[ScooterBob]

GHG and Boys - BRAVO!!! I think you have found the "stored" energy in the frame! Funny that - after I got punted last summer in the parking lot (about 25 feet - I STILL hurt from that ...) my military was wonky. I got it home and took all the fender stay brackets and pannier racks, etc off of it - and VOILA! - Straight again! I figger Raj installs the fender and the stays at the same time on the bike for convenience .... and the convenience is the LEVERAGE to cram it on the frame if it's a little off. You DO need to take the tail section completely off and ride it to see if the main frame is straight (I'm bettin' it IS!) and then you can decide how to reassemble the rest without the tension in it ..... Outstanding! - Absolutely outstanding!! A good effort on all that! If, indeed, this is the case - I am going to make a FULL report to the engineers in India to let them know to watch out for all of this! 

[gashousegorilla]

Thanks bob, and to all you guys. Don't uncork the bottle just yet. Gotta rig up the bike for a highway test,and right now I'm just beat. Work this weekend, I'll get to her in the next couple of days, I'll report back here,
Dan.

[ScooterBob]

Thanks bob, and to all you guys. Don't uncork the bottle just yet. Gotta rig up the bike for a highway test,and right now I'm just beat. Work this weekend, I'll get to her in the next couple of days, I'll report back here,
Dan.

I'm uncorkin' the bottle ANYWAY - I spent the day in the shed doing the top end of a Harley-Davis - and getting my cylinder for the WM20 clean enough to toss onto the machine table and bore ...... I'm beat as well .... but the GOOD kind of beat, you know? Let us know when you get that puppy out and up to speed, eh?

[gashousegorilla]

I'm uncorkin' the bottle ANYWAY - I spent the day in the shed doing the top end of a Harley-Davis - and getting my cylinder for the WM20 clean enough to toss onto the machine table and bore ...... I'm beat as well .... but the GOOD kind of beat, you know? Let us know when you get that puppy out and up to speed, eh?

Alright, but save me some, I ain't drink'in till I know it's in the bag. Definitely the good kind of beat.  Oh yea, I know what you mean, just the down after the high. Us screw heads get are rocks off by figuring Sh%! like this out. You will be the first to know, or maybe the first person who just happens to be there, Yahoo!!!!

[BRADEY]

Just to keep you guys posted. The instability issue is more serious and widespread than we think. So much so that RE is designing a new swing arm for the C5.

They have also altered the hinges on air filter box, to make it less prone to sucking in dust through the hinges, as on the older models. In fact there is a second upgrade in pipeline, which will be a sealed plastic box, fixed inside the box housing the air filter currently.

[BRADEY]

I can't see the button to attach photos. Please let me know so that I may upload the images of the old and intermediate designs of the air filter boxes.

[Ducati Scotty]

Another data point for what it's worth:

Today was the first day I got to go for a really long ride.  I did mostly country highways from 50-75mph and some straight highway at the same speeds, up to 80 once.  Loose and tight turns in the country.  The bike is stable at all speeds.  Over 50 on a straight I can wiggle the bars and the bike will oscillate a few times but settles quickly.  It oscillates a little longer at higher speeds.  Once in a while over 50 on a straight I'll get the slightest hint of an oscillation in the bars, so small it's really hard to notice.  It goes away if I change my lane position.

Just being curious, I broke loose one of the bolts on the rear fender strut to see if it was spring loaded, the lower left one near the passenger peg.  It moved maybe 1/8", not enough to act like a spring and torque the frame.

I also too off the pillion, no difference in handling.

Scott

[r80rt]

I can't see the button to attach photos. Please let me know so that I may upload the images of the old and intermediate designs of the air filter boxes.

When you reply, click on additional options just below the message box, you can attach a picture there.

[gashousegorilla]

Just to keep you guys posted. The instability issue is more serious and widespread than we think. So much so that RE is designing a new swing arm for the C5.

They have also altered the hinges on air filter box, to make it less prone to sucking in dust through the hinges, as on the older models. In fact there is a second upgrade in pipeline, which will be a sealed plastic box, fixed inside the box housing the air filter currently.

Thanks for that info Bradey, and I suspect it is. Tell you what, If that new swing arm looks anything Like the "GOrilla Brace", Me, Ducatiscotty, and the rest of the boy's who contributed, want a piece of that action. Gotta make you wonder, why a bunch of part time garage monkeys,and failing engineer majors could figure this stuff out, after the bad design, in a relatively short time. Hell, we did this on the side. Sometimes those engineers need to just put those slide rules down, step back, take a look , and just do what makes sense.
Dan.

[gashousegorilla]

Another data point for what it's worth:

Today was the first day I got to go for a really long ride.  I did mostly country highways from 50-75mph and some straight highway at the same speeds, up to 80 once.  Loose and tight turns in the country.  The bike is stable at all speeds.  Over 50 on a straight I can wiggle the bars and the bike will oscillate a few times but settles quickly.  It oscillates a little longer at higher speeds.  Once in a while over 50 on a straight I'll get the slightest hint of an oscillation in the bars, so small it's really hard to notice.  It goes away if I change my lane position.

Just being curious, I broke loose one of the bolts on the rear fender strut to see if it was spring loaded, the lower left one near the passenger peg.  It moved maybe 1/8", not enough to act like a spring and torque the frame.

I also too off the pillion, no difference in handling.

Scott

Thanks scotty, good info there maybe some more conformation. If there's any tention in those fender stays, you should see it when you loosen the fender mounting scews, on the stay, not so much by by loosening one of the bolts at the frame, remember, the other three bolts on the frame are still holding most, if any, of the tension back. Loosening the 4 fender mount screws, is the real tell all. An 1/8" ain't much at one bolt, but does show some tension,is it an inch on the other end? hopefully not. That fender should sit in there with neutral tension. But if your bike seems to be handling fine, I would not sweat it. LISTEN, THIS IS ONLY THE EXPIERIENCE THAT I'M HAVING WITH MY BIKE! I DO NOT THINK EVERYONE SHOULD START TEARING THERE REAR ENDS OFF TO HAVE A LOOK!
IF YOUR HAVING AN ISSUE,TAKE IT TO YOUR DEALER OR A MECHANIC! YOU COULD SCREW SOMETHING UP AND GET HURT!
 Scotty I'll take some more carfull measurements on the frame, especially around the shock towers, when I get back into it.Hopefully tonight. I am a Little concerned about just how much tension there was, and the possibility a distortion or tearing, steel tends to rip or bend and not crack. When my left fender stay is put in the correct position, like when the fender was in place, the whole left side of the frame bows out a bit.
Dan.

[ScooterBob]

Thanks for that info Bradey, and I suspect it is. Tell you what, If that new swing arm looks anything Like the "GOrilla Brace", Me, Ducatiscotty, and the rest of the boy's who contributed, want a piece of that action. Gotta make you wonder, why a bunch of part time garage monkeys,and failing engineer majors could figure this stuff out, after the bad design, in a relatively short time. Hell, we did this on the side. Sometimes those engineers need to just put those slide rules down, step back, take a look , and just do what makes sense.
Dan.

I have to defend the engineering department at RE a little bit. These guys, for the most part, are really good engineers - what they LACK is the "get your hands dirty and MAKE it work" stuff that WE as a group just did. They also don't plan on the little Rajjes on the assembly line doing what they HAVE to do to bikes built. Remember that they are building about 4800 a month - and the demand is still around seven thousand - so the pressure is "ON" to get 'em dome .... no matter what. Yeah - the QC sorta sucks sometimes - and it's because of the brutal production schedule that things get overlooked. The UPSIDE to all this is the bikes ARE better than ever - and because they are getting built faster, the Factory is quickly learning HOW to do this and improve accuracy. All the upgrades that have come about for the C5 prove that. They are no longer just attributing the shortcomings of the bike to the fact that it's an Enfield - they are actually CHANGING things to make the bikes better! That being said - there is NO SUBSTITUTE for bruising your knuckles for 35 years and "runnin' what you brung" to teach you the REAL "in's and outs" of keeping a motorcycle under you safely. Having a burning desire to ride - and no money to do it with will make you clever - or D-E-D .... I chose clever. So far, so good! 

[r80rt]

I agree Bob

[gashousegorilla]

I have to defend the engineering department at RE a little bit. These guys, for the most part, are really good engineers - what they LACK is the "get your hands dirty and MAKE it work" stuff that WE as a group just did. They also don't plan on the little Rajjes on the assembly line doing what they HAVE to do to bikes built. Remember that they are building about 4800 a month - and the demand is still around seven thousand - so the pressure is "ON" to get 'em dome .... no matter what. Yeah - the QC sorta sucks sometimes - and it's because of the brutal production schedule that things get overlooked. The UPSIDE to all this is the bikes ARE better than ever - and because they are getting built faster, the Factory is quickly learning HOW to do this and improve accuracy. All the upgrades that have come about for the C5 prove that. They are no longer just attributing the shortcomings of the bike to the fact that it's an Enfield - they are actually CHANGING things to make the bikes better! That being said - there is NO SUBSTITUTE for bruising your knuckles for 35 years and "runnin' what you brung" to teach you the REAL "in's and outs" of keeping a motorcycle under you safely. Having a burning desire to ride - and no money to do it with will make you clever - or D-E-D .... I chose clever. So far, so good!  

All true bob,all true.100% I was referring to the swing arm, not so much the fender stays.  I am all for those factory workers toiling away,more then you know. Under what conditions? I'm sure there is a huge amount of stress.
 Listen, I ain't one of those arrogant uppity types, who would say " Probably some no good lazy factory worker not do'in his job", sh%! happens. That poor slouch has been bust'in his ass all week,  While the other half of the world is sitting in a cubicle tapp'in on a keyboard.And there ain't nothing wrong with that either, but give the guy his due.
 Listen you people on this forum, better thank god you got a company like CMW,who run this VERY FRANK AND OPEN FORUM, and not a large corporation.They LET US, have these discusions to help solve a potential problem with the product they sell. Could you image if it were someone else? SH%!, I might just have a lawyer carrying a brief case, with a goon standing next to him with a set of brass knuckles in his pocket, knock'in on my door.Well there I go again gett'in all excited, that's a little extreme, but you get my point.

[r80rt]

 

[gashousegorilla]

 

Point is simple, r80rt, Cheers to Kevin Mahoney and scooterbob for running a quality company, that is truly looking out for there customer's.