Musket 998- completed-pics-videos

[bulletwalla]

Hi there guys,
It's done, running, riding, finally have some free time in the evenings. Too cold/wet mostly to get into test-rides except for the random not-too-cold evening, which I take advantage of.
Tried to give this one it's own character compared to the first one which was rather a smooth and mellow tourer. This one is more along the lines of stripped down to bare bones. The 'pipe and muffler on both sides' caused quite a bit of agony particularly as the curved downtube left limited room between the front wheel and itself for the front pipe to cross over. The classically beautiful symmetrical exhaust of machines such as the 1939 Triumph Speed Twin was a worthy cause to strive for, in spite of the
challenge posed by this V twin as opposed to an inherently symmetrical parallel twin. The slim rear mudguard is actually a stock front one. Custom stays were made to mount it to the swingarm which allow it to hug the tire closely and move with it over bumps. The custom downtube was curved to allow room for the front cylinder without increasing the wheelbase too much- only 2.5", which brings it to 56.5", only 1" more than a Vincent.
The left-shifting gearbox was converted to right side shift by fabricating a custom gearshift lever and a simple linkage, avoiding replacement of the inner and outer covers and shift mechanisms.
The clutch has also been beefed up to handle the extra power and didn't exhibit signs of slippage unless the throttle was brutally cracked open in higher gears.
Have been on a few rides so far,- she goes, solid punchy torque available right from idle. Please take a look at the videos, turn up the volume and bass :-)

1. Brief, un-muffled parking-lot run:
http://youtu.be/rTKfvb6p6Lw

2. Good long break-in ride a few days ago:
http://youtu.be/4m8aDtebPhQ

Thanks very much!

[Arizoni]

You've built a fantastic machine! 

Thank you for keeping us informed and for making the videos. 

[bluesdaddy2]

What a beauty.  I love the look.  It appears to sit quite low.  I love the seat and tail lights, can you tell us any more about them?

[Chasfield]

I never heard a nicer sounding bike. I never saw a better looking bike. Great work.

A lightweight 1000cc V twin, built mainly from straightforward Bullet bits, appeals on about 10 different levels. I can't see a down side.

[ERC]

Absolutley amazing what a beautiful job. Wish you the best.  ERC

[bulletwalla]

Thank you very much for your encouragement, gentlemen!
Bluesdaddy- the seat is just a simple leather solo seat I had, it's the exact same as the one on the 700. The taillight is nothing special- just a generic truck/trailer light I found at Autozone, about 10 bucks :-) It's mounted with a small custom aluminum bracket made from bar stock.
There's plenty more pics up on the website (www.musketvtwin.com) and a ton of machining process pics on the FB page too.
Am itching to get going on the first production batch but have to really test it thoroughly over thousands of miles this summer, will keep you posted.
Anyone coming by Columbus OH is most welcome to check it out, ride it, give feedback.
Will be posting some more pics soon about a few internal things and the right-side-shift conversion which may come in use and are applicable to all CI Bullets.
Thanks again!

[DanB]

Gorgeous! Simply gorgeous. Thanks for sharing. I'm loving those tank badges as part of the overall design.

[wfrpalm]

That is a beautiful bike, not only is the motor amazing but the style and look of the whole bike are great. Nice job.

[singhg5]

Absolutely AWESOME !!

Everything about it shows your skills, knowledge, perseverance and great work. It is a piece of art.

Is RE Chennai calling you to make it for them ?

[bulletwalla]

Thank you very much again guys. No, RE Chennai hasn't (and never will) contact me for any reason...I once wrote to someone there long ago, just when the 700 was done, told them all about it, never heard back. They weren't interested in working with Carberry when he approached them either. I guess, like all companies, they prefer to keep product development to themselves, and that is perfectly fine. Of course, that leaves us classic Bullet lovers to make things exactly as we like :-)
We all keep hearing about the imminent RE twin getting launched soon though, anyone have any inside info on that?

[GreenMachine]

buelletwalla: Well u tried and that all u can do...RE twin, I find myself getting excited on that prospect but haven't heard a peep since they decided to go with the cafe racer single...Not sure if the domestic market being conservative as it is (cc wise) is ready for something that large..Of course us Enfield junkies across two ponds would be tickle pink if they decided to add that to their product lineup..I wouldn't hold your breath on it but its a nice dream.
 Singh5: Love the bike and sorry for not letting ya know sooner...I think u r the best when it comes to  Enfield re engineering and technical knowledge ..Some of us can only aspire to be like the Master..Cheers..GM

[1 Thump]

Oh yea, I heard a guy named Aniket is testing the prototype. Wink Wink !