[Carlsberg Wordsworth]

Wish I'd bought a Classic rear end from Hitchcocks they had going once for around £100 or so as I was thinking of replacing mine on the Bullet for the more rounded look.

I'm not able to see why the rear rails and guard can't be swapped from a Classic to a Bullet as long as you've got a single seat. The B5 has the single seat bracket last time I looked on my 2012 Bullet from my hazy memory.

Perhaps the 18" rear wheel accentuates it a bit more?

[wildbill]

its a strange one with the last run of C5s. the first one i bought back in 013 had 19" front and rear and i think ceat tyres fitted to it.
when they added the rear disc they decided just take the classic's wheels 18/19 and slap them on. plus te avon tyres too.
i never had trouble with the avon roadrunner tyres on the C5's so was pretty happy to get them on this.
now it appears the very last bikes arriving here from the trials version onwards are equiped with the trials type tyres.
to all the above who commented
what i did notice after the mods and first ride. usually when i switch this exhaust from cold start and it was cold i do get crackle and pops on over runs. plus this bike has never been smooth on the throttle from first ride -jerky
so i fitted the muffler /booster plug and stock air cleaner kicked it over and let it warm for 2 minutes and did my test videl clip i put up on the accessories - and the bike ran virtually butter smooth with no jerky type throttle issues.
my thoughts being the booster plug sorted this out as i really should have had issues but not the case.

[Carlsberg Wordsworth]

New rear tyre (Mitas H-02) and I had the wheel balanced too

Had I known, I'd have taken the front wheel as well. Some other day. Not had a chance to test to notice any difference yet. 30g or so added I was told.

[Antipodean Andrew]

Today I fitted black military panniers to my Redditch Red C5. I don't think they enhance the bike's looks, but they will be very handy. Not wanting to add weight to the bike, I removed the pillion seat and rear foot pegs. The right side frame fitted like a glove, but the left needed a bit of fiddling.

[Carlsberg Wordsworth]

That looks very smart Andrew, nice looking bike.

I rode out with friends for the 1st time in over a year to a RE dealer who had a Meteor in stock. I didn't know the area well so didn't take a test ride but having sat on it it feels very comfortable to me and everything fell to hand so to speak. More so than my Bullet , so apart from the lower torque that I'll miss, I am very close to pulling the trigger on one. Wheather I trade or private sale yet I'm not sure.

It was however, a much needed sunny ride out for us all.

Oh, and the rear felt good but I'd need to balance the front for a truer picture I think, felt a bit bouncy at speed so I need to play with pressures and shock settings.

Or maybe not if she goes

[Antipodean Andrew]

Carlsberg, have you thought of holding out for the Classic next generation. It will have the Meteor engine with the Classic looks. RE can't be far away from announcing this new bike, the videos are all over the Internet. If you like the cruiser looks of the Meteor, go ahead, I bet they will be nice bikes.

[cupoftee]

Wished for a kick start C5!

Had my pannier rail on the Pegasus powder coated in 2 day turn round.
Hole thing was rusting, all good now. Erebyb

[Carlsberg Wordsworth]

Carlsberg, have you thought of holding out for the Classic next generation. It will have the Meteor engine with the Classic looks. RE can't be far away from announcing this new bike, the videos are all over the Internet. If you like the cruiser looks of the Meteor, go ahead, I bet they will be nice bikes.

Ah, I had forgotten about that. If that's the one with the LCD in the casquette then I'm out I'm afraid. Just looks awful imo which in turn, sadly puts me off.

If I can, I'll keep the Bullet which basically boils down to £'s in the bank. It has a lot of plus points too but I've got a hankering now for something newer. It was nip and tuck on a Himalayan when they came out.

[Antipodean Andrew]

Not sure why RE have gone with that particularly ugly shape for the LCD, other than making the most use of the space. It does detract from a nice looking bike.

[cupoftee]

Fitted the Hitchcocks, black ceramic silencer, never has a sound of a single sounded so nice, and the engine breaths much better too.

[Antipodean Andrew]

Today I spent 40 minutes filing the head of a tiny bolt into a dome shape and shortening it slightly to replace the one that fell off my muffler heat shield. Looks very close to original and I am happy again. Checked the other fasteners and found three less than snug ones. I was initially annoyed that the bolt fell off, but now when I look at that little fastener I find it pleasing because I had a hand in its creation. Hooray.

[Relic]

After nearly 5 years and 33,000k's from my trusty and much loved 2016 Classic 350, today I bought a new Classic 500.

There is nothing wrong with the 350, it has provided fantastic service and taken me on some great rides around my country, often off the beaten track on camping adventures. I figured if the 500's are to be discontinued soon then now is my chance to put one in my garage.

My local dealer had two of the limited edition tribute models on the floor and, while they look superb, I went with a Redditch Red bike because I like the full gloss paint and the polished alloy engine.

Collection is early next week but I'll be hanging on to the 350 for a bit longer yet. As the army pannier frames are different for the later model due to the new swing arm, and as the bags are used for taking my gear to work each day, I have to wait for some new frames to come out of India before dropping back to one bike.

In a perfect world I'd keep both bikes but that wasn't the deal Mrs Relic agreed to.

It will be interesting playing "spot the changes" between the two bikes

[Willie]

I would love to get my hands on a Limited Tribute black.  I seem to keep coming across info that folks have seen 2 or more languishing in a showroom somewhere other than the U.S.  Does anyone know of any that are available here in the states?  Or, can one be imported from an overseas dealer where they are in inventory but apparently not selling?

[Relic]

I would love to get my hands on a Limited Tribute black.  I seem to keep coming across info that folks have seen 2 or more languishing in a showroom somewhere other than the U.S.  Does anyone know of any that are available here in the states?  Or, can one be imported from an overseas dealer where they are in inventory but apparently not selling?

I hear your frustration.
The Tribute bikes only arrived into New Zealand in the last week, so are fresh off the (much delayed) boat. Going by the on-line interest from local enthusiasts I can't see the Tribute models lasting long here either.

[Relic]

Rode my new Classic 500 home from the dealership today.

In comparison to my well run in 2016 350, it felt a very different beast. I'll be making a few changes over the next few weeks to match what I did with the 350, initially fitting a heel toe shifter, getting some bar end mirrors and changing the seat over.

There are small changes everywhere I look, from the oil filler (now nylon, was alloy), tool kit roll, the fork brace (rounded on the new, straight on the old) and the fuel filler cap which no longer locks. I'm sure there are plenty more.

Overall, fit and finish is excellent. I'm now looking forward to many miles and years of riding on the new bike