The BMW is now working. It is fast enough for motorway driving, light enough for backroads and is reliable by design. Although it is 35 years old now. Quotes from May 2018 It was an impulse buy. I had started to restore my very rusted 1984 BMW R65LS and it was dawning on me that, … Read more
I finally got around to washing it. On with the degreaser, hose it down, next day it would not start! After checking the spark plug was dry I took of the points cover. About a half a teaspoonful of water ran out. In with the hair drier for 5 minutes, then she started first kick. … Read more
The BMW is now insured, MOT’d and rideable. So is the Bullet. Over the next six months or so I have to get some miles in to decide which of these I keep. With the shield on the silencer, and my new heel toe gear lever, and summer in Cornwall, I can now ride in … Read more
I had to take a trip to a nearby town (Bodmin) to pick up a parcel. On the previous trip there had been a bit of popping in the exhaust on the overrun which I had read is indicitive of a leak in the exhaust system. So I took off the exhaust and sealed all … Read more
The bullet seems to have a mixture of Metric and imperial nuts and bolts. I am starting this list to come up with the tools I should by carrying on the Bike. The toolkit, according to the manual comprises:- Screw Driver (no size or type given) Tommy Bar (Big) Tubular Spanner (no size given – … Read more
The BMW is now insured and ready for it’s MOT. How will riding it affect my feelings of the Bullet? Time will tell. I fitted a new silencer and jetted the carb to Hitchcocks guidelines. It does seem to be a little pokier and quite a bit louder. Ear plugs when riding are definitely needed. … Read more
I was amazed when I tried out the electrics. I was taken back in time to my first Scooter, a Lambretta LD. Why? Because there were basically no lights at all at a tick over! (I always seem to see electrical problems – see my motorhome posts. Maybe it’s because I used to be an … Read more
Not a lot done on the bullet as I have spent most of the last six months restoring my BMW. I have done a few electrical changes documented here. The only other changes are fitting a better refector headlamp clamp – after I arrived home with the headlamp resting on the front mudguard and hanging … Read more
Accurate ignition timing, Degree wheel or ruler? Note – this is about my iron barrel Royal Enfield Bullet – or any engine with contact breaker ignition. Bikes without points (like my BMW which has a Hall sensor for the ignition timing) usually do not need attention as there is nothing to wear over time. When … Read more
I decided to fit out my Royal Enfield Bullet with an electronic points saver. I was happy to keep the points and the mechanical advance/retard mechanism – I really just wanted to take the load off the points and the capacitor. The advantage is that the points will not wear although the heel of the … Read more
