Buying a Royal Enfield 500 & total refit, Noob help.

[spetom]

Warning Long Post ahead!

Ok I've decided to get a Royal Enfield 500 Bullet from the 90s. So no electric start or EFI. I don't mind the neutral gear feature but I wouldn't mind a 5 speed gear box if it makes any difference (don't know if these go hand in hand)? Would prefer a right hand gear box but not necessary can be left. I'm quite happy to keep the points don't need electronic ignition.

I'm looking to get a used one with the least miles on the clock possible and then totally redo it, only trouble is I'm a mechanical noob. But I would eventually like to learn this bike back to front.

I've been reading forums on what people have been writing. Here is what I'd like to do to it:

1) To put as much horsepower into the 500 as possible without spending thousands on kits etc. and without it hurting the engine.

2) Make it cruise easy at 60mph on the motorway (I understand I have to do changes such as change the amount of teeth on the sprocket as well as other things)

2) To fix up as much of the loss of build quality and weaknesses that the motorcycle comes with from India, iron out the crap and breath new quality and solidity into the bike. e.g high flow oil pumps

3) To totally repaint it so instead of the glossy black it always is either a matt black or a matt silver. So that it looks just like this:

https://www.royal-enfield.net/old_bullets/1940-1959/1951_350_Bullet.jpg

or this

https://www.musketvtwin.com/uploads/2/2/4/7/2247083/4201653.jpg

4) Importantly, I've noticed many of the rear mud guards on the new Enfields are not inline with the rear tyres (as in the do not follow the same curve) I've noticed this on many of the Indian models and to the discerning eye this is not nice! I would like the rear mudguard to be nicely in line with the rear tyre follow the curve. So the images above are exactly what I'm looking for.

5) To make the bike idle and sound like this, I understand I must change the exhaust?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJN9HI52mYU

6) Put some solid grippy tyres capable of some cornering at least.

7) Weather proof all the chrome (There will not be much left after repaint) and the whole bike.

I am not afraid of the wrench and I like to get stuck it, but it is often my lack of mechanical knowledge that holds me back and really I don't know what I'm doing I literally learn as I go along.

(I have basic maintenance knowledge, so far I have reset valves (with thou measurements!), changed clutch + brake cables, changed brake shoes, fixed a rear brake light with a stop breaklight switch, replaced a whole headlight (reconnecting all the cables etc.), repainted a rusty part of a bike (good but not a pristine paint), rebuilt forks changing seals and pouring the correct fork seal oil etc. with some other basics I forget.)

I have no idea where to start and have many questions such as:

-How is it some old engine blocks on the Enfield still shine bright and others seem to lose their luster regardless of mileage. I've seen an engine with 20,000 look pristine and one with 10,000 look battered. Are they coated in something heat resistant and protective?

This is some good information I've already picked up from the forums:

[oatesmx]

[stinkwheel]

[.]

Some of the non shiny ones might be Indian home market models which come painted in a nice shade of silver.
Some of the shiny ones are like that because they are polished whenever they can't be ridden and are waiting for spares to arrive.
You may be a mechanical noob at the moment but after a couple of years of Enfield ownership you'll be able to strip the engine down blindfolded, have a very good knowledge of how carburettors work and how wiring looms are put together.
I've had numerous different Enfields over the last 15yrs, but these days only have enough spare time to ride my bikes, not waste time sorting out problems arising from bad quality control.

[spetom]

Stinkwheel, you know when I mentioned repainting a bike?

Is it possible to strip the paint and then give it a solid repaint that would be weather proof? I would rather a professional does the repaint as I'm somewhat dubious in my finish.

I take it they strip the paint, prime it and then repaint? Would it be better just to buy the new parts to repaint? Or would it just cost a bomb?

Likewise is there a way of getting rid of the electric starts on the later models? I'm looking at buying a model now that has an electric start but I'd rather keep it as true as possible to the 50s original?

[stinkwheel]

[spetom]

[stinkwheel]

There is a bulletin board on the Hitchcocks website if you had any specific questions.
https://www.hitchcocksmotorcycles.com/
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[.]

There are quite a few dedicated Enfield forums around. Here are some of the more popular ones.

https://www.hitchcocksmotorcycles.com/index.php

https://tinytim.forumcircle.com/index.php

https://www.midlandbullets.co.uk/smf/index.php

https://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/royalenfield/

https://www.enfieldmotorcycles.com/forum/

There's a fair bit of technical know how buried within these sites, you can browse all of them but [like here] some will require membership if you wish to post a new query. Each have their share of resident 'experts'. Two have ride-out sections as well, if you fancy the chance of breaking down with like minded individuals
The Bulleteers (tinytim) are predominantly based around the Severn bridge area (but ride a lot further afield occasionally) Midland Bulls are in the Midlands.

This place stocks Indian Enfield parts along with some after market stuff, with prices cheaper than most other UK based outlets.
https://www.pricepartmotorcycles.co.uk/
You will always, always need to phone. The owner (Henry) who runs it has been known to travel abroad to repair bullet engines that the owners and local mechanics can't sort out, and he always seems to be busy, so one of his other less knowledgeable staff might answer. For that same reason its not worth just turning up on his door step either. But if you want to save a fair bit of money it's certainly worth persevering.

[Robby]

You'll find that an awful lot of bullet owners do similar modifications to their ones - it's a bit like the Harley owner idea of buying the bike then fitting the entire screaming eagle catalogue, but for a fraction of the price.

So you'll be able to buy one with a better oil pump, air filter and exhaust so a lot less than buying a standard one and buying all of those parts.

Don't be too hung up on mileage, it's the build quality and lack of care that kills them rather than miles. An enthusiast owned example with an uprated oil pump and 20k on the clock is likely to be better than a standard one with a non-mechanical owner and 5k on the clock.

Corrosion can be prevented using ACF-50 and occasional cleaning. ACF-50 needs to be renewed from time to time. Steel parts such as the frame or swinging arm benefit from being powder coated, and reassembled with decent bearings, seals and bushes. Once you have measured the existing bearing, seals and bushes then you can find decent, cheap replacements at www.simplybearings.com.
I stripped a 1980 CB250RS down to the frame, stripped the paint off with nitromors, rubbed back any rust patches with emery paper, gave it a coat of rust converter and then two coats of hammerite paint. Took bloody ages. The paint has scratched, chipped and flaked in no time at all, I'll be stripping it again over the winter and getting them blasted, welded and powder coated. This will cost about £200, which is a drop in the ocean against the rest of the spend you're looking at.

You'll spend a lot more than the value of the bike, make sure you keep all the receipts. When you're thinking of selling it, look at how much you've spent on it and the massive loss it represents. You'll never sell it.

Don't try a home sprayjob, it'll look crap. Knackered original paint looks a whole lot better than a crap home sprayjob, a classic looking bike should have some character.

If you are going to tune it internally, do it right. Find a local old-school engineer, tell them what you want to do, and give them a lot of money. They'll smile, love the project, and do a really good job. Make sure you have a spare, working standard engine sat in your garage inhibited so you can keep it on the road when you blow the tuned one.


If the overall aim is a cheap, simple, reliable commuter, then anything Japanese will do the job easier and cheaper - CB250 of any description comes to mind. No soul in a 250 twin though.

[spetom]

[G]

[spetom]

[G]

The point was that if you look at how much you're likely to pay out in total for all your 'modifications' minus any likely sale price (which won't go up nearly as much) then divide that by the miles you do, you'll find you're probably spending quite a lot per mile.

I'm always amused by people buying new cars with really low mpg, yet swapping it out every couple of years, so they're actually paying a lot more in depreciation per mile than they are for their fuel.

I'd be willing to bet a VFR400 (or better, a GPZ500) ridden at the speeds you can ride the Enfield would result in pretty damn good mpg.
Of course you have the option to go massively faster and get less mpg, but it's your choice not a limitation.

Me, I have bikes for practicality and fun. I'd get a diesel citreon AX and try and get some paying passengers along if I wanted good fuel economy .

[spetom]