[SgtGAWD]

This is the story of how an 18 y/o teenager ended up with a 27 y/o conundrum.

How it all started:
My tryst with motorcycles isn't an old one. I started my two-wheeled journey on my mom’s 2005 Bajaj Wave. The obscure little scooter- which was one of Bajaj’s many failed attempts at entering the gearless scooter market marked my foray into the world of motorcycles. It was sparingly used by my mother who only clocked 1700kms on it from 2005 to 2008 and after I received it in 2018, I clocked around 700 more.
After around a year of hooliganing around on the scooter, I, a 16y/o impulsive teenager made the ill-evaluated decision of going on a 100km highway ride with my friends on the decade-and-a-half-old scooter. Although I returned unscathed from the ride, it left a mark on my juvenile mind about the inherent dangers of motorcycling and it resulted in a self-imposed hiatus on my 2 wheeled shenanigans.

The bittersweet ride:


The Bullet Bug:
It was the summer of 2020- the world as we knew it was ravaged by an ongoing pandemic. The pandemic disrupted all academic activities and that resulted in a lot of free time at my disposal. The surplus time and lack of academic pressure spurred my interest in Royal Enfields. I began browsing through all the RE forums on TBHP. I spent hours going through the TBHP Royal Enfield Owners thread and I still remember downloading every photo onto my hard drive and later mesmerizingly ogling at the impeccable British craftsmanship and zeal of Indian owners maintaining them with undulled passion. All these events culminated in me deciding to go for a Royal Enfield. Due to my dependent financial status as a high schooler, I convinced my mother to go for a pre-owned UCE RE. After incessant persuasion sessions, she agreed to visit a local dealer dealing in used motorcycles. I found a crop of Electras and C500s at the place and could not make up my mind. I took 3 days to decide and also made my first post on TBHP regarding the same [https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motor...l#post4894609] (The Royal Enfield 500 Classic thread!). After gauging the responses, I decided to go for the E350 due to its lower price. I was rudely shocked when I discovered that the E350 had been already sold and I decided to go for the C500DS instead. I left the dealership promising that I shall come and make the payment the next day and take possession of my new RE. However, a moment of wise reflection that night made me realize that it would be extravagant for a 16 y/o student to get a 500cc motorcycle just to commute to tuition classes and school. Moreover, even though Rs. 1.1 lakh was a bargain for a 400km run C500DS, it was too much to spend to fulfill a teenager's whim. So with my newfound maturity, I never contacted the dealer again and shelved my dream of motorcycling for the time being.

The Birth of an Antiquarian:
13th July 2020: It was an unassuming summer day and I was overseeing the construction of our new house when suddenly, I heard the familiar thumps of an RE. Being a teenager, I instinctively ran towards the window to trace the source of the thumps, and lo and behold, it was a Cast Iron Bullet. The motorcycle stopped in front of our house and the man disembarked from his prized beauty and rang our doorbell. Turns out it was my mother’s ex-cop batchmate who had chosen to surprise us with a visit. After the initial round of pleasantries, I quietly left the room to ogle at his steed.
By this time, I had read quite a lot about old REs. I had spent many sleepless nights learning the subtle differences between G2s, B1s, B2s, and other CI models. I could identify that the machine in front of me was from the 80s and I was later informed by the owner that it indeed was an ‘84. Impressed by my interest in Enfields, the owner offered to teach me how to ride it. Till now, my only experience of motorcycling was my trusty old Bajaj Wave and although I theoretically knew how to ride a bike, I had never ridden one in real life. So after half an hour of struggling to start the Enfield, I managed to successfully figure out the art of kicking the bull into life and rode my first Enfield.
The experience of riding a cast iron bullet made me appreciate the intricacies of the old machine. I discovered a newfound admiration within me for the complicated procedure one has to follow in order to start it up. I liked the idea of owning a bike that requires you to enforce utmost discipline on yourself in order to ride it. The ritual of cold starting the motorcycle by decompressing and kicking it with the choke on and waiting for it to reach its optimum temperature instead of just pressing an electric starter and riding straight away appealed to me. I felt that the CI Bullets demanded respect and rewarded you accordingly with the sweet thump once you succeeded in revering them. I began to fear and admire these machines at the same time and the dream of owning a Bullet one day seemed to have reignited itself. Only this time, it needed to be a CI Bullet.

The Hunt Commences:
My search for a Bullet proved to be short-lived. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't seem to find old bullets around me. So, I began to realize the futility of my quest and began to explore other options for motorcycling. I decided to go for something light and powerful and like every other Indian teenager, found myself gravitating towards the P220. I test rode a few 220s at my local dealership [the one I had ghosted before] and made up my mind to buy one. So I took my mother with me in order to complete the requisite paperwork and lo and behold, the P220 was sold. This was the second time this had occurred to me and I was not surprised anymore. So I ended up buying a 2018 Hero Xtreme 200R instead. It ended up costing me Rs.51000 and I departed from to dealership and headed straight to the gas station. I filled in Rs.200 of petrol and headed home. A bleak realization dawned upon me while riding back home.I contemplated whether my hasty decision of buying a sports commuter was anything but a compromise because I could not afford a Royal Enfield. The realization grew within me as I discovered that riding the 200R did not offer the same joy to me as Royal Enfields did. I began to realize the gargantuan folly on my part and immediately called the dealer to ask him if I can visit him the day after. The next day, I wake up and head to the dealer to return the bike. Yes, my first motorcycle was with me for even less than a day. I proceed to return the motorcycle and the dealer says that he shall refund the money as soon as someone else buys my motorcycle. He tells me to leave the bike with him and keep the papers with myself till I received the money. I followed suit and after 15 anxious days of waiting, I received a call from the dealer to come and collect my money and hand in the papers. I did so and ended up receiving Rs.50000. I lost Rs.1200 in the whole fiasco but ended up learning a lot about the type of motorcycling that appeals to me. I decided to shelve my motorcycling dream once more and retired to my trusty Bajaj Wave.
I laid my hands on a 2011 TBTS in October 2021. The owner was a relative who used it sparingly and loaned it to me whenever I asked for it. Riding the TBTS every day allowed me to get acquainted with the experience of daily driving a RE and a few months of riding reignited the Bullet bug within me once more. I began searching for CI bulls once more and stumbled upon a dealer who bought Bullets auctioned off by Kolkata Police. The entire experience with photos is described in detail in my post [https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motor...l#post5244644] (The "Used Bike Price Thread"). In the end, I was sorely disappointed when all the Enfields were sold out before I could finalize on any one of them. By this time, I had started blaming my indecisiveness and overthinking as the bane in my search for used motorcycles.

The Chosen One Enters:
I was casually browsing through OLX one day when I chanced across a 1995 RE Machismo. The post had only a single photograph uploaded and I texted the owner on OLX and dropped my number. An hour or two later, I received a call from an unknown number, and answering it revealed that it was the owner of the 1995 RE. A brief conversation revealed that he was a cop in Kolkata Police and the vehicle had been owned by him for the past year. I asked him about visiting and inspecting the ride and he gave me a tentative date to do so. Being the guy who has gone through thousands of pages of Enfield literature and seldom touched an Enfield in real life, I was skeptical of my abilities to go and properly inspect the vehicle. So I decided to take along the owner of the 1984 Bullet.
We arrived at the given address and the seller’s son showed us the Enfield. Preliminary inspection suggested that it was kept in the open for the past one month or so and required a fair bit of cosmetic and mechanical work. Trying to start the Enfield resulted in a plume of smoke emanating from the headlight nacelle which led to the discovery of the fact that the owner’s son had incorrectly connected the battery. A quick swap of the connectors and 3 to 4 kicks resulted in the Enfield sputtering to life. The engine created a weird sound that was initially attributed to the timing gears. Armed with my inexperience in riding a CI bullet, I took the Enfield for a spin. The brakes were not working, the loose chain sprocket caused a lot of false neutrals and the electricals were in a sorry state. However, the engine seemed to be performing well despite the cacophony emitted by it and the gearbox seemed acceptable. The owner demanded Rs. 36000 for the Enfield and it was haggled down to Rs. 28000 owing to incomplete paperwork and some good old cop-to-cop persuasion.

The First Glimpse


Swapping the battery terminals


After the transfer was completed and I had come to terms with the glaring hole in my pocket, we set out on the 30 km-long journey towards home on a 27 years old machine. The journey was uneventful except for a leaking carb midway [cleaned at a roadside garage for Rs 150] and an extremely loose chain that came off the sprocket whenever we upshifted. However, we managed to reach home and a tired me chose to sleep instead of coming to terms with the huge financial disaster that I had brought upon me [or so did I think at that time]

The Ex-Owner starting her up for the very last time


Unexpected halt at a roadside mechanic to repair the leaking Carb


Carb Cleanup on the way home:


Coming to Terms with Reality:

The human mind resists change. The next few days were spent trying to take in the positive and negative facets of my decision. My thoughts vacillated between contentment of finally owning my dream ride and the debilitating realization of the financial burden I had decided to undertake. My puerile mind could no longer accept the repercussions of my decision and went into analysis-induced paralysis for the next 10 days where I actively avoided looking at my questionable and bittersweet acquisition.

The panacea to my conundrum came in the form of the bleak gamble of repairing the Enfield in order to alleviate it from its sorry state. Sure, it would be expensive but the chances of me liking a vehicle repaired and working on my own will were much higher than me liking someone else’s abused vehicle. While returning from my school, I stopped by a garage and the mechanic told me to bring in my ride. I rode my Enfield to the mechanic in first gear just to ensure that the chain does not snap off midway. The mechanic inspected the vehicle and informed me that the chain needed lubrication and adjustment and the wheel bearings needed to be changed. The front brake was jammed as well and needed to be freed. The total bill came around to Rs. 1200 with labour and I felt fleeced but I had no other recourse as every amateur has to go through it.

The next day, I decided to take my ride to my school. The journey was smooth until the last bit when disaster struck. I drove over a pothole at moderate speed and one of the front suspension studs gave away and the wheel snapped off from the left side. Fortunately, I was riding at a slow speed and stopped in time. I pushed my ride for 1.2 km to a local garage and rushed to my mechanic to procure the parts as I couldn't find them locally. Five hours of toiling at two incompetent garages and almost getting my front fork assembly taken to the lathe just to unscrew a broken stud [it was eventually done with a pair of pliers at another garage] later, I finally started her up and headed home.

The first of many disasters to follow


Finally getting repaired at a proper garage


I cannot figure out the moment from where the love blossomed but I surely felt that the motorcycle was less of a financial burden to me and felt more like ‘my’ Enfield. I decided to slowly and steadily restore it to its original pulchritude by myself instead of entrusting a mechanic with the process. The decision of working on the motorcycle has resulted in me finding an escape from the drudgery of the hypercompetitive life of a law aspirant and also has saved me huge labour bills which would have resulted from getting it worked upon by a mechanic. There have been moments of extreme frustration during the process but able guidance from other RE fanatics whom I have met along my journey as a Bulleteer has helped and has eradicated the fear of opening up my own motorcycle.

What has changed so far?

I was the 4th owner of what had started out as a 1995 Chrome and Black Machismo 350. However, the previous owner, being a cop, decided to go for a red paint scheme with painted fenders and the only bit of chrome on the motorcycle was on the tank. Being a complete tyro in owning and restoring a motorcycle, I was unable to figure out what needed to be replaced or repaired on the motorcycle and all the repairs were done when something or the other inevitably failed. I have duly recorded every single penny spent on the motorcycle so far along with all the repairs. They are as follows:

10th Feb:
This was the first time I took my motorcycle to the mechanic. I got the following things done
All wheel bearings replaced- Rs 600
Gearbox Spring- Rs. 65
Kick Lever- Rs. 530
Exhaust rubber- Rs. 40
I also got the front brake shoe freed and cleaned and also got the chain adjusted and lubed. The total bill including the Labour and goods came to Rs. 1825. That was the first time I inevitably got fleeced by the mechanic

18th Feb
My motorcycle was running in a straight line by now but the whole episode of the front wheel coming off had me worrying about the front suspension which was severely leaking oil and had negligible travel. Furthermore, I was concerned about the cacophony emanating from the engine. I felt the need to have my vehicle looked at properly by a mechanic but my previous experience had me wary of doing so unguided. Bitten once, shy twice, I decided to ask one of my acquaintances who owned a 2017 STD 350, 88 STD 350, and a 99 A350 to take me to a trusted mechanic at Dunlop. After a thorough inspection, I got the following spares:
Front suspension studs: Rs.60
Rear brake shoe: Rs. 320
Chain Link: Rs. 20
Seat [RE] : Rs. 1557 [the old one was tattered]
Chain Cover: Rs. 333
Tail Lamp Lens: Rs. 48
Headlight ring: Rs. 120
NGK Spark Plug: Rs. 120
CB point cover: Rs. 108
Gearbox cap: Rs. 20
2x C350 RVMs: Rs. 550 [Swapped in May with Electra mirrors due to aesthetic purposes]
I was informed by the mechanic that my vehicle was running extremely low on engine oil and needed an 800ml refill. Honestly, the motorcycle felt smoother after the refill and I took it on a 45km round trip the day after.The sounds were much more muffled now and the motorcycle handled great.

Sort of a makeover?


C350 vs Electra RVMs


22nd Feb: One of my buddies dropped by and having restored his father’s TVS Victor recently, he offered to work with me on my motorcycle. Armed with peer assurance, I took the leap of working on my machine and I do not regret it a bit [except when it frustratingly refuses to start]. We changed the following over the next 2 days:
2x pillion footrests; Rs 360
Side stand assembly; Rs 457
Pilot lamp kit [Swiss]; Rs. 150
4x RX100 Turn signals: Rs: 370
LH + RH Yokes: Rs 108 [we had ruined the RH yoke trying to screw in the RVM conventionally. By the time we had realized our folly, the threads on the old yoke were nonexistent]
UNO Minda Buzzer; Rs 50 [ I suck at remembering to turn off turn signals]
Front Brake switch; Rs 30
Steelbird Petrol filter: Rs. 40 [ the rust from the tank kept clogging the carb. So I used the old method of shoving clean nuts and bolts in the tank along with some fuel and violently shaking it to get rid of the rust. Then I proceeded to install 2 neodymium magnets around the petrol cock and hooked up the fuel filter to the fuel line]
Seat cover: Rs. 400 [ I had skimped on buying the seat with striped just to save Rs. 900 without realizing that it was better contoured and improved the overall silhouette of the motorcycle from the side apart from having the horizontal stripes]
Pillion Grabrail: Rs 200 [my motorcycle had the old and sturdy grabrail attached to the rear shocks and seat nuts and although it was sturdier than anything RE produces now, it was an eyesore for me and hence the replacement]
By the time we were finished, it was around 1 pm and I had to drop my buddy home. I proceeded to start my motorcycle and after 20 minutes of kicking with no fruition, I dropped him home on my Bajaj Wave that day. I spent the entire night pondering what could have gone wrong. The next morning, I proceeded to unscrew my point cover, and lo and behold, it started in half a kick. Apparently, the point cover had pushed the CB point armature into the point plate resulting in my midnight imbroglio.

The first time I opened her up:


Years of grime on the rocker covers:


After a thorough cleanup with kerosene:


Clutch Cover and Rocker covers polished with Autosol metal polish:


17th March
It was my birthday and my mother had agreed to finance my oil change. I proceeded to procure 3 liters of Castrol GTX 20W50 and an oil filter and dropped off the bike at a nearby mechanic.I also instructed him to look into the issue of the chain rubbing against the chain cover. He charged Rs. 350 for the labour and informed me that my swingarm was off-center and that was causing my chain to constantly rub inside my chain cover. He had taken the liberty of adjusting my rear wheel to the left to counterbalance the skewed swingarm; now, my chain only rubbed when I was carrying a pillion. He suggested I use a 0W50 grade oil the next time to dampen the engine noise even further. The only concerns were that this was the first time I had heard of this and also, 0W50 was harder to procure.
Furthermore, I was not sure of the effect it would have on my fuel pump or my filter. Respected TBHPians, kindly advise. I also bought a new ignition key set worth Rs 200 [My motorcycle had stopped suddenly en route to my exam one day and the electricals were not working. So I proceeded to hotwire it assuming that the faulty ignition keyset had given away and it did not start still. I pushed it to a mechanic only to discover that one of the battery terminals had loosened up and disconnected due to the vibrations and I had overanalyzed the issue by a great margin] and a kick spring [Rs 50] to replace the old broken one. I had also gotten the old air filter replaced and added 2 ring clamps with screws on both sides of the rubber hose.

19th April
After about a month of smooth sailing, the motorcycle decided to give off a plume of white smoke from the headlight nacelle one fine day as I began to start it up. I had lowkey anticipated this all along as the owner’s spn had messed up a part of the wiring by plugging in the battery wrong. I parked it back and asked my buddy to drop in the next morning. He arrived the next day with a sturdy rope and his trusty CB200X and towed my motorcycle for 2kms to the nearest mechanic. Once I reached there, I set off to procure the following:
RE Wiring harness [Part No 888302]: Rs. 710
Taillight bulb assembly; Rs 150
Front-wheel speedo hub: Rs 160
Grips: Rs 152
LH + RH switches: Rs. 730 [ I had initially procured the newer plastic switches that came with the CI Electra because the headlight controls were placed conventionally. However, my mechanic informed me that the connectors did not match and he would have to splice wires to make it functional. I wanted my wiring to be as intact as possible but at the same time, I had seen countless people installing newer switchgear on older REs.I relented and got old CI switches for Rs 100 less. TBHPians, kindly help]
Exide 12v9ah battery: Rs: 2500 [ the old owner had an Exide 12v3ah unit and it caused tremendous starting troubles]
Speedo cable and bulb: Rs 120
Minda Ampere meter: Rs 210
RE C350 battery cover: Rs 400 [ I had an old aftermarket battery cover that could not house the new battery. Being a broke student, i procured a new cover and got it welded to my existing battery holder. I welded a support at the top of the cover to screw in a 10mm nut and I welded a support behind the keyhole to screw in a 2inch long 13mm nut. I also extended the base of the holder to accommodate the wider battery. The welding costed me Rs 100 and saved me from spending Rs 850 on the entire assembly.]
Rear brake switch: Rs: 90
My mechanic charged me Rs 750 for the entire wiring harness swap. I also managed to squeeze in a hazard light setup using a Minda handlebar switch. He also had cleaned and adjusted the rockers and tappets and my engine was about 50% quieter than before

The Machismo at my mechanic's place along the CB200X that towed it there:


The support that was welded to the existing battery holder:


The lower support and bolt welded into the battery holder


10th May
Armed with the confidence induced by 3 months of ownership, I procured the following items to install on my motorcycle on my own:
8-Bend crash guard [used]: Rs 300 [ the previous owner had installed an Airfly crash guard that was hideously painted black and interfered with shifting a lot]
Old STD350 handlebar: Rs 150
Minda K95 horns [used]: Rs 250
55w halogen fog lamps x 2: Rs 400
Roots 12v40a relay for fog lamps: Rs 100
Minda 12v15a Relay for horn: Rs 77
Fog lamp clamps: Rs 50
UNO Minda switch; Rs 60
Toggle Switch: Rs 30. [I wanted to turn off the Buzzer whenever I planned to use the hazards and that is why I installed the switch in my LH toolbox]
OEM Fuel tap [Pavna]: Rs 170 [My original petrol tap with the Enfield key had decided to break off in my garage and I had replaced it with a GAE tap with no magnet. It was a terrible decision as the tap began to leak soon after and I had to procure an OEM tap.]
Over the next few days, I proceed to install the horns and the fog lamps.I had to bend 2 clamps from my old horn to make the horns face forwards instead of sideways like before. I installed the fog lamps on the crashguard and carefully routed the wires all the way around it.

The fog lights positioned on the leg guard



Old Handlebar [Bottom] vs New Handlebar [Top]


Old Handlebar [Top] vs New Handlebar [Bottom]


24th May
I went to my mechanic and got my faulty Endurance shocks replaced with OEM units. The motorcycle is lower now and deploying the center stand needs quite some effort. On the plus side, the wheel rotates freely now and has provided me the opportunity to clean the rims. I have used 220 Grit sandpaper and managed to remove all of the rust. This has improved the look of the machine to a great extent as the chrome on the wheels is mostly intact. The total cost of the upgrades were as follows:
RE OEM Shocks [Gabriel] ; Rs 916 x 2
Labour; Rs 50
However, my chain still touches the chain cover whenever I carry a pillion. I plan to remove the chain cover until I get the opportunity to get the swingarm straightened. Advice solicited.

13th June
Front Oil Seals: Rs 20 x 4
Lock Set: Rs 1000
Acelerator+Brake+Clutch cables: Rs 300
Fork Oil: Rs 150
As my go-to mechanic was unavailable, I had to go to a different mechanic to get the oil seals changed. I dropped off the motorcycle in the morning and I was asked to collect it in the afternoon. However, once I reached there in the afternoon, the guy told me that he had disassembled the front forks and could not deliver my motorcycle till the next day. I visited him the next day in the afternoon and he was still assembling the front forks. I got impatient and asked my friend to collect the motorcycle on my behalf. The mechanic had quoted Rs 300 to replace the oil seals and that is what I paid my friend before leaving. I received my motorcycle at about 2300 hrs that day and found out the following:
The left fork leg had a part of its rim chipped off and the dust cover missing
The front brake light switch was ripped out of the main wiring harness
The battery was discharged and the horn was not working
Furthermore, the guy had the audacity to demand Rs 400 more for the “extra labour” he had to put in over 48 hours to replace the seals. Needless to say, I have stopped visiting new mechanics.

Front Forks Dismantled:


2nd July
Due to the ISC examinations and a slew of college entrance examinations, I had not been able to make much time to look after the motorcycle. I had also run into a peculiar problem twice where the motorcycle would refuse to start. The first time it happened, I had checked the spark plug and it was working. However, it had turned black and a cleanup was all it took it to start her up the next day. However the same thing happened with me the second time and this time, it was barely a 100 meters from my home. As I was short on time, I walked my vehicle back home and decided to look into the issue later. I informed my mechanic of the issue and informed him that the spark plug was working properly and this led him to suggest getting a new carb. I complied and got a set of new VM 24 carb and NGK sparkplugs. The carb costed me Rs 1700 and the plugs were Rs 100 each and I paid my mechanic Rs 80 to change the carb as I wanted it to be tuned properly while I changed the plugs myself.
The new carb has helped a lot. The motorcycle idles at a much lower RPM now.

3rd July
The Yamaha turn signals that I was using till this point were having a lot of problems. The stems were supremely flimsy and could not be tightened much resulting in them rotating and facing the opposite way whenever I rode at high speeds. Furthermore, the holders for the bulbs were unable to hold the bulb in place and as a result, the bulbs were rattling around in the indicator housing all the time. So I decided to go for OEM turn signals and LED bulbs for better visibility. I also needed a new flasher to power the 4 LED bulbs. All it took was a Sunday afternoon to swap the turn signals and while I was at it, I decided to reposition the fog lamps that I had previously installed on the leg guard to the headlight nacelle. I already had holes for the indicator in the headlight nacelle and I installed the fog lamp there using some rubber washers. I also rerouted the wiring from the relay and soldered new connectors into the wiring. I also swapped the bulbs that came with it for a pair of Bosch 55W H3 bulbs. The overall brightness has increased but it is still nowhere close to LED fog lamps. However, I am content with them as my fog lamps are seldom used and halogen bulbs in the chrome housing look better in my opinion than LEDs on a 27y/o machine. I had also recently ridden my machine at 60+ km/h and felt quite a lot of vibration on the handlebars. I decided to install bar-end weights as my handlebar could accommodate them. I also had to switch to C350 grips as the Electra grips I had been using were closed off at the ends. The C350 grips, though longer and softer, needed a bit of modification to be fitted. Also, the stock bolts that came with the weights were smaller and I ended up using 13mm Allen bolts to install the bar end weights. The vibrations are almost non-existent now till 80 km/h (I could not check at higher speeds as I sincerely doubt my rebored cylinder would be able to endure anything above 80 km/h without seizing) The prices I paid for the parts were as follows:
SWISS Turn Signals x 4: Rs 195 each
LED Bulbs x 4: Rs 100 each
Lumax 12v/85w Flasher: Rs 120
Bosch H3 Bulbs x2: Rs 40 each
C350 Grips: Rs 99
Chrome-plated handlebar weights x2: Rs.225 each

New bar-end weights


The longer C350 grips alongside the shorter old grips


A part of the new grips had to be trimmed off in order to ensure proper rotation of the throttle:


The new Swiss turn signals with LED bulbs


Repositioned fog lamps with black covers:


Riding Experience:

Things I Like:

1. Martinetism: This reason may sound odd to a lot but the CI bullet appealed to the disciplinarian within me. The intricate procedure of cold starting the machine by freeing up the clutch, engaging the choke, decompressing the engine, and praying before you kick it over made me respect the motorcycle. I was intimidated by the CI Bullets before I owned one and a certain amount of fear and reverence took over whenever I had the opportunity to ride one. The CI Bullet is like a majestic steed akin to the horses of the cavalry- any lapse in deference is met with an unwelcome but well-deserved injury.
2. The Iconic Thump: Of all the reasons that made me choose CI over UCE, this was surely a substantial one. Enough has been said about the thump of the legendary CI engine and it stands up to all the odes. Even with a leaky exhaust and the unwanted cacophony that my engine emits, nothing gets in the way of the sheer auditory bliss that comes out of the exhaust. Sure, a helmet does help to dull out the unwanted bits of the experience.
3. Stability: The ride is supremely confidence-inspiring owing to the immense weight of the machine. Even with a misaligned chassis that causes the motorcycle to dangerously veer to the left, the stability is unmatched
4. Low end Torque: Even tough the motorcycle struggles to get past 70 kmph, it is the low end torque that comes in handy in overtakes and moments when you feel the need to utilize the 350cc mill.

Things I don't like:

This list could go on forever. A 27-year-old specimen of British engineering and Indian craftmanship is a storehouse of problems. However, being the enchanted teenager looking at his prized ride through rosetinted glasses, I may not be the perfect person to summarize its shortcomings. However, I shall try my best:

1. Unreliability: A lot has been said about this. You cannot expect a three-decades-old machine of questionable quality control to be a reliable mode of transportation. The constant fear of breaking down in the middle of the road has made permanent residence at the back of my head. What if the engine seizes? What if the electricals go awry? What if the front suspension gives away again? What if it won't start? The list is inexhaustible and has led to me choosing hassle-free public transportation more than ever.
2. Anachronism: The Bullet is a product of its times.Times when roads were less busy, traffic nonexistent, and an overall slower speed of life. Hence, I never take out my motorcycle for any intercity transit and plan my route ahead to avoid congestion even at the cost of choosing the longer route. The clutch is not designed to be used in day-to-day traffic and the brakes are lackluster, to be frank.
3. Fuel Economy: I do not even know my fuel economy figures. Online claims of 30kmpl seem farfetched and I realistically get a mileage of around 20 if I am lucky. Help is highly solicited in this regard.
4. Suspension: The suspension is stiff and not suited for Indian road conditions. I intend to replace them with C350 forks very soon.

Future Plans:

My project is far from finished. My mind vacillates a lot between selling off the old bugger to make way for a UCE and restoring it to perfection after attaining personal financial stability. The former seems sketchy as I fear not being able to recover my investment of around Rs 50000 anytime soon. As for the latter, I have classified my plans into two categories:
Short Term

1. Repairing the front suspension. I might go for a C350 setup with disc brakes or an A350 setup with discs
2. Changing out the Transmission Oil: My mechanic has suggested 140-grade gear oil and online searches consistently suggest a mixture of grease and engine oil for the transmission. BHPians, kindly help.
3. Clutch plates: The clutch seems to slip in heavy traffic conditions and that has led me to plan my transit meticulously to avoid traffic.I am unsure which clutch plates to go for and whether I need to change my clutch cover to a bigger one to accommodate them. BHPians kindly help me with this.
4. The Tank: The tank on my particular Enfield is beautifully chrome plated and pinstriped. However, the fact that it is off-center by about an inch bothers the hell out of me every time I ride the machine. I have checked and it seems like a manufacturing defect from the factory. I have spotted 5 or 6 other REs with a misaligned tank although not all of them are as serious of an eyesore as mine. Even my friend’s 2016 C350 has its tank misaligned by about half of an inch. I intend to do something about it soon. BHPians, any suggestions would be highly appreciated.

How the tank looks from the bottom. One can clearly see the asymmetry from this angle


How the tank looks from above:



Long Term
1. A complete overhaul of the engine. Even though my engine is running okay overall, I am getting fuel economy below 20 kmpl. I intend to get the head worked upon and get a new cylinder kit later down the road
2. A return to the stock black and chrome paint job. The tank that came from the factory still has the original chrome. However, It is off-center and is an eyesore. I have procured a straight Chrome and black tank and am storing it safely for future use. I will also switch back to chrome fenders instead of painted ones.

Conclusion:

My journey with the Enfield has been quite delightful so far with interspersed episodes of utter hopelessness as well. I am quite aware of the fact that although my juvenile mind believes I can soldier on with this machine as long as gasoline is available, a more sensible man would choose a UCE RE any day over this 27 y/o heap of metal. At the same time, my mind also comprehends the fact that a UCE RE does not stand out in the sea of C350s on the road (no offense intended to UCE owners) and I can still spot 2 or 3 CI Bullets every day on the road, still being actively used for commuting. However, it is true that in spite of its several flaws, the times when it truly performs smoothly, the 1995 Machismo 350 is a majestically thumping steed to behold and hold onto till eternity.





NOTE: This is my first detailed post on TBHP and it has the inherent risk of carrying several errors and typos. All help and advice regarding my post and machine are highly appreciated and I intend to regularly update the thread. More photos coming soon. Thank You.

[boniver]

Nice thread and it reminds me a lot of my adventure with buying my first "own" motorcycle last year. That too, was a 20-year-old when I bought it, so you and I have a lot in common in terms of the issues faced. I did get fleeced by mechanics too, but in a faraway land whose language I didn't speak, so I don't feel too bad about it now.

I did notice a lot of parts that have gone onto your bike are non-OEM. The indicators you put in were not "Yamaha" and neither were they the now widely available Minda ones, although they were the right design for the RX100 and 135. The LH and RH switchgear on your bike are generic ones that copy the ones on the Suzuki Shogun.

You say the bike is now vibration-free up to 80kmph, and I'd say that is enough proof of how better the bike is now, compared to before. As a slightly older friend, I'd suggest you to now save all your money towards getting the paperwork up to date and in your name. After that, the bike is legally all yours and you can continue to spend as much money on it as you want.

I recently shifted my Suzuki back home from Bangalore, and rebuilt my RX100 under my staircase. I'd still say I don't know much about bikes, but it does help to know a fair bit so as to prevent mechanics from taking you on a ride. I live across the river from you, and it'd be nice to meet you and your bike once. Preferably in the coming week because I'm again moving after that

Leaving you with a picture of my babies:

[Pennant1970]

Hello young man,
Excellent write-up on your journey with an incalcitrant piece of nostalgia. I have continued to be a skulker for nearly 7 months on these forums despite GTO almost forcing me () into registering when I sent in an interesting article I had found online. That article has fallen through the cracks of time because I suddenly found it unremarkable! And I withdrew into my shell. However, your articulate and well ordered chronicle deserves a congratulation for rekindling my memories of the 1990s. I used to work on my 1972 Jawa when I was your age

I still remember running in TWO new RE standard 350s in the government office (which will remain unnamed) I used to work. I remember that the two bikes, though delivered on the same day, and having consecutive register numbers, were chalk and cheese (forgive me the cliche) to drive. I happened to be the only one who could make both run well! I left the job within a few more months.

The Maschismo was 'the one that got away' for me. Despite having the means, interest and skills to get one, I passed. And then, time passed.

I loved to see your passion for the bike, tempered with realism in approach. I also appreciate the excellent command you have over English - not a common thing to see anywhere nowadays.

All the best with your bike. One piece of advice - let go when it's time to. I am sure you get my drift. Cheers...

[Indraneil]

Wonderful long term review. I liked the way you were not ultra optimistic about the motorcycle's performance and accepted the way it is. I have seen PPL complaining about old bulls all the time. Old bulls need a lot of pampering and then also you cannot expect a lot of reliability. Old bulls require matured and paitent owners like you. Your review made me recall my experience with a Th350 LB 2005 model. It was my family friend's motorcycle which I was using for a while. Had it for 1-1.5 years, rode it for 3k km, invested around 10k to get it in the best shape it can be. It was hell unreliable, the pushrods used to slip often if you revv it hard. It was stable at speeds like 90kph but did not had any kind of grip in slush even after having good tyres, having fresh treads. Spare parts were a nightmare to procure, I had to get a side stand repaired which took 4 hours as after several failed attempts since several months, I was unable to fetch the exact stand and holder of the motorcycle. I even had to remove the decompressor as it was placed on the tappet cover and the tappet cover broke one day, didn't get the LB engine tappet cover, got the CI one and had to remove the system. LB engine kicks were not at all fun, it was harsher than the CI and due to the absence of decompressor, there were more kick backs than actual kicks. Overall the bike taught me a lot of things by stranding me mid way lot of times, it taught me paitence and made me a mechanic as didn't get any Mechanics during lockdown. Now the sweet bull is not with me, neither it works anymore(thanks to the owner) but I cherish my memories with her. Your review made me recall my experience, felt like a lot of similarities, an 18 year old with an archaic motorcycle, struggling to get it to it's actual glory, bearing hardships to tame it but still not giving up on it due to immense love and passion. Hope you get it in a shape you want, wish you the best, happy thumping!

Below I am sharing few pics of the TB350LB

[SgtGAWD]

Originally Posted by boniver

Nice thread and it reminds me a lot of my adventure with buying my first "own" motorcycle last year. That too, was a 20-year-old when I bought it, so you and I have a lot in common in terms of the issues faced. I did get fleeced by mechanics too, but in a faraway land whose language I didn't speak, so I don't feel too bad about it now.

I did notice a lot of parts that have gone onto your bike are non-OEM. The indicators you put in were not "Yamaha" and neither were they the now widely available Minda ones, although they were the right design for the RX100 and 135. The LH and RH switchgear on your bike are generic ones that copy the ones on the Suzuki Shogun.

You say the bike is now vibration-free up to 80kmph, and I'd say that is enough proof of how better the bike is now, compared to before. As a slightly older friend, I'd suggest you to now save all your money towards getting the paperwork up to date and in your name. After that, the bike is legally all yours and you can continue to spend as much money on it as you want.

I recently shifted my Suzuki back home from Bangalore, and rebuilt my RX100 under my staircase. I'd still say I don't know much about bikes, but it does help to know a fair bit so as to prevent mechanics from taking you on a ride. I live across the river from you, and it'd be nice to meet you and your bike once. Preferably in the coming week because I'm again moving after that

Leaving you with a picture of my babies:

Attachment 2331241

Thanks a lot for the kind words Boniver! I still fondly remember going through your excellent article about restoring your Suzuki and the adventurous road trip and contemplating about the myriad of issues I might face with my motorcycle if I ever decided to pull something off like that

Coming to the parts, I was recently informed by my mechanic, during one of the many frustrating visits to him regarding my troubles with the turn signals that they were not OEM RX units and choosing RE turn signals would yield better results, prompting me to switch right away. The LH and RH switchgear are just like the ones that came on my motorcycle. while replacing the wiring harness, I tried to go for RE UCE switchgear. However, my mechanic suggested against it as it would require a great deal of wire splicing. So I procured the OEM switchgear for CI models from the RE spares supplier.

It is also delightful to know that the famed boniver lives so close to me and it would be a pleasure to meet you someday and ogle at your RX!

Originally Posted by Pennant1970

Hello young man,
Excellent write-up on your journey with an incalcitrant piece of nostalgia. I have continued to be a skulker for nearly 7 months on these forums despite GTO almost forcing me () into registering when I sent in an interesting article I had found online. That article has fallen through the cracks of time because I suddenly found it unremarkable! And I withdrew into my shell. However, your articulate and well ordered chronicle deserves a congratulation for rekindling my memories of the 1990s. I used to work on my 1972 Jawa when I was your age

I still remember running in TWO new RE standard 350s in the government office (which will remain unnamed) I used to work. I remember that the two bikes, though delivered on the same day, and having consecutive register numbers, were chalk and cheese (forgive me the cliche) to drive. I happened to be the only one who could make both run well! I left the job within a few more months.

The Maschismo was 'the one that got away' for me. Despite having the means, interest and skills to get one, I passed. And then, time passed.

I loved to see your passion for the bike, tempered with realism in approach. I also appreciate the excellent command you have over English - not a common thing to see anywhere nowadays.

All the best with your bike. One piece of advice - let go when it's time to. I am sure you get my drift. Cheers...

Thank you. Words of encouragement from seasoned veterans like you who have owned and worked upon Jawas truly serve as potent nuggets of motivation for budding enthusiasts like me who are yet to see a Jawa in real life .

I look forward to restoring my machine slowly and steadily and using it to the best of its abilities till the time I get my hands on another motorcycle that piques my interest. About letting it go.. let's just say we'll cross the river once we get to it .

Regards.

[theqca]

Thanks for sharing your story about your Royal Enfield. It's nice to see that the passion for these cast iron machines is still alive with a few people in this day and age.

That's a great model you have there (each era model of an RE is different due to the way they've evolved the bike over the years including crank weight and changes to small things which in turn change the way the bikes behave or move).

I had a similar RE in red and chrome in the good old days - this particular model came in 2 shades. Red n chrome and Black n chrome. Sold it after a few years of riding. It was fun because it was the first model that had some modern features at that time like the decompressor integrated with the light switches (which also moved to the handlebar) etc.

At present I own a G2 (got it from an army auction many many years ago) which I wrote about on this forum and you can look it up if interested. I also own a 2000 model (which I bought new some 22 years ago) havent yet written about that one. Perhaps will do it after the rains.

You've got the wrong seat and handlebar combination on your motorcycle so you might want to get the right at some point in time.

Step seat - raised handlebars: this was the correct combination for your model. What you've got right now is the older straight seat which needs a straight handlebar and not the one you've got on the bike right now.
This ensures you are able to sit and ride on the bike with the correct posture for a British motorcycle.

Obviously if you just ride around the corner it wont make much of a difference but if its a long ride you'll notice a huge difference in comfort as well as handling when you get the seat and handlebar combination right.

Do update the post as and when you get some stuff done or ride a bit more!

[Rshreyansh]

What a detailed ownership review, surely one of the best out there. Your passion towards Royal Enfield was oozing out from your words. Loved reading every bit of it.

Having a 2003 Royal Enfield Thunderbird at home makes me more interested in your thread. Although my Thunderbird is not in working condition but your review has surely inspired me to go work on it and get it running for sure
I hope you rejoice every day you spend with this beauty and make lots of memories with it. All the best.

Here is an old picture of my 350, it has a 5-speed gearbox and would like to know from you whether the engine belongs to the CI or UCE family.

Thanks

[DriverNo.420]

Wow, rationalising money and spending it on your bike is something I can relate to personally. I've also let mechanics make a fool of me and given my bike over to imbeciles. Eventually starting to work on my ride myself. I'm talking about my V15. All of it's oil and filter changes, carb tuning, brake work and chain settings even tappet settings, I can do myself. In fact, that bike has not seen the face of a mechanic in almost 3 years. And running better than ever today compared to when it was serviced by ASS.

You are thinking of selling your Bullet off? After all the sleepless nights and money you spent on it? And for what? A uce? I'd advise not to. Moreover, now you know this machine inside and out and I bet the machine knows you too. Spending time on your bike maintaining and repairing it is a bigger part of Zen of motorcycling.

Although, I have a new J-Series 350 Classic, it has evolved into a fuss-free bike. It is not a bike you need to work on(except lubing the chain and maintaining tyre pressure). Even on seriously cold days, all it needs is a touch on the starter and she roars with enthusiasm. All the noises and tik tiks and vibrations have vanished but nothing can match the feeling of bliss riding the original. You feel connected and satisfied when you ride a machine you've worked upon and I don't feel connected to the new bullet at all as much as I feel that for my humble 150cc maybe it needs some more time. As they say 'Baap baap hota hai' and older bullets still chugging along are a testament to that. We'll see how that fuel injection will fare after 15 years. Attaching some pictures of my steeds below. The V is touching 6 years and the classic is getting 1 this September.

[piiyush21]

This is my 1995 Royal Enfield Standard 350 and riding it has always been similar to meditating for me.

[tharian]

Brilliant write up, more so because it is of something not made any more.

This was the original Machismo if I am right and came with a long type muffler similar to the one on the early CI 500's.
There was a Bullet Deluxe model too that looked similar to this.

I hope you have replaced the tyres too as part of the getting it back to shape process.
You reminded me of my life and how it revolved around my Bullet for years after I got it. It is such a simple machine that you can learn to work on it if you get the basics.

Stick to 20w-50 engine oil.

The Cast iron Enfields are about relaxed riding and that's the way to enjoy this ride.

Originally Posted by Rshreyansh

Here is an old picture of my 350, it has a 5-speed gearbox and would like to know from you whether the engine belongs to the CI or UCE family.

Neither. This is the AVL designed learn burn engine that come initially with the Machsimo 4sp and later was put in the TB when it launched.

[SgtGAWD]

Originally Posted by Indraneil

Wonderful long term review. I liked the way you were not ultra optimistic about the motorcycle's performance and accepted the way it is. I have seen PPL complaining about old bulls all the time. Old bulls need a lot of pampering and then also you cannot expect a lot of reliability. Old bulls require matured and paitent owners like you. Your review made me recall my experience with a Th350 LB 2005 model. It was my family friend's motorcycle which I was using for a while. Had it for 1-1.5 years, rode it for 3k km, invested around 10k to get it in the best shape it can be. It was hell unreliable, the pushrods used to slip often if you revv it hard. It was stable at speeds like 90kph but did not had any kind of grip in slush even after having good tyres, having fresh treads. Spare parts were a nightmare to procure, I had to get a side stand repaired which took 4 hours as after several failed attempts since several months, I was unable to fetch the exact stand and holder of the motorcycle. I even had to remove the decompressor as it was placed on the tappet cover and the tappet cover broke one day, didn't get the LB engine tappet cover, got the CI one and had to remove the system. LB engine kicks were not at all fun, it was harsher than the CI and due to the absence of decompressor, there were more kick backs than actual kicks. Overall the bike taught me a lot of things by stranding me mid way lot of times, it taught me paitence and made me a mechanic as didn't get any Mechanics during lockdown. Now the sweet bull is not with me, neither it works anymore(thanks to the owner) but I cherish my memories with her. Your review made me recall my experience, felt like a lot of similarities, an 18 year old with an archaic motorcycle, struggling to get it to it's actual glory, bearing hardships to tame it but still not giving up on it due to immense love and passion. Hope you get it in a shape you want, wish you the best, happy thumping!

Below I am sharing few pics of the TB350LB

Thank You Indraneil! Your experience with the TB350 AVL is quite similar to mine- although your machine is in a much flawless condition externally compared to mine. AVL spares are truly scarce nowadays and that is why one of my friends who has tracked down a Machismo 350 AVL is still hesitant about taking the plunge . However, I feel that the absence of a CB point system in AVL engines is truly a bonus and it gets rid of all the maintenance that the points demand in my machine. I sincerely hope you start thumping once again- be it on your TB350 or any other Enfield.

Originally Posted by theqca

Thanks for sharing your story about your Royal Enfield. It's nice to see that the passion for these cast iron machines is still alive with a few people in this day and age.

That's a great model you have there (each era model of an RE is different due to the way they've evolved the bike over the years including crank weight and changes to small things which in turn change the way the bikes behave or move).

I had a similar RE in red and chrome in the good old days - this particular model came in 2 shades. Red n chrome and Black n chrome. Sold it after a few years of riding. It was fun because it was the first model that had some modern features at that time like the decompressor integrated with the light switches (which also moved to the handlebar) etc.

At present I own a G2 (got it from an army auction many many years ago) which I wrote about on this forum and you can look it up if interested. I also own a 2000 model (which I bought new some 22 years ago) havent yet written about that one. Perhaps will do it after the rains.

You've got the wrong seat and handlebar combination on your motorcycle so you might want to get the right at some point in time.

Step seat - raised handlebars: this was the correct combination for your model. What you've got right now is the older straight seat which needs a straight handlebar and not the one you've got on the bike right now.
This ensures you are able to sit and ride on the bike with the correct posture for a British motorcycle.

Obviously if you just ride around the corner it wont make much of a difference but if its a long ride you'll notice a huge difference in comfort as well as handling when you get the seat and handlebar combination right.

Do update the post as and when you get some stuff done or ride a bit more!

Thank you for the kind words theqca! I fondly remember going through your masterpiece of an article on your G2 even before I started looking for CI models to buy and honestly, it had greatly motivated me to invest my time and efforts into a CI engined beauty. I have been also eagerly waiting for your article on your 2000 RE since the day you mentioned it in your article about the G2 and I am sure that it would be equally witty and informative to read!

Coming to my machine, I believe that it is a lighter crank model as the G2s and post-2004 models had heavier cranks AFAIK. Also, I intend to change the seat soon enough and I am thinking of going for either a stepped seat or a solo saddle (most probably from a C350). Also, my motorcycle came with a raised handlebar which I swapped out for a flatter bar found in Standard 350 models. I believe it is the same handle that came on G2s as well and is colloquially referred to as the "Kabir Singh handlebar" (trust me, I have immense disdain for the term as well).

I'll make sure to update the forum with photos and info about any upgrades I make.

Regards.

[Indraneil]

Originally Posted by Rshreyansh

What a detailed ownership review, surely one of the best out there. Your passion towards Royal Enfield was oozing out from your words. Loved reading every bit of it.

Having a 2003 Royal Enfield Thunderbird at home makes me more interested in your thread. Although my Thunderbird is not in working condition but your review has surely inspired me to go work on it and get it running for sure
I hope you rejoice every day you spend with this beauty and make lots of memories with it. All the best.

Here is an old picture of my 350, it has a 5-speed gearbox and would like to know from you whether the engine belongs to the CI or UCE family.
Attachment 2331366
Thanks

That's the thunderbird 350 Lean Burn/AVL, same as mine. Its based on the Cast Iron engine, but with different head and block. RE developed this engine with the Austrian company AVL, and introduced this engine in the TB and Machismo in the early 2000s. Not a very successful engine because of the regularly slipping pushrods, but can be very sweet to ride only if you know how to ride it. Keep in in the revv band and never push it hard, and it's very sweet to ride.

Hope you get your TB in working condition soon, happy thumping!

[SgtGAWD]

Originally Posted by Rshreyansh

What a detailed ownership review, surely one of the best out there. Your passion towards Royal Enfield was oozing out from your words. Loved reading every bit of it.

Having a 2003 Royal Enfield Thunderbird at home makes me more interested in your thread. Although my Thunderbird is not in working condition but your review has surely inspired me to go work on it and get it running for sure
I hope you rejoice every day you spend with this beauty and make lots of memories with it. All the best.

Here is an old picture of my 350, it has a 5-speed gearbox and would like to know from you whether the engine belongs to the CI or UCE family.
Attachment 2331366
Thanks

Thanks Rshreyansh! Your TB looks really beautiful in the photos and having ridden around in a TBTS for quite some time, I can confidently say that the comfort it provides is unmatched. However, it seems from the replies that there's a trend of AVL TBs facing reliability issues and yours is no different. However, I have seen quite a few AVL Enfields thumping around flawlessly with an engine head and cylinder swap from a CI model along with other CI internals. You can find several examples on youtube very easily and considering that AVLs came with better oil pumps than CI models, the swap should be more reliable than a CI. If your ride is non-operational due to engine troubles, this may be a route that might interest you.
Coming to your question, your engine is an AVL engine. AFAIK, they are mechanically closer to CI engines than UCEs.

Originally Posted by DriverNo.420

Wow, rationalising money and spending it on your bike is something I can relate to personally. I've also let mechanics make a fool of me and given my bike over to imbeciles. Eventually starting to work on my ride myself. I'm talking about my V15. All of it's oil and filter changes, carb tuning, brake work and chain settings even tappet settings, I can do myself. In fact, that bike has not seen the face of a mechanic in almost 3 years. And running better than ever today compared to when it was serviced by ASS.

You are thinking of selling your Bullet off? After all the sleepless nights and money you spent on it? And for what? A uce? I'd advise not to. Moreover, now you know this machine inside and out and I bet the machine knows you too. Spending time on your bike maintaining and repairing it is a bigger part of Zen of motorcycling.

Although, I have a new J-Series 350 Classic, it has evolved into a fuss-free bike. It is not a bike you need to work on(except lubing the chain and maintaining tyre pressure). Even on seriously cold days, all it needs is a touch on the starter and she roars with enthusiasm. All the noises and tik tiks and vibrations have vanished but nothing can match the feeling of bliss riding the original. You feel connected and satisfied when you ride a machine you've worked upon and I don't feel connected to the new bullet at all as much as I feel that for my humble 150cc maybe it needs some more time. As they say 'Baap baap hota hai' and older bullets still chugging along are a testament to that. We'll see how that fuel injection will fare after 15 years. Attaching some pictures of my steeds below. The V is touching 6 years and the classic is getting 1 this September.

Attachment 2331372
Attachment 2331375
Attachment 2331376

Hey DriverNo.420! Your rides appear to be in immaculate condition and remind me of a time when I test rode a V15 during my motorcycle hunting days.
I agree with you that selling off my machine after all the effort I have put into it may be a foolhardy decision. However, sometimes the heart does yearn for the convenience of pushing a switch to start my motorcycle when it stalls at a traffic signal . However, the panacea to my woes may be a second motorcycle for commuting and relegating the Enfield to do the weekend duties to take me to places where I don't have to be on time . However, seeing the fact that the absence of a KS in J-series REs irks me immensely [no offense intended, the newer REs are extremely competent machines], I think I am still a long way from getting rid of my RE .

Also, I am sure that your zeal will keep your C350 thumping well for a long long time.

Regards.

[SgtGAWD]

Originally Posted by piiyush21

Attachment 2331479

Attachment 2331480

This is my 1995 Royal Enfield Standard 350 and riding it has always been similar to meditating for me.

Well said brother. Also, I quite like the split seats you've got there. looks really good.

Originally Posted by tharian

Brilliant write up, more so because it is of something not made any more.

This was the original Machismo if I am right and came with a long type muffler similar to the one on the early CI 500's.
There was a Bullet Deluxe model too that looked similar to this.

I hope you have replaced the tyres too as part of the getting it back to shape process.
You reminded me of my life and how it revolved around my Bullet for years after I got it. It is such a simple machine that you can learn to work on it if you get the basics.

Stick to 20w-50 engine oil.

The Cast iron Enfields are about relaxed riding and that's the way to enjoy this ride.

Thanks tharian! I am sure that I'll find at least a dozen photos of your Enfields if I happen to open my gallery right now . The fact that you had an RE go for 1,20,000 km placated some of my apprehensions regarding the durability of CI engines.
And yes, you are right about there being another Deluxe model. AFAIK, the Machismo and Deluxe co-existed through the 90s and later on, the Machismo took on the AVL avatar whereas the Electra possibly replaced the Deluxe. However, I am no RE nerd and considering there was a plethora of Bullet models including a Bullet SuperStar or SuperDeluxe at that point of time (I did not know till I spotted one on the road recently), the info may not be correct.
i am yet to get new tyres and I am running a 20y/o Dunlop at the rear and a newer Ceat in the front. The 20w50 is performing well and I intend to stick to it.

Regards

[sandeepmohan]

Originally Posted by SgtGAWD

However, it is true that in spite of its several flaws, the times when it truly performs smoothly, the 1995 Machismo 350 is a majestically thumping steed to behold and hold onto till eternity.

I would say that it is purely a lack of attention that has lead to those flaws. You bought a motorcycle that was ignored and what you're going through is catching up on all the maintenance that it never got. The Enfield 350 is a basic machine. Once you have all the mechanicals and electricals sorted, it hardly goes wrong. You don't need to touch the carburettor tuning too, unless, you want to meddle with jets and larger air filters to get more power. I rather you do not head down this road with such an old motorcycle. Enjoy it for what it is.

This is a motorcycle from an era where Royal Enfield did not understand the words "Quality". The factory was a glorified scrap yard. Trust me, I've seen it at that phase when a little modernism started to flow in. You walked onto a factory floor that had a smell of dirty engine oil. If something did not align, a hammer was the solution. Not going back to the drawing aboard and looking at the problem. Which is why the dependability of every Enfield that left that factory was decided by the mood of the factory worker who assembled it. You will receive a brand spanking shiny new motorcycle at the dealer and you ended up with a bunch of things to fix, that the factory could not be bothered about. I've had friends whose brand new AVL's 500's fell apart as soon as they bought it. It was their first Enfield. Everyone looks forward to this day. Sadly; it was the first & last Enfield they ever owned. This lack of dependability has plagued even the motorcycles they exported. I get asked this question all the time, when I meet fellow bikers and when we talk about our rides. When you say Enfield, the first question is, how is your bike holding up. All they know is of Enfield's that sat longer in the garage than being ridden. You also have the camp that buy an old Enfield 350 and ride it like a Pulsar. Its going to do downhill very fast for this rider.

Don't worry about the bits and bobs that need attention. Fix the bike slowly. Looks like you've got most issues out of the way now. If there is one thing I'd add, find a good mechanic. The longevity and riding pleasure one can gain from riding such a motorcycle is down to the skill level of the person working on it. It can be yourself or it can be a good mechanic. It is hard to come by such individuals these days. Its a dying art. I'd say keep looking. Every City will have one such individual who can work wonders with these old machines. I own a CI500. This motorcycle has never left me stranded on the road. Ever. Timely maintenance and a good mechanic is all I gave it. It has given me a pleasure trip that my modern Interceptor can't match. I mean, they are two very different machines. There is nothing in this world that can calm my sense or bring me to ease, like the sound of a thumping old Enfield.