[RogerRamJet]

Greeting to all - I picked up a 2011 Bullet 500 today and first things first, I want to change the oil. I have scoured the internet and am now tired of staring at the computer. I summized:

- Motul 5100 15W/50 is a good choice for the oil.

But either I am overlooking something or looking over something... I cannot find a P/N for the oil filter kit (filter, o rings, washers)

Can anyone please point me to where I can buy the correct kit for the bike? (stateside - Amazon?)

Is p/n 500613/A correct ?

- Does the bike come stock with a magnetic drain plug?  If not is there a seller of such a thing?

Any other helpful info on what I should look at doing or inspecting - specific to the bike - would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance
-Brian

[wildbill]

you can go to the homepage and find online store and buy from enfield gear or you can buy it from usa ebay - here eBay item number:
273479878882
or you can buy a pack directly from india

[Bert Remington]

wildbill -- I'm going to butt in here and point Brian in another direction.

Brian -- please start with CMW the host of our forum.  They have a complete kit (https://www.classicmotorworks.com/complete-oil-change-kit/) that will get you off to a good start.  And contact Tim (Royal Enfield of Fort Worth [tim@enfieldpro.com]) for what else is needed to ensure your new friend is road ready.

RE aluminum can be a bit fragile, especially with the 8mm cover bolts.  Arizoni has published easy-to-read torque settings -- easy to look up.  Start here (https://forum.classicmotorworks.com/index.php/topic,26459.msg303574.html#msg303574).

I recommend the use of a 1/4" digital torque wrench or a high quality click wrench.  As I recall the values 8mm=4ftlb  19mm=15ftlb.  If you have the third drain bolt its 8ftlb.

If you don't have a torque wrench, finger tight plus one-quarter turn gently.  And get a torque wrench.

[Richard230]

My RE B5 came from the factory with magnetic drain plugs at both the main drain hole at the rear of the sump and the center filter bolt in the middle of the photo above.  Unfortunately, my 2011 model does not have the additional oil drain location at the front of the sump so I don't know if that bolt also is magnetic.

[9fingers]

RogerRamJet........ I like the name. I watched a youtube video for my first oil change and it helped a lot. Also, a neat trick on there for how to remove the rear wheel. I use Motul as well. Good luck!
9fingers

[Bert Remington]

Brian -- forgot to mention engine temperature should be almost but not too hot to touch when you drain oil and then allowed to cool at least another half-hour before reassembly.

[9fingers]

Bert, why the cooling period?
9fingers

[RogerRamJet]

Thanks to all for the replies and info 

I was assuming working on the Enfield would be much like wrenching a Ural (something ive done a quite a bit of) and it it similar for sure.

After spending a couple hours with the bike I found the following:

 - Chain was 4 clicks loose on the left side. Never saw one that far out... perhaps that will account for the "clunking" noise I noticed coming from the right side when I took it on a test ride

- Oil was low (topped off, waiting for new filter kit)

- Handlebars do not seem stock... very tall and wide...by comparison they appear to be from a Thunderbird 350

- Paint around filler cap is peeling from fuel spills.. cleaned that up hopefully not too much loose paint got in the tank

- Appears to have an aftermarket EFI module - EJK (Electronic Jet Kit)





Cant figure out how to post pics... otherwise I would.

Thanks again,
-Brian

[Bert Remington]

Answering 9fingers's question first: when hot backing out the fine threads on the 8mm steel bolts risks pulling some of the RE's weak alloy aluminum threads along with them.  And tightening the 8mm screws into the poorly toleranced aluminum threads when hot risks flexing them.  The steel bolts aren't the problem -- they're well made.  Its RE's aluminum castings and threading of same that's the problem.

Step back and look at RE's "most modern" engine oil filtration, drain and refill system.

Oil filter: five separate pieces (two filter O-rings; the filter; the cover O-ring; and the cover); three 8mm bolts under spring tension requiring extra care in starting alignment and bolt-to-bolt even tightening; located where oil drains on exhaust pipe; 4ftlb torque

Main drain: 19mm bolt with copper O-ring; easy to access under engine on center stand; 15ftlb torque

Secondary drain: five separate pieces (two 8mm bolts, the screen, the cover O-ring, and the cover); access under engine; 4ftlb torque

Tertiary drain: 12mm bolt with copper O-ring; access under engine; 8ftlb torque

And RE instructions say rock the motorcycle side-to-side to drain primary case, etc!

Refill requires removal of easy access cap except it has an interference fit with the alternator/CPS cable; requires use of small diameter funnel unless you don't mind oiling your exhaust pipe.  Since you really don't know how much oil you didn't drain, you have to play sight glass games for the next two days to get the oil level correct.

Arizoni could have designed a one bolt, one filter with integral O-ring, and one cover system in a day and produced the technical data package in another two days.

No engineer on my team would have offered the RE design ... because they wouldn't have been on my team.  It's truly that bad of a design, even for legacy considerations.

Returning to Brian, I don't know anything about Ural but wrenching on an RE is unique.  Be careful in your assumptions because RE gets some things right but many more not-so-right.  This forum can help you with the learning curve.  But they're are a truly fun ride.

[wildbill]

your bike should be running extremely well with an ejk fitted. I think they are that good I just ordered another new unit

[Arizoni]

RogerRamJet

You mentioned the oil level was low and you filled it.
Hopefully, you didn't overfill it.  If you do, the oil/air separator system for the crankcase vent won't be able to stop oil from getting blown thru the vent hose up into your air filter.

To properly check the oil level, sit the motorcycle on the center stand.  The surface it's sitting on must be level with the ground because any tipping to the right or left will mess up the oil level reading.
Start the engine and let it idle for 1/2 to 1 minute and shut it off.

Allow a few minutes for the oil to drain out of the cylinder head rocker arm area.

The oil level in the sight guage should be above the bottom and below the top of the window.

Your 2011 RE won't have the forward drain plug.  Just the main drain and the oil pump screen cover.

You can reuse the O-rings on the pump screen cover and the oil filter cap many times.  Just be sure to lightly oil the filter cap cover O-ring before forcing the cover back into the hole.

Don't take apart the spring loaded stuff that is attached to the oil filter cap.  There is nothing there to service or to replace.

Your engine should be about like mine.  Although the Owners Manual says it takes over 2 liters of oil, actually it only takes about 1.8 quarts (1.7 liters).  The 2+ liter value is for a newly rebuilt engine with no oil in it.

I should mention, the high prices for the oil filter isn't really that high when you consider, Royal Enfield says the oil filter only needs replacing every other oil change.

[wildbill]

what is a big surprise on an oil change is how much oil is actually left in the motor.
a week back I did a complete oil change on my c5 then decided to remove the right cover plate.
quite a bit of oil still inside. have read where various members have tilted their bikes to get rid of all the oil.
actually found will all oil out just on 2 litres went back in. id say the side cover still holds a good 200mil or more if just the 3 underside plugs are drained

[upintheair]

On my 2015 B5, I consistently drain 2.1 liters (3 plugs and tipping).  After putting that much back in, the level is at mid sight glass.

[Richard230]

On my two-hole B5, I can get 2 quarts out and back in by leaning the bike back and forth. The oil level ends up in the middle of the window when I do that. 

[Bert Remington]

Stumbled into this just now (https://forum.classicmotorworks.com/index.php/topic,26624.msg304940.html#new).  Life of Brian (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monty_Python%27s_Life_of_Brian) a bit more complicated than 2011 B5.

[RogerRamJet]

Stumbled into this just now (https://forum.classicmotorworks.com/index.php/topic,26624.msg304940.html#new).  Life of Brian (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monty_Python%27s_Life_of_Brian) a bit more complicated than 2011 B5.

huh? im slow... but maybe i'll get it eventually. but yea.. this bike is destined to become a hack. odd thing is what seems like a simple and straight forward thing is proving to be a bit more difficult. As in im going to have to fabricate a few more parts than I had thought. Using pics of Cozy's and zooming in on mounting points for them and the  very, very few examples I can find of the Bullet and a Velorex. 

I want to ensure the bike is in tip top shape and learn its idiosyncrasies before adding a chair.  I am one of those that likes to know the bike im riding. wish I could figure out how to post pics here as I would start a thread on the build, but for some reason I just get the "img" tags fore and aft and when I insert the link... no image is returned.. just a big blank space.

anyway thanks again for the info...
-Brian

[Narada]

When replying, just go to the bottom of reply box and click on"attachments and other options", then "choose file".

That's one way to do it.

Good luck with the Velorex. I only have my DMC so can't offer much info for you. There are universal kits for the Cozy... Various websites I've seen with fittings but I think you have to tell them which pieces you want. One was a guy in Florida...but I don't recall any more. 

[Narada]

Just saw this RE sidecar attaching tutorial on FB;

https://youtu.be/KuWgLFkQNyo

[RogerRamJet]

Just saw this RE sidecar attaching tutorial on FB;

https://youtu.be/KuWgLFkQNyo

Thanks for the link. I found out that there is indeed an Enfield dealer once again in Phoenix. YAY!!!

I went down there yesterday and found that they not only had several bikes in stock, they even had one with a cozy sidecar attached.

While it was 100% relevant, seeing the mounting points and hardware up close and personal, definitely helped.

here is a pic of the new to me Bullet.... anyone think those handlebars seem out of place besides me ?

[Mad4Bullets]

Yes, the bars do appear just a bit too vertical and their span too wide for the general lines of the bike in my opinion. And we all know what that's worth. 

[Arizoni]

I never liked "ape hangers" so to me those handlebars look totally dumb on a RE.

[Narada]

Extra width could be handy for sidecar cornering leverage?   

Driving a rig can be quite an upper body wokout!   

[tooseevee]

I never liked "ape hangers" so to me those handlebars look totally dumb on a RE.

       Those aren't even close to ape hangers (more like buck horns), but yes, they're way out of character for the Enfield and you know the kinds of bikes I've ridden most of my adult life 

[Richard230]

Did someone mention "ape hangers"?   

[Bert Remington]

My 750 didn't come with those accessories.  But there was a poster in Sonny Angel's workshop of a very flexible young lady.

[RogerRamJet]

yea i thought they looked a bit "off"... from what I can tell they likely came from a Thunderbird 500

The bike has a few other "add-on's"... im wondering if the person who bought it new (supposedly I am the 3rd owner) had all of it installed at the dealer. Either way I'm gonna leave them on until the sidecar is mounted and see how I feel about them then. As mentioned the width could come in handy with a sidecar attached. The  rise and pull back though.... fugly.