Royal Enfield Bullet Rescue

[Dave Swanson]

I have always been enamored, rightly or wrongly, with the 500cc RE Bullet.  This 2016 500cc Bullet popped up on FB Marketplace just a couple of miles from my house.  It is a 2016 with only 1300 miles that was being sold by the original owner. 

It was a sad looking bike when I went and looked at it.  The owner was a nice guy. BUT is a menace to any mechanical object.  There were more bodges on this bike than I could believe in it short riding life. 8 years under his "care" was hard on it.  I really felt that this poor bike needed rescuing. 

Some of the low lights.

Half a gallon of oil overfilled.
Spark plug wire to plug cap all but pulled out.
Spark plug cap barely touching the plug
Bolt missing (head steady), and others loose or missing nuts.  These Bullets need constant checking for loose bolts.
Wiring fixes with wire nuts and bare copper wraps!
Just about everything that could be out of adjustment was.
Broken R/R bracket repair was so ridiculous I should have documented it.
And it was FILTHY.

The price was right - cheap- and I could tell with a lot of TLC it could be brought back to a high level.

After many hours spent over the past 10 days, and a couple orders from Hitchcock's here is how it looks as of today. It runs great and is a very relaxing ride.  You don't want to be in a hurry on a Bullet, that's not the point.

There's a saying in India, a place where the Bullet is absolutely revered "with a 500cc Bullet under your ass, the world is in your fist!". 

[Chuck in Indiana]

Nice. It's good to see it found a proper keeper. 
Several years ago, I was talking to a guy with a cafe Bullet at Newsomes on Angeles Crest. "It's the most labor intensive bike I've ever had, and the most fun.."

[guzzisteve]

That saying is because you are always shaking your fist at it!      Enjoy it!

[pehayes]

My son had one.  Not very fastidious about checking for loose bolts.  MANY.  Vibrations led to cracked frame in various places.  Welded up several times with overlap tubing, etc..  RE eventually offered to give him a new frame if he paid to have everything transferred over.  He wisely sold it and now rides Guzzi.

Patrick  Hayes
Fremont CA

[bigbikerrick]

Nice looking bike. The cracked frame thing sounds a little concerning. I was interested in a Himalayan when the first came out,they are a cool design, but seeing photos of some bikes with the frame cracked behind the steering head scared me off. I sure like the cadence of the big thumper.
Rick

[kingoffleece]

I rode one that was hacked.  VERY interesting to say the least.

[Dave Swanson]

My son had one.  Not very fastidious about checking for loose bolts.  MANY.  Vibrations led to cracked frame in various places.  Welded up several times with overlap tubing, etc..  RE eventually offered to give him a new frame if he paid to have everything transferred over.  He wisely sold it and now rides Guzzi.

Patrick  Hayes
Fremont CA

What year was your son's Bullet?

[s1120]

Nice looking bike. The cracked frame thing sounds a little concerning. I was interested in a Himalayan when the first came out,they are a cool design, but seeing photos of some bikes with the frame cracked behind the steering head scared me off. I sure like the cadence of the big thumper.
Rick

From what I have heard by the time the Himalayan's hit the US, the issue was fixed. Not sure if thats right or not, but I dont hear that much about it anymore.

Love the Bullet. Most of my roads are 45 mph backroads, and just beating around at 45-50 mph would be a blast on a bike like that.

[blu guzz]

I had a friend who bought on of those on the first go round in the early 2000s.  It was a ball on undemanding roads, but it just drove him crazy with all the fixes.  It was so bad that the wheel rims were so course that they routinely popped the inner tubes.  He cured that and several other issues and sold it off as it was not worth the effort to him.  At the time, he always kept a stable, so it would not have lasted more than 6 months anyway.

[9fingers]

Nice looking bike. The cracked frame thing sounds a little concerning. I was interested in a Himalayan when the first came out,they are a cool design, but seeing photos of some bikes with the frame cracked behind the steering head scared me off. I sure like the cadence of the big thumper.
Rick

The problems were only with the first year bikes. The current Himis are totally sorted...........un til the new 450 Himilayan comes here next year.

[9fingers]

Nice job on the Bullet! The are great bikes once you have them the way you want, as long as one has no delusions of passing cars on a freeway. Here is a pic of my 2016 Classic Chrome

, which I will be selling soon since I just don't ride her that much anymore.

[huub]

great bike!
i  had a 93 bullet 500 as a daily transport for a couple of years ,
bought as a wreck and rebuilt before using it.
I had remarkably little problems with it in 50.000 km of daily use
the number plate vibrated off , and the rear light bulb kept blowing until i fitted LED bulbs.
once properly set up these are remarkably reliable.

[Shorty]

Enfields are like other classic bikes that have been around a long time. The old time owners put in the sweat equity to keep them running. The factory slowly started improving the brand until now, the J model 350s and the 650s are decent machinery. And of course the older guys swear their dinosaurs are every bit as good as the new ones, and possess more "soul."    I enjoy observing the pride that riders get in India when they save enough to buy their first Enfield. It's a rite of passage. 

[1wild1]

My daughter has a continental gt 535. I love riding that bike.  although it won't start right now and I need to work on it again. I'm waiting on the classic 650's and I will be first in line. 

[twowheeladdict]

I can't justify the price, and the test ride proved that you can't really stand on the bike because of the forward footpegs making this just a styling exercise, but I really like the Trials Replica 500 RE put out in 2020.

The used ones I have come across have almost no miles which shows they are better to look at than to ride.

[JJ]

Love to read stories about unloved and abused bikes being brought back to their original condition!   

[frozengoose]

Nice, would like to see the before pics. The wife has had two Enfields, the first died at about 5Kmi. George, the dealer, gave her a generous trade in for a like new one, even tho hers was out of warrenty. Never had problems with loose bolts, busted bulbs, or cracked frames, but the electrics, that's another story!

[Dave Swanson]

Nice, would like to see the before pics. The wife has had two Enfields, the first died at about 5Kmi. George, the dealer, gave her a generous trade in for a like new one, even tho hers was out of warrenty. Never had problems with loose bolts, busted bulbs, or cracked frames, but the electrics, that's another story!

I didn't document the as bought condition, but it was just dirty from sitting in a not very nice garage space unused and unloved for probably 6 years. 

It spiffy now.

[kballowe]

Dave - we're not that far apart. 

I know that your garage must be bursting at the seams.

I could come and get some of those bikes and keep them here.

Like, what are friends for ?

 

[Dave Swanson]

For a total price of $123 on eBay these Pegasus bags and rack mounts were hard to pass up.  The bags have substantial walls and a waterproof interior liner that can be pulled up and closed like a dry bag.  The company I bought them from in India shipped them free via FedEx and I had them in 3 days.  Faster than most USA shipping.  Crazy good value here.

[Chuck in Indiana]

That looks like a proper traveling machine, Dave.. one bag full of clothes and one full of tools. 

[Dave Swanson]

New Heidnenau rubber because the original tires were weather checked, and a new RE Touring seat and it is done. 

I am having a blast on this thing as long as I stay 60 mph or under.