[Elliotthd]

Hey there everyone. I've been lurking around on the forums for a few weeks now and figured it was about time I introduced myself. I just bought 2013 C5 in February and so far I love it. I spent a few cold nights and rainy/snowy weekends breaking the motor in, and then promptly road the bike Savannah GA from Philadelphia for Savannah's legendary St. Patrick's Day Parade and party.

I've been building, modding, and just plain cycling for years now, but most of my experience is with carburetors. I've never owned an EFI bike before. Now, I know I'm probably on the odd side, but I really want to try and tune this bike for better touring performance. I've thought about ditching the EFI and doing the normal mods I would do for a carb to get a better sustainable top speed for the highway, but that seems a bit much to do to my brand new bike. So the question I ask is, has anyone managed to get better touring performance out of the EFI motor with just exhaust and free flow intake mods?

I'm definitely ditching the stock foot pegs for something a little more vibration absorbent, and switching the stock steering head and wheel bearings for higher performance ones. Also thinking about putting some rubber between the motor and the frame at the mounts. This thing vibrates like a hardtail Harley from the 70's at highway speeds, and after 700 miles my feet were bruised and ready to fall off.

For reference, a top speed of 95 with a sustainable cruising speed of about ~80 will get me in the range I need. Also, I don't want to lose much line jump, so switching sprockets hasn't really factored into the equation for met (yet). Though that isn't entirely out of the question. Thanks in advance for any help or input you guys can give.

[gremlin]

Ya bought the wrong bike mate.

[Elliotthd]

Don't tell me that! Ugh. Well, it's the one I got now, so I gotta make due. Thanks for the input though. Really helps the 'ol "brand confidence". 

[Rich Mintz]

Hi Elliott -- I'm new too (1600 miles in on my bike) but plan to do some touring myself -- did a 200mi round trip already and am preparing for a 600mi round trip (with an overnight).

Interested to hear both the technical responses you get on this thread, and any more common-sense advice about long-distance touring on a small bike like this, with only a backpack and a pair of saddlebags.

[Elliotthd]

Hey Rich. The Savannah trip was 1400+ miles round trip for me. Included three over nights (a lay-over in Savannah) and I did it with a bed roll strapped to the tail light housing and a backpack. It was a right lane ride for sure. And like I said, the constant 70mph vibration at the footpegs is enough to bruise your feet. Until I get that resolved I'm back to touring on my Honda Aero. Small bike touring isn't too bad though man. It can be a lot fun if you map your routes well and know your bikes limitations. My wife rode cross country on an old Hondamatic 400. That's one of the reasons I married her.

[Rich Mintz]

Thanks for that. I'm OK with highway riding (at 60mph, I'm old!) but I stay off the NJ Turnpike. NYC to Philadelphia I did mostly on US 130 and 295. Phila to DC (which I'm planning) will be on 295, Del 1, and US 301. That (301) is a nice ride in a car and will probably be even better on a bike.

[Elliotthd]

I like RT1 to 695, and pickup 50? I think (The Washington-Baltimore Expressway) for Philly to DC. You can pick up RT1 South of Philly off of RT322, which by the way you can grab in Jersey near Princeton. It'll take you right across the Comm. Barry Bridge. Not sure about back roads/alternate routes on the NJ side of the bridge though. I try to avoid tolls at all costs, so I don't really do much NJ riding outside of the occasional trip down 30 to AC.

Incidentally, RT1 to Baltimore off of RT322 will cut out all of the tolls on 95, and only has you on the highway for about 20 total miles of the ride. 1 mile at I-95 from the bridge to RT322, and ~19 miles on 695 to the Expressway. RT1 is a lot of fun in Maryland especially.

[Ice]

Hi elliotthd,

 Welcome aboard and congrats on your Bullet.

 If you dig around the threads you will find reports by our UCE riding brethren that the vibes are worst at high speeds and when the bike is new and that they do reduce as the miles pile on.

 Till then If it were me I would bump up the front sprocket by one tooth to reduce revs at cruise, which is a very popular mod by the way, and I would reduce the cruise speed a bit (to better become part of the environment I am riding in than an object passing through it) and I would reconsider my footwear.

 Boots with impact absorbing mid soles help reduce transmission of vibes to the foot as does a decent pair of insoles,Dr. Scholl, Spenco or the like.

Many salutes to you on your epic ride btw.

I am with you that Bullets are very good touring machines.
 True, a road couch will get you across vast lengths of tarmac at arrest me now speeds but they do not fare well at all the second they leave hard pavement.

 My Bullet takes me everywhere I want to go and some places I probably shouldn't.

Many smiles per gallon to you.

[barenekd]

As for intake/exhaust mods, a K&N filter is nice and for exhausts there are a lot of options out there and most of them will be an improvement.
As for cruising speeds, about 65 would be most comfortable. You might go up a tooth on the countershaft sprocket, but don't expect to go any faster. You'll just move the vibration point up a bit.
The top speed of the bike is about 83, changing the sprocket isn't going to change that. These bikes are horsepower limited, so the only way to go faster is to up the horsepower. See ACE for what you can do!
Bare

[ace.cafe]

You have a few options.

If you are able to trade in later this year, you can get the new Cafe Racer model which has increased power and claims a 95mph top speed. We have yet to verify any of that, but it's a nice looking bike and it has some potential. Not exactly a "tourer", but you could get normal handlebars on it, and it looks as if it could fill the role to some extent. Supposed to be available in limited quantities by Fall 2013.

Next, if you are looking to keep what you have, we(Ace) are working on a performance package which is aimed to do what you want, but it's not nearly ready to release yet, so it will be a while to wait.

Third, if you want to get back to a carburetor model, we(Ace) have a Fireball 535 model of the vintage Iron Barrel Bullet which definitely will do more than you described, and the kit has been available for 3 years. Top speed over 100mph, cruises at 80mph, very streetable and reliable, and some owners have reached 50k on these Fireball builds, and still going. You'd have to sell your bike and buy an Iron Barrel model as a basis, and then build it up as a Fireball. It does very well as a touring model engine, with wide torque curve, very smooth, and gets great fuel economy on the highway.

Please visit my web forum Yahoo Group below, link in my signature line. Joining the Group is free and easy.

[Elliotthd]

Hopefully I'm around long enough to document all my epic rides. I try to do two or three biggons a year with a few smaller ones peppered in. What good is vacation time if you don't use it right? 

Upon further inspection, I think I can get away with modding the stock pegs by replacing the stems with a folding stem and putting vibration absorbent pegs/floors on it. Also, I know the bike is HP dependent, but the EFI limits my ability to really start tuning the motor. If it had a carb I would really be able to work the motor. I'm not aware of any replacement computers or mapping software for the factory computer, so I don't want to start playing with stroke, port, compression, and bore. Mechanically I'm confident I could get the power out of the bike, but electronically I'm scared of making it a 300lb paperweight.

I think I may experiment with some Suzuki Blvd Floor boards I have sitting on a shelf in the garage. If they work, then I'll buy some nicer, dressier ones and use them. In the meantime, my rolling "couch" is a good mix ability bike, though you're right about the loose gravel aspect. She does not handle well on gravel at all.

Thanks to everyone for the warm welcomes so far as well. I may be new to the RE world, but not to motorcycling or touring in general and am happy to offer up an expertise in these areas where I can in exchange for expertise on these bikes specifically. Happy riding guys and keep it on two wheels.

[Elliotthd]

@ACE, I have been reading your thread on the G5 UCE build you're doing. I'm still a ways back from current on it though. I may just wait until you have said kit done and be a right lane warrior in the meantime. I'm confident that isolating the vibrations at the feet and swapping the steering head bearings out will get me by until I can really open the motor up to its full potential.

Side note, you may be making some money on me in the future on a UCE performance kit.

[Rich Mintz]

Elliott, also note these pegs which I was thinking of getting

http://nfieldgear.com/enfield-store/aftermarket-parts-accessories/footrests/vibration-isolating-footpeg-set.html

[Elliotthd]

Elliott, also note these pegs which I was thinking of getting

http://nfieldgear.com/enfield-store/aftermarket-parts-accessories/footrests/vibration-isolating-footpeg-set.html

I've looked at this also. The problem is you need to modify the mounting on the C5. They don't just fit. And if I'm going to take the time to modify the bike to accept a folding peg mount, I'm going to go up from pegs to some kind of floorboard. I have floorboards on my Aero, and after 20,000 on foot pegs on that bike, the switch was night and day. I rue the day I have to tour consistently on set of footpegs again.

It's like the first time you get your helmet wired to pipe in some tunes. I toured all over this great country, and its great northern brother with nothing but the sound of the wind and exhaust. Last year I finally broke down and bought a Scala Rider Bluetooth com with FM radio and looking back I have no idea how ever even drove to work without music or sports on in my helmet.

[Ice]

 My iron barrel has more vibes than the UCEs i've ridden.

When mine buzzes more than normal it's most always caused by low fuel folowed by slack drive chain folowed by loose head steady.

I should think those same things would apply to the uce as well.

[GSS]

I've looked at this also. The problem is you need to modify the mounting on the C5. They don't just fit.

Elliott,
Welcome to the group.  These footpegs fit perfectly on a C5 and come with a RE specific folding mount.  Here are some photos of the vibration isolating footpegs on my bike.
http://www.enfieldmotorcycles.com/forum/index.php/topic,15798.msg170738.html#msg170738

[benknrobbers]

So I'm pretty new to this as well, and I've been trying to learn what's out there as well. Old hats, feel absolutely free to correct me if I'm wrong.  My observations thus far. The three basic things that people seem to go after quickly is the sprocket change, a new spark plugh and a better air filter, typically K&N. I've found mixed reports on the plug/filter thing, some people have ran into trouble.

Ace seems to be the undisputed man as far as tuning goes for RE, but most of his stuff goes over my head, tech wise, and I haven't found prices on any of it to even know if it's practical for my budget. I'm digging through his Ygroup now, trying to learn more. seems to be a goldmine all the same.

If you are able to trade in later this year, you can get the new Cafe Racer model which.... 

You'd have to sell your bike and buy an Iron Barrel model as a basis, and then.... 

I know this is a relatively inexpensive bike, which is one of the draws for me. But it's not so cheap that I can afford to just dump it and start over.

If money isn't an issue, check out the v-twin conversions. One is called the musket, at www.musketvtwin.com/ the next is the Carberry at http://www.carberryenfield.com.au/ and the third I've found is the Norcroft at www.norcroft.co.uk/. US/AUS/UK respectively. The musket isn't available yet, and the carberry requires a deposit that is higher than the new bike costs off the show room floor.

[Elliotthd]

Elliott,
Welcome to the group.  These footpegs fit perfectly on a C5 and come with a RE specific folding mount.  Here are some photos of the vibration isolating footpegs on my bike.
http://www.enfieldmotorcycles.com/forum/index.php/topic,15798.msg170738.html#msg170738

Well would you look at that! Neither the nfield gear website or catalog doesn't list the C5 Classic as a compatible bike for these, so I was under the impression I would be doing some modifying. And if I'm gonna modify, I'm gonna use what I have on the shelf before I go and spend a lot of money on brand new stuff that may not work. So, thanks for that GSS.

@ben, I bought the C5 black because it has literally been my dream bike for 10 years. aI've got an unreasonable, bordering on unhealthy, almost certainly unnecessary amount of motorcycles and I finally got the one that has eluded me. Not only that, it's my first brand new bike, and my first bike with a warranty! I have zero desire to void it. Maybe if I came across an old RE 750 box twin motor I might switch it out, but I just freaking love the one lung gun that is a bullet 500. The v-twins are cool to look at though. I wouldn't say no to a test ride either......maybe find a used G5 somewhere? Hrm.... GOD WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME! (My wife is going to start making me clean house soon.)

[ace.cafe]

So I'm pretty new to this as well, and I've been trying to learn what's out there as well. Old hats, feel absolutely free to correct me if I'm wrong.  My observations thus far. The three basic things that people seem to go after quickly is the sprocket change, a new spark plugh and a better air filter, typically K&N. I've found mixed reports on the plug/filter thing, some people have ran into trouble.

Ace seems to be the undisputed man as far as tuning goes for RE, but most of his stuff goes over my head, tech wise, and I haven't found prices on any of it to even know if it's practical for my budget. I'm digging through his Ygroup now, trying to learn more. seems to be a goldmine all the same.

I know this is a relatively inexpensive bike, which is one of the draws for me. But it's not so cheap that I can afford to just dump it and start over.

If money isn't an issue, check out the v-twin conversions. One is called the musket, at www.musketvtwin.com/ the next is the Carberry at http://www.carberryenfield.com.au/ and the third I've found is the Norcroft at www.norcroft.co.uk/. US/AUS/UK respectively. The musket isn't available yet, and the carberry requires a deposit that is higher than the new bike costs off the show room floor.

I have never seen any production Norcroft.
It appears Carberry has at least temporarily suspended production, at the last report that I heard. Don't know if they are going to continue or not.
The Musket 1000 is now complete and running, and it will be available as a basic engine parts kit after some time of road testing. Ace and the Musket are very closely tied. We will be producing engines based on the Musket crankcase kit.

For Ace kits, prices can range widely, based on what you want to do, and how much work you can do yourself.
The place for that information would be to ask on our site forum or email me.

[benknrobbers]

@Ace. I typed that up during my lunch break. looking back I think maybe my tone was a little off. Wasn't trying to sound mean, but I think I did anyway. My level of technical skill is medium. Given the right tools and decent instructions I would feel confident stripping the thing down to the ground, putting it back together, and I'd expect it to run afterwards. But as far as an intrinsic knowledge of the workings of these bikes, and how to change anything and get a desired effect, I'm a truly next to helpless. I expect once I've learned enough to know what I'm looking for, I will be contacting you about kits and pricing, thank you for the nudge in the right direction.

[ace.cafe]

@Ace. I typed that up during my lunch break. looking back I think maybe my tone was a little off. Wasn't trying to sound mean, but I think I did anyway. My level of technical skill is medium. Given the right tools and decent instructions I would feel confident stripping the thing down to the ground, putting it back together, and I'd expect it to run afterwards. But as far as an intrinsic knowledge of the workings of these bikes, and how to change anything and get a desired effect, I'm a truly next to helpless. I expect once I've learned enough to know what I'm looking for, I will be contacting you about kits and pricing, thank you for the nudge in the right direction.

Hi,
No, your post was just fine. No bad tone as far as I could tell.
I was just adding a little info to the mix about the availability of twins, and that it's better to discuss pricing particulars about the Ace products on the Ace site.

You'll notice on the Ace site that we provide a lot of tech support for our builds, so that people don't go astray, or step in pitfalls that we can help them to avoid. Quite a number of successful Ace builds were accomplished by people who had never rebuilt an engine before, with our tech support helping them along. It's in our best interest for all our customers to have successful builds, so we help as much as people need.

[barenekd]

The musket isn't available yet, and the carberry requires a deposit that is higher than the new bike costs off the show room floor.

Carberry is out of business.
Bare

[Ducati Scotty]

First off, welcome to the community!

Well would you look at that! Neither the nfield gear website or catalog doesn't list the C5 Classic as a compatible bike for these, so I was under the impression I would be doing some modifying. And if I'm gonna modify, I'm gonna use what I have on the shelf before I go and spend a lot of money on brand new stuff that may not work. So, thanks for that GSS.

Not all the compatibility lists are completely perfect.  Also, they have these:
http://nfieldgear.com/enfield-store/premium-chrome-footpegs-pair.html
Which I believe are the same arms but without the pegs.  The pegs are from Kuryakyn.  Once you have the arms you can mount just about any of their pegs or boards.  Here's a page with some of their offerings with dimensions:
http://www.kuryakyn.com/files/general/Footpegs%20for%20web_Metric.pdf
Many Harley dealers carry these pegs and often have a selection on display.  Check with your local dealers.   You should be able to create a bolt on floor board for your bike.

FWIW, I believe there is also a heel/toe shifter for the bikes used in India.  You might try looking for it.  BulletWala offers many aftermarket parts.  Try them.

Scott

[GSS]

Scott,
It is indeed the same arm painted black.  The complete footpeg set from NFieldgear cost less than what you would pay for either the chrome arms or the Kuryakyn pegs individually.

GSS

[Ducati Scotty]

Probably better to just get the black ones then and just get the pegs/boards you want.  They'll probably mate up to the mounting hardware that comes with the included pegs.

Scott