[mattsz]

Hi all-

Trying to decide about which one to buy!  I like the solo look of the C5, but luggage/rack capacity seems limited.  I like the G5 (esp the British Racing Green!), but with a solo seat, the rear "sub-frame" is exposed and it's not pretty (saw a post on this somewhere here).  I've seen a pretty nice B5 mod with solo seat and rack, too.

I want to have a rack that rests just behind a solo rider, not one that sticks out behind a double seat...

Anybody have any ideas?  What are my options these days?

[GlennF]

Scrambler style unsprung solo seat and a factory rack (maybe off a C5) fitted to my B5.



The B5 has a square deep set valanced rear fender which I think suits the straight rack.

[Jack Leis]

www.hitchcocksmotorcycles.com has a nice rack for the G5 with a solo seat .Comes in black or chrome and bolts to the rear seat mount.

[Jack Leis]

GlennF , I really like your seat !

[hortoncode3]

I would like a link to that G5 seat. Hitchcocks online catalog is a pain in the butt..even better, I would like to SEE this seat and rack on a G5. I bought one for mine and instantly hated it. Never even took it for a ride. This after I spent 2 hours trying to figure out how to mount it as, once again, it did NOT come with mounting instructions. I still have a tank rack that I'm trying to figure out...no instructions with that, or hardware.

[mattsz]

Hi guys!  Thanks for the replies:

Scrambler style unsprung solo seat and a factory rack (maybe off a C5) fitted to my B5.

(photo)

The B5 has a square deep set valanced rear fender which I think suits the straight rack.

GlennF, yours is the nice B5 mod I was talking about!  I'd be surprised if that rack is made for a C5, since it seems to fit your B5 so well and the fenders and fender supports are so differently shaped, but I can't see very clearly how it's attached, so maybe.  The up-swept back end is very pleasing.  The seat looks good, too bad about the gap between it and the tank.  But this is just the kind of thing I'm looking for!  Do you know where you got that rack?

www.hitchcocksmotorcycles.com has a nice rack for the G5 with a solo seat .Comes in black or chrome and bolts to the rear seat mount.

Jack - which rack is it?  92541 on page 114 (of the current online catalog)?  Looks good, very functional, but perhaps a bit utilitarian?

Hortoncode3, maybe that seat was made to fit the B5?  The G5 has a different frame, which shows rather unattractively when the dual seat is removed...

[barenekd]

The rack GlennF has is for the old Classic (Iron Barrel) models which has the same frame as the B5. The C5 doesn't have those tp tubes on it. The guys fortunate enough to have the B5 are well ahead in availability of accessories, because all the old classic stuff fits them!
Bare

[mattsz]

The C5 has different rails on it.  I found a link to RE Australia with a photo of a very similar rack for the C5.  Can't grab the pic, but here's the page:

http://www.royalenfieldaustralia.com/bullet_efi.php

The rack is shown on a red C5 about 1/3 down the page...

[bluesdaddy2]

The C5 has different rails on it.  I found a link to RE Australia with a photo of a very similar rack for the C5.  Can't grab the pic, but here's the page:

http://www.royalenfieldaustralia.com/bullet_efi.php

The rack is shown on a red C5 about 1/3 down the page...

I contacted the Aussie site about that same rack.  They quoted me $70 for the rack & $52.50 to ship.  I went with the nfieldgear rack # Z91110.  The pic isn't the greatest but it gives you an idea.

[mattsz]

I'm looking at a couple of bikes from a couple of different east coast dealers, and I'm finding some differing info from each of them, and from the dealer experiences of many of the posters here.  Some of the info is technical in nature, but also wildly conflicting!  So:

What is the proper first-service mileage recommendation (I've heard 300 miles, but also 500 miles)?

What should come with the bike - Tool kit?  Spare parts or inner tube? Owners manual?

The India spec manual I downloaded offers the first four services free (labor)!  Anybody seeing that, or similar, in North America?

What should I be asking a dealer who wants my business?

[Arizoni]

Speaking of the new fuel injected UCE's sold in America the first service is at 300 miles (or 500 kilometers).

The bike comes with an Owners Manual that gives most of the important data like service intervals and what's needed at each one, recommended lubricants, and a number of listings showing how to do the routine maintenance.
The tool kit leaves a lot to be desired but it should contain the plastic bag, a short "Tommy bar" that's used with the "Tubular spanner (21 & 24mm), a screw driver, (5) open end wrenches (spanners) a 10mm & 13mm, 8mm & 10mm, 14mm &15mm, 22mm & 24mm, 1/4" & 5/16".
3 Allen keys (socket head wrenches) 3mm, 5mm, 6mm and two fairly crummy tire removing levers.

Along with this it should have a spare Speedometer cable, a spare clutch cable and 1 inner tube.
The dealer also included one small spray can of black paint with my bike.

In the US, I would expect most of the dealers to charge for the services any time they are done.

For most owners of a new RE the needed services are things that can easily be done by the owner if he/she has a few tools, a place to work on the bike and access to this web site.

What to ask a dealer?  That's a tough one.
There is very little mark up on these bikes so it is very unlikely that you will get a discount on the base price.  You could ask them if they would be willing to throw in a crash bar or a luggage rack.  These are very inexpensive items at retail prices so the dealer might be willing to throw them into the deal.
Aftermarket seats, headlights and silencers are more expensive so they might not be willing to dicker on them.

All in all, my 2011 has only needed a chain and a few light bulbs in over 6000 miles of riding.

I hope I've answered your questions?

[mattsz]

Thanks, Arizoni!

Yes, that was helpful.  No dealer I've spoken to has offered any of the tools or spares you mentioned.  One has insisted that 500 miles is the first recommended service, and when I asked another about the C5's recent switch from the 18" front wheel to the 19" to improve stability, as has been described on this forum, he claimed that in fact the opposite is the case - the front wheel was changed to 18" for that reason.  Who do you believe?

When I mentioned "what to ask the dealer", I wasn't thinking in terms of how to dicker for a price - I should have been clearer!  I guess I was looking for advice about things I might have missed regarding service and/or support - I live three hours away from the closest dealer which has a bike I'm interested in, so my shopping has been via email...

[Arizoni]

Well, first off, the tools come in the motorcycles tool box which is a part of the bike.  It's not like he was going to give you a box with tools in it off of his shelf.

 I suppose it wouldn't be nice to suggest to the dealers who don't know about the C bikes change to a 19 inch front wheel that maybe they should call Keven Mahoney, the man who imports the RE to the US (and owns and runs this forum) and ask about it.
This front wheel and fork change does not effect the B and the G bikes because they already have a 19" wheel on the front and there is no telling when they might get the new front fork (if ever).

As my dealer said to me when I first talked to him about Royal Enfields, (paraphrasing) "Do you know how to work on a motorcycle?  These bikes aren't like the Japanese bikes where you just ride them.  They require some maintenance that most people do themselves.
They are better than the older models like the Iron Barrels and the AVL's but you have to keep after them."

I can sympathize with you about the distance to a dealer.
If something major happens to the bike that needs warranty  service it could be a real PITA just getting the bike shipped to a dealer for the repair.

This was one of the reasons I held off on buying a RE at first and it was only when a new dealer opened up fairly close that I went ahead and bought mine.
He later closed up his shop and moved back to Austria but he (and Kevin) was good enough to set up another local shop to do warranty service.

I can't speak for Kevin but it might be possible to work something out with a local repair shop and him if something disastrous happens that needs major engine or transmission parts replaced.  Maybe not.

I can say that in over a year here on the forum I've only heard about maybe 4 or 5 bikes that actually required warranty service to fix something major.

[mattsz]

Some fuel questions:

What octane grade (U.S.) of fuel do these engines need?  Seeing some differing information...

Any fuel treatments recommended?  One owner of the same 70's bike I currently have carries octaine booster, ethanol treatment, and lead substitute for every fill-up!  He's a rolling refinery, and I don't wanna end up like him! 

[TWinOKC]

Some fuel questions:

What octane grade (U.S.) of fuel do these engines need?  Seeing some differing information...

Any fuel treatments recommended?  One owner of the same 70's bike I currently have carries octaine booster, ethanol treatment, and lead substitute for every fill-up!  He's a rolling refinery, and I don't wanna end up like him! 

The owners manual says unleaded 87 RON or higher.  I use regular gas (alcohol free)but if it is not available ethanol 87 octane works fine, never used any fuel treatments.