Maintenance on our 1995 Bullet Enfield 500s throughout our journey has been fairly minimal and very easy if you have some mechanical ability. If you buy a bike from a shop, have them show you how to adjust tappets, tighten the chain, adjust the brakes, remove the rear and front tires, and adjust the clutch. You can also buy a manual on how to repair the Bullet at many Enfield shops-- I would highly recommend it! Inder Motors also sold us a tool set that has so far been adequate.

Overall, there turned out to be quite a bit of little simple maintenance jobs to do. This comes as no suprise to us considering the abuse we put these machines through and the low quality of parts you get in India. KEEP UP ON THE MAINTENANCE and you'll be rewarded. Make sure to continually check and tighten bolts everywhere on the bike.....for christ's sake it keeps it all together, man. Take care of it and it will surely take care of you. If you ever wanted to learn how to work on a bike, India on an Enfield is an excellent opportunity to do so. They are easy to learn on, easy to fix, and if you do mess up it won't cost you much to rectify the problem. We have become confident in repairing our bikes and have grown quite fond of the Bullet, despite its inherent flaws.

All in all we ended up putting over 10,000km on the bikes and performed the following maintenance during our journey:

Tappets adjusted around every 500km.

Chain needs tightening about every 1000km.

I adjusted the brakes several times.

I had 10 tire punctures 8 in the back and 2 in the front ($0.50 USD to repair a puncture at a shop, or $4 USD for a new tube) I replaced the rear tire ($12 USD) and had no more rear punctures.

Oil and oil filter were replaced once ($5.75 USD for oil, $0.50 USD for filter)

Carburetor was cleaned and adjusted by a mechanic ($2 USD)

Headset was tightened

Clutch oil was replaced

I replaced the rectifier ($1.80 USD)

My centerstand broke off and had to be welded ($1.30 USD)

My left fork seal was blown and it was replaced ($4 USD)

I blew one fuse

My chain broke and I fixed it by replacing the master link ($.20 USD)

My spark plug stopped sparking in the middle of a ride and needed to be replaced.

I had to replace the front brake yoke where the mirror screws in because it stripped out. Indian metals can be a bit wimpy at times.

The front brake cable snapped and was very easy to replace ($1 USD)

Headset was tightened a few times.

Most persistent problems:

For the most part my bike was pretty solid. It was a little difficult to start cold sometimes but once it warmed up it ran excellent. I had the carb cleaned only once, the points were never touched, and the gear box was pretty tight. Besides operator error at times the bike ran great.

Tappets adjusted every 500km on average or whenever they get too noisy.

Chain tighten every 1000km or as needed

I had the head torqued down after 1000km of riding with new valves. While this was being done, I also had to replace the valve cover gasket due to leakage. I also had a leak from the oil feeder tube at the juncture of the head. It turns out that I was missing a washer and also had a small leak in the actual feeder tube. I brazed the tube to effectively stop the leak and fitted a new washer. ($ 3.25 USD for parts/labor)

Also during this time I replaced the shifter seal from the gearbox to stop a leak and had the gearbox oil filled. I was almost completely out of the oil/grease mixture!!! ($ 2.25 USD) Check every so often!

I had only one flat tire, not due to a puncture but due to a damaged valve stem after a gas station attendant forced the filling of my front tire. Be careful who is working your bike or better yet fill it yourself

Carburetor adjusted and timing retarded after 2000km.

Oil and oil filter replaced after 3000km ($5.75 USD for oil, $.50 USD for filter)

Headset tightened...multiple times, especially after 2500k of bumpy roads. I don't blame it, i needed tightening too.

New kickstart rubber ($.20 USD)

Front and rear brake adjustment when necessary (about every 1000km)

A half-ass attempt by an inept mechanic to replace my front left fork seal (50 Rupees--SEE STORY)

The occasional topping up of the oil, however this bike seems to be tighter than a submarine. I have added no more than 500ml over 4000km (before and after oil change) This all changed at around 5000km into the trip. She then started to eat a bit more oil, but nothing unusual. Just keep an eye on it.

Before heading to Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh:

Carb adjusment, timing set and points cleaned and set.

New Rear Tire (MRF brand tire, made in India-$12 USD)

Upon reaching Leh after 1000km of very rough roads and conditions:

CARB adjust (AGAIN). Fully taken apart, cleaned, and set

Chain link taken off (no more notches left on adjusting cam)

Oil feed tube (on intake) was leaking AGAIN. Filed smooth and refitted with new washer. (Didn't really work)

Gearbox cover taken off (out came a liter or two of water from crossing so many streams) Inspected but nothing found. Probably was a worn adjuster plate, but not able fix in Leh. Still a mystery to this date

Headset tightened

Most persistent problems:

I seemed to have continuous problems with my carburator. About every 2000km it would be in need of adjustment, ie backfire, sputter, lost of power, rough running. I tried many times to do it myself (after it was messed up, mind you), but with no luck. Damn carbs!!! Also, my gearbox consistently was very stubborn. I had problems down-shifting and when shifing, the gears would sometimes slip out of gear or not engage completely. Many Indian mechanics tried to fix the problem, but to no avail. My intake oil feeder tube consistently leaked at the juncture to the head. Tried to fix 3 times, and it would stop for a few thousand km, only to leak again.

DO IT YOURSELF MAINTENANCE TIPS

KATHMANDUPED--the bad story of two good people's quest for an average mechanic in the capital city of Nepal.