Royal Enfield Classic 350 De - Cat exhaust and silencer swap out Pt 1...

 As soon as a new Motorbike is released there is usually some factory bolt on accessories and then a steady stream of aftermarket stuff from various countries of various states of build quality and actual function. Exhaust systems are one of the first things many folks used to change on Japanese motorbikes in a bid to get a few more horsepower out a bike along with a nicer exhaust note.

The Royal Enfield bikes are no different thought in the case of the new Classic 350 most folk are not expecting much of an increase in top speed - I believe it has a restricted 70something MPH, but a better running engine that  pulls better and also runs cooler. Some owners have published up their findings doing some modifications to exhausts and air filters to great success....

Looking at a few other Classic 350 Reborn owners on their own Youtube channels some have fitted a complete after market exhaust system available from UK Royal Enfield parts specialist Hitchcocks - this looks nice and has an expected premium price for a well made chromed full system, that would no doubt look very nice and sound very nice on a chrome finished Classic 350, sadly they do not yet have an all black version available for the stealth black colour options, and for folks wanting an exhaust system more suitable for UK winter commuting and the inevitable road salt corrosion,

However there are other ways of obtaining a black exhaust system and one way is by a cheap stubby replica silencer from India, and some pipe to replace the CAT and I thought I would go down this route as a cheaper experiment...

So first off I ordered a stubby silencer from India which was approx £53 delivered in under a week!, and some stainless pipe on eBay at £7 per 500mm length in a couple of different outer dimeters...

I soon had the silencer and CAT removed after unbolting the heat shields and was staggered at the weight of these two items...

The silencer mount plate was removed then I put the heat shields and clamps back on and nipped them up to store these items complete and ready to re use at any time if needed...

After measuring the diameter of the front pipe I had to remove the exhaust sleeve gasket which was stuck into the CAT before storing them in the garage loft...

The narrower of the two size options of stainless pipe - 41mm outer diameter (41mm OD) fitted straight into the India bottle silencer...

After bolting on the silencer I marked the stainless pipe where to cut with a selfie and took it off and cut it to size on the vice in the garage, it was only about 50mm length to cut of the 500mm length to size...

All fitted I gave the pipe a quick spray of matt black exhaust high temperature paint and it all looked good. I took it a bit further as had also bought a length of exhaust wrap tape like you see on a lot of old classic custom bikes and race car exhaust which helps cool engines drawing heat from the exhaust and it looks cool!...

And vola!  job done!, if I had used a 42mm OD pipe it would have clamped onto the front pipe without the need to hacksaw cuts in the stainless pipe to squeeze over the front pipe - and these made for a not too neat join and with the cuts a slight air leak - needing the exhaust wrap to proper seal it and you will see this in the short film I made...

Running the engine on idle from cold start for a few minutes supposedly reprogrames the fuel system and the bike car-berated perfectly and has proved better than stock!

All in a £75 DIY exhaust which i`m real happy with, more in another film on the changes to how the engine feels with the changes after a weeks commuting...

Wee film...

More soon...

Harvest field cycle...

 

Back out cycling and I should be on 29+ wheels to make the most of them but I just grabbed the army Pugsley as it was sitting ready to go as tyre pressures etc would need checked on the KramPug 2.0...

A lovely morning to be out a pedal around local harvested fields, most of the harvest is done now and in fact struggling to find many scenic looking fields with bales to link up - most have either had the bales lifted straight away or the straw has been mulched  by the combine...

I love passing the Dovecots - or Doocots as they are pronounced in Scotland. Google Dovecots and most of the pictures of flamboyant ones are here in East Lothian, the protruding rings around them were to stop rats climbing the walls to get in to eat the pigeon eggs...

This one is at Phantassie

A rare people free Smeaton Mill, it is apparently the most photographed Building in East Lothian

Past Drylaw Dovecot similar to the nearby one at Phantassie...

More fields!

Jeep maintenance; Transfer/gearbox oil level check and a question for the experienced Jeepers?...

 

Routine maintenance keeps on top of things with the old Jeep, Transfer and Gearbox oi levels should only need checked a couple of times a year...

But something a bit strange is going on with my Jeep!, it seems the gearbox oil leaks a bit into the transfer box next to it!

When you take out the level plug to check if it needs any it runs out!, approx half a pint or so...

Just putting the level plug back on with some thread sealant...

Meanwhile across on the Gearbox it needs approx half a pint to bring up to level!

The transfer pump I bough for £10 or £12 on eBay is brilliant for doing such a fiddly job I used this for front and back axle oil checks aswell...

Since making the film and doing some googling I may have the answer - bearings that need 2 seals each side and a possible missing bolt in the centre of both casings?, guess we may sort this issue when I change the clutch hopefully during the winter and we have the gearbox out...

Here is a wee film showing what is happening and maybe we will get another answer in comments ?

More soon...

Jeep day out into Berwickshire...

 
30 mile drive today across to Duns in Berwickshire last Sunday with G in the Jeep, after a coffee and cake we drove to see John to see his Ww2 Ford GPW Jeep he has lovingly restored, the chassis complete we saw some of the accessories he has

How about this for some history?, signed canvas seats by members of the 506th 101st US Airborne still alive after  the famous and excellent Band Of Brothers mini series was released, 

These are the signatures of some of the the very men that served in Easy Company...

Looking forward to seeing John driving his Jeep when it is finished, it will be a real special Jeep...

We were soon back out across the Berwickshire country roads in our old `Hotchpotch` Jeep - that's what Chris and I call our French/USA/Willys/Ford Jeeps!, and we were soon to pull in at a small bridge on a country road, a rather fascinating little bridge as underneath it has a building that was once used as a prison cell - or Goal as they are often called in Scotland...

Onwards and across to Ellemford Bridge where we parked up and got the stove on for a coffee, 

It was boiling hot as we sat at the riverside so G decided to go for a clothed swim lol!

Once she had drip dried a bit we continued across to the Whiteadder Reservoir and across the county border back into East Lothian...

We could see the dull grey Sea Hair down along the coast back at Dunbar 15 miles away from up here so we were in no rush to leave the sunshine up here so down at Gifford village we stopped for ice creams and sat and baked in the sun for a while...

Heading for home we took the winding Hillfoots road back to Dunbar and the Sea Hair offshore was cooling the air, but what a fun day out in the Jeep and we drove approx 70 - 80 miles! 

Here is some film of a fun day out Jeeping...

More soon...

Beachride at JMCP...

 

Good to get out a morning cycle together again,

And again just local with no van yet repaired (next week!) and the sky was a mixed bag all day with sunshine and light cloud drifting in along with Sea Haar since the wind direction changed to an onshore easterly...

The Pugsleys are running great and got treated to a good shampoo wash after a rinse off once home...

Wee film, Song is `#19` by Aphex Twin

More soon...