[mobike008]

6225kms (5th Service Update)_May 20, 2013

Maroon Marauder went for its 5th Service (Paid) last Friday at 6,225kms on the odometer which is after owning this beauty for 16 months now. I know its very low running but, with a packed work life it's difficult to take time out for liesure riding as I dont like riding the bike to work.

Dropped off the bike on Friday evening and requested them to give it back to me on monday evening as I was going out of town over the weekend.

Purshottam who keeps insisting that I should refer to him as a "friend" when I introduce myself as a Classic 500cc "Customer" on phone

When i reached the service center, was greeted warmly by Purshottam and Rohit and immediately Rohit took out the job card and said " No issues and just general service. Correct? I was flabbergasted with his comment.

He smiled and said, I know your previous service history and you never had any complaints with your BULL

Anyways, cutting a long story short. I asked them to do a general service which required the following to be done :-

1. Oil Change
2. Oil Filter Change
3. Chain Tightening
4. Replace existing Spark Plug with NGK Iridium or Platinum (which is endorsed by RE)
5. Free 2nd coat Teflon Coating. Paid for it during my earlier service

Estimate give was Rs.1500 excluding the sparkplug change. My primary spark plug was changed by the local mechanic during the battery issue/charging with a cheap one that costed Rs.80. I asked RE to change it to Platinum/NGK.

Did a bit of a loony thing after dropping of bike :-

I walked back home. Walked/Jogged 8kms in 65 mins wading through heavy traffic

When I visited the service center on Monday evening to pick up the bike, spark plus wasnt changed it all as they couldnt source NGK from outside nor had Platinum in stock with them.

Actual Bill : Rs.1413 which included labour cost, oil change ( Motul Regular), oil filter change and wash.

My bike is free from vibrations right from the begining but, after the service the slight "Chink Chink" sound coming from the engine is now gone and the bike's pick-up has improved considerably. Got the clutch play adjusted to my liking and now its time to zoom around town with a smoother bull.

Prior to the service by bull battery had conked off and replaced iit with one that comes with 18 month warranty for Rs.2700

P.S: Myself, Insearch, Xydon and A4anurag are going for a 200kms ride this saturday. Will post some pictures from this ride over the next week.

[akshay4587]

I have also done 5 services on mine and odo stands at 3670,was planning to sell her due to low running,but dont feel like.
I too had got that Iridium plug,but it was a free upgrade for me.
Why did battery give up so soon?
Mine goes for like 15-20 days without even anyone touching her,and odo is at 3670 after 17 months,and battery is still fine.

[nareshtrao]

My Classic Chrome is close to 19 months (Oct 2011) and I have barely crossed 5000 kms. Had a proper run-in till around 1700 kms before I took it beyond 100.

Have not had any issues so far except some Cam noise which I am told by the mechanic that it will fade out after 10 k. Had changed to Iridium plugs around 2k and they seem to be doing fine.

I went to Exide to top up battery a couple of times. I was told each time that it is weak. It shows as low as 7 Volts at times when the starter button is pressed. However, it still starts even after kept idle for over 2 weeks each time. The battery guys said that changing it is not of much use if my riding is this low given that the new battery may face a similar demise due to low usage. Since the Battery shop is less than half a km away, I have decided to wait till it dies.

Thought I will share given the similarities between all three of our bikes.

[mobike008]

Originally Posted by akshay4587

I have also done 5 services on mine and odo stands at 3670,was planning to sell her due to low running,but dont feel like.I too had got that Iridium plug,but it was a free upgrade for me.
Why did battery give up so soon?Mine goes for like 15-20 days without even anyone touching her,and odo is at 3670 after 17 months,and battery is still fine.

Yeah, I saw your ad in classifieds and was stumped to see you wanted to sell. Good move that you withdrew your plans

Is there a major change with Iridium Spark Plugs? If yes, what are those changes?

Battery is pure luck. Some BULL's battery went kaput as early as 5 months too and someone i know has lasted for 2.5years too

Originally Posted by nareshtrao

Have not had any issues so far except some Cam noise which I am told by the mechanic that it will fade out after 10 k. Had changed to Iridium plugs around 2k and they seem to be doing fine.

I went to Exide to top up battery a couple of times. I was told each time that it is weak. It shows as low as 7 Volts at times when the starter button is pressed. However, it still starts even after kept idle for over 2 weeks each time. The battery guys said that changing it is not of much use if my riding is this low given that the new battery may face a similar demise due to low usage. Since the Battery shop is less than half a km away, I have decided to wait till it dies.

Thanks for the feedback Naresh. I tried charging it once. It lasted me exactly for 1 day before it died down again (or rather got so weak that ES wont work but, horn, lights, indicators were functioning).

Had I been on normal ECU, would have used the kick start to start the bike.

Same question to you as well. Hows the feeling after the spark plug change?

Also, any of you changed the regular MOTUL oil to fully synthetic? Apprarently, the 3L can costs Rs.2200 and capacity of oil top-up in the bull is 2.5L

[ArizonaJim]

A few thoughts if I may directed at no one:

Although my Owners Manual for my 2011, fuel injected, UCE 500cc, G5 (Electra) says the engine oil capacity is "2.75 Litre" and I see 2.5 liters mentioned, I have never been able to get over 1.80 Liters of oil into my RE without overfilling it above the top of the sight glass.

This is following the removal of the two sump drain plugs, the oil filter and tipping the motorcycle to the right and left to drain as much oil out of the side covers as possible.

Overfilling the oil sump can result in the excess oil being blown out of the crankcase breather. If this happens, the oil will contaminate the paper air filter greatly reducing its ability to permit air to flow thru it.
The air filter cannot be cleaned so if it has become oil soaked it must be replaced. Failing to do so will result in a massive loss of horsepower and an equally massive increase in fuel consumption.

When replacing the oil during an oil change, with the bike on its centerstand, add oil until the level in the sight guage is between the min and max lines.
Start the engine and let it run for a few minutes. Then shut it off and let it sit for a while and recheck the level of oil in the sight window.
If it has risen slightly do not be alarmed but if it has fallen, add enough oil to bring it up to the middle of the glass.

Batteries can loose power as they are just sitting, unused. The amount of loss is rather small so if the motorcycle is unused for a period of a few weeks it should not be noticeable.

If the battery is a standard lead acid type with battery caps the fluid level must be maintained at the full level indicators in each cell. (This type of battery looses fluid as it is converted into gas during charging). If a cell is low on fluid add distilled water to bring it back up to the full level.

Allowing the fluid level to drop and expose the lead plates is a sure way to damage the battery and once damaged, replacing the fluid with distilled water will not repair it.

The Royal Enfield seems to have a rather weak charging system so riding at slow speeds for short periods of time will eventually discharge the battery.
Riding distances of 13 km or more at speeds of 50 kmph or greater will recharge the battery.
People who ride shorter distances or at slower speeds would be wise to purchase a small battery charger and to use it following the daily commute.
This charger must not charge at a rate of over 2 amp. or it may damage the battery. A 1 or 1 1/2 amp charger will work nicely.

[ArizonaJim]

I forgot to mention, lead acid batteries do not need to be deep cycled to keep them healthy.
In fact, cycling wet cell batteries thru their maximum and minimum levels of charge will cause their plates to eventually break down literally wearing them out.

Leaving a battery in a constant state of discharge will wear them out faster though.
When the battery is discharged the lead in the plates becomes hard and brittle.
In this condition small amounts of the plates will fall off.
The slightest vibration while the battery is in this condition will cause larger pieces of it to fall off and collect in the bottom of the batteries cells. If the level of this debris builds up and touches the bottom of the plates it will short out the cell leading to failure of the entire battery.

When fully charged the lead in the plates remains quite strong and resists any attempts by vibration to dislodge it.

Although a fully charged battery should last a long time I have seen cases where poor design, poor construction or a lack of quality will cause the electrical conductors between the cells to break. This explains why some batteries can work fine one minute and a moment later they will appear to be totally dead.
The only solution to this problem is to seek out the maker of better quality batteries or if the battery is new, take it back and demand a new replacement.

[nareshtrao]

Originally Posted by mobike008

Is there a major change with Iridium Spark Plugs? If yes, what are those changes?

Same question to you as well. Hows the feeling after the spark plug change?

I had no issues on the original plugs. Except some minor missing at times.

However, with Iridium, there is a significant difference in smoothness. Pick-up is better. No missing or breathing issues. I presume these are due to superior combustion. And if course, the plugs are squeaky clean. Cost me around 1150 for both plugs almost a year back. Bought from Enfield Dealer - Teknik Motors. Overall, I am glad I changed. Worth the money.

I never tried the synthetic as I believe that Enfields love frequent oil changes. If I were to use synthetic, I would not be able to do that due to prohibitive price. And further, I do not see any significant benefits from Synthetic in an Engine like in Bullet. Strictly my views.

[mobike008]

Originally Posted by ArizonaJim

Although my Owners Manual for my 2011, fuel injected, UCE 500cc, G5 (Electra) says the engine oil capacity is "2.75 Litre" and I see 2.5 liters mentioned, I have never been able to get over 1.80 Liters of oil into my RE without overfilling it above the top of the sight glass.

Thanks Jim for that insight. I havent read the manual in detail to know the exactly engine oil capacity the engine holds but, was just quoting from the service bill. So, the ASC is taking us for a ride? I mean they fill only 1.8 Litre and charge for 2.5L/2.75L?

Also agree with you that battery seems to be a weak link with all RE bikes as either they discharge quite often or get completely damaged too early during its life. Eitherways it means all owners need to keep a close eye on its health

Speaking of battery, yesterday while riding and during a small pit-stop, noticed to my horror the steel box that covers the battery is missing. I was leading the ride throughout and iam sure i would have noticed or felt if the steel cover fell down. Seems like it was flicked by someone when i parked it a day before at a shopping mall

Anyone has an idea how much it costs? Need to immediately replace as the battery now is completely exposed

Originally Posted by nareshtrao

I had no issues on the original plugs. Except some minor missing at times.

However, with Iridium, there is a significant difference in smoothness. Pick-up is better. No missing or breathing issues. I presume these are due to superior combustion. And if course, the plugs are squeaky clean. Cost me around 1150 for both plugs almost a year back. Bought from Enfield Dealer - Teknik Motors. Overall, I am glad I changed. Worth the money.

Nice to know this feedback. This replacement is already there on my checklist and will now opt for NGK instead of Platinum. Also, I agree with you that its best to stick to mineral oil as we do not ride our bikes that often and draining old oil for new will bring some freshness to the overall feel of the bike when its done


Yesterday, myself (Classic 500), Insearch (TB 500), Xydon (Classic 500) & A4Anurag (ZMA) went for a ride to Medak Church which is approximately 110kms from Hyderabad.

Our ride started promptly at 6:30am and we reached Medak Church (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medak) at 8:00am. Covered 110kms in 1.30 hours. Not bad. Huh?

We took the regular NH7 highway that goes to Nagpur while going towards Medak and exited after 70kms towards the west and drove through some scenic roads to reach Medak.we spent an hour around the church and clicked a few pictures.

Then halted at restuarant for breakfast which consisted of Hot Pooris, Wada and Thumbs-up.

Then we took a different route to head back home which is through the Narsapur Forests. Having ridden on this route atleast for 4-5 times in the past, I know it like back of the hand and is one of the best twisty roads to ride a motorbike on. Flanked by large trees on both sides with sweeping turns every 1km or so it made the return ride very enjoyable even though the weather was sweltering hot at 44 degrees Centrigrade. I know a real bad time to be riding a motorbike

Myself and Insearch swapped our bikes for about 40kms on return journey.

Below is my feedback for Thunderbird 500cc after my first extensive ride of it :-

Classic 500cc vs. Thunderbird 500cc

1. Being used to Classic 500cc, I felt the handle came up to my chest. While Insearch mentioned the opposite, he had to swoop down to grab Classic 500 cc handle

2. Seats of TB500 are super comfortable. Classic 500cc seats feels like granite in comparison

3. The front console on TB 500 had a bit of shaking. Not sure if they were loose

4. There was a bit of vibration on the foot-pegs. I dont feel same on my bike

5. Engine power felt slightly lower than Classic 500 and had a soft overall feel to it. Didnt gives the sudden lunging feel of that of a Classic 500

6. Finally, the handling is woeful. I was absolutely petrified to take the turns as I felt the bike would slide out under me. Insearch mentioned he wasnt happy with his rear stock tyre and plans to replace it with Pirellis. Also, there was heavy cross winds yesterday and if a truck passed us by at Narsapur forest road, i felt that I would be thrown away the feeling was that bad while riding the TB-500. I would say the Classic 500 in comparison has a much better poise and felt lot more stable

7. I would love to hear an honest feedback from Insearch after riding the Classic 500. Over to you mate

Overall, it was a great pleasure riding with BHPians and hope to do this regularly ( atleast once a month).

Some pictures from this ride :-

Your's truly flanked by A4Anurag on left and Xydon on right



Insearch looking like a proper biker in his full gear !!!

[Insearch]

Originally Posted by mobike008

...Myself and Insearch swapped our bikes for about 40kms on return journey.

Below is my feedback for Thunderbird 500cc after my first extensive ride of it :-

Classic 500cc vs. Thunderbird 500cc

1. Being used to Classic 500cc, I felt the handle came up to my chest. While Insearch mentioned the opposite, he had to swoop down to grab Classic 500 cc handle

2. Seats of TB500 are super comfortable. Classic 500cc seats feels like granite in comparison

Yes the Handle bar makes a lot of difference. In fact the Classic has a feeling of being below the rider and the Thunderbird gives a sense of being at the same level.
The seats were a learning. From the looks, the Classic seat looks well sprung and wide for a long ride, but I got off the bike with a sense of respect for Xydon and Mobike008's endurance. Tough riding long distance with that seat.

Originally Posted by mobike008

3. The front console on TB 500 had a bit of shaking. Not sure if they were loose

4. There was a bit of vibration on the foot-pegs. I dont feel same on my bike

5. Engine power felt slightly lower than Classic 500 and had a soft overall feel to it. Didnt gives the sudden lunging feel of that of a Classic 500

Point 3: Yes the console shakes. I think Shan2129 had complained of the excessive shaking on his thread. While it should not shake excessively, a bit of shaking may have been provided for better shock absorption.

Point 4: True. Above 80, I get the same feeling. It used to start at 70 earlier, but with the engine opening it has moved up to 80.

Point 5: I guess that may be correct. I was enjoying the thump of your bike so much that I could not compare the pick up.

Originally Posted by mobike008

6. Finally, the handling is woeful. I was absolutely petrified to take the turns as I felt the bike would slide out under me. Insearch mentioned he wasnt happy with his rear stock tyre and plans to replace it with Pirellis. Also, there was heavy cross winds yesterday and if a truck passed us by at Narsapur forest road, i felt that I would be thrown away the feeling was that bad while riding the TB-500. I would say the Classic 500 in comparison has a much better poise and felt lot more stable

So true! Initially I used to think that it is just me getting used to riding a bike again. But over time, I have come to feel the bike has good straight line balance till 80 but leaning into curves is more an art.
About the cross winds: Absolutely correct. I have checked with my friend who owns the same bike and he has had the same experience.
Even when I am trying to overtake a truck, the wind distortion behind the truck makes the bike shake. Same for passing trucks (Like a boat rocking on waves).

Originally Posted by mobike008

7. I would love to hear an honest feedback from Insearch after riding the Classic 500. Over to you mate


Overall, it was a great pleasure riding with BHPians and hope to do this regularly ( atleast once a month).

Some pictures from this ride :-

Your's truly flanked by A4Anurag on left and Xydon on right

Thanks Avi.
I had a wonderful time and look forward to more rides. In fact I was thinking of doing a "wet ride", right in the middle of the rains!
Thanks for the ride.
Regards

[Vishbull_6157]

Nice pictures Avi and congrats on the successful ride. The 500cc EFI engine is simply the best from RE stable. I have covered around 24000 kms on my Chrome in the last 8 months and it's been a pleasure. As most of my rides have been solo, it was imperative that I carry some essential spares. I would like to list them for your reference
1) clutch levers
2) clutch & accelerator cables
3) spark plugs
4) chain lock
5) wheel bearings
6) tubes
7) petrol ( you get these nice 2 liter Jerry cans at shell petrol pumps ). I have helped numerous people on the highway with the spare petrol.

There is nothing much to worry about in these new engines and it's very reliable. The most important thing on a bullet ( any model) is the level of oil. I will skip lunch but will make sure the bullet has the correct oil level. I am using Schaeffer for the last 2000 kms and it's behaving well. Too early to say, if it's better than the recommended Motul.

One of my sincere concerns with the classic 500 are the rear chain sprockets. Right from the old Standard 350 to the new Electra 350 to the latest Classic 500 model. It's the same sprockets. The extra torque on the 500 can eat up the sprocket teeth easily, so the riding style has to be kept under check. If you ride it like the other bikes, I mean accelerate hard continuously, you will soon find your chain circling itself on toothless sprockets and the bullet going nowhere. Has happened to me on Mumbai -Bangalore highway.

Another things on the 500's are while taking turns. If you notice you can't dip it as much on the right turns as much as you can do on left turns. The brake pedal hits the ground and can be scary.




Collecting good wishes all along the way by helping fellow riders whenever you can. Running on full load capacity.



The folks at banergatta service center. My bullet used to be there every two weeks (literally) for regular servicing.


Hope this helps, wish you safe riding and many many happy miles on the chrome.

[mobike008]

Originally Posted by Vishbull_6157

I will skip lunch but will make sure the bullet has the correct oil level. I am using Schaeffer for the last 2000 kms and it's behaving well. Too early to say, if it's better than the recommended Motul.

Just changing the brand, I doubt if it will give a better performance which is tangible. However, if you change from Mineral to Synthetic, then probably the performance improvement is clearly there for everyone to see

Originally Posted by Vishbull_6157

One of my sincere concerns with the classic 500 are the rear chain sprockets. Right from the old Standard 350 to the new Electra 350 to the latest Classic 500 model. It's the same sprockets. The extra torque on the 500 can eat up the sprocket teeth easily, so the riding style has to be kept under check. If you ride it like the other bikes, I mean accelerate hard continuously, you will soon find your chain circling itself on toothless sprockets and the bullet going nowhere. Has happened to me on Mumbai -Bangalore highway.

Whoa,thanks for this info and the list of items you highlighted for a long ride. I wasnt aware of this issue. I like to ride my bike fast and love to give throttle more than required to enjoy the throaty roar of the exhaust

Whats the solution if sprockets lose the tooth? Replace with a new one? how much does a new one cost?

Originally Posted by Vishbull_6157

Another things on the 500's are while taking turns. If you notice you can't dip it as much on the right turns as much as you can do on left turns. The brake pedal hits the ground and can be scary.

+1

Not just because of the brake or footpeg. I am in general comfortable with left turns than with right hand turns wherein i can dip more on left hand curves as i feel more confident to handle myself in event of any slide

[Vishbull_6157]

Originally Posted by mobike008

Just changing the brand, I doubt if it will give a better performance which is tangible. However, if you change from Mineral to Synthetic, then probably the performance improvement is clearly there for everyone to see

I hope it does, I paid Rs 1100 / liter for them hoping for lesser engine friction , longer run of 10000 kms till the next change and better engine life. I have used Motul for 22000 kms and was pretty happy with it. During the Mumbai one ride event on April 1st , I met this guy who had setup a small booth and was testing different oils and since I was due for an oil change and wanted the best for my Bullet. I ordered for Schaeffer. It's para -synthetic oil and 100 % paraffin based. But like I said I still can't say for sure if it's better than the recommended Motul. I used to do about 5000 kms easy on Motul , after that the engine used to feel little sluggish. So after 5000 kms on Schaeffer, I will know if I made the right choice by paying the extra bucks for it. It's a learning.

Also would like to highlight here that the RE owners manual suggest oil inspection every 3000 kms and oil change every 6000 kms. However, have seen most mechanics and some service centers pushing for oil change in 3000 kms. Just thought you should be aware.

Originally Posted by mobike008

Whats the solution if sprockets lose the tooth? Replace with a new one? how much does a new one cost?

Yes, replacing is the only option. The OEM rear chain sprockets cost around Rs 500 and the entire chain kit with front and rear sprockets with chain is approx Rs 2000.

Precautionary measures are to maintain the correct chain tension and to oil the chain regularly.

Happy riding



Ride to Tirupati Tirumala.

[ArizonaJim]

During the 10400 miles (16774 km) I've ridden my 500cc FI UCE the only parts that was showing excessive wear was the chain and the front tyre.

By the time it had gone 3500 miles (5645 km) I had adjusted the chain 3 times due to its excessive stretching. The stretching I'm referring caused the chain to go from the 27mm looseness (with both wheels on the ground) to over 50mm looseness.
I felt it would be better to replace the chain rather than risk damaging the drive sprockets.

Rather than buying another OEM chain I bought one manufactured in the USA and in the 7000 miles (11300 km) sense replacing it it has only needed adjustment once.

Both drive sprockets on my bike are in excellent condition.

The first indication that the chain is damaging the sprockets will show up on the rear.
If you notice the sprocket teeth looking like the pointed tip is bent, it is damaged. Further use of the damaged sprocket will result in even the best made chains rapidly being damaged so if you see bent teeth it is too late. Replacing the chain will not correct the problem.

By the way, if you can find a D.I.D. or a Tsubaki chain they are both excellent choices.

IMO, not adjusting the chain to the proper loosness and failing to lubricate the chain are the most harmful things that can happen to it.
For reasons that escape me people totally ignore their drive chains adjustment even though it is hanging right out there in the open.
I guess they are working on the idea that it is still working so it must be alright?

These bikes are using a #530 chain that should easily cope with the modest horsepower the RE produces. After all, the same sized chain has been used on motorcycles that produce over 75 horsepower without showing distress.

As for chain lubes there are a number of them available and using even the worst of them to lubricate the chains links is much better than not lubricating the chain at all.

Happy riding.

[Vishbull_6157]

Originally Posted by ArizonaJim

During the 10400 miles (16774 km) I've ridden my 500cc FI UCE the only parts that was showing excessive wear was the chain

I agree, I have replaced the chains twice in the 24000 kms on my classic 500 chrome.

I have also had to replace the fuel pump at 11000 kms , due to filling poor quality fuel at a not so good petrol bunk. My bullet was out of warranty by then and I had to spend Rs 10000 ( approx 200$) for the new one.

my front tyres are ok but the rear tyres shows some amount of wear and tear. I plan to replace them before we enter full blown monsoons here in India. What tyres are you running on?

[ArizonaJim]

Yes, all of the parts for the fuel injected RE's are expensive. As I understand it, they are made by Keihin in Japan (one of the better companies producing this type of hardware and software) but even the best products can be damaged.

Currently I am still using the Avon Mark II rear tyre that came on my G5 (Electra).
I changed the front tyre to a Dunlop K70 3.25 X 19 and the handling is much improved over the original Avon Speedmaster Mark II.