Who says Enields aren't capable?

[Smithy]

Mostly people who know nothing about real bikes obviously.

Me and my mate Phil went to Sizergh Castle near Kendal yesterday intending to stay over for the night. However when we got there the talk of the weather for today was of torrential rain and thunder storms so we decided to come back on the same day.

350 mile round trip with a mixture of A roads, motorway and B roads and the Enfield performed faultlessly the whole time. I'm not saying it was perfect; for example on the M6 travelling at 60 - 65 sliproads coming on to the motorway were hard to get right as I couldn't accelerate into the middle lane so had to dodge cars.

Overall though a pleasant trip and yet more Enfield positives.

Ian

[CrazyFrog]

Sounds like a great day out Ian, and I'm following your Enfield experiences with interest, as they are definitely on my radar. It sounded great as you pulled away from East Kirby BTW. 

[Smithy]

Thanks Pete I love how it sounds too!

Up to now I've taken the total mileage up by 5000 miles to 8300 and I am really happy with it. I have replaced the original chain which was dragging its arse at 6500 miles and done two oil changes, one with filter too, and have no negatives to report. As you may have read I don't mollycoddle my bikes but up to now it is standing the abuse well (oh dear have I just cursed it?). It is undoubtedly happiest at 45 to 50 on smaller, twistier roads but we did 60 miles of motorway yesterday and it did well.

I wonder if a lot of the negatives with Enfields arise from poor quality control rather than bad manufacturing as it seems if you get a good one you're ok but if you get a bad one, oh dear (there I go tempting fate again, my next post will probably be How to rebuild an exploded Enfield motor!).

If you want to ride mine anytime Pete we could meet up somewhere so you could have a thrash.

Ian

[timbo]

What Pete said 

[Moto63]

Evening Smithy, your thread makes for interesting reading, as my good self and big bro (propellor) are considering a couple of Enfields. I love the ktm390 I bought after my accident and for a 400 single it's performance is unbelievable, however the one thing I'm kind of struggling with it is, it's a tad revvy and I fancy something with more "grunt and plod" so to speak. Can I ask is yours a 350 or a 500 and is it lecci start or kickstart only? Oh and is your generous offer having giving yours a "thrash" open to other club members 😉😉
Cheers, Michael

[Smithy]

Hiya

Mine is an EFI 500 with an electric start and if I may poke the wasps nest a little I would say has a far superior engine to the old kickstart only motors, especially the 350 that wouldn't pull the skin off a rice pudding. The 500 has torque in abundance and is a lovely example of how a long-stroke single should run.

If you're within easy distance of North Notts you are very welcome to come over and thrash my bike around. Perhaps I should get commission from Enfield for selling their products?

Ian

[Propellor]

We can sort you some liquid commission. 

Be a good run down there across country Mick.

You're right about the rice puddin. I had a 350 Indian Enfield in the mid nineties. I am lead to believe they have improved since then.. ?

[Andy M]

Definitely. The one I had in the noughties was an 18HP, 50 mph plodder with brakes that would have scared Fred Flintstone. The EFI I just sold was, as noted above perfectly capable of going with the traffic if you took a little care. In 13 months 5800 miles it had:

One snapped chain: problem here is the inboard sprocket limits you to the same Indian rubbish or non -Oring stuff you boil in blubber once a fortnight.
One TPS under warranty: the EFI blink code is brilliant
One rotted wiring loom pin that cost me 10 minutes out of action and a ride out cut short.
Some touch up paint where the waffer thin Indian stuff had gone through.
One brake light switch (CRF ones fit if you add a sliver of beer can as a spacer).
One ride with a misfire I never adequately traced but went away after I did a fingertip search through the loom.
Electric foot not working fixed by stripping the button and bending the contacts back to shape.
Many gallons of ACF-50
3 oil changes.

Turned in 85 to the gallon too.

Lovely as a second bike and I'd consider another if I've picked the right 6 numbers, but its not a Honda.

Andy

[Moto63]

Thanks for input Andy M and smithy, if/when I bite the bullet (see what I did there🤣🤣) and purchase an Enfield it would most likely be going straight into the ol workshop and getting a full strip down and then getting some moto63 treatment, so most likely full rewire would be in order by the sounds of it. I've got the XBR tracker to finish first so probably be looking at autumn time when my wallet will be getting an airing 😢😢
Smithy, I /we may just be taking you up on your generous offer of a spin .... or was it "thrash"😁😁, I'm going for a ride with big bro on Sunday so will have a chat about riding down to your neck'o the woods in the next few weeks.... thanks again chaps👍
Cheers, Michael
Ps... "brakes that would scare Fred flintstone" that one made me giggle Andy

[Propellor]

My mid nineties enfield

[attachment deleted by admin]

[Propellor]

After I'd stripped all the steelwork off. Ally mudguards. Just fitting the B40 pattern silencer by the look of it. Sounded lovely.

Edit. K reg dates at 92, so I had it earlier than what I remembered.

[attachment deleted by admin]

[Moto63]

Good grief don't time fly.... ya must av only been about 30/31 years old.... far to young for an Enfield is what I remember thinking at the time 🤣🤣🤣... now mid to late 50's sounds about right to reacquaint oneself with the brand😉😉
Still got the shed too

[Propellor]

Close. But no banana   

32 in 1992.

That was second generation shed . I'm now on 3rd generation.

You were right about being too young for an Enfield though 

[Smithy]

Thanks for input Andy M and smithy, if/when I bite the bullet (see what I did there🤣🤣) and purchase an Enfield it would most likely be going straight into the ol workshop and getting a full strip down and then getting some moto63 treatment, so most likely full rewire would be in order by the sounds of it. I've got the XBR tracker to finish first so probably be looking at autumn time when my wallet will be getting an airing 😢😢
Smithy, I /we may just be taking you up on your generous offer of a spin .... or was it "thrash"😁😁, I'm going for a ride with big bro on Sunday so will have a chat about riding down to your neck'o the woods in the next few weeks.... thanks again chaps👍
Cheers, Michael
Ps... "brakes that would scare Fred flintstone" that one made me giggle Andy

Cool. You are welcome to come here for a cuppa and some Enfield riding or we could meet up at CMC at Clay Cross for a bacon buttie etc. It's only 10 miles from my house and we might persuade TJ63 to pop along as well. Would that make it a proper TC gathering?

Ian

[Andy M]

I was 28 when I got my first one. Biggest hassle on that sort of score was all the old boys who hadn't realised electric lighting and round section tyres were an improvement. They are still out there, Hitchcocks will sell you an EFI to carb downgrade, which I get if you are too old to learn what little there is to know about FI, enjoy carb fiddling witchcraft and don't care about killing the planet, but why would you want a cable operated drum (another kit at vast expense) instead of two disks and ABS?

If I got another I would rewire it to a proper automotive standard. The FI and ABS stuff they bought recently so could be left alone. The lights and charging circuit are full on Indian **** with connectors I recognise from my K100 back in the day. The switch gear, sidestand interlock etc. I would bin and use second hand Japanese (that'd get a few of the Retired Expired and Old Club coughing and shaking their copies of the magazine). You'd also want the wheels at least stripped, the spokes rot. I'd look at going tubeless while I was at it (get the jump starter boys, heart attack alert at the REOC!). When I changed the tyres there was a safety rim so it can be done with a seal kit. I'm glad I never had a puncture BTW, the rims are oversize and needed a beadbreaker, I suspect they are made to Imperial sizes somehow.

Andy