Hi Foxy

With regard to spares - at the moment I'm going to start the trip with some Avons and take 3 TKC 80's for when the roads get worse. I have a spare set of most cables and spare 'o' ring chain. Top end gasket set, 2 spare inner tubes ( british made and I changed the original Indian ones too), puncture repair kit, Iridium spark plug, set of points and condensor ( although I have electronic ignition fitted). I may add to the list but if anything drastic happends ( which I'm expecting! ) I can arrange to send out parts to wherever I am.
With regard to carb - I went for the concentric - I must admit I dont like Amals but I dont like the original carb either - I have too many friends who have had problems with the standard carb and are much happier with the Amal so I listened to them and to date I can honestly say the bike starts and runs much better

All the best

Rob

You may also want to consider an oil pump spindle - these can and do fail and if they do it'll be sudden and you'll be stranded. Only about a tenner though, and lightweight too. Spare spokes may be an idea too as they can get bashed about a bit and don't have the best reputation for strength. Would presume you have found Hitchcock's by now - certainly by far and away the best company I've ever had regular dealings with. May be worth speaking to them for advice and they'd certainly be top of my list for sourcing spares. Their improved 5 plate clutch is supposed to be an absolute gem, especially if lugging luggage or off roading or in hotter climates. Or all three as it could be!

Re the carb, Concentrics can wear out to the point of uselessness in 6000 miles if used in unfriendly conditions. While the standard 24mm Mikarb is tiny it does offer better economy, better reliability and in my case is set up pretty much perfectly. Being a copy of a Mikuni it is also easier to source spare parts. The only advantage of the Amal I've seen is easier starting owing only to the tickler & variable choke and the increase in performance owing to it's larger bore. Once sorted they do work quite well, but I have been meaning to try using a VM28 from a 500 for performance with reliability and economy. FWIW with respect to the 500s the figures I've seen bandied about for fuel consumption is around 90-100mpg with the VM28 and 75-80mpg with a 30mm Concentric, which I'd imagine would be fairly similar to the figures for the 350.

Re tyres, I've used Avons up to now but have heard very good things about the block pattern Chen Shin classic tyres. Understandably with that name most are dubious, but it seems that those who try them are impressed by their grip and longevity. The block pattern also works surprisingly well off road and not only are they dirt cheap but they are also a universal fitment - meaning front and rear are exchangeable, which makes for an easier life. Even the stock Avons aren't too bad at all off road in the dry though.

Congrats on the 350 as well - they definitely seem to be more robust for long distance work than the 500.

Will be at the HUBB UK meet on Friday, Saturday and Sunday if anyone fancies a chat - dont think there will be too many Enfields there but my registration finishes in VCC just in case

All the best

Rob

Romantic idea, the Enfield, but is it practical?
 

I think that you are brave to undertake the trip across Africa on an Enfield. Sure, do, it, but I'd be inclined to use a BMW R 80 GS, XT 500, XT 600, R 100 GS, R 1200GS, BMW 1150 Adventure, the Enfield would worry me. I remember my BSA all too well, my Land Rovers as well. I'm more of a BMW or Land Cruiser type of bloke after 53 bikes. Something that will just slog on and on.

I have been stuck on the side of the road with broken down bikes on only a few occasions - many years ago - even a Yamaha TTR 250 is a good choice, check out Lois on the Loose - The TTR250 - ready to rock

I live in Africa, have for most of my life, if your bike breaks down here in a place you don't want to be, it can cost you your life. That's not romantic.

A Bullet is perfectly capable, if prepped right. The nightmare stories I have read seem to stem from people riding ropey second hand Indian home market bikes long distances. Later export spec bikes are better made and with the right modifications are quite impressively robust. Even with the improved quality of the export market bikes there are still certain improvements that can greatly improve reliability. The main bearings can be quite suspect and it would be prudent to strip and rebuild the motor with western European made main bearings. This will also give you the opportunity to check over the rest of the motor and address the other main problem area - lubrication. There are alot of pros and cons relating to the use of high capacity oil pumps, and IMO they may not be worth the expense but there are simple modifications and checks that can be done to ensure the lubrication system is working efficiently.

The 350s certainly seem to be more robust than the 500s and, again IMO, are better suited to distance work regardless of the extra torque provided by the 500 engine. Essentially the 350 has noticeably less reciprocating mass which means less stress on the bottom end and less vibration which is of benefit to the whole bike and the rider.

Properly sorted what you end up with is a fairly robust bike that while more maintenance intensive than more modern designs is very easy to work on and pleasantly characterful. I have found spares backup in the UK at least to be far better than any other bike I have owned, and the company in question ships very quickly domestically and do also ship overseas. This company is Hitchcocks and they also have a wealth of experience relating to running and modifying post war Royal Enfields, especially the Bullet.