to it. - New Zealand Royal Enfield Owners Register

October 2012
No. 63
THE KIWI BULLETIN
Secretary: A. Clement. 56 Waipapa Road RD.43 Waitara New Zealand.
Membership Secretary/Editor: Lew Martin. 60 Barrett Road New Plymouth.
Guy Parsons latest outfit
The last cast-iron barrelled Bullet 500 & restored Velorex sidecar
This issue –
Guy Parsons story.
The Rickman Enfield story
Ken’s Mid term Rally -- Fri 26th and Sat 27th October 2012
Fay’s Dannevirke Rally -- Fay now has all the details for the Annual Rally Feb 2013 rally.
Tyres for Meteor Minor owners -- 325 x 17inch Avon tyres now available in NZ through your bike shop.
Smart phones not so smart
New members
Welcome to the register Simon Roake from Lincoln, Canterbury, and Herman Van der Weert from Christchurch.
Simon’s bike is the ex Mark Bardell 2005 Bullet, while Herman’s bike is a recently acquired 1951Model S
PLEASE NOTE: A new form for membership subscription renewals – see page 15.
Another Royal Enfield bicycle has turned up and it’s a “Lightweight Sports”
This one belongs to David Greensill in Papakura.
Mid Term Rally
The mid term rally is almost upon us so I hope you all have made your booking at THE JUNCTION HOTEL For Fri 26th
and Sat 27th October 2012.
Just make contact with Cassie stating that they are with the Royal Enfield group and if you want dorm accommodation,
she can tell you who's in there.
Enquiries/replies to Ken McKee – Rally Organiser
Email -- [email protected]
Mobile 0274 800 097
Telephone 09 827 1990
Ken
See you in Thames
Lew
Bitten by the Bullet!
Guy & Chaozi
Wistfully browsing through the Classic Bikes section of Trade Me sometime in May 2010, I was smitten
by the classical lines and downright practical appearance of the Indian-manufactured Bullet 500’s on
offer at that time. It being some 29 years since I had last owned a motorcycle, my fevered brain in the
grip of mid-life crisis, or whatever, said “buy one”! I also noticed that one or two were being offered with
sidecars……To cut a long story even longer, I bought a 2006 Bullet 500 ES plus the ‘Cozy Rocket’
sidecar which had been attached to it previously.
I live in Thames but my sister & brother-in-law live in the Manawatu, so having purchased the items
online, they were collected from Palmerston North (bike), & Shannon (sidecar) for me by my longsuffering
bro-in-law, and taken to his farm to await my arrival with the trailer from Thames.
Knowing precious little about either sidecars or Royal Enfield Bullets (of any era), I roughly “shackled”
the sidecar onto the bike and had a quick but almost disastrous attempt at driving the combination on
the farm. It nearly ended with me wearing the adjacent 5 wire fence as a necktie – not a good look. So
we separated them again, loaded both bits onto my trailer, tied it all down and headed home to Thames.
The previous owner of the bike kindly emailed me a pdf version of Pete Snidal’s Bullet Manual (I later
purchased the full digital version from Pete’s Company in Canada & I recommend that all bulleteers do
this), and then read it cover-to-cover (it’s a really good read). I also did an extensive search online for
info. about attaching and setting-up the sidecar, plus heaps of practical stuff about what to do and what
not to do when riding/driving a motorcycle sidecar combination. Much of it was aimed at the North
American market, so of course I had to transpose it all to our right-hand drive vehicles. The Cozy
Rocket sidecar is an Indian version of the Watsonian-Squire sidecars of the 30’s – 50’s. It is designed
to go onto the standard Indian kick-start Bullets, so here I encountered my first obstacle; the main front
frame brace had been rather crudely bent to fit around the large protuberance on the primary case of
the Electric Start model (the bloody starter motor is in the way!). However a friendly local engineering
firm was able to heat this and re-shape it to my satisfaction for the princely sum of $16 – there are still a
few gentlemen left in this modern world…
The rest of the assembly and adjustment was just a matter of following the advice on the print-out from
the Cozy Rocket site, it is very clear. Then ensued what can only be described as a ‘steep learning
curve’, i.e. I taught myself how to control the beast. Getting astride a solo motorcycle and riding one
after so many years on 4 wheels was easy, so I thought that riding on 3 wheels would be even easier.
Wrong! A conventional 2-wheeled motorcycle steers by a combination of weight transfer and (most
importantly) allowing the handle bars to turn away from the corner. One learns this automatically and
the brain just accepts that this is ‘normal’. But stabilize the frame by adding an outrigger (the sidecar)
and then one is forced to turn the handlebars into the direction of the corner. Sounds simple, but the
first few times I ventured on to the road, every nerve, reflex and corrective muscle was screaming at me
to turn the bars the other way or I would be killed! I had to teach myself to override that old solo-rider’s
automatic response. Eventually I won, and after few more weeks, it became ‘normal’ for me to just steer
the combination into a corner as if I had been doing it forever! Riding then became fun instead of a
constant worry.
Meanwhile I was also getting to know some of the vagaries of owning and operating an Indian-made
Royal Enfield Bullet 500 with electric start. I had read with some trepidation the dire warnings in the
manual about not letting the engine backfire while starting as this would destroy the Sprague gear
(whatever that was). My machine had done that with the previous owner and it had been replaced just
prior to my purchasing it.
I did the usual modifications of fitting a short muffler – better performance, looks and sounds better
(which could be more important). I also got rid of the crankcase re-breather mechanism through the air
filter - it then became cleaner running and easier to tune! Fitting a pod air-cleaner also took some of the
resistance out of the carburettor circuit. The factory-supplied tandem seat was hard and
uncompromising on my sixty-something butt, so I did a search online for a self-sprung solo saddle and
then got my wife to purchase me one in Beijing (while visiting her family there) from the people who do
up the old CJ750’s. It wasn’t very hard to adapt and the end result (particularly on my poor old end) was
both pleasing to see and to experience. I also hand-made a pillion seat and designed a frame for this.
Over the next few months I had a few problems with the electrical systems on the bike, even
experiencing the ‘sudden death’ of the ignition switch, which necessitated a call to the AA and a ride
home on a truck! The starter relay failed another time. All things that I quickly learned to fix myself –
that’s one of the good things about the Bullet, it’s all accessible and fixable. Just like in the ‘old’ days..
I always had a rather uneasy relationship with the ES, and in fact used it very seldom as it was so
prone to the backfiring (low voltage) – bearing in mind the dire warnings about the starter gear, I
preferred to use the kick-starter. All went well until starting up the beast on Christmas Day last year to
show – off to my relatives. There was an almighty “bang” as the bastard
backfired and nearly broke my
ankle. I just thought; “Oh shit!,” and I wasn’t wrong. There were then horrible noises from the primary case
which could only mean one thing….
The long and the short of it was that I dismantled the primary case, took off the chain and clutch, and
front sprocket, removed the starter motor and the remains of the Sprague gear – minus two teeth. I
realized that the only practical solution would be to ditch the ES system and plug the hole in the
Primary case, which I did. I don’t have cutting gear, welding equipment or anything like that, just a pair
of hands, a hacksaw, some files and a good measure of bloody-mindedness. The fix also involved
stainless plate cutting, drilling and a bit of high strength araldite etc, but the end result was functional
and not too ugly either.
But the poor old bike had almost broken my heart and while doing this job I could see that the alternator
was not too flash either, so I just “bit the Bullet” and decided to sell the whole rig. I had a rapid response
from a buyer on Trade me, who was in a hurry to buy. So within a week I was bike (& sidecar)-less!
Then began the grieving, the hunger, the craving to have another Royal Enfield Bullet (slow
learner?)….So noticing that Tim Busby was still advertising that he was trying to sell the “last cast-iron
barrelled Bullet 500” to be made in India, I bought it! Why?...because I’m like that. This one is black (of
course), has only a kick-start (of course) and also has the 4-speed Albion gear box with right-side
shifter (of course) – none of your sloppy-Joe North American 5 speeds with left side shifters….
This bike is a “lady”, the seat is tandem, but soft and doesn’t treat my old rear-end with such disdain, so
I have left it on. I have similarly modified the exhaust and air systems as on the previous Bullet, it works
well like that. The engine is still running-in, so is tight and I treat it with utmost respect – I would like it to
serve me for a fair while. The main problem was that I am still hopelessly addicted to riding with a
sidecar (my dear wife and the dog also appreciated riding in the sidecar and missed it too).
So another online search, and a few weeks later, I put in a bid for an old Velorex (Czechoslovakian)
sidecar which had been hitched to a BMW bike but looked as if it had been pranged rather badly. My
bid was successful, so we hitched up the trailer and headed down to Bulls to retrieve the ‘new’ chariot.
The frame looked OK but that was about all. It has a fibreglass body which had been dinged and rather
crudely patched at the front, all the mounts were bent(!) and the wheel was a miserable little 12”
scooter wheel with a bald tyre. The mudguard was bent and dented. The paint/gel coat was stuffed and
the upholstery was foul-smelling (the place was a chicken farm so it could have been fowl-smelling too)
and the stitching was all undone. Every nut, bolt and rivet was rusted, bent or stripped (or all 3), and not
all the fittings were there to attach it. The windscreen had lost a big chunk out of a top corner. I had a bit
of work to do….
Then began the complete dismantling, even the upper & lower shells came apart (they were pop riveted
together). I reduced the sidecar to a collection of bits & pieces, and then proceeded to clean (wire brush
and wet & dry), every nut & bolt, tube, brace, the mudguard assembly, light fitting etc. etc. I stripped out
the wiring, took the upholstery to pieces, down to the foam inside.
What the re-build entailed:
• Re-cut the remnant of the screen to make it shorter but still functional.
• Stripped down the seats and coverings, cleaned the rust off the seat pans and re-stitched the
upholstery fabric (by hand - 6 hours work).
• Made up a new wiring loom for the tail/stop and turn light.
• Sanded, primed and re-sprayed the frame.
• Beat the dents out of the mudguard.
• Sourced a 16” wheel (ex Suzuki dirt bike rear wheel) and made a bearing ‘keeper’ so could be
used on the single nut axle. Also found a pair of 16” unused Pirelli tyres for $25 the pair!
• Designed and had made up (very expensively) a bottom of frame fitting to take the main front
mounting onto the motorbike (involves a flexible mounting disc) - the reason for this being so
expensive was that this engineering firm was not as gentlemanly as one would like.
• Dismantled the fibreglass body shells, mended the ding in the front and then re-assembled
using epoxy glue and faired it all off – I have done a bit of boat building so this was not too
technical.
• Meticulously wet & dry sanded the body and mudguard assembly and then primed and painted
it. I did get a couple of quotes to have it professionally painted after priming but at $750 &
$1,000 I said; “thanks, but no-thanks”, and went and bought $120 worth of spray bombs. The
end-result is quite pleasing (I can give the left-overs to the local taggers…not).
• Located and fitted a neat piece of body trim to replace the old steel and rubber strip around the
midriff.
• Re-assembled the whole caboodle and hitched it onto the bike with no further dramas.
The rig was quite easy to align, and as the Velorex is 19kg. lighter than the Rocket, the handling is
lighter and also it doesn’t require a steering damper. So now I am back on the road with a full
motorcycle/sidecar combination. It was a lot of work, but I enjoyed the challenge. I am not sure whether
it was financially worth doing it this way – the local engineering firm charged like a roaring bull for the
small amount of work they did for me, but at least I know exactly what I have got attached to my Royal
Enfield Bullet (and it isn’t that ugly either).
So I was “bitten by the Bullet”, I learned to “bite the Bullet” and now just enjoy riding this æsthetic anachronism.
Guy Parsons
Thames
Why do tech companies think that making information so easy to misuse is a good idea? Guess I'll keep my
dumb phone for a while longer.
-----Original Message----Subject: [Interceptor Owners Discussion] Smart phones not so smart
Copied from another forum!
You may know about this you may not, worth posting for those that don't !
BEWARE...Posting Smartphone Photos of Bikes
A very kind subscriber to this forum telephoned me and warned me about
the danger of posting photos of your bike (whether selling or not)
online that have been taken with a smartphone....At the time my bikes
photos were on the classified pages as I am selling my KTM SMT.
Basically, if you use a smartphone, the picture will have GPS location
data embedded, the time you took the photo and the type of smartphone
used!!! All a thief needs to do is open a website (name removed as
scumbags might read this)
Right click the bike's photo, copy the URL onto the webpage and Bish
Bash Bosh - he has the Lat/Long GPS data for your house. It even loads a
google satellite image.
The bloke who gave me the steer had two bikes stolen and could not work
out how they got his address. He eventually found out this information
and realised he had taken the photo outside his garage with a smartphone.
So beware everyone. The scumbags are smarter that they used to be.
Read this article to see how to stop this
http://icanstalku.com/how.php
Mid Term Rally Venue
The hotel has 17 rooms with a mix of backpacker dorm rooms, ingle, twin, double and triple rooms. There
are bed-only rooms with Ensuite available.
Free wireless internet, communal kitchen with flat screen TV.
Bed only
1 Twin
1 Double
1 Triple
Dorm 4 beds
Dorm 6 beds
Price per night
$50
$55
$75-90
$28
$25
Ensuite
3 Single
4 Double
4 Twin
Price per night
$45
$70
$70
All room have access to shared kitchen includes Microwave, refrigerator, stove, toaster, jug, rice cooker, plates, glasses,
silverware and sink.
The kitchen and lounge are located on the ground floor, available to guests 24hrs a day.
Free internet for guests
Tea and coffee is provided in the upstairs gallery
Extra blankets are available is necessary
Daily maid service provided
Additional Amenities
Continental breakfast $9
Flat screen TV in room $10
To make your booking contact Cassie at the Junction Hotel 700 Pollen Street Thames
Call 07 868 6008 or email us at [email protected]
Web site -- Accommodation, The Junction Hotel - Accommodation, Junction
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FOR SALE
To arrange a test ride please contact us on 09 415 8453 or email [email protected]
Michael Clark ------ Royal Enfield New Zealand Ltd. Albany, North Shore City, Auckland, New Zealand.
Website: www.royalenfield.co.nz
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------WANTED
276/15 long neck pre mono block carb for my 350 Bullet, I've got a couple of 15/16 long neck bodies so any other parts to
make up a complete carb would be of help, carb can be viewed on Hitchcocks website.
Contact Terry on - 07 888 6112
Mobile - 021 02333461 Email - [email protected]
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NZREOR 14th ANNUAL RALLY
Dannevirke Holiday Park. February 15 -17 - 2013
Friday 15th Feb 2013, check into Dannevirke Holiday Park, 29 George St, (turn Left before the playground off the main
High St), Dannevirke, approx $16 to $45/per person per night, 2-6 ppl per room, depending on tent or cabin. Two cabins
are self contained, first in first choice. There is enough beds for 18 people. Cabin D and the Ritz have a double bed only.
Tent sites or Destinations Motor Lodge for those that miss out on a cabin bed. There is a communal kitchen, laundry,
shower/loo block, plenty of chairs and some cover for 5-6 bikes under rotunda, off street. It's basic, homely and wild. BBQ
at 6.30pm at campground.
The Park manager asks that we keep the bottom gate closed at all times to keep the loons out. There are two gates that
will be open between 8am to 8pm.
Book tent site or cabin you prefer before the day and pay as you enter as requested by manager $16 to $45 each per
night. Choices and Price list attached. Those tenting do not have to book ahead just pay as you
enter.
Saturday 16th Feb 2013 help make breakfast or run up the road on foot to McDs, photo shoot on Viking ship at park,
60km m/c run to Pongaroa Pub for lunch, $14-18 per meal, via Waihi Falls if a bit of metal road ok. Gatecrash Mum and
Dad for a quick gidday coz Dad had an Interceptor once. 25km on to Akitio Beach for an ice cream. 75km back to
Dannevirke.
Dinner and AGM at Dannevirke Citizen's Club, 1 Princess St, approx $20 per meal. AGM in the meeting room. Van to
pick up and take folk back to camp.
Sunday 17th Feb 2013 help make breakfast etc visit Police Museum 10.30 for $8. Those that would like lunch can have a
toastie and coffee at Fays at their own risk at 2a King St.
Approx rally costs per person: $10 rally entry fee
$00 breakfast supplied
$00 badge supplied
$00 BBQ supplied
$00 Toastie and Coffee at Fay's supplied
$16 -45 Accommodation per night, payable on arrival
$14-18 Approx - Sat lunch
$16 Approx - Sat dinner
If you prefer some luxury accommodation instead I highly recommend Destinations Motor Lodge but will leave it to folk
to book and pay themselves. Choices and Price list attached.
See back page for Rally entry form
Fay Faithful
Dannevirke Holiday Park Accommodation
•
Tent sites
30 power sites
3 cabins
1 tourist cabin
2 tourist flats
Part of an 8ha wildlife domain with deer, ducks and bird aviary. Located 1.5km to town centre, restaurants and shops.
Facilities
•
•
•
Communal kitchen with microwave and fridge, Laundry, linen hire, Toilet and shower facilities
Playground, trampoline, TV, Barbecue, Off-street parking, No dogs allowed, Dump station
Office hours 9am-9pm, check-in from 1pm, late check-in by arrangement only.
Resident hosts: Eileen & Basil Durrant
Dannevirke Holiday Park 29 George Street (lower Christian Street) Dannevirke, New Zealand
Phone/fax: 06 374 7625 - Mobile: 027 273 7300
Email [email protected]
NZREOR – Members Subscription Renewal
Name_
Address_
Phone_
Mobile_
Email _
Annual subs $10. Payable 1, 2 or 3 years.
Direct credit –TSB Bank – 15 3945 0253553 00 - the sum of $_ for_ year/s
Enclosed – Cheque $_ Cash $_ For_ year/s.
Make cheque to: NZ Royal Enfield Register
Return to: NZREOR Membership Secretary
60 Barrett Road
New Plymouth 4310
Email to – [email protected]
When making payment by direct credit –
Please return this form to the Membership Secretary by email, thank you.
NZ ROYAL ENFIELD OWNERS REGISTER
14th ANNUAL RALLY
Feb 15 – 16 - 17
Entry Form
Name -Phone # -Email --
2013
Address -Mobile --
Number Attending -Entry Fee $10.00 per person
Total payment $--
Cheque payable to NZ Royal Enfield Register
Direct credit - NZREOR bank account
TSB Bank 15-3945-0253553-00. Code, rally – Reference, your name, as you like.
Post or email entry form to:
Fay Chatfield
2A King St
Dannevirke
Inquiries to Fay
Mobile --- 0272657024
Email ----- [email protected]
Closing date for registrations Friday 8-2-2013