[palace15]

Partly due to UK and European fuel prices I decided to 'retire' my BMWr80gs and have been using a ybr125 Yamaha, I also now have a C5 and am in the map reading/planning process of sorting a trip for June/July 2012 after the Isle of Man TT. The plan is to ride up France-Belgium-Germany-Denmark-Sweden-Norway, up to Arctic circle/Nordkapp then Finland for a ferry to Estonia-Lithuania-Latvia etc to arrive in Northern Italy for the Stella Alpina rally on 7th/8th July.
Friends think I am mad to attempt this on an Enfield, I estimate it to be about 7000miles to Italy plus return mileage back to the UK, am I missing something here or what? a 9k mile trip to Africa on the BM produced no problems so why should the Enfield be such an issue? Or do I need 'new friends'? I am not expecting to ride more than 300 miles per day at worst.

[barenekd]

You need new friends. Someone who has kept up with the new Enfields. the old iron barrels would do that trip usually. There are ones that don't make it, but in the real world there are bikes of any make that won't make it. The ones that don't make it are the ones you hear about though, and the people that hear about it. They are ones that complain that such and such is unreliable, strictly by hearsay, without ever having been near one.
If anyone tells you an Enfield is unreliable, ask him if he's ever owned one, or ridden one, or even seen one.
You should have no problems on your trip. 7000 miles is a good breakin run!
Here's hoping you get to go and really enjoy it. Sounds great to me!
If I had the money, I'd like to do it myself! Don't think I 'd go as far north though. I don't care much for cold weather.
Bare

[GlennF]

It seems that every country has a few regulars on the forums who enjoy bouncing in and telling anyone preparing for a long trip on an Enfield that they are totally mad and all sorts of disasters will ensue.

Thing is, in the Australian and UK cases at least, none of those posters seem to actually have a UCE bike. Oddly their anecdotes of disaster often come from experiences on AVL/Electra vintage Enfields, the very last incarnation of the old school bullet.

I sometimes wonder if these guys are attached to the 'mystique' of owning an unreliable bike and somehow get a lot of kudos and an ego boost from that fact.

Common sense says 7000 miles of touring should in fact be BETTER for the engine than 7000 miles of stop start city commuting.

You will of course have a chain to maintain rather than a shaft and will need to be very meticulous about arranging a stock of spares and so forth when traveling through countries where the bike is uncommon. However teh advantage of riding an "enthusiasts" bike is it may be possible in an emergency to contact local riders groups or clubs to help out.

[josepharra48]

The weak link of the new efi enfield is the cheap chain (at least on the 09 models). I would either put a good o ring chain on it before the trip or take one with you. On my 09 model the chain broke at the very end of a 200 mile trip. The bike only had 2,500 miles on it and was well maintained and adjusted.

richard

[Arizoni]

palace15:

We are talking about using one of the new fuel injected Unit Construction Engine Royal Enfields, right?

If so I suggest that the electrical wiring will need to have some short lengths of split rubber tubing added in strategic locations to protect the wiring from sharp metal edges.

Buying a couple of oil filter elements because they are not readily available in some of the areas you plan to ride.

You might also want to carry a spare chain and master link.

Beyond that, you should be good to go.

Oh, if asked which model I would choose it would be the G5 or the G5 Deluxe.  
These have better high speed stability when compared with the C models (which have quicker handling).

Also, plan on limiting your speed to perhaps 65 MPH and make sure you have given it a nice easy break in per the owners manual.

Based on my G5 Deluxe I will say you should not have any mechanical problems.

I note that josepharra48 mentioned a "O" ring chain. 
I may be wrong but I heard that there is not enough clearance to mount one of these but I would be happy to hear someone say it can be done.

[TWinOKC]

It is my understanding the C5 does have an O-ring chain.

[Fox]

palace15:

Yeah, it can be done. How much do you value your time and sanity?

I own an '09 G5, purchased new this year. It has been parked since June 8th with an array of defects which nobody has been eager to take responsibility for. Mind you, this is in-country, not travel, with a brand new bike that is still under warranty. Not that you'd know by the way it's been sitting. The reality of the way warranty support has been set up is that if you have a dealer who is willing to bend over backwards for you, you're in good shape. If not, you're completely and totally screwed.

I also own a 2000 Kawasaki KLR650, purchased last September. Nearly 12 years old, it has over 30,000 miles on it - 15,000 in the last year alone, and 400 more every week. It has given me hardly any trouble. When it has - and this is crucial - I have been able to source the parts I need myself and fix it, with hand tools, in my parking lot. I would feel comfortable taking it across the country tomorrow.

There are obviously plenty of people who report no issues with their Enfields. That's great, I'm happy for them. But please don't delude yourself into thinking that you can expect reliability that is even close to on-par with European bikes of this decade, or Japenese models of 20 years ago. That's not the reason I bought this bike, and I'm hoping it's not the reason you bought it either. It's pretty, it handles great on backroads, and people love it. But it is simply not fun on the highway, and I wouldn't trust it to go any appreciable distance.

So if you have unlimited time and funds to devote to this endeavor, and you absolutely must do the trip on this bike and no other, then by all means go ahead. I'm sure that good or bad, it'll be one hell of a trip. Otherwise...

I know I might be ruffling feathers, and don't mean to air dirty laundry (especially considering that my issues are still wide open). But I wanted to provide a counter example. These are great fair weather bikes. However, if you simply can't afford to deal with issues, then you're going to be disappointed.

[hocko]

Hi all, if I may be allowed to put my humble opinion over on this subject. I brought my G5 new in August 2009. When I first brought it I was living in Town so it took me ages to break it in or run it in as you blokes say. I used the bike only when I had to go 10 k's or better, avoiding stop and start riding, no good for a new motor in my books. The bike has performed faultlessly motor/gearbox wise. Now approaching the10,000 km mark. I now do a 300 km weekly commute averaging 10 litres of fuel for the week. 250km's of that is what we call the Highway (100kph limit) usually travelling at 110 -120 constantly indicated. No problems holding up traffic, actually even being able to overtake (On the longer sections). Problems encountered so far. Items, mirrors, exhaust, tail light, number plate and a few other odds and ends vibrating loose. A bit of loctite and the problem never arises again. As someone had posted earlier in the thread, chain lasted 6,400 kms and was buggered completely and I'm a pretty sedate rider. From my knowledge an "O" ring chain will not fit the G5, I may stand corrected on this. I brought a 520 genuine Honda chain and I don't think I'll have to replace it in my lifetime. I've travelled Australia on a Beemer R80 and a Suzuki SV650s for a number of years. My touring days are fast coming to an end, and I can only say that I am green with jealousy over your proposed trip. I think what I'm trying to say is that without any hesitation I would throw the leg over (Carefully these days) and with suitable spare tubes, filters, a chain and a plug or two and head off into the sun. Good luck with it.I don't think luck will play a big part in it.

Cheers 

[Maturin]

palace15,
although I do trust my G5 a lot I have to say that if I could choose between a BMW GS and Precious for a 10000+km-trip I´d take the rubber cow. It´s much faster and more comfortable, and the infrastructure to solve problems is much better in case of a failure.
However, this jourmey can be done on a RE too. It´s crucial to rework the wiring though before you start.
In your case I´d e-mail or pm the forum members who live in the countries you´d like to see. They´ll give you a decent overview of dealerships you can make for a port in case of a problem.
If you make it to southern Germany I´d be happy to be of assistance if needed. Regards

[Lwt Big Cheese]

If you want fast and comfortable - take the train.

The man is proposing a journey. Not to get some where as fast as possible.

[TCP]

Yes, a journey indeed.  I too would pass on the Arctic Circle portion of the trip in favor of warmer climatic regions.

It would be nice to get some "Reports from the Road" on this one, if for nothing else to advise on maintenance issues and overall ride quality.

Good luck Palace15..
Don't second guess.  Just go for it.

You'll have something to talk about for the rest of your life

[Ducati Scotty]

Chains...  The C5 does have an o-ring chain but these still seem to have short lives.  There are a few members here with over 10k on theirs, most with no problems, and a good number who have seen the chains done betwee 2000 and 5000 miles.  I'd say replacing the chain with a good name brand one is a necessary preventative before this trip.  I also agree that the wiring harness deserves a good going over to prevent later hassles.  I'd also say get at least 1000 miles on the bike and tighten all the nuts and bolts regularly befor you head out.

Scott

[Maturin]

If an electrical failure occurs - or should I say: when... - it wouldn´t be a big problem in Europe, as there are countless motorcycle stores around nearly everywhere that probably could solve the issue quite fast. The Bullet isn´t a complicated piece of machinery and most problems can be solved on a trained-ape-level.
What could get complicated though is the provision with spares. So it will be inevitable to arrange a stock of necessary things like gaskets, o-rings, cables, oil filters and a proper set of tool including a ammeter.
When I look back on the 16´kms with Precious, she left me twice: once with a defective battery and once with a broken gasket at the oil filter cap. Both issues could have been avoided easily with proper maintenance, my mistake was to rely too much on other people´s work. If you make sure the your C5 is without flaws there is no indication for troubles. Regards

[Lwt Big Cheese]

Just take Hitchcocks phone number with you.

Or Watsonian-Squire.

Or Price Parts.

Or Tollgate's.

Or BIC's.

I'm sure the rest of Europe has a postal service.

[barenekd]

If you want fast and comfortable - take the train.

Not in this country you don't. It takes 4 days to get from SOCal to OKC on a train. I can drive it in under 20 hours in a little Datsun pickup!
Hopefully trains are better in Europe.

I still say, go for it on the Enfield.
bare

[palace15]

Many thanks for all the responses, ALL of them are helpful and a few humourous, as the trip is not proposed until June I still have a little matter of a camping weekend in Febuary in North Wales and the TT at the end of May.

I will of course keep you posted, is there a place on this site for ride reports? not seen one yet.

Ride safe guys
Dave

[t120rbullet]

I will of course keep you posted, is there a place on this site for ride reports? not seen one yet.

http://www.enfieldmotorcycles.com/forum/index.php/board,8.0.html

[palace15]

http://www.enfieldmotorcycles.com/forum/index.php/board,8.0.html

Many thanks, now what excuse can I use for not seeing that???

Can I plead the 5th even tho I am a UK citizen? 

[t120rbullet]

Can I plead the 5th even tho I am a UK citizen? 

Of course, you can.
You don't have to be a citizen of this country (the USA) to reap the benefits !
CJ