I went to a rally with 'The Indian Riders group' this weekend, which involved a run of 75 miles around the countryside of E.Sussex and Kent. My Enfield was handling as though it was hinged in the middle .
On my return yesterday afternoon, I jacked up the bike to find a tremendous amount of slop in the steering bearings, which I was not able to adjust out. With the aid of some strategically placed screws in the rafters and a load of bungee's I was able to strip the stem out without totally dismantling the forks.
I found that the thread in the top nut has failed and subsequently damaged the thread on the stem. The resulting hammering has also damaged the lower bearing race. A new nut,race and set of balls is on their way thanks to the on line service of Hitchcock's. My engineer should be able to weld and reclaim the thread on the stem.

Riding a bike with this problem certainly keeps you awake Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Hi Ron...I guess eventually you'll reach a point where everything is fixed and you won't wish you'd taken the M20... ...That's the problem with riding something you didn't personally restore. I don't know how these guys get on with the 'barn finds' that haven't been run for years. Lots of tinkering I suppose..or limited use...Ian

email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com

Quite true Ian. This is one of two bikes that I own that I didn't restore myself. Both have given me lots of remedial repairs to the point that it would have been easier to totally strip them for inspection..... Mind you even properly built bikes can go wrong if you ride them. Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

True enough..but in a more predictable manner I think, as you are aware of the condition of things and can usually carry out a repair before a failure occurs...Ian

email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com

Sorry to see that Ron. Glad you rode home ok and things weren't more serious, the thread must have been quite worn to strip like that.

email (option): horror@blueyonder.co.uk

Ron, that's not good!!!

Could have been disastrous even!! hope you get it fixed soon, with the tig welding of Dave, and some maching, it should be OK again.

Must say I'm very pleased, in having taken 5 different bikes to 3 different events the last 3 weeks, and all of them performed flawlessly!

I'll keep my fingers crossed for Normandy!

Cheers,

Lex

email (option): welbike@wish.net

Im experiencing lots of probs with a supposedly 'restored ' CO also. I want to attach some pics of what i found inside the front brake, but dont know how to, also everything was loose or wrongly assembled on the front forks which i,m now doubting as to their authentity due to the recess not being large enough for a spindle nut.
It had one lage od nut and one smaller od nut fitted. The large one wouldnt fit the recess, whereas the smaller did. I ordered a new one from hitchcocks which was actually same as the smaller one and fitted, but then when looking at another CO i was assured that it should be the larger od nut!
Which is right?
Chris

email (option): chris@mgowner.co.uk

Sadly, in my experience bikes that have been inadequately and incompletely restored are in the majority and it can be difficult to determine at the point of purchase the quality of what you are buying. Buying from a dealer doesn't offer any protection either as most of them will sell anything and tell you it's good...and a lot of them don't really know very much about what they are selling anyway...
Personally I wouldn't buy a restored bike unless it was from someone I knew and whos work I trusted...I'd rather buy a non runner and do it myself..Ian

email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com

Hi Chris
About the photos. Open a photobucket account (free) upload your piccys then when looking at a pic in the library left click on the html link, should flash "copied". Then when posting on the forum right click and left click on "paste" that should do it . Check in preview. Good Luck and lets see the horrors of the front brake!!

Chris, Enfield forks are not the easiest because of the awkward left and right hand threads on the spindles. However I have done them a number of times. I don't fully understand your query. Email me the pictures if you want and I'll try and help......Or pop round whilst mine is in pieces.

With regard to the restoration of my CO. It was restored about 15 years ago by a chap who worked at an MGB supplies firm and used it daily for his commute to work. It was then briefly owned by a good friend of mine before I aquired it. In fairness, the bike has covered a far old few thousand miles......Mostly trouble free. God knows why the steering stem nut decided to give up after all this time. I'm just pleased to have found the problem and the parts to repair it for a modest £35. Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

hi Ron
its the front wheel spindle nuts i mean....yes i know what you mean about the fork spindles...a previous owner (restorer) had obviously just tried unscrewing the fork spindles without realising they had opposite threads at each end, judging by the chewed up ends...but i replaced all those ok.

I`ll have a go at the pics tomorrow, i was using my pad at the time so need to do it on the pc. The pics are on the HMVF website tho.

i think mine was restored to be pushed out of a van at a show then pushed back in again and not actually ridden!!


Chris

email (option): chris@mgowner.co.uk

Ron, it's easier to cut off the thread on the yoke, get your engineer to machine a new thread along with a reduced section that fits in the original neck post (as long as it will clear the damper if one is fitted) , get him to put a chamfer on the edge where it joins and weld it on in the chamfer so you get a good weld. Just to add a belt to your braces you can drill a hole in the original neck post and put a blob of weld in there too. It's far easier than trying to reclaim the original thread, a lot of the chopper lads do this and it's quite an accepted way to repair it as ultimately the neck post isn't under a lot of tensile stress

email (option): davmax@ntlworld.com

hopefully a couple of pics....thanks keith





this is the front brake bush that someone had `made`,note the shelving screws filed down paper thin to clear inside. also the cam had been made and only worked on the trailing shoe. The shoes are the wrong ones , too wide, and had been filed to clear the speedo gear.

Chris

email (option): chris@mgowner.co.uk

Dave I'll mention your suggestion to my local bloke. He usually comes up with something sensible.

Chris I know the previous owner of your bike and you are correct about the van thing. A nice enough bloke who even advertises his 'Collection' name on his van. But I fear he only sees his bikes as static displays. Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

hi ron at least your frame didn't break when you went out for a ride because on my co it sheard off at the head stock
cheers michael

email (option): michael.rutland@hotmail.co.uk

Hi Chris
Great photo!! Thats absolutely horrendous! But I suppose the previous owner only used the brakes when unloading from the van
Seriously though, I've known some of these static display bikes that don't even have any engine internals! I asked one guy (a long time ago) if I could see what sort of compression he was getting but it turned out the kickstarter shaft was araldited in place! I just dont see the point of any of that, why on earth bother?

Sadly, there's no doubt that in the current environment lots of people have completely forgotten what their motorcycle was built for.. Ian

email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com

I couldnt agree more, and this bike WILL be on the road again soon.
Ive just now got the correct brake parts from the military market place that Ron mentioned on here, so not much else left to find now.

Ian, i dont know if you had seen my bike before, i got it from who i believe is a mutual friend nr wilmington, but thats not who had supposedly 'restored' it.

email (option): chris@mgowner.co.uk