[YJake]

After months of saving every penny and an extra two weeks of work/school and not having a single day off after purchase, I finally had a morning free to go get my New G5... 

And boy is this bike a blast! From 0-50 miles in an afternoon and despite keeping things under 45mph par manual instruction, I've had a blast.

I swear my face was constantly  the whole time. People were probably wondering what was wrong with me!

The bike sits at 81 miles tonight and I hope to break past 100 tomorrow after work. I'd have more if I had a tag for the thing and could get it off of my street, but I'm enjoying just getting a good feel for the bike and taking things easy. Here are a few things I've noted.

Pros
-I haven't used the E-start yet, just the kicker and boy is it EASY! My 1973 125cc trail scrambler is harder to kick over than this 500cc! Without using proper technique I can get it to start in 1-3 kicks. With proper technique I haven't had a single miss yet and the thing is brand new!

-The bike is nimble for what it is. It's very easy to flick the thing into a turn or swerve around horse apples dropped on the road.

-Having a disc brake is nice. Never had a bike with discs at all before and I'm satisfied with the braking.

-The controls are simple and the cables have been easy to adjust to my liking thus far.

-The stock exhaust is not very pleasing aesthetically in my opinion, but I do like the sound, it sounds more like a real bike than most these days. (Looking at a goldie style too )

Cons
-I can feel the bike "not wanting to get out of bed yet". It has freed up some already but I know there is still a long rewarding road ahead.

-The stock headlight leaves some to be desired. I plan to go to the 7" and hope it helps some. No streetlights where I'm at and need all that I can get.


And... that's all folks. I'll have lots of questions in the future I'm sure. After all, I have an oil change comming up in the next few days at the rate I'm going now


From Sunny Florida,

-Jake

[GreenMachine]

great...u gonna have fun...we have that stupid smile too..

[r80rt]

Congrats! and the smile is there forever

[nigelogston@gmail.com]

I envy you both for the bike and the weather .  Don't get arrested with your illegal smile.  Happy riding and farkling.   Nigel

[Chris-G5]

Congrats! and good choice on the G5 The bike/engine will free up more and more as you rack up miles. Around 1700 miles the engine really breaks loose. Yeah the stock headlight is not the brightest. I put the "pre-assembled 7" headlight" (145017/A) on my G5 and it makes quite a difference in brightness.

[Tri750]

Our demo has about 130 miles and it's really freeing up.
Odd, we haven't had to put more fuel in it since it was built.
I wonder if Scooter Bob did some secret mojo to it while he was here training.....

[greekxj]

Congrats and welcome to our little chaotic world!

[Ice]

Welcome to the REal world 

[YJake]

Thank you all so much, I'm really excited about getting this thing broken in so that I can take it through Daytona in a few weeks. I figure putting 1200 miles on it may be enough to ride at 55-60 for an hour to get out there? (Possibly with short breaks each hour)

the stock headlight is not the brightest. I put the "pre-assembled 7" headlight" (145017/A) on my G5 and it makes quite a difference in brightness.

That's good to know. I received $150 store credit of some sort for buying my bike this month, looks like the great folks at CMW are giving me a headlight  

A full 81miles in and the fuel is still high enough for me to see it when I open the fill cap. Does this thing even run on fuel, or just big grins?  

Cheers,
-Jake

[clubman]

I wouldn't worry about anything after 1200 miles. I know people say it will continue to improve to around 1500 miles but you can do pretty much whatever you want with the throttle by 1000 miles. Enjoy every mile of it and congratulations!

[singhg5]

After months of saving every penny and an extra two weeks of work/school and not having a single day off after purchase, I finally had a morning free to go get my New G5... 

And boy is this bike a blast! From 0-50 miles in an afternoon and despite keeping things under 45mph par manual instruction, I've had a blast.

I swear my face was constantly  the whole time. People were probably wondering what was wrong with me!

Jake:

Congratulations on your new G5.  With every ride, the engine will open up, bit by bit.  By this weekend, you will at the first oil change  .  At that point, go over ALL the screws, nuts, bolt-heads that you can see, and tighten them one by one.  They are known to loosen initially.  It will also acquaint you with the bike.  Have a look at the chain at that time. 

Great to see one more  face.   Now, where are the pictures ??

[YJake]

Jake:

Congratulations on your new G5.  With every ride, the engine will open up, bit by bit.  By this weekend, you will at the first oil change  .  At that point, go over ALL the screws, nuts, bolt-heads that you can see, and tighten them one by one.  They are known to loosen initially.  It will also acquaint you with the bike.  Have a look at the chain at that time. 

Great to see one more  face.   Now, where are the pictures ??

The pictures will come soon I promise! I need to find my camera.

Just for the sake of proactivity, are there any specific nuts/bolts that are specifically prone to comming loose? I have had to loc-tite and retorque the foot pegs already as they had gotten loose. The exhaust cover is vibrating at low speeds as well, so I have my first jingle already  too. But, is tehre anything I should be taking a look at?

-Jake

[Ice]

 If it were an Iron Barrel I would say motor mounts fender stays and head steady but it's not !  >>>>envious emoticon goes here<<<<<<

 If there is anything UCE specific to check our forum brothers will let you know.

 Till then my advice is grab your LocTite and torque wrench, crank the stereo and take your time going over everything NOT because anything is suspect but instead this is a great opportunity and excuse to get to know every detail of your Bullet !

 Nothing like a new Bullet is there ? 

[singhg5]

Just for the sake of proactivity, are there any specific nuts/bolts that are specifically prone to comming loose?  But, is tehre anything I should be taking a look at?

Since you have a smile and not a frown when the exhaust cover or pegs came loose, I think you are cut out for a RE.  

Any thing specific ?  From different RE owners, you hear what came loose on their bike.  If we add all of their cumulative wisdom, I think the nut or bolt that you miss will be the one that needed tightening in the first place  .  This is from my personal experience that after I had gone over this and that, a few days letter I found new nuts and bolts, which I had overlooked, that needed tightening !  It may take two rounds to get them all.  

[YJake]

Since you have a smile and not a frown when the exhaust cover or pegs came loose, I think you are cut out for a RE.  

My first vehicle was/is a 20yr old Jeep. I know a thing or two about loose nuts/bolts, rebuilding transmissions, and setting ring/pinions. I was hoping for something "new" and exciting (albeit in a different way) this time around. 

170 miles in counting. It's now street legal and getting closer to an oil change!

-Jake

[Andy]

-The stock headlight leaves some to be desired. I plan to go to the 7" and hope it helps some. No streetlights where I'm at and need all that I can get.

I found that too, but I've discovered a work-around for those empty rural roads until I can get the 7 incher - the passing light switch gives you much better illumination than the high beam, since it lights up both the high and low beams simultaneously.  Not knowing what the current draw is, I don't hold it down for extended periods - just a quick stab every few seconds to get a snapshot of the road ahead. 

[Andy]

Just for the sake of proactivity, are there any specific nuts/bolts that are specifically prone to comming loose?

I don't suggest it's prone to it, but the footpeg and the mounts for the airbox are the ones I've had to tighten more than once.

[singhg5]

I found that too, but I've discovered a work-around for those empty rural roads until I can get the 7 incher - the passing light switch gives you much better illumination than the high beam, since it lights up both the high and low beams simultaneously.  Not knowing what the current draw is, I don't hold it down for extended periods - just a quick stab every few seconds to get a snapshot of the road ahead. 

@Andy:

I have also used that button on the back roads and the road lights up pretty well.  G5 has pretty good 55/60W bulb.  The 7" headlight looks nicer but the stock one does a fairly decent job for me.

[YJake]

Did my first oil change today at 260 miles. The screen filter had some nasty stuff on it but not as much as I've seen others here have. The oil filter was black, and when recycling the oil I could see all of the metal shavings reflecting in the sunlight. Man! Looked like I was panning for gold/silver! 

I finished the day by making it to 305 miles. The bike is really waking up now, it rolls on up to 45mph easily and slips on up to 50mph without trying. It's almost like it's asking for more 

-Jake

[r80rt]

It just keeps getting better

[Ducati Scotty]

I found that too, but I've discovered a work-around for those empty rural roads until I can get the 7 incher - the passing light switch gives you much better illumination than the high beam, since it lights up both the high and low beams simultaneously.  Not knowing what the current draw is, I don't hold it down for extended periods - just a quick stab every few seconds to get a snapshot of the road ahead.  

Running both filaments simultaneouse can burn out the light just because it gets really hot, don't hold it too long  A $10 upgrade until you get the 7" is just to get a 5 3/4" sealed beam halogen auto bulb.  The pattern isn't perfect and the tabs on the bulb don't line up but it bolts right in and it's much better.  Get the 7" as soon as you can.  It throws great light AND looks absolutely beautiful.

Scott

[Andy]

Running both filaments simultaneouse can burn out the light just because it gets really hot, don't hold it too long  A $10 upgrade until you get the 7" is just to get a 5 3/4" sealed beam halogen auto bulb.  The pattern isn't perfect and the tabs on the bulb don't line up but it bolts right in and it's much better.  Get the 7" as soon as you can.  It throws great light AND looks absolutely beautiful.

Scott

It's top of the list for this year.

[hocko]

I don't suggest it's prone to it, but the footpeg and the mounts for the airbox are the ones I've had to tighten more than once.

pay attention to the exhaust mounting bolts and both mirrors, and most of all the tail light mounting bolt. All of mine are now fixed with loktite.

Cheers

 

[Ducati Scotty]

Anything that comes loose twice gets LocTite

[YJake]

I'll have to do a thourough check for some loose nuts/bolts soon, I went on an 80+ mile ride to the coast and back today after work. My second tank of petrol averaged 68mpg. So I went from 65 to 68. This is getting promising!

I also ran it at 50-55mph most of the way and it didn't complain one bit, it held speed just fine despite all of the wind (Laying flat on the tank helped some I'm sure! )

Really loving this thing so far!

For the sake of asking, is there anything good to wash/wipe my bike down with to prevent it from rusting and such? It lives outside on a slab under a metal roof but it IS humid here. Any suggestions would be great, don't want it to get rusty or pitted now!

Cheers,
-Jake

[hocko]

I'm not sure where you are, but here in the tropics, it gets a bath every six weeks, followed by a polish, I apply the polish to everything, glass, chrome, paint the works.Once a week I spray WD40 over the paint and chrome and wipe over with a rag, seems to do the trick. Hope this helps.

  Cheers

[sjbiat]

I did my 300 mile oil change last week.  The oil was clean.   The magnets were clean.  No loose bolts.  But the clutch lever bracket cracked from what seemed like very little pressure on a short wrench.  So be careful about tightening handle bar bolts.  (My dealer sent me a new bracket.  Meanwhile it stays on well with a nylon tie wrapped around it.  Replacing it will mean replacing the left hand grip, which I am not looking forward to.)

-Stephan

[motorat]

unless the grip is glued on you should be able to remove it and re-install it.
i squirt a little wd-40 between the grip and the bar then work it down and off comes the grip. clean the grip with dawn dish soap and re-install.

[Ducati Scotty]

You can just stick a screwdriver in and squirt some water.  Twist it a bit and it should come right off.  I like to reinstall with brake cleaner (watch your paint!) since it dries quickly,   Water or windes works too.  I also usually safety wire my grips on once they've dried..  I hate when they twist.

Don't worry about removing and re-installing grips, it's easy

Scott

[Chris-G5]

I did my 300 mile oil change last week.  The oil was clean.   The magnets were clean.  No loose bolts.  But the clutch lever bracket cracked from what seemed like very little pressure on a short wrench.  So be careful about tightening handle bar bolts.  (My dealer sent me a new bracket.  Meanwhile it stays on well with a nylon tie wrapped around it.  Replacing it will mean replacing the left hand grip, which I am not looking forward to.)

-Stephan

I also broke my clutch bracket from a little over tightening. They are just cheap metal. Don't worry about the grip. It was easy to get off ,and went back on easy, with water with a drop of soap. After the water dried the grip was solid.

[singhg5]

For the sake of asking, is there anything good to wash/wipe my bike down with to prevent it from rusting and such? It lives outside on a slab under a metal roof but it IS humid here. Any suggestions would be great, don't want it to get rusty or pitted now!

You are absolutely right - prevention is better than cure  .  I wash my bike with S-100 Cycle Cleaner and hot water (or regular temperature).  Dry it thoroughly after washing.  Then I apply WD-40 everywhere - combination of direct spray and rubbing with WD-40 soaked cloth.  Avoid tyres and disc brake.

Lots of rust/ salt pits stories and treatments in other thread 'What the heck' started by Donatales in the link below -

http://www.enfieldmotorcycles.com/forum/index.php/topic,9839.0/all.html

[YJake]

Little over a week of ownership now and I have 760miles on it 

The engine is doing great in traffic now and is responsive. I took a few day trips to the coast at 50-55mph before the 600 mile oil change and it seemed to enjoy that pace. The oil was extremely clean during the 600 mile change with almost zero junk in the wire mesh filter but an expected amount of metal shavings on the magnets.

I took it to work this morning on the interstate and toll roads keeping it around 55mph and even jumping up into the 60's for a second and falling back. The bike acted like it wanted to hold 60 but needed more time for anything higher, so I kept it around 55mph for my commute.

Going to have to hold off on the commute tomorrow there is rain in the forecast. I'll take the time to clean it off and apply some WD-40 after I get home from work to prevent any rust/pitting. 

-Jake


P.S. That 7" headlight was worth every cent! (Free from my dealer actually ) and the light output is much better than the 5" light. I feel much more visible to traffic now and can see wider/farther at night.

[CC__Rider]

Dude....JAKE!

You got me jonesing over here. I'm new to the community of Royal Enfield and actually new to riding all together. Unless you count dirt bikes in the mud. 

I'm totally sold on an RE and will probably get one within the next month. Thinking the C5.

I'm right outside of New Orleans, so I can relate to your warm and sunny conditions right now. I'm totally digging your posts, keep em up!!

yea you right,

CC_Rider

[Ducati Scotty]

Unless you count dirt bikes in the mud. 

Those count double  

Serously, dirt bikes are great road bike experience.  You couldn't learn nearly as much about marginal traction situations and uneven terrain on a street bike without serious consequences.  Just remember there are bigger vehicles than you out there with you now.

Scott

[YJake]

I ran the.... heck out of a 73' Honda Scrambler out in the woods for 2 months prior to the bullet. I even had one of the original tire tubes blow out on me while in a turn...

A few weeks later I got the Enfield and the "Battle Honda" now lives in the corner of the garage needing work.

I put Amsoil in the bike at my 1,500 oil change last week. I just rolled over 2,000 miles today and had a huge grin while watching it.

Now if I could just figure out where this darned rattle is comming from when I accelerate hard... 

Eh, I'll just wait till something falls off 

Had a blast in St. Augustine last weekend as well...


-Jake

[Ragmas]

Conjugate on the new bike!  Sounds like you are having a blast.  In regards to your last post about a rattle,  with the engine cold grab the very front of the heat shield on the the exhaust. Give it a little pull away from the pipe like you are trying to lift it off.  The front is held on with a little tab A slot B action and the tab may need a little bending to get it tight again.  My G5 did the same thing in the beginning. I accidentally broke the tab off and the welded on a new one to make it more betterer.  Have fun drive safe.

Sam
(one of the rare natives of Florida)

[Ducati Scotty]

Now if I could just figure out where this darned rattle is comming from when I accelerate hard... 

Tin canny kinda rattle low on the right side?  I had that.  Mine was the forward part of the heat shield.  The clip had broken and it was rattling against the pipe.  Easy to test, step on it and accelerate.  If it's quiet that's it.

Also, if your running 87 octane you might want to step up to premium.  My RE runs fine on regular but my Ducati would rattle like a tin can on 87. 

Scott

[YJake]

The heat shield was the first culprit, but I stuffed a piece of welding cloth in there and shut it up. Now, I get a very loud buzzing noise when I'm accelerating hard right before I shift gears. It is hard to describe but it does sound metalic and only occurs when accelerating hard.

-Jake