[FuelInjector]

Background -
The passion for motorycles started way back in the 1970s, when my dad bought his Yezdi Classic, 1969 model. I still vividly remember the inscription of "Made in Czechoslovakia" on the engine with the carburettor sticking out. Post that, I had ridden almost all the motorcycles of the day and age - Kawasaki Bajaj 4S, Yamaha RX100 / RX135 and Suzuki Shogun till my latest stint with RE Thunderbird 350, 2009 model with TwinSpark and electric start. Unfortunately, I had to see it off as i was relocating out of Bangalore.

I am what you can call, an old school rider who prefers cruising in the mid-range than sudden spurts and sprints. I am also of the view point that while riding a bike, one should feel firmly planted on the ground. In short, it was between a Harley and Royal Enfield to me.

I am mentioning the above points since my bike selection may be biased due to these.

Before the gory details, I would like to sincerely thank @Majumdarda, @tharian, @man_os_steel and @navin_v8. Your advice and guidance helped me a lot on taking a good decision.

Driving pattern & must haves -
* 40 kms per day on good roads with decent traffic on weekdays. Non-hilly terrain, but winding roads with strong crosswinds (feel planted on the road - hence, a decent weight)
* 100 kms over weekends with almost no traffic. Hilly terrain with moisture on the roads (good torque requirement)
* Once a month on long drives (good cruising ability needed with occasional bursts of speed for overtaking).
* Must seat me and my wife comfortably. Must pull full family if need be (decent BHP )
* Definitely disc brakes needed

Good to have -
* Good grunt of exhaust
* Decent mileage
* Sexy looks
* Good service network (I normally service most of the stuff myself)

Contenders -

Harley Davidson Super Low - excellent machine
Pros
- Excellent power
- Great handling
- Terrific wheelbase for the conditions I ride on
- ~900 cc in your right palm
- Great torque availability

Cons
- Very expensive
- Ground clearance when fully loaded was an issue
- Nearest dealer was 200 kms away

Harley Davidson Street 750 - entry-level HD machine
Pros
- Excellent power
- Great handling
- Terrific wheelbase for the conditions I ride on
- Better ground clearance when fully loaded

Cons
- Expensive, but I loved the machine
- Nearest dealer was 200 kms away

Royal Enfield - Classic 500
Pros
- Good power and handling
- Very stylish and looks really classic
- Good ground clearance when fully loaded
- Good torque and technologically improved

Cons
- Usual RE niggles
- Mainly a solo rider machine. Unless you change the seat, it cannot seat 3 people. If you changed the seat, it looked awkward to me

Royal Enfield - Bullet 500
Pros
- Good power and handling
- Looked real retro - especially in forest green on a bright, sunny day
- Good ground clearance when fully loaded
- Good torque and technologically improved
- Carburettor engine (which meant that I could make the machine still run during stopovers). Maybe we could run the EFI of Classic 500 as well, but I personally don't know to work on it.

Cons
- Usual RE niggles
- Do the looks put off my wife/son?

Selection -
Finally, after much debate and riding and re-riding, we went with Royal Enfield. My 8 year old son (a big influencer), also wanted RE as he thought not more than one person can sit on a Harley.

Test ride & dealership experience -

Sheriff Motors -
RE Sheriff motors is the dealer located nearest to my house. I was a bit apprehensive about dealing with them after reading negative reviews about their after service from my friends. Nevertheless, I called them up. The person at the other end of the line immediately asked - will you book the vehicle today? I was put off, but still said I would like a test ride. When I arrived at the showroom, I could not find any parking space. It's right near a major intersection on an arterial Metuppalayam road. A guy (who was around 15 - 17 years walked up to me with the price list and asked me to choose. He spoke about waiting periods, but nothing about the test ride. My son immediately said, let's move out. We left the place then and there.

RE Company owned showroom -
The next day, through one of my contacts, I went to this place. It's on another arterial (Avanshi) road (about 10 kms from my residence). But they had a decent parking space on the roadside. Ambience was not great. Too many blue shirts. Everyone running some errand. Met Mr. Balraj, the sales person. He is a senior guy and first asked me what was my riding need, why I need an Enfield, how I chose an Enfield, etc. After understanding me and my options, he gave me both keys (Classic and Bullet 500). He did not suggest any vehicle but asked me to choose after the experience. He told me to ride each vehicle for at least 20 minutes before arriving at a conclusion. He also told me to take it wherever I wanted (traffic and non-traffic conditions).

First, I rode the Classic 500 as both me and my son loved the looks. We cranked up the engine and set off. I was seated comfortably, but the pillion was a tad lower than me. If a heaver person sits, this could be an issue during long rides. The engine was responsive, breaking was good and road grip was nice. Loved the vehicle and had almost decided (except for the pillion seating). Told Balraj, it's Classic 500, but he insisted that I ride the Bullet 500.

Took the Bullet 500 out of the kerb. Kick-started (instead of self). Drove around the same route and found it incredibly responsive. 2nd gear at ~ 50km/hr and not much vibrations running through my hands (felt the Classic had more vibrations). The pillion seating was great. My son immediately said, this is the one. The throttle position sensor is also a pretty nice fit. Somehow for my height and body structure (I am 6ft 1in tall with long limbs, I felt the saddle position very comfortable. So we made the decision on Bullet 500.

Colour -
Only two options. Forest Green and Black. We loved the Forest Green. Thanks to the "AMUN RA" post from Bikramjit. We loved the Bullet. Classic has some interesting options. They were even ready to custom change colour and fittings.

Booking -
As per my mom, the next day was a good day. So I went over on the 17th July and booked our PAPS. Immediately, I got an SMS welcoming me to RE family, register my name for rides, etc. I got a call from their customer service asking about my booking experience. I must say, RE is putting in some effort to move from satisfy to delight customers. I never got this kind of attention when I had Thunderbird 350.

Waiting Period -
Normal waiting period is 1 month. So, I was asked to expect a call around 18th August.

Vehicle arrival/pre-delivery inspection/registration -
11th of August came and I got a call that the load has arrived. They asked me to pay the invoice amount minus booking amount. When asked for the PDI, they said only after payment a vehicle (using chassis/engine number) will be allocated. It's all done from the Chennai HO through a SAP system. Post that, I could have an inspection before registration. After deliberation of 2 days, I NEFT'd the money on 15th August. Since 15th was a holiday, I got a call on 18th morning that, since the money transfer date is 18th and from 18th they have revised the prices, I would need to pay 2,663/- more. I was totally irritated as no one had told me about this the previous week. I paid up. Inspected my vehicle on 19th and it was sent for registration on 20th. Got my PAPS delivered on 21st in its best condition. Other than the price difference, my experience was very good (8/10).

A new twist for two-wheeler registration in TN (or not sure whether it was my area RTO). A helmet bill needs to be provided with the same address as in ration card/voter ID/Aaadhar card. If not - no registration happens.

Extra Mods -
None opted for. I want to run it in for first 1000 and then fit a crash guard, indicator buzzers, some stickering (Team-BHP stickers as well).

Final Price-
Invoiced amount - Rs. 1,70,513/-
Booking amount - Rs. 5,000/-
Revised amount after 18th August 2015 - Rs. 2,663/-
Final price - Rs. 1,73,176/-
As I don't have the revised rates for other RE machines, am not going to upload wrong information.

Freebies & discounts -
Nothing. In fact when i tried to bargain, he said the only thing under his control is to lessen the waiting period.

First ride out of showroom and long ride -
5 litres of gasoline filled. 44 kms on the odo (Avanashi road to Thudiyalur RTO and back). Did the routine pooja for the vehicle and me and my son were off on our first drive to Agali. Some pictures below.

Riding experience: What I loved -
* The keys are much better designed. The edges are neatly cut (compared to the 2009 model that I owned). It easily goes into each keyhole without trouble
* The engine comes to life easily with kick-start. The auto decompression feature seems to take effect and I did not observe any recoil.
* Shifting from neutral to first gear and in general changing of gears is noiseless. Again when I compare it to the 2009 model, it used to make "kat-ak" sounds for every gear change.
* The pickup and responsiveness is truly awesome.
* Handling on the corners builds confidence. There were few sharp turns in the Attapady-Agali stretch and it was easily negotiable.
* Disc brakes have great bite when it comes to stopping the vehicle. But somehow, I suggest down-shifting as a better alternative (shall describe in the "What I did not like" section)
* Seating position is very comfortable. But one has to sit upright.
* Strong crosswinds (say ~40 kmph) don't alter movements that much. It's easy to handle the imbalance compared to few other vehicles.
* Wiring quality has vastly improved. Harness used is of very good quality (shall post pictures soon).

What I did not like -
* Neutral is still an enigma. Interestingly, the if the bike is in neutral, and the N lamp doesn't glow, the electric start does not work.
* The rear view mirrors show tremors of what's coming on the backside
* The fuel tank keyhole cover slowly rotates as the vehicle keeps moving. This can cause dust, etc. to get into the key hole.
* The braking at speeds over 80 kmph might need gear downshifts. Though the front brakes do well, the drums seem more thrust from initial leg position. Maybe I will adjust the screw and see if the experience becomes better (shall take a picture of the screw and post).
* Sometimes, I get this hollow sound while riding (like someone blowing through a hollow cylinder). Not sure what reason. If it comes again, I shall take a video and post for help.

Week 1 to week 5 experience:

I clock 40 kms per day on city roads of Coimbatore. The roads are two lane, with 50% curves and less traffic. I clock around 100 kms over the weekend on hilly terrains. Below are the parameters based on the driving experience till now.

Engine:
Smooth as butter. Excellent linear acceleration. Poor pick up (as expected - it's not for racing drivers). There is a tik-tik sound that comes when the choke is on during cold start. It dies as soon as the choke is off.

@Arizona_Jim mentioned in a post that the choke adds more air into the carburettor. That could be the reason for this sound.

Center of gravity in the curves:
Initially, I was not very confident in taking curves and did a ~80-90 degree body position with respect to the road. As I rode more and the fear of moving the center of gravity faded, I am able to slide to around 70 degrees with the road. The bike's tyres grip very well. Speeds reduce to 30 - 35 kmph during these turns. The bike's center of gravity is well distributed in these conditions (maybe because the handlebar handling/rotation is very easy).

Tyres:
Great set of tyres. 18/19 is a good combination. The V-cut treads provide more grip on the road surface. There were times when there was slight rain. It's a dangerous road condition, when the upper surface of the road is covered with mud and gets loose. The bike rides well in those situations.

Traffic conditions/Hills:
Just finding neutral is an issue and believe me, it's irritating in traffic conditions. I need to hold on to the clutch till the signal changes :(.

On the contrary, in the hills is where the 500 shows the true transformation. A slight tug at the throttle helps you overtake or gain speeds at will. No gear change required at all. While riding downhill, you need to be a little careful to engage the right gear. Because of the weight of the vehicle and gravity, the bike tends to gain 10 - 15% more speed.

Braking:
Front brakes - 10/10
Rear brakes - 6/10. I tried adjusting the nut as @adrian told me. Still, I feel the wheel is not responding to my push of the pedal the way I want.

Seating position - 10/10
For a 6 footer, perfect riding position. No pains observed in shoulders/elbows or the tail bone. Mind you - when I used to ride my Thunderbird TS 350 for more than 30 kms, I used to get pain in my tailbone.

Fuel efficiency:
Not sure. But providing some facts. Hope this helps people. Filled two times for Rs. 500. Taking the second time fill - (start reading at reserve = 146 kms; end reading at next reserve 461 kms).

Rs. 500 = 8.3 litres of petrol
Distance travelled = 310 kms
Average FE = 310/8.3 = 37.35 km/l

Please note that I never hard press the throttle. 90% of the time engine rpm is around mid-range. Would need some more cycles to substantiate the numbers.

The dual horn - a very useful feature for this giant. The sound that comes out also is pretty decent.


The front disc caliper.


The wires are neatly tucked up in a good harness. The cables are of good quality. The tensile factor is great.


Does anyone know what is this vacant turned screw point for?


Is this the nut to tighten the brake pedal travel? I feel I need to hit the pedal more (more travel) to engage the rear drum brakes.


Electric wiring shot. These wires are also of nice quality.


Fuel tank underbody snap. Did not come out that well, but at least it shows some aspects in the underbelly.


Now for some DIY. Bought the crash guard separately as advised. The cost is ~ Rs. 1,000/-


What that money gets you:


Very simple to fix, as slots and clamps are already provided. Fix the lower clamp using the nuts and screws provided.


Once the lower clamp is fixed, raise the upper part to have some degree of gap with the silencer. Fix the U-clamp from around and tighten the screw slowly. One needs to go to the front to ensure it's symmetrical to the tyre position.


I have put the horn wire through the gap between the mid-stock and clamp - no specific reason.

For folks interested in the route and the place we visited, have a look here. Am not a big shutterbug, so apologies for the quality of photos.




Seasoned veterans in the group, please provide suggestions and cautions on what I might have to face with PAPS-500.

One parting shot of my B500.

[alpha1]

Congratulations on your new purchase.
I am a surprised with the Bullet 500 price, it has become so expensive!
(But so have the people's income risen over the decade)

Your Mr.Balraj appears to be the kind of sales man that every dealer would love to have (And so would every customer deserve to have)!

Two things which snatched my attention:
1. Any reason why you did not evaluate Tbird 500?
2. Was the Bullet 500 more responsive than Classic 500?

[FuelInjector]

Originally Posted by alpha1

Two things which snatched my attention:
1. Any reason why you did not evaluate Tbird 500?
2. Was the Bullet 500 more responsive than Classic 500?

Thanks.
1. Since i have been driving a Tbird 350, we wanted something different. Also, (maybe am getting old), but loved my 2009 model Tbird styling & rocket silencer than the new one with square tail lamps, black tip exhaust etc. You could argue that i can replace those, but did not want to again put money on something that i have driven
2. Actually i did not feel any difference in pickup, responsiveness, neutral drive and breaking. Had some discomfort in the seating position. Its a shorter vehicle too. Mr. Balraj said classic 500 delivers more power than B500. Nonetheless felt a better riding position for my height on B500.

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Motorcycle Section. Thanks for sharing!

[adrian]

Congratulations and may you have miles and miles of hassle free ownership of your Bullet 500.

[ArizonaJim]

Congratulations on your new Bullet 500.

To answer some of your questions:

The extra threaded boss on the side of the front downtube is an alternate mount for the horn. It is used on my 2011 G5 (Electra).
Often, motorcycles and automobiles often have unused bosses or holes for optional build configurations.

The bolt shown in the red square in your 5th picture adjusts the stopping height of the foot brake lever. Changing its position will change the rear brake adjustment but it is NOT the way to adjust the rear brake. If you like the height of the pedel under your foot when your riding, leave it alone.

To adjust how far down you need to push the brake pedel to apply the rear brake, look at the rod that is running back to the arm on the rear brake at the rear wheel.
You will notice a nut on the aft side of the arm (lever).
This special nut adjusts the rear brake.

Aft, looking forward, turning this nut clockwise will cause the rear brake to be applied with less brake downward peddle movement.

If you adjust this nut, do so with the motorcycle on the centerstand so the rear wheel can be freely turned without drag.
As you tighten the nut to reduce the peddle travel, check how far the brake peddle moves before the brake stops the wheel movement. The peddle should move at least 15mm before further movement becomes difficult. (My Owners manual says 20-30mm but I like less travel).

All of this is mentioned in the Owners Manual (in the USA).

I believe your motorcycle uses a carbutetor rather than fuel injection.
If this is true, the choke lever changes the air/fuel mixture to make it richer.

Have fun with your new bike. I know your going to love it.

Ride safe
Jim

[FuelInjector]

Originally Posted by ArizonaJim

Congratulations on your new Bullet 500.

Thanks.

Aft, looking forward, turning this nut clockwise will cause the rear brake to be applied with less brake downward peddle movement.

If you adjust this nut, do so with the motorcycle on the centerstand so the rear wheel can be freely turned without drag.
As you tighten the nut to reduce the peddle travel, check how far the brake peddle moves before the brake stops the wheel movement. The peddle should move at least 15mm before further movement becomes difficult. (My Owners manual says 20-30mm but I like less travel).

i did as you suggested and the travel is less.

one more question to you - there is a faint sound i get when tugging on the clutch wire. Something like the creaking of non-lubricated door.
should i apply some grease or vaseline on it?

Have fun with your new bike. I know your going to love it.

Ride safe
Jim

Thanks Jim. Am already loving it as its reaching close to 800kms. And would definitely ride safe.

[rakesh_r]

Hearty congratulations for the Bull. I was in the same dilemna while deciding between the classic and the B500. After spending lots of sleepless nights went ahead and bought the CL500 dessert storm.The bike will feel a bit rough and will heat up a bit initially after which it will settle down.
About the creaking sound,the 500 has a "tighter" clutch than the 350.For the cable operation to be smoother,remove the cable from both ends and instill some drops of fresh oil till you see the oil coming out from the other end.
Never use grease to lubricate any cables as it attracts dust and can harm the cable in the long run.
Ride safe

[FuelInjector]

Originally Posted by rakesh_r

Hearty congratulations for the Bull. I was in the same dilemna while deciding between the classic and the B500. After spending lots of sleepless nights went ahead and bought the CL500 dessert storm.

Thanks Rakesh. Congratulations on your Classic500 . Its a great machine.
Are you using stock seats or have you changed them? did you change your silencer?

The standards seat is a little hard on long drives. has anyone added extra foam seat covers to this seat?
if yes - what impact would it have to the riding position?

One issue am observing is, lot of people watch the bullet and forget to see the indicator lights on. Does fixing buzzers to the indicator lights makes sense? (for some reason i thought its best to avoid buzzers on bullets - #prejudice)

[rakesh_r]

Originally Posted by FuelInjector

Thanks Rakesh. Congratulations on your Classic500 . Its a great machine.
Are you using stock seats or have you changed them? did you change your silencer?

The standards seat is a little hard on long drives. has anyone added extra foam seat covers to this seat?
if yes - what impact would it have to the riding position?

One issue am observing is, lot of people watch the bullet and forget to see the indicator lights on. Does fixing buzzers to the indicator lights makes sense? (for some reason i thought its best to avoid buzzers on bullets - #prejudice)

For the seats,yes I have changed both the rider and pillion seats minus the springs since they were creating a problem on my back plus I am heavy weight (100 +).
There is a guy in Mumbai who runs a shop called Perfect seats,pretty famous among bulleteers.I have seen people changing seats of the B 500 too.
For the exhaust I am using Wildboar.
About the indicators,I too face the same problem.
Attaching couple of pics of my bike.

[FuelInjector]

Originally Posted by rakesh_r

Attaching couple of pics of my bike.

What a true beauty your machine is. Loved your machine and the seat (assume you are single) .

There is a guy in Coimbatore who deals exclusively on Royal Enfield accessories - Lachu motors. Shall check with him over the weekend on the seat part.

The problem with indicators is, it has tried to cause collisions a couple of times. Having a sound emitter can avoid these situations

[rakesh_r]

Originally Posted by FuelInjector

What a true beauty your machine is. Loved your machine and the seat (assume you are single) .

There is a guy in Coimbatore who deals exclusively on Royal Enfield accessories - Lachu motors. Shall check with him over the weekend on the seat part.

The problem with indicators is, it has tried to cause collisions a couple of times. Having a sound emitter can avoid these situations

Married since two years.Better half has gone to her native for a month so thought of riding with a single seat for some time.
The guy whom I had mentioned does send the seats on order through out India but I would anyday suggest to physically have a look and feel the seat before buying one.
He also inserts gel pads if anyone is interested but is a wee bit expensive.
One of my friend got rid of the split seats on his CL350, might look good on the electra or the B500 too.

[Tushar]

He is a senior guy and first asked me what was my riding need, why I need an Enfield, how I chose an Enfield, etc. After understanding me and my options, he gave me both keys (Classic and Bullet 500). He did not suggest any vehicle but asked me to choose after the experience.

I got a call from their customer service asking about my booking experience. I must say, RE is putting in some effort to move from satisfy to delight customers. I never got this kind of attention when I had Thunderbird 350.

When you mentioned the bit about Sheriff motors I was shaking my head and thinking why won't RE learn, but your final experience is quite an eye opener. 20 mins with each bike? A call from customer care? Miracle by RE standards!

The engine comes to life easily with kick-start. The auto decompression feature seems to take effect and I did not observe any recoil.

Keep an eye on that recoil though. The auto decomp works well 98% of the time, but there have been times (during cold weather / monsoon starts) where I've had to repeatedly use the kick starter and I got a smack from my bike (Tbird UCE 350) that made me limp for 3 days. Best stick to gentle half kicks.

[man_of_steel]

Congrats man! It is indeed a sweet and gorgeous looking ride !

Originally Posted by FuelInjector

A new twist for two-wheeler registration in TN (or not sure whether it was my area RTO). A helmet bill needs to be provided with the same address as in ration card/voter ID/Aaadhar card.

What if you already have a helmet??

..What I did not like -
* Neutral is still an enigma. Interestingly, the if the bike is in neutral, and the N lamp doesn't glow, the electric start does not work.

Is this occasional happenings or the neutral light doesnt not work at all? If the N light is not working even after slight up/down playing around with the gear lever you might have to get the neutral switch in the gear box checked.

@Arizona_Jim mentioned in a post that the choke adds more air into the carburettor. That could be the reason for this sound.

Not nitpicking but its quite the oppiosite. Choke restricts/cuts air thus making the AF mixture rich for those cold startups.

Traffic conditions/Hills:
Just finding neutral is an issue and believe me, it's irritating in traffic conditions. I need to hold on to the clutch till the signal changes :(.

Please avoid this practice. It is not good for the life of the clutch cable and also the clutch plates. I am sure you will get the knack of finding neutral within some days of regular riding.

Congrats again and Happy riding!

[navin_v8]

Originally Posted by FuelInjector

Before the gory details, I would like to sincerely thank @Majumdarda, @tharian, @man_os_steel and @navin_v8. Your advice and guidance helped me a lot on taking a good decision.

Mate I am glad that you listened to your heart. You will never regret your decision.

Took the Bullet 500 out of the kerb. Kick-started (instead of self).

This is where the relation started by kick(manual) starting instead of electric starting.

The braking at speeds over 80 kmph might need gear downshifts. Though the front brakes do well, the drums seem more thrust from initial leg position.

From my experience of riding RE's I will suggest a combination of front and rear braking in the ratio of 6:4 where 6 is front and 4 is rear. If this is coupled with engine braking then the braking distance will reduce to a certain extent.

There is a tik-tik sound that comes when the choke is on during cold start. It dies as soon as the choke is off.

I am not sure if its the choke that results in that sound. That tik-tik sound is of the auto de-compressor on a cold engine AFAIK. Once the engine warms up the sound goes away on its own.

Just finding neutral is an issue and believe me, it's irritating in traffic conditions. I need to hold on to the clutch till the signal changes :(.

Mate you can go through my thread and some other threads where gear shifting technique is explained. It is like before you come to a complete halt downshift and come to neutral when the bike is still rolling. It makes it easier to shift to neutral when the bike is still rolling rather than to shift when it is comes to a complete halt. You can anticipate a stop at the signal and start shifting as you are approaching the signal. You can downshift and shift to neutral when you are still rolling at around 10-15 Kmph. Also since the motorcycle is brand new the gearshifts will be a bit tighter as the gear metals are grinding and clearing the surface. It will get better after the first service.

On the contrary, in the hills is where the 500 shows the true transformation. A slight tug at the throttle helps you overtake or gain speeds at will. No gear change required at all.

This is what that addictive torque does to you. I am a slave of that torque delivery of the 500cc mill. The torque just makes it effortless while riding on hills and upward inclines.

While riding downhill, you need to be a little careful to engage the right gear. Because of the weight of the vehicle and gravity, the bike tends to gain 10 - 15% more speed.

As rightly mentioned by you, one must be in the correct gear preferably lower gear to use the engine braking while rolling down a hill or an incline to reduce the stress on brakes and overall handling dynamics of the engine.

One parting shot of my B500.

Your B500(PAPS) looks stunning in that forest green color shade. Ride safe.