[knightrider_7]

Following is the initial ownership report (2300 km, 3 months) of my Bullet 350 ES (BS IV). I will try my best to update this thread as long as possible. This review is inspired from the Bullet Electra review by adityadeva. Link: http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motorb...d-electra.html

Preview


Prologue

It all started with the demonetization back in last November 2016. On a Sunday, my wife had an exam at a school in Thamarassery, Calicut, 30 km from my home. I had to attend a marriage in Kannur district, at Koothuparamba on the same day. The plan was to drop my wife at the exam centre, park the bike there and get a bus to Koyilandi and then go to Thalassery, which is just 15km from my destination. After dropping my wife there on my bike (Yamaha SS 125), I gave her some money for the lunch and travel back to home. Only after she entered the exam centre I realized, I have only the money to make the journey till Koothuparamba. All the ATMs were closed, thanks to demonetization and I decided to go there on my bike for which I can fill petrol using a debit card.

That day I attended the marriage and came back to pick my wife after her exam, riding a total distance of 250 km. That was also my first ride in a two wheeler for such a (long) distance. That day made me realize how wonderful it is to ride a bike for long distances and how stressful it is to do it in a 125 cc bike! There started the search for my new ride.

The Candidates

The initial idea was to upgrade the ride to a good bike with 150cc or more after selling the current ride. The shortlisted candidates were Unicorn (150 and 160), Hornet, Avenger (150 and 220) and even Hero Achiever! The main constraint was of course the money. After reading many reviews in Team-BHP and other websites, I decided to test ride Achiever and Avenger since I had already driven Unicorns. It is then only I started to discuss this with my friends and family and I must say that was another turning point. Their comment was like if you are going to take a bike with a loan, why don't you take a bullet. After all, it is known for the long distance touring capabilities. I went along with that thought and decided to buy a Bullet.

Frankly speaking, Electra was never in my thoughts when I decided to buy a bullet. It was either Standard or Classic at first. I took a test ride of Classic 350 with my wife and we both didn’t like the seats very much. I was Ok with those seats, but my wife was not at all comfortable with Classic seats. The Classic’s pricing was also against it. So I decided to go and buy a Standard 350.

The Booking Experience

I put my bike (5 years old) for sale at OLX and it was sold within a week for 22k. Although there is a Royal Enfield dealer within 3 km from my home, I went to Luha Automotives, Calicut because of the poor reputation of other RE dealers for their service.
I went to their showroom with my brother to have a test ride and initially, I was denied a test ride at first because they did not have standard 350 available. I shot an email to RE and the ASM from Luha called me and promised a test ride.
Sold my bike on 06-03-2017 and the next day me and my wife took a test ride. We were happy and I booked a Bullet standard on the same day. The estimated delivery date was minimum two months.

I realized within two days that I cannot wait for two months without a bike because the up and down travel from home to college was taking 3 hours daily. I asked my cousin, who is the wholesale distributor of accessories like a crash guard, if he could speed up the delivery. After three days he called back and said standard 350 is high in demand and he could try if it is any other model. So after some 3-4 days of research and financial calculations,

I decided to buy the next model, Bullet 350 ES (Electra). Again, after two days, my cousin called and told me that within one week I can take the delivery. Since I did not want to take conventional two wheeler loans with interest more than 12% and all the hypothecation formalities, I decided to take a loan from LIC. The loan was approved and credited in three days.

On 24-03-2017, my cousin called and told me that my bullet is available with the dealer. I waited for the dealer to call and as it did not happen, I called them and on 27-03-2017, I went to their yard and had a look at the allotted bullet. The same day, I obtained the invoice since I opted to take insurance myself because of the 50% NCB on my previous policy. I took the insurance and mailed the policy details to the dealer for temporary registration. On March 29, dealer informed that temporary registration is done and I can take delivery the next day.

The Delivery Experience

On March 30, I was informed that I can come at 12'o clock for the delivery. I along with my wife and cousin reached there on time and we had to wait around 1 hour for the formalities to complete. In the meantime, I took a PDI as per Team-BHP checklist and was satisfied. As per the mandatory rule, I got the helmet for free. Royal Enfield RSA was available for Rs. 800, for which I opted against. I did not take Rs. 2000 worth Teflon coating package also. The only payment I made to the dealer is the booking amount (Rs. 5000) and the remaining amount which includes the tax amount. Took the delivery at 1 pm, went to my cousin's home, had the lunch there and then went to his office for fitting the crash guard (free of course).

The next day, I myself went for the registration, since dealer asked 650 rupees if it is to be done by them. The standard warranty is 2 years or 20,000 kms (whichever occurs earlier). The service interval is 3000 kms and oil change is recommended at every 6000 kms. The first four services are free of labour cost at 500 km (1.5 months), 3000 km (3 months), 6000 km (6 months) and 9000 km (9 months) respectively. After that, there are seven paid service coupons provided in the manual last of which comes at 30,000 km/ 30 months.
Given below the price breakup:
Booking amount: 5,000
Balance amount: 1,36,000 (Including road tax and registration fee)
Insurance: 1,480 (Online, taken from NIA)
Freebies: Helmet
Total amount paid: 1,42,481

Offers declined:
Dealer insurance (NIA): 3,481
RSA: 800
Registration: 650
Crash guard: 2,500
Teflon coating package: 2,000
Total savings: 7,951

Registration Experience

On March 31, there was a strike in protest to the increased insurance rates. So the RTO office was not much crowded. I went to the first counter and was given a file number. With that, I went to another counter for the tax token, which is to be pasted on the form 21. Then I went to the MVD test ground for inspection. I took the pencil print of the chassis number, arranged the required documents as per the order displayed in front of the counter and shown it to the inspector. He verified the chassis number and then I submitted the documents to the officer at the counter. My ID card was verified and they received the application. At 5 pm in the evening, the registration number was displayed in the MVD website.

I listed this procedure because many people opt for registration through a dealer / agent. This is actually less than a half day process, provided you have all the required documents with you. The only expense is just 50 rupees for the cover with stamp, through which you will get RC delivered to your home.



Good & Bad

What I like:

• Simplistic and legendary styling with minimal sticker jobs. People still identify this as ‘Bullet’.

• High seating position gives you the feeling of riding something big. Not to mention the added advantage while night driving where most of the people on road doesn’t bother to dim their headlamps.

• The good, addictive thump.

• Long, wide and comfortable seats, both for the rider and pillion. Excellent for those long distance rides.

• The respect from fellow road users. Yes, everybody still makes way for the Bullet!

What I don’t like:

• Always ‘on’ headlamps. Although a good thing, I am sceptical of its impact on the battery life. The AHO feature makes the engine kill switch useless.

• No tachometer or fuel gauge. As a BHPian, I miss the former the most.

• Wires are exposed in most of the parts.

• No safety features like ABS for a vehicle that costs 1.4 lakhs on road. At this price, at least a disc brake at the rear is expected.

At the time of writing this review, my Knight has covered a total distance of more than 2300 km. I usually ride it to my college which is 23 km from my home and it involves 50 % of city driving. On weekends, I ride it on the winding rural roads or the ghat sections and sometimes on the highways.



Exterior Styling & Design

The colour of my Knight is magic black. It shines when under the direct light in a deep green shade. The styling is distinct compared to other models of the Royal Enfield stable.

The front and rear mudguards get chrome just like the mirrors.




The indicator lamps also get chrome finish.


The headlamp and pilot lamps follow the old design.


The battery is covered by a detachable plastic cover. It is a bit difficult to fit back once you remove.


The left side box houses the fuses and the tool kit along with the first aid box. It has enough space to keep a microfibre cloth, vehicle papers and a helmet lock in addition to the above.


The grab handle above the left side box is useful to put the vehicle on the centre stand.


The saree guard is a stock accessory and its base is useful to put your luggage bag on long trips. You can tie the luggage bag to the left side grab handle right side saree guard and bottom to the base of the saree guard.


It is difficult to clean the rear shocks on the left because of the big saree guard.


The pillion handle was very thin but sturdy to hold. It makes the pillion uncomfortable by hitting the lower back area. So I put a sponge cover around it myself.


The chain gets a partial cover at the rear end. It stays exposed in other parts.


The stock silencer runs through the entire length of the bike.


The gap between the rear mudguard and the tyres are huge. It makes the short pillion to climb on the seat.


The right side box has the air filter.


The Bullet 350 logo on the box cover. This is also there on the left side box cover.


The resonator box is in chrome.


The retro design matches well with the magic black colour and overall fit and finish is good. The paint job is done neatly, but it wears off on the side box lining once you start open/close the boxes frequently. A rubber lining here would be best to avoid this issue and also to avoid the water entering the boxes in heavy rains.

The switch gears feels OK for now. The sticker job on the rear mudguard has already started to wear off and RE could have done more here. The battery cover looks good in matte black, but I am doubtful of its quality.

Wheels & Tyres

The tyres are of 3.25x 19” size both at the front and rear. The wheels are of regular spoke type and of good quality. The advantage of having 19" wheels is that it glides over the small potholes effortlessly. Although it performs well even in the rains, riding through small gravels is definitely not confidence inspiring.

The front tyre is MRF Rib plus and the rear tyre is MRF Nylogrip plus as per the stock setup. The available tyre options for 19" are limited and I feel upgrading to 3.5x 19" does not make much difference. Hence, I am planning to use the stock tyres for now. Nevertheless, the fat tyres like the ones in the Classic would have given more confidence and looks as per my opinion. Tyre pressure for front and rear is rated at 20 psi and 30 psi (solo). With pillion it is 22 psi and 32 psi.

The front tyre is MRF Rib plus (3.25x 19”).


The rear tyre is MRF Nylogrip plus (3.25x 19”).




Controls & Mirrors

The controls on this vehicle is very basic and RE could have done more. No fuel gauge or tachometer is provided at this price range.

The handlebar/steering lock key on the right side of the chassis, just below the right side indicator position.


The left handlebar switchgear contains pass light switch, dim/bright switch, indicator switch and a horn (not in the picture).


The right side switchgear has the engine kill switch and electric start button. Notice the absence of headlamp/pilot lamp switch.


The meter console has speedometer, odometer and an amp meter. Look at the position of the amp meter needle when the ignition key is ON position. The meter console has an indicator light for neutral. Two more indicator lights are there for high beam and turn signal lamps.


The chrome plated mirrors are round in shape and small for a vehicle like this. There is a rubber lining to reduce the vibrations. The overall visibility is just adequate.

[knightrider_7]

Engine & Transmission

The 346cc, single cylinder, 4 stroke, air cooled engine gives approximately the power of 20 horses at 5250 rpm and a peak torque of 28 Nm at 4000 rpm. The engine starts to life with vibrations and once you ride it in the mid-range the vibrations are minimized. The sound was refined for a 350cc engine and it did not actually sound like the bullets in the past. Thump lovers will be disappointed, but I think it is sufficient and addictive. The acceleration is steady and it is good enough for decent overtakes in the city.

The engine is not so revv happy and since I have been following the manual religiously, I didn’t take my Knight to more than 65 kmph till date. The weight of the vehicle might be a problem with the slow moving city traffic, but it is not at all an issue once you gain the momentum. You won’t feel like you are riding something that weighs close to 200 Kg once you start moving. In the bumper to bumper traffic, if you discard the urge to upshift earlier, the first gear can take you up to 20 kmph, without stressing the engine. The clutch is a little heavy and it will be difficult in start/stop situations in the traffic.

The highway driving is totally different. This is best suited to ride in the 5th gear at around 60 kmph and enjoy that relaxed drive. I didn’t cross 65 kmph yet and hence cannot comment on the top speed. The vehicle can easily pick up from 40 kmph in 5th gear without lugging the engine.

It is not the city or highway where this vehicle excels, it is actually the ghat sections. Once I effortlessly ride past a Pulsar and a Ritz in a ghat section in the second gear while they were trying hard to make it in the first gear. There is a steep climb in Adyanpara near Nilambur, which also I was able to do it in the second gear. The high torque makes it simple. It was a joy to ride it in the Kakkayam, Wayanad and Kakkadampoyil sections.

The five speed gearbox follows one down four up pattern and first gear can take you up to 20 kmph without stressing the not so rev happy engine. I followed the manual for the running in period and transmission felt smooth most of the times. There were some instances with false neutrals before the first service, but now it is not there. As per the manual, the speed limit for 1st gear to 5th gear is 15, 25, 30, 45 and 60 kmph for the first 500 km. Till 2000 km, it is 20, 30, 40, 55 and 70 kmph.

The 346 cc, twin spark plug engine.


The twinspark logo on the right side of the engine.


The clutch cable is connected to the UCE on the left side. See the RE logo on the same side.


The engine oil level indicator is near the right foot pedal.


The gear level is also on the left.



Fuel Efficiency

This is the most common question I have faced after buying this vehicle. I am currently getting more than 40 kmpl consistently with my usage pattern. In the city, it would drop below 40 and stays in the 35-40 range. The highest I have seen is 46 kmpl on the highways. I don’t ride it on speeds more than 60 kmph usually and riding it this way, a respectable fuel efficiency is guaranteed.

After the first service I am getting 40-45 kmpl consistently. The reserve capacity, according to the manual is 3.8+/- 0.3 for which you can ride 100 km for sure once you are in the reserve. The total fuel tank capacity is 13.5 litres which gives you about 500 km range.

The fuel tank sports a 3D Royal Enfield badging on both sides. Feels good to touch also.


The fuel tank has the characteristic oval shape. The tank lid gets a cap for covering the key hole.


The fuel tap below the fuel tank on the left side has markings for ON, OFF and RES.



Suspension, Ride Quality & Seats

The default suspension setting at the rear felt a little stiff. Although it was OK for the rider, the pillion did not enjoy it. I changed the rear suspension setting to 5 after the first service and now the ride is smooth. Such a suspension is good enough for a relaxed rider like me. With 90% of fuel Bullet ES weighs 187 Kg and the maximum payload is 163 Kg, which is less than that of Std (170 Kg). Standard comes with less weight also (183 Kg).

Even after setting the suspension at 5, it feels stiff when riding solo, may be because of the tyre pressure being set for rider + pillion condition. With the pillion the suspension feels right for speeds below 60 kmph.

The front forks don’t get the sleeves unlike the standard and classic. Old Machismo type fork gaiters would look good on this, in case one doesn’t like the current setup.


The rear suspension is gas charged and has five step adjustable preload.


Due to its heavy weight, this vehicle is stable and extremely suitable for long distance travels. My wife and I have covered up to 250 km on a single day (so far) and it was never tiring. You cannot ride it like normal bikes, especially twisting and turning in congested traffic. This is best driven in a relaxed manner and along with the muted thump, it is a joy to ride the Knight all day long.

The seats are wide for the rider and nicely shaped for the comfort. It offers good comfort for the pillion also. You sit high on the Bullet ES and the position is upright, which suits for long distance travels. The pillion sits just a little high and a good backrest or sponge cover is much needed for a comfortable ride. Although I like the stock seats, I have put a net cover as my residential area has notorious cats known for messing up with seats.

The handlebar is wide and positioned higher than that in a Classic. This, coupled with the excellent seats, gives a good, upright riding posture for your never ending journey.

Seats are wide and comfortable.


The handlebar is wide and high.


The ground clearance is 135 mm as per the manual, but I have never experienced any underground hit so far on my journeys. The lowest point seems to be the bottom part rear brake pedal.



The Brakes

The Knight has a front disc (280 mm) and rear drum (153 mm) for the stopping power. Disc brake is a boon in the city traffic and I think that is a big advantage compared to the Standard 350 which comes with drums. Brakes are sufficient for a vehicle of this much weight. The pedal feel for the rear brake is also good. The key is to apply the front and rear brake together with a 70:30 ratio. Even in the rains, the brakes were performing just well as per my calculations. Nevertheless, it is disappointing that there is no ABS in this vehicle.

The front disc brakes (280 mm, 2 piston caliper).


The rear brake light is activated by this mechanism.



The Electricals

Bullet ES comes with a 3 phase alternator and 12V 8 Ah MF battery. The Standard does not get a MF battery and only have a single phase alternator. The headlamps are 35/35W are bright and I feel it is not as bad as everybody thinks. The pilot lamps are just there for the sake of it. Since the vehicle comes with mandatory AHO feature, as soon as you turn the ignition key ON, the head lamp, tail lamp and pilot lamps are turned on. The amp meter, then stands halfway between zero and negative. People still make gestures to turn off the lamp by the way!

The good thing is that, RE has provided six separate fuses for charging circuit, tail lamp, ignition, indicator lamps, horn and head lamp. All the fuses except charging fuse (20A) are rated at 10A. I have also read somewhere that due to the AHO, RE has made the battery charging possible at lower rpm. I am not sure about this, but once you start the engine in neutral you can see the amp meter moves to the right.

Unlike classic, Bullet ES has a single horn, but two more wires are provided in case you wish to add one more horn. The stock horn is 12V, 2.5A and since the horn fuse is rated at 10A, you can safely add one more fuse with similar rating as that of the stock horn. For me, the stock horn sounds sufficient.

The electric start is much needed in the city as you need to turn off the ignition key at the traffic signals because of the AHO feature. AHO makes the engine kill switch useless in these situations, where it is actually needed. The right switch gear does not have a head lamp/pilot lamp switch.

The kick start is effortless to use and the Bullet usually starts with a single click. The choke lever is behind the fuel tap and was needed in the mornings after the rains.

The 12V 8 Ah (Exide) MF battery.


The fuses for headlamp, horn, turn signal lamps etc. are located in left side box.


The stock horn is placed on the left side of the chassis. Two more wires are provided for an additional horn.


Choke lever. Pull this outwards to activate. Idle rpm screw is located just below the choke.


Headlamp and pilot lamps is always ON due to AHO feature. As soon as the ignition key is turned on, these lamps are also turned on.


The tail lamp is rectangular is shape. I prefer the round ones like in the Classic.


The Maintenance

The service intervals as per the manual is 3000 km or three months after the initial service at 500 km. I did the first service at 475 km, two weeks after the delivery and the service was just ok. First service cost has been just above 1000 rupees because of the oil change. I had asked them to change the suspension setting, but they didn't do it. So I had to do it myself. Last day second service was also done. The service cost was Rs. 295.

The oil change is recommended after each 6000 kms/ 6 months and expect the cost to be higher during this service. The intermediate service at 3000 km/ 3 months after the oil change requires only top ups and the cost of service will be less compared to the former case. I am still under the free service and cannot comment on the exact service cost as of now.

The vehicle runs without any problems (touch wood) as of now. Two weeks ago, while I was returning from a trip to Nilambur, the vehicle refused to start with electric start as well as kick start. The headlamp was also turned off, so I removed the battery cover and found that the positive terminal connection was loose. I simply tightened it and the vehicle started without any issues.

The only accessories I have installed so far are the headlamp shade (Rs. 109) and a sponge cover for the pillion handle (Rs. 115). I have no plans for adding any other accessories as of now.

The headlamp shade.


The Royal Enfield sticker quality on the rear mudguard looks poor.


A parting shot.


Thank you for reading this review. This is my first review on team-BHP. So feel free to point out any mistakes.

[Aditya]

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

[unni246]

Wonderful review and you have well covered many of the smaller bits. RE bikes are getting pricier for the features they offer (or they don't offer )
ABS, Rear disc brakes, better tyres ..etc are much required today and would make the bike more VFM.
Anyway congrats on your ride and munch more miles !

[Aniruddha_Ch]

congratulations on the ride. In my opinion, Electra is one of the simple, sorted bike of RE. As a owner of standard 500 since past 1 year & 21000 Kms, I would say change oil 3000 Kms, when it comes to regular mineral oil. You will notice difference in smoothness after every oil change as your bike is still in Run-in period.

[knightrider_7]

Originally Posted by unni246

Wonderful review and you have well covered many of the smaller bits. RE bikes are getting pricier for the features they offer (or they don't offer )
ABS, Rear disc brakes, better tyres ..etc are much required today and would make the bike more VFM.
Anyway congrats on your ride and munch more miles !

Thanks for the appreciation. Its true that RE bikes are getting pricier for the features they don't offer. I hope they realize this sooner than later.

Originally Posted by Aniruddha_Ch

congratulations on the ride. In my opinion, Electra is one of the simple, sorted bike of RE. As a owner of standard 500 since past 1 year & 21000 Kms, I would say change oil 3000 Kms, when it comes to regular mineral oil. You will notice difference in smoothness after every oil change as your bike is still in Run-in period.

Thanks Aniruddha. Electra is also the most underrated bike of RE.
I was also thinking about changing the oil at every 3000 km. I will do it once I reach 3500 km, since first oil change was done at 500 km.

[B O V]

Congrats on your new motorcycle. Keeping in mind the monsoons we face in Kerala at the moment, please do get a set of grippier tyres in the front, the ribs don't do so well in a combination of wet mud and tarmac.

Tramlining is common with the ribs as well, but pure on road performance in good with the ribs.

Does't the rather humongous gap between the rear tyre and fender bother you at all? Its my primary grouse with the motorcycle.

I own 2 old Enfields ( 67 and 83) and still grudgingly love them.

Regards

[knightrider_7]

Originally Posted by B O V

Congrats on your new motorcycle. Keeping in mind the monsoons we face in Kerala at the moment, please do get a set of grippier tyres in the front, the ribs don't do so well in a combination of wet mud and tarmac.

Tramlining is common with the ribs as well, but pure on road performance in good with the ribs.

Does't the rather humongous gap between the rear tyre and fender bother you at all? Its my primary grouse with the motorcycle.

I own 2 old Enfields ( 67 and 83) and still grudgingly love them.

Regards

Thank you.
Monsoon effect in my place is less compared to southern Kerala, and I usually do not take my bullet while raining. Hence decided to stick with the stock setup as of now. Anyway, I will keep your advice in my mind.
The gap between the tyre and fender looks bad. As an owner of two old bullets, you know that these things are not going to affect us and our love for our machine.

[B O V]

Originally Posted by knightrider_7

Thank you.
Monsoon effect in my place is less compared to southern Kerala..

True. Be extremely cautious of the service centres. I would suggest buying all the tools and get wrenching yourself. It isn't hard at all. Plus the satisfaction in itself is more rewarding. youtube has plenty of videos that could help you out.

Riding a motorcycle in the rain while fully geared up is an extremely rewarding experience I find , feels quite serene.

[knightrider_7]

Originally Posted by B O V

True. Be extremely cautious of the service centres. I would suggest buying all the tools and get wrenching yourself. It isn't hard at all. Plus the satisfaction in itself is more rewarding. Youtube has plenty of videos that could help you out.

I love to do the mechanics work. I am sticking with the service center because of the warranty concerns. The only accessories in my bullet; the headlamp shade and pillion handle sponge were fitted by me only.

Riding a motorcycle in the rain while fully geared up is an extremely rewarding experience I find , feels quite serene.

True. Once I had that opportunity while traveling back from Wayanad. The sky was all clear till evening and just before Vythiri, it started raining. Rode all the way from there till Calicut with my wife without any rain coats.
It was just amazing.

[knightrider_7]

Last week did a 250 km round trip from Kattangal to nadugani and back to Kattangal. The route taken was Kattangal- Koduvally- Thamarassery- Meppadi- Pandalur- Nadugani- Nilambur- Mukkam- Kattangal. Started at 10 am from source location via Wayanad ghats and reached back at 5 pm in the evening. Roads were good all the way. except for some rough patches between Chundale and Vadvanchal. Posting some pictures taken during the trip.


















Some pictures from Nilambur- Adyanpara- Kozhippara trip.
Nilambur Teak Museum Garden


Adyanpara location


Kozhippara location

[sandeepmohan]

A request to not over crank the contrast levels of your pictures. Literally makes your eyes bleed. The colors and landscape you get in these parts look beautiful even if you don't doctor the images.

[knightrider_7]

Originally Posted by sandeepmohan

A request to not over crank the contrast levels of your pictures. Literally makes your eyes bleed. The colors and landscape you get in these parts look beautiful even if you don't doctor the images.

I just applied the HDR filter from Google snap seed app, because the pictures were dull in my mobile. It was pleasing for my eyes and I thought it would be good to share. I didn't mind the fact that everyone has different tastes. Thanks for your suggestions.

[knightrider_7]

Completed 3000km today. Had a full tank at 2614km two weeks back. Now the odo reads 3017 km and haven't reached reserve yet. Considering 3.5 L reserve, as per the manual, reaching reserve means 10L would be the fuel consumption calculated from full tank. So that means Bullet still gives 40+ kmpl as of now.

[green_ninja]

Hello knightrider_7! I just booked a Bullet 350 ES in Magic Black. Did you take the comprehensive insurance or just the liability. I checked NIA online and the insurance comes to 32xx for Bullet 350 ES. The liability comes to 1024 plus taxes.

Also, if you don't mind could you please tell what a crash guard aka bumper and the headlight shade would cost if I bought it from a third party vendor and not the dealership? The sales exec. has offered me free tank cover and seat cover.