[cyrusb]

Here's the version that I love. I like the straight downtube frame version.
 But as the title asks, does anyone on this site actually own one? Or know anybody with one?
 I would like to hear an assessment of the differences in handling , power, starting etc.

[AzCal Retred]

This is a machine that has to appreciate over time. It's not going to be a Vincent, but Leno really liked his sample. At $12K it's in the realm of affordable hobby. A hand-made, semi-production variant of a 60 year production run machine, probably more reliable than the old RE 700/750 twins as it uses more Bullet hardware. Just too much fun to pass up if you have the disposable cash and you enjoy the Bullet.   

http://www.musketvtwin.com/order.html

" Let me do it for you: 1. Complete build on your 500 Bullet, ready to ride, stock setup: $11,990
Note: For reasons of sanity, only engine build and installation work is undertaken. Paint & bodywork is not offered. "

The Musket V-Twin - Jay Leno's Garage
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYzuqAX2A3A

[cyrusb]

Been following the project for at least 10 years. But I find it hard to imagine that nobody on this forum has bought one and or had one built. I would just like to know how it feels to someone who has Bullet Original experience to gauge it by.

[AzCal Retred]

Most of us here are pretty frugal, from what I've seen. The rest are apparently busy putting their nice 650's on a spare-no-expense diet. Last I checked, the world had plenty of skinny Italian models named Panigale already. But that Musket would sure be a nice use for windfall stock profits... 

[Karl Childers]

They are such beautiful bikes and remind me so much of the British V twin motorcycles of the 1930's. The possibility of buying parts and building one makes it a tempting project!
 

[Black fingernail]

I would love one, the problem I have is, I live in the UK, the amount in duty, vat, and transport costs, just about doubles the cost of a complete bottom end.
 I have tried e-mailing him to try to buy just the finished castings, etc. for me to build myself, (I am an engineer), but to no avail, no reply...

[AzCal Retred]

It's not often you can access someone else's affordable & well-sorted "labour of love". The idea of likely 95% parts compatibility with what we already have if a draw. You wouldn't need access to Jay Leno's machine shop or be Grumbern's cousin to keep it running.

http://www.musketvtwin.com/tech.html

DESIGN OVERVIEW
The Musket engine was conceived first and foremost as a vintage v-twin based on the original Enfield Bullet engine top ends, crank and internals. The design brief stressed the use of Bullet engine parts as much as possible to allow the engine to be maintained easily, stay true to the original vintage character yet improve it wherever possible. This led to a direction similar in basic concept to the mighty Vincent. This is not surprising, considering that the series A Rapide was conceived by Phil Irving as a development of the Meteor/Comet 500 single.

I've done everything possible given the framework of the classic Bullet single to strengthen and improve the critical factors:

1. First and foremost, the twin, thanks to the increase in torque and hp, pulls a significantly higher final drive ratio, thus dropping the engine's rpm. The 700 can run a 20t (compare with 16t stock) and the 1000 can do 22t (compare with 17t). These ratios are comparable to classic twins of similar capacity and tuning.
The rpms are reduced by 25% and 30% in the 700 and 1000, respectively.
This is a significant reduction of the stresses on the conrod and bigend as inertial loads increase exponentially with rpm.  It will also result in less heat generated as there are fewer combustion cycles for the same road speed/cooling air velocity. Each cylinder is burning less fuel than it did, with the throttle open much less, compared to the single as the work of sustaining a given velocity is being shared by two instead of one.

2. The crank main roller bearings are larger on both drive side and timing side. Only reputed manufacturers such as FAG, NTN, SKF, KOYO are used.
Drive side roller 25x62x24mm. 41% wider than stock 305 bearing and is the biggest bearing available for a 25mm shaft. Timing side roller 25x62x17 (305) vs stock 205 bearing  (25x52x15).

3. The choice of a wet sump coupled with the two stock oil pumps (feed and return) allowed a simple and elegant solution to the low oil flow of the stock engine. In the Musket engine, both pumps are 'feed' pumps and both use the larger 'return' plunger. Let us recall that the stock 'return' plunger flows around twice the oil of the 'feed' plunger to efficiently remove all oil from the crank chamber. In the Musket, both pumps tap independently into the wet sump with the mesh-screened pickup always submerged in oil. One pump feeds twice as much oil as stock to the crank big-end, (which now has two conrods, allowing twice as much oil flow). The other feeds twice as much oil as stock to the heads, ideal as there are two of them. There is no intermittent/air-bubbled flow as in the single. The heads drain into the timing chest, and overflow from there is routed through the drive side main bearings thus providing continuous lubrication to them. Special care is taken to give the pump discs and housing extremely smooth mating surfaces to ensure a very good seal and pressure retention.

4. The requirement to use stock conrods (or aftermarket performance rods for the Bullet) dictated a side-by-side conrod layout, thus the offset cylinders. A Harley style 'knife and fork' setup would not have allowed the use of stock rods. Offset cylinders are further desirable as the rear cylinder sticks out to capture a direct flow of cooling air on the hot exhaust port area and the rear exhaust pipe is at a greater distance from the front carburetor.

5. The crankcase right and left half castings and timing cover are CNC machined and sand-cast in 319, an aluminum-silicon-copper alloy widely used for automotive castings. It has been over designed with all walls thicker than stock cases and plenty of meat around main bearing bores and cylinder mouths. There are extra pounds of aluminum in there, erring on the side of caution. This is a very robust crankcase, well able to handle more than the loads it will be subjected to.

6. The V angle of 59deg. was arrived at after considering many factors such as minimizing vibration while achieving relative compactness, sufficient room for the front carb, rear intake and carb staying clear of stock frame tubes and last but not least, allowing  either 350 or 500 top ends to be fitted, requiring consideration of the dimensions of both heads.
The 59deg. angle is a good compromise between the greater inherent vibration and restricted cooling of 45deg. and the perfect primary balance but excessive length of the 90deg. V.

The driving force of the design was simplicity. The final configuration, as it currently stands, is such that the location and design of every feature was arrived at after considering manufacturing complexity and cost, ease of access and maintenance and often enough, the realization that "this needs to be here because it wouldn't work as well anywhere else." This series of logical decisions was encapsulated in a layout that is also visually appealing.

The choice is entirely yours. You can derive immense pleasure from the simple, utterly stock 700 with its smooth, mildly tuned music. Or go a bit nuts and end up with a double-Fireball 1070, making about 75hp at the wheel, needing a Bob Newby clutch and disk brakes. Hey, I'm not telling you to do it :-)

[AzCal Retred]

Black Fingernail @ #5:
Might be cheaper, faster & more fun to go in halves with KC, help push him off the fence and end up with a Musket you can both get some use from. Probably double both your initial investments in 5 years. Half the cost, unbeatable motorcycling. Low traffic, high speed limits, lots 'n lots of wide open spaces to roam thru. Just fly out to New Mexico for a month or so yearly with your riding gear, plenty to see & do in the Southwest. Make the big loop around the Western states. Orygun & Washington would likely seem rather home-like. Circle the Grand Canyon, cruise over the Marble Canyon & Lake Mead 300+ meter bridges. Double your pensioners cheque in Lost Wages, Nevada! See the world's largest rosebush in Tombstone, dine at the Hassayampa Inn in Prescott, spend a night at La Posada in Winslow, get chased by buffalo in several state parks. Get a certified 1950's malted in Delgadillos Snow Cap in Seligman, Az., insulin optional. Spend the night at Second Mesa in Hopi-land. It'll be so much fun, it'll take surgery to get the grin off of your face!   

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g31353-d514629-r352167577-Delgadillos_Snow_Cap-Seligman_Arizona.html

https://www.hotels.com/de10543455/hotels-second-mesa-arizona/

https://laposada.org/

https://www.hassayampainn.com/

[cyrusb]

I think the price problem stems from the fact that there is no economy of scale in a very limited market.
There just aren't enough Pre Unit Bullets in the U.S. While it  has always been a guarded secret, I believe there cant be more than 1500 pre units here, tops. Why Kevin would never let that number out has always baffled me. So couple that with a death rate akin to Mayflies, the actual number may be much less.
 So if you add your initial cost of your good condition Bullet, say $4k, and add $11k+, It gets very prohibitive. Which sucks because I would like one, but I find it physically impossible to live with those numbers. Those are Italian Panagali model numbers, in short skirts.

[Adrian II]

Carberry V twin, anyone?

A.

[Warwick]

Carberry had a nicer looking frame. Its was also too expensive and used the iron barrels when for sale in Australia; A real shame. I am hoping that RE build a v twin in future similar to the KX concept and REs of the 30's. I may die hoping
cheers and beers
Warwick

[AzCal Retred]

@ #8: Why would you ever start with a good condition Bullet? You are going to pull all of the guts out of it, certainly modify the suspension, modify the frame too. I'm not seeing any real issue finding $1500 - $2500 running (or "near running..." ) donor machines.
$11,000 isn't prohibitive, people spend way more than that all the time on "sports" kak they don't need anyway, it's just discretionary spend money. If it isn't discretionary for you, that's a different conversation entirely. Look at our 650 brethren doing some eye-watering spending to lighten their production machines, that's all discretionary spend money used for personal enjoyment. There's no price problem with the Musket, as $11K for a custom hand-built specialty engine is pretty cheap, all things considered. That beautiful motor is a tremendous achievement. This is art for art's sake, not a search for objective performance. If you can get a running, sorted machine on the road for under $20K I'd be surprised. Know any motorcycle folks with $20K tied up in their rides?

Most of us have spending thresholds. Like yourself, I'll likely admire the Musket from afar. But I think that $11K is probably a fair price for the R&D that's gone onto the Musket. It's a bragging rights machine, and a quirky piece of RE related hardware. I like the use of standard RE parts. If my disposable income level magically ramps up I'd give the Musket folks a call. meanwhile, I've got a few spare "donor" Bullets available at $4500 each...?

[Citrus]

Yep - I have an Australian built Carberry (No 8 of the 13 made). I am also building another engine at present.  15 sets of casting were originally made prior to production moving to India and changes made to the design to fit the later RE heads. Not a powerful bike - but nice big torquey thing.
Handling is very average - that is why I am building another engine to put in alternative running gear. Engine will be mildly tuned also. Stay tuned !

[cyrusb]

@ #8: Why would you ever start with a good condition Bullet? You are going to pull all of the guts out of it, certainly modify the suspension, modify the frame too. I'm not seeing any real issue finding $1500 - $2500 running (or "near running..." ) donor machines.
$11,000 isn't prohibitive, people spend way more than that all the time on "sports" kak they don't need anyway, it's just discretionary spend money. If it isn't discretionary for you, that's a different conversation entirely. Look at our 650 brethren doing some eye-watering spending to lighten their production machines, that's all discretionary spend money used for personal enjoyment. There's no price problem with the Musket, as $11K for a custom hand-built specialty engine is pretty cheap, all things considered. That beautiful motor is a tremendous achievement. This is art for art's sake, not a search for objective performance. If you can get a running, sorted machine on the road for under $20K I'd be surprised. Know any motorcycle folks with $20K tied up in their rides?

Most of us have spending thresholds. Like yourself, I'll likely admire the Musket from afar. But I think that $11K is probably a fair price for the R&D that's gone onto the Musket. It's a bragging rights machine, and a quirky piece of RE related hardware. I like the use of standard RE parts. If my disposable income level magically ramps up I'd give the Musket folks a call. meanwhile, I've got a few spare "donor" Bullets available at $4500 each...?

If you bought your bullet new the price was at least that. If you choose to do up a clunker there will be extra costs . Rotting chrome etc, dents and bad paintwork all detract from the ART and add to the cost . If it was as easy to own as you say, someone onsite would have one. No? It's the economy of scale thats the problem. Just look at the S+S cycle motor store. A complete new Panhead $9000, Knucklehead$11000, Evo's start at $ 7500. Those are complete engines. Not advocating but merely showing how having a huge customer base effects prices. It's just business. That is something that will never occur with Iron Bullets.

[ddavidv]

People pay $6000+ for a Janus with a Chinese 250 single. I think a Musket is a better value at twice the cost.

But, would I buy one? Probably not. I can get a lot of interesting real classic bikes for the same price.