[green_ninja]

Hi locusjag, Congrats on the TUV. It looks like a great package. It'll make a really nice family/fun car.

So far so good with my Electra. All is quiet and as far as REs are concerned that is good news right?

Your fuel consumption numbers are decent. I assume your commute is part highway and part city. I get anywhere between 32 -35. I also sit very close to the rear seat but not all the way up the hump. I push all the way back so that my tail bone rests against the sloping area connecting the front and pillion. But the standard disclaimer applies here and individual results may vary.

Thanks for the tip. I'll add this to my daily morning starting rituals.

[locusjag]

Originally Posted by green_ninja

Hi locusjag

So far so good with my Electra. All is quiet and as far as REs are concerned that is good news right?

Your fuel consumption numbers are decent. I assume your commute is part highway and part city.

No news with an RE is good news indeed!

My fuel consumption is based on pretty thick Chennai traffic actually. My higher Kmpl figures maybe because Chennai's wide arterial roads allows me to reach speeds of 50 or 60 Kmph a half Km or even a full Km at a time without braking.

On the outside chance that it is another contributing factor, then it has to be because I rev it through the gears to the maximum permitted speed. Here, we get a bit controversial. Even with my old (sold) 2008 Swift Vxi, I used to extract maximum Kmpl by simply keeping the rpms around 2000, no matter which gear or speed I'm at. I used to get 16 Kmpl in city traffic and 20 Kmpl on the highway in this manner. I never like to lug the engine, courtesy this knowledge-nugget that my uncle gave me early on, based on his vast expertise as an automobile engineer at TVS for 30+ years. But others have tried this method with other vehicles and it doesn't work for them.

[green_ninja]

I took the bike out on NH47 for a slightly longer trip than I usually go (~100kms). Had a chance to open the throttle a little wider than usual too. Took it all the way up to 100kmph and the bike held it well. I did not feel the vibrations much but the wind resistance and noise is bad and the upright riding position made it even worse. I also took the crappy free RE half face helmet. This is a slightly larger size and this thing felt like it was going to come flying off anytime at 100kmph.

One more thing that I felt is that the bike is smoother on cold mornings and the clacking noise is much higher as the mercury goes up. Is it just me or does anyone else feel the same?

[green_ninja]

It's been a while since I last updated this thread. Been quite busy with work.

The bike had it's 3rd free service on Mar 25th at about 3700kms on the odo. Service was a pretty routine affair - oil change, filter replaced, brakes/chains tightened. A pilot lamp bulb had burned out. That was replaced too. Total hit to the wallet was about Rs.1100/-

The odo hit the 4k mark today and the bike has about 4050kms as of today. No issues (knock on wood) and mileage still hovers around 32-35 kms/lit.

[green_ninja]

The Electra had it's 4th free service done today at 5500kms on the odo. Oil topped up, filters changed, brakes checked, chain tightened and washed. Bill came to Rs. 556/-. Service advisor suggested that I get wheel truing done at a third party location. They don't do wheel truing.

Have had a few niggles in the last month or so. The horn wiring harness got loose and the horn was not working on and off. Fixed it myself with a pair of pliers. Crimped the wiring socket a little and now it fits tightly. The second one is that self start button gets stuck and the starter motor makes a high pitched whine. I have to pull the switch to stop it. Pointed it out at the service centre today and all the guy did was spray some lubricant on the switch The problem still exists.

The low beam filament went kaput tonight. If it had only happened yesterday I could have had the bulb changed at the service centre. Oh well! ODO stands at 5550kms as of tonight.

[green_ninja]

Almost one year gone since the nightmare that was buying the RE. I have treated the bike well in the last year and it has treated me well. We complete one year on Oct 4th.

Took the bike for the 1st paid service on 28th Sep. ODO currently stands at 79xx kms. Service was a routine affair with RE's 50 point check or whatever and a water wash. The starter switch still gets stuck sometimes and they lubed it again this time as well Total bill was Rs. 1017/-

Wanted to get the fork boots installed and even SA recommended it. Unfortunately, they did not have it in stock. Bike will need an oil change in about 2k kms. Will get it done then. Wheel truing was recommended at the last service and the current one as well. I'm yet to get it done.

I had recently changed the headlight bulb. The pilot lamps were burning out too often. I changed them to LEDs and they look pretty. Nothing else to report for now. Keep thumping!!!

[green_ninja]

The bike has done 9500kms and has been trouble free so far other than one or two minor irritants like the electric start button. I took it today for the 6th service (2nd paid service). Completed general checkup items, oil change and filter replacement , front brake pads changed and the speedometer bulb was replaced.

How long do front brake pads last in general? I felt that 9500kms was a little too early for the pads to be worn out.

SA wanted to inspect and replace the spark plug but I refused as the RE Owners manual recommends spark plug replacement at 15000kms. I might get it replaced at around 13k kms if needed.

I'm a very sedate rider but I'm getting a mileage between 32-34 kmpl. I was going to ask RESC to tune the carb but then decided against it. Given the credibility of RESCs I did not want to end up with an even lower mileage after the tuning. Any suggestions to get better mileage?

I also had the front fork bellows aka fork boots or gaiters installed today. Cost Rs. 500/- parts + Rs. 150/- labor.

Total bill for the day was Rs. 2692/-. This is how the bike looks as of today.

[ashwinprakas]

Originally Posted by green_ninja

The bike has done 9500kms

Kudos!

How long do front brake pads last in general? I felt that 9500kms was a little too early for the pads to be worn out.

10~15k is the expected life of break pads/liners with adequate use.

Though in reality some users tend to wear them down sooner or later depending on use. Even with more than adequate engine braking to the point of breaking traction my pads are replaced at the 15k km's mark irrespective of life, doesn't make sense to waste time to take things apart and refit without putting in new pads.

SA wanted to inspect and replace the spark plug but I refused as the RE Owners manual recommends spark plug replacement at 15000kms. I might get it replaced at around 13k kms if needed.

Stick to strict replacement intervals, no inspection/cleaning B.S.

Personally my replacement interval is once every 10k km's no questions asked.

I'm a very sedate rider but I'm getting a mileage between 32-34 kmpl. I was going to ask RESC to tune the carb but then decided against it. Given the credibility of RESCs I did not want to end up with an even lower mileage after the tuning. Any suggestions to get better mileage?

Good call, never let anyone touch your carburetor, first rule of Fight Club!

Ideally a CV's optimum range is 3~3.5 turns, you can set it at 3 turns blindly or you can re-tune it once you have a new spark-plug and air filter in place.

The procedure is simple, with the motor moderately warm and SAI temporarily disabled with a ball bearing, start at 0.5 Turns with the idle raised, open the AFR screw 0.25 turns at a time and stop at the point where you get the highest RPM, then fine tune it such that you reach the spot just after the RPM is the highest and it settles to a lower speed and you're good to go after setting idle back to normal and unblocking SAI plumbing.

Once AFR is set it should not be fiddled with unless the carb goes for a complete overhaul.

I also had the front fork bellows aka fork boots or gaiters installed today. Cost Rs. 500/- parts + Rs. 150/- labor.

For commonly available parts I'd suggest you visit Bajaj spares as a pair of bellows costs around 150 at Bajaj, using them on my P220.



The front brake line for example costs only under 400/- when bought from Bajaj and the packing includes banjo bolts and copper washers, which is not only cheap but also convenient.

[green_ninja]

Thanks for the tips ashwinprakas. I'll keep them in mind.

As far as tuning the carb is concerned, I have never messed with a carb other than my old Samurai back in the day. I have no idea what the acronyms CV, SAI and AFR mean. I'd rather not try my hand at something like this and break what is not broken.

What do you think will happed if I try to run the mixture a little leaner? That might give me a better mileage but does it impact the engine?

[ashwinprakas]

Originally Posted by green_ninja

As far as tuning the carb is concerned, I have never messed with a carb other than my old Samurai back in the day. I have no idea what the acronyms CV, SAI and AFR mean. I'd rather not try my hand at something like this and break what is not broken.

Carburetors are more or less the same in function with minor differences depending on type.

The type on your Shogun was a cable operated round slide carburetor like the one on my CT100B,



Which as the name suggests has the throttle cable directly attached to the slide, on these carburetors you have an Air Screw for tuning the AFR(Air Fuel Ratio), the ideal setup for these carbs is between 2~2.5 Turns for a factory machine, unless its a Bajaj(Don't ask!).

On your UCE Bullet 350, you have a CV(Constant Velocity) carburetor as in most modern motorcycles, here's a snap of the Keihin CVK 30 on my ZMA.



On these carburetors the slide is operated by vacuum which is modulated with the help of a butterfly valve which is controlled by a pulley on which the throttle cable is connected.

These carburetors have a Fuel Screw for controlling AFR(Air Fuel Ratio);



Which is the only brass screw on the carburetor, the ideal setting is 3~3.5 Turns for a factory dialed setup.

The screw is sensitive and hence should not be fiddled with for no apparent reason which is the usual case with local mechanics, if you do fiddle with it frequently then it will develop a really inconvenient air leak which if you're lucky would get resolved my replacing the AFR screw;



As for SAI, it is the Secondary Air Injection system used for emission compliance, on your manifold/sleeve/(Word Starting with 'D' which I cannot recollect at the time) is a small port on which a tube is connected which goes to the SAI unit, when tuning the AFR it is recommended to temporarily disable it, either by pulling the tube off and plugging the hole on the manifold end with your finger or by introducing a ball bearing into the tube and reconnecting it, I'd recommend the ball bearing as manually blocking it would be one more thing to be bothered about.

The reason for temporarily blocking the SAI is so that you get a more accurate read as with the SAI system connected you tend to get a more erratic idle which makes it hard to fine tune.

That's all as far as the basics go, and yes, unless an actual need arises I'd suggest you ignore the carburetor, as on the 220 which is about 4 years old I've yet to touch either the AFR or Idle Screw to date, reason being if an issue arises out of the blue then blindly playing with the AFR screw is not the right way to resolve the issue as it is simply a band-aid fix which would simply be inviting unnecessary inconveniences in the future.

Then again, a carburetor is like your privates, you don't let another man touch it unless a life-altering need arises and its being worked on by someone whose simply a specialist.

What do you think will happed if I try to run the mixture a little leaner? That might give me a better mileage but does it impact the engine?

Well lets get into the details of what affects what;



The AFR screw has an impact only on the idle/pilot jet flow rate, which is continuous in comparison to the main jet, so yes running leaner will have an impact on fuel efficiency and performance more so noticeable in the event that you're riding in conditions that primarily depends on the idle/pilot circuit flow as seen in the throttle chart above.

Lean AFR means a motor that's running hotter but not essentially if you stick within the recommended range at the AFR Screw, plus most motorcycles these days have a leaner idle screw AFR setting from factory as the primary/main circuit is in theory what fulfills 75% of your fueling needs, so running a bit leaner would not be an issue per say.

But as commonsense states, you should not tune idle/pilot circuit to run absurdly lean, which is why even when tuning the idle AFR it is recommended to never run the motorcycle with the screw completely closed, which is why I'd suggested that you start with 0.5 Turns.

Because in theory if you run excessively lean for long your motorcycle can run extremely hot and even seize, which is an overstatement for a factory dialed machine but a little more knowledge never hurt anyone, right?

So that's all there is to it.

Cheers.

[green_ninja]

It's been a while since I last updated this thread. Been quite busy with work.

The Electra completed 2 years today if going by the registration date. ODO is at ~16450. The bike does duty on a daily basis in dense traffic and covers about 30-40kms a day. Mileage is still hovering around 32-35 kmpl depending on the traffic. Engine is definitely smoother and the thump is a little "throatier" (if that's even a word!). The clacking noise is still there but it is a little less now.

I had completed the mandatory service schedule around March or April. I'm currently only servicing the bike when it needs an oil change which is every 6000kms. Last service was done at around 16000kms. Hit to the wallet was Rs. 1852 including labour, oil, filter and a few small items.

Not too many complaints other than the headlight keeps going kaput every few weeks due to the AHO feature. I usually let the high beam burn out and use the low beam at night. I tried to find some plug and play LED bulb but it looks like all of them need some rewiring which I'm not too happy about.

One other thing is that the pass light feature is not working anymore and the self start button still gets stuck resulting in an annoying whine if not unstuck manually. The AMP meter still gets condensation after heavy rains and if the bike does not get dried in the sun. I'm generally not impressed with the quality of the switches and chrome bits and pieces.

There is not much else to report and I have to say that REs are not as bad as they are made out to be based on the experience so far (knock on wood!!!). Rubber side down and keep thumping!!!

[ashwinprakas]

Originally Posted by green_ninja

I'm currently only servicing the bike when it needs an oil change which is every 6000kms.

If it were my motorcycle in which case I'd intend to keep it for a really long time, I'd change oil at around 4k kms at best.

No one really bothers about the finer details but I'm just putting it out there.

headlight keeps going kaput every few weeks due to the AHO feature. I usually let the high beam burn out and use the low beam at night. I tried to find some plug and play LED bulb but it looks like all of them need some rewiring which I'm not too happy about.

That's weird, I have been running with my HL on for close to a decade now and I've never had a bulb blow out so frequently.

As for LED's you don't need to mess with the wiring, RE has prehistoric wiring which makes it basically plug and play friendly.

Though personally I'd suggest you stick with a Good 55/60 and that'd be all.

Make sure you don't touch the glass while installing as it leaves oil stains which results in bulbs blowing out prematurely.

Don't Touch Your Bulb

other thing is that the pass light feature is not working anymore and the self start button still gets stuck resulting in an annoying whine if not unstuck manually.

Replace left side switch set.

As for the right side, rock the button a few times so that it wears down and loosens up, you may even open it up and clean it.

There is not much else to report and I have to say that REs are not as bad as they are made out to be based on the experience so far (knock on wood!!!). Rubber side down and keep thumping!!!

Kudos and keep thumping.

[green_ninja]

If it were my motorcycle in which case I'd intend to keep it for a really long time, I'd change oil at around 4k kms at best.

No one really bothers about the finer details but I'm just putting it out there.

I was just sticking to the RE recommended engine oil change schedule. I always keep an eye on the colour and clarity of the oil as a rule of thumb. I believe that 6k kms is not too risky.

That's weird, I have been running with my HL on for close to a decade now and I've never had a bulb blow out so frequently.

As for LED's you don't need to mess with the wiring, RE has prehistoric wiring which makes it basically plug and play friendly.

Though personally I'd suggest you stick with a Good 55/60 and that'd be all.

Make sure you don't touch the glass while installing as it leaves oil stains which results in bulbs blowing out prematurely.

Thanks for that tip. Never knew that you are not supposed to touch the bulb. This is something I'll keep in mind going forward.

Replace left side switch set.

I let it be as the pass light is not that critical and all the other functions are working fine.

[green_ninja]

The 350ES aka Electra hit a major milestone today. Completed 20000 kms. ODO currently stands at 20,054. There are no major complaints with the bike this far but the quality of the bits and pieces is questionable.

- Most of the chrome bezels on the meters, chrome on the turn signals etc. have started to get these dark black spots to the point of looking ugly.

-Silencer has started rusting underneath the heat shield below the rear brake foot pedal.

- Paint has started fading.

The bike went for an unscheduled service at about 19750 on the ODO. One of the fork oil seals had gone bust and I had to get that replaced. Got a few things taken care of during service.Clutch cable was replaced, carburetor cleaned and tuned, wheels trued and aligned and brake pads replaced. Total service cost was Rs. 2471/-

SA has been recommending replacing the rubber flanges on the carburetor since last service. I denied it last time and this time they were out of stock. It is such basic stuff that gets my goat. I owned a Suzuki AX100 and Samurai for the better part of a decade or more and put more than 1,50,000 kms on both combined. Never had to change any such parts on either bike.

Nothing else to report. Hope to keep thumping for a while!!!

[green_ninja]

The Electra went in for a general service and oil change today. ODO stands at ~21760 kms and it has been about 6000kms from the last oil service. I also had a few complaints that I needed to get checked. Total cost of service was Rs. 2312/-

I had the service center replace the front fork oil seal during last service and I was still seeing some sort of grease stains. I was concerned that the job was not done correctly and had them check it out. It turned out to be nothing.

Lately, I have been having some issues with the electric start sprag clutch. I'm not sure why but there has been a lot of kickback during kickstart and sprag clutch grinding noise during electric start. Had them check the sprag clutch. SA advised not to turn the throttle during starting by either method. Seems to work for now. I might have to use the choke during cold starts in the mornings if I cannot open the throttle a little bit.

Other than that, they replaced the brake shoe kit and springs. Nothing else to report. Keep the rubber side down and happy thumping!!!