[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by gigatech2006

On the headlights front, do you have any suggestions? I'm coming across stuff like these - https://amzn.to/2IPFGOY, https://amzn.to/32ifeFv. What were you using before switching back to stock and why the revert?

Since you are from Bangalore, check out "Mad Dog" lights available at Gear Gear Motorcycles.

Have seen the lights in action on a BHP'ians Interceptor 650 and I quite liked it. Looks similar to the first Amazon one you linked above, but has good lighting and (I think, though not sure) GGMC provides 6 months warranty as well.

[gigatech2006]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

While A2Z Motorcycle Superstore doesnt have the same set listed as what I had bought, they do have some other more cost effective options available now. I do not have any experience with these but for reference, the link is here - Link to aux lights. The other option is to replace the entire headlamp unit with a complete LED headlamp setup. A2Z Motorcycle Superstore has an option available that does appear to be rather steeply priced. The link is here - Link for LED headlight

There are some shops on JC Road in Bangalore where you can get more reasonably priced options that are proven as well, I will recheck on the store names and update you on this. You can easily pick it up and get it installed on your bike later at your convenience.

Thanks for the pointers, Neil. I'm looking at this regulus one. Seems decently priced. At 2x10W is enough I guess for the lateral spread? Or would it be too less? Meanwhile, I'll also take a look at 'Mad Dog' suggested by Crazydriver.

[R-Six]

At last, I picked up the set of Ralco Speed Blasters yesterday. So glad that Ralco had the same profile tires for both front and rear. I was more concerned about that since I didn’t want to put a different thread pattern on the front and rear. You can see the grin on my face even through the helmet.

The funniest part was the only Amazon seller who had Ralco Speed Blasters in the size I was looking for, turned out to be from Ahmedabad itself. I got to know this from my riding buddy who ordered another set of Ralcos from the dealer. He realized it after seeing the shipping address on the tire he received.

After calling the seller earlier this week to confirm whether he had the set in stock, we headed out yesterday to get them at last. Ever since we found that dealer, we have picked two of my friends picked up Ralcos for their Dominar and Mojo in the last couple of months. With the newly built rapport, we were able to squeeze some good deals on the set I picked up.

Costed me 3100/- for the rear set (130/70 - 18) and 1800/- for the front (100/90 – 18) without the tubes.

Here are the pictures:

I haven’t ridden a lot since the tyre change. Saturday night ride plan got canned (as usual) and was hoping to wake up early and do a solo ride. But since we were out all through the afternoon yesterday to pick up the tyres and getting them fixed (apparently, half of the tyre guys in the city won’t touch a bullet, seems to be wary of the disc brake set up and didn’t want to take the pain opening the rear set).

Initial feedback after riding back for 10km from the shop, it certainly feels a bit heavier than the PSDs I had earlier. Also, the change in the thread pattern, especially towards the side of the tire might need some getting used to. I couldn’t lean as much as I lean on the PSDs (no, I’m not talking about scrapping the foot peg like leaning).

Ride Safe,
R-Six

[neil.jericho]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

So I brought the bike back to the SVC and then realized that the kicker was interfering with the new right side footpeg. I brought this to the attention of the service advisor as well who once again wheeled the bike back in to check both the clutch cable and the footpeg / kicker issue. The clutch cable was adjusted to my satisfaction and it turned out that there was a slight play in the kicker (I suspect this was there earlier as well) and rather interestingly, the kicker had a slight bend in it as well. This would have happened with the topple that I mentioned in my earlier post and I would not have noticed it. The part wasn't in stock but they have placed an order for it in their procurement system.

When the order for the kick starter was placed, I was told that I would receive an sms update from the company to inform me that the part had arrived. I have been out of town for a bit so I wasnt in any hurry to get the replacement kick starter. That said, so far, I havent received any such confirmation message, so I guess I will have to follow up with the SVC to see when they will receive the part. I suppose these delays are to be expected given that the Continental GT 535 is a discontinued model.

Originally Posted by gigatech2006

Thanks for the pointers, Neil. I'm looking at this regulus one. Seems decently priced. At 2x10W is enough I guess for the lateral spread? Or would it be too less? Meanwhile, I'll also take a look at 'Mad Dog' suggested by Crazydriver.

Gigatech2006, the regulus ones do look good but I dont know anyone who has used them. The Mad Dog one seems to be a popular choice so you cant go wrong with that either. The 2x10W output should be more than enough for safely riding without any issues whatsoever.

Originally Posted by R-Six

At last, I picked up the set of Ralco Speed Blasters yesterday. So glad that Ralco had the same profile tires for both front and rear. I was more concerned about that since I didn’t want to put a different thread pattern on the front and rear. You can see the grin on my face even through the helmet.

Please do share more feedback on the tires as you clock more kilometers on them. Also you have answered the question of how you managed to take the tires to the shop for installation I always scout around in advance and then take the tire to the shop in a car, prior to the installation.

Originally Posted by R-Six

I haven’t ridden a lot since the tyre change. Saturday night ride plan got canned (as usual) and was hoping to wake up early and do a solo ride. But since we were out all through the afternoon yesterday to pick up the tyres and getting them fixed (apparently, half of the tyre guys in the city won’t touch a bullet, seems to be wary of the disc brake set up and didn’t want to take the pain opening the rear set).

This seems to be the same story everywhere! Most shops here also are not keen on working with the Continental GT 535 thanks to the rear disc and their lack of experience with such motorcycles. I had to hunt for quite a while and finally found a small shop that was willing to do it but eventually, they didnt set it up properly while installing the rear tire. Fortunately, I had to give my bike for service the next day, so the issue was fixed.

Originally Posted by R-Six

Initial feedback after riding back for 10km from the shop, it certainly feels a bit heavier than the PSDs I had earlier. Also, the change in the thread pattern, especially towards the side of the tire might need some getting used to. I couldn’t lean as much as I lean on the PSDs (no, I’m not talking about scrapping the foot peg like leaning).

The tires certainly do look the business! It just makes me realize that a pure GT platform based 535 cc scrambler was such a missed opportunity for Royal Enfield. Talk about leaving money on the table.

[R-Six]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

Please do share more feedback on the tires as you clock more kilometers on them.

Will do. Haven't ridden much since the swap. I took it to the office twice this week (22km roundtrip) and so far it seems good.

A couple of things I noticed:

• The ralco seems to be more stable on uneven patches. Especially while riding on a flyover which used to be quite a task with the earlier PSDs.

• Moving the bike around is more easy as well in my office basement. I think I will have to check the tire pressure, they might have filled it to 35psi

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

I always scout around in advance and then take the tire to the shop in a car, prior to the installation.

In our case, scouting was not needed. We had already called up and confirmed the availability of the tires with the dealer. And I was initially planning to pick them in my car. But then, both the dealer and the guy from whom we were planning to get them swapped were located in an extremely crowded area. So we decided to do this stunt.

Funniest part with riding like this was, folks thought it was some marketing campaign by the tire company and one chap who was standing next to me in a signal asked whether it was a promotion or something. Since we had two folks (on a GT and a Mojo) with these tires placed around them riding through the busy streets.

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

It just makes me realize that a pure GT platform based 535 cc scrambler was such a missed opportunity for Royal Enfield. Talk about leaving money on the table.

True that.

[dew]

Hello Everyone. Thank you for keeping this thread alive. Let me in this club

I have done some simple mods to my GT:


1. LED Indicators both front and rear
2. Removed the mud flaps both front and rear
3. Replaced the stock levers with aftermarket adjustable and fold-able ones
4. Added adjustable bar end mirrors
5. A handmade custom dual seat (tried retaining the look as close to the single seat as possible). The mechanism is exactly like the original seat, pull the wire to take it off.
6. Painted the letters on the Pirelli's white using a Camlin white permanent marker.

Here are some pictures:








My GTs left rear shock absorber is leaking oil. I asked the RE service center and they say that it costs around 13k for the pair. They also said that GT 650s shock won't fit. I do not want to spend 13k on shocks that are known for leaks (Many Gt owners have complained about this) and can not be repaired. Has anyone tried any other shocks on GT 535? Someone mentioned Karizma ZMR or Apache RTRs shocks should work, However the local Mechanic says RTRs shock are smaller in size.

[Tgo]

Congrats on completing 5 years with the Bike.

Originally Posted by dew

My GTs left rear shock absorber is leaking oil.

Wouldn't an international manufacturer of shocks like Paioli have rebuild kits for the shock absorbers? You might want to check the same out on their website or RE UK forums for a OEM or OE replacement rebuild kit.

[neil.jericho]

Originally Posted by dew

I have done some simple mods to my GT:


1. LED Indicators both front and rear
2. Removed the mud flaps both front and rear
3. Replaced the stock levers with aftermarket adjustable and fold-able ones
4. Added adjustable bar end mirrors
5. A handmade custom dual seat (tried retaining the look as close to the single seat as possible). The mechanism is exactly like the original seat, pull the wire to take it off.
6. Painted the letters on the Pirelli's white using a Camlin white permanent marker.

Welcome to Team BHP and I must say, your red Continental GT 535 looks very well maintained and in immaculate condition! I like your custom dual seat that has a very period look, how comfortable is it for the pillion rider? Can you share some pictures of the LED indicators? To my untrained eye, they look like KTM LED indicators.

Do share more details about your motorcycle and yes, more pictures as this thread can never have enough pictures of the Continental GT 535.

Originally Posted by dew

My GTs left rear shock absorber is leaking oil. I asked the RE service center and they say that it costs around 13k for the pair. They also said that GT 650s shock won't fit. I do not want to spend 13k on shocks that are known for leaks (Many Gt owners have complained about this) and can not be repaired. Has anyone tried any other shocks on GT 535? Someone mentioned Karizma ZMR or Apache RTRs shocks should work, However the local Mechanic says RTRs shock are smaller in size.

I had asked the Royal Enfield service centers here regarding the suitability of the Gabriel shocks of the 650s for the Continental GT 535. I was given the same answer but the good news is that there is a Royal Enfield employee in Pune who has successfully done the same on his bike. There are also a couple of folks who have tried shocks of other motorcycles like you mentioned but the risk involved is that those shocks would have been engineered for a different weight limitation / capacity. So even if they do fit with some jugaad, they may not perform as expected in all conditions and the risk may not be worth the cost saved.

Are you a part of the Royal Enfield Continental GT 535 owners whatsapp group? You can check for feedback from the other owners regarding these modifications and take a call.

Originally Posted by Tgo

Congrats on completing 5 years with the Bike.

Wouldn't an international manufacturer of shocks like Paioli have rebuild kits for the shock absorbers? You might want to check the same out on their website or RE UK forums for a OEM or OE replacement rebuild kit.

Thanks Tgo. For better or for worse, the Paioli shocks were built in India and owners have enquired about getting the shocks serviced / fixed / rebuilt officially but they havent been able to get the parts from the manufacturer. There are a couple of suspension specialists who offer to fix it but I wouldnt hold my breath on the longevity of the suspension after that. So realistically, we are only left with the replace option.

[Tgo]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

There are a couple of suspension specialists who offer to fix it but I wouldnt hold my breath on the longevity of the suspension after that. So realistically, we are only left with the replace option.

Its just an O-ring or an Oil-Seal at the end of the day. These parts come in standard sizes from reputable manufacturers like SKF. And there are custom O-ring manufacturers like Maxspare who can develop the customized part as per your requirement. You just need to have the list of seals and their dimensions or the dimensions of the grooves / steps they sit in and order the minimum order quantity in Fluorosilicone rubber material. 10 sets (MOQ) of the replacement seals shouldn't cost you more than 400-500 rupees per set.

If you can spare the bike for some time or have a spare set, its worth giving it a try. A leaking shock is anyways not performing optimally.

[dew]

Originally Posted by Tgo

Its just an O-ring or an Oil-Seal at the end of the day. These parts come in standard sizes from reputable manufacturers like SKF. And there are custom O-ring manufacturers like Maxspare who can develop the customized part as per your requirement. You just need to have the list of seals and their dimensions or the dimensions of the grooves / steps they sit in and order the minimum order quantity in Fluorosilicone rubber material. 10 sets (MOQ) of the replacement seals shouldn't cost you more than 400-500 rupees per set.

If you can spare the bike for some time or have a spare set, its worth giving it a try. A leaking shock is anyways not performing optimally.

Thanks for the suggestion. I visited a local mechanic today and he suggested that the shock needs to be "filled" and the "seal" needs to be replaced. I am going to give it a try this weekend. He quoted 500 for this job.

[Tgo]

Originally Posted by dew

Thanks for the suggestion. I visited a local mechanic today and he suggested that the shock needs to be "filled" and the "seal" needs to be replaced. I am going to give it a try this weekend. He quoted 500 for this job.

Do check the gas pressure before releasing it for disassembly, then fill it up to the same pressure again.

Ask him to put in an SKF Oil seals rather than a Shelko / Sunny brand. Oil seals are specified by three dimensions and the lip profile. eg. Outer Diameter-Inner Diameter-Thickness eg. 40-20-8 single lip). In case of the shock oil seal, seal OD will be the ID of the cylinder where the seal sits, Seal ID will be the OD of the plunger rod that moves in and out and the thickness will be the height of the step in the cylinder where the Oil-seal sits.

Reference: Page-1, Page-2
You can find catalogs for them online, or check Maxspare website for the same.

If it has leaked too much oil he will have to fill the oil by trial and error (or you could weigh the shock that isn't leaking compare it with an empty shock and the difference will be your oil weight which can be measured and poured in the shock to be rebuilt.

Better to disassemble the shock and then take it to him rather than riding there. That way you can leave it there if he needs time to figure things out.

[dew]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

Welcome to Team BHP and I must say, your red Continental GT 535 looks very well maintained and in immaculate condition! I like your custom dual seat that has a very period look, how comfortable is it for the pillion rider? Can you share some pictures of the LED indicators? To my untrained eye, they look like KTM LED indicators.

Do share more details about your motorcycle and yes, more pictures as this thread can never have enough pictures of the Continental GT 535.

I had asked the Royal Enfield service centers here regarding the suitability of the Gabriel shocks of the 650s for the Continental GT 535. I was given the same answer but the good news is that there is a Royal Enfield employee in Pune who has successfully done the same on his bike. There are also a couple of folks who have tried shocks of other motorcycles like you mentioned but the risk involved is that those shocks would have been engineered for a different weight limitation / capacity. So even if they do fit with some jugaad, they may not perform as expected in all conditions and the risk may not be worth the cost saved.

Are you a part of the Royal Enfield Continental GT 535 owners whatsapp group? You can check for feedback from the other owners regarding these modifications and take a call.

Thanks Tgo. For better or for worse, the Paioli shocks were built in India and owners have enquired about getting the shocks serviced / fixed / rebuilt officially but they havent been able to get the parts from the manufacturer. There are a couple of suspension specialists who offer to fix it but I wouldnt hold my breath on the longevity of the suspension after that. So realistically, we are only left with the replace option.

Thank You! Its a 2016 Model. I take it to the wash atleast twice a month.

Here is a video, The indicators and other mods are clearly visible

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNs6uJwlNIE

and couple of pics with the single seat:




Yesterday I built a Skid plate for my GT Check it out:







Its not finished yet, the black marks are burnt plastic sheet that was on the steel sheet. I will get it polished (Sand Paper). It should be shiny after that.

[neil.jericho]

It has a been a very quiet couple of weeks on the motorcycling front since I havent been around for a bit and to add to that, the extremely heavy rains (and not to mention the threat of extremely heavy rains, which is worse!) have been major damper on any and all riding plans. I finally wheeled out the Continental GT 535 for a short ride yesterday evening despite the recalcitrant weather conditions. The GT 535 felt a little out of sorts though this was easily set right while checking the air pressure at a petrol pump. Both tires were off by around 4 PSI and once the pressures were back up to the recommended limits of 20 PSI for the front and 30 PSI for the rear tire, the bike felt was instantly back to it's normal self.

The impending threat of heavy rains meant that I had to limit my riding to a very short distance but I did manage to explore a few areas that I had not ventured into yet. These places were far more beautiful than I expected, to put it mildly and I plan to ride through them properly in the coming weeks, if the weather gods permit.

The lack of riding in the past few weeks, has meant that the bike needs a few more kicks than usual to get started. Hopefully I get enough riding time this week to ensure that things are back to normal. The best part about the ride was that though I had a light drizzle for company all the way back, the minute I walked in home, the skies opened up and it started pouring cats and dogs.

Mileage : I've forgotten to keep the thread updated on the last few times that I had filled up the motorcycle. On the Yercaud ride, after filling the bike in Coimbatore, we rode to Yercaud and on the return, we filled up at the BP petrol bunk in Neikarapatty, Salem. So we had a healthy mix of aggressive riding in the twisties along with steady highway mile munching conditions. Distance covered : 204.4 kms. Petrol consumed : 5.13 litres. Mileage: 39.84 kmpl, which I felt was a very good number considering that I wasnt light on the throttle at all.

I had topped up the motorcycle at Kannadi, once we entered Palakkad, later in the day. Distance covered : 212.3 kms. Petrol consumed : 5.83 litres. Mileage: 36.42 kmpl which I felt was a little low considering the ride consisted of steady high speeds on wide empty highway roads. Maybe it had something to do with the fuel quality at the BP bunk in Neikarapatty, Salem.

Yesterday, it was back to the same IOCL bunk on Durbar Hall Road to tank up the Continental GT 535 after the short ride. Distance covered : 141 kms. Petrol consumed : 4.49 litres. Mileage: 30.06 kmpl.

Overall mileage from day 1 stands at 27.82 kmpl which is quite respectable and higher than what I expected.

[neil.jericho]

The one day on which I had a some time carved out to wheel out the motorcycle and enjoy a few hours on the saddle and what do you know. The heavens opened up and washed away all my plans. Sigh! Man proposes, God disposes.

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

When the order for the kick starter was placed, I was told that I would receive an sms update from the company to inform me that the part had arrived. I have been out of town for a bit so I wasnt in any hurry to get the replacement kick starter. That said, so far, I havent received any such confirmation message, so I guess I will have to follow up with the SVC to see when they will receive the part. I suppose these delays are to be expected given that the Continental GT 535 is a discontinued model.

This past week, I called the service advisor to find out if there was an update on the kick starter and after checking on their IT system, he told me that despite the order having been placed a few weeks ago, it still hasnt been sent by the company. So it looks as though the Royal Enfield factory doesnt have available stocks of the GT 535's kick starter and I dont know when they will manufacture it next. Come on, Royal Enfield, is it that tough to keep spares of your motorcycles, even the ones that have been recently discontinued.

Anyways, now for some good news. I hear through the grapevine that the long standing prayer for official Royal Enfield alloys should soon be answered.

[neil.jericho]

With a few spare hours at my disposal, I did a quick ride to Andhakaranazhi beach a few days ago. The ride was certainly a refreshing one and the pleasant weather certainly helped in making the ride rather fun.

At my favourite view point


The light house overlooking the cove at the Andhakaranazhi beach

I also did an impromptu ride towards Cherai beach but rather than heading towards the more popular and crowded parts of the beach, I pulled up Google maps and headed towards the opposite end instead. I found that the beach was very clean and completely bereft of any signs of outsiders. Watching the sun go down while enjoying the theraputic sound of the waves slowly make their way to the pristine shore, the simple pleasures of life.

What wasnt pleasant however, was what I experienced on the return to civilization. And that was, the insistence of most two wheeled riders to gratuitously make their way to the wrong side of the road in their vain attempts to overtake slow moving four wheelers. Now I usually dont mind such recklessness from others, if a man wants to reach his maker, then so be it. But when the above mentioned two wheeled riders are headed straight at me, I do have to pause for a moment and swerve to avoid head on collisions. In fact, on no less than 5 occasions did crazy bike riders on the wrong side of the road knock the right side mirror of my bike today. That is 5 more than what I have experienced through the last 11 months of the year. And I hope that I dont have to experience this for the next 11 months of riding.

On my way to Cherai, I had to check the air pressure on the bike as I suspected that the rear tire had lost a few PSI and sure enough, it had gone down by 3 PSI in the last 10 days or so. I checked the pressure after the ride using the ResqTech tire filler that I have and there was no loss of air, so things seem to be fine for now. Overall though, the GT 535 feels a little gruff, Im not sure if I can put a finger on it right now but it sure feels like could be a lot smoother. The on-off throttle isnt too smooth and the vibrations have felt like they were creeping up by a small margin over the last few months. The Shell fully synthetic engine oil hasnt done 3,000 kms yet but Im sure that changing the oil in the coming months should help matters. That reminds me, I am waiting for Royal Enfield's annual service camp for the GT 535 so that I can get the bike serviced and take advantage of the lower priced spares. And hopefully I can get the kick starter at that time, heaven knows when it will actually arrive in Cochin.

Mileage: Since there might be a short ride tomorrow morning, I topped up at the usual IOCL bunk on Durbar Hall Road. Distance covered : 103.6 kms. Petrol consumed : 3.96 litres. Mileage: 30.06 kmpl.