[rbppt]

Hello.

I was initially posting on a different thread, but got advised it would be better if I started a new one. So here it is.

I have a RE Electra 5S (2009) and started tinkering around with it about 2 months ago. Now, I've owned my Bull for 5 years, but never really got to know it thoroughly - something I used to feel bad about quite often. So I figured I would work on it - myself as much as possible - and get to know it better. I may be a noob when it comes to technicalities, but my spirit's in the right place.

One day, as an impulse, I cut my seat in half, thinking that once the seat's cut in half, there's no way to go rectify/undo the situation than to either buy a new one or to make a new one. So I started thinking about what I can do with the bike in whatever little spare time I can afford to give on the bike (since I have a day job) and started browsing through pages after pages on sites like Pipeburn and BikeExif.

A few days later, I decided I want to make something of the ilk of a Scrambler/Brat/Cafe-Racer. So I went to a guy who was ready to make me the cuts in the tank you see in the picture and also a new seat. The cuts he got pretty ok, but messed up the seat. He didn't get it right and I figured I ought to do it myself. So I sketched a profile for a new/slimmer seat (the earlier seat was 10 inches wide!!) and took it to a pipe-bender. Got the pipe bent and got the foam and covers and the necessary works done - and now the seat looks much better!

I've intentionally left a gap between the seat and the tank. I was thinking that I'll fit the ignition key and the ammeter in that gap. Would look so cool if one sat on the bike and plugged in the key there instead of it's usual position.

Also, I just got a K&N (R-1100) fixed and I'm a bit of a noob here, but the mechanic found it pretty unnecessary to rejet the carb. How do I make sure that the current jets are good enough for the new air intake?

There's a faint -sss- sound and a slightly more prominent -bhrrrrr- sound coming out of the filter. Is that normal? The -sss- sound is kind of irritating, but the -bhrrr- sound is subconsciously intriguing.

Now that I've parted ways with both the toolboxes, the rear of the Bull looks quite empty. Need to figure out where to safely store the electricals (minus the starter relay and the corresponding ES wire - Never used the self, so figured I might as well remove it). I also need a new wiring set for the bike and was wondering if there are better-than-stock universal cable sets available in the market.

I also got a clubman handle that's just waiting to be put on, but to do that I need to procure a head bracket (t-plate/tree-plate/yoke) for the front headlight assembly. I think the stance of the bike will be a lot more defined once the new front assembly comes into play. After that, I'll be slightly more relaxed and shall be able to pay more attention to the finer details.

I've attached two pictures of my Bull as it stood just before I got the K&N fixed (haven't clicked a picture of the bike with the K&N - will do it soon).

I'll say it again, I'm a beginner here. I'm doing whatever I can to get to know my Bull a little more than I ever have. I may be doing things wrong - in which case I would be more than glad if any of you guys criticized and told me I'm wrong. I would love to hear suggestions too! All I want is a good build in the end.

[tharian]

The hissing from the K&N is normal and is the sound of the air being sucked in.
I don't think upgrading the jet is required either since it makes a very low increase on a 350 CI.
You can probably try a 100 sized jet along with an up-swept free flow Megaphone exhaust which will suit the bike as well and that should improve the mid and top end.

Waiting for the completed bike.

[B O V]

I'm curious about the tank.If you had removed the curvature from the side and made that too flat it would have looked nice.Have a look around on the tanks that come with some of the trials kits,you'll get a good idea.

IMO the tank could look better.

Absolutely good work on the seat.Looks really good.

On a build like this,I think its best if the hardest bits are done first.You had mentioned about changing the front end.I suppose that would be the most crucial element.

There's another design of toolbox that comes on the bulls sold in the UK and the Thunder bird.Have a look at those too.

Like Tharian says,Megaphone would definitely suit it well.

Mudguards-Thin with the stays going around it would look good.I suppose the rear mudguard would have to touch the bottom of the seat for it to look proper?

I suppose you'll be going for off road tyres at the front and rear?

Theres so much you can do with this bike! The possibilities are endless! Loved the work on the seat. Tank could be a little better, the sides are too sharp right now.

I am a custom bike builder myself and would love to help you with the build in anyway, discussing ideas, helping with manufacturing, sourcing parts, etc.

All the best with the build.

[rbppt]

Tharian - Since I'm working on a very tight budget, the megaphone's not on the list. I had thought about it initially, but can keep it as an option, in case I save up enough this month. And also, I like the sound of the present exhaust (had gotten it from a guy named Sachin in Baner, Pune, about three years ago) and love the way it looks and trails behind.

BOV - I know what you mean. Initially I had started off with the thought of having very subtle thigh dents in the tank, but later I figured I wanted to do something radical. I remembered seeing a Rajputana with similar cuts on the tank and I thought why not try this. So I thought of a theme - Curved on the front end and angular as you move towards the rear. To be very frank, I'm in a bit of a dilemma myself. A part of me LOVES the cuts on the tank and another part of me wants the tank to be not-so-loud. Maybe once I sort my front assembly, I'll get a better picture of how things look.

As for the mudguards, the front guard shall be thin, yes, like you mentioned but the stays going around it is a nice idea! I can try that. And the tyres are a no as of now. I don't have that much moolah. I would love some off road tyres to go on the bike, but that'll be only after everything's been done and if I'm left with extra money.

The-Mechanic - Thanks, man! I'll let you know if I need help. I'll keep posting here from time to time as I make progress on the bike. It's going a little slow. Slightly difficult to manage time, but still - it's happening. Thanks a tonne, man!

[Tgo]

There are other things that can be done to a car instead of straight away going and changing the jets. I got to know in this very lazily made video that there are 5 changes (Pilot jet, Main jet, Needle shimming, Cutaway setting and mixture adjustment) you can do and each shows recognizable results in different parts of the rev range. The videos helpful for me in this case were:

What to do when :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y836ZPjvoMI

Opening Up the carb:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2NIDcqv59I

I am going to fiddle around with my carb soon. Its something you can totally do yourself.

[B O V]

If you like the tank then keep it that way mate.Don't let anyone else tell you differently.I thought you wanted something else and ended up with this instead.

You can keep adding parts on as and when the monies come in Stuff like exhaust and tyres can be left for the end.

Can you tell me the exact dimensions of that seat?

I want something like that for my bull as shown here.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motorb...83-bullet.html

[rbppt]

Thanks Tgo, those videos were very informative. Guess it's high time I opened up my carb and played around with it. Never done it, but I suppose there has to be a first time. Did you try playing around with any of these settings? I would appreciate more carb-hacks/tips from someone who's done it on a Micarb. Do let me know once you get around to fiddling with your carb.

BOV, yes, I like the tank as it is now and let me assure you, the cuts were very much intentional. I'll post a pic of a paper cut out of the seat profile with dimensions once I get home this evening. I hope I find it. The last I saw it was when I paid the pipe bender a visit. But I'm sure it's there somewhere in my room.

Also, I don't think the scrambler type seat will go with the Bull you have there. I suppose you'll have to incorporate quite a lot of changes to maintain harmony between the straight seat and the rest of the Bull. But I'm sure you have a plan. Would love to know how you intend on fitting a scrambler seat on to your Bull. Btw, absolutely LOVED your mod. Very neat. Although, I would have avoided the stays on the rear mudguard and would have gone for a slightly bigger tail light. And yes, someone had mentioned more chrome. I agree. But that's just my opinion. The bike looks really classy the way it is right now. Quite a looker I'm sure. I'll go through your thread again this evening and comment. There were a few things I was curious about.

[rbppt]

BOV - Here are the exact dimensions of the seat. It is about 25 inches in length (21" + 4") and 8 inches wide at the middle (OD to OD of the pipe used). The angle between the hoop and the straight is roughly 30 degrees and I've used 0.5 (half) inch thick hollow GI pipe (I know I should've used MS instead of GI - a small situational error that I'm completely aware of and will rectify eventually). As for the tank-end curve, you can trace out anything that appeals to you, but the rear hoop's perfectly circular. Hope this helps.

[rbppt]

A few pointers.

Now, it's not long enough to accommodate a pillion, but you can increase the length by 3 inches or so. That should do the trick. Also, I would suggest you increase the width by half an inch on both sides (9" instead of 8"). Also, the foam's about an inch thick - but be careful while you're getting the seat work done. Even a tiny error will reflect in the completed seat, for the charm lies in the seat being perfectly straight and even a minute curve somewhere will spoil the seat. So make sure whoever you go to does a good job in levelling the foam. Carry a level balance just in case.

Cheers.
Ravi.

[B O V]

Thank you mate for the dimensions.Will get to working on it soon.

Well the idea I have in mind is a basically a low flat seat.The kind used on old BSA's.Your base looks quite nice for what I have in mind.Yeah I've got a few trusted people here who know how picky I am about stuff on my bike(I'll be breathing down their necks while anywork is being done regarding my motorcycle) and hence will do it properly.

Thank you for those kind words on my motorcycle.Yep the mudguard stays are jutting out.They do support the extended rear mudguard and at the time when I was doing it I was too busy with making it look appealing from the side view

If you see the bike in person it doesn't look as evident as in the photos.The light.well,as I mentioned I bought it off the net.Got something that wasn't as advertised.I was as surprised as anyone else when I opened up the package and found this small thing inside it.

Will be going in for a Lucas round type if I can source it.

[rbppt]

Hello! I'm sorry I had a few things to sort out and haven't really been able to work on the bike lately. Plus these rains are just beginning to get on my nerves since my bike lacks both mudguards currently. So my next update will take a while. A friend from Bombay shall be sending me second hand TB t-plate along with the clamps this Saturday. Hopefully, by next week I shall be able to post pictures of my bike with the basic scrambler stance achieved. Cannot wait! I'll start working on the details (the fun part!) next weekend onwards. Hopefully, rains will have subsided by then.

On this note, I had a query. I want to source a few things but I think I might face difficulty in finding them here in Goa. Like pipewraps, footpegs, handle grips, etc. And I'm looking for interesting non-stock options. Can you tell me trustworthy sites I can browse through and maybe find some of the stuff I'm looking for? Is there an Indian equivalent of Hitchcocks?

And did you get around to working on your seat, BOV? And did you manage to source the Lucas round type?

[B O V]

If you don't mind paying a lot for a bad product,you can use royalenfieldzone.From my experience with them(Indicators and that tailamp),atrocious quality(not to mention the price for something that's worth 200rs.

I haven't gotten around to any of the extra work on my bike.Damned rains.I did search quite a lot for the round type.Didn't find anything that captured my interest.

[rbppt]

Haha, why would I want to pay more for bad products? And I've heard bad things about them too - which is why I haven't even considered them as an option. Plus, I've always hated their site. All that red's quite unwelcoming. I have a strong liking for Hitchcocks and usually spend quite a lot of time on their accessory catalogue, doing some window shopping of sorts, but the damn euros stop me from purchasing anything.

And yes, these rains have to stahp now. Enough.

[rbppt]

Hello.

I recently had an accident and my Bullet suffered a few damages and I'm currently in the process of stripping it down entirely to check for more signs of damage. The reason I write this post is that I'm stuck in a slight problem I can't seem to resolve.

The front shockers have been bent on impact and I'm guessing the axle's been damaged as well. As I reached the point where I had to loosen the axle nut, I realized that it won't come off. It came off till a certain point and refused to spin further. I tried everything. I sprayed some WD40 and left it overnight, but the nut was still as stuck as earlier. Then, I heated the nut with a Dremel, but the nut still won't come off. I cannot take the bike to an expert, for it's not really in a rideable condition at the moment. So the only way to overhaul the sitch is to cut the axle in the little half an inch gap I have there using a power tool. My question is, is there any other way to go about it and if I do have to cut it, will the axle get cut easily (aren't they specially hardened)?

Is there a better thread I can post this query where I might get more answers?

Admins, if you would be kind enough to shift this to an apt thread, please do so. I apologize for the inconvenience.

Thanks in advance.