1999 Royal Enfield Bullet - buy or not - guidance needed

[p_f_m]

Hi,
it has always been my wish to some day own a RE Bullet 500. Recently I saw one listed in my local area which I really like but I wanted to get some advice from the pros before jumping for it.
Its a 1999 model, with 7k miles on it, and its sold by a dealer.
I dont have much history but seems like its in good condition for a 20 year old bike.

I'd like to get some insight from you like if this was among any particular year models that were plaqued with problems and should be avoided ? What known issues should I ask/check for ? Parts availibility ?
Basically do you think its a good idea to get a 20 year REB 500 ?

Finally, what do you think would be good price for this ? What would you pay assuming no major known issues with the bike ?

I look forward to your comments.
Thanks!

[The Shaggy D.A.]

How are you with spanners? A Bullet is not a bike to have if you're used to just throwing fuel in, maybe oiling the chain occasionally, and having a stab at an oil change every couple of years. They are however easy to work on, and that's half the joy of them.

Spares are plentiful, Hitchcocks will get you everything you need, but at a price. If you're prepared to wait, you can get the same stuff direct from India at a fraction of the price, however all parts are not created equal.

https://accessories.hitchcocksmotorcycles.com/

The forum there is a good source of info, as are the FB groups. There's also Midland Bullet Riders :-

https://www.midlandbullets.co.uk/

and Classic Motor Works in the US :-

https://forum.classicmotorworks.com/index.php

I'm on my 4th

https://www.bikepics.com/pics/2004/12/02/bikepics-252773-full.jpg
https://www.bikepics.com/pics/2015/04/25/bikepics-2738190-full.jpg
https://www.bikepics.com/pics/2016/10/17/bikepics-2794534-984.jpg
https://www.bikepics.com/pics/2017/08/03/bikepics-2802092-984.jpg
____________________
Chances are quite high you are not in my Monkeysphere, and I don't care about you. Don't take it personally.
Currently : Royal Enfield 350 Meteor
Previously : CB100N > CB250RS > XJ900F > GT550 > GPZ750R/1000RX > AJS M16 > R100RT > Bullet 500 > CB500 > LS650P > Bullet Electra X & YBR125 > Bullet 350 "Superstar" & YBR125 Custom > Royal Enfield Classic 500 Despatch Limited Edition (28 of 200) & CB Two-Fifty Nighthawk > ER5

[The Shaggy D.A.]

As far as a 20 year old 7k bike is concerned, the gearbox would only really be starting to loosen up at that mileage, but the rest of the engine will be dependant on how it had been treated. They do need running in, thrash them from cold and you'll end up with oval bearings, thrash them when hot and they'll seize. A lot I see are bought because people fancy the idea, can't live with the maintenance and limitations, and sell them on without putting many miles on them.

They are not fast. The older 4 speed Albion gearbox is agricultural, with a large gap between 3rd and 4th. The later 5 speed boxes are much better, but still have their fair share of factory fitted additional neutrals.

They are prone to wet sumping, so if you don't park up with the piston at TDC, expect clouds of smoke when you next fire it up. This is normal, so don't write off a smokey starting bike on that alone.

Without seeing the bike, nor knowing any history or condition, I'd guess I'd expect to be charged around 2k from a chancing dealer. If you searched, you'd find a decent example for £1500, and a doggy runner for £1000.
____________________
Chances are quite high you are not in my Monkeysphere, and I don't care about you. Don't take it personally.
Currently : Royal Enfield 350 Meteor
Previously : CB100N > CB250RS > XJ900F > GT550 > GPZ750R/1000RX > AJS M16 > R100RT > Bullet 500 > CB500 > LS650P > Bullet Electra X & YBR125 > Bullet 350 "Superstar" & YBR125 Custom > Royal Enfield Classic 500 Despatch Limited Edition (28 of 200) & CB Two-Fifty Nighthawk > ER5

[The Shaggy D.A.]

As an indication, have a look at what's sold on eBay recently :-

https://www.ebay.co.uk/b/Royal-Enfield-Motorcycles/122179/bn_2314791?LH_Sold=1&rt=nc&_sop=2

Find a comparable for the bike you're looking at, and judge from there.
____________________
Chances are quite high you are not in my Monkeysphere, and I don't care about you. Don't take it personally.
Currently : Royal Enfield 350 Meteor
Previously : CB100N > CB250RS > XJ900F > GT550 > GPZ750R/1000RX > AJS M16 > R100RT > Bullet 500 > CB500 > LS650P > Bullet Electra X & YBR125 > Bullet 350 "Superstar" & YBR125 Custom > Royal Enfield Classic 500 Despatch Limited Edition (28 of 200) & CB Two-Fifty Nighthawk > ER5

[The Shaggy D.A.]

And as an aside, the later fuel injected unit construction engines are a different beast. Still agricultural, but more refined, and almost like a "normal" bike
____________________
Chances are quite high you are not in my Monkeysphere, and I don't care about you. Don't take it personally.
Currently : Royal Enfield 350 Meteor
Previously : CB100N > CB250RS > XJ900F > GT550 > GPZ750R/1000RX > AJS M16 > R100RT > Bullet 500 > CB500 > LS650P > Bullet Electra X & YBR125 > Bullet 350 "Superstar" & YBR125 Custom > Royal Enfield Classic 500 Despatch Limited Edition (28 of 200) & CB Two-Fifty Nighthawk > ER5

[The Shaggy D.A.]

And hopefully Stinkwheel will be along soon, in the meantime have a read of this

https://www.bikechatforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=323229
____________________
Chances are quite high you are not in my Monkeysphere, and I don't care about you. Don't take it personally.
Currently : Royal Enfield 350 Meteor
Previously : CB100N > CB250RS > XJ900F > GT550 > GPZ750R/1000RX > AJS M16 > R100RT > Bullet 500 > CB500 > LS650P > Bullet Electra X & YBR125 > Bullet 350 "Superstar" & YBR125 Custom > Royal Enfield Classic 500 Despatch Limited Edition (28 of 200) & CB Two-Fifty Nighthawk > ER5

[Polarbear]

Nothing to do with the post, but from Shaggys list....

I love this in white with the tan seats

https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/mM4AAOSwRcZciqHm/s-l1600.jpg
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Triumph Trophy Launch Edition

[stinkwheel]

It's a 1950's motorcycle, made in a factory in India. Keep that at the top of your mind when considering this purchase.

That can be both a pro and a con.

A pro because it's epically simple and easy to work on. Parts are cheap and readily available. It has tolerances you could drive a bus through. It's also going to give you an authentic vintage british motorcycle riding experience without trying to keep something that hasn't been manufactured for over 50 years in parts.

On the con side, the build quality is pretty poor and it's going to give you an authentic vintage british motorcycle riding experience.

One thing they do have is character. They are also almost infinitely customisable and they are a very known quantity.

A lightly tuned 500 bullet is making 17bhp. There are sit and ride lawnmowers making double that... So don't expect high performance. The world goes by at 60-ish. Expect 125 levels of performance.

If ridden hard, the 500s have a tendancy for the piston crowns to collapse leading to a catastrophic failure. A forged Accralite piston would be considered a good investment if you are going to be riding one of these bikes regularly and hard. They come in at about £160. Plus about £20 for gaskets. Some people would take the opportunity at that point to buy a larger piston and bore them out to 535cc...

You can get almost any part for them. Upgrade any part, re-style them as anything from a 1950's style rigid military bike to a trials machine to a café racer. They are fun to own and ride and easy to work on. They can be frustrating.

Buy one, there is nothing like the pre-unit bullets available and they are not getting any cheaper.

Have a look on here for inspiration and an idea of what can be done:
https://accessories.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.

[p_f_m]

Thank you for your responses.
I realize now I should have mentioned - I am in the U.S.
While I am not expert enough to do an engine overhaul I am quite comfortable, in fact I like, doing basic maintenance and repairs on the bike.
Someone said its a 1950s design. Is it really the same design all the way up to 1999 ? I am curious now what were the major design years - the years in which some aspects of the bike were redesigned or replaced ?

[adam277]

Do it.
I'd have one. just not as a daily drive.
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Bikes: Previous Bikes: Piaggio x8 125: 2012/2013, YBR 125: 2013/2013 BMW R1150GS 2013/2017, Honda CBR600RR 2017/2017, Honda CB500 2018/2018, Suzuiki Address 110cc 2019/2020, BMW R1200GS 2021-2023
Current Bike: Honda CBF 125: current

[The Shaggy D.A.]

[stevo as b4]

If you like them and only an Enfield floats your boat then you have to get one. Life's too short to worry about all the details especially if your not expecting too much.

It'd be no more of an issue or problem to use daily and keep on top of maintenance than say an old 60's British single or say an old Ducati etc?

You can probably buy a spare used engine or two for less than the cost of a professional re-build by a knowledgeable specialist, and while I see Stink wheels point about parts upgrades for regular or hard use, I'd counter that some of this is enthusiast driven by the people who like to improve their bikes to make them better.

People say that if your going to rev a Honda CB900F to over 9000rpm regularly and expect it to be reliable, then you must fit aftermarket performance con rods etc. The other option is that your not going to use it like that and so do you then still need the ultimate upgrade parts?

[jimspeed]

Do it, I've fancied one for years and recently bit the "bullet" and bought a 2008 electra x. I've had various bikes in the 10 years I've been riding but the electra makes me smile every time I kick it into life..(starter disabled due to usual sprag clutch failure) .. I absolutely love the riding experience of mine..
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Hyosung cruise 125(passed test on, sold) Kawasaki el 252 (better than expected but sold on) Kawasaki GPZ500S first "big"bike.(sold) ZZR600 E5..Z750 2007,ER5, currently on a 2008 Enfield bullet electra x and loving it..
,"Alpha-9: Is there any correlation between dyno rod and dyno kits?"

[stinkwheel]

They became 12v at some point and gained a full-width front hub. I think they went form single leading brake to twin leading in the early 90's.

Comparatively late on, they went from DC only electrics to DC elecvtrics with AC direct lighting which seems a bit backwards but works suprirsingly well.

There are lots fo little oddities here and there like going from a 3 to 4 plate clutch. Most are pretty interchangeable though.

One pain in the backside on later models is the crankcase breather. They moved it to get it through emissions but the new system was not without problems. Not insurmountable problems though. However if you can find one with a breather pipe coming off the brankcase just under the cylinder barrel on the left hand side, that's something to aim for.

There are US companies doing bullet tuning and enhancement parts.Like ACE engineering.

https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/AcePerformanceBullets/info?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly9mb3J1bS5jbGFzc2ljbW90b3J3b3Jrcy5jb20vaW5kZXgucGhwP3RvcGljPTYyODAuMA&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAADGW_C2ZRjFT2EMX9QzSU318xn29uPFrdR3WUUVFIXJuW_3CONB7eYDXukjjS9swTvW5vtnJLy5CWM4y1xRfG6KRVsO8hJw65EB77NZAItpD6_V4QYVWgr9DUXjd2AESSH-OBiDvtyldYd7ET7bN9IaK0qhLzTGbW3L1Abm0y2IX
____________________
“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.

[Lone-Wolf]

Wotcha.

HERE'S my take on it all.
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Cheers.
^..^
L.W. - www.moonshiners.org.uk

[p_f_m]

@the shaggy d.a.
thanks for the chronological detail, its great information.

@lone-wolf
I have bookmarked your awesome website and will go through it.

I think I am very close to pulling the trigger on this one, unless someone scoops it up before I am able to get there.

I researched prices and noticed that much newer models not even 5 years old are going for $3k-4k. and the asking on this bike is $3k which seems steep for a 20 year old bike. The dealer will probably say its a collector's item, a classic that would appreciate in value and that is why the price is higher.
But what I want to ask you is that really the case ? Is this considered a classic a collectors item that will go up in value ? Kindly advise.
Thanks.

[stinkwheel]

It's worth what you are prepared to pay for it.

There isn't really anything else like one and they aren't making them any more.

I personally think they are demanding much more money than they are worth in terms of the materials and build quality you are receiving but it's a sellers market and how many unique motorcycles are there these days. I had to pay £800 for a basket case when I was doing my 612 project which is utter madness.

The 500 models in particular are starting to get silly in terms of the amount people are charging for them. One thing to consider is holding out for a 350. They aren't much slower and are, if anything, a smoother, nicer engine. Not sure how many made it over to the US though.

There is also the "ugly duckling" Sixty-five model which for some reason in the UK doesn't seem to attract the same premium as others despite it coming fitted with the (desirable) 5-speed gearbox as standard.

If you just want an enfield style bike purely to ride and for the aesthetics, buy a new or nearly new interceptor twin. Amazing value for money and an all round better performing, more useable and better built bike. If you want something a little more oddball and enjoy the mechanical aspect of totally involved, slightly tricky* riding and a little garage time on the side, get a classic engine bullet.

*You are in charge of all aspects of what it's doing. You have to RIDE it. Too much throttle? It'll bog. WIll it pull top on this steep a slope? Junction approaching, how are you going to get it into first gear? Do you have time to go down the box or will you use the neutral finder? Need to stop on those drum brakes? When did you last use them, are they too hot, too cold? Stalled? calmly perform your restart drill.
____________________
“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.