[StL_Stadtroller]

So, I'll be coming up on 2,500 miles after this coming weekend's 1k ride.  I figure then it will be about time for some (as they say in the British bike mags) "sensible" upgrades to the Bullet.

I'm looking for some opinions & recommendations.

Keep in mind, I'm shaking down this bike for a planned attempt at an Iron Butt "Ultimate Coast to Coast" ride, next year I hope.  So, I'm wanting to do just a few mild things, that will not sacrifice reliability and maybe reduce failure points  & complexity.

Personally, I'm thinking:

• 18t sprocket
• "domestic" style stock exhaust, with reinforced bracket welds (those failed like, instantly on my '01) and de-chromed/coated (purely aesthetic, since my bike is a Military and all that chrome just won't do! maybe an exhaust wrap on the pipe?)
• de-PAV it
• I'd like to keep the stock air box, but open it up somehow... K&N or drilled out or something... any thoughts?
• 7" headlamp (already ordered)
• better grips
• higher bars - already ordered and trying the "trials" cross-braced bars. Figured painted black they would look good on the Military and the cross-bar would add room for doodads (GPS, windshield brackets, etc)
• seat - looking for a good flat bench style with no "hump" in it.  any idears?

Questionable:
I still have the small Amal sold by CMW that I never used on my '01.  I like the fact that there's no rubber head connection to fail, and it's vintage looks, but don't know if it's worth the effort & risk since the stock one works just fine.
H-D clutch springs? (had them on my '01.  Only diff I noticed was it was a lot harder to pull the lever!)
H-D cable set? helped with my '01, but worth it on an '07 5-speed with the newer lever sets?

Another weakness of my '01 4-spd was the clutch throw-out adjusters would self-destruct on me... (hmm... thinking back to those H-D springs now...
) it seems like the 5-speeds have an entirely different mechanism, but... is there something in there I should keep spares of?

[geoffbaker]

How about a diesel conversion for a sensible upgrade?

[StL_Stadtroller]

How about a diesel conversion for a sensible upgrade?

I'm saving that conversion for my '87 VW Syncro Westfalia! 

[Bankerdanny]

Will you be using a windshield? If not then you might not want the higher bars. The standard bar is already pretty upright and any extended time at 50mph+ is very tiring. I have the ace bars, they help with the sail effect, but would not be appropriate for 1000 miles.

I have the 18-tooth on my 2002, I like it. It pushes the comfort zone in top gear up a bit to about 60 and allows for a very comfortable 50-55 with minimal vibes.

You will love the 7" upgrade. I also have that and the improvement in light was dramatic.

You might consider the high flow oil pump. 1000+ miles with minimal rest will be very hard on an Enfield and I would think improved oil flow would be well worth having.

I have the english style seat with the white piping. Not only does it look great, but it is wider and flatter. More comfortable than the standard seat by far. A sprung solo seat might work well too. The extra shock absorption from the springs could reduce fatigue from engine vibrations.

I have softer grips, but the vibrations still make it through. Perhaps adding bar end weights like the Electra would help. I have a bar end mirror, so I have not added weights.

The carb upgrade might be worth while since you will be going over some mountains. The 18-tooth counter sprocket is great, but it will have an impact on your ability to carry speed up a steep grade, so a little extra power would probably be worth while.

Search K&N here on the board. There is a desccription including pictures on how to modify the air box to hold the K&N filter.

[StL_Stadtroller]

Will you be using a windshield? If not then you might not want the higher bars. The standard bar is already pretty upright and any extended time at 50mph+ is very tiring. I have the ace bars, they help with the sail effect, but would not be appropriate for 1000 miles.

I do plan on getting one eventually, yes. As for the factory bars, I actually do find myself a little haunched over with them, and a lot of reach.  On my '01, my dealer had a source for bars that were a little bit more in each aspect - a bit higher, a bit wider, a bit more back. LOVED them.  But alas, those bars are now unavailable! 

Like I said, I'm hoping the "trials" bars are a decent compromise, but hey, they're just bars. I can swap'em out until I'm happy.

I have the 18-tooth on my 2002, I like it. It pushes the comfort zone in top gear up a bit to about 60 and allows for a very comfortable 50-55 with minimal vibes.

Had one on my '01. Came that way from the dealer. I had never ridden a Bullet with the original sprocket until this one. It took me a bit to realize why it seemed like it was revving so much at 55mph 

You will love the 7" upgrade. I also have that and the improvement in light was dramatic.

had one of those on my '01 as well... but with the "tri-bar" lamp housing. It sucked ballz. Plus I kept blowing bulbs every few thousand miles.
This time around I'm just going with a standard fluted lamp housing and buying only "motorcycle" specific H4(?) bulbs, to see if that will help.

You might consider the high flow oil pump. 1000+ miles with minimal rest will be very hard on an Enfield and I would think improved oil flow would be well worth having.

had those on my '01 as well. Only thing I noticed was I sarted using a lot of oil, and blowing A LOT out the duckbill afterwards.
There seems to be a little debate over wether they're really all that nessesary?

I also won't be doing any SS1K's ever... My pace isually around 400 miles/day on the old highways.

I have the english style seat with the white piping. Not only does it look great, but it is wider and flatter. More comfortable than the standard seat by far. A sprung solo seat might work well too. The extra shock absorption from the springs could reduce fatigue from engine vibrations.

I was looking at that... couldn't tell if it was "flat" or if there was a step in it or not.  Not crazy about the white piping though since I have a Military.

I had the deluxe solo on my '01.  It was OK. I used a gel pad on it. I just thought it would be nice to have the freedom to move back and forth in the saddle a bit.  Also, the front seat bracket broke on me in the Texas panhandle and I had to ride for a day with it rigged up and digging into my tender bits until I found someone with a welder. (suprisingly, not as easy as you would think in Texas ranch country).

The carb upgrade might be worth while since you will be going over some mountains. The 18-tooth counter sprocket is great, but it will have an impact on your ability to carry speed up a steep grade, so a little extra power would probably be worth while.

This is the biggest "iffy" one for me.  Do I mess with what's not broken and go for looks & simplicity or just leave it be? I never had any "carburetion" issues with my '01 with the stok Micarb and shorty muffler & K&N. power was livable on the mountain passes... how fast do you want to go anyway?

I did however, go through 3-4 of the rubber adaptors, so eliminating that point of failure is appealing.

Thanks for the input!

[LJRead]

The seat issue seems a big one to me.  I have a double one with the hump which, of course, permits a lower driver seating position, but means there is that bump which seems to impinge even when driving in the normal forward riding position.  I have seen some three quarter seats which look promising, in that they can probably set a little lower, yet give easy ability to move back. There was one shown on the new British Woodsman which may be pictured in the Photos section.  I'm pretty sure they would be available from Britain.

Even 400 miles per day seems like iron butt contry to me.  As to the carb, I have a feeling the Mik CV might be the thing as it isn't affected by altitudes, has very little to go out of adjustment, yet easy to adjust too. 

Have a look at the box I put on mine in the "New Safari setup" photos I posted.  Tremendous storage for cross country (yeah, cross country here is all of 25 miles), and the thing is, one of the large Aerostich duffels will fit nicely across the two panniers giving a soft backrest, If a sleeping bag is in there, and a really huge amount of storage where its weight won't do any harm.  Then you would lose the advantage of a double seat, but the three quarters seat might work with a duffel and give you some butt room.

Does the iron butt have time restraints?  That's where a problem might come in.  If you are allowed to just lope along at your own pace, and take it slow, you will be fine, but to push it...

Sounds like fun!

LJ

[woodboats]

18 tooth sprocket is good.
If you haven't already done it, change the stock rear tire to an Avon road tire.

[StL_Stadtroller]

Does the iron butt have time restraints?  That's where a problem might come in.  If you are allowed to just lope along at your own pace, and take it slow, you will be fine, but to push it...

You're allowed 30 days to complete the Ultimate Coast to Coast.  In looking at the IBA records, it looks like most guys on "normal" bikes get the job done in about 12-14 days.

Knowing my own and the bikes limits fairly well, I figure doing it in about 3 weeks is a reasonable goal, then spend the 4th week of vacation with the Wife in Alaska.  (the cost of being allowed to go on a huge 2-wheel adventure on my own!  )  The ride up the "haul road" from Fairbanks to Deadhorse and back sounds like it's 4-days easy right there!

I'm hoping to gain the cooperation of dealers in Florida and Alaska to assist in shipping to my starting point and back home from the end. Haven't made any calls yet though.

[Jon]

The older Enfield Indias had a bench style seat without the step.I fitted an original
Redditch dual seat(circa 1957) to my 350 and it bolted straight on,I couldn't get on
with the sprung saddle as I kept sliding off the back of it.
Any dualseat from the 250-700 range should fit and you could probably obtain one
from the UK.

[baird4444]

For the higher bars you might consider some 2" risers...   I've had the 2" dog bones on mine and like the more upright position.

There was a problem on the 5 speed clutch arm where the cable attaches...  make sure yours is modded or have the corrected version, seems to eat cable ends.

Keep the stock carb. Once tuned it is Bullet proof; add a Turbulator...

Go with the 18 th gear....

just my thoughts- Mike

[jest2dogs]

"Ultimate Coast to Coast" ? 12-14 days?

Back in 1982 I drove west from Boston on my 1970 R75/5. I stopped on Michigan's Upper Peninsula to visit a friend for a day and a half. In one of the Dakotas (sorry, memory cells, y'know) in the middle of nowhere, a battery terminal snapped off, within rolling distance of one of those classic, dusty, filling stations with the old bus out back. Drilled out the post for a bolt and continued on. Fifty mph headwinds along the Columbia River exhausted the windshield-less rider. I had to stop every couple of miles to catch my breath. I caught the last ferry out of Seattle to the Olympic Peninsula that night and made it to Port Angeles at the end of the seventh day.

But I was much younger then...

-Jesse, haven't been to Alaska yet.