The Royal Enfield Bullet BlogThis is a page about Royal Enfield Bullets.
History. Models. Manufacture. Maintenance. Modification. And it is a journal of at least one Royal Enfield Bullet, it entire maintenance, modification, and ride history.tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59602192006-04-20T03:00:29ZBlogger
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true2006-04-19T20:00:00-07:002006-04-20T03:00:29Z2006-04-20T03:00:29Ztag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5960219.post-114550202975713716A test postI changed some stuff in the template.false2005-06-16T09:41:58-07:002005-06-16T16:41:58Z2005-06-16T16:41:58Ztag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5960219.post-111894011836436053Departing Red Corral RanchTo Joppa--Mobile Email from a Cingular Wireless Customer http://www.cingular.comfalse2005-06-14T16:46:00-07:002005-06-19T15:55:13Z2005-06-14T23:46:27Ztag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5960219.post-111879278783076814Pedernales & Blanco RiversStaying near Blanco river.--Mobile Email from a Cingular Wireless Customer http://www.cingular.comfalse2005-06-09T13:35:00-07:002005-06-09T20:37:50Z2005-06-09T20:37:50Ztag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5960219.post-111834947081219219Back HomeOD 7397
Whew.false2005-06-08T21:00:19-07:002005-06-09T04:00:19Z2005-06-09T04:00:19Ztag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5960219.post-111828961944144186Spending night in Vernon TXChain stretched 1 to 2 inches in 2 days of strong headwind --Mobile Email from a Cingular Wireless Customer http://www.cingular.comfalse2005-06-08T13:49:57-07:002005-06-08T20:49:57Z2005-06-08T20:49:57Ztag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5960219.post-111826379701629090Arrived Washita SiteBeautiful place --Mobile Email from a Cingular Wireless Customer http://www.cingular.comfalse2005-06-08T06:36:49-07:002005-06-08T13:36:49Z2005-06-08T13:36:49Ztag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5960219.post-111823780925414287Departing STo Washita --Mobile Email from a Cingular Wireless Customer http://www.cingular.comfalse2005-06-07T19:10:34-07:002005-06-08T02:10:34Z2005-06-08T02:10:34Ztag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5960219.post-111819663417602133Arrived Syracuse KSToo tired, needed to do wash.--Mobile Email from a Cingular Wireless Customer http://www.cingular.comfalse2005-06-07T06:31:33-07:002005-06-07T13:31:33Z2005-06-07T13:31:33Ztag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5960219.post-111815109363012213Departing SBHeading to Washita--Mobile Email from a Cingular Wireless Customer http://www.cingular.comfalse2005-06-06T16:16:39-07:002005-06-06T23:16:39Z2005-06-06T23:16:39Ztag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5960219.post-111809979914422885Arrived ScottsbluffHard ride - strong headwind--Mobile Email from a Cingular Wireless Customer http://www.cingular.comfalse2005-06-06T09:34:52-07:002005-06-06T16:34:52Z2005-06-06T16:34:52Ztag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5960219.post-111807569274365369Departing Rapid CityTo Ft Robinson --Mobile Email from a Cingular Wireless Customer http://www.cingular.comfalse2005-06-05T12:44:00-07:002005-06-11T17:08:32Z2005-06-05T19:44:14Ztag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5960219.post-111800065487780981Arrived DeadwoodTourist trap--At one time Deadwood was a happening place, but now it is happening because it was once happening. There were too many tourists for my taste, but I can see that a biker could have a real good time there running amok. Had I been with a group of friends looking for a good time, we would have found it.It's actually a cool little place, despite being slightly on kitschy side.But I headedfalse2005-06-05T05:56:05-07:002005-06-05T12:56:05Z2005-06-05T12:56:05Ztag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5960219.post-111797616543522879Departing Little BighornHeading to Black Hills --Mobile Email from a Cingular Wireless Customer http://www.cingular.comfalse2005-06-04T16:41:20-07:002005-06-04T23:41:20Z2005-06-04T23:41:20Ztag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5960219.post-111792848076514787Little BighornTired, Haue dilapidated room across from site,--Mobile Email from a Cingular Wireless Customer http://www.cingular.comfalse2005-06-04T12:40:55-07:002005-06-04T19:40:55Z2005-06-04T19:40:55Ztag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5960219.post-111791405561634890Sheridan WYSandwich and smoothie--Mobile Email from a Cingular Wireless Customer http://www.cingular.comfalse2005-06-04T12:35:26-07:002005-06-04T19:35:26Z2005-06-04T19:35:26Ztag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5960219.post-111791372601123963BattlefieldArrived Fetterman battlefield 2 hrs ago--Mobile Email from a Cingular Wireless Customer http://www.cingular.comfalse2005-06-04T05:08:23-07:002005-06-04T12:08:23Z2005-06-04T12:08:23Ztag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5960219.post-111788690311096552Departing Ft FOD 5372--Mobile Email from a Cingular Wireless Customer http://www.cingular.comfalse2005-06-03T16:00:58-07:002005-06-03T23:00:58Z2005-06-03T23:00:58Ztag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5960219.post-111783965810916717Ft FettermanArrived 2 hrs ago --Mobile Email from a Cingular Wireless Customer http://www.cingular.comfalse2005-06-03T08:52:04-07:002005-06-03T15:52:04Z2005-06-03T15:52:04Ztag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5960219.post-111781392401828036Grattan fightOD 526O--Mobile Email from a Cingular Wireless Customer http://www.cingular.comfalse2005-06-02T18:22:25-07:002005-06-03T01:22:25Z2005-06-03T01:22:25Ztag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5960219.post-111776174529954909TorringtonArrived Torrington via Scottsbluff - in Crazy Horse country --Mobile Email from a Cingular Wireless Customer http://www.cingular.comfalse2005-06-02T13:10:38-07:002005-06-02T20:10:38Z2005-06-02T20:10:38Ztag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5960219.post-111774303833905167Departing Ft MorganThanks Ed and Mel at Morse motorcycle--Mobile Email from a Cingular Wireless Customer http://www.cingular.comfalse2005-06-01T17:20:18-07:002005-06-02T00:20:18Z2005-06-02T00:20:18Ztag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5960219.post-111767161807107483Fort MorganPizza and beer--Mobile Email from a Cingular Wireless Customer http://www.cingular.comfalse2005-05-31T14:19:00-07:002005-06-30T23:42:51Z2005-05-31T21:19:56Ztag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5960219.post-111757439669390784Cope COFlat rear tire--I was making good time over 40 - 50 mile stretches of completely EMPTY highway -- no cell phone signal out there, that's for sure.
I rode through a small town called Cope, CO.
Before I knew it the town had disappeared from my rear view mirror. The praire was green and rolling and beautiful, I was starting to feel giddy -- Wyoming was only a couple of hours away.
Wrong.
The back andfalse2005-05-31T07:54:00-07:002005-06-01T21:25:49Z2005-05-31T14:54:28Ztag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5960219.post-111755126885492625Departing Boise CityOd 4738--I could not post at Quitaque Peaks or Tule Canyon or Palo Duro Canyon. The Quitaque jut out of the staked plains, about 500 - 1000 feet high, and form an escarpment.
When you role into Quitaque there is a sign that lets you know how to pronounce it: Kitty-quay
I kind of prefer Kit-talk-ee.
Anyway the promontery is again a Comanche lookout. These were the lairs of the northern Comanchefalse2005-05-30T12:15:00-07:002005-06-13T14:54:29Z2005-05-30T19:15:27Ztag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5960219.post-111748052705253963Teepee CityOd 4414--I was unable to send any posts when I got to Double Mountain. It's a land form that rises substantially from the rolling plains and it's easy to see why Comanches used it for a lookout and landmark during their raids and hunts. They also signaled one another on these peaks, by both smoke signals, and also later using mirrors. Intruders be warned ...
Double Mountain, 20 milesfalse2005-05-30T07:19:29-07:002005-05-30T14:19:29Z2005-05-30T14:19:29Ztag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5960219.post-111746276948528392Dep SASPOd 4233 overcast 7venty --Mobile Email from a Cingular Wireless Customer http://www.cingular.comfalse2005-05-29T18:42:00-07:002005-06-01T21:02:12Z2005-05-30T01:42:17Ztag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5960219.post-111741733712204701Night 1Spending night at abilene state park--
Post mortem:
The first day's ride was uneventful except for a little rain (later on I would very wish each day had been uneventful).
Eventually I'll get around to posting the route on the Bullet Blog -- but it will have to wait until I return. Basically I left Austin and went north on 183. It was overcast and easy riding -- not too hot at all. At Libertyfalse2005-05-29T16:13:00-07:002005-06-30T23:32:31Z2005-05-29T23:13:42Ztag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5960219.post-111740842224581996Buffalo gapOd 4224Buffalo Gap is a small tourist town southwest of Abilene. When the Comanche ruled the Texas Great Plains, they ran large herds of buffalo through the gap, where they were able to close in on them and kill them more easily.These days it is filled with scrub oak and cedar, but before cattle were driven through from South Texas the vegetation was mostly grass, which the buffalo feasted on.false2005-05-29T13:40:00-07:002005-06-29T23:39:20Z2005-05-29T20:40:35Ztag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5960219.post-111739923521564660Santa annaOD 4157 --Herman Lehmann was a German boy whose family settled in Central Texas during the late 1860s. They located themselves directly in the midst of a territory the Spaniard’s had named Comancheria.
One hundred years before the Lehmanns decided to move in, the horse-mounted Comanches had begun to ruthelessly evict other Amerindian tribes from the southern plains: Apache, Ute, Pawnee, Tarankawa.false2005-05-29T09:18:00-07:002005-06-30T23:06:55Z2005-05-29T16:18:26Ztag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5960219.post-111738350624176042DepartingDeparting od 3961--One hundred and fifty years before I began my motorcycle ride across the Great Plains Crazy Horse and a small band of Oglala warriors charged over a grassy hill in the Nebraska panhandle and rode down furiously upon their Omaha Indian enemies. They whooped as they rode into the Omaha camp, shrieked war cries, and fought fiercely with knife, lance, bow, and war club. Sent tofalse2005-05-29T07:13:00-07:002005-05-29T14:21:15Z2005-05-29T14:21:15Ztag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5960219.post-111737647547084637Departure DayI finished painting the rack I built for my luggage carriers on Friday night. Here's a pic:
I had to teach myself to weld to get that one, but it was worth it, since bags available for the RE are all too small for my needs.
I a couple of hours I'm heading out toward Santa Anna peak, Pecan Bayou, and Buffalo Gap.
Posts from now on will be short until I can get to a library or internet cafe tofalse2005-05-24T09:41:00-07:002005-05-26T03:45:36Z2005-05-24T16:41:00Ztag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5960219.post-111695286077606312Mobile update testThis is a test of the mobile bullet blog network.Let's see if I can subsequently edit this. I believe so.Yes, it is so. false2005-05-18T20:00:00-07:002005-05-19T04:02:37Z2005-05-19T03:33:21Ztag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5960219.post-111647360108751015Finalizing Great Plains RideI spent the last two months working on my Bullet and beginning to map out my plains ride.
In March I installed a 19 tooth countershaft sprocket. The goal was not necessarily to go faster, but raise the speed at which the engine vibration sweet spot occurred. Normally, with a 17t countershaft sprocket on the Bullet 500, that speed was about 55 to 60.
To go faster I had to really wind it out intofalse2005-01-31T20:19:11-08:002005-02-01T04:21:11Z2005-02-01T04:21:11Ztag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5960219.post-110723167198295594Drive TrainI'll be doing a bunch of work on the drive train in the coming weeks. I hope to document it with plenty of pics so I can finally add another section of maintenence info on the Bullet Blog.
false2005-01-15T14:24:21-08:002005-01-16T18:56:21Z2005-01-15T23:04:02Ztag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5960219.post-110583024277468548The Great RideI've been lax in updating this site, in particular from the technical perspective. However I do have some news relating the mechanical condition of my Bullet, some upcoming work I will do on it, and plans for an extensive riding adventure this coming summer.
General Mechanical State:
At 3800 miles or thereabouts my 2001 500 KS is doing pretty well. Some things are worn out that need to befalse2004-11-13T16:10:25-08:002004-11-14T00:49:25Z2004-11-14T00:47:07Ztag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5960219.post-110039322752853042PLOONKI took a night ride to Fort Worth last Sunday night.
Poor 17t sprocketed Bullet can't really get up to speed at comfortable RPM, trip took 4 1/2 hours or so with three stops.
The first two were to fix a contact lens problem, as I suddenly found myself seeing double on the freeway just outside of Belton, the contact having blown off my eye onto the goggle lens. Luckily I was only a mile fromfalse2004-11-06T19:11:26-08:002004-11-07T03:47:26Z2004-11-07T03:23:54Ztag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5960219.post-109979783447342344SnafuMy kickstart return spring broke one day at work.
It dangled all the way home and I was anxious about turning right too hard, as the kickstart arm would flop into the ground and bounce up or maybe even snag on something and throw me -- admittedly unlikely.
So I got the parts in the mail and replaced them, but not before first removing the innner gear case cover to inspect the little pawlfalse2004-07-14T09:39:18-07:002004-07-14T17:09:18Z2004-07-14T17:06:30Ztag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5960219.post-10898247903160786Bullet Compression LossA couple of weeks ago my woman needed to drive down to Cuero from Austin. I decided to follow her Toyota Corolla on my Bullet.
I got it out of the garage, put my gear on, and, in the 95 degree heat, kicked it to life.
Well, not quite.
To my horror I discovered that I could kick through all 4 cycles without using the decompression valve. The last time I'd ridden was about three weeksfalse2004-03-07T19:23:20-08:002004-03-09T04:00:13Z2004-03-01T03:26:52Ztag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5960219.post-107811143664973307Eastern Comanche Run <a name="<$BlogItemNumber$>"> </a>Eight generations ago Texas was in the midst of a collision between stone age man and the industrial age.
Sometime near 1700 the descendants of mountain Shoshone Amerindian tribes had become what are reputed to have been the finest horsemen on the Great Plains -- the Comanche -- and with their horses they followed the massive buffalo herds, hunting them with arrow, axe, and spear. They trackedfalse2004-01-16T19:44:25-08:002004-01-17T03:46:19Z2004-01-17T03:46:19Ztag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5960219.post-107431106521588858PirsigThe following is an excerpt from Robert Pirsig's Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (Part I, Chapter 2). I'm still working through the book but this one anecdote stirred me to repost it here. I have had many similar experiences which I hate to admit having had, they weren't necessarily anything to do with motorcycles, either, but the essence of those experiences is thus:
We were on afalse2004-01-15T20:12:03-08:002004-01-16T04:13:56Z2004-01-16T04:13:56Ztag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5960219.post-107422632302860186I've added two new sections, Maintenance Tips, and Projects.
The first entry in Maintenance tips has been taken from the Bulletech forum, where serious questions about Bullet maintenance and modification get serious answers. I liked the post because of its Zen approach to maintaining the motorcycle, and it procedes with the premise that the Bullet is of sufficiently simple technology to be bestfalse2004-01-03T13:42:46-08:002004-01-15T22:49:33Z2004-01-03T22:22:18Ztag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5960219.post-107316851998332099Listen to your Bullet <a name="<$BlogItemNumber$>"> </a>Here are a number of techniques covered for tuning and repair that will be of great assistence when you are far afield and have to do some work or other, say timing, or some carburator adjustment or other. A tool (or even a part) is often what we can contrive (cf Robert Pirsig, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance). That contrivance and your own ears are the ultimate art ...
Fromfalse2004-01-02T15:41:04-08:002004-01-02T23:43:22Z2004-01-02T23:43:22Ztag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5960219.post-107308698418758428SorryWell it seems the blogging service I use is polluting The Bullet Blog with pop-up advertisements. I'm really sorry about that. They are embedding code somehow in the html that causes the popups to occur -- I think.
I'm going to work on remedying this ugliness.false2003-12-20T13:32:50-08:002003-12-20T22:33:04Z2003-12-20T22:18:30Ztag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5960219.post-107195869541168475Goldstar Exhaust <a name="<$BlogItemNumber$>"> </a>When I bought the motorcycle it came with a Goldstar exhaust -- the type with no baffles in it. I figured since I had a couple of spare hours today I'd try to put it on and ride and see how it sounds.
The following is a brief description of the work and tools required.
Tools:
15mm,13mm,10mm sockets
17mm,15mm,13mm,10mm wrenches
2 ratchets
The proceedure was straightforward:
1) Undofalse2003-12-09T14:55:43-08:002003-12-09T23:29:55Z2003-12-09T23:20:05Ztag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5960219.post-107101199373590832Comanche Trail / Lime Creek Rd <a name="<$BlogItemNumber$>"> </a>Comanche Trail and Lime Creek Road are both two lane, curvy, twisty roads with lots of elevation changes and chances to practice your braking and cornering techniques.
Comanche Trail leads from RR 620 out to several state parks. It's a fun ride with moderate traffic, not very long but with some breathtaking views -- if you dare to take your eyes of the road. One of the parks, Hippie Hollow, isfalse2003-12-06T19:03:38-08:002003-12-07T03:04:49Z2003-12-07T03:04:49Ztag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5960219.post-107076627810868317I've added a page on the Royal Enfield Bullet lubrication system. It describes how the system works in general and in particular; it also contains a section on service.
Contact me with any corrections that may be in order.false