Thank you.

2019

Thanks. It's still mild. After Christmas, we can expect max of 47°C (116°F). The road melts, and tyres burst. But at least we don't get ice in winter. Cheers!

Thanks. I was watching one of yours the other day. Yes, the Bullet is going well, coming up to 22k kms service on Friday and a new chain and sprockets, maybe. We've had mixed weather this spring, but it's cleared up, and we're having 33°C days now. So, a few longer videos are coming up before Christmas, and then the real heat sets in. Cheers, and thanks for watching.

@MrMomo182 I could hear the chain when you were coasting down the hill 😄 I had a few tight spots in mine after being laid up for three months in the spring but I managed to free them off, I'm still under 5k miles so it should last a bit longer if I look after it over the winter 👍

Yeah, the chain has been making noise for a while and the breaks too. It's been 22kkms on the stock chain. Last full service it had its second rear tyre, a K80, as we couldn't get another K70 even after 6 months on order. I don't like it on this bike. Last intermediate service we had to fix a jammed master cylinder. So, finally we will get around to replacing the chain.

Thanks, TAYM.

I did it on a Bonnyville

@@christophern4038 wonderful 😁

Yes, they do have a special charm. I believe the Classic was geared with an extra tooth compared to the Bullet. Maximum torque at low revs is perfect for hills and twisties. But the price is crippling vibrations. It will be interesting to see whether the Classic 650 twins have character but smoother and suitable for the motorway. Thanks for commenting.

True, he entered just on amber. He was tailgating me and swore at me because I slowed for an amber. The car in front was indicating right, which is why I slowed down. If he had rear-ended me, it's just a dent on his hood, but kaput for me. Several such cases on this road.

Thanks, TAYM.

Yes. Thanks.

Thanks. The Chrome is amazing.

Yeah. It's got a Hitchcocks silencer on it. Part #91080C. Baffle is in. Thanks for commenting.

It is nice. Thanks for commenting.

Thanks. The song is Take My Hand by Glimmer of Blooms, which is on YT. It's on GoPro Premium at the moment. Thanks for commenting.

Thanks. The Trials is a gorgeous model. I plan to put the Trials' sump guard on mine. These are Halcyon Bar End Mirrors, rectangular convex, stainless steel, made in England. They are copies of the original Stadium type. They are fully retractable and have a conversion insert to fit in Bullet handlebars. I heard that Stadium are making the same ones again. When I put them on a couple of year ago, they were getting hard to find, but Motociclo had a set. I have an old vid of that day, but it's not very informative. They are a huge improvement on the stock mirrors, but stick out quite a bit. Thanks for commenting. Cheers.

@@MrMomo182 Thanks very much! They look much more useful than stock and look great on the bike.

Thanks. Yeah, those horses were pretty interested in the bike. New wet weather gear spoilt the audio. But only on this one, it did not happen on others I made same day. So, a few good vids are coming up. Cheers.

Thanks. It has GTA San Andreas vibes. That's what I was going for. Cheers.

Good question. I'm an old man and the guy I bought the bike from was even older, he was too old to ride anymore. We couldn't do much during lockdown for two years, so I got this bike as a last chance, before I get too old. I was riding more often last year, but now only a couple of times a month. This vid was at the end of an 11 hr 450 km round trip in one day. So, it would be possible to ride just on weekends. I see a lot of Random Rides meetups happen late at night after work too. Thanks for commenting.

Thank you. Yes, I missed riding too. It's been unseasonably windy across Easter Australia for the previous month or so, which is dangerous riding conditions because of side sheer and falling trees, also extreme fire bans. Hopefully, after the phenomenon of false spring and second winter, we will experience proper spring in August, when then Jacaranda blooms. So, a few more rides are planned. This ride was the only usable footage from an 11 hour 450 km ride, unfortunately. But I found several new routes. Cheers.

Thanks. Glad you liked it.

Thank you.

Nice. This one was 2019 but was stored until '22, when I bought it. It has 20,000 kms on it now and still near showroom condition. They seem to get better as they get run in, shifting is a lot smoother now. Thanks for commenting.

Nice. I like the carbed Bullets too. The 350 and 500 Twinspark I rode in India and Nepal were carbed. The fule quality isn't consistent, so carburettor is better. Thanks for watching.

Thank you. I think the new rocker cover gaskets give the engine a deeper tone.

Thanks. I'm glad you enjoyed it.

Thanks very much, TAYM. It was another great show this year. I only wish I knew nearly as much as you about them, so I could say something. I've a lot of study to do. Cheers!

@@MrMomo182 I know very little really 😁

Thanks.

Thanks. Yes, there are a number of immaculate established farms in the area. Lots of horses. I'm always trying to improve the sound. Glad you enjoyed it.

That's motorcycling at its best 😊

Thank you. It's the GoPro Chest mount. It's OK, but I have to adjust the angle just right, or it will cut off the bike or the horizon, especially when I lean forward. The 2013 Bullet must have a carburettor and rear drum brake, right? I rode one like that in India in 2020, and I think it's better than EFI and dual ABS. EFI is ok here, fule quality is consistent, but I often knock the brake lever because it is too low compared to the old one, and it is expensive to fix. Cheers!

​@@MrMomo182ah so my reply did not get posted earlier. In regards to the levers, why don't you try the handguards (knuckle guards). I had a nasty fall in one of my rides, and the entire burnt was over the guards and it cracked, still better than being stranded with a broken lever. I use the one from RE, though you can try one from Barkbusters too. Plus you have ample space to manage the lever even with riding gloves on. The EFI version (I guess the one which has rear disc brakes ) were introduced later over here, and one of my friend rides that. A bit throttle friendly than the Carburettor config, but then who cares 😅. Great to see your riding videos. Would love to hear more about your machine and how you manage it. How much on the Odo?

Thanks. There's 19500km on the odo now. It had a full service last week, plus new rocker cover gaskets and master cylinder was jammed. I don't have any special knowledge about it, and other guys have been riding them since youth, so I don't say anything. But who knows how the channel might change in the future. Cheers!

@@MrMomo182 wow with just around 20k, it's like a virgin machine you got there, I envy you. Hahahahaha. Ride safe and continue sharing your Vlogs. Someday I will buy a GoPro or something 🤣

Thanks. It's low mileage as it was stored for two years for lockdown. Low mileage 500s are going up in resale price. Mechanic says it is still showroom condition.

Thanks. I hope viewers remember to turn on captions for our banter. I couldn't have done it without my navigator. We were only in Okhaldhunga for this short ride between the watersheds of two rivers of the Koshi system. It was the roughest section of the trip. The raw footage uploaded last year is higher quality, YT is only rendering the edited video at 720, for some reason. My Bullet is in the shop, waiting for a new master cylinder to arrive, so next few weeks I'll upload edits from this Nepal trip. They don't get many views, but it was why I started the channel. Cheers.

Thanks. Yeah. Music stops at 2:06. Otherwise, some people say, "Why no music?"

Exactly where I paued 😅and come to comment section! Use noise reduction device.

Noise reduction is on.

Thanks.

Thanks.

Thanks. Yeah, it's both ways and was the only way into that community for a few years. That truck was brave to be going down there on gravel and mud. Lots of roos hopping off at the sound of the Bullet. There are roo whistles people put on their cars, but would be pointless on this bike. There's a good chance of dropping it in places. The B5 torque (41nm@4000rmp) is low and steady. I would not try a 650 through there. Cheers!

Nice to watch! I’m super excited atm as I just bought a second hand RE Classic 500. Hopefully it gets delivered to me tomorrow. Nice mud sliding a bit there!

@justjohn9067 that's marvellous! The Classic 500 is a great bike. I rode the Classic 350 in Nepal last year. The 500 has the same refinements, but with the pick-up of the Bullet, with slightly different gearing, I believe. I feel I can handle mud. It's muddy puddles hiding rocks and deep gravel that has toppled me. Cheers!

Thank you.

Thanks! It's a good run down to the river but not half as technical a Galston Gorge or River Road, or The Magic Miles. I've got a few vids on those, too, if you're looking for rides. I wonder if the C5's 17 tooth sproket makes any difference. Cheers!

@@MrMomo182 Thanks, to be honest I don't even know what country you are in, I was guessing either India or Australia. I am in the UK and have not heard those names before. My C5 is running the 18 tooth gearbox sprocket which gives a bit more top speed, I always thought it was low geared as was my Electra X before that.

Thanks. It's a Marlin clock.

@@MrMomo182 is that specifically made for motorcycle?

Yes. It'ss a US made company. They make clocks and temperature gauges specifically for Harley Davidson. They are made with a triple chromed billet aluminum housing and fully adjustable split ring mount, that swivels and rotates to any position. They are waterproof, shock resistant, and glow in the dark. The brackets have a silicone insert to adjust for different handlebars diameter. It clamps onto handlebars with a hex nut without damage to the handlebars and is pretty strong. The advantage over a stem nut clock is that it won't vibrate off, and is protected from vibrations by the silicone isolator. They have lots of varieties and cost AU$130. Cheers!

Thanks. Yeah, it's a Marlin, US made quartz. I fitted it two years ago. It's needed one new battery. It still keeps time well. It has a waterproof case, but I can see a little condensation inside. It's annoying to have to keep changing time for daylight saving, but easy enough to do. Bullet Wanderer took his stem nut one off recently after about 5 years because it stopped working. I don't refer to it as much as I thought I would, but good for a quick check in school zones, and I think it looks good. The vibrations hit my wrist watch too, so I only wear a quartz or occasionally an automatic on a bund strap. Wearing watches on motorcycles is a topic people argue over. Thanks for commenting. Cheers!

@@MrMomo182 Thanks for the info on the handlebar clock. Not sure if Marlin are available here in France. I'll will probably just buy a cheaper quartz one off Amazon and see how it goes. I do not wear a wrist watch hence me looking for a clock for the bike. I've seen the stem nut mounted ones on Amazon Fr, just fancy one mounted on the handlebar. Cheers.

Thanks. Yeah, the Holden Rodeo ute took pitty and let me overtake. He could see that's all the Bullet's got, without a package of performance mods. 😆 Like SoCal, we get bad fires in the dry season too.

Thanks.Goid on TAYM for the shout out. It is an excellent bike for back roads, green lanes, and even a bit off road. The Trials are a scrambler built off the platform, for example. I ride these in India and Nepal, and they are robust. The video quality is improving, as I invest in new kit. Cheers!

Yeah, I do that. Probably shifting down and then back up, coasting through downhill left hairpins. I might not need to shift so much on tight corners, but I feel it stalling in higher gears. Please watch an uphill hairpin vid, like Galston George ones, and let me know if I shift too much going uphill. I should do a clinic at Hart sometime and learn how to ride properly. Thanks for any advice, I seriously appreciate it. Getting that sort of advice is one reason I put vids up. Cheers!👍😉

@@MrMomo182 I wasn't watching that closely during the video but if advice is accepted on cornering mine would be, (after about 50 years of road and dirt riding) have your clutch operation and shifting done prior to entering curves. The last thing you want is to be "freewheeling" in the curve.

@pinkiewerewolf Yeah. I sure appreciate every bit of advice. I am probably overthinking these hairpins because I have an unknown rider in front of me, and I wanted to give him plenty of room. As it happens, he rides better than me. I am probably making it up as I go, but these sharp left curves, with on-coming traffic, both uphill and downhill, are posted 15 kmph, and I have scraped a peg or stalled on them before. I shift down to 2nd or even 1st well before and coast through, shift back up, then power out. There must be a better way. If you watch the Galston Gorge vid going uphill, you will see a lot of unnecessary shifting. Very dangerous, especially if there's a tailgater behind. I will scrape the rear brake lever in a right lean or stall without clutch pulled in somewhat. Anyway, sorry for long-winded cope.😅

@@MrMomo182 In the early 2000’s I moved from flat straight roads in Illinois to the twisties of California. I had a lot of learning to do. Luckily I found a great bunch of seasoned riders through the ZZR1200 forum at the time. I blew my share of corners early on. Don’t let vehicles behind you get into your head, they’ll have to slow down or let them in front of you. The Bullet 500’s are great for puttering but they aren’t cornering machines. Nick Ienatsch wrote an article titled The Pace, it is a great read and excellent to put into practice.

I think our Hills twisties are even more extreme than the ones I rode in Nepal. They were made as cart tracks. But at least they do have rails. Some jokers love to tailgate up such roads, honking even! Most people behave nicely, however. When I was riding in Nepal, I tried out the cornering techniques they taught at the couple of clinics I've done, and fast found myself in line with the front of a speeding bus.😄 There must be a few ways to approach them. Since most of my vids are on twisties, maybe this channel is about that, but as it says in the description, it's not a demonstration.

It is a great bit of road. I'm looking forward to getting back up there in the spring to test the new sport tyres. Thanks for commenting.

Thanks.

Ha, ha. No contest against a fine machine operated by a youngster of only 35. At least I kept him in sight and avoided the speed camera van at the end. Cheers!

Thanks, that's very touching. I'm like you, had a lot of nostalgia about this bike. I'm so glad I got the last one. But I rode Classic 350 in Nepal last year and it's really good too. J series 350 platform is very refined and less vibration. The new Bullet is fine. They are under rs/- 2 lakh, I'm think of buying one to ride in India next year. Thanks for commenting.

Cheers. I've got a series on that road. It would be 45 minutes long to do the whole road, so I break it up. Trials is awesome. I'm thinking of putting the bash plate from the Trials on mine. Thanks for commenting and the sub. I appreciate it. 👌

@@MrMomo182 I would watch that. Bash plate adds a nice look and even protects the master cylinder a bit.

Yeah. I've scraped it a few times and bottomed out. I plan to put a luggage rack on the back and go for some rides on the dirt, so I'll be overloaded and will need that plate. Trials has that high pipe, I'm too low to get through more than ankle deep water. Did it in my Nepal trip vids on a 350.