Unofficial Royal Enfield Community Forum

Royal Enfield Motorcycles => Bullet with the UCE engine => Topic started by: prof_stack on August 13, 2010, 10:09:18 pm

Title: I Just Put a Deposit Down on a New ...
Post by: prof_stack on August 13, 2010, 10:09:18 pm
Okay, I pulled the trigger today and put a $500 (refundable) deposit on a 2010 C5 in black.  Black looks faster.   :D

I asked the fine people at Ducati Seattle to install the large headlamp and put a visor in place.  I will pay msrp plus the assorted fees AND 9.5% WA state sales tax (gotta love it here, not).  Hey, I’m doing my part to kick-start this economy, so to speak!    ;D

This was after another test-ride, this one 20 miles.  Mostly 45-50 mph in 5th gear.  For me, the seating position is perfect.  I used my full-faced helmet for this ride and discovered that this motor and pipe are quieter than the Moto Guzzi Nevada 750 with all of its mechanical racket and stock pipe.

The new C5 will arrive next week, I believe.  Owner Dave was nice enough to give me the Nfieldgear Parts and Accessories, Part 1  catalog.  VERY nice, but not so many things yet for UCE bikes.

A few questions for those with the UCE motor:

Thanks a lot, guys.  Finally getting a Royal Enfield will end 8 years of searching, pining, and plotting.  I'm hoping it will be my best thumper yet.
Title: Re: I Just Put a Deposit Down on a New ...
Post by: r80rt on August 13, 2010, 10:36:06 pm
After 2000 miles the engine will a LOT smoother, you'll love it. Keep the oil level between the lines. My dealer put full synthetic in before I picked it up, he also said 20-50 was too heavy, The tool box is a royal pain to open. never removed a fender for cleaning. Never waxed a bolt, haven't had a single thing need to be tightened. The upswept is loud, expensive and you have to remove it to adjust the chain, I like it a lot. The shorty is worth it too. I use Dairyland Insurance. You did good and got yourself a hell of a fun bike!
Title: Re: I Just Put a Deposit Down on a New ...
Post by: singhg5 on August 13, 2010, 10:39:30 pm
Prof_Stack:

Welcome to the Forum and Bullet riders. You made a good choice - The fastest of the C5s - a Black one  ;)

I will respond to some of your questions - but I have a G5  (Fastest of the G5 - Black one  ;D )

1.  Oil level - right at the Upper Line in the Window or slightly lower  (Not higher).

2.  You can switch to fully synthetic after 2 oil changes or after 2000 miles.  But IMHO it is better to do first oil change after 150- 200 miles, then at 1000 miles and then every 2000 miles.  (The Owners Manual suggests oil change less frequently than what I do).

3.  Prudent things to do for a new owner -
      a.  Strongly recommend to change OEM acid battery to a GEL or Sealed battery.
      b.  Keep cables and chain clean and well lubed.
      c.  Chain WILL stretch pretty soon AND may stretch 2 to 3 times - so keep adjusting chain tension every few hundred miles.
       d. Tighten EVERY bolt and EVERY screw head that you can see on your bike after every few hundred miles until two oil changes.
      e.  IMHO - run the bike as is until your first or second oil change, BEFORE making changes or modifications.  That will give you enough time to find faults (if any) in your unit and chance to understand it better.  If you do mods first, you may not know if that caused any problem or is the unit at fault.  Also a mod may void your Manufacturer Warranty.

4.  Be ready to be stopped in parking lots or traffic lights to talk and explain to curious and well meaning looker-ons asking "Is it a Norton ?" "Who makes it ?" etc.

Hope you have it soon under your seat and you enjoy thousands of miles on your C5.

singhg5
Title: Re: I Just Put a Deposit Down on a New ...
Post by: Ducati Scotty on August 13, 2010, 10:41:35 pm
-Vibration, a lot!  It will really smooth out at higher revs over the first 1500-2000 miles.  You don't need a tack, if it shakes slow down the revs.  Plenty of torque to short shift while breaking in.
-I think half way up is best.  This is after warming up, don't look at it dead cold after not running for hours.  If you go to the top it can tend to spit into the air cleaner at higher rvs.
-I'm going to switch to full synthetic after about 3000 or so.  I've got 13XX miles and I'll change before my 1500 mile trip with dino in two weeks.  I'll change to synthetic when I get back.
-Just get it open and closed a few times.  It gets easier and you get used to it.  And when you do get it open lube the rubber grommets with some chain lube or light grease so it's easier next time.
-Not sure.
-Check your engine and frame mounting bolts often for the first few thousand miles, then at every oil change.  Use threadlock or lock washers if some keep loosening.  Check, adjust, and lube your chain often.
-Several options.  Look through the first few pages of posts in this section.
-I'm paying about $200/year for full coverage with Progressive.

And congrats!

Scott
Title: Re: I Just Put a Deposit Down on a New ...
Post by: Maturin on August 13, 2010, 11:49:15 pm
"Any customer can have a car painted any colour that he wants so long as it is black" - Thats dead right for motorcycles aswell. And it looks fast of course, from a snails perspective it almost looks like Saturn V and will pull away just as fast  ;D
Vibration will diminish somewhat with miles go by, in the case of my (ahem..black) vehicle it nearly dissappeared below 100 km/h. The more octane you pour in your tank the lesser vibes will stress you.
The sight glass allows rough estimates of the oil level at best, though at the expense of your intervertebral discs (ok I checked this term in the english dictionary ;)). The manual recomends to warm up "a couple of minutes", the german manual is absolutly clear about time and space (like a good german manual should be): 2 minutes, afterwards leave it another 2 minutes. Well, clear but bullshit  ::) you have to warm up much longer and then leave the bike about 5 minutes before you check the level. If you overfill it, the engine will spit out the superfluous oil into the air filter, making a half decent mess.
As my bike is a pretty G5 I´m afraid I can´t say anything about tool kit & front fender of the C5s.
The most prudent thing to do to preserve the bike´s worthiness is to care for it like any other bike, but a little more.
And if you hear about a muffler that gives a bit extra power and does not backfire, please tell me, I couldn´t decide myself yet  ;D. 
Title: Re: I Just Put a Deposit Down on a New ...
Post by: TheFatMan on August 14, 2010, 03:59:09 am
prof_stack
My new C5 is up to just under 300 miles right now.  I did the first oil change at 200 (manual says 300).  I talked to the service guys at CMW before I did and they strongly suggested switching to full synthetic at the first oil change.  I had been reading this forum for some time leading up to then, and got so many different viewpoints, I thought I'd go straight to the horse's mouth.  They told me the UCE motor does not require an extensive break in like tho older iron barrels and that full synthetic was the way to go. 

Tool box is a PIA.  It has two little metal prongs that plug into rubber grommets, one at the top and one center rear.  Pull straight out and it will come loose. I put a little dab of grease on the grommets when putting the cover back on and second removal was easier, but still sticky.

The other advice you've gotten is spot on, though I haven't found any loose fasteners yet, and mine is a military, so no wax... just a little WD40 on a rag for wipe down.  The chain has stretched a little, but the manual says 25 to 30mm deflection and it hasn't gotten to there yet.  Does 30mm seem like a lot of chain deflection to any body else?  I've not felt the need to remove the front fender yet and I am really starting to like the sound from the stock pipe.  I am leaving mine as is.  I am going to swap out the small headlamp fro a 7" H4 at some point in the near future, but I really don't ride much after dark, ever.  There are probably more deer in my county than there are people and I have had to repair a few cars after collisions with deer, so night time is the right time for me to drive my jeep ;-)

My insurance is through Progressive also and was about $200.

Good choice, your going to enjoy it.
Title: Re: I Just Put a Deposit Down on a New ...
Post by: Ducati Scotty on August 14, 2010, 04:05:30 am
I talked to the service guys at CMW before I did and they strongly suggested switching to full synthetic at the first oil change. ...... They told me the UCE motor does not require an extensive break in like tho older iron barrels and that full synthetic was the way to go. 

With that in mind I might go full synth on the next change.  What weight oil did you use?

Scott
Title: Re: I Just Put a Deposit Down on a New ...
Post by: prof_stack on August 14, 2010, 05:27:49 am
Thanks for all the input!  Much appreciated.

Insurance rates are a crap-shoot at best.  They very by state, couny, and even zip code.  Each state has their own list of providers. 

Okay, for my zip code in Seattle, with full coverage and higher limits on most things:

Approximately:
Dairyland:  $1,450   :o
Geico:  $350 
Progressive:  $290 :)

I'll do more searching and lock in the quote later next week.

My 2007 accident found me with no underinsured motorist coverage and that cost me a lot in the personal damage settlement.
Title: Re: I Just Put a Deposit Down on a New ...
Post by: 2bikebill on August 14, 2010, 08:45:59 am
My manual recommends 15w-50 semi synth oil. So does the dealer. I'm switching to fully synth next oil change on the strength of what I've read on this forum. I have a couple of litres of the semi left so will add the fully synth to it (same brand &15-50) so it'll be "more synth" rather than "fully". The Silkolene Oil Clinic OK'd this.
I don't think you'll find an aftermarket pipe that doesn't backfire a bit, but you will get a noticeable performance boost if you ditch the stock monster in favour of something straight-through. Noisier though. My G5 with Goldie backfires a bit sometimes. It's random, and on some rides doesn't do it at all.
Title: Re: I Just Put a Deposit Down on a New ...
Post by: Maturin on August 14, 2010, 10:07:55 am
1400 $ insurance?  :o :o :o

When I read that I almost fall off my sofa - even with full coverage my insurance would cost 600 €, but only in case me beeing a novice. With partial coverage (only other´s damage excluding mine) and a lot of accident-free years my bill is 36 € / year  :D
Title: Re: I Just Put a Deposit Down on a New ...
Post by: 2bikebill on August 14, 2010, 10:26:09 am
Insurance rates in UK vary wildly too - I think it's to do with the phases of the moon and the mood of whoever answers the phone    ;)
I paid £105 fully comp, with £200 excess. That's with not having ridden a motorbike for forty years! They did make allowance though for long time claim-free car driving.
But as I shopped around I was getting quotes two and three time higher!
Online quotes weren't generally cheaper, and tend to result in a deluge of unwanted emails and phonecalls. >:(
Title: Re: I Just Put a Deposit Down on a New ...
Post by: TheFatMan on August 14, 2010, 01:30:31 pm
Scotty,
I used 15W50 motorcycle specific oil both on the recommendation of the book and the service guy on the phone.  I know there are tests showing that car oil and bike oil (if changed at appropriately short intervals) are equal.  I just buy into some of the hype in that an air cooled engine, the oil does a good bit of heat removal and is subject to breakdown more quickly.  If I change it twice a year and use "the good stuff"  it will cost me $40 a year for oil.  I'll let you know how it turns out in a couple of years   ;D   I may never ride this thing enough to know if it did any good, but whoever gets it next will thank me.

I should add that my only prior air cooled experience is with old flat 4 VW and Porsche motors and they are much like the older bullet motors in that they require higher zinc levels due to flat tappet lifters.  This new motor seems much more like the 600 cc single on my yamaha (gasp) ATV.  They both have bottom end torque like a tractor, the ATV has suffered much more abuse than the bike will though.  I use it to plow snow and drag a brush hog!
 
(http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f84/tsp356/PICT0191.jpg)

The yellow car is my 1964 Porsche 356 at Road America for vintage race weekend.  I've been an old car junky all of my life and the little 1.6 liter flat four motors in the old Porsches are where I learned to be a mechanic!

Cheers,
Title: Re: I Just Put a Deposit Down on a New ...
Post by: Ducati Scotty on August 14, 2010, 02:49:43 pm
The first cars I really tore apart were air cooled VWs.  I owned 3 over the years so I have a soft spot in my heart for all things air cooled.  Working on my Ducati and my RE take me back.  Yes, air cooled motors get way hotter than anything with a radiator and full synth does stand up better than dino to that.  Also moto oils have more sulphur compounds which is great if you have your gears in the same oil as your engine.  Car oils used to have more of these but are now limited by law for emissions reasons.  So I'm a fan of full synth moto oil for air cooled bikes. 

I am going to go with 10w40 based on a few things I've read in this forum and elsewhere and the fact that 15w50 seems to have been chosen for the bike more because it is the most common grade in India than for any scientific reason.  Thin oils get to more parts better and faster, take less energy to pump, and so run a little cooler.   And full synth has the shear strength in the film that you used to only be able to get with heavier dino oils so still provide excellent protection.

All that said, I still think changing it often is more important than anything else you do no matter what grade/brand you use.

Scott
Title: Re: I Just Put a Deposit Down on a New ...
Post by: prof_stack on August 14, 2010, 03:22:25 pm
I've always preferred air-cooled motorcycles.  I think putting a radiator on a bike is just wrong.

The Buell XB9S has a cooling fan that pulls air away from the rear cylinder.  It comes on when needed, usually at the end of a ride when the ignition is turned off.  When I switched to full synthetic oil that fan would run way less time than with dino oil.

My previous thumper, the Buell Blast, definitely ran cooler with synthetic oil.  Some days in 100+ temperatures proved that.  My body could have used something to run cooler.   ;)

So it looks like 10W-40 synthetic will be best for Seattle's climate.
Title: Re: I Just Put a Deposit Down on a New ...
Post by: 1 Thump on August 14, 2010, 03:46:49 pm
Thanks for all the input!  Much appreciated.

Insurance rates are a crap-shoot at best.  They very by state, couny, and even zip code.  Each state has their own list of providers. 

Okay, for my zip code in Seattle, with full coverage and higher limits on most things:

Approximately:
Dairyland:  $1,450   :o
Geico:  $350 
Progressive:  $290 :)

I'll do more searching and lock in the quote later next week.

My 2007 accident found me with no underinsured motorist coverage and that cost me a lot in the personal damage settlement.

I got th ebest quote and coverage from State Farm, about 44/mo. 
Title: Re: I Just Put a Deposit Down on a New ...
Post by: Ducati Scotty on August 14, 2010, 04:32:57 pm
Having just gone through getting a bike totaled and dealing with too much insurance, State Farm is good.  The guy at the shop was very relieved when he found out the person who totaled my bike had State Farm since they are one of the easiest and best ins companies to deal with.  I'll be looking to them for quotes in the near future.

Scott
Title: Re: I Just Put a Deposit Down on a New ...
Post by: qgolden on August 15, 2010, 04:55:03 am
To get the tool box cover off,  Turn the key lock a quarter turn counter-clockwise., it is a simple bar and lock-plate inside.  The lock plate is welded to the cover , the bar on the key lock side gets in behind the lock place and draws the cover in on the right side.

The lock nut on the back side frequently loosens up, not enough to cause the cover to loosen but enough to make unlocking it the first time confusing.  When the nut loosens the key lock will rotate all the way around.

You will find a place to put your fingers behind the cover near the top on the left side,  Put your other hand at the bottom at about 7 o'clock, put your fingernails in back of the edge of the cover and wiggle out top and bottom back an forth and it will give way.  Unlike the Air Filter and Electronic Box covers there is no hinge, it comes off completely.

Do not use petroleum based grease on the rubbers, in a year you wont have to worry about pulling the cover because the rubbers will be cracked and fall apart.  Pick up some Silicone Based O_Ring lube.  Pool stores carry it,  Jacks 427 is a good one, there are others.  Lube it generously.  You can also rub a small amount of Silicone Grease on the plastic gasket surface on the cover where it rubs on the box sides.

-Q
Title: Re: I Just Put a Deposit Down on a New ...
Post by: Ducati Scotty on August 18, 2010, 09:46:04 pm
-I'm going to switch to full synthetic after about 3000 or so.  I've got 13XX miles and I'll change before my 1500 mile trip with dino in two weeks.  I'll change to synthetic when I get back.

Silly me!  The bike already had an oil change before I bought it and the dealer put in 15w50 Maxima full synthetic.  I did another one yesterday at 1500 miles with the same oil. 

Scott
Title: Re: I Just Put a Deposit Down on a New ...
Post by: prof_stack on August 18, 2010, 11:23:33 pm
On the oil front, I was told by the owner of Royal Enfield Seattle (nice that Ducati Seattle gave RE its own name!), that he was advised to change the oil to 15W-50 semi or full synthetic oil when they set up the bikes for the new owner (that would be me).

So I wonder how many miles in should I change the oii again.
Title: Re: I Just Put a Deposit Down on a New ...
Post by: r80rt on August 18, 2010, 11:27:43 pm
I did my first change at 300 miles, second at 1000, after that every 2000. May have been to often but I never heard of one being oiled to death!
Title: Re: I Just Put a Deposit Down on a New ...
Post by: Ducati Scotty on August 19, 2010, 12:33:39 am
That sounds right.  One at 200-300 to get the first batch of metal shavings out early, then another around 800-1000, then every 2000 after that.  Having 2-3 oil changes in the first 1000 miles is good for most motorcycles.  Even modern bikes shed a lot of metal in the first few hundred miles, especially from the transmission.

Scott
Title: Re: I Just Put a Deposit Down on a New ...
Post by: prof_stack on August 19, 2010, 02:06:57 am
Okay, back the original topic, with MANY thanks for all the replies!   :) :D ;D

Royal Enfield Seattle told me today that the shipment of 6 bikes arrives on Friday.  They plan to set up my C5 and let me ride away on Saturday.  WOO and HOO!

Salesguy Adam said that they change the oil at 600 miles.    I wonder if he was talking Ducati-speak (since RE is so new there), or not.

I might change it myself at 200 miles before letting them do it at 600.
Title: Re: I Just Put a Deposit Down on a New ...
Post by: r80rt on August 19, 2010, 03:14:45 am
You have chosen wisely,  you'll love that bike!
Title: Re: I Just Put a Deposit Down on a New ...
Post by: r80rt on August 19, 2010, 02:47:41 pm
None of this for the first 1000 miles or so :D
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmlWC6B6xiE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GcSoG0uNPPY&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5Lr8ETuVt0&feature=related
Title: Re: I Just Put a Deposit Down on a New ...
Post by: Sub on August 19, 2010, 10:13:56 pm
You're supposed to do oil at 300. Pick up some oil filters and orings now, 300 will come quick!