[meganuke]

Hi everyone!   What a great forum you have!  I can't wait to be more active.  I'm 37 (for your age poll), live in CT, grew up in the town of Enfield, CT, and have an 11 year old daughter who loves to ride with me.  I'm also the luckiest guy in the world, since I also have a beautiful wife who rides her own bike (Yamaha VStar 1100).  I've turned wrenches on various cars and bikes over the years, so I'm not afraid to get my hands dirty. 

I've been doing a lot of reading over the past few weeks and decided to finally pull the trigger.  I'm picking up my 2012 black RE C5 this afternoon! 

During the test ride yesterday, I was thinking of making a top 10 list of things that RE riders don't need.  Here's what I have so far:

• Radar detector
• Paved roads
• A bucket and sponge (these bikes look better when dirty!)
• An electrical engineering degree to figure out what's wrong with their bikes

Feel free to post your additions to the list.

Finally, thanks for all the great information you've been posting.  The sense of community and camaraderie here is very encouraging.  I look forward to getting to know you on here, and if anyone is in New England, maybe in person!

All the best,
Nuke

[hillntx]

Welcome to the forum!  Enjoy the new ride!

[Thumper]

Welcome! Enjoy your new ride!

[GreenMachine]

Welcome , brother and Mom live in New Milford..I'm in Va, with a enfield and yamaha 1100...Send us a pic of your Enfield under the Enfield sign. Good luck with the new machine. GM

[bikerboo]

Hey Nuke,you won't regret it,I too have a black C5,yes there have been several niggles with it and I have shed the odd tear of frustration,but thats what the warranty is for.Now he is running like a beaut and I just love him.Be prepared for comments and questions and ENJOY!
Remember "Ride with a smile" Boo

[Ice]

 Welcome aboard meganuke, congrats on your Bullet and many smiles per gallon to you.

[DEWEY]

Welcome, you won't be sorry, be prepared to have people stop you and have all kinds of questions and comments.(Is that a BSA??? and so on.) Safe riding.

[meganuke]

Well, it's been an exciting 24 hours of ownership so far!  I've had 3 people stop and ask questions about the RE, and after 132 miles, I have a flat rear tire. I'm currently waiting for a tow. It appears to be leaking from the valve stem and the spokes adjacent to the stem. I'll try to post a picture if I can.

[Arizoni]

That's a real bummer!

If your dealer did things right he should have given you a new inner tube (along with some replacement cables and a can of black spray paint).

When they replace the tube have them carefully inspect the rim for sharp edges, especially around the valve stem hole.

[meganuke]

My bike has tubeless tires on it, so I'm not sure an extra tube would help. 

[Arizoni]

Tubeless tires on a 2012 C5?

If it has spoked wheels like all of the Royal Enfields I've seen that were imported into the U.S. it has an inner tube.
I know some of the Royal Enfields sold in India have cast wheels that don't need an inner tube but I didn't think any of those were being imported to America?

It would be neat to see a picture of your new RE.

[GSS]

The Avons might say "tubeless" on the outside, but so far the REs here have always come with a tube.....looking forward to hearing what you find in your 2012!

Also a big welcome to the group!

[meganuke]

I'll give the dealer a call tomorrow. Is there any chance this is going to be covered under warranty? I could find no puncture marks on the tire and didn't hit any potholes. Did I just get a bad tube that burst within 24 hours?

[Ice]

~after 132 miles, I have a flat rear tire. I'm currently waiting for a tow. It appears to be leaking from the valve stem and the spokes adjacent to the stem. ~

Sound just like every low inflation pressure flat I have ever had.

 Trials bikes run lower than usual pressure and use rim locks to mechanically lock the tire in place. They prevents the tire and tube from slipping on the rim and ripping the valve stem from the tube.

 

[meganuke]

Is there anything I can do to prevent this in the future?  I think the service department is pretty busy, so I'll probably end up changing this myself.  I assume it's not much different than changing a bicycle tire: use baby powder, patience and no sharp tools.  Any additional tips would be appreciated.