Unofficial Royal Enfield Community Forum

Royal Enfield Motorcycles => Bullet Iron Barrel => Topic started by: jonapplegate on August 30, 2007, 05:53:18 am

Title: first 100 miles
Post by: jonapplegate on August 30, 2007, 05:53:18 am
I am posting this so others who may be thinking about buying a classic bullet will have some idea of what to expect. I hope any one who is on the fence will see it is nothing that can't be handled. There is absolutely no reason, if maintained properly and broken in well  that these bikes cannot be completely reliable daily riders,  from a mechanical perspective that is.                             

1. make sure you have at least 1fresh spark plug in your tool box at all times.If you are breaking in your bike properly (gentle,low speeds) then you are going to foul plugs and perhaps jump to conclusions, like I did.As soon as your bike can idle off the choke, it is ready to ride,gently.If it is anything like mine you won't even need the choke right now.excessive idling fouls plugs.

2. it is probably normal for there to be a small amount of clutch drag at this point and it is no big deal. If you have less than 1/4 inch play in the clutch lever your'e good.

3. read the owners manual. It will tell you all sorts of things you'd think would be common knowledge. I researched my bike for months before I bought and had heard they are notoriously hard to find neutral on. Well, yes and no. The manual clearly states that you can't downshift into neutral. Shift up from first into neutral preferably while you are still rolling and you will have almost no problems.

4.Always carry thread-locker and anti-seize compound with you.Get a spark plug wrench and probably a multi-tool to carry in your toolbox. Know that you have to remove the sparkplug tip or the cap won't fit. Know that when you are away from home and the bike won't run because the plug is fouled there is know way you will get that tip unscrewed with your'e fingers.

Well that's it for now. See, no big deal. The bike is a blast to ride, even during break-in and except for a couple days when I was figuring out the fouled plug thing everything has been great and I have been riding back and forth to work every day.

Cheers!
Title: Re: first 100 miles
Post by: deejay on August 30, 2007, 01:22:16 pm
1. make sure you have at least 1fresh spark plug in your tool box at all times.If you are breaking in your bike properly (gentle,low speeds) then you are going to foul plugs and perhaps jump to conclusions, like I did.As soon as your bike can idle off the choke, it is ready to ride,gently.If it is anything like mine you won't even need the choke right now.excessive idling fouls plugs.

Informative post for any newcomers, although I disagree with the fouling plugs comment. I have close to 2,000 miles on my new Bullet and have never fouled a plug. I've even rejetted my carb multiple times increasing the richness of the mixture.

Make sure you're not lugging the engine, thats worse than hammering on it sometimes.
Title: Re: first 100 miles
Post by: gapl53 on August 30, 2007, 03:20:07 pm
I agree with deejay. If you are fouling plugs something is not right. It's either with the engine or with the way it's being ridden.
Title: Re: first 100 miles
Post by: mbevo1 on August 30, 2007, 03:26:41 pm
I agree with both of ya's - I would add that I found the RE and Snidal manual great reading in the 2 months I waited for delivery of my bike...

My most difficult task was "finding" a starting drill that my Bullet liked... I've found that mine is VERY hard to get started when using the enrichment lever (choke).  My procedure is to kick the bike through 3-4 times (using the decomp) with about 1/8 throttle with the switch off.  Bring it past TDC, THEN turn the key on.  One firm stroke - no throttle - usually has him thumping.  I normally only need to use the lever when the bike hasn't been run in several days and it's been fairly cold.

Mike and Stumpy in Michigan
Title: Re: first 100 miles
Post by: jonapplegate on August 31, 2007, 01:15:49 am
Thanks for the feed back everyone. I may be lugging it a bit. I have followed my dealers advice on max. speed in each gear during break-in and I have to say it definitely feels like the engine wants to be in a slightly higher RPM range than the recommendations allow. Here they are;
1st gear-9MPH
2nd gear-15MPH
3rd gear-18MPH
4th gear-28MPH
5th gear-36MPH

Thats for the first 500km. Second 500km. every thing gets bumped up a few MPH. I am waiting on my service manuals but does this sound in line with standard recommendations? The bike definitely feels like it wants to run a little harder but I really want to do this right. I probably let it idle too much at first and it is very hilly where i live so to "take it easy on the engine" I had been coasting down the hills because I didn't want to lean it out coasting in gear but now I think a little of that may be just what the doctor ordered to burn up some of that residue in the chamber. It isn't like I am running lean constantly, just when gravity is pulling the engine along and the engine is only sucking in the gas it needs to keep running. Any thoughts on that?

Jon   
Title: Re: first 100 miles
Post by: prof_stack on August 31, 2007, 02:26:48 am
Thanks for the feed back everyone. I may be lugging it a bit. I have followed my dealers advice on max. speed in each gear during break-in and I have to say it definitely feels like the engine wants to be in a slightly higher RPM range than the recommendations allow. Here they are;
1st gear-9MPH
2nd gear-15MPH
3rd gear-18MPH
4th gear-28MPH
5th gear-36MPH

Thats for the first 500km. Second 500km. every thing gets bumped up a few MPH. I am waiting on my service manuals but does this sound in line with standard recommendations? The bike definitely feels like it wants to run a little harder but I really want to do this right. I probably let it idle too much at first and it is very hilly where i live so to "take it easy on the engine" I had been coasting down the hills because I didn't want to lean it out coasting in gear but now I think a little of that may be just what the doctor ordered to burn up some of that residue in the chamber. It isn't like I am running lean constantly, just when gravity is pulling the engine along and the engine is only sucking in the gas it needs to keep running. Any thoughts on that?
Jon

Hey Jon, is Queen Anne hilly?   ::)  I talked with owner Vince today and besides wanting me to buy an '07 black Classic he said you might be letting the RE warm up too long.  Heh, with Seattle's current mini heat wave there's not much need for that.  Other than that, is everything else okay?

When I test-rode the Sixty-5 I was told to keep it under 40MPH.

Do you have a garage to keep it in to keep prying eyes and fingers away?
Title: Re: first 100 miles
Post by: jonapplegate on August 31, 2007, 09:54:20 am
Hey! I am a little bit annoyed. I just wrote a long response to everything you might have been wondering and apparently went over my time limit and seemed to have lost every thing.I will condense. Idled too long. coasted down hills when it would be better to coast in gear.( too purposely lean the engine out a bit.) I went to the Enfield dealer up north about 2 months ago and was  thoroughly unimpressed by the Electra. If that is what you want I would either wait until the classic with the avl engine comes out or I would wait for the new models but perhaps I am cynical. Everyone who has been privy to the new designs has been very positive but what else are they going to say? The future looks Bleak? That new Triumph Sixty8 looks pretty frickin' cool.It is a new bike hidden in a old bikes clothes.Same as the future Enfields.                                                    This bike isn't available in the U.S. anymore,Why I have no idea because it is very popular all around the world but the Kawasaki w650 is said to be a better replica of the Bonneville than the modern Triumph.

Just some things to think about.

The bike is running fine and I don't anticipate that to change so lets get together.
 If Icould talk Vince down on that red/burgandy Sixty-five sitting there ,I would take it. I want my bike to look like that but You can only get that cool solid color on the DISCO'd Sixty-five.

Cheers,
Jon
Title: Re: first 100 miles
Post by: deejay on August 31, 2007, 12:21:33 pm
Thanks for the feed back everyone. I may be lugging it a bit. I have followed my dealers advice on max. speed in each gear during break-in and I have to say it definitely feels like the engine wants to be in a slightly higher RPM range than the recommendations allow. Here they are;
1st gear-9MPH
2nd gear-15MPH
3rd gear-18MPH
4th gear-28MPH
5th gear-36MPH

Thats for the first 500km. Second 500km. every thing gets bumped up a few MPH. I am waiting on my service manuals but does this sound in line with standard recommendations? The bike definitely feels like it wants to run a little harder but I really want to do this right. I probably let it idle too much at first and it is very hilly where i live so to "take it easy on the engine" I had been coasting down the hills because I didn't want to lean it out coasting in gear but now I think a little of that may be just what the doctor ordered to burn up some of that residue in the chamber. It isn't like I am running lean constantly, just when gravity is pulling the engine along and the engine is only sucking in the gas it needs to keep running. Any thoughts on that?

Jon   

Thats the issue, you're lugging the engine. I didn't put my bike into 5th gear until after I hit 1,000 miles on the speedo. 4th gear at 40-42mph is the max I had my bike at until around 850miles. Then I gradually started working my way up to 45-50mph. I don't shift to 5th until around 48mph now.

My recommendation is to drive by feel, if it wants more rpms then give it more. Keep it at max 40mph until you hit around 850-900 miles, then work it up to 50. Don't hammer on the engine and it will be fine.
Title: Re: first 100 miles
Post by: mbevo1 on August 31, 2007, 05:12:43 pm
Deejay gave you some good pointers on engine RPM and speeds.  I made sure my routes had speed limits at 45 or less during the first 500 miles.  On a flat road (with my dainty 145lbs aboard) I would get to fifth, but usually kept it in forth or lower, just to keep the RPM's in the happy-zone. Between 500 - 1000 miles, I would bump-up the speed for a couple of minutes at a time, with at least five minutes at lower speed between.  After 1000, I would get up to 55, and after 2500, I figured everything was ok.   I changed ALL the fluids and filter at 200 miles was suprised at how dirty the oil in all the compartments...  changed again at 500. 1000 and 2000 miles.  I'm almost at 4000 now, and plan to drain everything every 2000 miles.

My motor really started to smooth out after the first 1000 miles - gearbox, too.  I't really been a nice ride this season.

Mike and Stumpy in Michigan
Title: Re: first 100 miles
Post by: dogbone on August 31, 2007, 06:51:06 pm
I would read "Dan's online motorcycle repair course" about slow break-in. I recently toasted a piston on my 99 w/ 6500 miles. I was abusing it quite severly,my fault.  His point is rings will not seat by schlepping around. My bullet was a slow break-in, and the piston was brown all the way down, ie ;the rings never seated. He doesn't recommend flogging, but his point is the first 20-30 minutes are very critical on ring seating.
Title: Re: first 100 miles
Post by: dewjantim on September 01, 2007, 12:26:54 am
Let me see.....36 mph in fifth gear......top speed for break-in.......fouled plugs. No wonder your bike is fouling plugs. Ride that bike like you stole it and get those rings seated, if its not to late. On the roads where I live 36 mph will get you run over by someones granny. My bike has lived with 60+ mph speeds since new and it runs "great". Break them in hard to get a good ring seal. The guys with race bikes have to do that, it isnt practical to run a race bike at low speeds, so it is "balls to the wall" right out of the crate. Would you explain how you "lean the bike out" while coasting. The only way to lean a bike while riding is to make it have some sort of vacume leak. Putting it in neutral and coasting down hills wont hurt a thing, might even cool your engine a little more......Dew.
Title: Re: first 100 miles
Post by: deejay on September 01, 2007, 01:02:17 am
Ride that bike like you stole it and get those rings seated, if its not to late.

Riding it like you stole it is not a good idea under 1000 miles, unless you're a careful thief.... but lugging it like the original poster was doing is worse.
Title: Re: first 100 miles
Post by: prof_stack on September 01, 2007, 06:25:40 am
You're supposed to vary the speed of the new motor.  Up and down the rpm range as the rings and such get seated.  Shop owner Vince has a word for those who ride it like they stole it:  "Rebuilders".  
Title: Re: first 100 miles
Post by: Kevin Mahoney on September 01, 2007, 07:15:42 am
Here is the "official" word, take it or leave it, but no whining if you ignore it and have trouble.
1. Here is the number on thing to know about breaking with the Bullet. HEAT is the enemy. I am not going to tell you to go only so fast in any given gear as the reason for that is to protect you from yourself. A 500cc air cooled cylinder is a BIG cylinder and will produce a lot of heat. A new engine has all sort of rough surfaces rubbing against each other. ( At the microscopic level). This produces more heat than later when these surfaces are  "broken in" At a speed of say 50 or less the Enfield can normally dissapate the heat that it generates, but at higher speeds for a period of time it cannot. This can lead to a seized piston (forget your warranty it is your fault pure and simple), and other forms of heat damage. Of course the outside temperature etc. plays into this. Drive your bike using common sense!!. Take it extremely easy until you have 300-500 miles on it. Around 500 miles get the initial service (This is very important). Between 500 -1,500 take it easy but you can push the envelope harder, Can you run it up to 60, sure but not for any extended period of time at all. After 1,500 miles the engine is a different engine than it was new and can run at faster speeds. NEVER lug the engine (even broken in), vary the speed, this allows oil to get thrown under the piston to the piston pin and helps the rings. Once the bike is broken in don't ever forget that it was designed to be a 55-60mph machine. It will go faster, but nothing can be driven at full throttle (or close to it) for long.
2. The rings need to seat. There are as many tales about how to do this as there are brands of motorcycles. Most have some basis in fact in the old days. For example, Ford used to "age harden" blocks, they would cast a block and then throw it out in the elements for a couple of years to harden. This was the state of the art for cast iron. Over time those blocks became very hard and it sometimes was difficult to break in the rings. An old garage trick was to throw some very fine grit into the carb to to the work fast. ( I have seen this myself) In this day and age this is now very bad advice. Metallurgy is such that rings will break in on their own with no special treatment. There is really nothing you can do that will prevent this from happening so don't worry about it. Very modern rebuilding manuals even say not to hone a cylinder any more because the hazard of honing grit (even with the best of cleaned cylinder walls) is worse than a longer ring break in period.
Title: Re: first 100 miles
Post by: gapl53 on September 02, 2007, 02:56:43 pm
Here is the "official" word, take it or leave it, but no whining if you ignore it and have trouble.
1. Here is the number on thing to know about breaking with the Bullet. HEAT is the enemy. I am not going to tell you to go only so fast in any given gear as the reason for that is to protect you from yourself. A 500cc air cooled cylinder is a BIG cylinder and will produce a lot of heat. A new engine has all sort of rough surfaces rubbing against each other. ( At the microscopic level). This produces more heat than later when these surfaces are  "broken in" At a speed of say 50 or less the Enfield can normally dissapate the heat that it generates, but at higher speeds for a period of time it cannot. This can lead to a seized piston (forget your warranty it is your fault pure and simple), and other forms of heat damage. Of course the outside temperature etc. plays into this. Drive your bike using common sense!!. Take it extremely easy until you have 300-500 miles on it. Around 500 miles get the initial service (This is very important). Between 500 -1,500 take it easy but you can push the envelope harder, Can you run it up to 60, sure but not for any extended period of time at all. After 1,500 miles the engine is a different engine than it was new and can run at faster speeds. NEVER lug the engine (even broken in), vary the speed, this allows oil to get thrown under the piston to the piston pin and helps the rings. Once the bike is broken in don't ever forget that it was designed to be a 55-60mph machine. It will go faster, but nothing can be driven at full throttle (or close to it) for long.
2. The rings need to seat. There are as many tales about how to do this as there are brands of motorcycles. Most have some basis in fact in the old days. For example, Ford used to "age harden" blocks, they would cast a block and then throw it out in the elements for a couple of years to harden. This was the state of the art for cast iron. Over time those blocks became very hard and it sometimes was difficult to break in the rings. An old garage trick was to throw some very fine grit into the carb to to the work fast. ( I have seen this myself) In this day and age this is now very bad advice. Metallurgy is such that rings will break in on their own with no special treatment. There is really nothing you can do that will prevent this from happening so don't worry about it. Very modern rebuilding manuals even say not to hone a cylinder any more because the hazard of honing grit (even with the best of cleaned cylinder walls) is worse than a longer ring break in period.
Kevin, you hit it on the head once again. Excessive heat will destroy a engine, any engine. This means broken in, not broken in, air cooled or water cooled. Excessive heat is the enemy, always!

As a side note: NO additives while breaking in. You want everything to seat as soon as possible.
Title: Re: first 100 miles
Post by: dewjantim on September 03, 2007, 02:28:44 am
Can any of you answer this? I have had many, many new motorcycles and always use the hard and fast way to break them in. With the exception of a Honda 750, bought new in 1979. I broke it in as per the manual and it took almost 3000 miles to seal the rings! I don't have any trouble with any of my machines wearing out fast or not running good. Usually they run a lot better than other machines broken in the slow way. My RE runs fantastic, is easy to start, and has been very dependable. It will also run an indicated 93-95 mph on top, which is much better than most. I change my oil religiously and keep my bike in top tune. The RE is a much tougher machine than all of you give it credit for, if it wasn't it would have not survived all these years. In India they receive much more abuse than here. They are plodded around in high temps at low RPMs every day and survive for decades. Now I do agree with Kevin that high temps will ruin any engine , particularly a new one of any type. I don't run my engines hot, period. The one exception to that is my Ironhead sportster which seems to run hot all the time as did all the others I have owned. It even has an oil cooler and the heat really radiates from the engine, must be those big iron heads. And hey Prof Stack, I bet my RE runs better, faster, and gets better gas mileage than yours. It will probably last longer also........Dew.
Title: Re: first 100 miles
Post by: dan_h on September 03, 2007, 02:35:14 am
It seems from dewjantim"s reply that the Classic models could be used as everyday commuters on the freeway.  How about the drum brakes, are they good enough for freeway use?
Title: Re: first 100 miles
Post by: prof_stack on September 03, 2007, 05:28:44 am
The RE was built for top sustained speeds of 55-60, not the US Interstate (or German autobahn!).  Some units, perhaps like dewjantim's, might be exceptions as there always are.  But he changes oil frequently and watches the tuning carefully.  Those two things surely go a long way in making it work for him.
Title: Re: first 100 miles
Post by: DaveG297 on October 03, 2007, 02:28:03 am
Hey Dew, maybe your speedo is off............just joshing......dg