Installing the New Solo and Pillion Seats

I continue the saga of installing the Vintage Kit from nFieldGear.com - the new seats!

The next items to install from the nFieldGear Vintage Kit on my Royal Enfield Bullet C5 Classic were the seats. The Vintage Kit came with a new solo seat and a pillion pad for the rear fender. I felt some trepidation about the installing the pillion seat - you have to drill two holes in the rear fender to install the seat! Did I really want to "ruin" my new fender by drilling holes in it?

First, the solo seat...

Here is the original seat that came with the bike - truth be told, it's a really nice seat, with stitching around the edges and a nice leather or leather-like (?) material:

You can see from the photo above that the original factory seat sits somewhat level with just a slight up-tilt at the rear.

I was a bit disappointed when I unwrapped the new "Deluxe Solo Seat" from the nFieldGear kit - it seemed to be the same width as the factory seat (it was advertised as being a bit wider), and it had none of the stitching of the original. But, I decided to install it anyway, just to see if the comfort or ride was any better.

Once again, as was the case the bar-end mirrors, there was going to be a little bit of drilling to do on the new seat so that the factory "plynth" (the bracket located under the front of the seat) could be installed on the new seat pan.

Step 1: To remove the factory seat, you simply unbolt the springs from the bike's frame and save the bolts, spacers, washer and nuts. Take note of how the spacers and washers were installed on the original - they will go back on exactly the same way!

Step 2: Remove the bolt from the front of seat, where the "plynth" attaches to the frame. The bolt is threaded into a blind hole on the frame - there is no nut.

Step 3: Remove the springs from the bottom of the seat pan. This is a bit tricky unless you have a deep-socket wrench with an extension on it. I did not have the right tool, so I used a open-ended wrench which I had to force through the bottom spring coils to get to the nut on the inside of the spring coil.

For the next few steps, I am going to borrow the instructions available from nFieldGear.com at this link: http://www.nfieldgear.com/content/deluxesoloseatinstall.pdf

By the way, many thanks to nFieldGear for putting these instructions online - nicely done!

I had to provide two of my own stainless steel bolts and nuts from my garage stock - they were not provided with the new seat.

Now, it's just a matter of installing the new seat back on the bike the same way the factory seat was installed. NOTE: The instructions say that the seat springs will install on the outside of the frame spring brackets, but that was not the case with mine. It installed exactly the same way as the factory seat. 

Here's the new seat on my bike after installation:

Notice from the side view above how the springs arch forward a bit? Also notice that the front of the seat is in contact with the gas tank. You can also see that the new seat sits about 1 1/2" higher off the frame than the factory seat. I wasn't very pleased with any of this, but I decided to give it a chance. I rode the bike 3 times (about 60 miles total) to test out the seat. I found that the seat would rock forward a bit on the "plynth" bracket when coming to a stop - it felt like something was loose. I also noticed that the seat tilt angle tended to force my crotch "downhill" into the gas tank.

After about a week, I removed the new "deluxe" seat, and reinstalled the factory seat. I am much happier with the factory seat! Anybody want to buy the "deluxe" seat for cheap??

On to the pillion pad!

The most important thing about installing the pillion pad is "measure twice, cut once!" It's pretty scary drilling holes into your beautiful new bike, so you don't want to screw this up.
nFieldGear provided a very handy method to ensure that you get it right. Basically, you wrap two pieces of masking tape cross-ways across the rear fender (mud guard if you are Indian or from Europe). Make sure the pieces of tape extend past the bottom edges of the fender. Mark the edges of the fender on the tape on both sides, then remove the tape pieces. Lay them flat and measure the distance between your marks on both pieces. Find the exact halfway point between your marks, and mark those points. These are your center-marks. Place the tape pieces back on the fender, aligning the bottom edge marks with the bottom of the fender on both sides.
Take a longer piece of masking tape and lay it longitudinally on the fender, aligning the edges of the tape with your two center marks. This is your center-line for the fender. All of these steps are presented in pictorial views at nFieldGear.com here: http://www.nfieldgear.com/content/deluxepillioninstall.pdf. I've also created a little 3D illustration below...

Here's an illustration of how I marked the fender (mudguard) for drilling using masking tape

The threaded mounting bolts on the pillion pad are spaced at 6 1/4" apart. To be sure, I used yet another piece of masking tape, and layed it along the underside of the pillion pad and marked the locations of the mounting bolts. I found that the bolts were spaced closer to 6 3/8" on mine, so I recommend that you double-check this for yourself. I marked the bolt locations on the masking and tape and then transferred it to my fender.

Then, it's just a matter of using a center-punch at the hole locations on your fender, and drilling the holes! If you don't remove your fender prior to drilling, be sure to protect your rear tire with some sort of protective material (I used wooden blocks) to that you don't accidentally drill into the tire!
I was able to install my pillion seat without removing or loosening my rear fender, but I'm sure it is easier in the long wrong if you loosen the rear of the fender and raise it up prior to installing the seat.
Tip: Don't install the pillion pad too close to the rear of your solo seat - you may want to leave some room for other accessories, or for a larger seat!
My seat went on perfectly, and I was happy with the result. Now if I could convince my wife to go for a ride...

Next in the series: Installing the Vintage Number Plate

Installing the grips and bar-end mirrors from the nFieldGear C5 Vintage Kit

Installing the nFieldGear C5 Vintage Kit continued -
The Grips and Bar-End Mirrors

After I was done with the mini-bullet turn signals (see that post RoyalEnfieldsinAmerica - Installing the Vintage Kit), I decided to go for the new grips and bar-end mirrors. This turned out to be more of a chore than I expected, and took me about 4 hours total! The bar-end mirrors supplied with the nFieldGear C5 kit require some modification before they can be installed, so get your hacksaw, file and vice ready!

First, the grips... The new grips supplied with the Vintage Kit are larger diameter and more cushioned than the originals, so I was really looking forward to trying them out. I removed the factory bar end weights using a hex wrench, then cut the original grips off the handlebars using a box knife. Be careful with the throttle grip when cutting - there's a plastic tube under the grip (this is the tube that rotates around the bar for throttle control. After slicing the old grips along their length, peel them off the bars and clean up the bars a bit.
My trick for installing new grips is to coat the inside surfaces of the grips with a very soapy solution (lots of soap mixed with a little bit of water). This acts as a lubricant when sliding the new grips, and unlike other lubricants (vaseline, oil etc. - don't use those!), the soap will evaporate quickly, leaving no slippery residue. I also have a rubber mallet handy for those last two inches or so. The left grip went on fine. Before installing the right-side grip, you have to do some modification to the throttle tube. The tube has plastic moldings on it in the form of riblets that run inboard/outboard all around the circumference. These riblets have to filed down smooth for the new grip to have any chance at all of installing. There's also a plastic rim molded into to the outboard end of the tube, and it has to be filed off as well. So, grab your file or rasp, a beer, and get after it!
After the throttle tube is smooth, you'll need to make a modification to the throttle grip. You can see from the photo below that both grips have molded rubber ends. If you try to install the throttle grip without cutting off the end of the grip, you will not be able to turn the throttle! This is because when you re-install the bar-end weight, it will squeeze the end of the grip very tightly, making the grip impossible to rotate.

Cut this end off for the throttle grip

Install the throttle grip with the soapy solution as described above.

Now for the bar-end mirrors. This is where the hacksaw comes into play. The bar-end mirrors that ship with the Vintage Kit are designed for hollow-ended bars, so they come with a lug cast into the mirror bodies that must be cut off before installing on the original bar end weights. The photo below is from nFieldGear.com, and shows the cast lug that must be removed:

After cutting off the lugs from both mirrors, installing them is a breeze. Use the new bolts that come with the mirrors - they should screw right into the factory bar ends. 

Here's the left-side grip and mirror installed:

And the right-side:

I've ridden about 50 miles with the new bar-end mirrors installed, and they seem to be pretty stable - no more shaky than the original mirrors. And I really like the look much better than the Mickey Mouse ears that came as original equipment.

Next: Installing the front mudguard number plate!

Installing the mini-Bullet Turn Signals from the nFieldGear C5 Vintage Kit

Installing the nFieldGear C5 Vintage Kit continued - The mini-Bullet Turn Signals

After installing the 7" headlight conversion kit (see previous post http://royalenfieldsinamerica.blogspot.com/2015/08/installing-nfield-gear-vintage-kit.html ), I tackled the mini-Bullet turn signals.
The front signals are easiest, requiring only removal of the original turn signals and installation of the new.
When I removed the original turn signals, I had to snip the wires leading to the bulb assembly inside each turn signal housing. You'll need to splice the wire to the new mini-bullets at the end of installation, so be sure to have some crimp-style splices or other connectors of your choice handy. I installed some heat-shrink tubing over the wires and then used crimp-on spade connectors wrapped in electrical tape. It's best, I think, to measure the length of the original wires leading the signals and try to make the new wiring the same length. That way, you won't have to tie-wrap or otherwise secure extra dangling wires. Here's the new front right turn signal installed:

Be sure to use the amber-colored signals up front, and the red-colored in the rear!

For the rear signals, you will need the 2" chrome extension threaded rods that ship with the Vintage Kit. These need to be installed so that the turn signal housings will clear the OEM tail-light housing, and be visible from behind.

I removed my entire tail-light housing from the rear fender (small bolts are accessible from underneath the rear fender. When you remove the original turn signals, pay attention to which wires attach to which turn signal - on mine, the wires leading from the RIGHT side of the fender actually were for the LEFT turn signal. After removing the old signals and clipping the wires, you'll need to dis-assemble the new bullet signals and install the 2" extensions, being sure to feed the new wires through the bullet signal housing and through the extension rods. After installing the rear signals to your tail-light housing. the rest is the same as the front signals, except that you have a lot of room inside the tail-light assembly to tuck extra -length wires away from sight. 

Here are the new rear signals installed:

Nice! Be sure to test your turn signals before re-assembling everything!

NEXT: New grips and bar-end mirrors!

Installing the 7" Headlamp Conversion from the nFieldGear C5 Vintage Kit

The vintage kit from NfieldGear.com for C5 models includes a 7" headlight conversion kit with a chrome "eyebrow" trim, (4) mini-bullet turn signals, new grips, bar-end mirrors, front fender emblem plate, and deluxe solo seat and pillion seat.

I did not order the performance mods pictured above, only the trim pieces.

Three days ago, I began the install process, starting with the 7" headlight conversion. Nfield Gear doesn't ship instructions with the parts, but all instructions are available on their web site.

The most tedious part about installing the new headlight was the installation of 6 spring clips that hold the lamp tight in the trim ring. My advice is to get another person to hold the lamp and trim ring together while you install two opposing clips. After that, the installation is a breeze by yourself. Be sure to place the chrome eyebrow piece in between the trim ring and the lamp before installing the spring clips! That part is not mentioned in the instructions. Remove the old headlight, keep the old screws (you'll re-use two of them), and follow the instructions from there. I spent 3 hours on the job, but half of that was wasted trying to install the spring clips by myself. Thanks to my wife for lending a hand!

Here's the original headlight:

And here's the 7" conversion:

By the way, the new headlight is secured much better to the bike than the original. When I bought my C5, I rode it 200 miles home. Halfway there, I noticed that the lamp was loose in the headlight housing, and I had to dis-assemble the OEM headlight a couple of days later and install some home-made rubber shims to keep the innards secure. I believe that the new headlight will not have those issues.

Next: Installing the turn signals...

My "selfie" Christmas present - a 2014 Royal Enfield Bullet Classic C5

My Christmas gift to myself in November 2014 was this Royal Enfield Bullet C5 Classic:

This is Royal Enfield's modern version of the classic 1932 Bullet. Styled much like the original Bullet, the 2014 model has up-to-date features such as front disc brake, Electronic Fuel Ignition, electric starter (and kick starter), unit construction (the engine and transmission are a single cast unit), and modern electricals and suspension.

The C5 is a one-cylinder, 500cc bike that puts out a head-snapping 29 HP ! Seriously, you won't win any races with the Bullet, but that's not the point. It's a vintage-looking machine that inevitably turns heads and has people asking "What year is that?" The Bullet C5 cruises comfortably at up to 65 MPH and gas mileage averages 70 MPG. At speeds above 65, the bike is working pretty hard, and vibrates noticeably. It's a perfect rural touring machine if you enjoy riding at speeds of between 45 and 55 MPH and taking a little time to enjoy your surroundings.

Here's a pic of an original 1930 Royal Enfield Model J:

Royal Enfield began making motorized vehicles in the early 1900's in Redditch, England. They continued to manufacture in England until the late 1960's when all manufacturing transitioned to India under new ownership. In 1955, the Indian government ordered a large quantity of Bullets, leading eventually to the set-up of an assembly plant in India under license by Royal Enfield of England. The assembly plant led further to manufacturing operations in India. When Royal Enfield of England fell victim to market pressures from the new slate of Japanese bikes, they closed down operations in England, leaving the Indian company as the sole manufacturer of Royal Enfield motorcycles. In recent years, under new ownership, Royal Enfield of India has been making huge improvements to the quality of their products, and sales have been booming. 

I'll be adding some goodies to my 2014 model in the coming days, and I'll update with progress pics.