[ashwinprakas]

Originally Posted by rakesh_r

I wouldn't be surprised if that contraption (Pun Intended) would even run with used cooking oil.

True that, Discovery channel has done it in pursuit of the #1 Motorcycle a place secured by the Honda Cub.

The CT100B's engine has its underpinnings from Kawasaki which brought the 4S Champion to compete with the likes of the Honda's Cub iteration the Splendor.

One thing common between both motors is the insanely huge centrifugal oil filter, the origin of which if I'm not wrong was due to Soichiro Honda's requirement being a machine that'd be able to survive even the worst maintenance common to 3rd world countries, hence it showed up on the Honda and then later on the Kawasaki.

That said, for the commuter class engines, I would stick with the cheapest oil and religiously change it at every 1000km. At the worst, I would stick to the SVC issued ones.

More or less same here, I keep it till around 1.5k~2k km's, though during interstate runs I'd had to extend till 2.5k km's.

The only difference being I use the same for all my motorcycles, even a Gen 1 Duke 390 that I was maintaining for a friend for the better part of a year, the thing ran as usual on Rimula R4.

During my Unicorn days, when the entire world was going gaga over Motul 300V, tried it once, the bike didn't cross 90, got bogged down, rode for 50km, approached the first Shell Petrol pump, replaced it with a mineral 20W40 and voila...avante.

Same experience with Motul 300V, this was my first interstate run on a 100cc(Bajaj Discover 100 4G) motorcycle and I had about 1500 km's to clock, so I went for what was perceivably the best at the time and guess what I barely made it home, I was worried there was some serious damage done seeing the way the motorcycle was behaving and this was a brand new motorcycle with less than 500 km's on the odo at the time of starting the ride.

Never again! Back to Diesel oil's and all has been well.

I also remember using Shell Rimula Diesel engine oil on my zma, the bike ran butter smooth and didn't notice any slippage.

Rimula used to be dope but now the price keeps on going up, so doesn't make it worth the effort as I get Generic 20W50 from Valvoline for Rs.220/- per liter. Issue is shops don't stock Rimula and online stores increase price faster than indexation can keep up.

[sagarpadaki]

How does the P220 respond to the Rimula and the diesel engine oils?

Which is the generic Valvoline 20W50? Any link to the product?

[ashwinprakas]

Originally Posted by sagarpadaki

How does the P220 respond to the Rimula and the diesel engine oils?

Just as it would with any other decent oil, noticeably better than the Shell AX's and Synthetic Motul's which made shifts notchy.

Which is the generic Valvoline 20W50? Any link to the product?

This is the product in question.





Yet to spot it online, the MRP says 1001/- but we get it for 650/- from a wholesale dealer at Trivandrum and last time I got a 20/- mechanics discount, so that brings it to 630/- i.e 210/- per liter.

A.P.

[drt_rdr]

Originally Posted by ashwinprakas

38,500 km's Update!
Anyhow decided to do a FE check by reserve to reserve and arrived at a shocking conclusion.

You really cannot expect decent figures if you clock 80kmph on the Speedo in 3rd gear maxing out at 12K RPM.

Guess now people would believe me when I tell them that both my motorcycles return more or less the same FE.

At this point, I just have to ask why. Just why? I don't understand anymore.

Why ride a 100 cc motorcycle long distance if its biggest USP, fuel efficiency i.e. more places to see at less kharcha, is just not there? I mean my GS150R gives me a solid 45-50 kmpl sitting at around 5-6k rpm and 60-80 kmph in 6th gear. Only problem is the uncomfortable seat.

Only other reason I'd be tempted to ride a 100 cc is the weight or lack. But thats more of a negative when it comes to the highways.

[ashwinprakas]

Originally Posted by drt_rdr

At this point, I just have to ask why. Just why? I don't understand anymore.

I believe you've asked the same(maybe in a different context) on a different thread, the reason I didn't reply to the same was not to be rude but simply due to a fact which mostly coincides with all things related to passion.

Quotes better describe it;



There definitely are several motorcycles out there that'd make more sense but none that'd feed my soul the way this one does. That simply is that.

Thoughts aside, I do ride the CT100B "like I stole it", and I mean that literally, sometimes I don't even bother to shift up to final gear when clocking the company claimed top speed, there is some kinda carnal pleasure I derive from banging her up and making her scream.

Otherwise even when ridden at WOT for extended periods she returns close to 70kmpl. Take the GQ ride for example, we clocked around 8k km's in under 2 weeks and the fuel consumed cost me about 9k, cost of fuel was ranging from 83~86/- per liter at the time, but even if we take a rounded 80/- per liter we still arrive at a figure around 70kmpl.

Now that's with 120+ kg's me on board, along with my luggage, ridden around the country at WIDE OPEN THROTTLE day in and out for close to two weeks at a stretch.

For comparison my co-rider on his UCE 500 spent over 30k+ for fuel alone and his motorcycle was nowhere near its RPM ceiling. Go figure.

So yeah, if you were in the market for a fuel efficient motorcycle then I'd definitely recommend the CT100B.

[drt_rdr]

Originally Posted by ashwinprakas

I believe you've asked the same(maybe in a different context) on a different thread

Yes, that was a different context back then. But I suppose there's no escaping that context this time either.

There definitely are several motorcycles out there that'd make more sense but none that'd feed my soul the way this one does. That simply is that.

Don't get me wrong. I appreciate the efforts you've put into this thread a lot. Its been a great read, and a source of inspiration on a few things. But here I was, somehow thinking it's a matter of the head. Since it's a matter of the heart for you, that shuts me up.

Thoughts aside, I do ride the CT100B "like I stole it", and I mean that literally, sometimes I don't even bother to shift up to final gear when clocking the company claimed top speed, there is some kinda carnal pleasure I derive from banging her up and making her scream.

I hear you. It's great to be able to ride a bike to its limits all the time. Feels like full paisa vasool. Bigger bikes just don't afford you that kind of freedom on our roads if you want things to be relatively safe for everyone involved.

Sounds like how my relationship with my bikes used to be. Redline to the limiter in every gear, bash about carelessly, and abuse them to see when they break; engine, clutch, brakes, suspension, wheels, tyres, everything undergoes the trial by fire... and the bikes have broken in a few places bodily, but their spirit yet remains strong, and THUS my love for them also remains strong. Of course, these days, I'm treating them with much more respect. Er, I mean I can't afford to break them in too many more places than they already are broken.

Otherwise even when ridden at WOT for extended periods she returns close to 70kmpl....
So yeah, if you were in the market for a fuel efficient motorcycle then I'd definitely recommend the CT100B.

Now you have me wondering just how well long travel suspension would sit on this bike.

[ashwinprakas]

Originally Posted by arvindj

Thanks for the reply.

I finally got around sorting the Headlight.

Since the Hella unit was a dead end I decided to go for the OEM headlight unit that came stock on the BS4 CT100B as it came with HS1 bulb from factory.



The price is 990/- and is made by Lumax.

The previous Ambition/Dawn one was also from Lumax, it cost me 650/- but the quality was crap.





A point to note is that the BS4 unit is not a direct fit for the BS3 motorcycle, as the wiring is different; the BS4 unit has a female connector whereas the BS3 unit comes with a male connector as well as a separate bullet connector line for the High Beam Indicator on the dash.



Since I already had the wiring of my BS3 modified to accommodate HS1 bulbs I simply used my modified boot and connector.



I run with my HL ON all the time and at times do dabble in the Indian Juggad of running with both the beams ON at the same time, so I wasn't surprised to find some deformations and burns on my 45/40 HS1 bulb.





Since I'm at my parents place at Kollam I didn't have any replacement bulbs stocked here, but I'd be carrying a spare as soon as I get back to Trivandrum as I'm suspecting that the bulb is on its way out.

So only mod left is up-sizing the rims, which would be done as soon as the WarHorse i.e Chetak gets back on the road.

Speaking of which, here's a snap!



Cheers,
A.P.

[ashwinprakas]

Due to the Corona Pandemic I was asked to come back to my parents place and in the heat of things I rode down the CT100B without carrying its papers, hence had to resort to the P220 for errands since Kollam is strictly monitored compared to Trivandrum.

And from riding the P220 around I'd noticed that the chain set was acting up, so I finally had enough of the noise made by the chain and sprockets that I'd decided to get them replaced after 35k km's of use, if it hadn't been for me running them without slack I would've been able to use them for quite some time before going in for a replacement.



Here's a snap of the new vs old sprockets:





Here's a snap pf the seals I'd changed a few thousand km's ago, all seem to be perfect and leak free.



As for the sprockets, this is what I got:







Price was on the steeper side at Rs.1600/- but I've been told they last longer so fingers crossed on that. Also did change the wheel damper which cost about Rs.140/-

I'd reinstalled the main stand as my paddock stand was at my place and I'm now at my parents place, with two blocks for support it works fine even though on level ground it fails to perform. Also this is what the underside of a motorcycle that hasn't been washed for more than a year looks like :



Since I absolutely suck at installing O ring master link's this time as well I installed without the outer two rings in place. I simply cannot master installing O ring master links.

That's all for now.

Cheers and Ride Safe,
A.P.

[ashwinprakas]

Fired her up Yesterday!

She's been like this from the time I got her new, let her be idle for about a month or more and she looses compression.

Starting after a Month of Lock-down - Bajaj CT100B

As you can see I can move the kicker without any resistance, this goes on for about a minute or two before she regains compression and fires up. If she's fired up at least once a week or two then this doesn't occur.

I recall reading from older manuals(if I'm not wrong Royal Enfield), that if the motorcycle fails to maintain compression after being in extended storage, the easiest way to regain compression would be to take the plug off and then pour oil inside the combustion chamber and turn the motor a few times covering the plug port gently. A few more turns with the port left open followed by reinstalling the plug would have the compression back up to ensure the motor fires.

A point to note is that while you turn the motor it is best to make sure that the fuel tap is OFF to prevent flooding the engine, even if you do flood the engine then the means to recover from that is to pin the throttle to WOT and crank the motor.

This works because AIR is lighter than GASOLINE and the motor sucks in loads of air that'd go into the flooded combustion chamber and help in ignition. If using the kick starter then do make sure to counter-lock the handlebar to prevent cracking your kneecap as a kickback isn't uncommon, more so on TPS equipped machines.

Cheers,
A.P.

[ashwinprakas]

Overgeared the motorcycle using a 15T front sprocket from the XCD 125's kit, for fellow CT100B owner's the Gen 1 Platina 125's chain and sprocket kit is a direct match, the XCD125's comes with a lot more extra links, but since the Platina 125's kit was out of stock I had to go with this, 15T 420Pitch 17mm shaft dia front sprockets are near impossible to source individually, though stock 14T is easily available at Rs.75 a pop, speaking of which the chain kit from Rolon costs Rs.750/-:



Since the current set is about 15k km's old I only bothered to change the front sprocket and keep the rest for a rainy day.



Not the recommended means to get the job done as ideally the whole kit should be changed, but I couldn't care less at this point.

Have ridden here for a km or two at best in my locality due to Covid restrictions.

First thing to notice was that the 1st gear is more usable compared to it earlier acting like a Crawler/Hanuman Gear, and I didn't get the usual jhatka when launching the motorcycle, this did cause some unrest so I did launch in 2nd gear and she pulled without much hesitation, tried going up an incline launching in 2nd gear and still no issues, that is reassuring.

Next thing was that at about 60kmph when I thought I was in 4th gear, I was actually only in 3rd gear. And at 60kmph in 4th gear the engine purrs at a very low RPM, can't give exact difference cause the motorcycle lacks a tachometer, but the difference was quite noticeable.

The 4th gear has now become a proper overdrive, before she used to scream to 80kmph in 3rd gear and that is as far as the cam would permit the engine to rev, would love to rip her on the highways and see how far she pulls in 3rd gear.

Due to drastically reducing final drive from a rounded 3.00 to 2.8 on this tiny motor I am skeptical so unless I equally hit the trails and highways I would suggest everyone keep their reservations.

Now credits to my previous stock 14T sprocket for crapping out on me;



This is also a reminder why you should use quality fixtures, the ones that snapped were from an unknown brand I got locally at TVM. For Fixtures my preferred brand is TVS, quality is simply unmatched and fortunately we have a supplier at Kollam who was also open today.

P.S. Do not use front sprocket from the Pulsar 150 UG3 or Unicorn, though they're 15T and 420Pitch and easily available, the shaft dia is 20mm and doesn't fit the CT100B which has a 17mm dia shaft.

Here's a Unicorn front sprocket I got:



As you can see its 20mm and hence not a fit.

So that's all for now folks!
Cheers,
A.P.

[ashwinprakas]

Boredom did get the better of me and I did install the rear sprocket and chain of the XCD125 kit, with stock suspension you need to remove 10 links from the chain and bring it to 112 Links i.e Stock Number not 114 Links as per the Platina 125's kit.

I mentioned stock suspension cause I'd swapped out my stock shocks for the ones that were installed in my P220 i.e the Pulsar 135 Shocks.



Though quite taller than stock I had no concerns with using the main stand, which was a surprise as on the P220 the main stand didn't even touch the ground.



A point to note is that the CT100B has larger sleeves(17mm) than the Pulsar(12mm) at the bottom mount i.e swing-arm mount which I'm presuming is due to its heavy-duty nature of use. Here's the sleeve on the CT100B(Same at Both ends i.e Top and Bottom);



And here's a snap of the Pulsar's bottom mount from an older pair of P220 shocks I had laying around;



So basically I had to knock out the old sleeve from the P135's shock at the bottom mount and replace it with the stock larger sleeve on my CT100B's old shocks.

Also to note is that the taller the rear shock is, the shorter your wheelbase get's so the chain needs to be readjusted and I'm guessing I'd have to remove 2 more links, keeping it for next time or when the chain reaches maximum wear on the adjusters.

Having a Chain Breaker helps!:



Fortunately I was able to grab one from Amazon when they were selling it for around 500'ish a few years ago, now its scarce.

As for the P220, in the earlier pic you'd notice her in the background with an odd stance, that's cause she had no shockers due to a delay in procuring replacements;



With the help of Sarathy Bajaj, Kollam, I'd sourced and installed Comfortec shocks, they cost about Rs.1500/- a pair, they're roughly an inch taller than stock and hence makes sure that the main-stand works as well, something which was pestering me when I had the P135 shocks on, which were 2 inches taller than stock.







Tomorrow morning I'd be riding back to my place at TVM, yet to decide which motorcycle I'd be riding though.

In the meanwhile a friend of mine has been rebuilding his fathers CT100 which had been defunct for a really long time;



His workmanship is commendable as utmost care is being taken to produce better than factory fitment, other than the powder coating the rest of the work is carried out by himself, other than the gearbox, cases and head, everything is brand new.





The lock-down did makes procuring parts difficult but it also did give him quite a bit of spare time to experiment, the result of which is seen below;



AC to DC conversion with a custom wounded coil with 18 Gauge copper wire, which would be hooked up to a Single Phase RR Unit from the P220;



Would post more updates once the chassis is back after power coating, delays faced there as well due to reduced staff during the lock-down.

P.S. If you guys can guide us to where we could source quality electrical connectors online that would really be of help. Planning to convert all connections to Bullet Type connector like vintage models as it would make life easier to diagnose in the future, plus it is easier than sourcing matching sealed connectors and setting them up.

Thanks in Advance!
A.P.

[vijai]

Originally Posted by ashwinprakas

P.S. If you guys can guide us to where we could source quality electrical connectors online that would really be of help.

Maybe this would help? Not an electrical place but those are used for RC planes and quads which can actually do a high discharge and pull in a high current too. So I would assume it would be ideal for motorbikes too. Besides, there is no logical reason for both to be different. The site is for quicker grab only. The price is pretty high considering that you could import a ton of those from China for pennies if you can wait.

These seem to be bang for bucks too.

P.S: I might also have these but probably not 4mm. I'd be happy to give you some if I have. But the shipping charges might just be the same as the new ones anyway But let me know if you want them. I'd look for them if you need.

[srini1785]

@AP,

Just find an old wiring harness with wires pre connected to the connectors ( male / female) and rewire according to your needs. Save a lot of time trying to crimp lugs to wires which requires proper crimping tools.

[sagarpadaki]

How is the performance of the 'Comfortec' shocks in terms of ride quality and cornering stability? Are these shocks OEM for platina?

[ashwinprakas]

Originally Posted by vijai

The price is pretty high considering that you could import a ton of those from China for pennies if you can wait.

Wow! That is pricey!

These seem to be bang for bucks too.

Now this is reasonable and seems decent, I've forwarded the link to my friend, depending on when we'd get back the chassis we'd contemplate to order or use a set of spade connectors I'd already procured for a different motorcycle.

But let me know if you want them. I'd look for them if you need.

Thanks for the offer, would definitely keep in mind.

Originally Posted by srini1785

@AP,

Just find an old wiring harness with wires pre connected to the connectors ( male / female) and rewire according to your needs. Save a lot of time trying to crimp lugs to wires which requires proper crimping tools.

We do have the old harness intact, but the reason for omitting sealed connectors is cause it would make life easy with the DC conversion in place, which is again accompanied by a different RR unit and finally a few add on harnesses to accommodate a 100/90 Bulb and unrestricted dual horns, both obviously with their respective relays in place.

Plus if at all there is an issue then a test-bulb with bullet connector leads would be more than enough rather than the usual fiasco with trying to hold the multi-meter in place while turning the motor over with the kicker.

The freedom on offer is what is tempting us, but yes, sealed connectors do make life easy when riding in the rain or crossing rivers, well, at least most of the times.

Originally Posted by sagarpadaki

How is the performance of the 'Comfortec' shocks in terms of ride quality and cornering stability? Are these shocks OEM for platina?

There is no damping like the Nitrox shocks, but at the same time it is an inch taller than my stock shocks on the P220, so GC is not much of a concern with respect to the stock setup as instead of the dreadful bang! I now get a scrape or two on tall speed breakers and that too only when going over them at speed.

But yeah, mine being a P220 and this being only an Inch taller than the stoc setup, still results in the main stand scraping when leaned over, so I've not really bothered to push the motorcycle hard enough to comment, but whatever little I've managed to ride her, she feels similar to the stock setup when cornering.

The lack of damping can be good or bad depending on how you ride, I personally find the Nitrox shocks to be too stiff for KL roads, the most irritating part being the jhatka! to the base of the spine when going over a random fresh(taller) layer of tar on the highway at speed.

And Yes, these are from the 2016 Platina Comfortec models, part number is: PF122025 if you're interested, a pair costs Rs.1500/-, but do note that these shocks are built to cost and do not come with pre-load adjustment option.

If cornering performance is what you seek then look no further than the P135 Shocks, they're 2 Inches taller than the stock one on my P220, and a taller rear suspension translates to sharper handling at obviously the cost of straight line stability. They may render the main stand unusable as was the case with my P220, but at the same time the main stand works with my CT100B.

If height would make the selection process easier here goes;

P220: 11 Inches.
Comfortec: 12 Inches.
P135: 13 Inches.

All figures measured bolt to bolt.

Regards,
A.P.