Royal Enfield Bullet is a very cool retro motorcycle, but it does have a lot of problems.

The Royal Enfield brand has a long history of making some of the most iconic motorcycles, especially in the last century. As the world’s oldest and oldest mass-produced motorcycle brand, people have always loved this nickname due to the brand’s British heritage, simple design language, and the legendary bang generated by its iconic push rod motor. . With the arrival of Bullet 500 in the United States, the brand put forward all the features of Enfields in the past, while solving some problems.

Royal Enfield Bullet 500 was launched in early 2011 and is equipped with a single-cylinder UCE engine with Keihin fuel injection system. The output power is close to 27 horsepower and the torque is 30 pound-feet. The chrome-plated aluminum engine shell, the clang of the long-stroke engine, and its overall characteristics make it a favorite of Americans. In addition, it is one of the best looking retro motorcycles you can experience for yourself. However, it always has many small problems and problems, which are considered part of Royal Enfield's character. Before getting Bullet 500, you need to pay attention to the following 10 questions.

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The Sprag clutch (or commonly referred to as a one-way clutch) is a flywheel clutch that looks the same as a roller bearing. Since Royal Enfield Bullet 500 is equipped with the same wedge clutch as the brand's low-capacity 350cc motorcycles (Classic 350, Electra, Thunderbird 350 and Bullet 350), it tends to break after several years of use.

Most owners of the Bullet 500 have reported a wedge clutch failure of less than 20,000 miles. When it is broken, the self-starter will not turn the motorcycle. In addition, as a long-stroke 500 cc motor, it is not the easiest bicycle to start. However, replacement parts are quite cheap, and there are many after-sales parts.

Low-quality wiring harnesses have always been the Achilles' heel of any Royal Enfield motorcycle (except Interceptor 650 and Continental GT 650). As the wires were wrapped in substandard insulating tape and pipes, the owner of the Royal Enfield Bullet 500 reported running out of batteries, weak lights and speakers, and other serious problems related to electronic devices.

At the same time, the Bullet 500 wiring harness is dangerously close to the motor, which makes the degradation process due to heat faster. Many netizens on the community forum of the Royal Enfield website revealed that the wires fell off due to high-pressure cleaning, which shows how poor the quality is.

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In addition to premature wedge clutch failures, Keihin Electric starters occasionally lose their temper. Many Bullet 500 users reported intermittent start-up problems in the morning. As the clock's mileage increases, the starter motor will occasionally make a rubbing sound and idling.

Due to the general quality of the wiring, the starting relay and the starting switch are common failure points of the bullet 500. If it fails, the motorcycle will not crank. The wiring contact with the battery also quickly degrades. However, the starter motor equipped with Bullet 500 is much better than the starter motor equipped with Classic 350.

Royal Enfield Bullet 500 is a motorcycle mainly made of metal, which can cause rust. Due to poor manufacturing quality and poorer quality control, rusty drill bits can be seen on many Bullet 500. The frame and side air filter and fuse box are the fastest rusting items on motorcycles.

Spoke wheels are prone to rust. The only way to reduce rust is diesel cleaning and continuous use of WD-40. Many Bullet 500 owners also apply Teflon coatings on exposed frames and other metal drill bits to reduce rust, especially in coastal areas.

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Royal Enfield Bullet 500's single-cylinder push rod motor is notorious for its high vibration, making it one of the major deal breakers for many potential buyers. Vibrations on the handlebars, pedals and seats are very obvious. Rearview mirrors are useless, because vibration makes them tremble violently even when idling.

Thanks to the impressive after-sales support, especially from India and the United Kingdom, the problem of high vibration can be solved to a large extent. The Carberry damping plate can be fixed, which helps stabilize and support the crankshaft. Lengthened handlebars with stabilizer bars, rubber brackets, rod end counterweights, etc. are some other simple ways to fix vibration problems.

Due to a tight budget, the Royal Enfield Bullet 500 did not fit and finish as well as competitors such as the Honda Rebel 500 and Kawasaki W800. This is particularly evident in a large number of chrome-plated drill bits. The chromium begins to fade and peel, especially in areas that are rapidly heating up.

Therefore, it can be observed that many Bullet 500 have rusty elbows and exhaust pipes. Other components, such as side indicators, headlight dome rings, side mirrors, and engine housings, will lose their finish after a few years. Re-chrome plating of these body parts is also a time-consuming and relatively expensive process.

The push rod UCE motor that comes with the Bullet 500 is very old in terms of technology and design. Therefore, Bullet 500 has the traditional putting noise (ticking) that many motorcyclists hate. When the oil reaches the optimal operating temperature, this sound will also increase significantly.

The Classic Motorworks Forum (an unofficial Royal Enfield community forum) recommends that car owners use high-quality fully synthetic engine oil and regularly replace the oil filter to reduce tappet noise. Many owners have also changed from automatic hydraulic tappets to adjustable tappets. However, manual tappets require constant adjustment of tappet clearance. You can also replace the tappet with a new tappet. However, the noise will return after thousands of miles.

Although the oil leakage rate of UCE engines is much lower, compared to older CI (cast iron) engines, Bullet 500 has a much higher chance of marking its territory than its competitors. The main culprit in this situation is poor quality gaskets and seals, which contribute to oil leakage.

The main parts of oil leakage are the bottom oil drain screw, left and right engine covers, kick shafts and vent pipes. Poor quality of the front and rear brake pipes will cause brake fluid to leak from the pipes. Even the brake master cylinder is easy to leak, especially from the cylinder head.

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The original sprockets and chains are prone to rust, even if they are carefully maintained. Due to regular lubrication and the correct tension of the chain, many car owners reveal that the service life of the chain and sprockets does not exceed 10,000 miles.

However, the Rolon brass chain and sprockets (18-tooth front sprocket and 38-tooth rear sprocket) have a long service life. It will not rust because it is made entirely of brass. However, this kind of chain sprocket is more expensive in the United States, and it is a bit difficult to buy.

The Royal Enfield Bullet 500s fuel injection system was made by the Japanese manufacturer Keihin and was found to be quite troublesome, especially in earlier model years. Fuel pump failure is a common problem, even affecting motorcycles that always have more than half of the fuel.

Some car owners have also reported fuel injector problems, although it is not as common as fuel pump failures. The only way to reduce the chance of fuel pump and injector failure is to constantly replace the fuel filter, check the fuel line and always maintain a sufficient amount of fuel (the fuel pump is lubricated with the help of fuel).

The new Royal Enfield Classic 350 forms a beautiful connection between the past and the future without losing its charm.