[nonfiction]

Howdy y'all!
 
My first post here. The good community and civil conversations here have gone a long way toward convincing me the bike I just bought would be good choice--not just for the bike but for the people.

I'm a lifelong moto guy in Seattle, now the new owner of a 2007 5 speed electric start iron barrel Bullet. I don't even have it in my possession yet. But I do have a vision for the bike (involves the letters ISDT), and one of the first things I hope I can accomplish is maybe the most significant, mechanically: I want to get rid of the big ugly cylindrical Alternator hump in the left side primary/clutch cover, and run an older style smooth one. Possible?

Now, I'm aware there are important parts behind that big lump, but I'm also aware that these bikes have an awful lot of parts interchangeability and a pretty simple electrical system. Plus, I'm likely to reduce the electrics on this bike to bare minimum, likely foregoing electric start, and going to either a very small battery or none at all. I'm hoping this last bit will be the key.

SO. I'm wondering, is there an efficient path to doing all this: Smooth left side, no electric start, tidy and clean as you like just like it's 1967?

[AzCal Retred]

Welcome Nonfiction - my 1999 kick-start only IB Bullets both have the smooth cover; one's the all DC model & the other is the newer AC/DC. Hitchcocks shows PN# 111889 for the inner cover & 143907 for the outer. I assume the bulge in your machine is to accomodate the self-fragging starter mechanism. Alternators are pretty cheap, IF you need a different one.  https://accessories.hitchcocksmotorcycles.com/Parts-Book-Online   
These cases also show up also in E-bay.

I assume you'll mount 21"/18" alloy rims? Hitch's carries the 40 spoke sets in stainless.
Here's H's Kit link:   https://accessories.hitchcocksmotorcycles.com/accessory-shop/Trials-Kit-Bullet-Pre-Unit/18946        About $2K USD
Don't forget to gear down & use the "trials gears":
https://accessories.hitchcocksmotorcycles.com/accessory-shop/4-speed/11355     Roughly $130 USD
https://accessories.hitchcocksmotorcycles.com/accessory-shop/Rear-Wheel-Sprockets-Bolt-On/18715   Roughly $110 USD

I have seen many "trail bikes" running the ridiculous 38T rear sprocket. The Bolt-on hub allows you to drop gear ratios to ones suitable for at least mild off-roading. The aftermarket pair of trials gears makes the first 3 ratios lower and leaves 4th for getting home. All done with the trans bolted into the frame.

Get your checkbook out and start having fun! - ACR-

[nonfiction]

Thanks ReTred! You're ahead of me on the 18/21 rims and the trials gears (are the 4sp ones usable in a 5sp box? I don't see 5sp trials gears offered). I anticipate I'll also be going to right hand shift to clear the undercarriage, so that'll make the switch easier. My bike has most of the Hitchcock's trials kit already installed, light rims and pretty tank included!), plus a disc brake upgrade on the front.

This is good stuff. Much obliged. Once the bike is in my possession I'll make some pictures and start this conversation in Ernest. Yay!

[Paul W]

Does your bike have a “centre bolt” left side outer chain case with an “O” ring seal , or does it have a set of perimeter screws and a conventional paper gasket? If it has the screws it will be a 500 Electra and you would need a 350 Electra inner chain case; these were not fitted with a starter motor so don’t have that ugly hump.

Alternatively you could just remove the starter mechanism and blank off the aperture for the motor. Hitchcock’s sell a plug which just pushes in where the motor used to sit.

By the way, the hump isn’t for the alternator, it is for the starter motor. The alternator sits inside on the end of the crank.

[nonfiction]

@Paul W, thank you. I do mean the alternator hump. I hope to dispense with the starter motor tower (and motor) also, ideally in the same round of mods. I reckon that means new inner and outer primary/clutch cases, but the part my post is nominally about is the round part behind the shift lever, that says Royal Enfield on the outside.

[AzCal Retred]

Ha ha - I needs me 'mo coffee I guess - you DID specifically say you had a 5 speed. Ageing is great...

So except for the bolt-on-sprocket hub and 21/18 rims you're all set. The 5 speed is the "holy grail", and the disc brake will keep a lot of pucker marks out of your seat. The alloys are nice because of the weight reduction. 21's roll over things better and steer so well in the dirt - long skinny contact patch I suppose. There are softer fork & shock springs available IF the stock spring rates prove too harsh for trail.

The lower overall gearing with the 5-speed should make it a ball to trail ride. It's supposed to be nearly on par with the Japanese efforts. That low-compression motor and heavy flywheel allow the machines rear tire to "stick" amazingly well. As a sprout I followed a lot of TT500 Yamahas and was amazed that they could find traction many places when all my 2-stroke could do was wheel spin. Pick smooth lines and you'll be surprised at the traction.

Send pix when you got 'em - ACR-

[DavidGraves]

Hello and Welcome !

I live down on the N Oregon coast.

Do you have in mind a build somewhat like this :

https://seattle.craigslist.org/est/mcy/d/roslyn-royal-enfield-trials/7158216888.html

This seller might have some insights for you on where to find bits like the exhaust etc.

Good luck with the project.

David Graves

[nonfiction]

Hi David,
Thanks for the welcome. My bike is indeed somewhat along those lines. I spoke with the owner of that Craigslist bike a while back, seems like a nice ride. But the one I am getting already has most of the cosmetic and functional parts from the Hitchcock's trials kit, including the sweet high exhaust and the pretty tins and the tough-guy footpegs. I still need a scrambler handlebar and trials top yoke, plus the gearing and electrical bits discussed above. I also will need to lose the ungainly (if authentic-ish) sprung seat, in favor of something a bit more trim. Mine looks like the attached, as it sits in the seller's driveway.

My inspiration is the bike built by a French fella, documented in this thread (open in Chrome for free translation if you don't read French): https://www.caferacerclub.org/t36607-royal-enfield-isdt
... he's done such a lovely job and made a bike that suits my use case so well, I'm thinking I'm just gonna replica this guy's build as closely as I can.

Do you have in mind a build somewhat like this :

https://seattle.craigslist.org/est/mcy/d/roslyn-royal-enfield-trials/7158216888.html

Good luck with the project.

David Graves

[Paul W]

@Paul W, thank you. I do mean the alternator hump. I hope to dispense with the starter motor tower (and motor) also, ideally in the same round of mods. I reckon that means new inner and outer primary/clutch cases, but the part my post is nominally about is the round part behind the shift lever, that says Royal Enfield on the outside.

Aah, now I understand better. 

[AzCal Retred]

The rims are already alloy! Very nice. You might consider dispensing with the odometer altogether and just install a small unobtrusive electric tachometer. You'd just need to determine where 30 & 60 MPH was and you'd be set. Less to fiddle with, and with that 2 1/2 gallon alloy tank you'll likely be fuelling up at every opportunity anyhow. Without a trip odometer, a speedo isn't a lot of use off-road, which is the purpose of the exercise. Aluminum handlebars have some shock-dulling capability as well as being lighter & not rusting. The Royal Enfield Thunderbird has a triple tree set that looks taken right from offroad, and also uses a fork-mounted headlight. E-bay has parts like that.

Without lowering the final drive ratio, trail riding gets to be real work. It's hard to "cowtrail" when every power pulse moves the bike six feet. A 46 to 50 tooth sprocket would still allow 45 - 50 or so on the street and be a lot more comfortable off-road.

[AzCal Retred]

Your Frenchman had the same idea about retasking the Thunderbird triple tree, but there were dimensional issues. Oh well...

>>>  I first buy a low price Royal Enfield Thunderbird triple tree (ref 801100)
A lousy motorcycle, fortunately not imported by us, but with most parts compatible with the Royal Enfield Bullet.
...........and the location of the column bearing is in no way compatible with my mount.<<<

[Bilgemaster]

Your Frenchman had the same idea about retasking the Thunderbird triple tree, but there were dimensional issues. Oh well...

>>>  I first buy a low price Royal Enfield Thunderbird triple tree (ref 801100)
A lousy motorcycle, fortunately not imported by us, but with most parts compatible with the Royal Enfield Bullet.
...........and the location of the column bearing is in no way compatible with my mount.<<<

In this Indian home market "Thunderbird" model vein, I seem to recall someone here, possibly English, mentioning long ago that that model's primary cases may be the replacement cure for that electric starter hump...though whether it may be smooth at the alternator, I cannot say. A search of the Forum Archives for "thunderbird primary" should coax that info out. As for me, though I've long since yanked off the troublesome and ugly electric start, and capped off the hole with one of those nice Hitchcock's billet alloy blanking plugs, I sort of LIKE the now-redundant and enigmatic hump. I think it looks sort of "rakish" somehow--its turgid upward sweep being somehow a compositional counterpoint to the other timing case side's almost shamelessly erect "Romulan Marital Aid" motif. I like the hump. I like to say, "I like the hump." Hump! I also imagine that without that butt-ugly starter motor in the way, the cylinder must be getting a bit better cooling air flow blowing through its fins. Blowing!

Oh, and welcome to the Horde of the Riders of the Archaic and Flying Fossils! I'll be in my bunk.

[Paul W]

Here’s my 350 Bullet Electra. It has electronic ignition driven off the crank, but it has no starter motor. The left side cases are different to most other Bullets, screws and a gasket instead of the central bolt and O ring. It causes some confusion when ordering parts, even at Hitchcock’s.

[nonfiction]

@Paul W, yup, that's the look I'm gunning for: Smooth case, top and side. (I don't *LOVE* the look of those bolts around the perimeter, but if that's what I end up with because that's what fits, I'll be just fine with it.)

[ace.cafe]

Yes, it can be done. We have done plenty of them.

The problem is that the parts are now hard to get, and expensive.There were not very many kickstart 5-speed Bullets.  If you look hard, you can probably find the parts.

It is much easier to find a kickstart 4-speed primary chaincase, and convert the 5-speed to right shift/left brake.