[Bankerdanny]

The left hand shift is clunky, but like the others have said, it works OK once you get used to it. The only issue I have is occasional false neutrals. But if you shift deliberately (which is to say kind of slow) you should go from gear to gear with no problems.

On the plus side, the 4-speed box has a neutral finder that works very well. Get the bike to 2nd and then a quick press of your right heel and you're in neutral.

The extra gear really does make a difference in day-to-day use I think. I often find myself wishing for a gear between 3rd and 4th.

t120: I had to laugh when you said all you have to do to replace the countershaft sprocket is pull the primary cases, like pulling the primary is the equivalent of changing a light bulb. I think it's a bit more complex than you make it sound.

[t120rbullet]

Pulling the primary on the kick only Bullets is a pretty straight forward job.
A bit more than changing a light bulb but still just basic R&R of nuts and bolts.
Just about an hour(or so) job the second or third time you do it.
A motor sprocket and clutch hub puller may be needed but on my 95 everything was pre-loosened. Wrap some tape around the splines on the countershaft so you don't trash the seal on the inner primary (one I forgot).

Another thing about the older ones is that they had Whitworth fasteners on em so if you don't have a set of Whitworth wrenches you will.

As far as manuals, get all of em.

The lights are on all the time so unless you change the wiring a battery eliminator is out of the question.

Don't worry about the brakes, if properly set up they can more than equal the "going power".

The best thing you can do is just buy the thing, go over it with a tube of locktite, change all the fluids, replace the tires, put a battery in it and just ride it. If something needs fixing then fix it. They are a bunch more fun to ride than to fix but if you have to fix em I don't think there is an easier bike to fix.
CJ

[charte]

2k for an RE classic with no miles........I spent a lot more restoring one to get it to that status!

Just another view for you, for that kind of deal, it seems you'd have a lot of wiggle room for seals, etc., especially factoring in your experience.

[Ducati]

Whitworth wrenches!  All my wrenches are metric, as I've only owned German and Italian bikes previously.   So new wrenches will be another expense, though it's hard to complain about getting new tools. 

Removing and reinstalling the primary covers sounds like a good 2-3 hours for a first-timer if it's taking you an hour after you're used to doing it several times.  That learning curve is always steep at first on a new bike. 

From what I'm hearing, it sounds like this bike would be well worth the relatively modest $$.  Now I just have to actually come up with the $$ . . .

[t120rbullet]

New tools are cool!
You don't need much though, a set of combos and a set of 1/4 drive sockets of which you'll use about half of.

Learning curve, it's more of a un-learning curve!  A Gravely tractor has more technology in it. Break it in slow and it will be like having a different bike every day. Sooner or later you'll start having more good days than bad it as it trains you.
Going from a Duc to a Bullet is going to be a major shock for you, not much wick to twist on a Bullet with that whopping 22 HP!
What model is it?

[LotusSevenMan]

....................... if he says a 1098 I'm gonna be jealous as h*ll 

[Ducati]

No, no 1098 for me.  It's a 2005 749s with a 54mm Termignoni full system and a Power Commander ECU (in red, of course).  It dynos @ 110 hp at the rear wheel (which I believe works out to around 130 claimed hp).  I added 3 teeth on the rear sprocket as well, which was a lot of bang for the buck performance-wise.  Somewhat controversial bike, I know - I happen to think they are beautiful.  The performance is undeniably fantastic; track days on it are pure bliss (with a heavy dose of adrenaline!).  I have it so dialed-in that I don't think I would want to trade if for a 1098.  In any case, I have yet to really run up against the power or handling limitations of my bike (i.e., it's still a bit more bike than I "need"). 

At one time, my two bikes were a 1997 Ducati Monster 750 and a 1965 BMW R69S.  Switching between the two bikes was always interesting.  Going to the Ducati always made if feel like it was absolutely on rails, while going to the BMW felt like driving a delivery truck.  If I had the free money, though, I'd get another R69S in a heartbeat; I just love those bikes.  Beautiful and very easy to work on too - real straightforward, overbuilt, and German.

Going to a 22 hp (I'm guessing maybe 17 or 18 hp at the rear wheel at best?) bike with an early swingarm type frame is certainly a night-and-day kind of move.  However, that's what my test drive last weekend amounted to.  I arrived on the Ducati, rode the REs for about 30 minutes, and then departed on the Ducati.  The transition was fun in both directions.  I thought the RE was really a lot of fun to ride, and pretty comfortable too.  The hardest thing for me to get used to was the placement of the footpegs on the RE.  I used to have this same problem changing between the Monster and the BMW.  The BMW had the added delight of swinging my shins into the cylinder heads at first too. 

Your not kidding, t120rbullet, about the short wind up on the RE!  The bike's entire performance range (5 gears in the case of my 2008 test rides) pretty much covered first gear on the Ducati.  Still, it was well enough suited to the twisty back roads we were riding on.  Going up hills definitely brought the relative hp deficit to my attention, though.  I was reminded of how on old bikes, one needs to plan a little further ahead both in terms of maintaining momentum and braking a lot earlier.    My only concern in this regard is how the RE will behave with a passenger (or pillion, if you like). 

[Bankerdanny]

I briefly had an R69S myself, with the large leather touring saddle.

It wasn't fast, but it was a comfortable fun bike to ride. I really liked the earles fork.

Unfortunately my father gut a bug up his pattooty about a vibration and pulled the balancer off the front. Then he didn't tighten down the bolt that holds the balancer and generator in place and it backed out and the assembly slid forward and wedged onto the end of the crank. It also damaged the threads in the crank.

It was so bodged up we ended up selling it rather than fixing it. It is one of the several previous vehicles I wish I could have back (along with my '71 Bronco and my Dad's '65 Impala SS396 convertable).

[Ducati]

Update: I have decided, that although this sounds like a good deal, I am going to pass on it.  The bike is located in Austin, TX and, as we've discussed, is currently in long-term storage condition - so it can't be ridden away without some work.  If anyone else is interested, please PM me.

[j.p. burrito]

I considered purchasing that one too, I am in Austin.  I just joined the forum.  That long term storage thing worried me.  However, I just purchased a new Military Bullet 500 here in town.  After reading this post I'm glad I didn't get it since I'm not familiar with the mechanics of it yet.

[KevinKiller]

Hey,

I'm here in Austin TX and I'd like to know more about this NOS bullet.

Thanks,

John