What have you done to your bike today....

[Don the Don]

Yesterday went out for a a spin with the new Missus Bad Lady Duck who I'd recruited to use her tiny little hands to change over headlight bulbs...She really comes in handy for such things and I love her enthusiasm for bikes and all things mechanic wise..
My little work colleague and I guess you could say a kind of mate came along for the ride as well..He's funny as fuck on his SV650 especially when he's passing cyclists..He's a fiery little so and so...
Anyway I removed the screen from the bike for a faster bulb change when we got to halfords in Ashbourne..
Got bulbs cheap as bloke in halfords was a biker and I'd 8gone to the motorbike section to buy H7 bulbs which were £5.79 each..However he directed me to the car section where the exact same bulb was under a fiver..just goes to show how they try to rip off bikers...
After spending a bit of time at Ashbourne car park changing bulbs fucking about and answering questions about motorbike stuff we set off for a ride that lasted nearly five hours..we just went all over the place and ended up in Matlock for ice cream...
My missus and him are a nightmare but so funny...
A really good day of motorbiking with good company that appreciate what motorbikes is all about...View attachment 20243View attachment 20244View attachment 20245View attachment 20246

Good pic's @BAD LUCK DUCK you have a keeper in your new mrs Duck, glad you had a good day you deserve some mate

 

[Sarky B’stard]

Well it was pissing down here for most of today so, going for a spin being out of the question, I went out to the shed to do some work on the Royal Enfield. I removed the 'casquette' (Bit of alloy that serves as the top yoke of the forks and housing for the clocks) from the bike to polish it on the wheel and straighten up the speedo which was fitted a degree or two off which was pissing me off. I had tried to get the bugger off on Saturday but, after removing every bleedin' bolt and nut I could see including the screwed in tops of the forks themselves, the bastard still wouldn't budge so I gave up and went to consult the Royal Enfield fans on t'internet about what I was missing. Well it turned out that the fork legs actually screw into the underside of the casquette and you either use a special tool that's apparently no longer available or a large allen key that goes down inside the top of the fork leg to turn the beggars. That being the case I went to it on Sunday afternoon and I happened to have a big enough Allen Key (it was either twelve or thirteen mm across) and so managed to unwind the forks and remove the casquette. Duly polished and Speedo straightened up followed by re-fitting. After that I needed to loosen and reposition the front brake lever which wasn't quite where I wanted it, went to re-tighten it and that feckin' alloy of the bracket on the handlebar bloody cracked right across. Well that's the bike going nowhere for a few days until I get my hands on another front brake lever bracket. Fortunately Hitchcocks have one on offer that should do the trick.

@Don the Don have you found anyone else apart from Hitchcocks for RE parts? I discovered one online last night called Classic Bike Spare Parts https://classicbikespareparts.com/product-category/royal-enfield-spare-parts-and-accessories/
Their prices seem to be pretty good but are they too good to be true?

Casquette means small helmet 🫤

 

[MartytheMartian]

So it's a general term for a Frenchman then?

 

[Doc Strange]

Yesterday went out for a a spin with the new Missus Bad Lady Duck who I'd recruited to use her tiny little hands to change over headlight bulbs...She really comes in handy for such things and I love her enthusiasm for bikes and all things mechanic wise..
My little work colleague and I guess you could say a kind of mate came along for the ride as well..He's funny as fuck on his SV650 especially when he's passing cyclists..He's a fiery little so and so...
Anyway I removed the screen from the bike for a faster bulb change when we got to halfords in Ashbourne..
Got bulbs cheap as bloke in halfords was a biker and I'd 8gone to the motorbike section to buy H7 bulbs which were £5.79 each..However he directed me to the car section where the exact same bulb was under a fiver..just goes to show how they try to rip off bikers...
After spending a bit of time at Ashbourne car park changing bulbs fucking about and answering questions about motorbike stuff we set off for a ride that lasted nearly five hours..we just went all over the place and ended up in Matlock for ice cream...
My missus and him are a nightmare but so funny...
A really good day of motorbiking with good company that appreciate what motorbikes is all about...View attachment 20243View attachment 20244View attachment 20245View attachment 20246

The way she is sat there, don't reckon it'll be long before she's thinking of a bike of her own!

Glad you had a good day out!

DS

 

[Don the Don]

@Don the Don have you found anyone else apart from Hitchcocks for RE parts?

A usefull place is this one that has an e-bay shop another Black country shop

Security measure

www.ebay.co.uk

and for tools most come from india, but you can buy a whole set:

Fits Royal Enfield Bullet Workshop Tool Kit Set of 15 Assorted Tools GEc | eBay

We are spare parts exporters of accessories and spares which are suitable & compatible for Royal Enfield motorcycles. Royal BULLET MOTORCYCLES, TOOL KIT (Set of 8 units), CLUTCH BRAKE BAR, PRIMARY CHAIN CASE CLUTCH CENTER EXTRACTOR, MAGNET PULLER, VALVE SPRING COMPRESSOR, TIMING PINION...

www.ebay.co.uk

 

[MartytheMartian]

I saw that Bearmore on Fleabay but they had negative feedback that made me hesitate. I do think that Hitchcock's are just a little bit pricey for some of the standard RE parts they sell.

 

[Doc Strange]

Well, not involved the bike exactly, but I've put my thermal layer back in my bike kit.

Travelling to Ldn this weekend and it is getting a bit colder so decided I'd rather just wear a t-shirt under my kit with thermal layer in it, than wear more layers under my kit without thermal layer. If it gets too hot, I can open the vents.

- Another fascinating post from.....

DS

 

[Sarky B’stard]

Well, not involved the bike exactly, but I've put my thermal layer back in my bike kit.

Travelling to Ldn this weekend and it is getting a bit colder so decided I'd rather just wear a t-shirt under my kit with thermal layer in it, than wear more layers under my kit without thermal layer. If it gets too hot, I can open the vents.

- Another fascinating post from.....

DS

Riveting.... or pop studs?

 

[MartytheMartian]

Well today I continued work on fitting the seat unit I got from Hitchcocks to go with my Cafe racer tank. It wouldn't work with the original Mudguard so I decided that, rather than monkey around with buying an alloy guard, new light unit etc. I would simply knock out a wee metal bracket, and hang the light and number plate off it. The rear of the tail light is a little close to the rear tyre but I would have to come crashing down on the shocks for it to actually hit I think. I actually rather like the absence of rear mudguard to be honest in this instance.

 

[chas]

Well today I continued work on fitting the seat unit I got from Hitchcocks to go with my Cafe racer tank. It wouldn't work with the original Mudguard so I decided that, rather than monkey around with buying an alloy guard, new light unit etc. I would simply knock out a wee metal bracket, and hang the light and number plate off it. The rear of the tail light is a little close to the rear tyre but I would have to come crashing down on the shocks for it to actually hit I think. I actually rather like the absence of rear mudguard to be honest in this instance.
View attachment 20322
View attachment 20323

Tidy job mate!

 

[Scrappy]

Well today I continued work on fitting the seat unit I got from Hitchcocks to go with my Cafe racer tank. It wouldn't work with the original Mudguard so I decided that, rather than monkey around with buying an alloy guard, new light unit etc. I would simply knock out a wee metal bracket, and hang the light and number plate off it. The rear of the tail light is a little close to the rear tyre but I would have to come crashing down on the shocks for it to actually hit I think. I actually rather like the absence of rear mudguard to be honest in this instance.
View attachment 20322
View attachment 20323

Looks great Marty .

I would double check the clearance of your rear light & plate, when I was modifying my Bonneville I originally thought that my rear number plate had plenty of room only to discover later that hit the rear tyre

 

[half ton]

Looks great Marty .

I would double check the clearance of your rear light & plate, when I was modifying my Bonneville I originally thought that my rear number plate had plenty of room only to discover later that hit the rear tyre

And while you're at it Marty.. sort that rear number plate out.. it looks on the skew

 

[MartytheMartian]

I reckon I need a new numberplate for 'tidyness' as the reg is off centre and the holes are drilled a little off plus the corner around one of the holes is cracked. It'll do for now though.

 

[half ton]

I reckon I need a new numberplate for 'tidyness' as the reg is off centre and the holes are drilled a little off plus the corner around one of the holes is cracked. It'll do for now though.

I was only winding you up Marty .... I saw one of your posts on the Enfield page earlier

 

[DD67]

Was it originally registered in Northern Ireland Marty? Or is the Irish plate designed to hide the bikes age?

 

[MartytheMartian]

As far as I know it was to hide the bikes age as all Northern Irish plates are ageless. It was issued originally with a UK mainland numberplate, that was changed to the current reg which was then changed to a different UK mainland reg and then the last owner changed it back to the Northern Irish plate. I can only guess that the last reg was a private one and the owner kept it.

 

[DD67]

As far as I know it was to hide the bikes age as all Northern Irish plates are ageless. It was issued originally with a UK mainland numberplate, that was changed to the current reg which was then changed to a different UK mainland reg and then the last owner changed it back to the Northern Irish plate. I can only guess that the last reg was a private one and the owner kept it.

The normal reason for using such random Irish plates (I say random, as it's very unlikely that CKZ 8141 meant anything to the guy that purchased it)
Is to hide the age of the vehicle for the exact opposite reason it's been used on your bike.

i.e. if you've got a 5yr old Bentley but it's still the current shape. Slap a £250 Irish plate on it & it could easily be a brand new model worth a small fortune. Not a 5yr old model & only worth the price of a new Mondeo.

But in your case I assume the guy that put that plate on the Enfield was hoping folk will think it's a 50's/60's bike.
Personally, I'd risk a black/silver plate to really complete the look.
You're very unlikely to get a pull from Plod. Especially on the roads you normally ride on.

 

[MartytheMartian]

Yep I think that is exactly why the registration was put on it. I've seen quite a few Royal Enfields online with NI plates and usually black and silver. I've seriously considered getting a black and silver plate for her though I've got to say that I don't really bother about plates. I see them just as a necessary evil and my brain sort of filters them out when I see a bike.

 

[DD67]

Yep I think that is exactly why the registration was put on it. I've seen quite a few Royal Enfields online with NI plates and usually black and silver. I've seriously considered getting a black and silver plate for her though I've got to say that I don't really bother about plates. I see them just as a necessary evil and my brain sort of filters them out when I see a bike.

Ok but a black/silver plate will make the bike look far more authentic.
And it'll only cost you approx a tenner for the plate. Not the cost of the NI reg itself.

 

[chas]

Most of the week I've been wheeling the thing in and out of the unit so we can get vehicles in for signwriting but tomorrow I'll have time to run over to work with the van and get the bike home so I can work on it. Moving eldest spawn into another place for the umpteenth time it seems so today was full on load/unloads, tomorrow will be a bit lighter so I can grab the bike.