SITREP / ALL ABOUT A DISAPPOINTING DAY
Got done with my exams yesterday, today was getting-bike-up-to-shape day. Turned out life had some other plans for me. Read on to know why.
1.
Excitement to get the bike fixed and the first disappointment - Got the battery charged first thing in the morning, came back home, fixed the headlight and cranked it. Started in a single push of the button without any drama. Headed to KTM Gurgaon ASC right after. Reached at 12:15PM, the service head told me that it'll take a while before he attends to me. The place was jam packed (as is every other KTM ASC I've ever seen) and he told me to wait in the customer lounge. I told him that I'm in no hurry and that I could leave the bike for a day or two if required. He was attending to others, going up and down and was roaming here and there. I asked him a couple of times whether he'll make the job card by lunch, he said he couldn't assure. I came back to the lounge and sat there, passing time on my phone. Around 1:10PM, a man sitting at the billing counter asked me what I was waiting for. I told him that my job card hadn't been prepared yet and he directed me to the SC manager and told me to talk to him. I went to him and explained that I'd been waiting for an hour without a job card. He was quite apologetic and told me that they couldn't take any more bikes for the day as they were already overworked and understaffed. He told me to go somewhere else. So, they wasted an hour and I couldn't get anything done.
2.
Finding an alternative - Googled other KTM SCs and found one, 20kms away (Mahipalpur, New Delhi), tried calling them to know about the rush and whether I could drop the bike off for the issue. The number was busy, then they didn't pick up. I tried for 10 minutes and then gave up on that SC. Found another SC in Mayapuri, 32kms away (Google maps showed 1hr15mins with traffic). It was 1:10PM and the sun was in no mood to spare me. I called them and asked about their workload, they said that they'll accomodate me without any issue. Navigation started, I had to go there to get my prized possession treated.
3.
A ray of hope and the second disappointment - Fought the sun and the traffic and reached the Mayapuri SC at 2:20PM. Told them about the ABS FAILURE and DRL/headlight on without the key and they got the bike up on the lift quickly.
No job card was made initially. The mechanic (Mr. Sukdev Singh) is a really good guy, answered all my doubts/questions and seemed really helpful. First he scanned the bike for errors.
He saw the rear wheel, pointed to the right side and asked whether I had a fall or a crash. I answered no, nothing of that sort. He showed a damaged part called the 'pulse plate'. To be frank, I've never heard of such a thing. I didn't even notice that it was bent till he pointed it out.
He said that this part can be easily damaged during wheel removal. I told him that the Gurgaon SC had balanced the rear wheel. He smirked and said that this was 100% the cause for the ABS FAILURE warning. I was just worried about the costs involved in resolving this and it luckily turned out that the plate costs just ₹350. I let out a sigh of relief. He started opening the rear wheel and another guy went inside to get the concerned part. Two minutes later the guy came back and said they don't have it in stock. I felt defeated and started laughing at my failed day. Regarding the DRL/headlight staying on, he said that it is due to the ABS FAILURE and nothing else. I want to believe this, let's see what the Dehradun SC diagnoses. Until I get a new pulse plate, the ABS warning will stay and the ABS won't work. He said that there were no workarounds and that I had to ride without ABS. I went home, disconnected the battery terminals (to ensure that the DRL/headlight stays off) and slept. So whenever (till I get it fixed) I take my bike out for a ride, I'll have to carry a screwdriver with me to disconnect the battery terminals whenever I turn the ignition off for a long duration.
3.
Conclusion - I've kept the battery terminals disconnected for now. I'll head back to Dehradun (with failed ABS) on Sunday morning, 16th October and will drop the bike over at the SC. I hope they agree with the Mayapuri SC's diagnosis and get my bike up and running. Also, the service is due, will get it done along with the repair. Hoping for some good news ahead.
Quote:
Originally Posted by rahul4321 Since my bike was under warranty, they didn't charge me anything. I guess yours may not be so I cannot provide you with an estimate of the charges. Ask them to look at the sensors and the fuses (Not necessarily the ABS fuses but the headlight / dashboard fuses) - that's where you will find the fault if I remember correctly. |
Hey Rahul, thanks for sharing your experience. I guess my chapter will close in the next couple of the days so I'll let you know about what actually went wrong.