[krankstter]

Dear BHPians,

First and foremost, it’s an absolute pleasure being a member of this forum. Every thread exudes utmost passion from all the auto enthusiasts active here. My google feed is filled with Team-BHP threads and I’m grateful for that.

And here I begin, my first post on Team-BHP.

A quick small intro about myself, I’m a 2020 Mechanical Engineer graduate and was part of three different student teams which built an E-ATV, IC-ATV and the Advanced Efficycle (for three independent different student competitions) where I primarily indulged in the design and manufacturing phases. Throughout my childhood I’ve taken an intense interest in automobiles and that was only strengthened during my bachelor days. All my close relatives still remind me how I used to name every automobile make and model on the road as a 3-4 y.o. kid (there weren’t those many models on road back then, XD). I’m currently in IT (no particular reason why, pandemic batch, can’t really complain, I’m doing fine and completely happy with this choice as well) and I’ve somehow managed to keep this interest afloat as a hobby by reading/watching both relevant and irrelevant videos, posts, reviews and threads across various forums and YouTube channels (TopGear, Autocar, Powerdrift, FK are some of my favourites). A recent addition to this list is MotorInc. It’s absolutely wonderful to hear two passionate auto enthusiasts share their honest opinions in the form of a podcast or a discussion. Ep-18 especially was really good, do check that out whenever free.

I’ve almost always hated bikes (with the exception of the Kawasaki Ninja – it was a dream bike for many of my classmates as well back during the 8th-12th classes). My earliest memory with a bike was with my Dad’s old green Kawasaki Caliber 115. This was the one on which I’ve learnt how to ride a bike. I’ve started learning clutch handling and gear shifting after some basic riding experience on my Mom’s TVS Scooty which I used for local market runs within the colony (too young for a license and that Scooty was barely better than a bicycle back then). I’ve never really appreciated or understood the clutch and gear mechanic of bikes especially since a Scooty does it all with neither of those. All this hassle somehow managed to suppress the Ninja admirer in me and I’ve gradually lost interest of sport bikes as well. I’ve learnt how to ride a bike and that’s it, never really practiced or used a bike up until we had to exchange the Caliber (disastrous mileage and clunky gear shifts owing to its age) for a 110cc Honda dream neo. I very distinctly remember the conversation held within the fam as to why they had to downgrade the displacement under the assumption that a lower displacement bike would be better off for a beginner rider (in case I decide to ride the bike at some point). Till date I’ve been highly vocal about my disapproval of this decision. The dream neo was a really smooth bike upto 40kmph, anything above that it struggles. We’ve procured an Access 125 somewhere along our journey and I’ve only used the dream neo extremely rarely when I had to go out immediately and if dad took the access.

Something that adds to this hatred is a mishap in May 2019 which happened while on the dream neo. Fate’s really funny, the one time I decide not to use a helmet is when I get into a crash. I had to drop off the bike to my dad at a hospital (mom and grandma were also there for some checkup) and return with the car since he had a meeting. I had to take a right turn at a T-junction (2-lane with a concrete divider, few 100m from the hospital where my family was at) and there was some big SUV parked on the right corner which blocked my view of the incoming traffic. Adding of this, my habit of not having breakfast came to bite me later on in that scorchingly sunny afternoon in Vijayawada, I was not at my best focus level. Somehow in that blind spot, a biker managed to sneak in at 60+ kmph without slowing down at the junction (no-traffic lights or anything it was just a small junction). Lo and behold, we naturally crash, even after I managed to bring my vehicle to a complete halt (I was only at 10kmph since I had to take a turn). The guy on the bike however, hadn’t noticed me until it was too late (blind spot for him as well because of that huge SUV in the corner) and couldn’t really slow down in time. I remember not losing my footing even as we crash but managed to fall down because of the concussion I received from him flying over from his bike to mine and hitting me. His forehead hit my right temple causing my pair of specs to give me a deep gash across my right eyebrow (not noticeable as much today thanks to a job well done by the surgeon).

I blacked out for a couple of seconds immediately after this (low blood sugar since the last meal was had the night before and extremely hot ambient temps). The silencer gave me a spot quick 3-second burn on my right lower leg during this blackout and I got up thanks to all the support from a shopkeeper and people nearby. As I get up, I remember asking the guy who hit me why he was speeding that much on a small road at a junction. He had minor bleeding on his forehead as well but managed to pick up his bike and leave within the next 5 seconds (not sure why or how, he just left). This boosted my confidence slightly, I could feel something was off on my head but I assumed I’d probably be able to do the same since he was strong enough to leave. I then got on my bike (even as the people around told me not to) and managed to somehow almost fall down the second time, after a second quick millisecond blackout. They asked me to sit down and gave me some water. After a couple of minutes, I called my dad who was in the hospital (literally 50m away from the collision spot) and asked him to come there. He reached, briefly panicked and managed to support me (along with another gentleman who I couldn’t thank because I wasn’t fully in my senses yet) as we walked to the hospital. This 50m walk felt like an eternity. I remember asking to sit down for a bit as we entered the hospital but wasn’t really granted that pleasure since we were already at the massive hospital gate. The moment I stepped foot into the airconditioned lobby of the hospital, I regained all my senses (all my senses probably decided to take a mini sabbatical thanks to the heat) and saw my mom and grandmother waiting for me at a bed. The hospital staff promptly arranged for a nurse to clean my wound and recommended that I be taken to a plastic surgeon to fix the gash stitched up instead of getting the regular stitches that would probably leave a huge mark. And the rest is history, I recovered, dad got rid of the bike (got it repaired to brand new and sold it dirt cheap to someone we know thanks to the Indian family sentiments about accident stuff).

Starting from June 2019, I somehow always hesitated getting on a two-wheeler almost till the end of December. By the time I regained confidence, our only two-wheeler in the house (Access 125) started showing its age. Tons of problems, we got rid of that as well and bought a new BS6 Access 125 in Jan 2020 which has remained the primary means of commute till 2022 March. Every time dad was away and I had to get a chore done, I had to take either of our cars (will hold up this conversation for another thread/story), even for a short distance. This slowly started planting seeds in my mind to get another two-wheeler. I didn’t want a scooter/scooty and I hated bikes, so I kept postponing this thought almost till the Hness was launched. I remember seeing a few reviews and thinking to myself how good the bike looked but didn’t really consider getting one because of my aversion to bikes. With the CB350 RS launch however, I fell in love with it. The way that bike screamed of retro neo classic just somehow managed to connect strings inside which I never knew existed. I started asking my dad to get a test drive done (wanted him to ride it since he was much more experienced and I was a newbie, also, I was under the impression that I was going to gift him the bike and not for me) after learning that a bigwing showroom had recently opened up in Vijayawada. He was adamant about not getting the Hness since all his friends who owned the Classics or the Bullets felt that they were too impractical and heavy with a ton of maintenance issues (Hness sort of looked like a Classic on first glance to him, First impressions last). My argument was that the Hness and RS were almost 20kgs lighter than the Classic/Metor and that almost all the 7928 reviews that I read/watched on youtube were praising the way they handled (hypothetical number, since I remember going through tons of Hness/RS content for over 6 months at that point). In March 2022 however, I somehow managed to finally convince him on a Sunday to get a test drive alone and that it doesn’t mean that I’ll purchase the bike . We then test drove the Hness (skipped RS because no saree guard / foot rest for women, when in desperation, you can’t ask your future gf/wife to wear a something compatible enough to get behind on a bike, she must be able to sit comfortably even when wearing a saree, jokes apart, it was for my mom, a year since the purchase now, the bike has been my only partner to date, I’m sadly or happily still single). Dad thought the bike was nothing like the classics/bullets his friends owned (older generation enfields) and loved it. However, he made it extremely clear that he’s still going to use the Access for daily runs since he has a left knee problem, both our cars are automatic as well so almost nil left leg usage. We still wanted to give the Meteor 350 a benefit of the doubt and immediately requested for a test-drive at the next door RE showroom. I remember feeling that the Meteor was nothing like the Hness and that it felt heavier and harder to turn owing to the foot peg position. Went home, had a quick discussion, and unaware that the anniversary edition had just launched, almost booked the blue dlx pro. The website showed me the green anniversary edition and I instantly booked it with the dealer.

The Hness has somehow managed to completely eliminate any hatred I had for bikes. The fact that I instantly booked it after a test drive just shows it. Also, I was under the assumption that coming from a 110cc ride, I probably wouldn't be able to handle this heavy machine. The test drive proved me wrong.



Had a waiting period of 2-3 weeks before the bike finally arrived at the dealership. Took almost all packages offered by bigwing except the helmet, bought a white Axor helmet even before taking delivery, just so I could ride with a cool helmet to the temple. Got the puja done and visited a couple of temples to induct the bike as a member of the fam. Has been a great companion so far.

The bike has been ceramic coated at The Detailing Mafia, Vijayawada after a month of ownership. I wrapped handle grips with trip machine co. leather ones. They're decent, nothing to write home about, get the job done, fits my hand slightly better.



Since then, our family has relocated to Chennai, Dad’s a lecturer and had been postponing his move to Chennai for almost 15 years now. All the stars somehow aligned, soon after we purchased the bike. The transfer to Chennai had already been put into motion with my dad leaving Vijayawada in April. The access was with me in Vijayawada for that duration and I rarely touched the bike. The bike’s odo was at 1100kms when the bike reached Chennai via a transport truck in July 2022. I’ve managed to cover only a 400kms from then till December thanks to my laziness.

As of 25th March 2023, the bike has turned one year old with just 4000kms on the odo whose breakup is as follows,

First 500kms, First weeks after delivery, Final week in March and First week of April .

Next 1000kms, spread across the next 10 months.

Final 2500kms, 3 days a week office runs, last couple of months (was wfh up until then), 50 kms up and down, total 100kms per instance minimum.

Last month, I’ve successfully managed to re-register the bike to the TN state RTA with a new HSRP installed as well. Please let me know if I should document this process (AP to TN), later on in this or a separate thread. I’ve had an agent who helped me out with this as well but am aware about most of the stuff needed for this.

I'll try and consolidate the bike review as much as possible. These pros and cons are what I view subjectively and this doesn't mean it would match with

Pros:

1. Absolutely smooth and vibration free experience

2. The bike's a looker


3. Power on demand

4. Well balanced and easy to ride. I've experimented with settings 1-5 on the rear suspension, haven't noticed any major difference. Currently riding in 2, handles great as usual.

5. The clutch is pinky finger smooth. You only need one finger to operate. No other competitor at this price point and class offer the same.

6. Fuel Efficiency, if someone like my dad rides (45kmpl for sure minimum on highways), if it's me, then drops to 30kmpl, which is still acceptable

7. Exhaust note, sweet and subtle on highways, roars when in city.

8. The horn is super loud. You could make someone go deaf if honked in close vicinity to their ears.

Cons:

1. Could have been more powerful. (I got used to the bike so quickly that my assumption where I thought I'd not be able to handle a big machine was proven wrong. I now have a slight tingling sensation inside which wants me to upgrade. No worthy options yet in the market, hope honda launches a 650 tourer).

2. At high speeds, when trying to throttle, the throttle suddenly becomes ghostly light with no inputs being forwarded to the engine. Nothing changes. Not sure if this is an issue or if that's just how all bikes are.

3. The bike gets dirty very easily. All bikes do, and I still hate this about them. Would've been absolutely awesome if we had some sort of a magic solution that vanishes all mud from the bike overnight and just keeps it spot clean.

4. Extreme heat from the engine when at a standstill, fine in winters but if for some reason you're wearing shorts and riding in summer (cuz you're insane), like me in the pic above, tandoori.

5. Bike feels slightly weird when the tank is full. It's very subtle, but manageable. Since this is the only big bike I've ridden for this long, not sure if that's the same with all other bikes.

6. Rear passenger comfort is debatable. My mom thinks its great, brother thinks its okay, dad thinks its funny because his back hurts. I personally don't prefer sitting on the back of this bike either, the Access 125 has spoiled us all. Terrible comparison I know, but just throwing it out there.

7. Small corrosion like breakage on the chrome exhaust finishing where it exits the engine, not sure if this is something to be worried about, I pressure wash the bike regularly, at least once a month (might be because of the rapid cooling during wash, please let me know).




However, I have a few points to add to this. Almost 40kms out of the 100km office runs, I’m constantly at a speed of 100kph or higher. The bike is absolutely blissful to ride with a nice subtle note which is not too evident thanks to my helmet. Throughout this 4000kms, I’ve never once filled the tank with regular fuel but have experimented quite a bit with the premium offerings of various brands such as HP’s power, BP’s speed, Shell’s V-Power and Indian-Oil’s XP95. I have not noticed much of a difference with the first three but XP95 was the one which made the engine noticeably smoother. The bike is now much happier to be ridden at higher RPMs. I’ve hit almost 130kph with the following gear speed,

1st till 20,
2nd till 50,
3rd till 90,
4th till 120
5th to 130 (painfully slow but I did it)

I’d been able to hit the same with different fuels as well but the best experience I’ve had was with the XP95. It’s just smoother. Owing to my high average speeds above 60 (there’s sections of traffic that’s absolutely slow moving in between, cuts down average by a lot), I reach office 50minutes after I start from home (50kms away). Considering all this in mind, with the performance on offer, I’m extremely happy with the 30kmpl mileage I get, since I push the engine quite a bit. I don’t accelerate quick, but I stay at high RPM’s all the time (4th gear).

Lugging the bike drains fuel like crazy, almost as if a dry-state had been given unlimited liquor access. I agree with people complaining about the frequent gear shifts as well in city, but since this has been my first and only geared only-wheeler which I’ve passionately ridden, it didn’t trouble me much.

The only thing I wish I had was the front windscreen (like the meteor, since I’m at high speeds in an open highway, lots of wind), the bike’s look completely changes (I didn’t like it much from the pics).

I'm also planning for some good quality bar end weights, haven't found great products yet, leaning towards the carbon racing ones. The stock plastic ones are ugly and not evenly settlng in.

I've used up all three free services (first one in Vijayawada, Rest in Chennai Bigwing north) and had a great experience. Added fork boots in the second service which made the bike look more badass.



Adding a pic from the day I brought the bike home,



I’ve been majorly happy with the bike so far, and hope that the Honda experience stays. Thanks for reaching through to the end of this journey. I greatly appreciate all the time and effort spent in reading this and apologize if visualization of the mishap was a bit too painful.

[GTO]

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

Going to our homepage tomorrow

[adrian]

Originally Posted by krankstter

Dear BHPians,


7. Small corrosion like breakage on the chrome exhaust finishing where it exits the engine, not sure if this is something to be worried about, I pressure wash the bike regularly, at least once a month (might be because of the rapid cooling during wash, please let me know).

Congratulations on your new motorcycle. May you have miles and miles of happy and trouble free ownership with your thumper.

Regarding the power wash : Never wash your motorcycle when it is hot and never pressure wash your motorcycle either. Metal expands when heated. Sudden cooling causes rapid shrinking causing metal fatigue / cracks and altered tempering.
The pressure from the domestic line is enough to clean the motorcycle to a sparkle and even with that too exert caution to avoid spraying directly into critical electronic components. Use aluminium foil or electric tape to cover up ignition key slot and electronic components before washing.

regards adrian

[rajeevsulu]

I used XP 95 during the 6 months I owned this bike. The already smooth engine feels even smoother. As said earlier, never wash your bike when it is hot. Regarding the rear suspension, I set it to hardness level 2,for, I felt it was bottoming out at the softest setting while taking fast corners. Nice bike but could have done with a bit more power, that was the reason for me selling it and getting an interceptor. Enjoy your bike!

[ram1kv]

Great write up Krankstter!

Looks like you had a similar reaction to mine after seeing the green anniversary edition.
I've gone for a carbon racing windscreen which makes highway riding bliss enough to tolerate the dip in the looks department.

Recently test rode the super meteor to check out on a more powerful engine option (the inti twins are not my cuppa tea). While the SM 650 is better than expected, still did not match up to the refinement of CB. Slow riding/ turning in the city is also a pain.

Back to the CB ownership, one thing that surprised me was the family turning in to bike lovers from their original insipid reactions on procuring the Green Bug. Wishing you many more miles of safe and happy riding!

Ram

[poised2drive]

Hello and Welcome Krankstter !

Elaborate and informative writeup !

And it is such a pleasant coincidence that while I ponder over my temptation to buy Honda Hness while disposing my 14 Year Pulsar, I see a review of the same coming from the same city ! And my office used to be next to the Honda Big wing till 3 months back!

Have a wonderful million miles on the bike !

[ICE_Swift]

Originally Posted by krankstter

Dear BHPians,


The only thing I wish I had was the front windscreen (like the meteor, since I’m at high speeds in an open highway, lots of wind), the bike’s look completely changes (I didn’t like it much from the pics).

I think you can install the meteor windscreen on the Hness.Before the launch of official accessories a couple of bigwings used to attach REs windshield and paste a sticker on the logo.I think one of the Bhpian's reviews covers this and he has done this... just search please.

I don't think Honda's accessories are worth 20k especially if they're not selling them separately so you're better off purchasing a Meteor Windshield and attaching it if you want.

Also search on YouTube as I believe a couple of YouTubers have attached their Meteor Windshield to Hness.

Have Fun Riding.

[krankstter]

Dear BHPians,

Fresh updates on my bike, I got the first paid service done on last Thursday (5th Oct, 2023, @6757kms ODO, @Bigwing Chennai North, Ambattur). Opted for the AMC 2yr plan (PFB).



This plan is a good value and seems to save costs no matter how I look at it. I've been called back to office for 5 days in a week now (starting Oct 1st) and I'm hereby expecting a daily commute of minimum 100kms, This would cover a minimum of 2000kms in a month just to office and back. As stated by my service person, this plan would remove the paid service cost of 1100 and would additionally discount parts by 5% and services by 20% for upto 2 services in a year. That would be 4 services (2 per year) waived off plus part/service discount for this in 2 years.

I gave my bike at the dealership a bit later than usual @12pm on Thursday, I got my bike back @11pm on Friday.

Some changes to my original review:

Sometime during mid-late April, a few weeks after my original review, my bike's handlebar became extremely tight and lethargic. It refused to turn with ease. I personally think this might be due to metal expansion (tight tolerances) in high temperature environments during the hot South-Indian summers.

I didn't use my bike much during the summer and kept delaying a fix for this. Sometime during May-June I went back to the dealership and got the cone set loosened a bit. I had not faced any wobbling up until this point.

This is where the real trouble starts, when between 50-90kmph speed, I started observing a slight wobble when I let go of the throttle and relax during deceleration (not the handlebar, I'm not a S.Q.U.I.D.). I again kept delaying a fix for this as it wasn't very physically bothersome when held relatively firm.

Although this issue was rare, it started bothering me mentally, I didn't want to face the death wobble because I'm a relatively noob driver and wouldn't want to test my theory unless if absolutely necessary.

On visiting the dealership on yet another random Thursday few months back, I managed to get a senior technician to check out the issue (luckily, it was midday after lunch, and they had a relatively lesser number of bikes to service at that point). We rode for a distance of 10-12kms, and he finally acknowledged the issue on observing it himself.

He was initially lecturing me on how we shouldn't let go of the handlebar ever and claimed that I was leaving my hands without seeing me ride (I wasn't, he acknowledged the same after observing it himself). He's probably seen way too many riders leaving their hands and complaining about the wobble.

Although this is my first bike and I'm a relatively low experience rider, when decelerating, everyone has to let go of the throttle, this naturally weakens your grip unless if I'm completely wrong somehow (I don't think so ). We went back to the dealership; they "fixed" & returned my bike saying they've tightened the cone set and filled my tyre saying the low pressure (22psi) was also probably causing this issue. (I filled it a couple of days back before this, I don't think it was that low, they probably have an analog meter).

The issue has relatively subsided, but it was still there.

I mentioned all these points during this last service. Aforementioned senior tech. (can speak & understand Telugu) was also present, he updated the service personnel with the events as mentioned above in Tamil (since I don't speak Tamil yet, I'm both surprised & glad that he remembered after more than 2 months).

They said they'll check the issue out and promised a fix.

In addition to the usual fix, I've requested for a front sprocket cleaning. They originally told me that this cleaning happens once every 10-15k kms only and that it's not really recommended for my current running. I had a plastic bag stuck in the rear sprocket few months back and wanted them to check the front as well just in case. On mentioning this, he quickly noted it down in the to-do list.

The bike was relatively dirty (compared to all the other bikes pending service) when I gave it to them and got it back brand new after a polishing. I was taken aback by how smooth my bike felt on the way back home (3kms). I don't think it felt this smooth throughout my entire 1.5 years ownership.

I covered a distance of 110kms total since the service and I absolutely adore the way this machine rides now. I have no idea what magic was performed on my machine but it feels buttery smooth. I had no idea what I was missing on, up until this point. I'm extremely happy with this service. I haven't noticed this much of a difference in any of the first three free services.

The wobble however, although extremely minute, is still present. I've lost hope of any fix for this. I'm just going to keep holding the handlebar the way I've held it till date and just stop worrying about it.

Absolutely loving this bike and 10/10 would still recommend it to anyone with a similar budget. I'm planning on test-riding the Speed 400 soon just to add my perspective on how a noob perceives a vehicle faster than his own.

[White Aviator]

Originally Posted by krankstter

The wobble however, although extremely minute, is still present. I've lost hope of any fix for this. I'm just going to keep holding the handlebar the way I've held it till date and just stop worrying about it.

I've been through this wobbling issue for quite a while now with my Hness and am still currently facing it. The Big Wing service here in Pune too tried everything with my bike and the final issue seems to be with the MRF tyres.

Just like you, the slight wobble remained so the service recommended me to get the tyres replaced from MRF under warranty which I did and my issue was resolved. After around 7000 kms the issue is back again and now my bike was with service for 19 days. It's the same again, after trying all they can there's a slight wobble and once again they recommended getting the tyre replaced under warranty.

I was tired of the recurring issue and wanted a final fix so I did my own research and found out that many are facing this issue due to the poor MRF tyres and the issue goes away after switching to some other brands.

Here's where the next problem crops up, that's availability of tyres. Hness has rear 130/70-18 and front 100/90-19 tyre size which are not very common sizes so it's difficult to get good tyres in these sizes while not breaking the bank. Also it's difficult to get the same front and rear tyre. I've been researching for the past month now after setting a budget of ₹12-13k for the set of two tyres. I've found good Vredestien tyres for the rear but none for the front.

I suggest you too try getting the tyres either replaced under warranty or look for a fresh pair from another brand which seems to be the fix. Let me know if that helps.

[srkriz26]

The wobbling issue is what is holding me from making the plunge. I fell in love with the Metallic Blue and Grey editions. I test-ridden RS and felt too good. While I didn't ride the Highness, I liked the relaxed seating position and better pillion space. Krankstter's review on Chennai Bigwing is a healthy sign for me. Is it only the current CB350s that are having the wobbling issues? Or even old ones?

[krankstter]

Fresh Update:

The bike feels planted. The wobble is a thing of the past now. It darts across terrain as straight as an arrow.

I decided enough was enough after 5k kms of wobble and have reached out to the MRF customer support by raising a warranty claim on their website.

Mr. Guy Hadly from their team promptly reached out to me on the 27th of October and asked me to visit their training center in Ekkatuthangal, Chennai. This was a (quick) 30 min. ride from home and after three months of doting around and postponing, I finally decided to make the trip on January 27th in hopes of getting my issue resolved.

The team at this training center were quick to address the issue. They've also mentioned how multiple H'nesss' owners have already replaced their front Tyre under warranty. However, by this point, since my usage was still under 10k, they've asked me to get the Tyre refit and verify for around 10 days before going for the replacement route. After getting it refit, the wobble has turned into a shiver and I rode the bike straight to Bigwing Ambattur to get this and a minor oil leak around the oil filter area checked. I've also asked them to paint/fix any rusting spots they found on the bike (there were small spots on the bike which they painted/polished out). I was told that my cone set was a bit weak and would need replacement during the next service. They also informed me that they've "ADJUSTED" it for approximately the 5th time and that I wouldn't face this issue again. This was clearly not the case, as usual. I got back a very clean and shiny looking bike but it still shivered around the 70-90kmph mark.

Informed the same to Mr. Hadly after 10 days and he asked me to drop in for a replacement. I was told that my new Tyre was ready to be fit onto the bike. Visited the training center on Feb. 7th and got my Tyre replaced. Paid Rs. 550 for the worn out treads and happily left the center.

I've now driven for over 1000 kms since then and the bike feels absolutely planted and stable. After the cone set adjustment and oil filter leak issue addressed at the service center, the bike somehow felt more refined than ever. With a planted front Tyre, I've rekindled my love for this bike with added peace of mind. I'm not sure about the longevity of this fix but I'm an extremely happy rider as of now.

Went solo for a Valentine ride organized by Bigwing Ambattur to Mahabalipuram last Sunday and the ride was painfully slow. Never crossed 70kmph on a 6-lane highway with beautiful roads/scenery and the bike returned her personal best of a whopping 46kmpl. I've never ridden this slow and have thus been blessed with great mileage. Perks of riding in a group I guess. The bike has been absolutely planted on the way back home (rode back solo since all the couples stayed back for a lovey dovey photo shoot and I would clearly be overstaying my welcome as a solo rider ) and the trip average quickly dropped to 36.2kmpl for a 138.8 kms total.



PS. Got the Shield Airwave Mesh Jacket and it's been a great experience so far. Used it for my last 4-5k kms approx. and it's served wonderfully.

[VividSiv]

Hi,

If I drive this bike more than 100Kms I am feeling pain in my lower part of my back bone(Tail bone). Is it some thing to do with the soft suspension? I have installed carbon racing inclined handle bar raisers. Is it playing a spoil sport here?. Have set the rear suspension to its highest stiff setting. But still getting this pain.

[Suchu90]

Originally Posted by VividSiv

Hi,

If I drive this bike more than 100Kms I am feeling pain in my lower part of my back bone(Tail bone). Is it some thing to do with the soft suspension? I have installed carbon racing inclined handle bar raisers. Is it playing a spoil sport here?. Have set the rear suspension to its highest stiff setting. But still getting this pain.

It is to do with the cushioning of the seat and not the suspension Per Se. You may try out some customisation with the seat foam (Hard Compound). Any two wheeler seat cover shop can help you with this.

[krankstter]

(Not) An Intriguing Update:

On the 7th of May (Yes, it's been a while I know. Have been procrastinating quite a bit in posting this experience. Not proud of this), I was riding back home (Mogappair) from my workplace (Siruseri) and crossed the road leading from Vandalur Quarry at around 12 - 12.15pm with the Midday Sun in destructive mode all guns blazing. People who frequent the Kelambakkam - Vandalur road would probably recognize this area with all the stone dust covering one lane completely right after the quarry road merges with our road. I had been following a car (White Mahindra Xylo with a yellow board and some tinted windows) such that my bike was positioned exactly in the center of the car with plenty of braking distance. Right after we clear past the area filled with stone dust, the car starts moving away from the divider (without any indicators, obviously, since indicators are for idiots & he thinks he's not one) into the left lane. I had been following the car with my brain in autopilot mode and instantly started cursing this driver in my head as to why he would randomly move to the left with seemingly no traffic ahead or behind us for quite a stretch. However, almost instantly my brain autocorrected my thought process and made me follow the car away from the divider under the assumption that he probably sees something that I don't (and I had great visibility, or so I thought). The next thing I knew, I remember seeing a shadow on the ground and flying into the air. I landed back on the bike and it shuddered violently with a massive metal sound, with the front wheel wobbling for a split second and stabilizing itself. I was in a bit of a shock since I had no idea what just happened and as to how I was able to balance myself through all that turbulence.

I was doing somewhere between 60-80kmph and managed to bring my bike to a complete stop after traveling an approximate of 10-20metres. I got off my bike to check for damages and was greeted by two gentle folk in an Activa and a car who had also stopped to check on me. While I was completely oblivious to what had just happened, they let me know that from a distance, they saw me ride onto a stone, potentially dropped by an open truck that carried these stones out of the quarry. I looked back at the incident area only to find an empty & absolutely clean road with no obstacle in sight. I just assumed that my mighty H'ness pounded it to dust, or aliens abducted the stone. Back then, I wasn't in a frame of mind to click a picture of the culprit stone, so I didn't really walk back to find it. . Considering the fact that two vehicles actually stopped for me, I think this was probably scary to look at, from behind.

I quickly checked for leaks and saw that the engine protection plate was completely destroyed to pieces. I couldn't bend really low since I had my jacket on which prevented complete mobility. After visually inspecting the tyres, wheels and everything surrounding the engine, I started back and rode straight to BigWing Ambattur, which was almost 30kms from this spot. On arrival, I was met by a smile from Mr. Paul, the same person who supported throughout my wobbling ordeal. At first, after I narrated the incident, he estimated the bike to be in a usable condition since I had traveled 30kms & that he would replace the engine protection plate the next day. However, upon closer look, he found a crack in the engine case (PFB).





I started dreading the consequences, since my first love required a massive part change, an engine case replacement. He asked me to drop off my bike and informed me that it would take up to 15 days for the bike to be fully repaired. After reaching home, I had lunch & called up the service center to process it under an insurance claim. The service center took all the details and kindly let me know that an insurance request had to be raised by me and that it would be a reimbursement style one. This was my first time having to claim an insurance and the process was overall very smooth (however, delayed extremely since the guy from TATA-AIG processing my claim was on a long leave). It took more than a month for my bike to be returned back to me with a new engine case & a protection plate. I paid the complete bill & shared a copy with the insurance guy. After everything was said & done, I had to shell out near 10k from my pocket since all the consumables & the new protection plate (accessory) were not covered.

The bike rides like a gem & it's back to it's usual state after the repairs. Except, I now had a shiny new engine case. I've driven quite a bit after this & have found no discrepancies in the performance of Her H'ness. Kudos to the team as usual for their dedicated and professional approach.

Things I was reminded of again/learnt from this experience were,

Don't follow behind a car in it's center, car drivers usually avoid obstacles by driving around or such that they fall in between both wheel-sides. Since I frequently switch between a car & my bike, even though I've trained my subconscious mind to do this, it still wasn't enough at a time when it really mattered.

This car was tinted as well, so I couldn't really see the stone through it's windows, so, don't follow a tinted car or maintain quadruple the braking distance at your speed, I probably had around double the braking distance. The issue here is that this particular stone wasn't visible at all, I just remember glancing upon a weird shape on the ground which my brain processed as a shadow. So, even though you have traveled on the same route for over 15k kms, when your brain is slipping into autopilot, don't let it do that. Punch or pinch yourself but please try to stay completely and 100% attentive. However, I'm still quite unsure if this was an attention issue or a visibility issue, or a mix of both.

On the bright side, I feel like me & my bike were the champions that day. I didn't fall, I balanced myself quite well subconsciously & physically and my bike's traction control probably stopped the wheel from spinning and slipping.

I still wonder to this day what would've happened if someone else riding a lesser machine with no gear were in my exact same situation that day. Even If I had fallen down that day, I had my jacket, gloves, shoes & a solid helmet to protect me. My bike had strong ABS and Traction Control. I also have some decent riding experience which probably helped me bring down the turbulence. I'd like to think I was a savior that day and fate sent me in place of another potentially unsuspecting innocent soul. It also made sure that the road was empty, with no vehicles following closely behind me.

Henceforth, I have no way to conclude what I experienced or how I feel about this incident. As I finish this update, I think I've covered more or less everything that I experienced or felt.

[jey_hsr]

10K for Engine Guard is quite high which breaks on first Impact. Can you share how much was the Cost of Engine Casing and total claim amount?