I should have gone when I owned a XT600Z Tenere but the plan now is to take my 500 bullet to Morocco. Maybe do a few pistes, camp in the desert, see the usual sites and come home. Now I was wondering if there was anyone out there who had done this? I am also interested in talking to anyone who has experience of sourcing oiled air filters on these bikes.

Many thanks

Stephen

Speak to DougieB who took one down through Morocco and round much of the African continent. No reason why it shouldn't make it. Try Hitchcock's if you haven't already for filters. (google 'hitchcocks enfield parts' should get you there!) Although I've never heard of oiled filters for a bullet myself. Having said that you could probably bodge one up from a filter for another bike and fit it straight to the carb, there's not much fine tuning to mess with on an enfield! (while you may have to play with your jet size a little).

In terms of luggage etc. I'd go as light as is humanly possible, Dougie will testify those rear subframes are not the strongest things in the world! You can buy subframes often from Watsonian Squire who import the bikes. They remove stock subframes and replace them on their 'custom' bikes like the trials and cafe racer specials. Get one of these and weld some strengtheners on perhaps?

Where are you in the UK? I have some R.E. pannier racks for my 350 and (very basic!) home made boxes you'd be more than welcome to borrow (or buy for forty quid or so). These are in Dunblane in Perthshire.

Matt

Matt

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*Disclaimer* - I am not saying my bike is better than your bike. I am not saying my way is better than your way. I am not mocking your religion/politics/other belief system. When reading my post imagine me sitting behind a frothing pint of ale, smiling and offering you a bag of peanuts. This is the sentiment in which my post is made. Please accept it as such!

Cheers for the offer, but I am in Wales and plan to go soft in the luggage dept. The most weight will be spares and tooling.

Hitchcock's I know and they don't. Oiled seemed like a sensible option to me given the dust.

Stephen

hey,

yep, Bullet down through Morocco, Mauri, Senegal, etc, etc. I'd recommend changing the standard air filter (the large box type, which leaks loads of air/sand) for the pancake style. Also I used a car water hose (Ford Sierra) to replace the wafer-thin rubber that mounts the carb. I had army canvas bags slung over the back seat, and a roll-bag too. I didn't take much, the tools and manual were the heaviest things. You can upgrade the kickstart return spring too, before you head off.

The problem I found (I broke the rear subframe twice) was the the shocks seemed to wear out. But that was on the really bad roads around Mali, and after. Around Morocco you will be fine, even on the pistes.

TKC80's were perfect for deep sand and scraping the pegs on tarmac bends. I swapped the front to the rear after 12,000 kms, as they still had a lot of life left in them.

I'm moving a load of pictures up to a website in the next day or so, so I'll post you the link. A couple show the breakages, and luggage, etc. As long as you don't mind the pace of the bike it's very capable off-road.

by the way, I just used paper filters (and even then only one I think) and it was fine. No need for oiling I don't think. The carb never seemed to get sand in it. Despite numerous sand storms.

Currently I am running old style open at the bottom airbox with a wire gauze with felt over airfilter. I might see if I can rig up something similar in foam. Thanks for the advice look forward to the link.

I used to run these tyres on my XT they are the business

Stephen

I haven't looked at the photo's for a while, so you got me interested. Here: Africa Travel

Mali was the point at which I changed to side bags, and changed air filter.

Outstanding mate,
I love the pics of the bullet alongside all the "proper" overland bikes.
Mine is the military green one and has the deep mudguards of the 350 which may have to go to get the tyres in.

Many thanks and if you're passing through Wales give me a shout and I'll buy you a pint for the contents of your brain.

All the best

Steve

no worries. the tkc80's were difficult to get on. so maybe put them on before setting off, to stretch them a bit (unless you're setting off with them on). I wrecked the enfield's tyre levers putting them on. I would get some longer/stronger levers before you go.

can't think of anything else really. the bike just worked. the frame breaks were basically me going too fast over very rough tracks, due to various reasons.

enjoy your trip, pm me if you think there's anything I might be able to help you with.

cheers,
doug

I suggest you get a mate with a sidecar who's able to carry a stack of junk like tools, puncture repair kits, stove, petrol, cocktail cabinet and so forth. You'll then be able to explore the full potential of the Bullets off road performance. It'll work fine so long as you're happy to help with the ramps and sand mats when said shopping trolly gets stuck!

Only thing that worries me is how the locals are going to react to our little convoy. One military green Bullet followed by a Bonneville-Ural combo tends to have old boys reaching for the blunderbuss in the UK never mind further afield!

For those that havn't guessed, I'm with Steve. Probably the least likely "expedition" going, but the alternative is a pair of MZ's!

Andy

Hi Andy, what sort of fuel comsumption are you getting from your triumph outfit
cheers Andy

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I should probably post this in the sidecar thread below rather than go off topic with this one, but the simple answer is about 55 mpg if I stay off the gas, dropping to about 45 if I don't. Range at 140 miles to reserve isn't the best.

Andy

Thanks everyone for all the excellent feedback

Steve

It's great to read about other guys out there doing / planning overland trips on Bullets.

Me and a mate are leaving the UK on the 19th July heading East.................... all the way East as far as Ulaan Bataar and we're doing it for charity on a pair of 500 Bulls. One is a 1992 UK model and the other is a 1999 535 Lightning but to be fitted with a 500 barrel and piston.

Our planned route is Ukraine, Russia, Kaz, UZ, Kyrg, Kaz again, Russia again and finally Mongolia.

Good luck to all other Bulleteers out there, hopefully we will all be able to prove to everyone else that the good old Bullet is truly the overland bike of choice

That is of course if you don't mind 50mph as normal cruising speed





TEAM REMIT

Nice one 660. Kind of weirded me out though as my other bike (not the bullet) is a Skorpion 660. You weren't kidnapped at birth or something?

Have a great trip

Stephen

You're right, that is kind of wierd. I got rid of the Skorpion a couple of years ago but have still kept the user name due the fact that remembering new user names and passwords is not my strong point.

If you pm me your e-mail address I can send you some photos of the mod's I've done to our Bullets. Maybe give you some ideas.