Royal Enfield recalls some reflectors

Royal Enfield INT 650 tail light with reflector at center.

 UPDATE: This article in Adventure Rider lists which Royal Enfields are involved in the recall and why some Royal Enfield reflectors failed to meet U.S. standards.

Reflectors, those little lenses that glow when the headlights of other vehicles strike them, intrigue me. 

So it was interesting to read that Royal Enfield is recalling motorcycles it made from November 2022 to March 2023 to bring their legally required reflectors up to worldwide standards. 

The recall will be rolled out in India, Brazil, Latin America, Europe, the UK, South Korea, Canada and the U.S. 

Fortunately, for owners of affected motorcycles, they're looking at an easy, free fix that might take only 15 minutes at a dealership. 

What really interests me is not what the reflectors do, but how they look. These little ruby lenses have always struck me as part of the "jewelry" on motorcycles, and I like to see how manufacturers through the ages have found places to position them. 

I've blogged about the different solutions I noticed at a motorcycle show.

Accessory reflector on a vintage Royal Enfield. Nice touch.

It's not necessarily easy to find a spot on a motorcycle to put a reflector.

I know: because my then-new 1999 Royal Enfield Bullet came with its five stick-on reflectors unapplied. I had to experiment for some time to find where they were meant to go. It just didn't seem to have enough flat surfaces!

A small matter, you might say. But ways of providing reflection for safety were the subject of experimentation in the early days of motorcycling.

In Britain the lower part of the rear fender was painted white on the motorcycles of "learners" as the mandatory red "L" must be displayed on a white background.

In 1935, it was Royal Enfield's policy to paint a small white triangle on the rear fender of its bicycles to add reflectance.

Tiny white triangle was a safety measure in 1935.

I'm unsure what U.S. regulations Royal Enfield's modern reflectors may have violated. The Code of Federal Regulations Standard 108 is lengthy and complex on the subject of lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment.

Motorcycles in the U.S. are required to have three red and two amber "reflex reflectors." One red is to be used facing to the rear, one red on each side at the rear of the motorcycle, and one amber on each side at the front of the motorcycle.

Reflective, adhesive-backed tape may be used, if it meets standards. Here's a sample of those standards:

"Each red reflex reflector shall also provide, at an observation angle of 0.2 degree, not less than 300 millicandelas/lux at any light entrance angle between 30 degrees left and 30 degrees right, including an entrance angle of 0 degree, and not less than 75 millicandelas/lux at any light entrance angle between 45 degrees left and 45 degrees right.

"Each reflex reflector must be designed to conform to the performance requirements of the vibration test, moisture test, dust test, and corrosion test, and the color test and plastic optical material test.

"The exposed surface of each reflex reflector shall be marked with the letters DOT-C which constitutes a certification that the reflector conforms to all applicable requirements... The certification shall be not less than 3mm high, and permanently stamped, etched, molded or printed in indelible ink."

All well and good, but how much good do reflectors really do? Compared to the elaborate lighting systems on motor vehicles today, perhaps not much, practically speaking.

But I think they can be attractive cosmetically. When I speak of reflectors as motorcycle "jewelry," I am thinking of the Lucas style round reflectors, like those available from Hitchcocks Motorcycles.

Hitchcocks listing for vintage rear reflector.

Parts on the way to fix recalled Enfield G-5s

Royal Enfield now has a plan for fixing G-5 motorcycles in the U.S. that are being recalled for a possible transmission fault. According to U.S. importer Kevin Mahoney of Classic Motorworks, the fix involves adding clearance between two parts in the transmission.

"The factory has assembled repair kits and they are being airshipped from India," U.S. importer Kevin Mahoney announced on his Classic Motorworks Internet forum.

"We expect that we will have kits in dealers' hands within two weeks more or less. Dealers will make appointments with customers and do the repair. Of course there is no cost to the customers. We will also re-set the two year warranty to the date the repair is finished... Dealers and affected customers will get a government approved letter with all of the details within a week or so."

All the Royal Enfield motorcycles with the unit constructed engine (UCE) sold in the U.S. are being recalled, but Mahoney said the new C-5 and the Military G-5 just arrived in the U.S. are not affected "as they were manufactured after the last recalled VIN number."

This update only applies to the U.S., Mahoney stressed. Many more G-5s have been sold in Europe, which may complicate procedures.

He earlier explained that "the problem involves possible insufficient clearance between the mainshaft of the transmission and third gear. Third gear rotates all of the time on the mainshaft. There has been at least one case where a bike (not in the U.S.) had the gear seize to the shaft. When they replicated the problem at the factory the failure seemed to be preceded by a screeching noise."

Mahoney has urged owners of G-5 motorcycles to stop riding them until they're fixed.

Royal Enfield in UK address UCE recall

Royal Enfield's recall of motorcycles with the new unit-constructed (UCE) motor affects only some bikes, according to a statement from the British importer, Watsonian-Squire Ltd. Watsonian posted this statement on the web site of Hitchcocks Motorcycles:

"A possible fault exists in the gearboxes on all the EFI machines with VIN numbers below those ending in 001116. Machines within this range should not be ridden. A batch of components has been identified as the cause and the necessary plans are being made now to change these in all the affected machines.VOSA (Vehicle & Operator Services Agency) are involved and as soon as the paperwork is completed the recall reference number will be published...

It goes on to say: "We appreciate that this problem will be both disappointing and inconvenient for owners, be assured that we are working hard and with all possible speed to resolve this issue. We will post further news, as it is available."

Royal Enfield in U.S. recalls G-5 bikes

Royal Enfield G-5 motorcycles in the U.S. are being recalled for a possible transmission fault. According to U.S. importer Kevin Mahoney of Classic Motorworks, no motorcycle in the U.S. has suffered the problem, but all with the unit constructed engine (UCE) are being recalled, as a precaution. The fix involves adding clearance between two parts in the transmission. Mahoney posted this notice Tuesday:

"Last Friday we received a call from Royal Enfield telling us of a recall of some G-5's. We were able to notify all of the owners in the US (only six) by that evening. While the engineers at the factory were quite certain that only the VIN numbers given to us were affected, after much discussion they decided that to be on the safe side they would recall all G-5's. We got that notice this (Tuesday) morning and have been calling dealers who are calling customers as we speak. This is a very aggressive way to handle the problem and will cause some customer inconvenience but it is the 'right' thing to do.

'We want all of our customers to stop riding those bikes right away.'

"For the U.S., any bike with the UCE engine in it will be officially recalled. (See important note below if you are from another country). We want all of our customers to stop riding those bikes right away. The actual official recall will come a bit later. The official notice process involves the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) and requires some paperwork and for them to approve the recall letter. The people from that agency have been very helpful. It is one of those cases where someone from the government actually is helpful and not a hindrance. I have been impressed. Royal Enfield and CMW decided that rather than wait for the official notice we would call all of our customers right away to keep them safe.

"The problem involves possible insufficient clearance between the mainshaft of the transmission and third gear. Third gear rotates all of the time on the mainshaft. There has been at least one case where a bike (not in the U.S.) had the gear seize to the shaft. When they replicated the problem at the factory the failure seemed to be preceded by a screeching noise and only happened at highway speeds when the transmission is good and hot. That is not to say that if you ride it slowly it won't happen. The engineers have implemented a fix that involves more clearance between the shaft and third gear as well as a couple of other improvements. It is a good fix and will solve the problem.

"We are now three work days into the process. We have not announced how we are going to handle the repair of these bikes. The reason is simple: when we formulate the final plan we want it to be right, timely and definitive. The fix is a good one so once it is done it will be done for good.

"We don't think that we will be judged because we have a recall , but rather on how we handle it. Royal Enfield and CMW (as well as Watsonian and the other importers) are acutely aware of this. We are all very small companies but we are very confident that we can do this effectively and efficiently.

"If you have any questions you can call us at 800-201-7472 or call your dealer. However we really can't tell you any more that you are reading here nor can your dealer. It has always been our policy to be open and forthcoming with our customers so what information we have will be passed along to our dealers and customers as soon as we know it. Please don't spend time speculating as there is no point. You will know when we know.

"The good news is that this recall will not cover any of the C-5's that we have coming.It also does not cover any other bikes or models we have sold in the past such as Lean Burn models or Cast Iron models...

"IMPORTANT NOTE: This information ONLY APPLIES IN THE US. In other countries other models may be involved, I can't say and I won't speculate. Please contact your dealer in your home country as there may be different issues and different models."