[2Para]

Morning Guys,

Just laid my hands on a 2019 RE Classic 500 in Battle Green very low mileage. Loved the look of the originals from WW2 so as an ex Army man it was an easy decision, especially when I found out they have discontinued the 500cc. It has 830 on the clock so I am hoping all the running in niggles have been ironed out before it arrives.
If anybody else has a similar bike I would like some advice on the best UK buy of a decent engine leg protection bars in keeping with its looks.

[axman88]

I went with a trapezoid style, in black finish, from Ebay, that I painted to match my Desert Storm.  I did have to come up with my own mounting hardware, including making some scab plates and spacers.   The bar was too close to the o2 sensor on the exhaust, and the india supplied brackets were very poor quality.

This is basically the style I went with:  https://www.ebay.com/itm/264325891972
The simple trapezoid is more readily available and more economical:  https://www.ebay.com/itm/363529556683

More info here:  https://forum.classicmotorworks.com/index.php?topic=27918.msg319834#msg319834

I didn't find the "actual" India military style bar available commercially, at a price I was willing to pay, when I was looking.  https://www.haywards.co.uk/military.html

[2Para]

Yes thanks for that very helpful.
The crash bar is so important, especially if I put all my confidence in the side stand and how it was made in India in mass numbers. If that went, it envariably causes damage and the grief thereafter to patching up the scratches.

Sadly the quality of the various Indian made crash bars was too diverse on Ebay for me to sit around for a month to see if it could fit and take some light knocks or have to send it back. As you say, the fixing kits varied with whoever you bought from, from one end of India to the other.

My daughter got married in India so I spent a bit of time, as you do if you are interested in seeing stuff like this "handmade" nearly everytime, being made by a vast range of ages.

The length of bolts varied, changed threads looked as if they had been tapped separately too, and everything else was so adhoc, so it was a bit of a drama.
The 500cc RE versions seemed for some reason to be the most popular at the time, not many 350's. So it left me wondering why they had decided to cease making any 500's when their own market was buzzing. I am sure someone will know the answer!!!

I was after a UK based dealer come manufacturer who could supply the crash bar and spray it in Battle Green, but I am probably dreaming and will, like you have, to buy a matt bar and spray it myself. The other issue, is when I queried what green they used so I could get a can or two, I was told there were several colours of Battel Green, so not as simple as a NATO stock number there then.
Trial and error me thinks!

[axman88]

The 500cc RE versions seemed for some reason to be the most popular at the time, not many 350's. So it left me wondering why they had decided to cease making any 500's when their own market was buzzing. I am sure someone will know the answer!!!

I was after a UK based dealer come manufacturer who could supply the crash bar and spray it in Battle Green, but I am probably dreaming and will, like you have, to buy a matt bar and spray it myself. The other issue, is when I queried what green they used so I could get a can or two, I was told there were several colours of Battel Green, so not as simple as a NATO stock number there then.
Trial and error me thinks!

My simple analysis of the 500 vs 350 market in India from the perspective of a far off foreigner, is that when the UCE engine machines were launched around 2009, the 500 was given Fuel Injection, (closed loop with 02 sensor for exports, and open loop running off a map for domestic).  The 350, on the other hand, was retained the simple carburetor.  This led to a pretty substantial price disparity, favoring the 350s.  There was also considerable disparaging talk about the reliability and cost of the replacement parts associated with the FI system.  Even with their carburetors, the 350s could deliver better fuel economy than the fuel injected 500s which cost considerably more.  I think these factors were the kiss of death for the 500 in a market that is very cost conscious.   The 350s weren't given FI until just before the 500s were discontinued domestically.

Regarding a UK crash bar source, I can't help.  Hitchcocks of UK, (our forum sponsor, BTW) has a few bars for sale, but I'm not seeing any which appear to be just what you are looking for or guaranteed to bolt on.  https://accessories.hitchcocksmotorcycles.com/accessory-shop/paints?ext=F&search=crash+bar

Personally, I'm thinking about getting this bar from Hitchcocks and making myself a full set of brackets, because my last bar suffered mightily in a collision with a sedan, and may not be repairable:  https://accessories.hitchcocksmotorcycles.com/accessory-shop/Front-Crashbars/10599

Hitchcocks offers a spray can of color matched Battle Green acrylic paint:   https://accessories.hitchcocksmotorcycles.com/accessory-shop/paints/34288
They also had Desert Storm when I was thinking of painting, but I'm too cheap and not picky enough.  I mixed my own "desert storm" khaki color for the engine guard and various small add-on brackets.  I couldn't match the gloss, but I did do a pretty fair job of color matching tint by eye, working with primary colors of oil based Rustoleum from the hardware store.  I don't even use a sprayer, just a fine camel hair brush.  It's no show bike, but draws more positive attention than any bike I've ever ridden.  I'm sure it's because it's fooling most onlookers into thinking they are looking at a WWII vintage machine.

[dickim]

Thought on the paint  - I have a 2014 C5 Cream over Burgundy and when looking for paint codes etc, seems there aren't any, just mixed in India, so trying to get a true match...?? I wanted to use the combination on a JZR trike I built, so I took mine to a paint shop who scanned it and gave me not only the paint but also the "recipe" 👍 About to use Combo again on a Big Healey Restoration  - that colour combo got to me😀

[2Para]

Axman,
Spot on with the analysis there, but what a shame.
In terms of the crash bars, I have ordered the simple crash bars in a matt black, at least that will be easier to spray NATO Green 

Interms of colour match of the bike, that would probably be impossible, as I have seen so many variations now. Thats what I love about India, no consistancy on a product especially paint!

I designed a torch once for the Military knowing what was lacking at the sharpend. The sample was great but the handmade circuit boards for the switch were different everytime, resulting in 99/100 failing. The boss was so upset, he flew here , sat in my garden and cried as he couldn't believe it. They have come leaps and bounds since then, especially now they have bought many of our CNC machines at auction in the UK.

As an aside, I was at a local farm sale recently where there was a non computer operated combine harvester, the old reliable ones. There were three Indian families haggling/bidding for it, as that is preferred in India to the computer version because they can repair circuits but not software!!
Interesting times for them, but all in all, as you say the bike is a head turner and they have done really well with all the models produced!
Good luck to them

[tjupille]

On my 2017 Desert Storm,  I took the battery cover to Home Depot, had them scan it, and bought a quart of the  mixed paint. A good quality brush, let it dry thoroughly, and then spray with Krylon Clear Matte. The house paint is fairly soft, but the Krylon clearcoat hardens up nicely. If you look closely you can see brush marks, but it's fine from more than a couple of feet away, and it's easy to touch up when it gets dinged.