Milk's 03 Bullet dual sport build

[barenekd]

Wot?! No Amals?
Bare

[noisymilk]

Br Barenekd -

nope. No Amal's here. I'm actually getting good performance from stocker. Just trying to figure out which way to go for dual sport/adventuring. This CVK34 is ridiculously clean. Looks like its never been run.

Br Baird:
I'll see if that cross reference chart helps. I'm not sure.....never dialled in an unknown carb from scratch. However, not as many options with CVK type. Fingers crossed I can get it to work. If not, I'm not out a whole lot of money.

I have read people say that slight larger CV than standard carb gives good results. I'm hoping 34mm isn't too big. Some people here are running TM34's and the like with success. So we will see.

Theres a Kawasaki shop up the street, so parts isn't a problem. Just gotta figure out the throttle cable situation. Uses a different nub at the carby end than vm28/tm30 did.

Gonna be riding the next to weeks while I gig in southern cal. Hello Coachella Festival! So not much work will be done until then. Be safe all.

[jartist]

I think you'll really like that CVK once you get it worked out. Are you sure it's not a Keihin? If it is check out this site:
 http://www.gadgetjq.com/keihin_carb.htm
The ninja 500 uses two cvk34s so one on a bullet is probably just about right 

[noisymilk]

Br Jartist,

I stand corrected. Its a Keihin. Been looking and reading about so many carbs lately that I can't even keep them straight. Its a stock takeoff from a late model KLX250s




Unbelievably clean, like I said. Doesn't even look like its been run. So yeah, I am thinking starting with stock BS29 equivalent jetting (thats whats on the AVL's) plus 1 jet size.

That said, I just spent the last week tooling around southern Californina doing what I do in my other life (soundguy....working Coachella festival this time around). Took the bike across the desert....I-10 the whole way. It did wonderfully. I was absolutely the guy pissing people off in the slow lane, but still. Started like a dream. Ran strong. Blew ALLL kinds of oil out the breather. I did a little over 600 miles and used an entire quart of oil. But whatever. I'm thinking about reinstating my catch can out there by the license plate, just to stop some of the gunk getting all over everything.

(side note, i know some of you guys are running your fireballs up at speed a lot. And I know there's really no way getting around the amount of oil that will get blown out the breather at speed. What are you guys doing to keep your bikes becoming a rolling oil sheened patina?)

Now, the fun part. I have to go do the same festival this weekend. Same ride, same conditions mostly. And I am borrowing a friends KLR 650 for the trip this time. Side by side comparison. Should be fun. Because lets face it, the Enfield is a struggle at times (sans fireball, that is).

So, my parts purchasing order has been amended a bit I think.
-Chumma's oil filter kit
-I think the crank is back on the table to be done a-la Ace Engineering
-alloy barrel
-higher compression piston and retimed by one tooth cams (another thing Ace has talked about extensively)

The question is, do I do a 535 and get an Ace piston? Or do I just get a higher compression 500 piston? Price is similar (still have to do crank, barrel, and piston no matter what).....but I like fuel economy more that higher power. I was keeping a steady 65-70 mpg this past week, even running it on the highway. Will a 535 kill me in that department (noting that I am sticking with VM28 or this CV34 if I can get it working)?

Been looking long and hard at various other dual sports too. DR650, klr650, drz400. There's even a handful of smaller displacements ones I like. WR250R, DR200se, klx250s. All alphabet soup plastic machines, sure. But right tools for the job, and I think the wife might accept 2 bikes in my stable in the long run. (I don't have a car that is exclusively mine....that helps)

So yeah. I'm still continuing with this project. Think I've settled on Mefo tires and a set of Hagon shocks thats been recommended. Still waffling on the luggage situation (hard bags, soft bags, or just get an Inder and pull it to Alaska with me). Sticking with stock casquette for now, with the Radon speedo. Rewire, improved coil, blah blah blah electrics. DEFINITELY put that military front engine guard back on and put some sort of highway peg out there.

But there is for sure a more purpose built dual sport in my future as well.

Thanks all for letting me waffle on and on down here in the basement about what to do with my bike.

Be safe, get out there and ride!

[noisymilk]

Hello there all,

so I have a project that I am using to try and drum up cash for the Enfield dual sport project.

Aw shit yeah!


Yup. 71 Commando engine on a featherbed frame. And a pile of extra parts including a replacement crank, as stock engine will rattle your teeth out when not isolastically mounted.


(yes, that's a set of Amal carbs on the dual intake pipes ready to go)

My father in law and I acquired this project for....wait for it....$800. If I can even get it running, thats easily about $4k. Hell, people are selling featherbed frames for $500. That will go a LONG way in the Enfield world. (I don't really have an interest in keeping this Norton either). Hell, I'd sell it as the basket case it is right now for $2k. But, I'm gonna clean it up and list it this week in the state its in, then start tearing it down.

Now, on to other things. I rode the KLR back and forth to Cali again the other weekend. It goes nice and fast on the highway as expected, and water cooling was far superior,....but the Enfield is more comfortable. And I like its ride ergo's in general a lot more. So I'm not crazy seeking to make the Enfield my adventure bike still.

Did  trip to the Grand Canyon and back this past weekend. I reinstated the catch can hanging on the rear pannier mounts as such:


This was an effort to reduce the puking of oil all over the back of my bike while riding. It worked admirably well, right up until it puked oil out of the top tube there because I didn't empty it in 400 miles. Also give a good idea of how much oil is going out the breather. Mind you, this whole run was I-17 at 60+ MPH. I put a little more than a quart of oil in it over the course of the trip. Probably a third of that went out the breather, in 400 miles. The rest I have to assume I'm burning up and losing out the exhaust (New barrel/piston/rings is part of this project for sure). The good part was, the quality of the oil I got out of the catch can was such that I could likely have just dumped it back in the engine.

Still haven't had any time to play with my pretty new CVK carb. Maybe this week I can go get some jets and the bits to try and make a throttle cable that will work with it. Maybe.

Still set on ditching the stock saddle cans. They just aren't very robust for what I'm looking at doing.

Ok, be safe all. Guess I'll be playing Norton dude again for a while.

[1 Thump]

If that tank  will fit a bullet i am interested. PM SENT.

[noisymilk]

If that tank  will fit a bullet i am interested. PM SENT.

PM sent.

[cochi]

Milk, I've been following your project since you started posting about it, I'm kind of living vicariously through you, Looking foreward to reading about your travels, I have an 03 Classic Bullet with the usual mods. I also experienced the oil puking that you discussed in the last post. I  ended up getting the breather mod kit, from our host . It returns the oil blown out of the crank case vent to the oil tank. It has decreased the oil consumption to almost nothing. It is one of the best mods that I have made. If you have last years Nfield catalog, it's on page 26. You may want to take a look at it. Enjoy the ride. cochi 

[noisymilk]

Br Cochi!

How have I never heard of this device! This will be my next purchase after the oil filter from Chumma.

And, hey, I have some money to spend! Successfully sold the little scoot that took me to canada. So I have about 1300 to put into this project now. Yay! Gotta figure out what to do now.

[cochi]

Milk, so you sold the Buddy? They are neat little machines. I live in Philadelphia and Buddies are the most popular scooters here. I talked to about a half a dozen owners of 50' s and 125's and they had not a bad thing to say about them. They seem very durable. Hope to get a 125 eventually for my wife . Of course I'll have to "borrow" it from time to time. Again, good luck with the project and please keep posting. Enjoy that $1300. cochi

[noisymilk]

Milk, so you sold the Buddy? They are neat little machines. I live in Philadelphia and Buddies are the most popular scooters here. I talked to about a half a dozen owners of 50' s and 125's and they had not a bad thing to say about them. They seem very durable. Hope to get a 125 eventually for my wife . Of course I'll have to "borrow" it from time to time. Again, good luck with the project and please keep posting. Enjoy that $1300. cochi

Yup, sold the Buddy. It's a fantastic scooter. Did you read about my ride to Canada on it? Its linked in my sig line down there. I got the scoot originally for $1500, put an improved shock and a solo seat on it, and went for a ride.

Might buy my friend Deans eventually, but really wanted to move forward on the Enfield project here.

[noisymilk]

Alrighty! So.....

I have pulled the trigger on some of the upgrades here. Have purchased the screw on oil filter kit that Chumma sells. Also am doing the Ace 535 piston/cylinder (he matches them up)....but on stock bottom end. I know, I know....everyone has had their say. I'm gonna try it. 2mm spacer and rephased stock cams once all is said and done. Should leave me with better cooling, more hill pulling torque, and a need to stay off the happy handle to not torpedo the stock crank.

Also purchased that breather mod kit, to try and keep the oil in the damn engine. (thanks Cochi for pointing that out) We'll see how it works. Also purchased the Radon speedo (although back ordered at the moment) as I am going to keep the stock casquette. I had been thinking of getting the blank fork tops and doing a trailtech Vapor with a Baja style round headlight. But that seems too far removed from what an enfield is. Plus, thats VERY expensive. I'm just going to put some after market LED floods on for additional brightness when needed.

Anxiously awaiting the brown truck.

[cochi]

Milk, haven't had the pleasure to read all of your Canadian adventure. I was able to read about your prepping of the Buddy. The trip must have been incredible! I like  the challenge of touring on light to middle weight bikes.  I also like your idea of going for the Ace 535 kit and leaving the bottom end alone. It goes against conventional thinking, but it would interesting to see how a stock, well maintained, bottom end holds up. I have a little over 20k on my 03. Bottom end so far seems fine. I do change the oil every 2k with Castrol synthetic for classic cars. It has a zinc additive. I think if  you keep the rpms below 5k it should be OK. By the way, what does Ace have to say  the idea? cochi   

[Lwt Big Cheese]

Mmm Leaving the bottom end only goes against conventional thinking on here where throwing money at the bike is de riguer.

Other places don't worry to much.

[GreenRE]

Alrighty! So.....

I have pulled the trigger on some of the upgrades here. Have purchased the screw on oil filter kit that Chumma sells. Also am doing the Ace 535 piston/cylinder (he matches them up)....but on stock bottom end. I know, I know....everyone has had their say. I'm gonna try it. 2mm spacer and rephased stock cams once all is said and done. Should leave me with better cooling, more hill pulling torque, and a need to stay off the happy handle to not torpedo the stock crank.

Also purchased that breather mod kit, to try and keep the oil in the damn engine. (thanks Cochi for pointing that out) We'll see how it works. Also purchased the Radon speedo (although back ordered at the moment) as I am going to keep the stock casquette. I had been thinking of getting the blank fork tops and doing a trailtech Vapor with a Baja style round headlight. But that seems too far removed from what an enfield is. Plus, thats VERY expensive. I'm just going to put some after market LED floods on for additional brightness when needed.

Anxiously awaiting the brown truck.

Milk,
Would you know if the Radon has LED flasher indicators. Also, you could use HID headlight in the stock casquette. It has been done before succesfully.