[Gordon]

Originally Posted by Gordon

I'm looking for the front mudguard with stays that come on the Electras featured in this thread.

1. Do you guys have the part numbers for it? I couldn't find it in the spare parts manual. The manual only lists the disc brake version that fits directly onto the fork without stays.

2. Are these a direct fit on the Standard 350 or Bullet models with drum brakes?

Got it.

1.Product code: 111263 | Front Mudguard, Chrome Plated
2. They are a direct fit on the Standard 350, since they share the same forks (drum).

[tharian]

The Bullet crossed the 1,28,000 kms mark this week in peak morning traffic. Co-incidentally, it touched the mark right in front of an Authorized RE Service Center where I was planning on giving my bike when time coms for engine work. Mehboob Garage on Nandi Durg road.

The bike has been running fine and is used sparingly, but when it used, it is for local errands and at the most a 20 kms round trip in morning peak hours once a week. After the last engine oil change, it is only now the engine feels smooth. It was Shell engine oil which I normally avoid on my bike since it wears out quickly due to heat, but the mechanic who serviced it last time had only that. I also used a Wurth fuel additive this time which may have improved the smoothness.

I realized the carb hasn't been removed and cleaned in the last service although I requested him to do so along with few other things. Anyway, the bike is running fine and I am not bothered about that now and most importantly, there are no leaks which was something my bike never had either. The only leak is the head gasket which is very minimal and has been happening over the years.

I am planning to do a ride sometime soon on the outskirts of the city covering Nandi Hills and the new Satellite Ring road by which the bike can see some relaxed cruising apart from the usual traffic runs it does otherwise.

I hit a lakh kms on the odo around April 2014 and it took another 9.5 years to do another 28k kms. In contrast, the first 30k kms on the bike was done in little more than 3 years.

[tharian]

Took the bike for a ride after a long while last weekend.
The plan was to hit the new Satellite ring road and do the full length from Dabaspete to Hoskote. Since I left home later than planned and after loosing time in a traffic jam getting out of the city, I decided to do the Hoskote to Dodballapur stretch instead.
The bike has been running fine and I use it for short trips within the area or to drop my wife to her work place which is a 20 kms commute. The engine runs smooth now with the only annoying part being the chain noise and vibrations which I have made peace with.

The ride upto the cut off before Hoskote to the old Hoskote-Devanahalli road was uneventful. I had done this road sometime earlier this year and kept away from it as it is a two lane road with heavy truck traffic. This time it was totally different. It was around 15 kms upto to the Sate ring road from the cut off from Old Madras highway and it was after a long time I had a nice ride on the Bullet on a well paved, two lane road with no traffic since the truck traffic has moved to using the SRR.
The ride on the new Satellite ring road was to have a relaxed ride and I was doing around 65-70kmph on an almost empty road. I was missing a fast car or bike, made worse by few superbikes ripping up and down. I increased the speeds gradually and was able to do around 80kmph without much stress. The digital speed read out boards on this road is a good way to check if your speedo is accurate. The 65 on my speedo was accurate, but as speeds climbed, the speedo was showing +5 so I was doing around 75 comfortably for most part. On the way back, I went WOT and hardly anything happened and I thought finally the engine is not going to rev high for whatever reasons.

I headed back home via Airport road and tried doing opening up fully again and the bike did start revving high like before and the speedo did hit some decent speeds for the bikes age. Revving through the gears helped. I was doing around 80+ when after a while the engine missed a few beats after which I slowed down.

Rode around 100 kms and was pleasantly surprised with the engine performance although it takes a while to reach some good speeds. No issues either after the ride except for the usual head gasket leak on the cooling fins when riding hard.
Bike has run 1,28,200 kms.

Some pictures of the ride and after a wash/polish today.

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by tharian

Took the bike for a ride after a long while last weekend.

Some pictures of the ride and after a wash/polish today.

Lovely seeing the old girl.

Cheers, Doc

[masterChief007]

Originally Posted by tharian

Took the bike for a ride after a long while last weekend.
The plan was to hit the new Satellite ring road and do the full length from Dabaspete to Hoskote.

Hey I did this stretch a few weeks back on my Bullet, encountered this stretch first time when I visited the airport to drop someone in the car. The stretch was so nice had planned to do it in the Bullet, it was a short fun ride. It will one day connect to the Tumkur road and will be a good alternative for residents near hoskote if they want hassle free trip towards Tumkur.

[tharian]

Originally Posted by masterChief007

It will one day connect to the Tumkur road and will be a good alternative for residents near hoskote if they want hassle free trip towards Tumkur.

It does already. Just that the Dodballapur bypass is yet to be done. The stretch between Dabaspete and Dodballapur was made into a 4 lane a while back.

[SidharthaN]

Great to see the CI thumping strong, My TB UCE 2015 model is running strong at 1,33,000 kms on the odo. Am planning to do Adi Kailash, Om Parvat trip on the Thunderbird with pillion in April 24. Looking forward to it. Old school rocks !

[showrat]

Originally Posted by tharian

The bike is nearing the 1,28,000 kms mark. It has run 1,27,940 kms.

After the last service few weeks ago, I noticed the chain was loose again. It was getting better before the service when the chain noise and slack were right. Probably removing the rear wheel and putting it back during the service affected it again. With a pillion, it was fine, but riding alone, it got very noisy to the point that I thought the chain would jump off the sprocket.
I took the bike to another mech I knew who surprisingly remembered me after many years and got it tightened a bit which made things better. I need to the change the chain/sprocket set again mainly because the parts used when I changed them just 2000 kms ago, weren't OE and worse, the sprocket and chain weren't a match since it was a non O-ring type chain then.

Otherwise, the bike is running fine and the engine all okay. When I visited Mehboob's garage when I was passing by once, they saw the head gasket leak which was not much, the oil covers just few fins of the bore, and mentioned that they can clean the cylinder and piston , change the rings without having to dismantle the full engine, just to keep the engine going in the same beat. He asked me not to re-bore as that will never get the original feel again, which I agree too. That is for later till I can run this engine with no major issues.


I had a good ride yesterday on airport road when I went to test ride the Bullet 350. It was a relaxed ride at 60 kmph enjoying the world go by in fast forward.
Coming to the new Bullet 350, it was the first time I experienced the J series on the Bullet. I had ridden the Meteor for a long ride and the Hunter for a short test ride. This one felt the best. I was riding a BS4 UCE Classic recently on a ride and was comparing it to that more than my Bullet which way too old for comparison and I hadn't ridden the Classic J series either.

The smoothness this bike has along with that butter smooth gearshifts is almost like the Interceptor. It picked up speed relaxed, but at the same time I was able to hit 80 kmph without any drama. I felt it could cruise at 80-90 with no issues or stressing the engine. It has a nice exhaust note which was way better for me than the Hunter or Meteor and was audible all the time, regardless of the speeds, but not annoyingly loud. Since the frame is is different on the J series, when riding, it feels like the front end is stubbier including the tank, especially compared to my Bullet. The torque was quite good too and quite similar to the old CI500 which I ride now and then. But the USP is that everything is so much smoother than the older Bullets. The riding position and seat comfort, coming from my Interceptor felt like I was sitting on a sofa. The Bullet I felt has the best ergo for long distance riding and it is carried on with this model too.

Attachment 2511401

Attachment 2511402

21 years and a few generations apart.
Attachment 2511403

Attachment 2511404

Both 350cc's , but a world apart.Attachment 2511405

Amazing post! Do you feel the UCE version has the same vibe as it's predecessor cast iron version!

[tharian]

Originally Posted by showrat

Amazing post! Do you feel the UCE version has the same vibe as it's predecessor cast iron version!

Thanks! and welcome to the forum.

By vibes, if you mean vibrations, the UCE has much less of it and starts when you cross 80-85kmph.

If it is the other vibe that you mean, that everyone uses now a days to describe a feeling, then no. Both a different bikes when it comes to the ride feeling and power and everything else. The J series is again different. It depends what you like when riding these bikes.
CI iron Bullets are rare now and is something that is forgotten or not known to many. They are slow, cumbersome, heavy, wrong side gear shifter with false neutrals, kick backs and the works.
The UCE or J series don't have any of these, but feels good to ride at the same time and these bikes are poles apart when compared to the CI or even the AVL bikes.

[Gordon]

Originally Posted by Gordon

Got it.

1.Product code: 111263 | Front Mudguard, Chrome Plated
2. They are a direct fit on the Standard 350, since they share the same forks (drum).

Hi Tharian, request if you can check regarding fitting this mudguard and stays on the Classic 500 or the previous gen Classic 350.

[tharian]

After quite a while, I took the bike out for a highway ride. This time there was the company of a fellow member - Masterchief007 on his 2008 Bullet 350 STD.
It has been a long time since I did a ride with company on this bike, especially an equally powered bike both of which are happy doing just 70-75 kmph.
We rode towards Kolar upto Woodys for breakfast which was around 60 kms from the STRR interchange. The bike ran well in the early morning weather and we could keep a constant 70 kmph. The usual chain slapping vibes were there at a certain speed which reduced later as well as the oil leak from the engine head gasket which has been happening on rides but stops when riding in city.

On the return, we took the newly opened STRR interchange and swapped bikes since I wanted to feel the heavy crank on a Bullet from the same era as mine. This bike has run around 30k kms and has had an engine rebuild. But the smoothness of the engine especially in low revs along with the better torque because of the heavy crank was easily felt. This bike had the stock glasswool muffler which has a sweet note. It can cruise comfortably at 70-75 kmph and feels good doing that. It reminded me of my Bullet when it had run around this much.

I cut off just before the Devanahalli exit and got back home covering around 190 kms. The bike has run 1,28,900 kms.

Originally Posted by Gordon

Hi Tharian, request if you can check regarding fitting this mudguard and stays on the Classic 500 or the previous gen Classic 350.

I don't think it can be fitted unless some modifications are done. Main reason being the wheel size between the old bikes and the Classic 350/500 were different.

[tharian]

It has been almost 6 months since I updated this thread. The evergreen Enfield keeps chugging along and turns 22 years today! Co-incidentally it was a Friday the 13th that I bought the bike home and today is a Friday too.
I must have mentioned it earlier as well on this thread on how I waited patiently a whole day at the showroom and finally got the bike in the evening. It was my first motorcycle and the excitement of it being a Bullet was equivilant to the first time I got a bicycle when I was a kid.
The bike had been with me ever since and used all the time. I have never given it a break and that may be a reason why it runs well even now with no engine work. I get a consistent 25 kmpl in the city which goes up by 2-3 kmpl on a highway ride and this has been the consistent figure over the years which talks a lot about the health of the engine.
In the last few weeks, ever since I replaced the clutch cable, the clutch lever and shifts had gotten hard. Although the clutch plates were replaced less than 20k kms back, it feels like it is the culprit. For now, I have got a good adjustment set on the cable as well as the inside the gearbox casing which seems to have fixed the hard shifts.

I managed to sneak in an early morning ride today to Makali which is around 60 kms away. As always, the cast iron engine perform the best in cool weather and the bike felt perfect and was doing 70 kmph happily without skipping a beat. The usual head gasket leak was there which happens after all rides, but the leak is not much yet although this is a feature since many years.

The bike has run 1,29,950 kms. I was hoping I could hit the 1.30 mark on the ride. Next service is not until next year since the bike has done just 2300 kms since the last one.

[SidharthaN]

Tharian great to see the old bull chugging along. All these old RE's need is a bit of regular riding and normal servicing.
My 2016 UCE Thunderbird 350 is clocking 1,35,000kms on the odo merrily. The bike still pulls clean till 85 happily and goes higher if pushed.
The TB has company in the stable from a 2022 Xpulse 4v clocking 20k.
I did a solo Ladakh ride on the Xpulse this May. Plan to take the TB on a Spiti trip or Ladakh next year maybe.

[tharian]

The bike happily chugs along. Nothing much to report as it is used only for chores in the city and neighborhood.

I got the HSRP plates done few months ago. Reverted back to the stock exhaust system for a while for a change. The headlamp doesn't work at all now, just the park light and brake light with a very low lit turn signal. It sure needs an electrical overhaul for all the lights to work and be bright. The battery I am using is a weak one since the engine doesn't need a healthy battery to fire up. This worked well since the bike is not used in the dark and the horn worked as long as the engine was running. Chain slack is still an issue, however it is only annoying when I do a ride at a constant speed of around 60-70 kmph. In city, it is fine especially with pillion as the slack gets adjusted with the weight.

Something that makes me proud about this bike is that it doesn't leak oil keeping in mind it has run quite a bit. It is just the oil sweat on the fins from the head gasket, which is not alarming. Fuel efficiency is a constant 25 kmpl. An oil service is due this year along with brake overhaul. Odo stands at 1,30,700 kms.