[mattsz]

Maybe this should be posted somewhere else?  If so, I apologize...

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Anybody ever research medical symptoms until you are sure that you have every illness?  That's what's happening to me with the bike - you guys are scaring the crap out of me with cracked frames and fuel tanks falling off…

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After 100 miles:

"The boneshaker" vibrates quite a bit, but I notice that it's worse the higher I rev the engine.  I'm keeping it below 40 mph, and not really going above 3rd gear, except on the longer downhill stretches where I'm shifting up just to let it do its thing with little or no throttle.  As ScooterBob said, I'm trying to ""Spin it - Don't LOAD it", and the vibrations in the foot pegs and hand grips really come through.  I'm hoping that it will improve with miles, but I can also feel that at the higher-torque lower RPMs the vibrations are greatly reduced.  I found Barenekd's MPH/RPM chart, and have decided to run the bike at a little lower RPM than I have been.  I'm easily keeping it below 1/2 throttle, so why not give 4th and even 5th a little exercise down the hills?  Again, keeping it below 1/2 throttle and within the roughly 3000 - 3300 rpm range.

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Break-in isn't killing me, but I can tell it wants to go faster, and so do I!  But lest anyone feel sorry for me, my commute to work:

Rockport harbor at sunrise:


evening behind Beech Hill:


Belted Galloway farm:


I guess I should learn about how to post thumbnails...

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The only hardware to loosen so far is a seat mount - it looks like a stud screwed to the frame, and a nut anchors the seat to the stud.  When I sat on the bike, I heard a sort of metallic rub/squeak and traced the noise to the seat bracket sliding up and down on the stud's threads inside a gap of about 3/16".  I tightened up on the nut, and the stud turned further into the frame, rather than the nut turning onto the stud.  It's tight again, anyway.

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The paint is already scratched off the inside of each fork where the bent "cutaways" of the front mudguard don't clear.  I was thinking of getting a deep-throated clamp and applying just enough pressure to bend the sides in tighter so it won't chafe, but I don't want to risk cracking the paint.  Does this seem like a good idea? (and doesn't the dust show up with the camera flash!?!)



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All the EFI bikes have a lopsided tank, it was the only way they could fit the fuel pump in.

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/jI5R6iRTE-7I8Et2b7M0X9iAMQWCRW3q_DoqzQHa_3k?feat=directlink

I suspect this is why the front of the seat is so wide, to camouflage it a bit.

Scott

The "fit and finish" of the fuel tank is rather odd.  I discovered a small worn patch on the inside right knee of my riding trousers - further examination shows that some of the heads of the small slotted screws which hold the B5's tin emblem to the tank are  "cammed" out: screwed until tight then the screw driver rolls out of the screw slot, ruining it and leaving sharp edges in the process.  The screwed up screw head was gnawing away at my trousers - if I rode in shorts I would have noticed it sooner!  I was able to get the screw out to file smooth the sharp edges on the head, and the screw shank looks somewhat cross-threaded and stripped.  My local hardware store doesn't have screws that small - I wonder if they're metric, and what size they are? - but I was able to exchange the screw with one from the front of the emblem where my knees don't rub.  It was then I noticed the asymmetrical nature of the tank - the "collar" at the front where it straddles the frame tube is not on the tank's centerline, so the tank sits ever-so-slightly offset to the left.  The fuel fill isn't on the centerline of the bike.  And see how the tank lines up (or doesn't!) with the turn signals and the handlebar bracket?



Also, the emblems on each side of the tank are not even remotely symmetrical - not really noticeable when you only see one side, but from the seat, it's really obvious.  Compare how each one sits inside the tank striping:

Left side:


Right side:


Something tells me that I should be bothered by this, but I cannot say that I am.  I'm just hoping that it will not be an indication of likely problems down the road.  I'm not across town from my dealer, he's 5-1/2 hours away.

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Because I bought the bike in a different state than I will be registering it, I came home without an inspection sticker.  Maine provides a 5-day pass to give you time to get a bike home and get it inspected.  What a sham!  I brought the bike to a licensed inspection station, the guy checked the lights and the horn, and said "Ok, you're all set."  $12.50 - that's about one dollar per second of his inspection.  Couldn't we have done this on Skype?

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My seat is very hard - almost no soft give to it at all.  I eased the shock preload adjustment to the softest setting - I weigh 150 lbs - but the ride is still very rough and jolting.  I can only compare it to that of my '75 BMW, which has a nice soft seat and a nice smooth ride.  I think I should probably stop doing that right now.  Anybody wanna buy a '75 BMW?

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The front of the seat also bears quite hard against the tank - I think it's already scuffing the paint there.  You can't see it, of course, because it's hidden by the seat, but I'm hoping to install a solo seat and if there's a gap, I don't want a scuffed tank to suddenly show.  I've laid down a layer of electric tape on the tank to buffer the seat scuffing.  Hope to replace the seat very soon...

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My bike clatters at idle occasionally - from what I can tell, based on reading this forum, it likely is the decompressor.  The first time I heard it, I was still at the dealer's side - it rattled a couple of times and I said, "What was that?!?"  He didn't hear it - says his hearing is shot from years of racing bikes and cars.  On these cooler mornings, the bike starts up and clatters constantly until I bump the throttle, then it settles back down without the clatter.  What is the fast idle lever at the top of the left handgrip for?

My bike comes down from riding to what seems to me to be rather a high idle speed.  If I let it continue to idle, maybe for 30 seconds more, it will settle to a slower idle - and give the occasional clack.  I'll have to look into what the idle speed should be and how to get it there.  Is it normal for it to idle high when hot, then settle to a slower idle after a bit?  I should use the MPH/RPM chart to figure out this "fast" idle speed...

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Line five bikes up in a row, all on their side stands - mine will jump right out in how much further it leans over than any other.  It feels stable, but it sure looks disconcertingly like it's gonna tip over.  Barenekd posted a photo of his bike with a little extension foot on the side stand, so I don't guess mine is unique.

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It sure feels nice riding a bike that does what I want it to do, rather than what I tell it to do!!!

[ace.cafe]

Some of the bikes vibrate worse than others.

I suspect that, like the Iron Barrel bikes, the cranks vary in how well they get trued on the production line, and some are more true than others.
Thus, we get some bikes that vibrate more than others.

I have found that beyond any shadow of doubt, when these bikes have very true cranks with good balance factor, they are very low in vibration. But that doesn't always happen in a production scenario with pressed-up crankshafts.

[BRADEY]

Mattsz: The scuffing of the fork covers and the fender is a manufacturig defect, get both items replaced under warranty. Also these bikes are very smooth all the way upto 70 MPH. Any vibe on the speeds you mentioned should be checked for. This "may" be an imbalanced crank, loose fastners etc. etc. A good workshop will be able to sought out these issues. I have a similar seat on my 350, and believe me you, it is very comfortable on long rides, much better than the soft seat on the C5 which is a P**** In the A** just after a few minutes ! In the very end, you have purchased a new bike and there is no reason that you should compromise on any of the features that you may not like on it.....You have a great importer and a good network in US. Get the best out of your machine and enjoy it. It is a very good bike, but unfortunately there may be an odd one that is not upto the mark.

[barenekd]

The clattering is the decompressor. It will do it when the bike is cold or the idle speed is too low. Mine still does it after 12,000 miles. Not a worry.
The inconsistent idle speed is normal during breakin. It can be improved a lot by replacing the stock plug with an NGK BPR6ES plug. It won't totally go away until the engine is well broken.
For your breakin, you should be using all the gears in the gearbox. They all need to be broken in, too. Look on the Speed/RPM chart and make 3500 your redline until about 4-500 miles. Correlate that to the speed on the chart and use those speed and 1/2 throttle. Then you can start gradually upping them from there. Change throttle settings and change gears a lot work those parts without stressing them.  Change your oil and filter at about 300 miles. Clean the sump screen.
As for seat/tanks rubbing, there is some clear tape available for just that purpose available from motorcycle accessories stores.
As for the forks and fenders rubbing, loosen the axle nut and bolt, and the fender bolts, and then bounce the forks up and down and see whether or not they are sticking. This exercise should align the forks on the axle and loosen everything.  If everything is straightened and smooth, tighten the axle nut and bolt first, then tighten the fender bolts. This may stop the rubbing.
The side stands are for the 18" wheels. They work poorly on the 19" wheels. It's a real PITA for us squatty bodies to get the bike up off the side stand, particularly if the bike is on any kind of slope with the side stand on the down slope. I love the extension even if it is butt ugly, it sure saves my body getting the bike up. I had some more complicated ways to do this involving a lot of cutting and welding and rechroming, but I did it the lazy man's way.
The shock's problem is the compression being far to hard. The springs are probably if thee shock could compress. My alternative was to get some Hagans. Fantastic improvement. The other idea I had was to let the air out of theshocks, but didn't try it. One of the forum Bras had a shock break which let the air out and he said the shock was great after that!
Too avoid things falling off, become very familiar with Blue Loctite, use it everywhere!
Lube your cables. they'll last a lot longer.
The bike is still very much hand built and has some variances in accuracies. That's part of the character of the Bullet.
It doesn't sound to me like there's really anything fundamentally wrong with your bike, it's just you learning it and it learning you.
Give it a chance and it will be a great machine for you. Treat it nicely while it grows up! It'll teach you a lot, too
Bare

[Ducati Scotty]

The scuffing is poor setup, plain and simple.  After securing the front axle as already noted you need to loosen the fork covers and front fender mounting bolts. 

The fork covers are held in place by one nut behind the triple tree.  Loosen that and then split a carboard paper towel tube in half lengthwise to use as a spacer.  Push the two halves in between the fork cover and lower fork slider on the front and back.  Re-tighten and remove the cardboard.  This will center the cover over the slider so it doesn't rub.  Now position the fender so it doesn't rub on the fork covers and tighten.

Some of the bikes come misaligned from the factory.  The dealer needs to set this up properly but it's not obvious.  If any of the parts are rubbing you'll hear scraping/crunching noises as the fork moves.  Once it's aligned it should be silent.  And if your dealer didn't set it up right to start with they should replace or repaint the scuffed parts.

Scott

[shamelin]

Mattsz-

From one B5 owner to another, all I can say is be patient and break her in gently.

When I first got the bike, it's was very jittery on the road.  The idle was never consistent, the power output was variable, and it just sounded bad.  But I kept it under 40 mph until my first oil change and then started to open her up a little.

Now, 2500 miles later, the bike is a completely different machine.  It runs so much smoother that I can't even believe it is the same bike I started with.

Some of the fit and finish issues do seem a little odd, but with regards to the engine and its performance, give it a little time and you'll be amazed what a fantastic ride she gives you.

[mattsz]

Replace the fender and fork covers under warranty?  Really?  Will somebody send me new ones?  Or will I have to ship the bike back to the time zone I bought it from?

I wish somebody who knows these bikes could check it out and say that it's normal vibration, or it's not normal vibration.  As I recall, it vibrates about the same amount as the C5 with 400 miles I test-rode last spring.  I *think* it's already getting a little better; that or I'm getting used to it!

I really do like the bike - it's the right size and speed for me and it's so light and maneuverable.  I'm in it for the long haul, but it's the same problem I had with the Bemer - there's nobody around with experience enough to say whether it's the normal early days issues or whether I've got a real problem.

Following some advice here on the forum, I rode the first 100 or so miles no faster than 35-40 mph, up to 3rd gear, no more than half throttle.  In third gear, approaching 40 mph definitely rattles my teeth, between 30 and 35 is fine.  Since I've marked my throttle's halfway point, it looks like I'm erring on the side of high rpms.  Using Bare's chart, I'm adjusting to keeping it in a slightly lower RPM range.  But there's not much opportunity within the chart specs to use 5th gear on my back roads!  I'll work on it on the (down)hills...  Seems like on the chart, 3500 redline rpms for each of the gears is (mph) 20,30,40,50,60 - this is where I started, rattling teeth and all.  But I'll know now not to "cruise" at these rpms.  Somebody please reel me back in if I'm way off the mark here!

I'm patient; I've got a 12 mile commute to work, and you've seen the roads I'm riding - what could be better?

Thank you all again for holding my hand through this process!!!

[Arizoni]

Personally, I see nothing wrong with riding the bike at 40-45 mph in 5th gear providing you aren't trying to accelerate or climb a hill.

I did a lot of my new G5's break in riding on sidestreets and at 30-35 mph I had no problem riding in 4th gear. 
The idea here is not to 'lug' the engine.  Just let it thump away, downshifting when slowing down or when wanting to accelerate.

When my G5 was new it did have quite a bit of vibration but  as the miles passed, the vibration did decrease.  In fact now I don't notice it at any speed and its 100% smoother than my 500cc HondaGuzzi (CX 500) ever was.

If you think the vibration is excessive, check the motor mount bolts to make sure they are really tight.  Also, check the metal bar that connects the cylinder head to the frame.
If it is cracked or the bolts are loose the engine will vibrate a lot.

If everything is tight, just enjoy the ride and don't worry about it.

[JVS]

As others have mentioned, I think you should really at least be in 4th gear at 40mph. I always run it in 5th after 60 kmh/40mph and it runs smooth, no lugging, no stressing the engine. Again, with the seat, I would say it is the most comfortable of all, but that's just me. No wonder it is still used back where it's made, roads are like riding in craters.

With the forks/mudguard, they should be covered under warranty. Alignment of the tank, it will not be 100% perfect on these bikes. If you look for finding sugar in sand, you will of course notice stuff that is not in perfect symmetry.

However, as you have said that you like the bike, I am sure you will be able to sort out these little things and when you are past the break-in period, you will really enjoy the bike. I also have the B5, maybe I am lucky, everything is fine and I don't really mind very little discrepancies.

[GlennF]

The tank pin striping is hand painted whereas the badges screw on so it's more likely the pin striping is different on each side rather than the badge position.

[BRADEY]

like a lot of people have stressed. It is better to run the bike in the correct gear than to lug it at slow speeds in a higher gear. It's the RPMs that matter more than the speed. A lot of care was need to run in the old iron barrels, but the UCEs are better machined for clearances. By the way, which ever bike maker you take, they are all pulled hard on the dyno in the factory and during the test runs on the factory tracks. So babying your bike is all hogwash...........!!

How I wish, RE could improve the quality of badge on the B5

[JVS]

No harm in asking for a brand new tank with even pin striping under warranty also. On mine it's good with the stock badges, I like it. I hope they can provide you with a new B5 standard tank, or you can live with it, I would 

[tooseevee]

The tank pin striping is hand painted whereas the badges screw on so it's more likely the pin striping is different on each side rather than the badge position.

              Don't agree. That badge is obviously crooked, not the pinstriping. The guys who do the pinstriping are drop-dead perfectionists & some of the best I've seen.

              I'll post pictures later of a similar situation on my '08 AVL Classic's tank which has similar pinstriping. The pinstriping is perfect on both sides, but on one side the words Royal Enfield are not parallel to the bottom stripe; like maybe two different guys did each side.

             That crooked badge would drive me nuts.

             Later .....

             Here are pictures of both sides of my tank. You can see they're different; the right side is very tipped up toward the D. It doesn't bother me that much although I do wish they were the same. It's just the detail freak in me.

              I've noticed this on other bikes I've seen pictures of. 
     

[Fogrunner]

I don't have pictures, but my stickers are relatively aligned on the tank. I too, would be driven crazy with a big misalignment!!

[barenekd]

The C5 you rode with 400 miles on it wasn't broken in, either.  It'll take a thousand miles before the shaking is noticeably less. But the c5 should've let you know that yours is OK. Have patience, the good stuff is still coming!
Bare

[busmec]

I have a B5 my tank striping and tank badges are aligned pretty good with each other ,but my seat was misaligned I had to adjust my seat. I have a slight vibration when riding nothing that not normal for a single cylinder bike, but my engine is on noisy side. Other than that my B5 rides & handles great . My dealer took care of any issues I had with my bike , RE is very good at taking care of any problems that pop up. You know if you compare the tank side pictures  of badges & striping I'd have to say you got bad placement of both the pinstripes & the badge on right side.

[mattsz]

The C5 you rode with 400 miles on it wasn't broken in, either.  It'll take a thousand miles before the shaking is noticeably less. But the c5 should've let you know that yours is OK. Have patience, the good stuff is still coming!
Bare

Bare-

I am doing my best - and I am patient.  All my riding for the moment is on smaller roads, 55 mph tops, and I have lots of new friends keeping an eye on me.

No stalking, I promise!!!

[gremlin]

Mattsz-

From one B5 owner to another, all I can say is be patient ...... 2500 miles later, the bike is a completely different machine.  It runs so much smoother that I can't even believe it is the same bike I started with.

+1 on the powerplant comments.

As for the fit & finish ......  it seems they are consistently setup.  I have ALL the exact same issues with my B5 .....  Including the tank badging alignments !

[Kevin Mahoney]

Some years ago when I did a "ground up" restoration of a Triumph the hardest part of the whole thing was duplicating the inconsistencies of the hand pinstripes. Celebrate the diversity on your bike!!! You will live longer.

[mattsz]

Kevin-

Inconsistencies that don't effect the operation of the bike are something that I can live with.  I never get tired of watching the guy painting the tank stripes!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9wUc8rpBhc

But I wonder who drilled the holes for the badge?

However, my front fender is chewing the paint off the fork covers.  I'm thinking that this is not something I want to live with.  Where do we draw the line?  Depends on who you are, I guess.  I'm waiting to hear from my dealer about the fork problem...

[Kevin Mahoney]

Your dealer is your best bet. I looked at the badge and it is further out of whack than I would accept. You can bend the fender no problem but I would get that attended to as well by the dealer. Who is your dealer?

[mattsz]

Your dealer is your best bet. I looked at the badge and it is further out of whack than I would accept. You can bend the fender no problem but I would get that attended to as well by the dealer. Who is your dealer?

That's a telling statement, Kevin.

Dan D'Arcy, Allpower Powersports, Granby Mass. - the only dealer anywhere nearby with the B5 I wanted.  This is the super-nice guy who met me halfway with the bike.

As I mentioned, the problem is that they're 5 highway hours away from me (more like 6-1/2 hours at "break-in" speeds on back roads ), so I can't just cruise across town and drop it off.  I have notified him of both of these issues, but it's a holiday weekend so I don't expect any response for another day or two...

There are closer dealers (closest is 2 hours away), but I have no relationship with them, as they didn't have and couldn't get the bike I wanted.

Is there any history of or precedent for "you guys" dealing directly with an owner on these issues, without getting a dealer involved?  I want the bike to be right, but the personal time and cost of getting the bike to and from the dealer may not be worth it...

[gremlin]

Your dealer is your best bet. I looked at the badge and it is further out of whack than I would accept. You can bend the fender no problem but I would get that attended to as well by the dealer. Who is your dealer?

I'll pile on this thread ...... mine appears to be even further out of alignment.  Marty in Minneapolis delivered this one.

[tooseevee]

I'll pile on this thread ...... mine appears to be even further out of alignment.  Marty in Minneapolis delivered this one.

              I hate to say this, but that's just awful! What's happening with the fit & finish of these tanks? And this is just my own personal opinion also (overall I have the highest praise for how these bikes are put together mechanically AND cosmetically), but not only does it seem from what's being posted that these badges are put on by spiders on LSD, but I don't think that's a good looking badge at all. To my eye, it's really cheesy & looks tinny & doesn't belong on what overall is a really fine looking machine. 

[Kevin Mahoney]

Is the badge a different one than has been on Bullets for the past 55 years? To my knowledge they have all looked the same since about 1955. (not talking about alignment), but how good they do or don't look

[tooseevee]

Is the badge a different one than has been on Bullets for the past 55 years? To my knowledge they have all looked the same since about 1955. (not talking about alignment), but how good they do or don't look

           It's just my opinion. It don't mean nuthin' to nobody but me 

            Maybe it's the photograph, but I just don't care for the look of it. I'm no purist & I just like the look of the gold lettering on my '08 Classic better. Maybe it's just the off-kilter fitting in Gremlin's picture (& the lighting) that's throwing me. Who knows? Like I said, it don't mean nuthin' what I think.   

[foggy95]

I looked at and was very interested in the B5 when it first appeared over here (Phila dealer) late last year. At the time, he also had a maroon/chrome C5 on the floor and I was undecided. But the misalignment of the tank badge / gold pinstripe of the B5 put me off it. Pretty nit-picking, I know, but things like that bother me....

Ended up waiting til Spring and buying my C5 black/chrome Special from another dealership which opened up closer to home, so I have that misaligned tank badge to thank!

Just added: it seems it is ALWAYS the RIGHT hand side of the tank that has the B5 badge overlapping the pinstripe..... wonder why.....

[sparklow]

Some points from another new B5 owner -

1) I love this bike so far, the look of the bike sold me.
2) Sure enough on the right side of the tank the badges on mine also overlap the pinstriping!
3) I love the funky B5 badges, they have the authentic India touch which works for me.
4) With mine I got two keys, an owner's manual, and a can of black spray paint. If I was supposed to get anything else the dealer owes me.

[Arizoni]

According to my UCE owners manual he owes you a speedometer cable, a clutch cable and a new inner tube for your tire (p. 54) in addition to a owners manual if you didn't get one.

[GlennF]

The badges on my bike overlap the pinstripe on one side. I kinda like it that way.

I did replace the Bollywood badges with some heavy brass ones though.

Is the badge a different one than has been on Bullets for the past 55 years? To my knowledge they have all looked the same since about 1955. (not talking about alignment), but how good they do or don't look

Kevin

I suspect the Indian badges were always the way they are, but the original British badges from 1955 were a similar shape but heavy and chromed.

[sparklow]

Here are two pictures I took of an earlier RE (1942), this bike is I believe pre-bullet.

[ace.cafe]

Here are two pictures I took of an earlier RE (1942), this bike is I believe pre-bullet.

That bike is a wartime model WD-CO. It's a 350.

Actually the first "Bullet" named model began around 1932, even though it was not similar to the ones we are familiar with.