Unofficial Royal Enfield Community Forum
Royal Enfield Motorcycles => Vintage Royal Enfield => Topic started by: rvcycleguy on May 17, 2013, 04:03:26 am
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Recently purchased this 1956 RE Bullet 500. Comments would be appreciated.
(http://i648.photobucket.com/albums/uu203/rvcycleguy/50343955359082a03d6a997238c2d450_zps71dfed0a.jpg)
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Looks like a nice bike.
Someone has added turn signals and changed the rear shocks. In 1956 the shocks did not have air pressure canisters.
Also, if my book that shows photos of the Royal Enfields built back then are correct, someone has changed the front brake as well.
The RE's of those times did not have double leading brake shoes and the lever was on the right side of the wheel (looking from the riders position).
I'm sure you are going to have fun with it. :)
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Congrats on your Royal Enfield purchase and welcome to the forum!
That's a very nice bike! Mostly original and complete with all the right modern upgrades. That bike would have originally been a 350 motor, but they are commonly upgraded to the 500 cylinder and piston. Also, is the right side cable on your front wheel connected to a lever or does it screw into something? I'm not sure if that is a twin leading front brake or a speedometer cable.
I'd say you scored yourself a fine bike. And I 2nd what Arizoni said, you are going to have a lot of fun on that bike and turn a LOT of heads. :)
I just finished restoring a 1958 Enfield built Inidian Trailblazer 700 twin. It's the same era as your bike but with a twin engine and Indian badging. I've owned and ridden several different styles and makes of bikes over the years. I've even been up to 165mph on '04 Ninja ZX6RR and not even THAT compares to how much fun I have riding my Indian. Here's a link if you're interested in checking it out.
http://www.enfieldmotorcycles.com/forum/index.php/topic,16423.0.html
http://www.enfieldmotorcycles.com/forum/index.php/topic,15997.0.html
Enjoy your new toy and safe riding!
Scottie
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They started making 500cc bullets in 1953. That picture looks like a mixture of parts and pieces. It's in very nice condition though. ERC
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The bike came with the original small hard bound book from the original purchaser with transfer stamps through the decades. The first record is 11/5/57. Noted in the inside cover page are matching chassis and engine numbers and for horsepower is shown 500cc. All of the stamps are Calcutta and West Bengal. In the mid-1990's, it was owner transferred to guy who exported it to USA. It was this guy that brought it to Houston and had a shop do an expensive update and restorative process by adding items that are not original but were necessary for function. This process included powder coating, gloss paint work, re-chroming, new tires and wheels, add-on blinkers, new exhaust and silencer muffler, misc gaskets, seals, kick starter and brake pedal and so many odds and ends, the receipts and invoices are a few pages. In fact the gas tank is now over 5 gal measure.
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Looking at the area where where the seat bolts on it's not an early frame. It appears to be a late Indian frame. Also if you have the engine # on left side may be able to give you year of motor. ERC
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Thanks ERC. Engine and Chassis numbers are if what I an make out reads: G2/36285
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That is a 1955 frame type. They may have still used that one in 56. There was a frame change right in there to the "Indian" style frame, which this one isn't.
Bare
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Thanks Barenked. I rode it for the first time today and was amazed at the gear range. I guess the plan is to get to 4th and go, go, go. Fun, fun ride. I have to get a plan in place for starting it. A couple of years ago, I had a hard freeway crash on my everyday heavy cruiser and damaged my right leg badly. So, when I kick start this bike and don't get it right on the downstroke and it binds on compression, it really play havoc on the repaired lower shin where there is a titanium rod in place. Will have to kick it with my left and better understand the thrust point. After its warmed up, it cranks up fine, but cold start is difficult.
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That frame # is in the range of what Bare says. Do you know what the engine # is? It should be stamped on the left side under the cylinder on the block itself. ERC
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to use the compression Release, shove the piston up to where you feel the compression. Open the compression release and push the kick starter easily about a quarter stroke. You're trying to push the piston just over TDC. Close the compresson release, then romp on it. The flywheel inertia will help the piston over the next compression stroke and the bike should start. You shouldn't even hardly feel that next compression. Be sure you kick it all the way through, though. If you stop halfway the piston can kick back and getcha!
Having had left and and right hand kick starters, I got the technique down with either leg. You can, too
Bare
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+1 to Bare on the starting technique
Also, if you still have trouble with your injured leg, it is very easy to start the bike with your left leg when the bike is on the center stand. I did it SEVERAL times on my 700 twin in my attempts to get it running properly. After my right leg and foot were too tired and sore from kicking so many times. ;)
Scottie
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Here's a couple of 54 and 56 frame pictures plus a 2003 frame. That's why I thought the frame is a later built Indian frame. ERC
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Thanks, I will look closely later today.
RV
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On India VS UK built frames, the easiest way to tell is that RE used forgings for many of the tube connection points. The frames manufactured in India used mostly steel tube welded structure with almost no forgings.
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Good point Rotor. Still wonder what the Engine # is. The bike does look great though. ERC
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FINE looking Bullet...welcome to the club!
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Had a great ride for mot of the day today. 130 miles with a local group here in Houston. On the way back home, cruising along at 80kpm, the motor just quit. Like the kill switch was on? Tried to pop the clutch while coasting and nothing. Switch the kill switch on off to make sure I didn't hit accidentally while riding. Nothing, finally rolled to a stop. Plenty of gas, gas in the filter, and gas line to carb. Kicked it a few times, nothing. Got lights, turn signals, amp meter moves when kicking it. Had to trailer it home. In the garage now. It's late and will check it out tomorrow after work day. Any suggestion where to start? I realize its a process of elimination, but where would you start looking first? Thanks, RV
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If the bike has a magneto if start there. Magnetos are known for shutting down when they get hot. If the bike starts right up for you tomorrow that's a sure fire sign of a mag on it's way out.
Scottie
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Thanks Scottie. That's kinda what my son said on the phone while I was trailering it home last night.
RV
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The bike in the picture has a distributor, not a mag. Coil looks like it's mounted on rear fender. ERC
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thanks ERC.
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Here is the answer I received from Graham Scarth:
G2 was the UK Royal Enfield factory's code for a 350cc Bullet. The Enfield India factory at Madras (now Chennai) continued to use this prefix from the start of their production in 1956 up to the end of 1968.
G2 / 36285 is, however, a machine produced at Redditch and supplied to Madras Motors in April 1955.
If it is now 500cc, it has been converted a some time in the last 58 years !!!
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That's very interesting, Graham is great to work with on dating these. Did you get it running again? ERC
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No, I've not really had the time after work to look at it. I've talked to the PO if he knew of anything I should be aware of. We think its the coil. I will test it over the holiday weekend.
RV
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if it has the Lucas coil; I'd change anyway...
there are a lot of options and any of them would be an improvement.
- Mike
by the way; did you check the single wire out of the dist.? That bullet connector has a
knack for werking loose and killing fire to the points. 1st place I'd look...
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I had a MC tech that I trust look at the bike and he just called me and said it needs a coil. 12v. Is there something special about it and where would I get one. He says its 1.5 diameter.
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A person has to know what type of ignition system is currently on the machine. If it is the OEM type distributor ignition from the late 50s early 60s then it likely needs a coil & possibly a condenser. If it has an electronic ignition conversion then you need to know which set up you have whether New India Enfield or Boyer or what not. There may be other problems than the coil if it is an electronic conversion.
Late India manufactured parts can be ordered from our host of this site. Older Royal Enfield parts are available from Hitchcock's in the UK.
The OEM system for a 1956 RE Bullet (UK mfr) was an old Lucas Mag-Dyno system and I know you don't have that.
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Pull the cap off the distributor cap, see if it has points. If not then it's some form of electronic ignition. If it has points trace the wire that hooks to the points and see if there is any kind of electronic box that may go along with a points use conversion to electronic ignition. If it has none of the above get a 6 or 12v coil. whatever size your battery is. ERC
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Is a standard points ignition. I've picked up a 12v coil from NAPA that was recommended by Baird4444 and gunnerasch.