[abhinav.s]

Congrats on the ride. Please do put up a ride report!

Originally Posted by ashis89

Issues at hand:
Chain squeeling
Front fairing rattle

Chain squealing could be due to a dirty/dry chain. O-Ring type open chains require lubing every 500-750kms. If riding in wet then after every wet ride it is advisable to clean and lube the chain.

Front fairing rattle is the trademark of the Pulsars. Double sided tape at the right places should do the trick.

Originally Posted by ashis89

Engine sounding gruff and a bit loud(sounds as if the piston is banging away madly at the head) - any leads why is this?
My local mech says the oil has lost viscosity which is why it is sounding gruff and loud. Can a simple oil change solve this?

Yes an oil change will solve the issue. But i think you changed your oil very recently to the correct grade. 1520kms is a little early for the oil to wear out. Which brand of oil did you use?

OT: Sorry about the bulbs. Could not procure them in time for your ride and could not inform you on Friday due to a hectic schedule at work!

[ashis89]

Originally Posted by abhinav.s

Congrats on the ride. Please do put up a ride report!

Will be putting a detail report this weekend as I am held up at office during weekdays.

Chain squealing could be due to a dirty/dry chain. O-Ring type open chains require lubing every 500-750kms. If riding in wet then after every wet ride it is advisable to clean and lube the chain.

I cleaned the bike thoroughly and lubed the chain before the trip. I also took the TVS chain spray with me. Before starting from Goa I wanted to lube the chain again but it finished half way through the lubing of my friend's bike. So my bike was left high and dry.

Front fairing rattle is the trademark of the Pulsars. Double sided tape at the right places should do the trick.

Thanks. Will get the tape and start working on it. Where can I get a double sided tape?

Yes an oil change will solve the issue. But i think you changed your oil very recently to the correct grade. 1520kms is a little early for the oil to wear out. Which brand of oil did you use?

You are correct. I did change the oil recently to Castrol Activ 20W-50 but had already covered a little more than 500 kms before embarking on the trip. Today the bike has run close to 2200 kms on the new oil. Isn't due for a change?
I usually change the oil at 2-2.2k kms always.

O.T. - I did check the oil level yesterday morning, it's exactly between MIN and MAX level.

OT: Sorry about the bulbs. Could not procure them in time for your ride and could not inform you on Friday due to a hectic schedule at work!

It's perfectly fine, nothing to be sorry about it. The ride was fine and we didn't cover any major distance during the night time. I will try and get those bulbs this weekend if my bike service is over early.

[abhinav.s]

Originally Posted by ashis89

Thanks. Will get the tape and start working on it. Where can I get a double sided tape?

Any hardware store nearby to your place should have it. Even the service centre might have it if you are lucky

Originally Posted by ashis89

You are correct. I did change the oil recently to Castrol Activ 20W-50 but had already covered a little more than 500 kms before embarking on the trip. Today the bike has run close to 2200 kms on the new oil. Isn't due for a change?

Ah! I was not aware of the 500kms before the trip. And yes 2000-2200 is when i change oil too. So its fine. Specially Castrol mineral oils wear out faster atleast in the RTR.

[Jignesh]

Hello Ashis89,

Thank you for the link to this thread.

As you know I am now riding 2010 Pulsar 180. The ride quality of the Bike is really good & I am clearly feeling the difference over Pulsar 150.

I had to change the Battery very next day I bought the bike & I switched to Chloride Battery manufactured by PAE Ltd for Rs. 1,000. Others can you please comment on Battery to be replaced in Pulsar 180 full DC?

I am also experiencing issue of front fairing rattling. It is really irritating to listen rattles from fairing while enjoying the ride. Have you tried applying two sided sticking tape?

Thanks,

[ashis89]

On 15th Nov, I went ahead and changed the oil to Castrol GTX 20W50 after a little more than 2200kms. The engine felt and rode smooth but the exhaust sound wasn't all smooth.

Also after the trip, I noticed that the bike felt more free-revving and pulling away with hardly any struggle from stand-still, even in 3rd gear. Earlier it was possible in 2nd but too straining in 3rd(I never do it regularly but only unmindfully sometimes).

Then I took my bike for the 2nd free service on 17th. The odo reading stood at 4670 kms.

Issues reported:

1) Slack in chain and noisy while riding
2) Mild squeeling noise from rear wheel drum while moving at slow speed.
3) Front visor vibration(it was there since the time of taking delivery but had aggravvated after the trip.

Service Outcome:

+ Chain was smooth and perfectly tightened and well lubed.
+ Rear brake was opened, cleaned with sand paper.
+ Visor vibration almost gone.
+ Engine is smooth with the loudness and gruffness gone.

- Rear brake was very tight without any play(but brake had disc-like bite).
- Rear wheel was jammed.
- On the RHS swingarm, the nuts at the end of the rod coming out of the swingarm were very loose and almost at the end of the thread.
(O.T- what is the use of the rod with screw-nut adjustments at the end?)
- The bike has gone to its old state of tune. It isn't as free revving and doesn't pull cleanly from 3rd gear anymore. This is fine with me but the reason is unknown.

Since the service team was off for lunch, I didn't feel like waiting another 1 hr and decided to get it fixed at the local garage near my house.

Total cost: Rs 153( 3M Tank additive - Rs.70 + VAT
Consumables - Rs 65 + service tax)



While returning, I faced another problem. Due to the rear brake being over-tight, at every undulations on the road when the rear shocks were getting compressed, the brake rod was automatically getting pulled and the bike slowed a bit(due to the small range of the rear brake rod). In the evening when I was going with a pillion, the rear brake was completely engaged and the bike was struggling to move. Since I was in a hurry I went ahead and completed my work and then got it fixed.

[ashis89]

I also did some babying around to my bike, shifted at 4-4.5k RPM and didn't exceed 65 kmph and got a little over 45 kmpl inside the city.

Distance covered: 122 kms.
Fuel consumed: 200/74.6 = 2.69 lit.
FE = 45.3 kmpl

Originally Posted by Jignesh

Hello Ashis89,

Thank you for the link to this thread.

As you know I am now riding 2010 Pulsar 180. The ride quality of the Bike is really good & I am clearly feeling the difference over Pulsar 150.

I had to change the Battery very next day I bought the bike & I switched to Chloride Battery manufactured by PAE Ltd for Rs. 1,000. Others can you please comment on Battery to be replaced in Pulsar 180 full DC?

I am also experiencing issue of front fairing rattling. It is really irritating to listen rattles from fairing while enjoying the ride. Have you tried applying two sided sticking tape?

Thanks,

Hi Jignesh, welcome to the P180 club(or is it a gang??:P). Even I upgraded from a '04 P150 and am happy over my decision.

Regarding your query, my bike has an Exide MF battery as OE and it seems to be working fine. Its new so I can't comment about its long-term performance. The longest I have kept the bike idle is 12 days and the bike came to life with a single self on the 13th day. Also in the past few weeks I have done a few early morning cold starts and a single self works.

But recently my brother was changing the battery of his '07 P150 my local mechanic suggestted against Exide MF and got a normal Exide freedom instead.


Now the vibration part, my vibrations have reduced to a great extent after the 2nd Free service and I seldom hear them now. AFAIK, the SVC hasn't used any tape but may have tightened a few nuts and bolts. You can try out the double sided tape as a DIY. Else take your bike to a good plastic weldor. He can use some glue+sponge and tape to fix the vibration.


O.T.- Older generation Pulsars were very less prone to vibrations. My 8 yr old P150 with 43k kms on odo didn't have a single rattle when it was sold off. New gen Pulsar fibre seems very brittle(I have compared the mudguards of both the bikes) which is why they rattle very soon.

[ashis89]

5000 kms down on odo on 5 Dec. Nothing much to report apart from the vibrations from the front fairing(have again creeped up), need to get those double ended tapes I guess.

I did a 130 km trip to Doddaballapur and was happy with the performance. I maintained a 85-100 kmph speed for quite a stretch(though I shouldn't have for safety reasons). The FE hovers in the 42-43 kmpl range in the city traffic which is what I had expected.

The recent unseasonal rains have covered the bike in mud, dirt, grime and dust. Need to give it a proper wash by next weekend.

This is a pic after reaching Goa from Bangalore in a single tankful(I tanked up after covering 77 kms from home and covered 692 kms in total in that day). Still fuel left as indicator shows. BTW the tank gobbled up 16 lits. even though it was not in reserve, wonder what the tank capacity is.

[ashis89]

5000 kms down on odo on 5 Dec. Nothing much to report apart from the vibrations from the front fairing(have again creeped up), need to get those double ended tapes I guess.

I did a 130 km trip to Doddaballapur and was happy with the performance. I maintained a 85-100 kmph speed for quite a stretch(though I shouldn't have for safety reasons). The FE hovers in the 42-43 kmpl range in the city traffic which is what I had expected.

The recent unseasonal rains have covered the bike in mud, dirt, grime and dust. Need to give it a proper wash by next weekend.

[Jignesh]

Hello Friend,

I have a query about Chain lubrication.

As there is a open O-Ring Chain on the Bike, it is recommended in user manual get Chain-oiling done every 500 KMS.

Do you follow this? If yes, what is the frequency & any particular oil that I need to use?

Also, I have recently completed 500 kms on my Pulsar 180 (pre-owned) bike & I am loving every kilometer on it. It is really a very well built & stable bike. Only thing that irritates is front fairing rattling.

Thanks,

[abhinav.s]

Originally Posted by Jignesh

I have a query about Chain lubrication.
As there is a open O-Ring Chain on the Bike, it is recommended in user manual get Chain-oiling done every 500 KMS.

Yes it is best to lube the chain every 500-750kms. Instead of oil, buy a chain spray (TVS, Motul both make chain sprays). In addition if you dont have time to clean the chain, get a Motul chain clean also. First clean the chain by spraying the chain clean, allow it to stand for a while and then wipe it off. Then spray the chain lube as directed on the can. You also need to lube the chain after every rain/slush ride. Hope this helps!

[ashis89]

Originally Posted by Jignesh

Hello Friend,

I have a query about Chain lubrication.

As there is a open O-Ring Chain on the Bike, it is recommended in user manual get Chain-oiling done every 500 KMS.

Do you follow this? If yes, what is the frequency & any particular oil that I need to use?

Also, I have recently completed 500 kms on my Pulsar 180 (pre-owned) bike & I am loving every kilometer on it. It is really a very well built & stable bike. Only thing that irritates is front fairing rattling.

Thanks,

+1 to Abhinav. I have been using the TVS chain oil(costs 110 bucks) for the last 3k kms and I am happy with it, haven't tried the Motul. Maintaining the 500-700 kms schedule is good for longevity of the chain. Abhinav can tell you how he had change his chain prematurely as he had run it dry for long.

After being familiar with your bike you can feel the chain getting dry(chain squeeling and offering more resistance when you rotate the wheel freely) and also when you see dust, dirt and grime are accumulated its time to get the chain cleaned and lubricated. It can be before 500 kms if you live in a very dusty area.

You can clean the chain with some diesel and an old toothbrush or with the Motul Chain cleaner as Abhinav suggested(haven't tried it yet, will get one).

Hope this helps in some way. Its good to know that you are enjoying your ride and hope you continue doing so.

OT: Rattling is some thing that is bothering me too in the otherwise good bike.

[ashwin23]

Hey Ashis89!

Did you end up changing the bulb on your ride to nightbreakers?

I'm looking for a similar upgrade to the headlamps of my Honda Unicorn.

If you are Abhinav could point me in the right direction, I'd really appreciate it!

P.S: Sorry if this is hijacking the thread!

[ashis89]

Originally Posted by ashwin23

Hey Ashis89!

Did you end up changing the bulb on your ride to nightbreakers?

I'm looking for a similar upgrade to the headlamps of my Honda Unicorn.

If you are Abhinav could point me in the right direction, I'd really appreciate it!

P.S: Sorry if this is hijacking the thread!

Hi Ashwin,

Sorry I haven't yet changed the bulb so can't really help you with that. I was desperate for the bulb change before going on a very long trip. But after coming back, I have been busy and haven't got time to go to JC road. Also the stock bulb just suffices in city roads. Will go for a change soon, probably this weekend ot the next.

BTW, what kind of query do you have?

[ashwin23]

I'm not too happy with the stock headlight so I was looking for a trustworthy place to get a better bulb or if it's absolutely required coil rewinding to switch to 60/55 and get a Philips lamp probably. I'm not too aware of where to get it done so I've been on the lookout for some help. Like you I'm not too keen on modifying anything. The Unicorn comes with a 35/35W as stock and from what I've gathered HID is the only option for that wattage.

Planning on a ride to Coorg next weekend and longer one before the end of the year so I wanted to sort this out before that if I could.

Thanks for your reply

[Jignesh]

Hello,

Regarding Pulsar 180 O-Ring Chain lubrication, I spoke to my regular mechanic (since last 7 years) & he suggested to apply used engine oil & then after two day apply grease.

I was skeptical & discussed the Bajaj recommended SAE90 Oil or Motul or other sprays. But he said those are useful only if you are driving on very clean & dust-free roads - like in foreign countries. I accepted his suggestion & the bike really feel free now. When asked about frequency, he told to inspect the chain regularly & if there is too much dust on the chain get it spray washed, oiled & greased again. Thats it. What do you say freinds?

Also regarding fairing rattling, he tightened couple of screws & now it is perfectly fine. Let us see how long this lasts.

Thanks,