250cc Royal Enfield Continental more rare than he knew

This handsome Royal Enfield has some uncommon features.

A sharp looking 250cc 1964 Royal Enfield for sale on eBay in Hatley, Wis. turns out to be more rare than the seller suspected.

You might have wondered about it, if you had seen the pictures with the ad, showing a peculiar muffler and a blanking plate where the tachometer might have been.

Tidy instrument panel has a blanking plate instead of tachometer.

Graham Scarth, chairman of the Royal Enfield Owners Club, UK, gave this identifying information, based on the engine number provided by the seller:

"That machine is not a Crusader, but a Continental in what was known as 'standard' trim at that time, finished in color known as Blaze.

"The factory offered the bikes as either deluxe (chrome plated tank and mudguards) or standard with painted items. In the case of the Continental deluxe, a rev counter was fitted alongside the speedometer. The standard (cheaper!) version had no rev counter drive and the blanking plate in the fork crown instead of the instrument.

In the UK and Europe a Continental would have had a bigger, boxier tank.

"Your machine also has the small petrol tank with 'loose' chrome panels usually found on U.S. market machines instead of the larger plated tank of UK market models. It also has 'Western' handlebars instead of the more usual low Ace bars for other markets.

"...Most of our members will have never seen a standard Continental, let alone an export version of it... Although not recorded in the factory ledgers, I am certain that it would have left Redditch in late 1964."

Muffler looks a bit anemic. There's a reason.

The motorcycle is a rare little beauty but there is just one thing that bothered me: what an ugly muffler! Then came this note from Mark Mumford, a keen observer and restorer of Royal Enfields in the UK:

"..It looks very original indeed. I notice it is also fitted with the original Villiers silencer (muffler).

"An ex-factory employee told me that Enfield had bought loads of these silencers, intended for use with Villiers' own two-stroke engine (and therefore detachable for cleaning, note the removable cap), presumably thinking that the Villiers-engined (Royal Enfield) Turbo Twin would be a big success.

"Finding themselves with piles of stock they used them on the whole 250 range, apparently with the result that the bikes simply wouldn't rev properly because the two-stroke required much more back pressure that the free breathing four-stroke Crusader!"

In his book "Royal Enfield, The Postwar Models," author Roy Bacon notes Royal Enfield's experiment with the two-stroke Villiers motor slotted into the company's own Crusader frame. The Villiers motor was a twin, with a muffler running down each side of the motorcycle, so Royal Enfield might have anticipated needing a lot of the Villiers mufflers.

In U.S. trim, Continental has a clean, open look.

Bacon specifically criticizes Royal Enfield for dropping the tachometer on the standard Continental for 1964, "a curious move for the machine sold as much on appearance as performance, and one that Enfield were to reverse inside a year."

Perhaps so, but the result is a fascinating example of Royal Enfield's "creativity."

Technical Tips for Royal Enfield

Swing up the fender to make removing the rear wheel quick and easy. Read how to do it.

Ten bad things other people do to your Bullet.

Adjusting the valves made really, really simple.

My kickstart-only Bullet won't start. Now what?

What's in my tool kit? What else should be?

What's missing from my tool kit? 3 things

What's missing from my tool kit? 3 things

There is no use being didactic about what you should carry in your Royal Enfield motorcycle tool kit. Your choices, like mine, will tell you more about your psychology than the motorcycle's likely ills.

For instance, I make room for the 11/32nds screwdriver socket wrench because it is ideal for setting the timing on a test run. That's an infrequent job, and usually done on a special outing, so it would be easy to keep the tool in my garage and pull it out only when needed. But the fact is that I don't want to bother having to look for it, so I keep it in the Bullet's tool kit because I'm lazy!

The number of cloths and wipes I've squirreled away on the Bullet is loony. Every roadside repair is likely to be a greasy mess, but carrying eight rags and towels is just eating up room.

And why am I carrying the tire prying irons if I don't have a spare inner tube or even a patching kit? (For that matter, I also don't have a tire pump to re-inflate a repaired tube.) The reason is simple: the pry bars came with my tool kit from the factory and, sentimentally, I like to keep the original tools together.

This applies to the factory-supplied tube wrenches I carry. They're fairly crude, and the one that fits the spark plug is a sloppy fit. I prefer to baby my spark plug with a socket that caresses it with a foam insert. But my foam filled socket is kept in my garage, where it will be of no use roadside.

It's silly of me to not carry any screwdrivers. True, the Leatherman tool on my belt provides them, but the folding nature of the tool means they are somewhat weak; they could never be used to pry anything apart. Also, it's awkward getting the tool into small places to use them.

The "missing tool" most complained about in the factory kit is the lack of any wrench or socket big enough to remove the big rear axle snub nut . I don't have any wrench in my garage that will do the job and yet fit into the Bullet's tool boxes -- a seeming dilemma. My excuse for not worrying about this is that I don't think I will ever need that tool roadside.

Why? Because the Bullet's Quick Detach rear wheel can be removed without loosening the snub nut. Remove the castellated nut (a factory wrench does fit that) and "pull" out the axle. The wheel now comes off and you can stand on the tire sidewalls to get it off the rim and pull out the inner tube for repair or replacement.

Thing is, you probably are going to have to "gently" hammer on the axle to get it out; and I don't carry a hammer. If I had a wrench big enough to remove the axle snub nut, I suppose I could use it as a hammer!

The biggest waste of space in my tool kit is the tiny jar of motor oil (it's actually a 35mm film container). That little oil will never "top up" a Bullet seriously low on oil. If a bit of oil is needed for lubrication, I could always get it off the dipstick.

I used to carry my spare inner tube, but I didn't like the way it had to fold and pinch to fit into the tool box.

The biggest shortcoming in my kit is pointed out in the comment by StL Stadtroller (see previous item). I have no electrical repair tape or tape of any kind for that matter.

The comment from Chris Bartlett notes that he carries a flashlight. That is an awfully important item on a dark night. For the moment, I'm going to say that the miniature flashlight on my keyring will suffice.

So, the "Three Things" I most need to add to my tool kit, in my opinion:

• Screwdrivers.


• Electrical tape.


• Tire inflator/patcher.

What's in your Royal Enfield motorcycle tool kit?

What's in your motorcycle tool kit?

Classic Royal Enfield Bullet motorcycles came with two spacious tool boxes. The factory supplied a tool kit, one spare fuse and some bikes even carried a spare inner tube when customers picked them up.

Experience quickly taught riders that more was needed. I learned fast that it was essential to carry a spare clutch cable. But that wasn't all I found necessary. I recently inventoried my tool boxes to discover that the main thing I had added was rags for wiping up after roadside repairs!

Although the list of things I carry is long, it is by no means satisfactory. I notice that I have left out at least three essentials. Can you guess what they are? Here's what I DO have:

Left tool box

• Leather fanny pack to contain tools.
• 1 rag to cushion fanny pack inside tool box.
• 3 additional rags.
• Factory Whitworth wrenches.
• Tube sockets and bar to turn them.
• Adjustable spanner.
• Pliers.
• Spark plug gaping tool.
• Bent bit of metal for feeling for piston at TDC.
• Tire prying irons.
• Screwdriver socket for adjusting points set.
• Tiny bottle of motor oil.
• Bungee cord.
• See-through plastic pouch to contain supplies.
• Allen wrench for tightening controls on handlebars.
• Wet wipe (probably long since dried up).
• 2 paper rags.
• Box of 20 Amp fuses (5).
• Chain master link.
• Tire valve cap with wrench end.
• Spark plug (pre-gapped).
• Bolt for left-side shift bodge.
• Clutch lever cable retainer.

Right tool box

• Owner's manual.
• Insurance card.
• Registration.
• Wet wipe (probably long since dried up).
• Throttle cable.
• Clutch cable.
• Plastic bags to keep these dry.

Next time: What's missing? If you'd like to guess what I have in mind, let me just add that I always wear a Leatherman tool, which provides standard and Phillip's screwdrivers, another pliers and a knife.

My Royal Enfield won't start: Now what?

My Royal Enfield won't start: Now what?

You're all suited up for a ride on your Royal Enfield Bullet and it won't start. You have the fuel tap "on", the ignition on, the Kill Switch "on", the enricher (choke) "on" and you swing the kickstarter with no luck. Now what?

Relax. I mean that literally: get comfortable. Get your blood pressure down. Take off your helmet and jacket. Stretch. Have a cup of coffee. You want to approach the motorcycle with a fresh eye. Remember, the motorcycle is watching. You want it know you are the master.

Your first step should be to turn off the ignition and fuel tap choke and swing the kickstarter three or more times to clear the engine. Turn up the idle screw (clockwise as you face it) half a turn. That gives the motor a bit of extra throttle as it starts but not enough to flood it. You can turn the screw back down after the motor starts.

Try starting the motor without the choke. If that doesn't work, try with the choke. Still nothing? Have a sip of coffee and then, in a relaxed mood, take things step-by-step.

You only need three things to start a Royal Enfield: gas, compression and ignition. An empty gas tank is the easiest thing to rule out, so do that first. In Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance author Robert M. Pirsig described how a motorcycle trip came to a sad end. How? Because he refused to believe the bike was simply out of gas. If the tank has gas, check for a pinched gas line. All OK? Good.
Check for compression. Swing the kickstarter through its arc with the ignition off. If it comes to a point past which it is difficult to move the kickstart lever, compression is fine.
If not, compression is escaping. It can only get out of the cylinder three ways. It can go through the valves if they are too tight or a bit of carbon is holding one open. Swinging the kickstarter repeatedly should clear any carbon and the valves will only be too tight if you adjusted them last night and left them set wrong. They don't get tight on their own.
Compression can escape through the decompressor. Check that the cable that operates it isn't binding (perhaps when the handlebars turn) , opening the decompressor.
Finally, compression can escape past the piston rings. Remove the spark plug, put a dollop of oil in through the hole, replace the plug and see if compression returns. It should.
Now check for ignition. For this you need electricity. A Bullet with a dead battery will not start. Does the horn sound loudly? If so, the battery is good enough.
Set the Kill Switch to "run" and the ignition to "on" and swing the kickstarter. Is the needle on the amp meter swinging to the left and back to center as you do this? If so go on to the next step. If not, there is a bad connection somewhere. If that's the case you'll have to track it down and you might not be going riding today. Before you give up, reach into the back of the casquette and wiggle the wiring looms in there. This once brought the Bullet back to life for me.
If the amp meter is swinging normally, pull the spark plug and replace it with a new plug even if the old one looks OK. You only have one spark plug in a Bullet, so that one plug is 100 per cent of your ignition system inside the cylinder. You want it to be perfect. You do have a spare spark plug, right?
Remove the points cover and, with the ignition and Kill Switch "on" use a screwdriver to gently pry the points apart. If they spark you're good, but turn off the ignition and use a business card or other flat cardboard to clean the contact surfaces.
Your motorcycle will start on the very next try. If not, feel free to say anything you want about me in a comment here.

Royal Enfield maintenance made simple

Royal Enfield maintenance made simple

The single most common maintenance chore unique to the Royal Enfield motorcycle is adjusting the valves. Not for nothing do they make t-shirts joking that "Loud Valves Save Lives." The clatter of valves isn't really loud enough to warn the world you're coming (as loud pipes famously do). There is nothing good about loose valves. Valves that are too loose, or too tight, can be damaged.

Setting them is a chore that is often described. The more it is described, the more daunting it can seem. Let's make it as simple as it can possibly be. First:

1. If the valves clatter more than seems reasonable, they are too loose. If you try to start the motorcycle cold and discover that the kicker just goes down without encountering very hard compression, they may be too tight.

2. Set the piston at Top Dead Center just as you do to start the motorcycle. Watching for the instant the amp meter flicks back to center is a good way to do this (remember, the kill switch has to be "on" for the amp meter to work).

3. Open the tappet cover and remove the spindle that holds it. That will give you more room to swing wrenches. Try rotating each push rod with your thumb. You should be able to just make them turn. When cold, it is OK for the exhaust valve (it's on the right) to be slightly easier to spin.

4. Once you determine which three wrenches you'll be using, file down their outside edges so they get into the tight space more easily. The filed ends will also mark which end of the wrench to use as you set them down and pick them up repeatedly.

5. Back off the lock nut on the valve you want to adjust. You have to hold the top adjustment nut while you do this (as illustrated above). Now, here is the BIG CLUE NO ONE EVER TELLS YOU: to loosen the valve, turn the bottom adjustment nut counter-clockwise as viewed from above (naturally you have to continue holding the top adjustment nut stationary). To tighten the valve, turn the bottom adjustment nut clockwise. Simple. When satisfied, tighten the lock nut.

6. Start the motorcycle and go for a test ride if you can. More than once I've found that I've made things worse and need to adjust again. This is a matter of error and trial. Don't set the valves the night before and wait to test them until your mates arrive for the big ride the next morning!

10 bad things other people do to your Bullet

10 bad things other people do to your Bullet

Not every Enfield owner can or will do all his own mechanical work. Those of us who sometimes pay for big jobs endure little annoyances. Among them:

1. No (or very little) oil in the motor after servicing. This may happen because the shop adds enough oil to reach the dip stick but then does not run the engine and re-check the level. Always bring a paper towel in your pocket when you go to pick up the motorcycle and subtly check the oil level yourself before riding off.

2. Missing parts. Shops take off little items and then forget to put them back on. Before you leave with your bike, take a few long moments to admire it. If the shop took off the rear wheel don't be surprised to find the clamshell adjusters or the chain guard gone.

3. They have your Bullet warmed up and even start it for you when you arrive. Great. But will it start with your own starting routine? Shut it off, let it sit a bit and try to restart it your way before you leave the shop. If you can't get going, something's wrong.

4. Tire changers will always firmly tighten the inner tube retaining nuts. Pete Snidal advises leaving them loose, so the first notice you get that the inner tube is slipping is a slanting valve, not an instant flat when the valve rips off.

5. A shop will glue down the value adjuster cover. They just want to make sure it doesn't leak oil, but attaching it permanently is not the right answer. You need to get to the valves, sometimes on the road, to keep them set right. Removing the glued cover probably will destroy the nice rubber gasket (as shown above).

6. Cables re-routed so as to cause problems. I once had my clutch cable re-routed so the metal mid-point adjuster shorted out the contacts on the horn, causing it to sound softly. I rode miles trying to figure out what THAT noise was.

7. Sump plugs re-installed by a mechanic with King Kong muscles so you can't remove them. Again, they are just trying to prevent leaks, but witchy tight plugs are not the solution. Rub the threads across a bar of soap and put the plugs in with normal strength.

8. Oil filter parts re-installed in the wrong order. Yes, it does seem odd that the spring in the cap bears on a fiber washer, but that is the way it's supposed to work. Putting the metal washer between them instead of on the other side of the fiber washer means an oil leak for certain.

9. Broken taillights. The plastic arms that hold the Bullet's taillights are surprisingly delicate and they are attached to the thin metal of the surprisingly delicate taillight assembly. In the shop, these things will be bumped by passing legs and yanked as they catch on clothing. Once snapped, they are virtually impossible to repair. They must be replaced.

10. Burnt out pilot lights. Don't ask me why, but I always have to go shopping for new pilot light bulbs after a visit to a shop. Coincidence?

Royal Enfield rear wheel easy to remove, thanks to clever swing-up back fender

It may seem hard to believe today, but post-war Royal Enfield motorcycles were known for advanced design features.

Swing-arm rear suspension, telescopic forks, cush drive, the neutral finder and spacious tool boxes were appreciated by motorcyclists. I purchased a 2006 Honda motorcycle and was stunned to discover that it had no oil filter, a feature Royal Enfield Bullet riders have enjoyed since 1939.

But one Royal Enfield feature always left me perplexed: the "quick detach" rear wheel. Oh, it's a terrific idea: take off one nut, slide out the axle, and the wheel is off, without affecting the chain or rear brake settings.

It's once you have the wheel off that you realize you can't get it out from under the fender!

Even if the tire is dead flat, there just isn't enough clearance.

The owner's manual of my 1999 Bullet helpfully suggests that you tip the motorcycle over on its centerstand and fish the wheel out from under the fender and muffler. I've done that. It's no fun.

Frustrating, too, is that you can just see the easy solution: if only the fender had a hinge in it, you could swing it up and away for clearance.

Not until I'd owned my Bullet for years did I learn the truth: the Bullet rear fender is hinged!

Plenty of room to remove the wheel.

Loosen one nut on either side of the motorcycle and it swings up and out of the way — assuming you have the solo seat.

Owners of machines with dual seats will have to unbolt and remove the seat; avoiding this is no doubt why the owner's manual suggested the Tip and Tug method.

I learned this trick from David Hill, of Franklin, Mass., who told everyone about it on the Royal Enfield Yahoo Message Group. He even noted that your spark plug wrench is the perfect size to loosen the nuts, just above the rear pegs, that hold the fender in place.

Spark plug wrench fits the nuts perfectly.

This method applies to the time honored Bullet, but what about the new C5 and G5 models? I wrote to Greg Stewart ("Scooter Bob"), technical services expert for Classic Motorworks. He replied:

"The C5 will do just that – but you’ll need to put the G5’s centerstand up on a piece of board and probably tip it to one side to get the wheel assembly out from under the bike. They still have the “quick hub” like ALL good Brit bikes should have – but they moved the drive chain to the right side.''