[ArizonaJim]

Good luck to you.
Hopefully either there was a mis-communication between you and your mechanic or he somehow managed to move a wire in the wiring harness that was being momentarily grounded.

If there was anything in the starter motor that was causing the problem, it would only be noticed when you were pressing the starter button.
Any other time there is absolutely no electrical power going to the starter motor at all.

My suggestion to you is when you get the time, remove the sidecovers, the seat and the headlight from the nacelle.
Look for any wiring that is frayed or close to any sharp metal edges which may have cut thru the insulation.
If you find anything suspicious, use some plastic electrical tape to cover any exposed wire. Also add a few wraps of tape around any wires that are close to any sharp metal edges.

Another area to look at is the wiring that is running back to the tail light and rear turn signals.
This is sometimes held in place with bent metal tabs that can cut thru the wires insulation. Also look at the place where the rear wiring harness goes thru any holes in the mud guard. This hole can have a sharp edge that can cut thru the harness insulation. Again, if there appears to be any cut or frayed wires, tape them with several wraps of electrical tape.

Happy riding to you.

[rajneeesh]

Well the RE electricals are giving me a tough time. After the last incident the bike worked flawlessly for a couple of months.

Last Sunday she decided to throw a tantrum. I started the engine, engaged the first gear and had barely covered 50 M when the engine died down.

The clocks had gone crazy and the needles were moving like nobody's business. On turning off the ignition and switching it on again, the needles would come to rest at 30 KPH and 1500 RPM. The engine would not tick over and the indicator and the horn were also dead.

Since I was travelling on work I could not have it fixed.

I will have to get a mechanic to my place tomorrow. The nearest agency is Shri Mahadev in Sector 10 The Bike is also due for the 6th Service.

Any suggestions?

[rajneeesh]

I got the Back Beauty serviced today. It was the 6th service and the bike has clocked a shade over 7K Km. The bike had blown a handful of fused. ( they were replaced at my residence yesterday so the bike was functional).

This time I got it serviced at Shri Mahadev Agencies in Sector 10 Noida. This dealership is a lot closer to my residence than Asco Motors from where I had bought the bike ( Patparganj Industrial Area).

The bill for the service came to Rs 1418 ( incl the oil change) . Due to the shortage of manpower, the bike was not as well washed and polished as one would expect. However the technicians here are more approachable and have attended to all my complaints. However, they have not been able to identify the reason behind the fuses blowing off so frequently. The wires around the handlebar area have been taped as a precautionary measure.

The bike is smoother and it is no longer difficult to find the neutral while it is stationary. I have bought a fist-full of fuses so that I do not end up stranded in the middle of nowhere. While the mechanicals are working well, there will always be doubts about her reliability in my mind while on long rides for some time to come.

[samarth.bhatia]

Originally Posted by rajneeesh

The clocks had gone crazy and the needles were moving like nobody's business. On turning off the ignition and switching it on again, the needles would come to rest at 30 KPH and 1500 RPM. The engine would not tick over and the indicator and the horn were also dead.

Please check if:
1. Battery terminals are properly connected - they became loose in my TB500 right after third service
2. Since there were blown fuses, please note they can blow again after replacement until you check for root cause of the problem

I suggest you check which ones were changed.
If it was the ignition fuse, you can ask a trustworthy mechanic to check the white connector plug behind the headlamp - to locate, turn handle fully to left side, and you should see it in the gap between fuel tank and headlamp. It is covered with a black plastic sleeve.
Have you gotten any electrical accessories fitted?

[rajneeesh]

Originally Posted by samarth.bhatia

Please check if:
1. Battery terminals are properly connected - they became loose in my TB500 right after third service
2. Since there were blown fuses, please note they can blow again after replacement until you check for root cause of the problem

I suggest you check which ones were changed.
If it was the ignition fuse, you can ask a trustworthy mechanic to check the white connector plug behind the headlamp - to locate, turn handle fully to left side, and you should see it in the gap between fuel tank and headlamp. It is covered with a black plastic sleeve.
Have you gotten any electrical accessories fitted?

Thanks for your inputs Samarth. I have got the bike serviced and all the connections and the wiring has been checked. So far the bike has not given any more trouble , but a week is too short a time period, and I have hardly put any miles on it . The battery seems to be a bit weak. Maybe it has some relation on the problem. I am planning to take it for a ride to Greater Noida and back today.This should charge the battery to a reasonable level . In case the battery is still weak I will have it replaced.

I have not fitted any electrical accessories.

[rajneeesh]

The Bike has now done approx 7300 Km and is running fine. However I feel that the RPM at idling is on the higher side at 1000. f I recollect it should be around 800 RPM. Could fellow TBTS 500 owners check on their Tacho,s and confirm.

[samarth.bhatia]

Originally Posted by rajneeesh

Could fellow TBTS 500 owners check on their Tacho,s and confirm.

There is a variation in the idling RPM - usually it is anywhere between 900 and 1100 revs. I assume it is decided by the ECU based on engine temperature & running conditions.
You can ask the ASC to check. They can adjust it to some extent.

Sam

[ArizonaJim]

Originally Posted by rajneeesh

The Bike has now done approx 7300 Km and is running fine. However I feel that the RPM at idling is on the higher side at 1000. f I recollect it should be around 800 RPM. Could fellow TBTS 500 owners check on their Tacho,s and confirm.

The correct idle speed for the 500cc fuel injected Royal Enfield engine is 1050+/- 200 rpm.
To save adding and subtracting, that equals 850 - 1250 rpm.

As the Engine Control Unit does vary the amount of fuel during the idle speed, the rpm will vary slightly so, after reducing the idle speed to 850 rpm the engine may slow down to speeds less than the recommended minimum.

I realize the old iron barrel and AVL could idle at speeds slower than this and the slow speed and its thumps is music to the ears of most Indian's but even the new UCE's with a carburetor should not be set to idle below 850 rpm.

The slower idling speed will reduce the output of the oil pump and the hydraulic valve lifters require higher oil pressure than the older engines to stay "pumped up".

The idle speed adjustment on the fuel injected engine is done by turning the very large, slotted, brass screw which is located down in a large hole on top of the throttle body.
Screwing this screw clockwise (in) reduces the idle speed. Screwing it counterclockwise (out) increases the idle speed.
1/4 turn in either direction will change the engine idle speed aprox. 200 rpm.

Under no circumstances should the small screws adjacent to the throttle cables be adjusted in any way.
Although they look like the ones found on some carburetors which are used on those devices to adjust idle speed, these small screws on the throttle body set up the calibration for the fuel injection system. They are not there to adjust the idle speed and changing their settings can cause numerous problems.

[rajneeesh]

Thanks ArizonaJim, that was a very informative post. I would rather take the bull to the ASC for this issue.

[rajneeesh]

Today I had the day off due to Ganesh Chaturthi and decided to take the Bull to Shri Mahadev Agencies. The front LHS footpeg had broken some time back and was not available at the dealership when I got the last service done.

The problem with high rpm was also solved. There is a hose which is attached to the EFI assembly. The technicians referred to it as the O2 pipe. It runs from the Throttle body to a spot below the fuel tank on the LHS. This hose had got split. It took the technician 10 minutes to replace it and the high idling problem was a thing of the past.

The bull is now back to its lovely dhug-- dhug--dhug --dhug beat and does not sound l like an Japanese bike . As per the Tachometer the idle speed is now around 900-1000 RM.

[vishalrr]

Originally Posted by samarth.bhatia

There is a variation in the idling RPM - usually it is anywhere between 900 and 1100 revs. I assume it is decided by the ECU based on engine temperature & running conditions.
You can ask the ASC to check. They can adjust it to some extent.

Sam

For the TBTS 500 /UCE The mechanic at the ASC told me RPM <1000 will shut the engine while in idle for a long period(say waitin at the signal for 30-40 secs +)

However I asked him to reduce it slightly to a slow thump between 850-950

Now am facing a new issue (may be related or may not be) but the RPM in IDLE increase to 1.3 sometimes 1.5, the ASC guys say it is a fuel pipe issue and fix it within a few minutes but it is an inconvenienice to keep visiting them(3 times now in a couple months).

[rajneeesh]

Originally Posted by vishalrr

For the TBTS 500 /UCE The mechanic at the ASC told me RPM <1000 will shut the engine while in idle for a long period(say waitin at the signal for 30-40 secs +)

However I asked him to reduce it slightly to a slow thump between 850-950

Now am facing a new issue (may be related or may not be) but the RPM in IDLE increase to 1.3 sometimes 1.5, the ASC guys say it is a fuel pipe issue and fix it within a few minutes but it is an inconvenienice to keep visiting them(3 times now in a couple months).

Vishalrr, your bike seems to be giving the same problem as my bike. You can actually replace the pipe yourself and it actually takes no more than 10 minutes. However, I agree with you that it is an inconvenience, especially when you have to go to the service centre as you do not know the reason behind the issue.

[rajneeesh]

I have been travelling a bit and the Bull has the garage. Yesterday evening I had forgotten to park the bike in the garage and it lay parked in-front of the garage gate. In the afternoon I cam out to take it to a spin to Greater Noida and found the front footpeg on the LHS broken. Apparerntly some one had either reversed into it or someone had knocked it off the stand. Besided the broken foot peg the Handle bar had also got bent.

I immediately took it to Shri Mahadev agencies. I was told that the handlebar and footpeg would have to be replaced and the damage would be roughly Rs 1800. However, the technician on my urging tried to straighten the handlebar and did a reasonably good job . The footpeg was replaced. the damage to my pocket : Rs 420.

I later went for qa spint to Greater Noida and back, a 65 km roundtrip approximately. Thankfully the Bull is doing well and no showing no side effects of the fall.

I have now clocked 7800Km in 23 months of ownership. With the weather cooling down a bit, I hope to put a lot more km' on the odo.

[Silverflash]

Hi Rajneesh

I recently booked a RE TB500, and your ownership thread was very helpful in my decision making process. Many thanks, and happy riding!

Warm Regards
Anand

[rajneeesh]

Silverflash,

Welcome to the club. Hope you don't have to wait too long for the delivery.

Regards,

Rajneesh