the valves, etc ?

No....this does not mean leaky valve. There are oil lines in this area to lubricate the rockers (although these have been build inside the engine as against older CI models, where you can see a bifurcated "Y" line on the right side of the engine).

To address this issue, get the rocker covers opened carefully (the Allen Key bolts should be opened with an original key to avoid slipping and deforming of grooves of the allen key), and then apply a fine film of rubber gasket (it is a 10 rupee tube available at local auto shops) and then put back the covers and torque the rocker covers correctly. There is very little chance you will ever see oil dripping from here on the UCE !!

[anandkenkare]

There is a small hole on the RHS of the engine head just above the head gasket level from where also some oil seems to be coming out. Any idea what this hole is meant for? Does this leaking indicate some problem with the valves, etc ?

[KA18]

Facing a problem with my Electra UCE350 from the past one week. A friend asked to ride my bike. He used the self starter with short presses like on Jap scooters. This he tried for around four times and then the only sound that came was a 'tik' from the starter. Since he was not able to start it, he went ahead and used the kicker, but still could not start it.

I was watching all this and myself tried the self starter, but all I heard was the 'tik'.
I managed to kick it to life. After letting it idle for a few seconds, I tried the self starter again and it worked once.

All this happened when the weather was cold.

I guessed that it may be due to the battery. But, I have not been able to use the self starter since. I only hear a 'tik' when the self starter button is pressed and nothing else. All other electricals like Headlight, Indicators, Horn, taillight work fine. I topped up the battery (level had gone done, but not dried) and ran the bike for some 7-8 Km stretches around 4 times over the week.

Ammeter shows deflection towards the +ve while riding and it is in the centre position when the engine is switched off without any load.

Is the battery dying out on me or a bench charging/longer ride is advised?

I am worried about the sprag clutch, but I am able to start it using the kicker, on the first kick itself.

Any help in the matter would be appreciated.

[bradhey]

Originally Posted by KA18

Facing a problem with my Electra UCE350 from the past one week. A friend asked to ride my bike. He used the self starter with short presses like on Jap scooters. This he tried for around four times and then the only sound that came was a 'tik' from the starter.
Is the battery dying out on me or a bench charging/longer ride is advised?

I am worried about the sprag clutch, but I am able to start it using the kicker, on the first kick itself.

Any help in the matter would be appreciated.

You need to check your battery, and the starter relay /solenoid. Why don't you refer this to your dealer ?

[anandkenkare]

Originally Posted by anandkenkare

There is a small hole on the RHS of the engine head just above the head gasket level from where also some oil seems to be coming out. Any idea what this hole is meant for? Does this leaking indicate some problem with the valves, etc ?

Have circled the area where the small hole is present in the attached picture. I could not find information on this hole anywhere in the manual. I have some oil leaking from there.

[iron.head]

Originally Posted by anandkenkare

Have circled the area where the small hole is present in the attached picture. I could not find information on this hole anywhere in the manual. I have some oil leaking from there.

This hole is there to allow water filled around the plugs during rains/wash to flow out. Get the leaking rocker cover gasket replaced to fix this leak. It is a simple 10 minutes job and there is nothing to worry about it.

[anandkenkare]

Originally Posted by iron.head

This hole is there to allow water filled around the plugs during rains/wash to flow out. Get the leaking rocker cover gasket replaced to fix this leak. It is a simple 10 minutes job and there is nothing to worry about it.

Thanks Iron.head !

I live in Muscat and bought my CL500 here a few months ago (its the Indian version without O2 sensor). The manufacturing date is however July 2011. I will be visiting India next month. Do you think I should carry the ECU with me and get it remapped by an RE dealer in India? The dealer here does not do mapping. Did RE do remapping of similar year models in India? I checked my primary spark plug and found it to be WQR8DC instead of the platinum one. Would this mean that I should get the remapping done while in India as well as get the new WR8DP plug ?

[anandkenkare]

Originally Posted by Randhawa

RE resolution to rich mixture/jerk /sooting/misfiring issue and "All is well"

=========================
I hope whoever tries the new plug gets positive result.

Is it imperative that we put an adiditonal washer in the UR6DC plug ? Do you mean the metal washer which comes fitted to the plug ?

I found my bike having the older version of the plug (non platinum) and am really worried about misfiring which happens almost whenver I release the throttle while in gear.

[iron.head]

Originally Posted by anandkenkare

Thanks Iron.head !

I live in Muscat and bought my CL500 here a few months ago (its the Indian version without O2 sensor). The manufacturing date is however July 2011. I will be visiting India next month. Do you think I should carry the ECU with me and get it remapped by an RE dealer in India? The dealer here does not do mapping. Did RE do remapping of similar year models in India? I checked my primary spark plug and found it to be WQR8DC instead of the platinum one. Would this mean that I should get the remapping done while in India as well as get the new WR8DP plug ?

Originally Posted by anandkenkare

Is it imperative that we put an adiditonal washer in the UR6DC plug ? Do you mean the metal washer which comes fitted to the plug ?

I found my bike having the older version of the plug (non platinum) and am really worried about misfiring which happens almost whenver I release the throttle while in gear.

@anandkenkare-There is nothing to rush or worry about. Just get a Bosch Platinum plus WR8DP plug for your bike and replace the primary plug with it and the jerks will go away. No need to touch the secondary plug. There is a long story about the additional washer thing and RE Chennai factory people have said that there is no need of an additional washer. In fact, new C5's are coming with WR8DP plug and have no additional washer on the secondary plug. About the ECU remap, your bike should already be having a remapped ecu. RE did supply bikes with WQR8DC and with new maps. You can also try contacting your RE regional managers to check if they can get your ECU remapped. You can also bring your ECU to India and get it remapped here. It is a 5 minutes job and will be done free of cost. You can contact me if you face any problems in getting the remapping done here in India.

[KA18]

Originally Posted by bradhey

You need to check your battery, and the starter relay /solenoid. Why don't you refer this to your dealer ?

The nearest dealer/ASC is 120 Kms away from my place! It would take me a full day to take and get it serviced there. Will have to get the battery checked for now.