[radicaldoc]

Hi guys i need a little advice i live in spain and want to buy a bullet 500. which should i pick an EFI or crb model i have the choice the carb model is a 2011 electra carb version.. or a 500 bullet EFI.
the other choice is a 1967 500 bullet..
I just don't know i thenk the 67 will be more work but they are supposed to be very reliable arn't they?
Any advice would be wolcome.. thanks

[Richard230]

If you are more interested in riding than servicing and/or repairing, I would go for the EFI Bullet. 

[Adrian II]

There are no official 500 Bullets for 1967. The UK factory had ceased production and the Indian factory would not produce a 500 for at least another 20 years!

It sounds like this 500 is an unofficial import, most likely the frame off a 1967 350 (if even that is genuine) fitted with a 500 engine and more recent running gear. There is a whole industry in India selling these bitsas to unsuspecting westerners.

IF whoever brought it into Spain succeeded in getting it registered and there is full EU or at least Spanish-compliant paperwork, and IF whoever put the thing together did a decent job, it could still be a worthwhile motorcycle, you would have to do some investigation!

The 500 EFI would, I expect, be a more trouble-free purchase.

A.

[radicaldoc]

It has all official paperwork and classed as historic here you get longer IMOT and don't haave problems with emisions etc with it I am supposed to be buying it this week if all is well
I did look for info on it on line but couldn't find any and some insurace dont have qiets for it either ..Which made me a bit wary of it but he has all proper paperwork

[Adrian II]

That does look like one that was restored in India a few years ago. I'm trying to see from the photo if it has the pressure release valve screwed into the front of the crankcase immediately below the feed pipe that goes to the rockers. If that IS fitted, it will be a 500 crank and top end built into a set of modified 350 crankcases, possibly the originals. This valve was a feature on UK-built Bullets and early Indian 350s, but the factory stopped fitting them at least ten years before they started building the 500s.

Insurance-wise we are back to the fact that there are no Indian-built 500 Bullets officially before about 1989, only 350s. You would have to explain to the insurer that it was originally the 350 but with later modifications.

A.

[radicaldoc]

I have decided to buy this one instead as the guy is a bit strange and no commital this is a 2011 500 bullet electra ... it's in perfect condition and only done 6,500 km. nice fishtail exhaust as well..it has the origional exhaust with it too.. thanks for everyone's input

[ROVERMAN]

Yeah, that's nice.

[Adrian II]

An Electra-X, excellent! (I'm on my second with a couple of Electra-engined specials to boot).

Probably manufactured nearer 2007/8 in view of looming Euro 3 emissions regs, but it might have sat in a dealer's showroom until 2011. Early models had a few issues but the later ones were a better bet. The Electra-X was the only 500 lean-burn Bullet sold in Europe. The USA had the AVL Classic as well as the Electra-X, there was also an Indian home market version, the gloriously named 500 Machismo.

If you didn't get a service manual you can download it here.

http://www.royalenfieldlesite.fr/spip/spip.php?article392

If you want an English-language Owner's Manual send me a private message with your contact details and I will post one to you.

Have a look over in the Bullet Electra and AVL Models section of the forum and see what what you have been missing.

A.

[radicaldoc]

PM sent thanks
by the way this is hopefully my one stupid question what is AVL.? I know i will realise after i asked this but there you go i am old and the brain has gone LOL

[Adrian II]

AVL is a specialist engine design firm in Austria which was contracted by Enfield India to re-design the classic Bullet engine into a lean-burn variant with an eye on impending emissions regulations. The first model, originally in 350 form for the Indian home market, was the A350 Machismo in 1999, flowed by the "cruiser" styled 350 Thunderbird. The Electra-X was the 500 export version made from 2004-2008, but but still sold alongside the classic Bullets. These are often referred to as the cast iron or iron barrel Bullets in view of the cast iron cylinder barrels still fitted at the factory, even after their owners fit after-market alloy cylinders!

A.

[radicaldoc]

Great reply and very informative thank you..

[tooseevee]

Great reply and very informative thank you..

       Just to add to what Adrian said:
 
                           Anstalt Verbrennungskraftmachinen List

        I tracked it down shortly after I got my '08 only because words interest me and how they're put together. Individual words become whole sentences in some languages. And, yes, I realize it's totally useless information 

[Bilgemaster]

Since we're getting all linguistic, while there will never be a "longest" word in German, since one can always tack on a bit more as circumstances dictate, their folksy equivalent to our "antidisestablishmentarianism" oft cited by clever schoolkids is arguably "Donaudampfschiffahrtsgesellschaftskapitaensmutzengummi", meaning "the elastic band of a Danube steamship company captain's cap". But then, even more ponderous than that is "Donaudampfschiffahrtselektrizitaetenhauptbetriebswerkbauunterbeamtengesellschaft", which even has its own Wikipedia entry.
 

[hpwaco]

Per Adrain's reply. a 2011 would be a UCE engine, right?

[Richard230]

Since we're getting all linguistic, while there will never be a "longest" word in German, since one can always tack on a bit more as circumstances dictate, their folksy equivalent to our "antidisestablishmentarianism" oft cited by clever schoolkids is arguably "Donaudampfschiffahrtsgesellschaftskapitaensmutzengummi", meaning "the elastic band of a Danube steamship company captain's cap". But then, even more ponderous than that is "Donaudampfschiffahrtselektrizitaetenhauptbetriebswerkbauunterbeamtengesellschaft", which even has its own Wikipedia entry.

That reminds me: my oldest granddaughter is attending the Freie University in Berlin and is majoring in German and German literature. The younger one is attending UC Santa Cruz and majoring in linguistics, with a minor in Russian.  I have no idea how any of these majors will provide a living for them in the future.