Author Topic: So what do you think is the weakest point on UCE bikes? (Read 1652 times)

TWinOKC · « **on:** February 16, 2013, 11:21:02 AM »

IMHO it is the ends on the battery cables.

I have had the end break off twice in a little less than three years I have owned my bike.

Having some extra cable ends in the garage is a good idea or carry some with you = even better.

Gypsyjon · « **Reply #1 on:** February 16, 2013, 11:26:21 AM »

Sounds like good advice.

What about clutch cables?

shamelin · « **Reply #2 on:** February 16, 2013, 11:43:55 AM »

Quote from: TWinOKC on February 16, 2013, 11:21:02 AM

IMHO it is the ends on the battery cables.

I have had the end break off twice in a little less than three years I have owned my bike.

Having some extra cable ends in the garage is a good idea or carry some with you = even better.

Structurally, I agree. But once you replace them, they should be good to go. Both of mine broke, but I picked up a pair of all-purpose battery terminals from NAPA, bent them a little, soldered them on, and I've had no problems since.

Mechanically, I'd say the weakest point on my B5 is the rear brake. The zone between no brake and lock up is very narrow. I've given thought to replacing it with a disc brake, but there's too much I'd rather do first (new rear shocks, upgraded headlight, etc.). Plus it seems like it'd be a PITA.

I've also been irritated at the tank bolts. I've had to pull out my took kit to tighten them during group rides, much to the amusement of all the Harley riders. Apparently they enjoyed watching someone else having to work on their bike instead of them.

Desi Bike · « **Reply #3 on:** February 16, 2013, 12:05:06 PM »

Chains wear out far to early.

Craig McClure · « **Reply #4 on:** February 16, 2013, 12:29:57 PM »

Not a weakness, but one of the most annoying features on my bike, is an engineering flaw that could be remedied in future production. I have had one hell of a time getting my oil level correct, & I am an experienced motorcycle mechanic. They need to make it possible to read the correct oil level with the engine at rest. The way the crankcase on my 2010 is chambered, my sight glass shows full before starting, after running a little while it shows under half way up the window. This is to difficult a way to judge oil fill, compared to most other motorcycles in the world. My addition of an old school breather tube out the tail (over the fender) automatically jettisons any overfill. But I don't like this trait, so I'm making this complaint, that I hope someone in the engineering department reads.

Den · « **Reply #5 on:** February 16, 2013, 12:44:45 PM »

+1 Craig McClure

Royalista · « **Reply #6 on:** February 16, 2013, 04:32:31 PM »

Craig McLure
That feature is in all the Bullets and the difference you describe in the looking glass is just right. As long as the level is between the two markers it should be ok, wouldn't it?

I had to learn to be way more relaxed about stuff on the Enfield. So far I added only once a tiny bit of oil (half a cup, after it had been ridden hard).

As far as the weakest point goes, I would say quality control. Components tend to fail sooner than later, but then again the warranty does cover that brilliantly. Just make enough miles in those two years.

barenekd · « **Reply #7 on:** February 16, 2013, 04:42:01 PM »

If you lube the cables when you buy the bike, the cables will last a long time. I had 16,000 miles on my G5 and the clutch cable looked like new. The throttle cables didn't get lubed and made it to about 12,000 miles. The replacements got lubed. I use Dri-Slide.
The stock chain is garbage. Replace it before they ruin your sprockets. The stock battery seems to be a bit short lived. Get an AGM. I replaced mine before it was 3 months old. It was a good thing too. I layed the bike on its side and it stayed there for 24 hours. If I'd still had the wet battery in it, it would've leaked acid all through the middle of the bike and destroyed it!
A little ACF-50 sprayed will on it protect it from rusting. They are somewhat susceptible to this!
Blue Loctite should be applied to most or all the nuts and bolts. The bikes stays in one piece a lot better!
Now that all the bike prep is done, you have a nice reliable machine to have a hell of a good time on!
Check your shifter and make sure you can easily shift it up and down with the same ease. If it's off one way or the other, pivot it around the shaft until it's right. It will miss shifts a lot less. It's a good gearbox, but it does take time to break-in, and for the two of you to get used to each other.
If you have Skid Master Avons, you might want to look for some tires that offer traction! The truck tires tires that come on the G5s and, I think, B5s are pretty crappy.
Bare

Craig McClure · « **Reply #8 on:** February 16, 2013, 09:44:14 PM »

Quote from: Royalista on February 16, 2013, 04:32:31 PM

[Craig McLure
That feature is in all the Bullets and the difference you describe in the looking glass is just right. As long as the level is between the two markers it should be ok, wouldn't it? ]

ROYALISTA, I have owned many legendary motorcycles. I'm not giving Enfield a pass, or saying it's OK just because all EFI bullets have the same problem. I am certain it's a design fault, & it really annoys me . Thats my studied oppinion, based on experience with dozens of machines with NO oil monitoring issues I've owned, & it will remain so. You're entitled to your opinion also

GlennF · « **Reply #9 on:** February 16, 2013, 09:54:10 PM »

A few people have complained about sprag clutches but I think this is more a generic weak point in big singles rather than anything specifically Enfield.

On my bike the auto decompress has recently failed making it difficult to kickstart.

Kevin Mahoney · « **Reply #10 on:** February 17, 2013, 09:03:01 AM »

We don't really see that many sprag clutches. Paint is better than it has ever been (new paint system), EFI is bullet proof as is the disc brake (pun intended). I agree about the oil level window. We have seen some battery leads as has been mentioned here. Lately they have been using a different battery. We used Exides for years and they were not a good battery. It was probably the single biggest cause of problems. About a year ago they switched to a battery made by FIEM from Italy. (made in China of course) and they have been much better. However you cannot beat an AGM battery. Stock non-oring chains are pretty weak, the o-ring ones are OK. I wish the front fender were a bit narrower in the middle on Classics. If the dealer installs them correctly they are not a problem but if they do not they scratch the fork covers. I am not thrilled with the snail type wheel adjusters. I do think they look cool though and in practice they are fine. While ideally nothing would ever go wrong when problems do occur they generally show up pretty quickly well within the warranty period.

ace.cafe · « **Reply #11 on:** February 17, 2013, 09:30:30 AM »

The two biggest things wrong is that the Cafe Racer isn't available yet, and we don't have a twin yet either!

TWinOKC · « **Reply #12 on:** February 17, 2013, 09:55:26 AM »

I had a problem getting the oil level just right also. I got a paint measuring bucket from O'Reilly's (free) they have lots lines on the side for paint measuring. So drain the used oil into the bucket, make a note of how much you drained out or put a mark on the side with a felt tip pen. Now you just put that much oil back in and you are very close to where you need to be.

I wish I could claim this idea as mine but the truth is I stole it from someone on this forum, maybe Scott.

barenekd · « **Reply #13 on:** February 17, 2013, 11:19:07 AM »

Quote

The way the crankcase on my 2010 is chambered, my sight glass shows full before starting, after running a little while it shows under half way up the window.

If you read the owner's manual, it tells you when to check the oil, which is a two minutes after you shut it down. The level should be at or slightly over the middle of the sight glass. Pretty simple and pretty consistent
Bare

barenekd · « **Reply #14 on:** February 17, 2013, 11:24:38 AM »

Quote

I've also been irritated at the tank bolts.

A little blue Loctite takes care of that problem. Obviously you haven't properly loctited your bike! Saves a lot of frustration and lost parts!

It seems to me that a lot of the complaints about the bikes comes from a lack of proper setup and lubing of the bikes when they are bought. The buyer's are generally stuck with that on these. The new owner needs to read the manual, lube the cables and pivots, Loctite the nuts and bolts, learn how to adjust the rear brake, (there are several threads on this forum about that). And generally finish up what the factory or dealer didn't! As the old line goes, a Royal Enfield will turn a boy into a mechanic! Not that there's anything wrong with that! If you've owned old Brit bikes in the past, it won't be much of a revelation. If not, Welcome to the old world!
Bare

motomataya · « **Reply #15 on:** February 17, 2013, 12:11:21 PM »

When you are servicing you cables, by far the most important thing to watch for is making sure the barrels are free to rotate. Old rusty cables can break inside the sheathing, but they almost always break at the lever because the barrels don't rotate causing the cable to bend everytime it is used.

mattsz · « **Reply #16 on:** February 17, 2013, 12:23:41 PM »

+1 on the battery cable ends. I got stranded... well, ok, stuck... wellllll, ok, inconvenienced, for about 10 minutes... when my negative terminal broke. Because of reading about it on this forum, I knew where to look and was back on the road pretty quickly (Strongest point on UCE bikes? This forum!). Enough of us know about, and have had this problem, along with side stand switch faults, I would hope that the factory would be getting word and maybe doing something about it.

Quote from: Kevin Mahoney on February 17, 2013, 09:03:01 AM

I wish the front fender were a bit narrower in the middle on Classics. If the dealer installs them correctly they are not a problem but if they do not they scratch the fork covers. ...While ideally nothing would ever go wrong when problems do occur they generally show up pretty quickly well within the warranty period.

I guess I am not the only one experiencing this problem - too bad, 'cause it sounds like it could be avoided at the dealer end. Some of you may not be surprised to hear that CMW is VERY interested in getting this problem fixed for me...

Arizoni · « **Reply #17 on:** February 17, 2013, 03:04:37 PM »

While we're talking about things that could be improved (and maybe it already has), the fuel level float should not dissolve like my G5's float did.

As I mentioned in my previous discussion about this,

http://www.enfieldmotorcycles.com/forum/index.php/topic,7829.msg168800.html#msg168800
I can get along without relying on the warning light but the crappy 10% ethanol gasoline they sell in my area has been around for a long time so it's something the Indians could have designed the float to withstand.

Royalista · « **Reply #18 on:** February 17, 2013, 03:46:59 PM »

Why didn't I think of it?

I'm on the third low fuel sensor. First went tudelu after 9000km, second after 5000km. This one is still young.
Yes, definitely they could be improved. If we must have another light on the dash, let it be functional.

kammersangerin · « **Reply #19 on:** February 17, 2013, 04:16:18 PM »

You all are making me think I was bosch in the head for getting one of these things. Never had any bike have this many things go wrong, and though the Vespa needed something replaced under warranty, since then not a tweak of trouble. I realize my 240 Volvo has really really spoiled me, but I simply don't have time to muck about too much on a bike. Though I take care of my things, it's there to ride, not to spend every weekend playing with. Volvo has finally reached the point of needing some TLC, and it's just time I don't have.

JVS · « **Reply #20 on:** February 17, 2013, 05:57:40 PM »

^ Don't be scared

For me, it's there to ride, admire and work on basically every day...even though there's nothing wrong with it, lol

GlennF · « **Reply #21 on:** February 17, 2013, 09:16:13 PM »

The issues with UCE bikes are annoyances, they are not things that lead to an engine self destructing.

One common annoyance is the side-stand switch fouling spark plugs. Many people just disconnect it.

Arizoni · « **Reply #22 on:** February 17, 2013, 11:18:49 PM »

@ kammersangerin

It's not that any of these things will prevent you from riding. They are just little quirks that could and should be addressed by Royal Enfield.

As for reliability, my 2011, G5 has never failed to start or to get me to any place I wanted to go in over 8500 miles of riding.
This includes several 400 mile trips from 1200 feet elevation to over 8000 feet elevation at highway speeds of over 65 mph. Riding on these trips took me from over 108 degrees F to 40 degrees F with an overnight cold soak temperature of 28 degrees F.

I've also ridden in 112 degree F temperatures in stop and go traffic during the summer without any signs of overheating. (Yes the engine was very hot but it didn't miss a lick.)

I'm sure it is possible to do on a Vespa but I sure wouldn't even dream of such a trip riding one of them.

Kevin Mahoney · « **Reply #23 on:** February 18, 2013, 04:36:49 AM »

I don't think it is ethanol that is giving you problems with your fuel sensor float. We do not see this as a problem (it is a problem for you but it is not something we see enough to be concerned). We have ethanol in varying degrees all over the country now especially in summer and all of the time in MN. As Scooter Bob used to say (I am paraphrasing and leaving out some words he might have used), there isn't much gasoline in gasoline anymore. His contention is that it is mostly other chemicals. I beieve him because he could name them and explain why they were there but then I believed my ex-wife too. I think that the garbage that gets put in gasoline now can cause this sort of trouble. We see it sometimes with the paint inside the neck of the tank and it can vary widely by part of the country and season. We also know that gasoline does not even last a month or two in some cases. In my day it would last the better part of a year if not more. As an experiment and to make me a believer we got some Aviation gasoline from out local airport. It has very little in it except a small amount of lead. After that it is not too special other than the octane which is not directly germane to this example. Av gas will evaporate quickly from the floor like gas back in the day did, it will clean parts like carburetor gum and it will last several years in a fuel tank. One float maybe a bad float, more than one I would look elsewhere. An interesting sidenote on the low fuel sensor. When you remove a bad one you will mostly likely find that the float is fine and that when you operate it manually it works fine. The problem is a very low level of magnetism that the tank carries that can fool the float. Also the reason for the low fuel warning system is because the fuel pump used fuel to cool itself and it wants to tell you to keep it covered and that you are running low.

GA-DK · « **Reply #24 on:** February 18, 2013, 09:36:12 AM »

My biggist complaint, after the light gage wiring that burns before the fuse blows, is the crankcase that holds most of the oil when the drain plug is removed. Throwing the bike over your shoulder and burping it like a baby will remove a bit more, but not all. And that is out of the question when you have a sidecar like mine. A few very small holes, 1/16 inch or so, in strategic spots, would let the oil drain to the bottom of the crankcase, but would still allowing pooling around the primary chain, etc. as it does now. The oil pump puts out enough that a very small drain hole between different parts of the engine would not matter. It would allow hot oil to drain completely from the engine so it could be replaced with clean oil. This is something the factory should have addressed before now. GA-DK

Kevin Mahoney · « **Reply #25 on:** February 18, 2013, 10:04:53 AM »

I won't swear to it but I think this was done a while ago with a drain hole on the shelf that retained the oil.

gremlin · « **Reply #26 on:** February 18, 2013, 10:49:54 AM »

Quote from: GA-DK on February 18, 2013, 09:36:12 AM

.........the crankcase that holds most of the oil when the drain plug is removed.....

+1 my 2011 B5 even with burping only takes 1.7 litres to fill it back up.

tooseevee · « **Reply #27 on:** February 18, 2013, 11:50:42 AM »

Quote from: GlennF on February 16, 2013, 09:54:10 PM

On my bike the auto decompress has recently failed making it difficult to kickstart.

Sorry to butt in on the UCE forum, but I have a question. I have an '08 AVL Classic & I never use the electric start. I also never use the decompressor. Under any and all conditions, I kick it once or twice & it's running. What am I doing wrong?

Or is it EFI & electric fuel pumps that make the difference?

Royalista · « **Reply #28 on:** February 18, 2013, 03:53:52 PM »

Quote from: tooseevee on February 18, 2013, 11:50:42 AM

Sorry to butt in on the UCE forum, but I have a question. I have an '08 AVL Classic & I never use the electric start. I also never use the decompressor. Under any and all conditions, I kick it once or twice & it's running. What am I doing wrong?

Or is it EFI & electric fuel pumps that make the difference?

Haven't a clue what you're doing wrong. Mine starts first kick anytime, whatever the weather conditions are. It is an EFI Electra. Probably I'm no good either.

JesterNT · « **Reply #29 on:** February 20, 2013, 10:26:33 AM »

I would say the Sprag Clutch! I've replaced it once and it looks like just a few thousand miles later I'm going to have have to do it again. I just want to kick it some times!!!! No really it's an 09 so it has no kick start, I have to clutch-push-leap then hold on for the lurching start. I'm told it's entertaining to watch

Anyone have a part number for the newer/stronger Japanese made sprag? I think I recall reading about??? Not the Stieber one.

gremlin · « **Reply #30 on:** February 20, 2013, 11:22:46 PM »

the weakest point on a UCE has to be the wobbly wet link between the handgrips & footpegs. (the rider)

mattsz · « **Reply #31 on:** February 21, 2013, 04:40:43 AM »

It's certainly true of my bike, Gremlin!

Ducati Scotty · « **Reply #32 on:** February 21, 2013, 06:53:10 PM »

Quote from: barenekd on February 17, 2013, 11:19:07 AM

If you read the owner's manual, it tells you when to check the oil, which is a two minutes after you shut it down. The level should be at or slightly over the middle of the sight glass. Pretty simple and pretty consistent
Bare

+1. Which is about how long it takes me to get my gear off and hang it up, so easy-peasy. And it's got to be hot so the oil flows. If you just ride for ten minutes it's not hot, the oil doesn't get to the window, and it looks too low. It's way weirder than any other bike I've ever owned but simple once you get used to it.

Oh, and wasn't me who suggested to measure what comes out and put that amount back in. That a) takes planning and forethought and b) assumes the right amount was in there in the first place. Neither of those is my style.

I have to beg to differ with Kevin here. Even the o-ring C5 chains are sub-par. Not all of them, but enough to keep an eye on it and pitch it early if you're adjusting it a lot. Mine was way dead at only 6,500 miles. My narrower OEM 520 chain on my Ducati 800 that I beat the crap out of lasted over 10,000 miles.

Glad to hear they're using a different battery. The Exide ain't the worst but it's also not the best. And yes, while sprag failures get a lot of press there aren't really many of them on the UCE. I suspect with a better battery that doesn't tend to go weak there will be even fewer.

Scott

BrashRooster · « **Reply #33 on:** March 02, 2013, 07:13:09 PM »

Quote from: Kevin Mahoney on February 17, 2013, 09:03:01 AM

We don't really see that many sprag clutches. Paint is better than it has ever been (new paint system), EFI is bullet proof as is the disc brake (pun intended). I agree about the oil level window. We have seen some battery leads as has been mentioned here. Lately they have been using a different battery. We used Exides for years and they were not a good battery. It was probably the single biggest cause of problems. About a year ago they switched to a battery made by FIEM from Italy. (made in China of course) and they have been much better. However you cannot beat an AGM battery. Stock non-oring chains are pretty weak, the o-ring ones are OK. I wish the front fender were a bit narrower in the middle on Classics. If the dealer installs them correctly they are not a problem but if they do not they scratch the fork covers. I am not thrilled with the snail type wheel adjusters. I do think they look cool though and in practice they are fine. While ideally nothing would ever go wrong when problems do occur they generally show up pretty quickly well within the warranty period.

I hate the whole oil level thing! I have been paying for my oil changes on the C5 Military since I got it and will continue until the warranty is up. How ever after it is up I am going to have to learn to do it my self with confidence. I have had 5 bikes in the last 7 years of which only RE has confounded me with the oil change.

The chain is stock at 3500+ miles seems to be fine but now I am second guessing it so I will have to inspect it and the sprockets.

I HATE THE SNAIL ADJUSTERS!!!!!! I was having issues and I have PAID to have my chain adjusted. Look that isn't easy for me to admit to because all of my bikes except my 1982 Yamaha XJ650 Maxim have been chain drive and I have never ever ever ever ever had issues adjusting a chain. NEVER!!!! Which goes back to those DAMNED snell cams chain adjusters. Sorry I just hate them. HATE HATE HATE!!!!!!

My 2011 C5 Military Edition's battery is pretty much crapped out. I can't kick it with a dead battery? I tried maybe it's my kicking which could be because I am going to go post in camp fire about having surgery and the reason why would profoundly affect my kicking ability.

Oh I got a HUGE BITCH! Ready? Those two little pilot lights one each side of the head light, those little buggers would never stay lit. The dealer would replace them and I got have a block a away and flick poof. I bought a whole bunch of them and replaced as needed but after I ran out two days later I order those LED lights. Oh yeah that's where it is at! I love those led lights and they are so bright I think you can spot them in the distance before the head light. To bad those are not stock from India. I love my pilot lights now they look so awesome.

The glue that hold the seat cover on failed. I guess I will glue it instead of taking it in. It is very unsightly having your seat cover hanging down like hemroids for every one to see. Why does glue on the stock seats fail in the summer? Sure I live in IL and we kinda close to the Mississippi river enough the humidity is high and the heat but India gets hotter and parts get just as humid.

My auto decompressor is noisy but only until it warms up after the first few miles but I am afraid its gone out or weakened. My kicker doesn't wanna come up after kicking ir just lays limp half way. I have to lift it up. It just started this but it seems it started the same time the battery took crap and I can't see why it would effect the kicker? I really don't have an issue with the decomp being noisy at all. It always stops making a racket after a few miles so I never gave it much thought.

Ok so that is about it for me. Really nothing serious. So how about some of my favorite points because I don't like the feel of my post it so heavy with negativity when I don't mean for it to be.

The style, it has wow factor and it draws tons of people to the bike. I get stuck because of it and I had been late because I attracted several people at a gas pump. I am an attention whore so I really do enjoy meeting new people.

I have traveled over 360 miles in one day and I was not the least bit sore the next day or while riding! That is a huge plus.

MPG that rocks, I am on SSI the gas mileage means I get to ride more.

I like how it handles. I have the 2011 with the weird forks. I wasn't sure what to make of it when I test rode the bike. It is not anything like any of the other bike I have rode. I test rode it and I thought hmmm I can have fun with this. I do have fun with the way it handles.

I like the fact that no one else has one where I live.

The seat rocks (other then the glue).

I love the handle bars!

OD Green gets the girls by the way. I have had a few random girls hop on. I was surprised by this.

I can do the speed limit and see a cop and freak out because I think I am speeding but when I look down I am doing the limit or less. lol I love that she is fun at 35 or 70. My Maxim isn't fun if I can't cruise at 7000rpm.

My bike is just awesome, its comfortable, great handling, fantastic fuel economy, kick starts, has looks that stands out like a beacon in the night, its sexy, and FUN!!!!!!!!!

OK there I felt the need to say a few good things.

mattsz · « **Reply #34 on:** March 03, 2013, 03:43:29 AM »

Quote from: BrashRooster on March 02, 2013, 07:13:09 PM

I HATE THE SNAIL ADJUSTERS!!!!!! I was having issues and I have PAID to have my chain adjusted. Look that isn't easy for me to admit to because all of my bikes except my 1982 Yamaha XJ650 Maxim have been chain drive and I have never ever ever ever ever had issues adjusting a chain. NEVER!!!! Which goes back to those DAMNED snell cams chain adjusters. Sorry I just hate them. HATE HATE HATE!!!!!!

CHANGE THEM CHANGE THEM CHANGE THEM!!!!!

http://nfieldgear.com/enfield-store/chain-adjusters-1557.html

And, if you're still riding on the factory chain, change it, too, and you won't be adjusting nearly as often!

Quote

Ok so that is about it for me. Really nothing serious. So how about some of my favorite points because I don't like the feel of my post it so heavy with negativity when I don't mean for it to be.

Well, don't be too hard on yourself... the thread did ask you what you thought the weakest points are!

Interestingly, or perhaps maybe not at all even remotely interestingly, nobody ever comments on my bike. I never get stuck at gas stations or supermarkets or the hardware store. I'm gonna call it a plus, and leave it at that...

Rich Mintz · « **Reply #35 on:** March 03, 2013, 12:02:34 PM »

BrashRooster, I have the same problem with the pilot lights -- I'm going to get the LED lights too

barenekd · « **Reply #36 on:** March 03, 2013, 01:10:37 PM »

Quote

I hate the whole oil level thing! I have been paying for my oil changes on the C5 Military since I got it and will continue until the warranty is up.

It's really not that tough. WHen theoil stops running out as you drain it. Lean the bike to each side for a minute or so,several times. This will drain a lot of oil that is hung up inside the case. After you get the plugs back in and the filter changed, poutr in the first quart of oil and about 80% of the second quart. Then add the second slowly keeping an eye on the window. When it gets up about halfway in the window, start the back and let it run for few minutes, then recheck the level after a couple of minutes rest. Adjust the level if it needs more. If, perchance, it's showing too much, I never messed with it on my bike. I just ran it and never had a problem. If you rack it back and forth when draining enough, you may actually get into the third quart while filling. I did on a couple of occasions.

I had a Deka AGM battery in mine has worked perfectly for two years. It's a great addition.

I had the seat glue come loose on mine, too. Just get some spray contact adhesive. That should hold it. If not, 3M trim adhesive will!

You can change all the lights in the bike with LEDs except the headlight and turn signal bulbs. Reduces the load on the battery and electrical system a lot.
The autocompressor and kick starter return spring have nothing in common. My sutocompressor as always noisy when cold. I did the same thing you did, ignored it. The kick starter is either hanging up on something or spring is breaking/broken. You need to get the outer case pulled off to check it out.

Don't forget, it's a lot more fun riding a slow bike fast, than a fast bike slow! How're those Malibu Mountains treating you? Some of the best riding anywhere!
Bare

The_Rigger · « **Reply #37 on:** March 03, 2013, 08:49:05 PM »

In my part of the country, apparently the weakest point is the dealer support network.

Kevin Mahoney · « **Reply #38 on:** March 03, 2013, 11:44:58 PM »

At some point (not sure about VIN number) the baffled inside the UCE engine were changed to drain more oil. (about 500ml I think)

motomataya · « **Reply #39 on:** March 04, 2013, 07:56:35 AM »

On the newest ones they have added another drain plug under the crankshaft.

TWinOKC · « **Reply #40 on:** March 04, 2013, 10:52:25 AM »

Quote from: motomataya on March 04, 2013, 07:56:35 AM

On the newest ones they have added another drain plug under the crankshaft.

So now there a 3 drain plugs?

motomataya · « **Reply #41 on:** March 04, 2013, 10:56:57 AM »

Two drain plugs and the strainer cover.

mattsz · « **Reply #42 on:** March 04, 2013, 11:09:14 AM »

Quote from: Kevin Mahoney on March 03, 2013, 11:44:58 PM

At some point (not sure about VIN number) the baffled inside the UCE engine were changed to drain more oil. (about 500ml I think)

Does this mean that newer bikes don't need to be rocked and rolled to drain the oil? If so, I'd sure like to know if mine fits that bill...

barenekd · « **Reply #43 on:** March 04, 2013, 12:23:54 PM »

Does it have 2 drain plugs and a screen cover?
All ya gotta do is look!
Bare

mattsz · « **Reply #44 on:** March 04, 2013, 06:12:09 PM »

Bare - I've got just one drain plug and one screen cover. But Kevin wasn't talking about drain plugs. And, try as I might, I can't see inside to check whether my baffles were changed, and even if I could, I don't know what the old ones looked like, so I doubt I'd know anyway...

wildbill · « **Reply #45 on:** March 04, 2013, 07:24:20 PM »

Just checked it out on my 012 model C5 and for the first time saw this.

Arizoni · « **Reply #46 on:** March 04, 2013, 09:32:52 PM »

Yup. At are a plug alright.

I guess if my 2011 G5 had that plug I would remove it when I was changing oil but from its location I wouldn't expect to see much drain out.

That goes into the crankshaft housing and, as I recall, the little bit of oil that collects in that area gets thrown back into the transmission gears by the crankshaft flywheels.
Beyond that, this area of the crankcase doesn't communicate with the oil reserve.

squire · « **Reply #47 on:** March 04, 2013, 10:31:10 PM »

I never noticed that on mine!! Let us know how much oil you get out of there.

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Author Topic: So what do you think is the weakest point on UCE bikes? (Read 1652 times)