Royal Enfield Bullet

Well going into this whole thing I know that I'm really happy with the Yamaha XS400 because despite the fact that its not my kinda bike, it really is a sweet little machine.

However, I am pretty sure that at some point the poor thing is going to crap out on me. Then I have a few options, get another beater and fix it up, or have one waiting in the wings.

I plan to have one waiting in the wings, or fairly complete one waiting in the wings.

So over time, when cost effective, I'm going to sort out the Enfield. I can get everything I need for it (except the gearbox) from a company in India, brand new but much cheaper than any of the regular places, and actually straight from the factory. Engine parts I'll probably get from Hitchcocks as I'll want English made engine parts, but the rest I can get from India.

We're going to do it fairly right. I have discovered that for example you can get for the same price as the original wheels, you can buy brand new wheels with vintage half drums - complete with spindles, brakes, bolts, etc. So that's what I'll do.


I can also get new front forks, electrical, fenders, suspension, everything. Cost wise it will eventual work out to costing a couple grand. But, the end game is I'll get the bike that I really wanted, the Enfield I wanted to build originally (and kind of did, and should have kept) for less than it would cost to replace it and change the replacement into what this one could be.

So while I'm riding the XS400, I'll slowly put the Enfield back into place.

This is more or less the End Game for the Enfield:


Thats a 1951 350cc Model G with the big head (which would be dead last), the half drum wheels, a rigid frame (which I can buy but probably won't) but if I did, this is what the bolt on Rigid Frame looks like:


So yeah, the end game is to have the Enfield up and running someday, and when its rideable then I have a bike in the wings, and when it looks like the machine I want - when it IS the machine I want I'll retire the XS, assuming it's still alive at all.

Yamaha Parts

Alright, so I called up MAC and cancelled the 2:1 exhaust system, like I'd planned. From there I turned around, and as planned spent the money on what I should have in the first place. Much more necessary parts. Tires, the ability to change them, and some bits I have noticed I don't have in my little bag of parts. So here is the following explanation plus pictures of what I got:


First off the tires, I looked around for a while and ended up saving these two as what I wanted. I had Michelins on the 73 Triumph and liked them.

MICHELIN COMMANDER CRUISER STREET TIRES 3.00-19 FRONT

MICHELIN COMMANDER CRUISER STREET TIRES 130/90-16 REAR



Then from Harbor Freight I ordered (yes I know there is one local but shipping was $10) the tire changing machine, it was more than we supposed. You see its actually 2 in one, except its sold separate. The base is for changing car tires, thats $40, then the top for $50 is the motorcycle tire changer. This is what it looks like combined:



What I didn't buy, but will next is just as important, its for balancing wheels/tires - and also can be used as a truing stand if you have a dial indicator ($40):




=============Small Parts===========

Here's the end receipt for what I got in the way of small parts, it won't mean much which is why I also swiped the pictures and circled the parts:



The first one is for the rear brake, you see the drum is pedal operated and a rod goes to the break lever on the brake plate. I was missing the bushing that goes through the arm, and the nut that holds and adjusts the pedal. I also as it turns out was missing the spring that makes the brake want to unlock as it were.



Next on the list is the oil drain plug, some screw that goes in it, as well as the washer gasket. The bolt head is stripped and there is currently a large pool of oil on the floor of my garage under the bike. It could be coming from 2 places, this bolt which needs replaced anyways, or the filter bolt which I already have a new one waiting.



This one is pretty self explanatory, I am missing the bulbs for the brake light, so I figured might as well get them with the basket of bits.



This is the Clutch switch, its pretty mangled where it plugs into the clutch lever, so I wanted to get a new one. I'm not stupid and know to pull the clutch in before I start the bike, but you never know what some inspection guy might do... I figured better safe than sorry - so replacing instead of just bypassing the switch.


Last but not least, the screws holding the master cylinder cover on are pretty rusty, I'll probably have to drill them out to fix the front brakes, I wanted to have a new pair of them handy for after that.

XS Update

I ordered some parts for the XS, they should be the last parts I need besides tires. I think the best I can mention are the turn signals, I had wanted to get Lucas replicas, but I was already ordering the chain tool from Z1, so I figured I might as well get the signals from them too. I got ones designed for a Honda CB500. By all rights the design is pretty close to the Lucas signals, and they should be plug and play. I also should be able to use the mounting stocks I already have, which will fit the frame mounts I already have.


Besides the chain tool I also ordered a new tach and speedo cable as the ones on there are pretty much shot, the speedo cable IS shot. I also bought some fuel line of a couple different sizes. I found my dremal tool so I'm going to cut out enough of the air box so that I can mount some pod air filters in there.

Going to cancel the MAC exhaust. That money will be better served as a tire machine and tires.

I also have a line on an OLD Vetter fairing, not sure at the cost yet, but the woman I am talking to has a ton of them, a barn full, and this one has probably never been mounted on any bike. A raw fairing as she called it. She's unsure as to exactly what model it is, but it Is a Phantom, and here are two examples of Phantom fairings from when they were new:

It would provide me with the wind protection I want, as well as weather protection. It is a Vetter fairing that predates the Windjammer, but the design is such that you can have regular handlbars and will be able to move them to full lock in either direction. I figure spray it black, and I'm golden, maybe pin stripe it.

I'm in a hellish amount of pain right now, it struck pretty sudden, its traveling through my right shoulder and up into my jaw and also into my rib cage. If I didn't know better I'd think I was having a heart attack. So this is where I stop, I'll leave you with a song.

Yamaha XS400

So some time ago after getting the Yamaha I stripped it down a bit, in an attempt to begin to get the bike sorted out, there it sat wit no more put in than a gorilla tape seat for some months.



Today however I made some progress. The goal is to get her running as soon as possible. I had hoped to do more with it than I did today, but it was for not having been out of bed much, quite a landmark day. It helped that it was 85 degrees. So I stripped off the headlight which was busted, and finished the rear brake. I am learning more about the machine, and just what makes her tick, and how she ties together. Here she is with no exhaust, no headlight, no gauges.



Re-installing the exhaust took some effort as I discovered that it got bent from what I suspect was a previous accident. So the right hand bracket didn't want to go over the mounting stud. I used a dremal to grind away part of the bracket so that it would slide around the stud, leaving enough to clamp onto.

I also removed the old headlight ears that were bent from hopefully the same accident (they incidentally held the horn so I need to relocate that) and installed some cheap Emgo cafe racer style ones, and with them I installed the Norton headlight, which was previously on the 76 Yamaha XS500.



I have plans for certain parts of the bike that need re-worked. One of which are new side covers, I am going to make them out of cardboard and gorilla tape, the left side cover (which is missing) will have a vent. The right side which covers the battery will be insulated with rubber.

Jack is going to lend me his Lathe at some point as he's moving and needs some place to stash it while he lacks a place to keep it. I plan to make a new front axle for the Norton wheel that will fit the Yamaha forks when he does this so that I can fit it. Once that's done I'll have drum brakes in back and front, and it will save me the cost of rebuilding the master cylinder as well as the caliper. It will also free up room on the flat bars.

I also have to wire in some turnsignals soon.
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This last picture I took after I finished working on the bike.

Donno What to say

I'm here because its 4:41AM and I'm not asleep. It seems like a pretty good reason to be on the blog as opposed to not. It's supposed to 85 degrees today, so I'm planning on not being asleep again today. I'm going to get out and work on the motorcycle if it kills me. I mean really, it doesn't need a hell of a lot to be alive. I have all the parts.. well almost, I have to drive out to Shrewsbury and get the tool. I also need a bit of fuel line. I'm hoping that the carbs are clean enough.



That's the bike about a month ago. Note the gorilla tape seat. That rear wheel now has a solid brake working in it. The tires need changed eventually. The handlebars are now flat, and I have bare end mirrors installed. I'll be changing out the headlight sooner than later. There are a lot of little things that will need to be done before it will pass inspection. All that rust you see will have to go away.

Some stuff has changed since that picture. To give you a general idea, the bike in the bottom right corner, the older one with the box tail light - I sold that ages ago. The blue bike is gone, that was a buddies. The frame you see in the bottom left is my friends Harley Davidson.

Anyways, my hands are cold, and hurt a lot, so I'm going to bail.

One of those nights

Well its almost 4AM that should tell you something. But what? Well that's the deciding factor isn't it? It either means I'm in so much pain I can't move, or it means I had an excellent night.

Well in this case its sort of a combination of both.

I went over to John's house around 7pm, which was good, except he wasn't there. So I sat around on the couch, had a smoke of my pipe, fell asleep. Woke up to a knock on the door which was Stevie. He came in, we watched some Spaceballs then some Blazing Saddles. This was followed by the doorbell, so Steve went down and it was Paul (a fellow who graduated with John). So from there he came in and we talked and he had his cigars. So you have myself who smokes pipe tobacco, Steve who rolls his own cigarettes, and then you have Paul who smokes fine cigars. Quite a group to put in a 12x12 room - happily it has a ceiling fan.

After a while John came home with his evil dog. The night passed on with a lot of talking and then the door bell rang again and we were joined by Martin who is a bit younger than Steve, but a college grad as well, curly black hair and now a black mustache, he's into the music scene and is getting into prof stage hand work. Add a bit more time and we are joined by Alex who is older I think than Martin, but younger than Steve. He served in the Navy, I'm not sure what he does now but I think it's still military - he's quite good looking - so is Martin actually - and has done well for himself, bought himself a house about 3 blocks from John. Good guy.

So the night rolled forward, we talked, laughed, listened, watched TV. The night just rolled along smoothly until around 12:30AM when John kicked us out. From there Steve and I headed out, picked up some cash, and headed to the Diner. Got some good food, listened to some good music. Booked it back to John's house - which is a vertical 2 decker, John owns it and lives on the second floor, Stevie has started renting the first floor. Dropped Steve off, hung a hard turn around, still smoking the bowl I packed at the Diner, and headed home.

Got in here, took a bath, came back to bed. I've been watching a couple hours television - namely supernatural. Now as the caffine buzz is slowly wearing off I am coming to that point where I shall pass out. I have a plan for Friday.

Anyways, I'm going to smoke one more bowl of tobacco, down the rest of my soda, shut the lights out, and pass out.

I haven't gotten much time in with the fiddle yet, I'm still working on that... my hands and arms hurt too much of the time, but time will tell. I love the fiddle, it will just take time.


This was taken just now. Hahahaha, man I look like hell, but at least I'm still kicking.



I'm not feeling so good right now. I'm about to take my morning batch of meds. The most bastardly thing just happened. I have this molar that cracked in half after an incident in Phoenix - where I pulled out the broken half with a pair of pliers (high pain tolerance) and well now its like half a tooth and an open spot - well the 25mg pills that I take 1x a day are really small, and one just got stuck in the damned tooth - took a bit of effort and some pain to get it out. Thats just sore luck. I am SO not looking forward to the dentist when ever I have to finally go. With my tongue I can count 5 teeth that going to need SERIOUS work. But that broken one, that just scares me because 10:1 they are going to have to take it out and there really isn't much to grip, so they'll probably have to dig it out... so you can see why I feel some need to delay the inevitable...

In my defense, when you're in so much pain you're pissing in bottles because the hobble to the bathroom is too far, or say you spent a few months on narcotic pain killers, or a month or so asleep because the new nerve pain med had that side effect... well the whole perfect teeth thing sort of gets forgotten. I do brush, but I haven't been strong enough to climb into the bath tub the last few days, life just sucks sometimes. YES I made it to SJ for a show but my mother and even the contractor working on the house didn't want to let me out.

Fuck it. Right? and I'm bailing cause the pain is on the climb.