Enfield Tracker: War Pig Rennaissance

Thanks, man!

I'm pretty sure the balance problem lies in the ridiculous MX tubes I'm running. Michelin extra-heavy, allegedly 4mm thick. Supposedly even normal MX tubes result in the high-speed wobble I've got going, so these have to be the problem. Just gonna leave it as-is for now...packing out in April to get back stateside. Once I'm back I'll put in regular tubes and true/balance everything out.
 
Standing by to crate it up for the slow boat home....
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So...finally...it's back in the US and with my engine guy for a few days. I'm in a six-month intense training thing right now at work, and trying to get my Matchless running in my spare moments, so I was glad he was able to pick it up and give it a once-over, plus he's going to adjust the base gaskets for more compression w/ US premium fuel. Was fun having him quiz me on a few things I did that are pretty unique to my bike (the cartridge emulators, taper bearings, disc brake, oil hosing, etc.). The bike has definitely turned some heads with its weirdness.

He'll have it re-jetted for east coast weather, the timing re-checked (he's better at that by ear than me) and back in my hands in a few weeks. Just in time for cold weather...but I should still be using it to commute the mile and a half to work through the winter.

(Again, "engine guy" is Sumanth "Chumma" Janardhan, one half of Ace Engineering. If you have an Enfield, you need to see Ace to get it running right...)

Edit: Crating it back from Africa was a nightmare, btw. They tried to "crate" it in a birdcage of rough wooden sticks, which I put a halt to right away. Had to go to the moving lot where they eventually built a proper box, but had put the ratchet straps I gave them around the fork mid-front wheel height and wrapped it a few turns around the sliders, and chocked it in with some kind of Wile E. Coyote arrangement of wood blocks. After much fussing, I was able to get it sort of properly tied down at the bars and across the rear wheel, at which they shook their heads sadly, saying (best I can tell) "that'll never work, silly Toubab [white guy]." However, it did make it home OK, so I'm pleased I made the effort to stave off disaster.
 
So it's been a while, and if anyone still cares, the pig has been back in the states and finally is running like a top. Took its first long trip back in the late fall, ironed out most of the problems, and got the speed weaving eliminated...shock dampers were set full soft on one side and full firm on the other...duh. (Went through Harper's Ferry on the way out to two weeks of training in WV, rode every day back and forth between the hotel and work; all beautiful back-road driving that left me in stark terror of being killed by a deer.) Also got to camp out a night with Jussy and his Marylandish crew, which was a nice bonus. Attached snap taken on that trip.


Still to do: Got a stainless exhaust to be made sometime soon, toolboxes to be slimmed down and mounted, little alloy front fender I want to mount up,and a few other little things. Plus I might mount a weird cold-air intake tube that Ace engineering prototyped and found very effective. Looks bizarre, so they didn't get a lot of customer interest, but it's right up my alley.

The high tracker bars weren't the greatest on the highway stretches, so I decided to swap them out and see what it was like. Had a set of clip-ons in the right size, so I went with them, but they lacked any rise or forward offset, so they didn't clear the tank at all well, and the low position left the empty fork clamp and weird upper crown just sticking up in a really ugly way. Plus, pain in the ass to swap back for the dirt bars.

So I tried out some clubmans; the $25 solution was perfect functionally and aesthetically, and will make swapping bars easy. It's almost like they were made for that purpose...go figure. I will ride them for a while as things warm up and see if they offer anything, but it's neat knowing I can get back to the old riding position in about 15 minutes total.
 

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Clubmans mounted up. Cables/hoses a bit hard to manage and the front looks all squished with the small tracker bucket on there. And the mismatched mirrors are me trying to figure out which ones I like.

But for now, it's just an experiment so I'm not worrying about it. Gonna ride it this way as it warms up and see if I like it. Feels razor-sharp compared to the big wide ones.
 

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Just found this and bookmarked. I have made eight trips to South India, and always loved it when I heard the low tone of an Enfield. Such a contrast to the rasp of all the Hero Hondas (and earlier, 2 strokes).
 
The war pig still rides...had a problem with another rectifier dying, but that's about all. Turns out, though, at US freeway speeds, a little oscillation I had thought was a little weird has become downright terrifying. It isn't a speed wobble, exactly--it happens when the front end hits a bump or dip and it picks up the wobble from there, increasing towards tank-slapperdom without any specific remedy that always works.

Looks like it was the effect of my longer rear shocks on the geometry. Put some stock-length shocks back on and it was night and day...still could feel the effect, but barely and easily controlled. I liked the way the longer ones handle around town and the 40-50mph twisties, but obviously it's not right. My thought is that maybe it needs more trail, too...the offset front axle in the fork slider may not be best. Considering trying fork sliders off a few more recent Enfield models which have the axle more conventionally in-line with the slider.

Engine is running like an absolute beast, though. I mean, it's jaw-dropping that this thing started life as a pokey, fuddy-duddy Bullet.
 
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