I had one of the older 500's... 2007.... like it's British cousin ...one issue after another.... so I got one of the new 500's .... 2011.... world of different..... can cruise all day long at 55 mph with my Cozy sidecar... have done several 1000 mile camping trips.... I noted the tool bag under the headlight... A buddy had one on his 71' Triumph 650... ripping down a county road we hit a set of RR tracks... in a flash he crashed.... we discovered that when he hit the RR tracks... 50-55 mph... the forks bottomed out against the tool bag .. it was pushed up. Jammed at the headlight.... the fender was pushed down and became a crude but effective " brake " against the tire... tossing him to the pavement.... the paint on the fender was blistered from the heat... 😎
the great thing about british bikes - both of yours are india-built versions of british designs - is that they were designed to be owner-serviceable. so, yes, roadside repairs are not only possible, but easy to do. my first enfield was a 1965 250cc gt that had been completely dismantled, down to the last nut and bolt. as is traditional, i rebuilt it in my dining room. my next project was a 650cc triumph "barn find" from 1960 which received a complete nut-and-bolt restoration. despite having no previous experience, neither of these projects were difficult - but they were great fun.
My first bike. "motorcycle" was new in 1964 . Before that one, I had a moped two stroke 49cc 2.2 hp. Belt variable ratio drive . Different from the variator drive, because only one pully that change ratio, the engine was mounted on a hinge with a big clothes pin style spring holding tension on the belt. Has the engine RPM revved up the pulley squeezed together, and the engine swung backward toward the second pulley .
It'll be a ton of fun building your virago. I have an 83 virago cafe that I built over the winter. Learned a ton about carb operation. We plan to feature it in the near future.
@@JustGoofinRound Nice! I'll make sure I subscribe to your channel. We have 2 more cafes planned on here hopefully over this winter and we can trade expertises. I enjoy learning tips and tricks from other people's experiences. Makes it a ton of fun!
Hi, I really hope you enjoy your two wheeler adventures, and have fun tinkering with the 500, for my two pennies of advice, if the bikes been stood for two years, drain the crankase as it will have collected oil, and before you run it remove the large nut in the middle of the timing cover and check the quill seal looks ok, it's rubber, can perish and this will lead to poor big end oil feed and pressure, believe me, I know. Enjoy the machines.
I am looking forward to future videos 👍 A channel called Cycling with Gasoline, he rebuilds one of these 500 motors. Your chilled vibe makes for good viewing. More power to ya 👍
An 02 Enfield is pretty much 50s, the only changes are the shift side from back in the day. If it is an Electra, the starter is brittle and the kick start will need to use the decompression lever if it has it. Ride with warro has many bullet videos
Those drum brakes aren’t going to feel *anything like* your Beibre anti-lock system on your 2023. Drum brakes can be scary. Make sure you get used to them before heading right out into traffic at speed
I am this close to buying my first bike. A RE 2006 Bullet 500. I have gone though a journey in my thinking over the past year. From looking at a Janus, to the RE 350 to the 650, and finnaly the 500. I know a more modern motercycle is more reliable and has all the bells and whistles. But when it come down to it, who owns a motorcycle without a kick start? Character and personality, its what a motorcycle is. I had looked at all the brands and options out there and I just dont understand the appeal to most of it. Yes they are Fun and Fast and Iconic and America and Sporty and This and That. Everything a 500 is Not... but a 500 has... a soul, it has a heart beat, a personality, it can be tempermental or moody. In a way I got interested to owning my first bike when I saw a Janus but I wound up arriving to the same place from where I started,... from why I started.
The Bullet 500 is a old fashioned 1954/55 bike actually made with very little changes in india till about 2009. Unfortunately the factory claimed it to be 22 HP( perhaps at the crankshaft) In real terms ot could be in between 14-16 at the rear wheel. Dont get me wrong, its a very nice bike , can be made to go quick as well if you want to. Needs a AJS-Matchless 350/500 steel connecting rod and the babit metal floating bush replaced by bush phosphorus bronze available in ebay. These were used by the likes of Shell Tuet for racing and yes he did tune Enfield's as well besides Yamaha XS650.
@@leondown6869 this is not about breaking speed records here, it's about improving the existing motorcycle to make it more reliable, tractable. It's a known fact with Bullets, particularly with the madras made 500. The pistons and connecting rod can't take it on modern UK roads(in India there were no big roads in those days to put these machines to the real tests, now the roads in india have improved) There is a guy in New Zealand can't recall his name, he went through over half a dozen pistons in a years span, where the piston top used to come off(Design Flaw). The American made pistons for bullet 500 are much better. Also the babit metal floating bush is fragile in a 500 Bullet. Whereas the 350 Bullet is a very under stressed engine and also under rated(by Brit bike enthusiasts).it benefits from the 500 Crankcases, when the 500 was introduced in 1954. As you'd know the stud spacing for the barrel and mouth for the liner is bigger. If you want to keep a 500 bullet for life, AJS/Matchless steel con rod is a good improvement which does not affect the balance factor of the flywheels. They are much cheaper in comparison to Carrillo and easily available too. You will also know about the S cams and R cams offered by the factory in Redditch. When it comes to make them go faster. There are Enfield enthusiasts who had tuned their Enfield's to give the like of BSA Gold Stars a run for their money( in the pre 1960 category) Years ago Tollgate Classics offered conversions like 350 to 450 using a fiat or B44 piston and 500 to 611/625/632/666/680 and a 725 bullet.using jaguar and Harley Davis pistons. The most Extreme example is Steve Linsdel who is perhaps the only person who wiped out the floor(BSAs and Norton's) on isle of man classic TT with his Tuned Bullet Engine in Seely frame.
Since you are interested in doing your own maintenance you may be interested in Paul Henshaw's you tube channel. He is in the business of repairing classic British bikes. He often does video documents of the work being performed. You will see what the inside of your 500 bullet looks like right down to splitting the crank and renewing the bearings. You will also see the inside of the gearbox. He discusses the problems that he finds and the solutions to those problems. Enjoy.
An old Bullet is a great bike, if the carb is standard thenn it's going to need up-jetting. Don't use the electric start from cold; if it backfires then the starter sprag clutch with be destroyed. It has points ignition so learn how to set them up and don't be tempted to go.down the electronic ignition route (also don't leave the ignition switched on when the engine isn't running or the points and coil stay energised and can burn out. Turn off the petrol tap every time you stop the motor. Gearchange technique is different to a modern bike, select the next year but don't release the lever until the clutch is fully engauged. Just so you know I've covered over 260,000 miles on Enfield Bullets
Royal Enfield is a British brand owned and built in India,the design centre is in England the engineer's work closely with their Indian counterparts to give us a fantastic product with sales far greater than the British factory fair play.
These 2 bikes are way more different to each other u can't imagine old engine has more base thump that you will definitely enjoy but the condition is that you restore it properly and It gets hot easily between legs and gets cool off easily good for cold weather but definitely u will enjoy Hari more than Rashmi i would say....
Just saying, having owned 3 500 Bullets, if you ride them faster than 50 mph for long, things will crack, break, or fall off. Within the 50 mph limit, they will run trouble free forever with regular maintenance. Have fun!
Hi, great choice in bike's and enjoy your motorcycle adventures, for my two pennies advice, before starting the 500, drain the crankase of oil as it will have "sumped out" after two years standing, and check the crankshaft quill seal, its behind the large nut in the middle of the timing cover, the quill is part of the nut and should be a sound fit into the rubber seal inside, if its not, poor oil flow and bad news for the big end, believe me i know, don't ask 😂. Check out paul henshaw, hes an Enfield guru.
@@MimosasSamosasMotorcycles be careful when kickstarting. Paul henshaw has a great trick where you keep ignition off until at tdc and then put ignition on and kickstart it. It has a nasty kickback otherwise that can be an ankle breaker.
If I may be so bold to offer advice...'opinion' . Cast irons need Constant !! maintenance. They all leak oil. Indian chrome is crap, alloy is cheese this 'quality' runs through everything on bike. 2002 you will probably find nuts and bolts to be a random mix of metric and imperial with some odd British threads throw in for fun..BSF? Cycle Thread? If you can, ditch the left side gear change/ right side foot brake and return set up to original left brake right gear. Not difficult. The factory bodge is an abomination. Looking forward to watching your learning curve. L in Oz.
Royal enfeild is a British brand , bought by the Indians , I have a 54 BSA B33 500 and a 49 matchless g80 500 rigid they are great to ride around on , very cool . Have great fun , watch out for all the other idiots on the road .cheers
I had one of the older 500's... 2007.... like it's British cousin ...one issue after another.... so I got one of the new 500's .... 2011.... world of different..... can cruise all day long at 55 mph with my Cozy sidecar... have done several 1000 mile camping trips.... I noted the tool bag under the headlight... A buddy had one on his 71' Triumph 650... ripping down a county road we hit a set of RR tracks... in a flash he crashed.... we discovered that when he hit the RR tracks... 50-55 mph... the forks bottomed out against the tool bag .. it was pushed up. Jammed at the headlight.... the fender was pushed down and became a crude but effective " brake " against the tire... tossing him to the pavement.... the paint on the fender was blistered from the heat... 😎
the great thing about british bikes - both of yours are india-built versions of british designs - is that they were designed to be owner-serviceable. so, yes, roadside repairs are not only possible, but easy to do.
my first enfield was a
1965 250cc gt that had been completely dismantled, down to the last nut and bolt. as is traditional, i rebuilt it in my dining room. my next project was a 650cc triumph "barn find" from 1960 which received a complete nut-and-bolt restoration. despite having no previous experience, neither of these projects were difficult - but they were great fun.
You have a calming presence. Good times! Congrats on the new purchase!
Classic 500 rider here. I'm looking forward to watching your journey here. Ride safe!
I can't wait to hear reviews and see where this goes!!! Keep it up!
Thanks!
My first bike. "motorcycle" was new in 1964 . Before that one, I had a moped two stroke 49cc 2.2 hp. Belt variable ratio drive . Different from the variator drive, because only one pully that change ratio, the engine was mounted on a hinge with a big clothes pin style spring holding tension on the belt. Has the engine RPM revved up the pulley squeezed together, and the engine swung backward toward the second pulley .
Good choice! Nice couple of bikes!
😂 im also closer to a magpie or a dragon haha! That cracked me up!
Enjoy! I’m about to buy my second as well. A 1986 Yamaha Virago 700. It will need work, but it’ll be my winter project.
It'll be a ton of fun building your virago. I have an 83 virago cafe that I built over the winter. Learned a ton about carb operation. We plan to feature it in the near future.
@@aaronronald6454 nice! I had a 97 and loved it. Wanted another one, but mainly it’s to learn to work on bikes and feature on my channel.
@@JustGoofinRound Nice! I'll make sure I subscribe to your channel. We have 2 more cafes planned on here hopefully over this winter and we can trade expertises. I enjoy learning tips and tricks from other people's experiences. Makes it a ton of fun!
Hi, I really hope you enjoy your two wheeler adventures, and have fun tinkering with the 500, for my two pennies of advice, if the bikes been stood for two years, drain the crankase as it will have collected oil, and before you run it remove the large nut in the middle of the timing cover and check the quill seal looks ok, it's rubber, can perish and this will lead to poor big end oil feed and pressure, believe me, I know. Enjoy the machines.
Unique idea 👍
I am looking forward to future videos 👍
A channel called Cycling with Gasoline, he rebuilds one of these 500 motors.
Your chilled vibe makes for good viewing. More power to ya 👍
I want to see the video you make after your first case of road rash. 😅
Seriously though, thanks for the video, love the bikes.
Thanks! I love the bikes too 😁
Also my all gear all the time makes me look cooler than I am & keep my skin
@MimosasSamosasMotorcycles I heard that. Leather is good. Only fools ride barefoot.😅😅😅
An 02 Enfield is pretty much 50s, the only changes are the shift side from back in the day. If it is an Electra, the starter is brittle and the kick start will need to use the decompression lever if it has it.
Ride with warro has many bullet videos
I own an 87' Goldwing. But I love Royal Enfields. I'd take 1 of every model please!
Nice video I like it❤
Those drum brakes aren’t going to feel *anything like* your Beibre anti-lock system on your 2023. Drum brakes can be scary. Make sure you get used to them before heading right out into traffic at speed
I am this close to buying my first bike. A RE 2006 Bullet 500. I have gone though a journey in my thinking over the past year. From looking at a Janus, to the RE 350 to the 650, and finnaly the 500. I know a more modern motercycle is more reliable and has all the bells and whistles. But when it come down to it, who owns a motorcycle without a kick start? Character and personality, its what a motorcycle is.
I had looked at all the brands and options out there and I just dont understand the appeal to most of it. Yes they are Fun and Fast and Iconic and America and Sporty and This and That. Everything a 500 is Not... but a 500 has... a soul, it has a heart beat, a personality, it can be tempermental or moody. In a way I got interested to owning my first bike when I saw a Janus but I wound up arriving to the same place from where I started,... from why I started.
Hope you get a bike soon! Definitely a fun hobby to get into
The Bullet 500 is a old fashioned 1954/55 bike actually made with very little changes in india till about 2009.
Unfortunately the factory claimed it to be 22 HP( perhaps at the crankshaft)
In real terms ot could be in between 14-16 at the rear wheel.
Dont get me wrong, its a very nice bike , can be made to go quick as well if you want to.
Needs a AJS-Matchless 350/500 steel connecting rod and the babit metal floating bush replaced by bush phosphorus bronze available in ebay.
These were used by the likes of Shell Tuet for racing and yes he did tune Enfield's as well besides Yamaha XS650.
Thanks for the info! I'll keep these ideas in mind going forward.
As owner of 2 cast iron Bullets my advice is if you want to go faster get a different bike.
@@leondown6869 this is not about breaking speed records here, it's about improving the existing motorcycle to make it more reliable, tractable.
It's a known fact with Bullets, particularly with the madras made 500. The pistons and connecting rod can't take it on modern UK roads(in India there were no big roads in those days to put these machines to the real tests, now the roads in india have improved) There is a guy in New Zealand can't recall his name, he went through over half a dozen pistons in a years span, where the piston top used to come off(Design Flaw). The American made pistons for bullet 500 are much better. Also the babit metal floating bush is fragile in a 500 Bullet.
Whereas the 350 Bullet is a very under stressed engine and also under rated(by Brit bike enthusiasts).it benefits from the 500 Crankcases, when the 500 was introduced in 1954. As you'd know the stud spacing for the barrel and mouth for the liner is bigger.
If you want to keep a 500 bullet for life, AJS/Matchless steel con rod is a good improvement which does not affect the balance factor of the flywheels.
They are much cheaper in comparison to Carrillo and easily available too.
You will also know about the S cams and R cams offered by the factory in Redditch.
When it comes to make them go faster.
There are Enfield enthusiasts who had tuned their Enfield's to give the like of BSA Gold Stars a run for their money( in the pre 1960 category)
Years ago Tollgate Classics offered conversions like 350 to 450 using a fiat or B44 piston and 500 to 611/625/632/666/680 and a 725 bullet.using jaguar and Harley Davis pistons.
The most Extreme example is Steve Linsdel who is perhaps the only person who wiped out the floor(BSAs and Norton's) on isle of man classic TT with his Tuned Bullet Engine in Seely frame.
Since you are interested in doing your own maintenance you may be interested in Paul Henshaw's you tube channel. He is in the business of repairing classic British bikes. He often does video documents of the work being performed. You will see what the inside of your 500 bullet looks like right down to splitting the crank and renewing the bearings. You will also see the inside of the gearbox. He discusses the problems that he finds and the solutions to those problems. Enjoy.
An old Bullet is a great bike, if the carb is standard thenn it's going to need up-jetting. Don't use the electric start from cold; if it backfires then the starter sprag clutch with be destroyed. It has points ignition so learn how to set them up and don't be tempted to go.down the electronic ignition route (also don't leave the ignition switched on when the engine isn't running or the points and coil stay energised and can burn out. Turn off the petrol tap every time you stop the motor. Gearchange technique is different to a modern bike, select the next year but don't release the lever until the clutch is fully engauged. Just so you know I've covered over 260,000 miles on Enfield Bullets
Royal Enfield is a British brand owned and built in India,the design centre is in England the engineer's work closely with their Indian counterparts to give us a fantastic product with sales far greater than the British factory fair play.
I am very interested to hear your comparison of those two beauties. Sub'd.
Thanks for the support!
These 2 bikes are way more different to each other u can't imagine old engine has more base thump that you will definitely enjoy but the condition is that you restore it properly and It gets hot easily between legs and gets cool off easily good for cold weather but definitely u will enjoy Hari more than Rashmi i would say....
Just saying, having owned 3 500 Bullets, if you ride them faster than 50 mph for long, things will crack, break, or fall off. Within the 50 mph limit, they will run trouble free forever with regular maintenance. Have fun!
😂😂😂
Is that the new ones 🤣🤣🤣
New j series is much different. Top class.
Hi, great choice in bike's and enjoy your motorcycle adventures, for my two pennies advice, before starting the 500, drain the crankase of oil as it will have "sumped out" after two years standing, and check the crankshaft quill seal, its behind the large nut in the middle of the timing cover, the quill is part of the nut and should be a sound fit into the rubber seal inside, if its not, poor oil flow and bad news for the big end, believe me i know, don't ask 😂. Check out paul henshaw, hes an Enfield guru.
Thanks for the tips! I'll keep them in mind as I get to work 🙂
20 year old bike? Well maybe it was made 20 years ago but the technology is pure British 1950s!
Can you kickstart your bikes if you need to ?
My plan is to learn how! This bike has a kickstart, so I think it'll be a good skill to learn.
@@MimosasSamosasMotorcycles be careful when kickstarting. Paul henshaw has a great trick where you keep ignition off until at tdc and then put ignition on and kickstart it. It has a nasty kickback otherwise that can be an ankle breaker.
That's great to know. I'll look up Paul's videos!
If I may be so bold to offer advice...'opinion' . Cast irons need Constant !! maintenance. They all leak oil. Indian chrome is crap, alloy is cheese this 'quality' runs through everything on bike. 2002 you will probably find nuts and bolts to be a random mix of metric and imperial with some odd British threads throw in for fun..BSF? Cycle Thread? If you can, ditch the left side gear change/ right side foot brake and return set up to original left brake right gear. Not difficult. The factory bodge is an abomination. Looking forward to watching your learning curve. L in Oz.
Royal enfeild is a British brand , bought by the Indians , I have a 54 BSA B33 500 and a 49 matchless g80 500 rigid they are great to ride around on , very cool . Have great fun , watch out for all the other idiots on the road .cheers
Take the fork bag off the classic 350. it's air/oil cooled. It needs the air to come to the engine.
I took it off already. It was scratching the forks, & breaking my heart.
change the oil and ride the hell out of it.