[tooseevee]

In summary, why would anyone choose an iron barrel or AVL over a UCE? There seems to be no logical reason.

       The look?? I just love the "look" of the iron barrel & AVL heads and valve covers in fact the whole engine.

        I have just the bike here for GUNR, but he's way too far away 

[Adrian II]

That's more like it - you mean the AVL engine?

Yes indeed, Steve! 

Another UCE could admittedly fit the bill, but something a little bit different was the intention, if i read the OP correctly.

My AVL hybrid uses the 500 AVL head, barrel, piston, crankshaft (with an Alpha Bearings big-end!) and timing cover in a modified set of iron barrel crankcases, with decent tappets and magneto ignition. Just why I would do that is another question entirely, of course. I'm not suggesting GUNR goes to that sort of lengths, although I know there is a bike with a similar spec to mine nearing completion in Australia at the moment.

A.

[GUNR]

Tooseevee, it looks like I need to travel more to see these machines.

Adrian, who’s building that bike here in Oz? If they’re less than 1,000km away I wouldn’t mind having a gander at it.

[Mr_84]

Hi GUNR

Adrian is probably out in the shed tidying up some details on his freshly finished Asbo 350.

The Aussie AVL build is Ben aka StreetKleaver , surly you know where he is ?

Not only is it going to be beautiful looking it’s also going to be fast very quick indeed .

Enjoy..

[Adrian II]

StreetKleaver is on this forum (he has that superbly rebuilt CGT535 too), he's up(?) in Queensland somewhere, it's on his profile.

350 progress is held up pending carburettor mods/replacement, hopefully sorted soon. Meanwhile for GUNR's info here's a picture of my AVL hybrid, though I'm sure I have already posted this recently.



A.

[axman88]

Another UCE could admittedly fit the bill, but something a little bit different was the intention, if i read the OP correctly.

Actually, looking back at the OP's first post, It appears to me the the title of the thread should have been more like "Opinion on UCE Classic 500 for long distance travel", as that looks to be the only model of interest.

So I'm not without a bike to ride if my GT535. is temporarily out of action, I've been gazing at Classic 500 models with rear racks and pannier racks for long distance runs (Pegasus, Chrome, Army (both brown or green) and even ones with sidecars ........

Now I'm trying to make sense of the pros and cons of the models I have just described.

I probably should have read the opening post more carefully, instead of just the title of the thread, before I made all those thumper suggestions in #6.  Instead, I fell straightaway into the plural of "Suggestions".

But, I did find interesting, the perspective that emerged in the thread, where members defined "thumper" with more complexity than my previous understanding of "a four stroke, single cylinder motorcycle", particularly:
    - being large capacity, and / or
    - being a long stroke , undersquare and / or
    - having multiple cylinders.

I personally consider RE UCE's and earlier models to be challenging for long distance riding here in the USA, not because I can't find routes that are within its capabilities, but because I think I could easily get out of recovery range from a source of service or spares if the worst came to pass far from home.   If my recovery scenario necessitates shipping my machine home and also finding my own way onward or homeward, that's a lot of extra stress, stress that I won't have, if I'm riding a model that was spread thick across the land, but, I think of "long distance" as several hundred to a few thousand miles.

I expect the situation is quite different in the UK, and other areas, where the UCE, AVL, and IB RE models were more popular when new.  India seems perfect.

[SteveThackery]

Actually, looking back at the OP's first post, It appears to me the the title of the thread should have been more like "Opinion on UCE Classic 500 for long distance travel", as that looks to be the only model of interest.

Actually you are right, and I've only just realised that the OP wants another 500cc Enfield, not an "additional thumper". We're in good company - about 90% of this thread is discussing non-RE thumpers, so we were all misled by the thread title.

[gizzo]

The simplicity, ease of maintenance, peerless fuel economy and above all the 'good vibes' have endeared the Royal Enfield single to me and I'm content to sit at or under the speed limit to enjoy the journey.
Now I'm trying to make sense of the pros and cons of the models I have just described. Any thoughts gratefully received as this next bike will most probably be the last I ever buy.

There's no reason you can't do long trips on a Bullet, especially as you're content to take your time. You just need to be lucky and get a good one.

I've just done a 2500km trip to the Great Ocean Road on mine (CGT). Didn't skip a beat.

[SteveThackery]

There's no reason you can't do long trips on a Bullet, especially as you're content to take your time. You just need to be lucky and get a good one.

😄😂 It sounds funny when you say it like that. 

So there's your answer, GUNR: "Be lucky". Simple, eh?

[Guaire]

There's no reason you can't do long trips on a Bullet, especially as you're content to take your time. You just need to be lucky and get a good one.

I've just done a 2500km trip to the Great Ocean Road on mine (CGT). Didn't skip a beat.

gizzo - Sounds good to me. A lot of that luck comes from good maintainence and preparation.

[axman88]

I'm interested in any comments regarding the relative reliability of the UCE Classic 500 vs. UCE Bullet, vs the Continental GT 535.

I've seen cautions regarding,
   - Primary Chain / tensioner
   - Piston quality
   - Exhaust valve
   - Electric starter sprag clutch

But, my first thought would be that these issues would apply equally to all the UCE machines.

The CGT535 uses an 87x90mm bore x stroke, where the other 2 have 84x90, which accounts for an extra 2 rated HP.  I'm wondering if there were other internal differences in construction, or gear ratios, that might affect reliability?
 
Some info I've recorded leads me to believe that in 2016,
The Bullet was equipped with a 17/36 sprockets and 3.50-19 rear tire,
The Classic 500 was equipped with an 18/36 sprockets and 110/80-R18 rear,
The CGT535 left the factory with 18/36 and 130/70-R18 rear tire,

Even if all the internals are the same, according to my calculations, these differences would have the
Bullet's engine spinning 3754 rpm at 60mph and 4380 rpm at 70 mph in top gear.
The Classic 500 would be at 3629 and 4234 rpm.
The CGT 535 would be spinning 3575 and 4171, respectively, at 60 and 70 mph.

The ~5% max difference doesn't seem particularly significant, but it does make me wonder if my usual tactic of increasing front sprocket size to reduce cruising rpms is the wisest thing to do.  Maybe for best reliability, I should be accepting the discomfort of the greater vibrations and letting the engine rev. higher?

[GUNR]

Axman88 you’re right on the money regarding thumper definition. My earliest recognition of the term referred to (usually loping) long stroke singles. Before the advent of Japanese single 2 strokes I only ever encountered the likes of CZ Jawa, MZ etc.

I’m keen to remain with REs and even considering the ‘military’ clothed green or dune options and maybe as an ‘outfit’, or adding something like this to what I already have.

I recently rode a new Bullet 350 and it didn’t ‘grab’ me with its hard seat, clunky gearbox and different handling compared to my 2015 CGT.
Unfortunately I haven’t had the opportunity to ride a Classic 500 to do a comparison.