[tharian]

A short purchase and 500kms review of my 2022 BS6 Canyon Red Royal Enfield Interceptor named 'DoubleHeader'.

This bike was long time coming.
To be exact, since 2015 after I sold my 1996 Bullet 500. The 500 was a bike that I had picked up second hand, rebuilt completely at a RE Authorized workshop and used it just for long rides and trips and ran around half a lakh kms in 8 years. Towards the end, I realized my 350 Electra which was already 12 years old then and run almost a lakh kms, felt better and less troublesome. I found a enthusiast who was looking for a Cast Iron 500 and he was happy to buy the bike off me. I happily let it go knowing that I will pick up a new bike very soon. How wrong I was.

My 96' Standard 500 which I had got rebuilt with a make over.



Back then, the only upgrade I had in mind was the Triumph Street Twin which was way out of my budget. The other motorcycles that came into mind were as per their respective launches. In other words, I wasn't serious yet on a motorcycle purchase. The KTM Duke 390 was a serious contender for a long while, but the main negative for me was the seat. Even after the Adv was launched, I felt this is not the right bike for me. It wasn't the bike, but there was that feeling that I won't be growing old with this bike. Both the ways.

I put off the bike plans and was content with my Bullet Electra which was being used just for city rides and chores. I didn't get the chance to do rides like I used to earlier once my daughter was born, and this put the bike purchase another step behind.

The Interceptor was launched and I thought, this is the right upgrade for me in all ways and that was three years back. I even got the test bike for a couple of days, but still didn't go ahead with it thinking, something else may come out which will suit me better and it was back to my 350 and me doing some day rides whenever I got the chance. The Bullet had crossed 1,25,000 kms and I knew I couldn't use it on the highway much unless I was happy riding at 60kmph, which I couldn't anymore and I had always had the thought in mind, only if I had a faster bike, I could have done longer rides and exactly then a 100cc commuter bike with two locals would over take me.
Just like how I used to keep pushing other things in my life saying, let's see how it goes or what happens, I did the same for the new bike purchase, thinking I can pick up one later. That is when my wife reminded me that if I don't get one now, I won't be able to at all and probably have to wait till I retire and my Bullet would have grown tired of me by then.

So come new year and I decided I needed something exciting in my life to change my mundane lifestyle and maybe that will trigger some other changes in me as well. No harm in trying that with a motorcycle.

Other motorcycles in contention.
I really didn't have a specific segment or type of bike I was looking at, just like my car purchase. It was mainly down to a powerful engine, decent looks and basic safety features I was after. And of course if there was a new bike launch and it looked good with good figures, that automatically was added to my list.

The serious contenders were ;
- Honda Highness ,
- New Classic 350,
- KTM 390 Adv
- Himalayan
- Interceptor 650

The common downside for me in all these bikes were that there were all single cylinders except of course the 650. Since this purchase would be my last for a long time , I wanted to a multi-cylinder bike. Something that I wouldn't feel less powered as the years go by and at the same time would last mechanically.

The Honda Highness was one bike that I felt at home in the few kms that I test rode it and I know being a Honda, it will probably outlive me. That exhaust note was perfect ,the smoothness, the way it revvd, the simplistic but good looking design, the overall package, ticked all the right boxes for me. But, it was a single cylinder and a 350 at that and I knew there was a good chance of getting bored with it in a short while.

It was more or less the same reason for discarding the Classic 350. I liked how the bike looked and with that modern engine, it would compliment my Bullet Electra from four generations ago. It was the perfect modern retro motorcycle in that sense.

The KTM 390 Adv was in contention for it's modern technology and design. All those electronics, the digital screen and safety features were something like night and day between my Bullet and the Adv and that is what attracted me to it. Not to forget that high revving single cylinder engine that produces close to what the RE 650, does on paper. I had ridden the first gen D390 quite a bit on the highways, so I knew what I am getting into if I went ahead with this. I did go and check out the bike one day last December and as always, there was no test bike available. When I sat on the display bike, it felt comfortable and I could imagine myself doing long relaxed rides on it . But, I wouldn't do justice to the bike as I knew, it will mainly see asphalt. The other reason being, as the bike is tall, I would be comfortable on it, but not the wife who would have to climb onto the pillion seat.
I also got a chance to ride the Adv for around 15 kms on a small downhill section as well as straight roads, after I got the 650 in my garage. Since I was riding my Interceptor just before that, I could easily feel all the differences and I don't think it would have justified paying a lakh more for it over the 650. That is just my choice as I liked the character of the 650 more.

The Himalayan. When it was launched, I rented one and took it for a long ride on bad roads, non existent roads, and six laned highways. I loved the way it ironed out rough patches without having to slow down much, especially coming from a Bullet, everything else felt like riding on a carpet. I was disappointed once I hit the highway though, for obvious reasons. The 390 Adv made a better case here.

In all the contenders, one thing I wanted was a fast bike for the highway and majority of them ticked that box as well. But, I wanted one that was torquey and at the same time feels effortless in picking up speed and cruising. Enter the 650 Twins.

The Interceptor 650 was the perfect bike for people like me who were sitting on the fence as to which bike is right for them and with a limited budget.
The first time I rode the 650 was on the day of the launch and I got the chance to ride the GT on the new Airport road without anyone as pillion and I ended up ripping it and realised this is not just a twin for the feel and sound, but its torquey and when required, a fast bike, at least for me, coming from a 350/500 Bullet. Few months later, I got an Interceptor from the RE brand showroom to use for a couple of days. Took it out on the highway, to Nandi Hills and rode it around in the city as well to get a good feel of it. That bike was from the media batch of bikes when launched and I remember, the gear shifts weren't as smooth as my BS6 bike. At the times, the gear never slotted and jumped gears. Unfortunately, I experienced it once on my bike after the first service.
I enjoyed the two days with the bike, except for the stock seat and returned it to the showroom and forgot about it. The thing was, I could have picked it up back then, I didn't want to go for a EMI and instead waited to have enough funds to pay the full amount and be done with it.
Finally, I did that and had enough to spend on a bike and double checked with my cousin who works with RE Sales, if there are any new launches apart from the Super Meteor this year. Since it was confirmed it was only that and I wasn't interested in a full blown cruiser, I decided to pay the booking for the Canyon Red Interceptor.

The booking and delivery experience
The bike was booked at the Royal Enfield brand showroom in BTM layout. Although I had visited this showroom earlier, I never visited the showroom for booking or delivery. Everything was done over the phone, payments done online and bike allocated to me. I did have plans to visit the showroom to take delivery, unfortunately getting infected by Covid, put a spanner in that. I requested for the bike to be delivered home and after couple of repeated requests, they obliged. Their major concern was that they won't deliver the bike without the number plate fitted, so I had to wait few more days for that. There was another few more days of waiting after I completed all the payments when there was no news from the showroom at all. It was after I called and asked for the status, things started moving again. Apart from these, there were no actual hiccups and it was a smooth affair.
Although I wanted to go to the showroom and ride it home, just for that celebratory feeling as it was after 20 long years that I was buying a brand new bike, I was too fatigued after the Covid infection to ride back and heavy traffic for 15 kms. The bike was brought home by two showroom personnel along with the stock seat since I chose the touring seat to be fitted before delivery. There were few documents to sign and a handing over the keys customary photo taken and it was all over in fifteen minutes. The fact that I couldn't go to the showroom was a dampener for sure since I couldn't feel that excitement that I had when I had bought my previous two bikes and cars. The showroom kind of creates that atmosphere. I didn't do a PDI for the same reason and since my cousin had overseen the booking of this bike, I didn't bother either.

Accessories
The first thing on my mind was the seat since I knew how painful the stock seat was. There were mixed reviews about the touring seat and so I went for the premium touring seat. I checked with the accessory guy if it actually makes any difference from the stock one and he said it is softer and more cushioned. I knew that the pain in the backside will be there because the seat is narrow and I was right, but on the positive side, I felt it suits the bike more than the stock seat from the looks perspective.
Along with the touring seat were the sump guard, fly-screen and leg guard fitted at the showroom.

The week after I got the bike, I took it to BikenBiker, which I later learnt was co-owned by a Team-Bhp member whom I had met few years ago to compare our Figo's. I was looking for a backrest and rear footrest extensions. Both these were of immediate need as anyone sitting behind can either melt the base of their shoes or worse, fall off the bike when I accelerate.
They had the backrest from Zana which was just a broad backrest which wasn't to my taste and they referred me to HTRZ Mods in BTM layout. Being a Saturday, the place was crowded, but the customer service was good mainly since the number of employees was equivalent to the customers there. It took them a while to fish out a backrest which had a small carrier as well which looked good and a pair of cast iron rear foot rests. The good thing was, the fixing was done outside the shop and nominal fee charged which was good for me since there was no way I could carry these to another workshop to fix.

The rest of the accessories were purchased online;
- Pair of yellow glass H4 Minda bulbs. This was mainly to try different ways to increase the headlamp brightness and this helped to an extent and also complimented the Canyon Red color of the bike during the day.
-TripMachine Mini pannier and a headlight X, basically two perforated leather straps in a X to be stuck on the headlamp. Anyway the brightness was nothing to write home about, so I thought may as well go after the aesthetics.
-GripPuppies hand grips since the stock grips were hard for even short distances.
-Last but not least, being a sound nut when it comes to exhaust notes and having modified and fitted aftermarket exhaust
systems on all the vehicles I have owned, I went for the AEW Classic pipes. Being a twin cylinder, there has to be some good exhaust note to enjoy the ride and I liked the non-upswept design the pipes have. The stock exhausts do sound good, but that was only at low rpms and they also had a nice soft rumble in low revs compared to the BS4 bikes.
Although I picked up the pipes, I will be fitting it only after the running in period or if I have the patience, once I hit 5k kms. The reason I picked it up now was because there was a sale going on AEW pipes on their website.

500 kms and the first service was completed with few short rides and below are my likes and dislikes of the bike.

Likes;
-The torque. Part of it can be due to the restricted mufflers, the way it pulls in low revs is something very addictive. I remember when I got my Bullet 500, the torque on that was something when compared to my 350. The 650 was another level. With just the torque, the bike can hit some decent speeds.
- The pricing. For me, getting a twin cylinder bike at the price the Interceptor sells at, was a bargain when compared to what other similar or lower capacity twin cylinders were selling at.
-The design. I prefer simple designs although I appreciate modern design and technology and don't mind them. The Interceptor reminds me of the RD350 from some angles, especially if it did not have upswept exhausts.
-The paint scheme. The Canyon Red is one of the options I liked apart from the Blue. I felt the blacked out wheels and fork covers compliment the red perfectly, along with the fork gaitors which I think comes as standard fitment now.
-The twin cylinder. The only other multi cylinder bikes I had ridden were the Jawa350 Twin, the RD 350 and a late 90's model Honda VFR400 and test rides of few Triumph and H-D's models. The feeling of riding these bikes were different from a single cylinder bike and the way it pulled is what pulled me towards owning one and with the Interceptor, it made sense as the right upgrade for me.
-Fuel efficiency. Got an average of 26.5 kmpl over the last 500 kms which I think is good for a 650 Twin since my Bullet 350 has been giving that same efficiency for a long time too. The last refill was 28 kmpl.

Dislikes;
Most of the dislikes are common to what other members have mentioned, so I won't dive into them.
-Headlights. After changing the bulb to a yellow glassed bulb with the same specs, I felt it was slightly better and headed out for a late night ride on the outskirts. The road I took was a state highway which normally doesn't see heavy traffic, but as I realised, it was being used by inter-state trucks during the night, none of them who dimmed their lights. Either they were asleep or they didn't think dipping their lights for a two wheeler is required. After all, my headlamp would have been like a candle passing by. It was luck and prayers that I didn't go off the road every time a truck came along.
-Seat. Enough has been said about it. The premium touring seat only delays the pain.
-Suspension. It reminded me a lot of the Bullet I have. It is hard at the same time soft. Some bumps sends a jolt through me and the front is all over on uneven roads. I am looking at changing the fork oil later as some of the members have done. I don't think I need handlebar risers, at least from the 500 Kms I rode.
-Tyres. The CEAT does a good job while hard braking as well as corners, but I have noticed that it tends to skip and jump during a turn if the road is uneven, if the speeds are bit high. Tram-lining is something else that is very annoying, but I guess that is because of the design of the tyre. Tubeless tyres were something RE could have added at least as an option and one of the reasons I delayed my purchase as well thinking it would be introduced.
-Meter console. This was something that RE could have easily made a bit more interesting to look at and something they could have easily added was the gear position indicator. Almost every time I take the bike out, I end up riding in 5th for a while till I realise there is another gear left or I try shifting one up from 6th. And it doesn't look like the fuel gauge is fixed either. The last block starts blinking with more than 3 liters left in the tank.


Coming from a very basic motorcycle which I still enjoy riding around and has it's own charm, the Interceptor was a perfect way to compliment it. To do a basic comparison.
-Carb - FI
-Drum brakes - Discs with ABS
-Kick start with de-compression to electric start
-Down shifts which has to be timed right to just smooth shifts without having to blip the throttle.

These are the changes that makes the Interceptor, a not so basic bike for me, although RE has done a fair share of cost cutting in order to sell the bike at the price it sells at. For example; the poor headlights, tailights and indicators that could have been LED and the tyres which could have had a tubeless option.

First service

First service was completed within a month and the oil and oil filter replacement as per schedule. The bike doesn't seem to feel different probably because the oil is synthetic. The only complaint I had was the front brake squeaking when applying light force on the brake lever, which seems to have been fixed. The service advisor also noted that gearshfts were hard after he took it for a test which I didn't feel. Sadly, the experience I had on the test bike from BS4 showed up after the service, which was the gear not slotting fully and jumping to the lower gear. The total bill was 2,500/- and the next service in 6 months or 5k kms which is just a check up as far as I understand.

Next on the mods list- get the stock seat modified to make it comfortable for long rides.

My 2002 Bullet Electra which has crossed 1,25,000kms and passed on the baton to the new garage mate.


I had asked the accessory guy who was more than helpful in clicking a picture of the bike when I was sure I couldn't go to the showroom any time soon.


The day after I got the bike is when I had a good look at it.


After the first short ride to get the backrest and footrest fitted.


After a breakfast ride with my cousin on his 390 ADV


The yellow candle light.


To many more rides.


Hitting the highway by myself on my motorcycle still gives me sleepless nights and I can't wait to do it on this bike. My 500 had that sweet spot at around 80-85 kmph when the motor is running perfectly with the least noise and a perfect exhaust note. That feeling is like a high and that is something which my 350 couldn't do as it grew older. Doing a ride on the 350 was more of a chore rather than a ride. I enjoyed short rides, but doing a 300-400 kms ride was not possible. I can't wait to hit the road now with this bike and cover more distance .

I will keep updating this thread as I do rides, mods and other experiences as I go through them.
Thanks for reading.

[GTO]

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

Going to our homepage today

[shancz]

Good writeup, could relate with a lot of things.
The Interceptor seems like the logical and worthy upgrade from your "Bullet", well chosen

Ditto on multi cylinders.
Personally I prefer retro-modern over retro-classics so prefer the RS over the H'ness and from that perspective your bike, in that colour would look smashing in black alloys with tubeless, IMHO.

Was the stock lighting worse than the one you currently have after your bulb change ?
Either way you need a lighting upgrade before any of that. Check the loads on the bike before installing, Himalayan is sensitive to extra load but not sure about the Interceptor.

Enjoy the rides.

[morphious]

Many congratulations! and wish you many happy miles ahead.

Interceptor 650 is very good choice, there is a reason why everyone is gaga about this bike. I am also torn between Interceptor 650 and Triumph Street Twin

The only crib I have about 650 is the headlights, but thanks to the thriving aftermarket support it can be sorted easily.

[evilmessiah]

Hearty congratulations! I'm really happy for you! I love this bike although the Continental GT650 is more to my taste since I'm used to that riding position from my CBR250. For some reason my jeans kept fouling with the footpegs in the Interceptor which wasn't the case with the GT. Really tempted to pull the trigger on a nice GT, but the practical side of me is telling me to rent one sometime and get it out of the system. The other factor is that I hate riding in Bangalore though I was riding daily in a place that is rash driving central- Kochi. Maybe I'm growing older.

Really nice mods as usual. Since you were lucky to drive both versions, did you feel that the power delivery and torque neutered from the BS4 model? Do you find it heavy in slow traffic? I felt that the Interceptor was heavy when I was parking it. Will be watching this thread. Wish you many more miles and happy times on your bike!

[tharian]

Originally Posted by shancz

Was the stock lighting worse than the one you currently have after your bulb change ?
Enjoy the rides.

The replacement one is slightly better and that is because of the yellow tinge. Since I am not going to ride in the dark a lot, I will look for a good option down the line.
Thank you.

Originally Posted by morphious

Many congratulations! and wish you many happy miles ahead.

The only crib I have about 650 is the headlights, but thanks to the thriving aftermarket support it can be sorted easily.

Thank you.
The aftermarket options for this bike was like the Bullet back in the day. I didn't want to splurge on everything at the beginning and make it look like it is an expensive affair at home.

Originally Posted by evilmessiah

Hearty congratulations! I'm really happy for you! I love this bike although the Continental GT650 is more to my taste since I'm used to that riding position from my CBR250.

Really nice mods as usual. Since you were lucky to drive both versions, did you feel that the power delivery and torque neutered from the BS4 model? Do you find it heavy in slow traffic? I felt that the Interceptor was heavy when I was parking it. Will be watching this thread. Wish you many more miles and happy times on your bike!

Thank you.
The GT was the bike I preferred between the two as well, mainly for that sporty stance but head ruled over heart.

I didn't feel any difference between the BS4 and 6 except that the BS6 feels more smoother and refined, especially the gearshifts.
Coming from a Bullet, I didn't feel the bike to be heavy in traffic, in fact I found it much easier to manoeuvre the bike is small spaces. I found it heavy whlie parking as well, when moving the bike with my legs.

Received 2 packages today which made my day.
One was the TripMachine mini pannier and the headlamp X and the other one was the AEW pipes which I was itching to fix, but pushed it under a furniture to be fitted later. Fitted the pannier which although expensive, is worth it for the workmanship and material quality. Just that I need to be careful about where I park since it can be easily removed. It is not water proof either, but is water resistant.




Posing with my Ford Aspire and Bullet in the background.

[VRod_24]

Congratulations on your new bike. Incidentally we share the same set of registration numbers only the last 4 digits are different. Royal Enfield have really packed in a lot of fire power into that 650cc engine and that's why even though the bike has some ergonomic flaws it continues to charm enthusiasts. Wishing you many safe miles on it ahead.

[NavtejS]

Congratulations on your purchase !

Quick question - In terms of seat comfort which is better new classic 350 or interceptor ?

[tharian]

Couldn't resist swapping the stock pipes for the AEW classic one that I had received few weeks ago.

The initial plan was to wait till 2000 kms and then swap the mufflers and run with the baffles on till at least 5k kms. I was itching to listen to the note with the twin cylinder and also preferred the slimmer look of the AEW pipes and ended up swapping them over the weekend.
Like Nasirkaka had mentioned, since these pipes are parallel to swingarm and very close to it, it was tricky to tighten all the nuts with the not so appropriate tools that I have. I rode with the baffles on and although not loud, it had a nice note when revving and blipping. Otherwise when riding in low revs or cruising, it was peaceful. One thing I missed from the original mufflers was the torque being reduced in low revs. Roll on torque was okay and not that bad, but the initial locomotive kind of torque dropped to the point that the engine almost died at one point when taking off from standstill. The extreme smoothness of the stock muffler seemed to have gone as well. With no baffles, that smoothness was improved to an extent. I rode just a km or so without the baffles just to know how it sounds while riding. It has a nice bassy note, not too loud, but definitely loud enough for neighbors to notice, which happened to me already. I'll be fitting the baffles back anyway before taking out the bike again.

I am not sure if I will stick to these pipes for now. I was eager to hear how it sounds in person and more worried about the effects of it on a new engine and may just revert to stock after a while.

Must say it goes with the overall look of the bike than the stock pipes.

Originally Posted by NavtejS

Congratulations on your purchase !

Quick question - In terms of seat comfort which is better new classic 350 or interceptor ?

I haven't ridden the new Classic, so cannot comment. But keeping in mind that the Classic's seat is wider for the rider , it should be better.

[tharian]

The first inter-state ride although getting into TN from Bangalore is not a long journey.

I took off on a weekday, being fed up with WFH, and hit the Kolar road and cut off at Hoskote towards Malur. I realized riding this bike on an expressway is quite boring and decided to hit a district road which there are plenty of, around Bangalore.
There is a road which connects the Krishnagiri highway at Shoolagiri to the Chittoor highway via Malur at Hoskote. I have done the stretch between Hoskote and Malur which goes to Bangarpet. All involving roads to ride on, except that being a district road, we need to be careful of livestock and two wheelers. I continued from Malur towards Hosur and the roads were well paved, although it was single lane with good amount of truck traffic. Well laid out direction sign boards as well which helped since I didn't have to keep stopping to take my phone out to check the route.

When I entered Bagalur which was the border town in TN, I noticed a road that went towards Shoolargiri and Krishnagiri. I decided to take that and what a lovely road it was for experiencing the 650. No traffic, well paved, twisties and hillocks all around. Finally got a feel of the bike and it was fun.

The CEAT tires are not a 100% confidence inspiring mainly because the rear slips when there is an undulation mid corner, but that is when I dip the bike suddenly and too much. But I still slow down unless the surface is free of sand or any other slippery stuff.

I am glad I replaced the stock mufflers with the AEW ones. Riding is fun now with some audible exhaust note. I just couldn't ride with absolutely no exhaust note. With the baffles fixed, the note is a nice bassy soft note and got slightly louder as well as I progressed through the ride. When cruising at around 3-3.5k rpm, it has a nice note quite similar to my Bullet 350 when it does 60-70 kmph, except that this is x2. Unless you wring the throttle open, it is a peaceful note. Torque and smoothness has definitely taken a hit compared to stock, but I am hoping it will get better as I clock miles. Earlier, doing close to 4k rpm felt effortless mainly because there was no exhaust note and also because of the torque the stock muffler could produce because of all the back pressure, now the same is felt at 3k rpm. In a way, that is good since the engine is still running in and the reason I decided to install these although they are free flow is because there is a catalytic convertor in the bend pipes which will create some back pressure and the removable baffle in the AEW pipes creates a small restriction as well.
Must say that these pipes are the best aftermarket ones I have experienced in terms of quality as well as the note is produces. I did check with the company and they confirmed that they use ceramic wool packing which doesn't need replacement like glasswool.

I am making peace with the seat by taking a short break every hour which helps a lot. Just that it is no where as comfy as my Bullet 350's seat.

Bike has crossed 700 kms.

[tharian]

A couple more additions to the bike to personalize it further. I like to get all the mods and additions done on my car/bike at the earliest so I can enjoy driving or riding it more the way I like it rather than in the stock trim.
The other side being, I don't have to spend on after market parts or modifications later.

The latest addition was a set of Hitchcock bar-end mirrors. I prefer the look of a bar end mirror primarily and this one turned out to be quite practical as well since it covers a good area, although the glass area is actually small. Not to mention it is tinted to prevent glare. I remember back when I got my 500 Bullet restored, I got a passenger 3 wheeler's chrome mirror and fixed on the right side bar end. Bar end mirrors weren't available back then and needless to say, it didn't last too long because of constant hits.
The Hitchcock mirrors were supposed to be an easy fit and the set had the stalk, bar end adapters and mirrors along with the allen screws separately. The adapter was supposed to go inside the end of the stalk and then fitted on the handlebar end. In my case for some reason, the adapter didn't go in as expected after multiple tries. It was supposed to need just a finger press with some pressure and clicks into place. Finally had to hammer it in which ended in some dings on it. End result was good since the coverage is much better than stock and it doesn't protrude too much as to be to wary in traffic.




The next was the silent DB killer for the AEW pipes. It already comes installed with a DB killer which is just a hollow pipe with both ends open. I came across these silent ones on their website which wasn't available earlier which has the inner end of the hollow pipe sealed off and instead has 16 small holes punched around the pipe. The reason I got these were mainly because I needed some more restriction in terms of exhaust flow since the engine is still in running in stage. I could have stuck to the stock mufflers till then, but then I didn't like the look of the bike with those and since it is like a bazooka sticking out, the left side already was bumped into by a two wheeler. And I just can't ride/drive with no audible feedback on my car or bike.
These silent DB killers cut out the loud note which was present with the original DB killer when opening the throttle hard. In low revs and slow riding, it's more of bass now and flat note from behind and no fluttering when de-accelerating. Works well in city riding because of the better torque as well as with the cops.
With the two different DB killers, I can easily swap them out when required for a long ride and city rides. On my Bullets, that was equivalent to swapping the muffler every time.
The last fuel mileage was 26.5 kmpl.

The after market parts fitted since I got the bike;
-Flyscreen (OE)
-Sump guard (OE)
-Leg-guard(OE)
-Touring seat (OE)
-Backrest (unknown brand)
-rear foot rest extension (unknown brand)
-Hand grips (GripPuppies)
-Side bag and headlight cross(Trip Machine)
-Slip on mufflers (AEW)
-Bar end mirrors (Hitchcock Motorcyles)

Bike has run 800 kms.

[tharian]

Did an early ride to Nandi hills this morning.
Although it has become a mess during weekends, it is the closest to a hill climb to experience the bike.

Thankfully after they re-opened the entry recently during weekends, things were more civilized because of the vehicles being regulated at the beginning of the climb itself. But this wasn't applicable for two wheelers which meant after many years, I got an almost free road all the way to the top.
With the new Db killer, most of the stock torque is back as well as smoothness. Exhaust note was almost stock like while around 3-4k rpm except for a nice bass note while de-acclerating. Otherwise it was the note RE should have brought out this bike with as you don't need to tune your ears to hear that almost inaudible stock note.

The Ceat tires were good on the hairpins since the surface was free of dirt, except that leaning the bike more would result in scrapping the front of my shoe.

Bike engine seems to have the sweet spot at around 3.5k -4k rpm. Bike has crossed 900 kms.

[tharian]

Crossed the 1k kms mark recently on a ride on NICE road.

Took it to that road to do some decent cruising speeds to know how it felt if I had to keep the rpm at 4-4.5k rpms for a long stretch. I wasn't happy because of the wind and the bike not feeling that planted either because of the wind or un-even surface or both. I guess the sweet spot is 4k rpm.
The good part is after all the experimenting with the muffler and DB killer and different speeds while riding, the fuel efficiency remains a constant 26-27 kmpl with the highest being 28 kmpl on the second tankful.

I also got used to shifting the gear by pre-loading it before pulling in the clutch and fully shifting, which results in smooth shifts. This is if I am riding is lower rpm. At higher rpm, the shifts are smooth anyway.

I am planning on a long one day ride which should be around 400-500 kms on single lane state highways next month. Should be fun.

[tharian]

A new addition and the first long trip.

Got the Carbon Racing windshield fixed after reading some reviews on it from the 650 thread. Shipping was fast since it was from Tumkur and it was received in less than two days. Fixed it with the help of member Rahulkool's well explained video. With no user manual, it would have been a pain without that video. Removing the RE flyscreen was not straightforward either because one of the clamps is bolted onto the indicator stalks and the wire has to be disconnected in order to remove the indicator and then the screen. I chose the smoked one to go with the overall black of the bike. I wasn't expecting it before last weekend and since I received it on a Friday, I fixed it the same day since I was planning on a long ride the next day and I could feel the change with the windshield.


The ride plan was to do the Bangalore to Mecheri route via Anchetty and Pennagaram and then return via Sathyamangalam and Kollegal, climbing the Dhimbham ghats. It is a long ride of more than 500 kms and I had done the reverse on my CI500 many years ago, although then I returned via Dharmapuri on the 4 lane highway. I left home at around 7am and since it was the start of a long weekend, the traffic was high on Hosur road and I was planning to cut off before Hosur anyway. Soon after crossing Electronics City I thought why not ride all the way to Chennai. I was anyway free and my wife and daughter were at Chennai as well and I could surprise them and at the same time complete the breaking in of the engine. The last time I rode to Chennai was two and a half years ago on my Bullet Electra. I continued towards Krishnagiri since I could cut off to the right onto one of the roads to Mecheri or take a left and head towards Chennai.
I was carrying enough water and other stuff to last the distance to Chennai and decided to do it and although traffic was high up to Krishnagiri, it thinned out after that. One factor I didn't take into consideration was the heat which for some reason skipped my mind knowing it was Chennai in summer I was heading to.

Since it was riding on the expressway, I was doing around 4k rpm comfortably with the new windscreen making things better than the flyscreen. I wouldn't say it completely makes the wind blast go away, but till around 90kmh, things are very peaceful compared to the flyscreen. Above that, there is a lot of wind noise and a bit of head bobbing, except that my head doesn't lean backwards now. Maybe I am a bit tall for the height of the windshield. On the whole, it is better than having the flyscreen and I like the look of it on the bike while looking at it and when riding.

At the first break nearing Vellore when the heat hadn't started yet.



I took around 6.5 hours to reach home in Chennai which was the same time I took on my Bullet 350 surprisingly wherein my speeds were 65-70 kmh. The reason here was that after couple of hours, my backside started hurting and the heat started getting to me to a point that I decided to reduce speeds to 80kmh. And add that bad traffic jams in Chennai due to ongoing metro work. I made couple of rest stops and one for fuel and all the times I made sure I give my backside some rest.

The only source of shade after crossing Vellore were the under construction flyovers


Add to this was the heat from the engine which was something I never experienced riding in Bangalore. Nearing Chennai and once in the traffic there, my inner thighs had started getting roasted. There was nothing much I could do apart from standing whenever I stopped the bike in a jam or keep my legs facing outwards. The bike was performing well although with slight tappet noise, I am guessing, creeping in towards the end.

I returned the next day since this was an unplanned trip and being a Sunday, traffic leaving Chennai would be low. I could quickly get out of the city and was cruising around 3.5k rpm and at times went up to 4k rpm. That felt the most comfortable for me in terms of riding and windblast although couple of hours later, it was the same story with my backside. This time the heat from the engine began when I was doing the Chittoor stretch. The high day temperature in these areas are to blame as well. At some places, as per the weather app, it was 41c. I didn't want to keep stopping frequently to give my backside a rest since that will eat up time and the pain will start in less than half hour after the stop. Instead I stood on the pegs now and then to cool off . The foot pegs breaking was always on the back of mind though. I kept to 80kmh almost the full journey except the initial stretch which was around 90 kmh. It reminded me of the speeds I used to do on my 500 which was the same, expect here the difference was, I could increase the speed quickly when required. At these speeds, the feeling is very peaceful because there is almost nil wind noise because of the windscreen and I am still doing a decent speed for a good average.

At a shady stretch soon after entering AP from TN.


The white from concrete in full glare.

The return didn't take as long as the onward trip because I took the shorter route via Chittoor and the traffic was low as well.

The surprising part was, the fuel efficiency was 32 kmpl both the times I tanked up. One was nearing Chennai and the other was while nearing Kolar. Both the times, because of the fuel gauge not being accurate, the last bar stated blinking when there was around 3-4 litres left.

The Hitchcocks bar end mirrors I realized were not all that great for highway use and also doesn't suit the bike to my liking with the new windshield and so the stock mirrors have gone back. The touring seat from RE, it just starts the pain later. The side bag from TripMachine proved useful and I could carry a bottle of water along with some snacks and also a rain cover.

I am glad I swapped the exhaust mufflers as that adds more character to the bike when riding. With the type of baffle that is fixed, the exhaust has a sweet note and just like stock when cruising, no noise. It is only when accelerating there is a nice note which can be heard quite clearly.

Another ride as per the original route I was to do, is coming up soon.
Bike has run 1900 kms.

[tharian]

Headed out for another ride on the originally planned route on Saturday.

The route taken was Blore-Kanakapura-Malvalli-MM Hills-Mettur-Mecheri-Hoggenekal-Hosur-Blore. Total kms was 480 kms.

This ride was much better than the Chennai ride last weekend mainly because the heat had reduced and it wasn't a boring expressway ride. Left early morning for a change and hit the Kanakapura road and since traffic had not begun yet, I cleared the city limits quickly. Had a good ride as the roads were good with less traffic. I used the stock seat to know how different it would be from the touring seat. The positive was, with the stock seat, I didn't keep sliding slightly forward when braking and I felt more seated rather than feeling slightly wobbly with the touring seat. The negative was the pain starts earlier.
Since the route covers a lot of hills and ghats, I could work the bike and realized how good the engine-gearbox on this bike is. The CEAT tyres are good enough and when pushed too much, they rear tends to slip a bit. But nothing scary.

Most of the roads were good and as usual the roads on the TN side were much better than the KA side. Lots of forest sections and plenty of ghats. Some sections were beside Kaveri river both the ways.
Topped of fuel around 150 kms and it lasted for the next 340 kms. Fuel efficiency when topped up was 29 kmpl. Bike has run 2400 kms.


First break just after Kanakapura.


On the way to MM Hills. Forest and ghats- perfect riding roads.


At Hoggenakal


Nearing Hosur towards the end of the ride.


Stopped for breakfast after crossing Kolleagal just before the hills start.