[metalmongrel]

Hi there,

   I'm an admitted R.E. newbie, in fact, I'm a motorcycle newbie altogether.  I've never been that interested in bikes before and have stayed in the classic car world all my life, until a couple weeks ago when I saw a Royal Enfield bike for the first time.  I love the authentic retro look and am actually considering getting one (after learning how to ride safely of course). 

   That said, I have a few questions about R.E. bikes in regads to how "customizable" they are from the dealer.  For instance, I really like the Bullet Classic C5 bike (especially the teal color).  However, I would prefer to get the longer un-sprung seat so that my girlfriend can ride with me.  I'm also not a big fan of the knee-pads on the side of the fuel tank for cosmetic reasons.  So I guess my question is, if I go to a R.E. dealer, can I order a Classic C5 bike in teal that has the longer style seat (for instance the one that is used on the bullet), zero knee-pads, and hopefully the upwards-angling exhaust pipe?  Or... can I get a Bullet in the teal color (which might be the easier way to go about things)?

   If this is not possible from the dealer, how easy would it be to do this using aftermarket add-ons?  Thanks guys, sorry for the newb questions.

-Tom

[Chiefharlock]

Tom,
Your dealer should be able to get the parts you want and install them.  Keep in mind though it'll cost more than getting the seat and installing it yourself which can be done with a halfway decent metric tool kit. The exhaust system is pretty straight forward.  Keep in mind that the long muffler has a catalytic converter in it so you should hang onto it for emissions testing purposes.

If you can wrench on a classic car, youcanwrenchonanEnfield.

Jason

[Ducati Scotty]

Thee is also ab accessory pillion seat for the C5.  It goes on or off in minutes, is very sturdy, and the frame is color matched to the bike.  I have it and it's a very solid piece.

The knee pads on the deluxe unscrew.  You'd have to do something to cover the screw hole.   On the other models they are held on with adhesive foam tape.  They can be pulled off and the residual adhesive removed with a 3M eraser wheel or similar tool.  I took mine off and I really like the look of the tank now.  Don't bother with heat, solvents, etc.  The eraser wheel Is inexpensive and works amazingly fast.  I gave mine to my mechanic, he uses it all the time now.

http://www.enfieldmotorcycles.com/forum/index.php/topic,10022.0.html

Scott

[Ducati Scotty]

D'oh!  I totally forgot, they just made up a dual seat from Corbin for the C5:
http://www.enfieldmotorcycles.com/forum/index.php/topic,12732.0.html
I love Corbin seats.  My last one was all day comformtable for rider and passenger.  They tend to be a bit firm but that's actually good for riding more than half an hour.  I'd recommande this as your first choice.  It was just completed so price is yet to be determined.

Scott

[Ducati Scotty]

And  nice pic of the accessory pillion.
http://www.enfieldmotorcycles.com/forum/index.php/topic,8641.msg97247.html#msg97247

Scott

[Chiefharlock]

do they make that model in the same tan as teh deluxe solo saddle?

[Ducati Scotty]

Corbin?  You can get almost any color and material you want.  Check their site.

Scott

[Chiefharlock]

No no, the pillion seat

[Ducati Scotty]

Not that I know of, I think it just comes in black that matches the stock seat.  The seat pad comes off easily with a few bolts and it would be easy and inexpensive to have a local upholsterer make a new cover and match it to your seat.

Scott

[GlennF]

and hopefully the upwards-angling exhaust pipe? 

-Tom

The upswept exhaust can introduce a slight backfire on over-run occasionally but its not to bad.

If you do fit an upswept:

- its essential to replace the stock heatshield with a longer one as you WILL eventually burn yourself or melt rain gear onto the exhaust. You can get a slightly longer one from the people that run this forum or just pick up a 18" Samson from a Harley shop.

- The upswept makes chain adjustment tricky. Many people reverse the rear axle so the castle nut and split pin are on the left side.

[wokka]

If you want to drop the tank pads, you'll have to repaint.
Been there, done that

as for customising, mate the sky's the limit

I've just taken mine for her first test ride with an 8" stretched swingarm, and if you want to see some crazy enfields, check out Rajputana customs

[Ducati Scotty]

If you want to drop the tank pads, you'll have to repaint.
Been there, done that

I did mine with no repaint.  I just pulled them away.  The rubber pads came off but left most of the foam tape.  I tried heat and various solvents on the tape but nothing seemed to work well.  Then I tried the eraser wheel and it took it all right off and left the paint and clearcoat perfect.  A quick wipe with some alchohol got the remaining residue.  It did shed tons of rubber eraser turds on the engine so if I did it again I'd cover it up before I started.

Mine's a teal one.  Which color was yours?  How did you remove them?  What trouble did you have?

Scott

[wokka]

Mine's military green, but instead of the tape, they used some kind of contact adhesive that you could see at the bottom of the pad.

I tried to peel it off, then moved on to a heat gun, and finally a sharp blade to trim it back as far as I dared, then the heat gun again.
After all that there was a darker yellowish spot where the pads were, so I ended up stripping it all back and getting rid of the decals too

Mine is Indian spec though, so there may be a difference

[Ducati Scotty]

I'll try to take a look at some US militaries at the local shop if they have some.  I wonder if it's just the matte paint that needs a different adhesive.  Mine were held on with black foam tape that covered the whol pad.  They stick like red mud but once off there was no trace.

Scott

[metalmongrel]

Thanks for the wonderful info you guys. 

So I guess the only remaining questions are...

1.  Can I buy a C5 teal Classic with the Bullet style gas tank (I just like the "royal enfield" script design on that one better) from the factory?
2.  Should I sell my 1969 volkswagen squareback to get one?