Unofficial Royal Enfield Community Forum
Royal Enfield Motorcycles => Bullet Iron Barrel => Topic started by: straffordrt on March 21, 2014, 12:15:28 pm
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Hi, sorry for asking this question, seems to be a lot of discussion on the topic. Love the looks of the iron head engine versus the UCE and have a beauty in my sights. However, I will be using it to commute to work as well as weekend rides around the country side. I can handle routine fixes and maintenance but am looking to reliably run it daily at 60-65 mph during my commute 30 mile, half of which is slower that that. Will a well maintained iron head (looking at a 2007) hold up or should I loose some looks and go with the UCE? Thanks--Ken
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60 should be okay.
65 should be limited to shorter bursts of a few minutes and then slow back dow to 60. Passing speeds can go as fast as you want, as long as you slow back down to 60 after passing.
65 is too fast to maintain for long cruising times on a stock Iron Barrel engine. But you can do 65 for short times.
If you are asking if you can get on the interstate highway and sit on 65mph continuously without any variation for 15 minutes, it might do that okay, but I would advise against that, particularly in hot weather. We can't predict exactly how long it will take for the piston to seize.
Modified Bullets can do better than stock ones for higher speeds.
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Every customer that ran the bike in a similar manner wound up with a moderate to severe engine issue SOON. Part of my deliver discussion was to tell them in no uncertain terms to STAY OFF THE FREEWAY and keep the bike to a 50 MPH AVERAGE. Any sustained constant speed/rpm is death sooner or later. Guys that listened to me have gone 30,000 miles with no problem. I made a lot of money off the rest.
Get the new engine. The G5/B5/C5 is a great bike suited to your use.
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FWIW, my experience on my '99 500, which has 25,556 miles on the clock without a rebuid or broken piston, I rarely run over 60 mph, generally I keep it under 55 mph. Has never let me down, never stranded.
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Ace was very modest in not bringing up the fact that his company can perform work that will make the bike run much more reliably than stock under the conditions you describe, and a whole lot more. (Adequate for use on the faster US freeways...) The UCE is a smidge better than the iron barrel out of the box, but an Ace "fireball" bike is another class entirely.
It's certainly not free, however.
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In addition to the above, the vibration may or may not disassemble the bike as you ride. This will differ from bike to bike depending on how your engine went together at the factory. I personally restrict mine to 60 (and thats with a 19), because of vibration. It will tell you where it likes to run.
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Thanks all--- with sadness, I will look away from the beautiful and look to a new bullet. Hopefully will have most of the character I'm seeking--Ken
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IMHO, you're better off with a Fireball than a UCE.
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Thanks all--- with sadness, I will look away from the beautiful and look to a new bullet. Hopefully will have most of the character I'm seeking--Ken
"Character" is overrated.
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IMHO, you're better off with a Fireball than a UCE.
+1
Thanks all--- with sadness, I will look away from the beautiful and look to a new bullet. Hopefully will have most of the character I'm seeking--Ken
You have to give a bike character. ;)
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FWIW, my experience on my '99 500, which has 25,556 miles on the clock without a rebuid or broken piston, I rarely run over 60 mph, generally I keep it under 55 mph. Has never let me down, never stranded.
That's good to know and that's the 4 speed model..
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"Character" is overrated.
Overrated, I agree. But, True character is hard to deny. Chuck,I've seen a few photos of your bike And must say THAT bike has character!( or am I confusing it with the word Class!
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That's good to know and that's the 4 speed model..
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correct me if I'm wrong, the 4 speed and the 5 speed have the same top gear ratio 1:1
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That's good to know and that's the 4 speed model..
correct me if I'm wrong, the 4 speed and the 5 speed have the same top gear ratio 1:1
True.
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Seems to me like maybe a Lean Burn AVL might be worth considering.
It's engine did get a sleeved aluminum cylinder plus some of the bearings were redesigned to improve it.
Just a thought.
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Get a used UCE. With the price of the new bikes dropping you can find a used UCE at a good price.
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The AVL is a little better/more robust than the original Iron Barrel, but it is nowhere near the reliability level of the UCE. If you are going on the freeway get the UCE.
I find that the bikes with the most "character" are those that run reliably. Too often people make excuses for "character" when what is needed is a bike suited for the use it is being put to. Many people go to great lengths to modify something to their use. In my experience it usually costs less to have two bikes. one for "character" and one for actual use, than to continuously modify and repair an unsuitable bike.
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The UCE is a far more robust engine capable of at least a 10 mph advantage at cruising speeds over the iron barrel. It will run much longer at higher speeds and should probably make 50,000 miles and more without any major catastrophes.
The maintenance requirements for the iron barrels will remind you of what the good old days were REALLY like! They are far more labor intensive than the UCEs
Bare
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I have to apply an adage used on this forum years ago, "If you have to ask, it's probably not for you". The situation works when the bike picks you.
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years back while assisting with a field repair a crusty mechanic asked me to hand him a large wrench. When I asked him to specify a size he said it didn't matter as he was going to use it as a hammer. Probably not the first time this was ever uttered, but new to my youthful ears. The difference of ten mph means nothing.
buy a capable bike, then to satisfy your curiosity buy the antique your grandpa rode. You will have true satisfaction using each within their realm of capabilities. There is no way my bullet will ever compare in performance and handing to my KLX Kawasaki, Grandpa would have loved to experience the Kaw. Just as I have enjoyed the experience of riding his bike. This is a simple concept, the motorcycle evolved over time into our modern day bikes. It has been done, is now complete and with excellent results. pumping money into an antiquated machine to gain performance will not satisfy the "daily rider". Read Vince, then , Read Vince again.
It is a wonderful feeling to wake up with options. Some days I'm the grouchy old fart content to hammer away with a twelve inch Crescent, others I gracefully wield a set of polished spanners.
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years back while assisting with a field repair a crusty mechanic asked me to hand him a large wrench. When I asked him to specify a size he said it didn't matter as he was going to use it as a hammer. Probably not the first time this was ever uttered, but new to my youthful ears. The difference of ten mph means nothing.
buy a capable bike, then to satisfy your curiosity buy the antique your grandpa rode. You will have true satisfaction using each within their realm of capabilities. There is no way my bullet will ever compare in performance and handing to my KLX Kawasaki, Grandpa would have loved to experience the Kaw. Just as I have enjoyed the experience of riding his bike. This is a simple concept, the motorcycle evolved over time into our modern day bikes. It has been done, is now complete and with excellent results. pumping money into an antiquated machine to gain performance will not satisfy the "daily rider". Read Vince, then , Read Vince again.
It is a wonderful feeling to wake up with options. Some days I'm the grouchy old fart content to hammer away with a twelve inch Crescent, others I gracefully wield a set of polished spanners.
Sorry, but I strongly disagree with your statement. Your statement would be correct to a person who is completely new to motorcycles and doesn't know Jack or Shit about them.
This is a simple concept, the motorcycle evolved over time into our modern day bikes. It has been done, is now complete and with excellent results. pumping money into an antiquated machine to gain performance will not satisfy the "daily rider".
I call bullshit. Observe Exhibit "Operation Crotch Rocket Killer":
http://www.enfieldmotorcycles.com/forum/index.php/topic,17652.0.html
Why am I building this? Because I've ridden just about every make of bike out there, and NOTHING is as fun as my '58 Trailblazer. So I bought another one, with only one goal and purpose: To build the biggest, baddest, meanest, fastest, most insanely powerful Enfield twin that has ever been built. With a HUGE help from Tom at Ace Performance, we are REpioneering what everyone has said for almost half a century was impossible. But it's NOT impossible. It did take me 18 months to figure out what all has to be addressed, custom fabricated and modified to make it happen, but our initial blueprints indicate over 3 times more horsepower over stock, and over 30hp more than anyone has previously acheived. AND it will most CERTAINLY satisfy THIS "daily rider". And for the record, my Trailblazer isn't stock either. ;D
Scottie J
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I call bullshit. Observe Exhibit "Operation Crotch Rocket Killer":
http://www.enfieldmotorcycles.com/forum/index.php/topic,17652.0.html You reference YOURSELF ? Do they make a helmet in your size? ;D
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I call bullshit. Observe Exhibit "Operation Crotch Rocket Killer":
http://www.enfieldmotorcycles.com/forum/index.php/topic,17652.0.html You reference YOURSELF ? Do they make a helmet in your size? ;D
They make helmets that fit my head, but not my opinion. ;D
My point was that everyone lives life a little differently. The statement made conflicted with the way I live MY life on motorcycles.
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Things have not remained static with the Bullet over the last decade.
At one time, not all that long ago, it was considered folly to attempt modifications for performance on the Bullet because they were failing almost all the time when it was attempted by owners. Very easily found in the older archives on this site.
But times have changed dramatically, and things are very different today.
So, we have differing opinions on what's best to do, based on different points of view and different experiences with the bike.
Everybody here knows what I think about modding the Bullet, and I have a boatload of evidence riding around on 5 continents today to reinforce my point.
If others have differing opinions, they have a right to think as they please.
To each, his own.
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GPS! I had a real epiphany today when I rode my Bullet with a GPS. I thought my bike was comfortable and felt good at 55 to 60 but the truth is that 60 indicated is 50 MPH true! So my bike runs just like Vince says it should it just tries to tell beautiful lies while doing it.
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I wonder sometimes if I just disconnected the speedometer and just rode the bike at whatever speed, that the chosen speed would come naturally, I would really just be thumping along enjoying the ride, and not give a flip what the indicated speed was or actual. Just ride with a "who gives a crap" attitude and ride it by what feels good, what ever that is. All that speedo is is a distraction sometimes, a hindrance, or restriction. Disconnect it and have freedom!. A strange thought :P
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I wonder sometimes if I just disconnected the speedometer and just rode the bike at whatever speed, that the chosen speed would come naturally, I would really just be thumping along enjoying the ride, and not give a flip what the indicated speed was or actual. Just ride with a "who gives a crap" attitude and ride it by what feels good, what ever that is. All that speedo is is a distraction sometimes, a hindrance, or restriction. Disconnect it and have freedom!. A strange thought :P
Wait a minute..... You're telling me I'm supposed to pay attention to the speedometer? ;D
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Wait a minute..... You're telling me I'm supposed to pay attention to the speedometer? ;D
Well I know at least on my Bullet ignoring the speedometer won't cost me a ticket (yet), whereas on some of the sportbikes and cars I've had it has cost me dearly! :D
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The stock bike is very comfortable at 3500 rpm, which is about 56mph in top gear with stock gearing. Just above torque peak.
Most Enfields have very optimistic speedometers, typically reading up to 10mph faster than you are actually going. It is better to have a tachometer and get used to doing the mph conversion.