[swami.n]

Originally Posted by Mighty_Lothar

Thanks Swami.



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!

LOTHAR

Actually when I enquired in the showroom 3 or 4 month back, the curved silencer was quoted 2300Rs. Do not know the rate now, but it should not have increased 700 in a few months. Or is it costlier in bangalore than in Chennai?

Do insist on getting back your stock silencer, if they say no, just avoid changing the silencer at the time of purchase and buy the curved one separately and get it changed locally.

OT: I had my stock silencer of my TB at home, when I changed to a open one. And last year my daughter was pretty afraid when I revved with the open silencer I was able to go back to the stock with out having to pay much :-)

[Mighty_Lothar]

Originally Posted by swami.n

Actually when I enquired in the showroom 3 or 4 month back, the curved silencer was quoted 2300Rs. Do not know the rate now, but it should not have increased 700 in a few months. Or is it costlier in bangalore than in Chennai?

Thanks Swami. I will do a detailed check on the off-road silencer pricing and shall decide. Anyway, as you suggested, i am going to keep the stock silencer with me and may be after 2000KM, will go ahead with a better thump offered silencer.

LOTHAR

[abbyshek]

Hi Guys,

I am sorry, did search the forum but didnt find the best answer.

I am new to the RE world, last week Wednesday I got my beast delivered. And till now I have clocked 325 kms (speed maintained under 50kmph), would be completing 500 kms in a day or two before I get it serviced.
I am going on a long ride for 500kms+ (one way) starting this Friday (22/2/2013) morning. Below listed are my concerns which need urgent attention.
1) What should be the ideal riding conditions for a new bullet
2) Is it advisable to add OIL to fuel tank for pistons to fire smoothly
3) Is it 'Okay' to take bullet out for long ride immediately after servicing

Thanks,
Abhishek

[ArizonaJim]

Based on the break in instructions that came with my 2011 G5 (Electra) after your 500 km oil and filter change you can ride at speeds up to 90 kmph but you should not use full throttle when you accelerate.

If you can do so without danger you should vary the speed while you ride. In other words, don't just ride at one speed.
Also, although the book says 90 kmph is all right, for the next 200 km after riding at that speed, slowing down to say 70 kmph for a while to allow the engine to cool down is a good idea. After riding at 70 kmph for a while, try 80 kmph.

By varying the speed like this the parts will be more likely to adjust easily to their new environment.

Every so often after riding at the above speeds it is a good idea to stop and let the engine cool down for 5 or 10 minutes.
It's not that the engine will over heat if you don't. Rather, these thermal cycles between hot and cool will allow the parts to expand and shrink and be run under those varying conditions. That will also help the engine to thoroughly break in.

Although the speeds I mentioned are for the 500cc models, the 350cc engine should be able to match them without harm during this cool weather. If you were breaking your bike in during the hot summer, the 350 should probably be run about 10kmph below the speeds used by the 500.

Do not add any oil to your fuel. Nothing but pure petrol should be put into the fuel tank.
Your engine is a 4 stroke design which doesn't need or want additional oil in the upper cylinder or valves. Adding oil to the fuel will foul the spark plug and cause mis fires. It will also build up a layer of carbon in your exhaust system which will reduce the motorcycles performance.

Speaking of fouled spark plugs, it would be a good idea to take a new spare along with you.
If the engine starts mis firing or running rough on your trip, remove the spark plug wire and spark plug and replace it. (I believe your tool kit that came with the bike will have a socket wrench to do this).
If your replacement spark plug has a small screw on cap on top, remove it before installing the wire. The RE spark plug cap is intended to be pushed down over the small exposed threads on the top of the spark plug. It does not use the unthreaded cap that comes on many spark plugs.

It is more than OK to take your Bullet out after the oil and filter has been changed.
If you try to ride using the guidelines I mentioned above it is actually very good for it.

Ride safely and have a good trip.

[marcussantiago]

Hi! A n00b here with a few questions.

1.
I just bought a 2008 Thunderbird Twinspark, second-hand and only have one key for it. This is making me paranoid. I'd like to replace the lock cylinders and get a new set of keys for the bike. Is this doable?

2.
I have not yet gotten the bike insured. Friends told me that not having the original keys would be a problem with insurance. What if I got the keys changed and THEN got insurance? Would that work?

3.
It's got the stock exhaust. Unlike most people I absolutely love the look of it, but it is surprisingly quiet. Is it possible to modify (not replace) the existing exhaust to be just a tad louder? I don't want to go waking up all of South Delhi every time I fire it up, but some traditional Enfield "thump" and some audible presence in traffic would be nice. Or would it just be easier to get a Classic style exhaust instead?

4.
The front headlights are fairly weak. I don't like driving with high beams and blinding other drivers, but I'd also like to see where I'm going. Is there an option to replace / upgrade the stock light to something a little more substantial without ruining electrics etc?

Thanks in advance!

Marcus

[voodoochild]

Originally Posted by marcussantiago

1.
I just bought a 2008 Thunderbird Twinspark, second-hand and only have one key for it. This is making me paranoid. I'd like to replace the lock cylinders and get a new set of keys for the bike. Is this doable?

Quite doable. But since all locks use the same key you'll have to change all locks as a set, ie: ignition, toolbox, fuel lid and any others you may have.

2.
I have not yet gotten the bike insured. Friends told me that not having the original keys would be a problem with insurance. What if I got the keys changed and THEN got insurance? Would that work?

Never heard of keys being a problem with insurance. Get the insurance ASAP anyway, keys are secondary.

3.
It's got the stock exhaust. Unlike most people I absolutely love the look of it, but it is surprisingly quiet. Is it possible to modify (not replace) the existing exhaust to be just a tad louder?

Removing a few baffles in the stock exhaust should do.

4.
The front headlights are fairly weak.

Try using a halogen of the same wattage as your stock bulb (or do you already use a halogen?). Upping the rating shouldn't be an issue, provided you stay in limits. Others should be able to help with this.

Cheers,
Rahul

[schitre05]

Originally Posted by marcussantiago

Hi! A n00b here with a few questions.

1.
I just bought a 2008 Thunderbird Twinspark, second-hand and only have one key for it. This is making me paranoid. I'd like to replace the lock cylinders and get a new set of keys for the bike. Is this doable?

Ans: Very much doable.. Try and change the whole lock set from RE (Battery cover, tool kit cover, handle lock & ignition lock) it should not cost more than Rs. 800

2.
I have not yet gotten the bike insured. Friends told me that not having the original keys would be a problem with insurance. What if I got the keys changed and THEN got insurance? Would that work?

Ans: Never heard that keys would be a problem.. anyways if you change the whole set from RE then end of any issue.

3.
It's got the stock exhaust. Unlike most people I absolutely love the look of it, but it is surprisingly quiet. Is it possible to modify (not replace) the existing exhaust to be just a tad louder? I don't want to go waking up all of South Delhi every time I fire it up, but some traditional Enfield "thump" and some audible presence in traffic would be nice. Or would it just be easier to get a Classic style exhaust instead?

Ans: Keep the stock.. dont modify it.. you can always buy the after-market short dholki and use it for a while... that way you can always plug and play & go back to your original end pipe if you want.

4.
The front headlights are fairly weak. I don't like driving with high beams and blinding other drivers, but I'd also like to see where I'm going. Is there an option to replace / upgrade the stock light to something a little more substantial without ruining electrics etc?

Ans. There are many options.. TBTS headlights have plactic surface and have a tendency to go yellowish over a period of use... You may go for the whole set of seal beam from RE around Rs.900/- or you may try the minda glass seal beam around rs. 350 with a powerful halogen like the philips extreme (Rs. 500). Philips extreme is size H4 and would directly fit into the socket and has a way superior throw than the stock headlamp.

Thanks in advance!

Marcus

My Answers in Bold
Cheers!!

[S.I.N.G.H]

Greetings to all my fellow bhpians. I own a 1982 RE Std. I am having problems with earthing of the battery to the chassis. As of now, i have been earthing it manually (jugaar). Anyone who has knowledge abt the enfield electricals please let me know that where is the earthing cable attached to the ignition key system
Thanks

[ArizonaJim]

Perhaps I don't understand but I've never seen the battery ground attached to anything on the ignition key system.

The positive terminal of the battery should be connected to the ignition key switch.
The ignition key switch then turns on or off the batteries power to the wiring which leads to the various electrical parts that need power when the engine is running.

These various electrical parts are then grounded to the engine or to the frame to complete the circuit.

The battery ground terminal should be connected to the engine case or to the motorcycle frame (or both).
If the ground wire attaches only to the frame, one should make sure the engine case is also making electrical contact with the frame so it too is "grounded".

[Blazkowicz]

I have a problem with my C350. The front brake on motorcycle only works when it is applied hard, otherwise enough pressure doesn't build up on the brake and the lever moves freely. The oil level is good. RE guys say that it is the master cylinder which is the source of the problem but I want other opinions as well. Any idea as to why this might be happening?

[ArizonaJim]

If you move the lever a long distance before any braking results, it sounds like the brake hydraulic system needs to be bled.

All it takes is a very small bubble of air in the brake system to cause the brakes to fail to respond without a lot of travel of the brake lever.

I suggest that either you bleed the brakes, refilling the resouvour with DOT 3 brake fluid or you take it to a good mechanic and ask him to test the brakes to see if he agrees, the brakes need to be bled.

He doesn't even have to ride the bike to do this. Any good mechanic should be able to tell just by squeezing the brake lever. (It will feel like it is compressing a gas bubble rather than coming to an abrupt halt when the brake pads squeeze the disk tightly).

Bleeding the brakes only takes about 10 minutes so this is not a big job.
I must warn about the effects of brake fluid on paint though. It will rapidly eat thru the paint causing it to fall off if just a drop gets on the bike.

As a side note, brake fluid rapidly absorbs moisture so only new fluid should be used.
My BMW instructions say the brake fluid should be replaced at least once a year although I don't know anyone (including me) that goes to those extremes.

[Paco]

I bought a ThunderBird in 2003 whic primarily was driven by my brother as I used to travel a lot... For the past 6years it has been on the stand, as I somehow never got the time to get it repaired/serviced properly. It has clocked just 4500kms!!! In the last one year, I made a couple of trips to the local RE showroom requesting them to pick it up, but, I guess they are very busy. Anyways, I finally took it to a guy who is now overhauling it completely including the paintjob and chromework apart from redoing the engine. So, I will keep bothering everyone for advise.

To begin with I wanted help with two things.
a. Mine is a kick-start version. Can this be changed to electric-start (as is the case with the new versions)?
b. I wanted decals for the petrol-tank. Where could I get it?

Warm regards,

[bulletboy76]

Hi Paco,

Regarding your questions:
1. Yes - I think this should be possible, not sure on the cost part though.
2. For decals - You should be able to get from RE authorized spares store. Alternatively you can try www.royalenfieldzone.com

Cheers and happy thumping!

[(Alok)]

Originally Posted by Paco

a. Mine is a kick-start version. Can this be changed to electric-start (as is the case with the new versions)?

If you are going for a complete engine overhaul/ if mechanic suggest for it, than only it is advisable.
It requires a new clutch box, new magneto and most important is rerouting of rocker oil pipe may require a hole in crank case.

[Rhoads]

Originally Posted by Jeroen

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

Hi Jeroen,
Glad it helped. One more quicky here. While keeping the cable lubricated is good, why not switch to a brand new throttle cable (about Rs. 60). They DONT need to be lubricated at all. Just pick one up and keep it in your toolbox. The next time when your cable runs out, junk it and put this one!

With bulls, DIYs are the best ways ahead. Just that some silly issues like idling problems, tappet noise, slack/tight chains, small electrical problems (malfunctions in pilotlamp, indicator), ETC are issues that dont require an expert to fix while on the flipside, those AWESOME mechanics (that your DIY-hater-friends usually suggest) are waiting to make you feel miserable by making these issues look like HUGE ones with the estimates running to some hundreds if not thousands.

Cheers mate!
Happy riding!