ROYAL ENFIELD MOTORCYCLES

ART OF MOTORCYCLING

On the weekend of March 13th/14th, W+K Exp will host a two-day exhibition that celebrates The Art of Motorcycling. Motorcycle exhibits will range from the brand new Classic 500 to an exotic variety of customized Enfields from all over India...

ROYAL ENFIELD TOUR OF TIBET KICKED OFF

The 1st edition of the Royal Enfield Tour of Tibet shall be flagged off from Lucknow on the 12th of October 2013. There are numerous thoughts that come into one's mind when one thinks of Tibet, "The Roof of the World", "Where Eagles Dare" and many others. This September the first Royal Enfield ride to this mystical land will have 25 riders from across India will set off on this epic journey to Lhasa and back.

Royal Enfield Classic Desert Storm 500

The Classic Desert Storm comes to you with a “sand” paint scheme reminiscent of the war era, a time when Royal Enfield motorcycles proved their capabilities and battle worthiness by impeccable service to soldiers in harsh conditions of the desert

ROYAL ENFIELD BULLET CLASSIC REVIEW

It is a blend of post world war II motorcycle and gen next bike. Several things remained the same as a vintage motorcycle such as 'Roar of engine', deep and wide design of front and rear fender, covered headlamp, seating, fuel tank, silencer, spoke wheels, tail lamp and air filer box. , ...

Royal Enfield Classic Chrome 500 launched

The Royal Enfield Classic Chrome is based on the Classic 500 with a rather generous dose of chrome on it. Like the Classic 500, the new Classic Chrome retains the quintessential classic British styling of the 1950s: simple, harmonious, well proportioned."

Bullet C5 Military

The iconic Bullet has seen extended duty on several fronts and is now a prize for military enthusiasts and collectors the world over.

Royal Enfield Rider Mania 2010

The biggest biker bash in the country is courtesy Royal Enfield, and hundreds of zany Enfielders. Here's what the 2010 edition of the Royal Enfield Rider Mania was all about....

ROYAL ENFIELD LAUNCHES 'CONTINENTAL GT

Royal Enfield has finally launched the highly anticipated Continental GT in India with an on-road price of Rs 2.05 lakh on-road Delhi and Rs 2.14 lakh on-road Mumbai. The Continental GT is the same bike that Royal Enfield had displayed at the Auto Expo 2012 by the name of Café Racer.

'Handcrafted in Chennai'

Royal Enfield announces the release of a new ad film created and produced by Wieden+Kennedy, Delhi...

Royal Enfield Thunderbird 500

The all new Royal Enfield Thunderbird now with a powerful 500 cc engine, a 20 litre tank, digital meter console, LED tail lamps and in three striking shades of black gives a new definition to Highway cruising. ...

EnfieldMotorcycles.in is the blog for all Royal Enfield enthusiast where we live, breathe, and eat Royal Enfield Bullet . We not only keep you informed of the news about Royal Enfield originals, but also give custom bikes and historical bikes a lot of attention. You can also find with us the best Enfield related movies and crazy stunts etc. We are testing and reviewing new models of which a complete relief will be shown on our site. Finally, we have technical tips, for example, how to properly get engine through the winter.

Take a scenic tour winding around the legendary NH 17, often dubbed as the West Coast Road having inspired a couple of bollywood blockbusters on the lines of "Bombay to Goa".

While the main theme is on riding through places around the Legendary Mumbai Goa Highway, the highlight is to romance the western monsoons, walking through clouds at one moment and strolling on the vast beaches watching the waves create magic the next moment, gorging on strawberries one moment while sipping on a hot coffee the other. Each and every moment of this ride is one which will certainly give you your moments of discovery where the sheer bliss of riding to remote places and riding in enchanting weather on your Royal Enfield will make it seem like an experience of a lifetime. This year a short ride through the scenic “valley of flowers” is an added bonus.

Riding in the rains has always been a romantic, lively and exciting experience for many and Royal Enfield would provides service and medical back up to provide confidence not just to the first time participants but also to their friends and family. The Tour of NH 17 has expert and experienced pilots to guide the group in various areas of bike riding and coping with the weather and terrain.

Click on the Itinerary Link to read about the route and schedule of this ride

Click on Eligibility Criterion to read about how you can join in for this ride.

Sunday, May 29, 2011

Note: this is a Tech Corner: Classic Edition article pertaining to the traditional Iron-Barrel Bullet 500 engine design (based on the 1955 model Bullet). It was originally published in our Bullet-In newsletter in December 2003. These articles are being re-published for the new audience of used Royal Enfield owners.

Originally published 12/2003 – Earlier this week, the boys (actually young men) in our shop were converting my bike from the “Twingle” back to a single-exhaust 535 and couldn’t get it started. When they turned on the fuel, it would pour out of the overflow hoses. They assumed (as did I) that the float was stuck in the open position. This can often be resolved by a swift tap to the carburetor bowl. However, when no amount of “tapping” slowed the fuel down, I had them remove the carburetor and replace the needle and seat. These do need to be replaced occasionally and this is why it’s a good idea to get in the habit of turning off your fuel tap when the bike is not in use.

After replacing the needle and seat, the bike still wouldn’t start but was not overflowing. I felt the bowl and since it wasn’t cold, I checked to see if it had fuel in it. It did not. Again we tried the tapping method to see if it had jammed slightly when the bowl was reinstalled. We had no luck. I had the boys remove the bowl and look for any obstruction to the floats. Seeing none, it occurred to me that we hadn’t reset the float bowl height. This is a commonly overlooked procedure.

Sure enough, this cured our problem. The float had been set too high and was cutting off the flow of fuel before the float bowl had the proper amount in it. The wrong float height setting can also cause your bike to run too rich or too lean. So the next time you have the carburetor off or replace the needle and seat be sure to check it.

Earlier this week, the boys (actually young men) in our shop were converting my bike from the “Twingle” back to a single-exhaust 535 and couldn’t get it started. When they turned on the fuel, it would pour out of the overflow hoses. They assumed (as did I) that the float was stuck in the open position. This can often be resolved by a swift tap to the carburetor bowl. However, when no amount of “tapping” slowed the fuel down, I had them remove the carburetor and replace the needle and seat. These do need to be replaced occasionally and this is why it’s a good idea to get in the habit of turning off your fuel tap when the bike is not in use…

After replacing the needle and seat, the bike still wouldn’t start but was not overflowing. I felt the bowl and since it wasn’t cold, I checked to see if it had fuel in it. It did not. Again we tried the tapping method to see if it had jammed slightly when the bowl was reinstalled. We had no luck. I had the boys remove the bowl and look for any obstruction to the floats. Seeing none, it occurred to me that we hadn’t reset the float bowl height. This is a commonly overlooked procedure.

In short, you remove the carburetor and its bowl and turn them upside down. According to the factory specification, the distance from the face of the float bowl to the top of the inverted float should be between 28 and 30mm. I personally prefer to set it between 26 and 28mm. If it is too high or too low you can bend the tang on the float bowl where it touches the needle to adjust the height. Be very careful not to apply pressure to the needle and risk damaging it when doing this adjustment.

Sure enough, this cured our problem. The float had been set too high and was cutting off the flow of fuel before the float bowl had the proper amount in it. The wrong float height setting can also cause your bike to run too rich or too lean. So the next time you have the carburetor off or replace the needle and seat be sure to check it.

Friday, May 27, 2011

For the UCE engines I am starting a series covering some of the design aspects. We are starting with the lubrication system for no particular reason other than the fact that we got a really cool video and slide presentation from the factory today (shown below).

Royal Enfield was the first motorcycle with a dry sump oiling system. In short this meant that the crankcase was empty and the oil is stored in a tank (internal to the engine). Pressurized oil is fed to the critical components and drops into the crank crankcase where it is picked up by a second oil pump and sent to the head. In a wet sump system like the new UCE engines the crankcase is full of oil. When the engine starts a pump picks up the oil, pumps it through a filter and then directs it to different areas under pressure. Because the clutch and transmission are all part of the engine case they all run in the same oil. The real advantage is that in the UCE we can move a lot more oil under a higher pressure than we could in the oil machines.

The new system will deliver 9.5 liters of oil every minute to the critical components. The pumps will not vary more than 50cc’s in it’s mission. This extends engine life and provides better cooling. The new engine also has hydraulic valve lifters which require oil under pressure to operate. In the older engines the oil which was scavenged form the engine sump was fed to the rocker bearing and lubricated the valves and rocker arms. This oil was delivered in fits and starts under low pressure depending upon how much oil the pump could scavenge at any given time. This was fine for the older engines but limited the amount of heat is could carry away. In the new engine oil is delivered simultaneously to the crankshaft, hydraulic lifters and cylinder head through three separate oil passages and all under a constant pressure.

The R&D guys at the factory made a very cool video by removing the back of a transmission and covering it with glass so you can see how the transmission is lubricated during operation:

Here is are some slides from Royal Enfield’s engineering team that detail the lubrication system and provide some interesting diagrams and illustrations:

Royal Enfield UCE Lubrication

by kevin from enfieldmotorcycles.com

Monday, May 23, 2011

Biking is their passion, but for these biking clubs it doesn’t mean riding at a high speed. It’s more about coming together and forming bonds with people who share their love of biking. These groups also advocate biking etiquettes such as road safety and dress codes. Here’s a look at three Delhi based

BOLD (Bullets Owning Lads of Delhi)

“I started this club with two of my friends three years back,” says Girish Aghi, founder of BOLD. This club has 100 members and aims at giving a break to young and inexperienced bikers. Their biking tours sometimes involve taking a ride from Delhi to towns such as Manesar and even further, like Ludhiana.“We used to hear about biking clubs across the city but young bikers were not encouraged there. So we thought of starting a club,” says Aghi.

As the name of the club suggests, anyone who wants to be a member of the club must own a Royal Enfield Bullet and a driving license. “The training that we hold with the newly inducted members include the safety guidelines,” says Dakshdeep, co-owner of BOLD.Along with having a lot of fun, the group is disciplined and takes a round of driving tests before inducting any new member.“We observe the new members for a couple of rides and then judge. We believe in responsible biking,” adds Dakshdeep.

Contact BOLD at: dakshdeep@gmail.com

Bullet Wallas

This one was started by some foreign tourists visiting the city in the year 2008. “The main idea behind this club is to help foreign tourists meet and spend some good time together,” says Chris Harlen, now the owner of the club.One exclusive thing about this club is that it has female members — 50 of them at the moment — too. "My wife is also a part of our club. The strength of the club is nearly 3,000,” adds Harlen, who hails from New Zealand, and it’s been four years since he is in Delhi.

The last long ride that this group took was to Rajasthan last year. Now, it’s more like a travel club as people come and meet but go on rides. “Shortage of time and fixed itinerary poses a problem for tourists,” says Harlen.

Contact at info@bulletwallas.com

Royal Beasts

Formed in 1995 by two friends, Ajit Hundal and Kartik Krishnan, the club believes in thrill but also in riding safe. “Anyone with a bullet (Enfield) is welcome,” says Arpan Das Gupta, a member. The members meet every Sunday to plan activities. In order to be a member of this club, one just needs to go for a few city rides with the members before venturing to the longer rides. “The person needs to understand the bike and safety regulations. We don’t promote the ‘rowdy-bikers’ kind of attitude,” adds Gupta. The club, that has two female riders who have driven as far as Leh-Ladakh, is also active on online portals like Facebook and Twitter.

Contact at dgarpan@gmail.com

As of now, these clubs are looking forward to the Rider Mania Meet Kolkata 2011, scheduled for later this month where all major biking clubs from all over the country are expected to participate.

Friday, May 20, 2011

For the export market, Royal Enfield already makes the Royal Enfield Classic Chrome UCE500, which isn’t too different than the erstwhile Royal Enfield Machismo with the 500cc unit construction engine. Our sources tell us that Royal Enfield has been testing the Royal Enfield Machismo 500 with the UCE engine with remapped fuel injection and that an Indian relaunch for the Machismo is likely in the coming times.

If this indeed happens, Royal Enfield enthusiasts have reasons to celebrate as the Royal Enfield Machismo, with it’s generously chromed styling is one motorcycle that really has the maximum street presence when it comes to Royal Enfields. Royal Enfield has refrained from launching variants based on the 500cc UCE engine for the Indian market due to production constraints, caused primarily due to the massive demand that the UCE engined Bullets have generated in recent times.

The reason for this demand is quite understandable as the Unit Construction Engines that Royal Enfield has developed in association with Engines Engineering of Italy bring tremendous improvements in both reliability, power and fuel economy. These factors allied to a strong marketing campaign by Royal Enfield has made the Bullet popular with young Indian motorcyclists, who previously avoided the Royal Enfield brand due to the high maintenance and low relaibility associated with Royal Enfield motorcycles.

Coming back to the Machismo UCE500, the motorcycle could give Royal Enfield enthusiasts who plan to use their Bullets for touring a shot in the arm as the Classic 500 UCE isn’t exactly a tourer due to it’s slightly cramped ergonomics and seat design which makes it more of a city clicking motorcycle than a true blue tourer. Also, Royal Enfield has struggled to get the chassis balance right with the initial crop of Classic 500s due to the new tyre sizes, which reportedly was causing high speed handling issues.

With the Machismo 500 UCE hopefully, these issues along with fuel injection glitches will be solved by Royal Enfield. With that, a credible alternate to the likes of the Honda CBR250R could emerge for those looking for a long stroke single with relaxed power delivery and vintage styling at the same price point of that of the recently launched CBR250R. What remains to be seen is how exactly Royal Enfield manages it’s delivery times which, at the current 8 months for the Classic 500 UCE is simply ridiculous for this day and age where instant gratification is the name of the game.

source : indiancarsbikes.in

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Los Angeles, California – When one of the oldest motorcycle brands in the world returned to California, it didn’t take long for one of California’s most famous automotive enthusiasts to take notice. World-famous comedian and host of NBC’s Tonight Show, Jay Leno is equally well-known in automotive circles as an authority on classic vehicles and owner of one of the greatest collections of classic cars and motorcycles in the world. Leno recently took delivery on a 2011 Royal Enfield motorcycle, and today the famed comedian featured the modern Royal Enfield on Jay Leno’s Garage – a website and online video series dedicated to Jay’s impressive collection and automotive interests.

The new Royal Enfield was suggested for Leno’s collection by Mike Frankovich, owner of NoHo Scooters, a popular scooter shop and Royal Enfield dealership in North Hollywood. When Royal Enfield re-entered the California market, Frankovich’s NoHo Scooters was among the first dealerships in the state to carry the historic brand’s new models. “My dad and Leno were friends for many years and I got to know many of the mechanics at his garage,” explains Frankovich, “I was telling a mechanic about the new Royal Enfields and wondered aloud if Jay might be interested in one.”

Before long, Frankovich and Royal Enfield USA Vice President Ron Greene found themselves on site at Leno’s Big Dog Garage as several Royal Enfield Bullets were delivered from NoHo Scooters for their debut on Jay Leno’s Garage. “It was a genuine pleasure working with Mr. Leno and his team,” Greene said after as filming wrapped up for the video feature. Greene also added, “Jay is a famous collector with famously discerning taste in classic automobiles. For that reason, I know he will enjoy his Royal Enfield and I couldn’t be more pleased to welcome as a Royal Enfield owner.”

A complete collection of photos and videos related to the Royal Enfield’s arrival at the Big Dog Garage, including Jay Leno’s test ride and review, debut today on the Jay Leno’s Garage website. Full episode and image gallery are available online at www.jaylenosgarage.com.

Royal Enfield USA is a division of Classic Motorworks, the exclusive licensed distributor of Royal Enfield motorcycles in the United States. Royal Enfield USA operates in direct affiliation with Royal Enfield Motors, founded in Redditch, England in 1901 and manufactured and headquartered in Chennai, India since 1955. More information is available online at www.royalenfieldusa.com.

Royal Enfield Los Angeles is a division of NoHo Scooters, a licensed Royal Enfield dealership in North Hollywood, California. Since 2002, NoHo Scooters has provided the Los Angeles area with a well-informed, experienced, trustworthy, and dependable source for new and used scooters. In 2010, NoHo was selected as a premier dealership for the historic brand’s return to the California market. More information is available online at: www.royalenfieldla.com.

source : roadracingworld.com

Monday, May 16, 2011

1. Removal of the Engine from the Frame

i. Disconnect alternator leads.	viii. Remove the rear chain.
ii. Disconnect the spark plug cap, suppressor cap.	ix. Remove the footrest (L.H.).
iii. Turn off petrol tap and disconnect the fuel pipe.	xi. Support the engine on a suitable box or wood block.
iv. Remove carburettor assy. along with throttle cable.	xii. Remove the centre stand and the stand stop.
v. Remove the air filter assy.	xiii. Remove the front engine plates and the small bolt fixing the stand spring bracket and fix rear mudguard.
vi. Remove the exhaust pipe and silencer.	xiv. Remove the stud securing the rear engine plate to the frame.
vii. Disconnect the engine steady bolt.	xv. Slide out the engine.

2. Removal of the Gearbox

Remove the primary chain case outer, clutch assembly, stator and rotor, engine sprocket and clutch sprocket. Remove the clutch centre and chain case inner.

Remove four 3/8" nuts and the gearbox can then be withdrawn from the engine.

3. Dismantling the Crankcase

Drain the oil tank by removing the feed and return filter assembly plugs located in the crankcase bottom.

Having removed the engine from the frame dismantle the cylinder head, barrel, piston, timing gear etc., as described in the chapter "Decarbonising".

Remove the nuts on the driving side of the engine from four fixed studs at the rear of the crankcase.

Remove six studs passing through the crankcase by undoing nuts.

The two halves of the crankcase can then be separated.

The driving side outer race of bearings will remain in the driving side half of the crankcase.

The driving side bearing inner race and the inner distance piece will remain on the engine shaft. ( Crankshaft)
The flywheel assembly may be removed from the driving side of the crankcase.

4. Removal and Reassembly of main bearings

Clean the crankcase thoroughly as any trace of oil in the crankcase will burn and discolour the bearing race while heating the crankcase.

Heat the crankcase in an oven or apply the naked flame of a blow lamp on the circumferential area of the bearing boss and not directly on the bearing race. When the crankcase gets heated up fairly, about 110º-120ºC, tap the crankcase on a wooden block (with the bearing race facing downwards) gently so that it will drop down due to the expansion of the bearing boss.

Remove the circlip from the driving side crankcase and reheat to remove the ball bearing.

Inspect the bearings before assembly. The bearing should spin smoothly. Rotated dry, it may appear to be slightly noisy but there should be no signs of corrosion, nor must there be any appreciable radial slackness. The outer race of the roller bearing must be preferably smooth and bright with no evidence of crack or pitting. The individual rollers must show no signs of wear and should rotate smoothly in the cage. It is recommended to replace with new bearings once they are removed from the crankcase.

Reheat the crankcases to reassemble the bearings in the crankcase. Assemble the ball bearings in the D/S crankcase after fitting the circlip. Locate the other circlip, distance tubes outer and inner and then assemble the roller bearing outer race.

Ensure that the bearings are seated properly in the crankcase and the outer roller race is flush with the crankcase.

Replacement of the Cam Idler Spindles

When wear is noticed or step formation seen on the spindle, it should be replaced. To remove the cam spindle, heat the crankcase and tap the spindles out from inside.

To remove the idler pinion spindles, heat the crankcases as before, hold the spindles in a vice and tap the crankcase lightly with a nylon/wooden hammer.

To replace the cam spindles, locate the spindles in respective holes in the timing side crankcase and drive the spindles in home with a small hammer (1/2 lb.) and a drift. Make sure that the spindles are upright and parallel to each other.

6. Connecting Rod

Wear in the hardened steel big end bush will be shown by a formation of a ridge round the centre of the bearing surface corresponding with the oil groove in the white metal floating bush. If this wear is excessive, the connecting rod should be replaced.

Excessive wear on the small end of the connecting rod can be easily seen. The Gudgeon Pin will show a rocking motion if wear is excessive.

7. Flywheel Assembly

The flywheel assembly consists of the crankshaft and the connecting rod.

To dismantle the crankshaft remove the set screws securing the crankpin nuts. Holding the crankshaft in a special jig (PED 2037) remove the crankpin nuts.

Using PED 2037 with a pair of steel bars (about 1" x 3/8" x 9" long) placed across between the flywheel disc, press out the crankpin using a hand press.

The connecting rod can then be removed along with floating bush.

Turn the crankshaft over in the jig and repeat with other side if necessary.To remove the timing shaft, remove the set screw from the shaft nut and unscrew the nut. Drive the shaft out with a hammer and drift. To replace the timing side shaft, reverse the above process, making sure that the key is a good fit and that the nut is tightened securely by means of a box spanner with a 12" tommy bar.

The driving shaft has no nut but is secured by tightening the sprocket nut after the assembly of the engine. It should be pressed in with a hand press or a hammer and drift. If the latter is used, care must be taken not to damage the centre. It has a collar which butts against the flywheel disc.

To reassemble the crankshaft, press the crankpin into the timing side flywheel, making sure that the oil hole is in the correct position and the thrust washer is facing the right way, i.e. with Chamfer away from the flywheel.

Test the oil passages using an oil can to make sure that they are clear.

Assemble the floating bush over the crankpin.

Assemble the connecting rod over the floating bush and smear with engine oil.

Place the other thrust washer over the crankpin, also with the Chamfer away from the flywheel.

Use a brass drift and hammer for pressing the D/S flywheel.

Locate the flywheel in the assembly jig, to ensure that the flywheels and shafts are in line, and replace the nuts. Tighten securely and refit the set screws.

Test the oil passages again to ensure that they are clear.

If the same crankpin has been put back, it will be necessary to drill out the old grub screw in order to clean the oil passages after which a new grub screw must be fitted.

Mount the crankshaft between the centres of a lathe or on a pair of vee block and true up to 0.001" on either side of the shafts.

If the readings for the two shafts are high on opposite sides, the error can be corrected by gently tapping either or both of the flywheels.

If the readings are high on the same side of the two shafts, it is probably due to dirt or foreign matter in the joints and the crankshaft should be dismantled again, carefully examined and reassembled.

8. Reassembly of the Crankcase

Replace the bearings, etc., in the crankcase halves after heating the crankcase as described earlier. (Refer page 29)

Fit the inner distance piece in the driving side crankcase.

Fit the thrust washer on the drive shaft. Fit the bearing inner race on the drive shaft. Assemble the flywheel into the bearing. If necessary use the sprocket nut with a suitable spacer to draw the driving shaft through the inner race of the ball bearing.

Make sure that the crankcase face is clean and apply jointing compound to it and fix the crankcase gasket in position.

Put the thrust washer on the timing side shaft and press the bearing inner race.

Place the timing side crankcase in position over the flywheel and gently tap with wooden mallet.

Bolt the two halves of the crankcase together making sure that the joint matches correctly so that the cylinder base is flat.

Rotate the drive shaft by hand and check for free rotation to ensure correctness in assembly and press the oil seal on to the drive side of the crankcase from outside, ensuring proper seating.

For 500cc

Press the oil seal onto the timing side of the crankcase and ensure proper seating

NOTE : Before attempting to remove the internal parts, please ensure that the clutch assembly has been dismantled along with F.D. sprocket.

Sunday, May 15, 2011

The Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon (MCG) has decided to provide its fire fighting squads with Royal Enfield motorcycles equipped with micro fire fighting guns.

This will help the squad navigate congested roads to reach the fire site. The MCG also plans to procure 101-metre high snorkels (turn-table ladders) to combat fire incidents in high-rises.

The motorcycles will be equipped with two water- and nitrogen gas-filled cylinders and may cost the MCG Rs 11-12 lakh each, an MCG official said. The motorcycle-borne fire fighting squad will be also be able to help in case a fire breaks out in a vehicle caught in a traffic jam.

“We plan to procure three such motorcycles initially and depute each one at the three fire stations in Sector 29, 37 and Bhim Nagar,” said H.S. Sihag, the district fire officer.

A committee constituted by MCG commissioner Rajesh Khullar visited the Delhi Fire Service that already has nearly two dozen such motorcycles and saw their trial runs in Connaught Place,” said Sihag.

Sihag said each cylinder would contain nine litres of water and nitrogen gas. The rider will be a trained firefighting expert from the Haryana Fire Service.

Two water mist cans of 20 litres each will be mounted on rapid response motorbikes specifically designed to extinguish fire by harnessing water mist at low pressure. The equipment would cost Rs 10 lakh a piece

Sihag said, “Though the motorcycle is manufactured in India, the fire fighting equipment has been imported from countries like Germany and this had added to the cost.”

Sihag said more such motorcycle-borne firefighting equipment units will be arranged in case it is needed.

The snorkels that the MCG wants to procure will cost approximately Rs 20 crore. The civic agency has already moved the proposal for the same to get the snorkels.

The MCG already has two 42-metre high snorkels that can spray water up till the height of 77 metres.

Thursday, May 12, 2011

While an O2 sensor that could rid the fuel injection glitches on the Indian Royal Enfield Classic UCE500 is still out of the equation, Royal Enfield is testing a remapped version of the fuel injection system that apparently has ironed out all the glitches from the earlier versions of the fuel injection system. But we like what we’re hearing as this could finally mark the end of all the fuel injection niggles that Royal Enfield Classic 500UCE are having to face currently.

While not many details about how exactly Royal Enfield has managed to iron out the glitches from the ECU, the fact remains that Royal Enfield has finally gotten down to do something to sort this issue in itself is a great thing considering the slow response time that Royal Enfield has traditionally been known for. Also, this remap could mean that the fuel injected version of the Royal Enfield UCE500 engined models could continue to sell alongside with the carbureted version of the UCE500 engine that could be launched very soon.

Our sources tell us that the remapped version of the ECU actually has been working very well on the models it is being tested currently with no jerking throughout the rev range, which was one issue that plagued the older crop of ECUs. With that, we hope the rich running also is sorted out with the remap as engines running too rich for too long could easily lead to hot spots in the engine head causing knocking and eventual engine damage.

Also, the only straightforward solution to carbon accumulation in the head is decarbonization, which is a job that requires opening up of the engine head and thus changing of the head gasket too. With the remapped ECU, all this can be sorted out and we hope that Royal Enfield offers to remap the ECUs of current Classic 500UCEs proactively that would do a world of good when it comes to customer satisfaction.

source : indiancarsbikes.in

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

The rise in demand of its Classic range of bikes has prompted the Chennai-based company to accelerate its expansion plans; new models to hit the road by 2013

Unlike any other major bike brand in India, there's a certain something that the Royal Enfield carries with it. Some refer to it as the the aura of Royal Enfield. Some, the Royal Enfield mania. While others refer to it as the Royal Enfield culture.

But, the waiting period of more than a year for two of Royal Enfield’s top-selling models – Classic 350 and Classic 500 – is driving the customers mad.

Now, with the demand far outstretching their production due to capacity constraints, the Chennai-based company is going full throttle to roll out its expansion plans to address the rising demand for the past 18 months.

Every Classic 350 and Classic 500 gets absorbed months before they hit the production line at the Tiruvottiyur plant in Chennai. The company is not only planning to increase the production capacity – from 50,000 units last year to 100,000 units – here, but also thinking about setting up a new plant three times the size of the existing one.

Siddhartha Lal, managing director and CEO, Eicher Motors, said: "Our initial plans were to set up a 150,000 unit-a-year plant but we believe that this capacity will get used up in two or three years. So we are now hiking the capacity to 250,000 units a year. Finer details like the location and investment are yet to be finalised."

This intiative, the brand's loyalists believe, should have been planned a year back. New Delhi-based Eicher, the commercial vehicle making company, is the holding company of Royal Enfield.

The company had increased production by 50 per cent to 6,000 units a month from 4,000 units in March. It plans to invest Rs 65 crore on expansion.

"We have been carrying out expansion at Chennai. Last year, we added a significant portion but this year despite continued demand we will not be able to add more than 10 per cent," added Lal.

The unlisted two-wheeler company is talking to governments of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu for greenfield expansion, which could entail an investment of more than Rs 300 crore. There has been, however, no confirmation on this front by the company.

According to sources, the company plans to add 150,000 units capacity in the first phase and another 100,000 units per year in the next phase to cater to the demand for at least the next 5-7 years.

Royal Enfield sells five models in India and witnessed a growth of 8.74 per cent during the last financial year at 54,475 units. The growth was largely restricted due to the company's inability to expand production.

Royal Enfield sells only 10 per cent of the total sales figures of Hero Honda – by far the country's biggest bike maker – but industry experts believe that there was no brand which could be on par with Royal Enfield.

"For decades Royal Enfield has developed bikes which are very different in their character and unique. The positive for the company is that it has further enhanced that character which has no doubt attracted more buyers," said a senior executive of a bike making company.

Lal, who manages the truck and bus operations along with Swedish partner Volvo, is an ardent fan of the Royal Enfield brand, which many Indians still consider a British trademark.

Lal personally overlooks Enfield's product development programmes and works closely with former Bajaj employee R L Ravichandran, who is widely credited with the turnaround of Royal Enfield.

Ravichandran was recently made the executive director of Royal Enfield and Eicher Motors after serving the two-wheeler brand as chief executive for several years. Venki Padmanabhan was promoted as the CEO from COO.

While Lal refused to divulge further details, senior executives privy to Royal Enfield's plans said new models will only be a step ahead from the Classic range.

Royal Enfield is also working on higher-capacity twin-cylinder models that are set to make a come back on Indian roads after a gap of several decades. The launch of these bigger and faster bikes will take at least 18 months.

Although the focus for Royal Enfield has always been its DNA – encompassing rugged styling, robust and durable engines – it wants to play up on segments (500cc and above) where many international brands are planning new launches.

Also in the works is a diesel engine model that will make a re-entry of sorts on India roads. It was earlier phased out following air pollution issues. The idea is to extract maximum mileage like the earlier Royal Enfield diesel model that ran 125 kms to 1.5 litres. At present, no bike maker in India makes diesel-powered motorcycles.

by : Swaraj Baggonkar (business-standard.com)

My name is Sheetal Iyer. I live in Hyderabad. The passion for riding motorcycles got into me when I got my hands on a pal’s PULSAR 150cc, at the age of 16. From then till date, I’ve ridden a Bajaj Avenger, a Yamaha R15, Pulsar150/200/220, Shogun, Yamaha RX100 and RX125 and Royal Enfields. The Bike I plan to get myself in the next one year is a Royal Enfield Classic 500. My Dream Bike which I plan to own in the future is a Harley Davidson Sportster883 or Harley Davidson V-rod Muscle.

I joined a club called the “highway nawabs” back in 2007. The members of group have been my mentors since then. They are the people who have inspired me to upgrade myself from bikes like pulsars to Royal Enfields. And today, I feel proud to be riding with them. The feeling of riding a motorcycle is very “god-like” and Incredible. As a female rider, riding gives me a sense of individuality, self-pride and freedom.

Rider = Sheetal Iyer
In more than one way, it gives me the ability to stand-out in the crowd and that is something that I have always intended to do- TO BE DIFFERENT. As far as the clothing goes, riding is not rocket science but it neither is a child-play. Riding with the appropriate gears like hand gloves, a good-fit helmet, a well-fitted and protective jacket, knee and elbow armors and a good pair of boots are the minimum essentials.

No motorcycle or no rider is perfect. No matter how many years of riding you have done, yet you can always expect the unexpected. But we all know that you can only reduce your chances of falling because of your experiences and the ability to anticipate danger. Well, I’ve had a couple of minor accidents but still the learning continues and I await to have my share of experiences.

At the age of 20, riding has become an identity to me. That’s how, not just me, but a lot of people recognize me as- SHEETAL-The biker babe. (Laughs) It’s a good feeling. I’m definitely not embarrassed when people see me on a motorcycle. It pushes my morale up all the more when boys on bikes try and match up with you. Its more of a BOOSTER (no offence to the male gender). And I’ve always had people coming up and telling me that it is so nice to see a girl on a motorcycle and that all women should be brave like me. It’s so much of a confidence-giver. The message that I’d like to give to all women riders or aspiring riders is “RIDE HARD AND RIDE SAFE”

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Diesel-Engined Royal Enfield Bullet

Anarchy rides an old Enfield fitted with a diesel engine and, true to form, makes the most of this opportunity to reflect on a few political truths. This, he suggests, might be our future when the oil runs out...

Steve Drewett, lead singer of the Newtown Neurotics, a post punk new wave band once sang:

What's gonna happen when the buses don't run

And what's gonna happen when the, winter comes

When the oil runs out?

And what about the comfortable people who just cant go without

They're forever panic buying, in case things run out

They never realise what they've got, one day they will lose the lot

When the oil runs out

It's a grim thought. One that seems to be imminently more likely today since good ole American values simply don't include conservation of fossil fuel resources and a reduction in global warming. Antagonising Middle Eastern countries doesn't help either. Millions of massive SUVs rumbling around the shopping malls sucking fuel in raptor-like gulps is clearly not the future, you don't need to be Einstein to work that one out.

Escalating fuel prices, taxation and servicing costs all contribute to a firmer grip on our motorcycling expenses here in humble Blighty too.

One such extreme solution to ever increasing petrol prices or sudden fuel shortages is the motorcycle owned by seasoned London commuter, David Wareham. David's new motorcycle is a variant of the famous and much loved Royal Enfield Bullet.

I won't go into all the history of the marque and detail how this fifty year old motorcycle design is bizarrely still being produced today in India as a cheap and cheerful form of family transport and also exported worldwide as 'an old classic but built yesterday' choice for many silver-haired riders.

What I will point out is that this example carries a 1965 number plate and is registered as such yet is no longer powered by that very attractive but simple Redditch power unit of 350cc or 500cc.

Provided by F2 Motorcycles (www.f2motorcycles.ltd.uk) in Banbury these bikes are created from 1960's Enfields that are restored and modified for diesel power. There are numerous other diesel-powered new Indian Enfield models, most of which are converted in Germany using Hatz power units but as far as I am aware the F2 models are the only historic taxation class motorcycles that are converted to diesel power. A real classic. More importantly to the budget-conscious commuter they are also approximately half the cost of some of the German offerings. Interested?

Two different power options are available based on the Greaves diesel motor, the kind of engine more likely to be seen powering a cement mixer on a third world building site. The first option is the 325cc, 6.5hp at 3600rpm unit which is kickstart and not too happily married to the standard four-speed gearbox. This has the benefit of being easier to kickstart but has a very low cruising speed of 40mph.

The subject of this test ride though was the 'deluxe' model fitted with the larger whopping 436cc engine with 5-speed gearbox that puts out a heady 7.5hp and which has a maximum speed of just 55mph. To put these figures into perspective, a 500cc petrol-engined Indian Enfield can output approximately three times as much power.

So, that old chestnut, what does it ride like?

Well, starting is a little more of a ritual than with an average old chuffer but no wicker men, blessed virgins or indeed any pagan chants are required. A decompressor lever needs to be selected and the kickstart slowly pressed down until the decompressor lever clicks back. You are now ready to take the mother of all kicks on the kickstart with every bit of power you can muster from your loins. A decisive swing is needed as the machine can sense hesitation, fear or simply a feeble lightweight at the controls; someone should certainly nickname this bike Excalibur but I'm sure this is its own way of deciding whether you are worthy to ride it.

Once running it indeed makes quite a pleasant, noble chuffing sound. You do need to wait a while for the motor to warm up; this is a good time to go make that well deserved cup of tea to refresh you from all that kicking for England.

Pre-ride checks: ignition is switched on (the motor will start without the ignition and can easily be forgotten thus preventing the brake light and indicators from functioning); clutch action tested OK and is wonderfully light and easy to use and -- uniquely for an older Enfield -- doesn't appear to overheat in traffic either. Prod the right hand side gear lever gently and it slickly selects first gear, clutch out and we are off.

Now, this is when you quickly learn how very different this diesel motor is to the standard petrol fitment.

The Greaves diesel motor doesn't really have any useful throttle range; its power is all placed around a very narrow band of revs. It has very good low down torque so is swift away, then microseconds later you need to change up a gear and then again and again and so forth.

This quick navigation up the gearbox is a bit of a bind when it takes all five gears to move the plot up to 30mph! However, once in top gear everything is relaxed and the motorcycle no longer requires any input from you, and gentle bimbling along the road is achieved in quite a pleasant fashion. More than that, it's a very comfortable fashion with the leather sprung solo seat and swinging arm damped suspension isolating you from any irregularities in the road surface.

Riding along at 40mph is stress-free, even on this brand new bike with just 500 miles on the clock and still with a fairly tight motor. I could now concentrate on the handling, noting that all the weight seems to be planted very low down in the frame making for a very sure and safe ride.

Now then, although this diesel motorcycle returns a staggering 200 -- yes two hundred miles to the gallon of Derv (I knew you wanted to know that right at the beginning but I'm such a tease) -- it is not quite the environmentally sound angel it promises to be. Putting the engine under load expels great clouds of black noxious carcinogenic fumes out of the rear of the silencer, perfect for making that annoying vehicle tailgating you quickly back off and choke. If you have ever wanted to get your own back on that number 107 double-decker bus which suffocates you on each morning's commute then here lies the answer. I can see many uses for this feature when filtering traffic in London and having swarms of scooters that need clearing from behind you…

Riding along at such gentle speeds you find yourself working out just how cheap it would be to ride around the whole of the country or indeed the whole wide world. With very little to go wrong, no electrics to worry about and in times of crisis when diesel fuel is scarce the option of being able to top up with Asda's finest vegetable oil at 42 pence a litre is a lifesaver (government duty paid retrospectively of course). Running on vegetable oil works out at an equivalent petrol cost of 500 miles to the gallon. It seems it would make good sense making friends with the local MacDonald's manager for used chip fat.

Since the throttle is pretty much obsolete, an additional hand lever throttle could make good sense to use as a cruise control, rather like a tractor, ok I had to mention the T word, sorry. One good innovation that this bike's owner is designing is a CVT automatic transmission, based on the Comet design. This would suit the bike perfectly, turning it into an ideal twist 'n' go traffic beater. Unfortunately, or maybe not, the kickstart would no longer be available so a recoil starter or electric start would need to be fitted. This is what I think the motorcycle is crying out for and would transform the riding experience by removing the manic gear changing.

There is a glint in owner David's eyes as he suggests that a turbo would be quite easy to fit too…

I think though it's more a case of switching your mind over to a pre-war mentality and accepting that your journey time and direction would need adjusting to suit the pace of the diesel Enfield.

The Bullet has heaps of character and presence. Being a 1965-registered bike gives the bike an added classic bonus, whilst the odd but interesting looking motor soon draws a crowd. I can imagine the owner must spend large amounts of time answering questions to eager people about fuel consumption, speed and how it rides.

So after a short but very pleasant ride in Essex I returned the bike and fully understood the thinking behind this bike's purchase.

It is an alternative, a viable one at that. It will offer simply gigantic mile crunching travel on pathetic little amounts of fuel, some of which is 'free'. No longer are you reliant on Middle Eastern politics, the whims of Gordon Brown or the mood of truckers blockading oil refineries for the means to your transport. Furthermore, there are no oil filters and no air filter as it uses an oil bath system so servicing costs are just diesel engine oil and the very low Indian Enfield cycle spares costs. The Greaves diesel motor is used in all kinds of industrial implementations so spare parts are easily available if needed, though it is quite usual for industrial diesel motors like this to run practically forever, even neglected. But more than all of this, or as a bonus to others viewing the bike as simply cheap transport, it feels like riding a vintage bike with its simplicity, individual exhaust tone and restful plodding that goes with bikes of a previous age.

If we keep going the way we are going and continue to disregard our wasteful use of fuel then perhaps one day we may all be considering a similarly-fuelled motorcycle out of necessity rather than choice. It really is as cheap as chips.