Author Topic: Road trip!  (Read 3321 times)

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herrbongo

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on: June 18, 2013, 05:58:02 pm
I'm getting the bike ready for a 1000 mile road trip up to Canada this weekend, and hope to have some good pics and tales of mechanical woe to share.  The bike was new to me as of a few weeks ago, so I've been racking up miles trying to ferret out the gremlins prior to leaving.  I have put 250 miles on over the last week, and already found issues.

It's a G2 cased, Indian "restored", Bullet 500.  I have no idea of the history, so anything is possible.  So far I've bridged the alternator outputs to get full charging and overcome the DC spliced headlight.  After overheating in traffic, I've advanced the timing and switched to full synthetic 20W50.  There was quite a bit of blueing on the exhaust, and it was down on power.  I broke and replaced the clutch cable already, and have a spare riding along now.  All other fluids were changed.  I've got a 15lb tool kit coming with too (to support mine and other vintage bikes riding along). 

Does anyone else have recommendations for things not to leave home without?  The other bikes coming along are a 40's era BSA M20, Norton Commando, two BMWs, and a newer cruiser of some sort.  With the M20 along, I don't have to worry about being the slowest bike.  I'll update this post with pics from the road.
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rvcycleguy

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Reply #1 on: June 18, 2013, 06:21:28 pm
have a great time and please keep the forum updated on your progress.  The vintage guys would be interested in "what happens" along the way.  And include pictures when possible. 

rv 
1956 Bullet 500 (G2) Custom tank, Silencer Muffler, Powder Coated Chassis
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noisymilk

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Reply #2 on: June 18, 2013, 07:44:45 pm
Yes! I love road trips.

No advice on your particular machine. You sound like a guy riding with guys who all know how to keep up their machines. As a former Norton owner, glad to see that and an Enfield traveling together.

Good luck, and remember...pics or it didn't happen.  8)

Be safe.
-Milk

2003 Royal Enfield Military
2009 Genuine Blackjack - MrsMilk's ride

I'm trying to make my Enfield an adventure machine:
http://www.enfieldmotorcycles.com/forum/index.php/topic,12951.0.html

Ever want to ride a scooter to Canada??
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=690259


Guaire

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Reply #3 on: June 18, 2013, 08:43:42 pm
15 pounds of tools! Are you going to change the Isolastic mounts on the Norton? ...just kidding. Anyone have a tire pump with Slime?
On my last trip I found places selling 20 - 50w oil. But you might want to bring some oil. A spark plug is a good idea. A length of wire can be good for a few things. Duct tape. First aid kit. TP. A towel.
  Pick and choose. Depending on where you are some things can be purchased while you're out there.
Good luck and have a good time.
ACE Motors - sales & administration


rvcycleguy

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Reply #4 on: June 18, 2013, 09:04:29 pm
My first road trip was to Colorado from Houston.  After 4 days and 1500 miles, I arrived on a Saturday to my destination.  On Monday, I shipped a 20lb box of stuff that I realized I did not need and did not want to pack home on the bike the following week.  That box arrived my home the same day I arrived home.    Ride and learn. 
1956 Bullet 500 (G2) Custom tank, Silencer Muffler, Powder Coated Chassis
2006 Suzuki Boulevard C50 (800cc) Touring set-up. white walls, pearl white w/ ghost flames


herrbongo

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Reply #5 on: June 18, 2013, 09:43:53 pm
15 lbs is a lot, but I have some stuff in there for everyone.  My friend's M20 came with a neat little tool kit that even has a mini grease gun (about the size of a roll of dimes).  I use it to lube the distributor shaft.  It also has a pump mounted to it.  My bike, being assembled from untold bits, I need SAE, Metric, and Whitworth wrenches!  Good idea on the slime.  I have a tube, but I tend to pinch those when I install them >:(   
1955 Indian Fire Arrow
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Arizoni

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Reply #6 on: June 18, 2013, 10:08:07 pm
If your tool kit doesn't have one, a small multimeter (volt/ohm) could be very handy to sort out electrical problems.  The Norton guy will be very grateful.  ;D

I bought a very small one, smaller than a pack of cigarettes, at a Fry's Electronics for $8 and stuck it in a small pocket on my saddlebags.  I think Harbor Freight also carries them.  If nothing else, just having it along might keep the electrical gremlins away.

« Last Edit: June 18, 2013, 10:11:59 pm by Arizoni »
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jedaks

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Reply #7 on: June 18, 2013, 11:20:51 pm
A spare fuse and a headlamp bulb can be handy.


High On Octane

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Reply #8 on: June 19, 2013, 03:55:15 am
+1 to all of the above.  Everything I bring on road trips has already been mentioned.

+10 to the multimeter and extra fuses
Have s safe trip and take plenty of pics!

Scottie
2001 Harley Davidson Road King


D the D

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Reply #9 on: June 19, 2013, 05:00:50 am
Seldom thought of, but quite nice to have, is a pack of those Toddler Towelettes from the infant section at the grocery or pharmacy.  They take the dirt and grease off your hands, nose and forehead, which you will inevitably get, surgical gloves or not.  And they're just refreshing sometimes.
Have safe fun and I hope you never need the tools!
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herrbongo

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Reply #10 on: July 01, 2013, 10:37:44 pm
Alright, in case you were worried, I did make it.  All said and done it was roughly 900 miles in 4 days.  The Enfield didn't miss a beat!  Actually it did, about halfway into day one it misfired about 4 or 5 times in quick succession.  It never did it again.  I guess it wanted to give me something to worry about as we got deeper and deeper into the woods. 

All the bikes made it, but not without repairs.  Parts kept rattling off the BSA M20, and it seems we couldn't go more than 50 miles without having to stop and search the ditch.  The newer 80's BMW actually had me the most worried, as it was blowing smoke like a locomotive.  It came and went, and the valves were adjusted before we left.  Top end is all new too, so quite the mystery.  The 1970 BMW had electrical issues the whole trip and kept killing.  Something to do with the main key switch.  The clutch on the Norton had to be pulled on the last morning and retorqued. 

The dumbest repair was me dumping the Enfield and breaking the headlight.  On one of our many stops to pick up M20 parts off the road I decided to move the bike to get out of harm's way.  The peg cought me in the calf and threw me off balance.  A second later I'm looking at a bunch of broken glass and a dented tank.  Since the bulb still worked, we fastened a handsome square slab of plexi to the front with duct tape.  It would keep out the elements, which is all I could hope for.  The dent on the tank isn't bad.  If nothing else, it makes it look mean.  Something to remember the trip by!

Here is the first installment of the video recap.  The M20 was shooting footage pretty much the whole trip, so there will be more to come.

http://vimeo.com/69394084
1955 Indian Fire Arrow
Yamaha RD350
DL650
KDX200
Vespa 50 Special
Air-cooled VWs


High On Octane

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Reply #11 on: July 01, 2013, 10:47:48 pm
Wow!  That looks like a LOT of fun!  I plan on doing some Rocky Mountain back roads this summer.  That's so awesome that the RE is doing the best of all the bikes.   :)  Glad to hear everyone is safe and you're having fun.  Be Safe!

Scottie
2001 Harley Davidson Road King


herrbongo

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Reply #12 on: July 01, 2013, 10:48:27 pm
... And I used probably 80% of the 15lbs tool bag.  It was surprising how much of that junk came out of the bag at some point for this or that. 

The Enfield and the BSA cruised at 55 - 60 the whole way.  The Bullet returned about 60mpg.  On the third day the BSA pulled away and tried to go 65 for a while.  After about a half hour I came upon it on the side of the road because the fuel in the float bowl was boiling.  He even had fabricated a heatshield prior to the trip, but with the all-metal intake it eventually got too hot at the carb.  After a 15min wait, and back to the 60mph limit, it never happened again.  My bike clearly did not like anything above 60.  It is a 5-speed, but I guess that just means more gears in the middle because top speed is still limited.

I don't thing the Norton ever got into fourth gear... seriously.
1955 Indian Fire Arrow
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ERC

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Reply #13 on: July 01, 2013, 10:49:10 pm
Great video. Shows what you can do with old iron.  ERC
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baird4444

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Reply #14 on: July 02, 2013, 11:12:36 am
Wow!  That looks like a LOT of fun!  I plan on doing some Rocky Mountain back roads this summer.  That's so awesome that the RE is doing the best of all the bikes.   :)  Glad to hear everyone is safe and you're having fun.  Be Safe!
Scottie
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    hey Scottie- if ya make the Western Slope, Gimme a shout.
I've got a beer and a couch for ya- Mike
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High On Octane

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Reply #15 on: July 02, 2013, 01:59:25 pm
Mike - I'd love to take you up on that offer.  My crank seal should be in the mail today and then I can start putting the 2 boxes of parts on the bike.  After that I just need to get my saddle bags installed and I should be totally ready to head out for the Western Slope.  I've done a lot of riding with my Suzuki on the Eastern Slope, but I have yet to bike past the Continental Divide.  So I'm actually really excited to travel out to your neck of the woods.  What town do you live in again?  Maybe I can start mapping out a route in the evenings.

Scottie
2001 Harley Davidson Road King


barenekd

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Reply #16 on: July 02, 2013, 05:49:59 pm
Looks like a great time was had by all! Wish I coulda been there!
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herrbongo

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Reply #17 on: July 03, 2013, 03:10:23 am
Here's a pic of the bike all loaded down prior to departure...
1955 Indian Fire Arrow
Yamaha RD350
DL650
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Vespa 50 Special
Air-cooled VWs


High On Octane

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Reply #18 on: July 03, 2013, 04:26:45 am
I had to watch the video again.  I keep thinking about the road trip I'm trying to plan right now and had to watch all the fun you guys had again.    :)  BTW   Great save at 2:34!  I thought you were going in the weeds for sure but you saved her.  Well done.  You know, that video really reminds of when I lived in northern Wisconsin (backwoods of Eau Claire to be exact) like 15 years ago.  My friends and I, being farm kids right out of high school, would go raise hell in the back country on our 4 wheelers and dirt bikes.  The roads we road on were much like the ones you traveled, all dirt surrounded by trees and corn fields, seeming like they have no specific destination.  We never really traveled too far out tho, as we learned the limitations of our gas tanks, but that's a different story.

Scottie
2001 Harley Davidson Road King


herrbongo

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Reply #19 on: July 03, 2013, 04:52:31 am
That was my friend on the BSA that went off the road.  We were going a bit fast into what should have been a 15 mph turn.  I saw him straighten up and go directly to the ditch.  I thought there would be a trip to the hospital, then see him merrily driving along dragging weeds behind.  That bike is a hard tail, so it must have been quite rough.
1955 Indian Fire Arrow
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herrbongo

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Reply #20 on: July 03, 2013, 02:31:42 pm
Scottie, have you seen "Cycle South"?  It's a movie from the late 60's where a bunch of guys take bikes from Denver Colorado to the Panama Canal.  It's good entertainment, kind of hokey humor like "On Any Sunday".  There are good mountain riding scenes in Colorado.  I think Netflix has (had?) it.

I rode the RD350 today, and after 900 miles on the enfield, it was a shocker.  It felt like... you ever seen those light-bikes in the movie TRON?
1955 Indian Fire Arrow
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DL650
KDX200
Vespa 50 Special
Air-cooled VWs


High On Octane

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Reply #21 on: July 03, 2013, 03:00:30 pm
No I haven't, I'll have to check that out.

Scottie
2001 Harley Davidson Road King


noisymilk

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Reply #22 on: July 05, 2013, 08:08:57 pm
Br Herrbongo!

What a great looking trip. Love seeing all those old bikes out doing gravel and traveling like I love to, and want to do more. Gives me faith that my beloved bastardized military can be the ride I'm hoping it will be.

Please do post more vids as they get edited. I second everyone who says how much they love seeing this sort of thing. It's inspiring and inspired.

Be safe.
-Milk

2003 Royal Enfield Military
2009 Genuine Blackjack - MrsMilk's ride

I'm trying to make my Enfield an adventure machine:
http://www.enfieldmotorcycles.com/forum/index.php/topic,12951.0.html

Ever want to ride a scooter to Canada??
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=690259