[RP McMurphy]

Hey all,

Got sick of messing around with the twin-leading-shoe drum on my 2008 AVL Bullet. I picked up a disc brake kit with a completed wheel off of ebay (sorry CMW!), so I'm planning on throwing that on. So here's where the questions begin--

1) My kit didn't come with bearings or seals or an axle. Since I might as well upgrade to sealed bearings instead, does anyone have the specs for the rubber dust/grease seals that go over the bearings on the front wheel? Bearings are 6203-2RS, right?

2) I'm guessing it's easier and safer to put new fork ends on the existing forks, so the brake caliper and new axle all line up correctly, yes? I can source those easily enough, but how big of a job is it to pull apart the front forks? I'm kicking around the idea of going to progressive springs since I'll be in there anyway, but any help or resources towards that job would be much appreciated.

3) My tires are old anyhow, so it's not worth moving them over to the new rim. Are the Continental Classic Attacks the new standard for Bullet handling, or will I be just as happy with a set of AM26 Roadriders? Let the tire flame war commence! Everybody pick a side! Two tires enter, one tire leaves!

Thanks guys (and gals)!

[ace.cafe]

The 2rs bearings are shielded bearings. they already have the shields.

Torque the fork caps on carefully and evenly. They break very easily, so do not exceed the torque spec.

I don't know about the Continental Tires. the Avon AM26 tires are very good.

[Adrian II]

http://www.hitchcocksmotorcycles.com/technical-notes

Scroll down to fork spring replacement for a fork strip guide. If you are swapping lower fork legs for the Electra-X type with the screw-in spindle here's the on-line parts list. You will need the centrally mounted front fender to go with this, assuming you are not swapping to the early leading axle B5/C5 forks with the traditional style fender struts.

http://www.hitchcocksmotorcycles.com/partsbooks/pages/4712/Front_Hub

The parts list quotes 6203 2RS bearings too, if you want the rubber seals, 6203 ZZ for metal shields. AM26 would be a good tyre choice, don't upgrade your front brake without a tyre upgrade, too!

A.

[RP McMurphy]

Alright, just had a look through hitchcock's resources.

Didn't realize that the fork lowers can come off easily with the fork uppers still secured in the triple tree. That should make life easier. Since I would like to keep the front chrome fender that I have, does anyone know a way to mount the drum fender on disc brake fork-lowers? I'm guessing I'll have to hunt around for early C5 or G5 fork lowers...

Should I spend the extra money for CMW's progressive front springs kit? Or alternatively, is there any way to make a gold-valve emulator work with this fork setup? Ideally I'd like to keep the bullet's classic looks with the headlight nacelle (guess I'm the only one who really likes those), while going for maximum handling performance. Yes yes I know it's a bullet, it's not a racebike.

So, the quick list of things to buy to make this kit bolt up--

1) Tires and tubes (front and rear)
2) Front wheel bearings and grease/dust seals (still trying to find the dimensions of the seals that cover the sealed bearings... overkill probably, but I'm wondering about keeping the bearings in place?)
3) Front axle/spindle with spacers and locknut
4) New rubber fork seals, 4 of them (because I'll be in there anyhow and the ones on there are probably circa 2008)
5) Disc brake fork-lowers, preferably with mounting points for the original drum-style fender.
6) New fork oil (5 or 10 weight)

Not pictured-- about 10,000 pairs of nitrile gloves, my dignity, the patience of my friends and family...

[Ice]

CMW has you covered on the parts you need including the tires.

[RP McMurphy]

Alright, but since I'd have to re-bracket or entirely replace the front fender... am I actually better off just modifying the existing drum-brake fork ends? From what I read on another thread, it's a matter of filing off the brake-plate locating tab and shimming everything so it lines up correctly. Anyone here been down this road before? Is there an objectively better option? I don't mind shelling out for the disc fork ends, I just don't want to ruin the look of the fender and have to buy a new fender (I have the chrome ones, so that's even harder to figure out).

Thoughts?

[Ice]

 It will work but require either the lug to be filed or the leg to be replaced. There are no other ways to fit the parts.

 Pic of how Da Punds converted to disc and kept the fenders and stays and one from the web.

[Adrian II]

If you definitely want the drum brake style front fender, your bottom fork leg options are a modified drum brake type with the drum brake locating lug removed, or a pair of the early B5/C5 type with a set of B5 stays to match.  I know of one RE specialist who doesn't recommend using the modified drum brake fork bottom legs on safety grounds, but the B5/C5 casting (NOT the G5, that uses central fender mounts) has a much bigger stiffening web to allow for the greater stress caused by the disk brake. You would have to check whether the B5 bottom legs are compatable with the older style internals on the AVL forks. If you can get a good deal on a complete set of early B5 forks that might be the way to go.

A.

[longstrokeclassic]

This project needs to be done right first time. The last thing you want is an Enfield with fork problems.

[mattsz]

That's a lot of trouble just to change the fork oil...

[Adrian II]

Not exactly an advert for the Himalayan's robustness is it? Perhaps even more worrying than weak fork sliders is the fact that the stanchions here have just snapped outright in the collision instead of bending.

I gather both riders survived, fortunately.

A.

[Kevin Mahoney]

Good one

That's a lot of trouble just to change the fork oil...

[RP McMurphy]

This project needs to be done right first time. The last thing you want is an Enfield with fork problems.

Yikes!

That's kind of my internal debate about this whole upgrade. I don't want to compromise safety just for the look of the fender. I do like the look of some of the alloy front fenders with a loop-around top bracket, maybe that's my best option here, since those would at least bolt right up. Just don't want this project to spiral out of control time and money wise. I'm also trying to swap out the bars and upgrade the seat around the same time.

I guess the consensus is that the disc fork lowers are the safest, if not the cheapest or simplest option?

[Kevin Mahoney]

When you purchased a Royal Enfield the project had already spiraled out of control. 

I have never need a set of forks break like those Himalayan forks did. Bend yes.
but I've not seen everything.....

[Ice]

 That's got to hurt.   

[Adrian II]

Thinking about it, surely that's worth a product re-call?

[malky]

Alright, but since I'd have to re-bracket or entirely replace the front fender... am I actually better off just modifying the existing drum-brake fork ends? From what I read on another thread, it's a matter of filing off the brake-plate locating tab and shimming everything so it lines up correctly. Anyone here been down this road before? Is there an objectively better option? I don't mind shelling out for the disc fork ends, I just don't want to ruin the look of the fender and have to buy a new fender (I have the chrome ones, so that's even harder to figure out).

Thoughts?

I did the conversion on my 500 iron barrel. The kit came complete with new fender support, so the existing fender was left intact The only time consuming bit was filing the the fork leg where the brake caliper mounts true then shimming it up properly. It can all be done without removing the fork leg. The brake worked very well and gave many 1000's of miles trouble free service. If I remember correctly I removed the lug with a hacksaw with the blade turned at 90 degrees then filed and finished it off so it looked like it had never been there. As you have the chrome guard the new bracket could be formed out of stainless and polished so as not to look out of place.

[longstrokeclassic]

Product recall ?   They all do that sir 

[RP McMurphy]

I did the conversion on my 500 iron barrel. The kit came complete with new fender support, so the existing fender was left intact The only time consuming bit was filing the the fork leg where the brake caliper mounts true then shimming it up properly. It can all be done without removing the fork leg. The brake worked very well and gave many 1000's of miles trouble free service. If I remember correctly I removed the lug with a hacksaw with the blade turned at 90 degrees then filed and finished it off so it looked like it had never been there. As you have the chrome guard the new bracket could be formed out of stainless and polished so as not to look out of place.

Thanks Malky, but I think I'm leaning towards doing the fork leg swap anyways, and throwing in progressive springs and an alloy fender while I'm at it.

Though now that I think about it, there's really no reason I couldn't just mount the wheel on the existing forks, order the disc-brake forks and such, and then swap them out later. Hmm.