Advise on Buying RE 350 cc Classic

Also friends forgot to say that i would be riding daily 70 kms in the city during peak traffic hours. So is it advisable to commute daily with the Bull.

Hi there,

Any particular reasons as to why you would suggest post-2007 models? Please do share the reasons.

Hey there,

CI = cast iron cylinder block; AVL= aluminium cylinder block

The AVLs were an attempt of Royal Enfield to revive their brand, by developing a 'sort-of' new engine with the help of AVL, Austria. This is the same company that designed the latest 2.2 liter CRDi engines for Mahindra & Tata (Scorpio & Safari respectively), & their specialization is in diesel engines.

Anyhow, the initial batches were plagued with problems, which basically arose out of poor quality control. One peculiar example was the failure of timing gears & this was one of the sore points of the AVLs till the very last. In fact, if you happen to be buying an AVL, get a set timing gears & keep in stock.

As far as the construction goes, the CIs & AVLs were simple internal combustion engines with low compression ratios with reasonably good torque, owing to the long stroke design. The major difference was in the material of the cylinder block, the timing gears & the redesigning of the entire oil pump assembly. For details, I suggest you look around this database we call 'xBhp' & I am sure you would find plenty of stuff to read. Do post specific queries in case you have any.

I feel the gear freeze being spoken of here might be the fact that the gears on an Enfield do not get changed too easily if the bike is stationary. It's best to change the gears while the bike is moving. Do correct me, if my guess about 'gear freeze' does not appear correct.

Ride safe all, take care.

Hi

Old bullets are mechanics' delight and owner's nightmare. Later cast iron bullets have better headlamp, bigger air-filter inside the toolbox instead of rectangular box, increased crank-weight to 10.25 kgs and in my case as well as of my friends, NO OIL LEAK.

Before purchasing a new bullet in 2009, my plan also was to go for a older bullet. But after wasting some months, brought a new one.

regards

CI: Cast Iron. This denotes the material used to manufacture the engine block.
AVL: Austrian engine tuning firm. RE contracted them sometime in 2002-2003 (not sure) to manufacure 350cc & 500cc engines using aluminium. So, the Al engines are called AVL engines.
UCE: Unitised Construction Engine: The new 350cc & 500cc engines, having engine and gearbox in a single crankcase (and sharing the same engine oil).
You will find CI engines in all old Std 350s and 500s (the old doodhwala, policewala, armywala bullets). Also used in Electras, having both 5-speed & 4-speed (5S or 4S). Also, some (very few) Machismos and T-Birds had this engine.
Discontinued in end 2009/ early 2010.
AVL: Used in Machismos and T-Birds. Discontinued in 2009.
UCE: The only engine family in production now. Powers the new Std, Electra, TBTS, Classic 350 & Classic 500.
RE: Royal Enfield - Dobara mat poochhna!!

Fuse wire in Std

Hi,
my Std 350 (2009) has two fuse boxes. The fuse in left-side toolbox connects to the battery +ve terminal. The second fuse is placed under the seat, centre part, left side (accessible only when the seat is removed). Any idea what it does? What happens when it fails? And most importantly - how will I know that it has failed?

Hey rama,

With all due respect, I beg to differ. I would agree with you as long as you say that the Bullets have seen improvements each year since Eicher took over Enfield Motors & particularly when Siddarth Lal was appointed their CEO, but then as long as maintainance goes, no Bullet requires day to day maintenance per se (day to day is different from a service or replacement required at certain intervals). One of the major improvements have been in the seals that are used between chambers. The switch from cork to neoprene was a big improvement for RE. Also the electrical system conversion to 12V was a welcome change. The wiring was improved with the introduction of Electra in 2001 & further in 2004 when the new (TCI) Electra was introduced. Otherwise the main constituents have always remained the same.

Bullets are usually thrashed around for being maintenance intensive bikes, but the most part responsible is the rider & how he/she takes care of it, riding habits etc. You ride it sanely & I am sure a Bullet serves for years without major glitches.

As for heavy cranks, the heaviest used to come in pre-1990 models (had the heaviest cranks) & then later in 2000, 2001, & 2002 (lighter than 80s models). It might be 2001-03 as well, not sure about this, but since then RE had reverted to lighter cranks which weigh around 7-8 kgs & it was these cranks that came in till the last lot.
Also a heavy crank doesn't make a Bullet more reliable so as to reduce maintenance. The weight of a crank plays another role altogether. By the way, where did you get to know the exact weight, do you have a source for this information?

Lastly, for leaking oil, I know of atleast 2 Bullets in my vicinity that don't leak any oil. One is a 2004 model Electra & another '99 model Std 350.

Ride safe.
Hey shobhon,

RE got the AVL engines developed in 1998, though it was only in 2002 when they launched the Thunderbird. This AVL engine first forayed in the Machismo which earlier had CI engine, in 1999.

Also, the Thunderbird never had the CI engine.

Ride safe.

no probs

aint no probs using da bull 4 daily commute ... especially a C350. Ride it wid peace of mind mate.

Ur mech is doing da dun thing ... further, u cud get da filter blown clean using an air compresor. if da paper material is quite soiled, it is wiser 2 get a new filter.
if ur bull is new n being initiated ... its gud practice 2 change da oil evry few thousand kms. wen ur engine has bedded in da use span may b increased. new oil is best evry time

A STD 350 (2009) model should be equipped with the new RR Unit (i.e, separate Rectifier & Regulator Unit ) in contrast to a common REG cum RECT as in the older models.

What you said is present under your seat (inbetween the dual seat mounting stud & on a strip plate) is this new RR unit on two sides with the Flasher Unit at the centre. There musn't be any fuse under the seat, unless modification is done.

The electrical path is like this;
Alternator (inside your primary case;generates ac) --> Rectifier(converts ac to dc)--> Regulator (controls the level of dc) --> Battery (charging; depends on load etc.)

In a way hence, even if the regulator fails, the circuit shall run with the rectifier alone for some time ( with unregulated instantaneous high current that might damage your battery ) before you replace it with a good one. This prevents you from the requirement to change a good rectifier as was the case in the common RR model in older Bullets.

Wind Shield for TB

Hi all,

Has anyone got a windshield for TB or any other bull? I'm looking for a windshield to give my Tb a royal look. Can anyone give some pointers to get the work done in Pune??

Can the Avenger's windshield be fixed on TB?? Has anyone tried this???

On a similar note - how would a wind shield look on STD 350.. any one done such thing before? Haven't been able to find a perfect one per se...

Thanks Andy and Blackfire for your replies. Can I add that I have seen one (yes, only one) T'Bird with a CI engine. Didn't get a chance to ask the fellow whether it is the original engine, or did he change it.

And Caravans, yes, you are right about the regulator-rectifier being in two separate parts. The RR unit is a grey rectangle, mounted under the seat, on the right side. The indicator flasher is a black plastic cylinder, also mounted under the seat. The regulator is separate from the RR unit - I saw it. But this is a fuse - i opened the cover to confirm. Just curious as to what it does. And no, my motorcycle is not modified.

service or workshop manual

hi i'm a newbie. i need a service or workshop manual for my thunderbird 350cc . it s not twin spark its 2008 model.pls help me wit a manual

Shobhon, trace the red wire (that originates from your battery +ve terminal) from your left-side toolbox fuse out-end to your ignition switch contacts. Does this 2nd fuse come in between?

Possibly yes. If so, then it's for additional protection. Might be a little pain if it blows on road, cause you will need to remove the seat to replace it, then.

Remove the fuse & check whether all electricals fail or only ignition parts (read coil, points etc.)fail.

Will wait for your observation.

hey kishor, sorry for the late response mate. I logged in after a long time & hence the delay. I don't have the manual with me, but give me a few days to try & look for it some place. If I find it, I would post the link here from where you can download it or maybe mail it to you.

Ride safe.