[ArizonaJim]

@ drdeepudev

Thank you for taking the time to clean the area and take the picture.

Whoever did that to your engine should be hung by the thumbs for a day.

As you know, the oil pump inlet filter cover is sealed with a simple O-ring.
Unless the flat surface the cover rests on is deeply gouged, the O-ring will seal it with very little torque on the retaining bolts.

You can ride the motorcycle and just forget cleaning the pump inlet filter screen as there will be very little buildup of metal filings on the screen. The buildup should not hinder the oil flow thru it for tens of thousands of Km but keep in mind, if the hydraulic valve lifters start clacking loudly it indicates a lack of oil pressure.
If a lack of oil pressure occurs, this filter screen is the first thing that needs to be inspected and cleaned.

[drdeepudev]

Originally Posted by ArizonaJim

@ drdeepudev


Whoever did that to your engine should be hung by the thumbs for a day.


You can ride the motorcycle and just forget cleaning the pump inlet filter screen as there will be very little buildup of metal filings on the screen. The buildup should not hinder the oil flow thru it for tens of thousands of Km but keep in mind, if the hydraulic valve lifters start clacking loudly it indicates a lack of oil pressure.
If a lack of oil pressure occurs, this filter screen is the first thing that needs to be inspected and cleaned.

Sir, even I wanted to do that.

Lesson learnt the hard way: Never trust the service centre guys.

What can be done next? Whether that sealant can be removed? I would like to get that to its original state. I've lot of Kilometres to ride in a day. Around 120kms, 6 days a week and I don't want to get any bigger complaints. I'm planning to post this photo in the social medias. I don't expect the service centre guys to apologise, but just wanted to show this unprofessional job.

Thanks sir

[ArizonaJim]

Originally Posted by drdeepudev

...

What can be done next? Whether that sealant can be removed? I would like to get that to its original state. I've lot of Kilometres to ride in a day. Around 120kms, 6 days a week and I don't want to get any bigger complaints....

Thanks sir

For the present time, I wouldn't worry about it although if it were mine, I would make an attempt at scraping it off with a dull knife (like a butter knife).

It may be that it is not fully hardened and it may be possible to remove it with a bit of force.

If it is hardened and seems impossible to scrape off, applying heat may soften it.
A electric hair dryer might provide enough heat to soften it. (Don't let your wife find out you are using HER stuff).
An electric heat gun, sometimes called a electric paint remover (looks like a hair dryer but produces a blast of air that has a very high temperature will do much better. These heat guns blow a blast of air that can be over 400° C)

I don't know if these are available in India but in the US, most Home Repair centers sell them.

Applying high heat will almost always soften and weaken epoxy so it's worth a try.

As I hinted above in my last post, after the first few oil changes on the motorcycle, very little material will build up on the oil pump inlet screen so, using the large main drain plug to drain the oil when you are going to replace it should be sufficient.
The only time the inlet screen would need to be fully cleaned is if the engine had a catastrophic failure and thousands of pieces of metal was released into the oil.
If that happened, the epoxy on the cover would be the least of your worries.

[drdeepudev]

Originally Posted by ArizonaJim

If that happened, the epoxy on the cover would be the least of your worries.

Yes, will try the heat gun/ hair dryer method. Sadly, its hard and its not coming off that easily.

Thank you sir.

[AWD]

What tire pressures should be maintained on a Classic 350 both solo & with pillion ? The manual says 20-30 solo I think. While RE workshop mechanic suggested 28-38.

[sudeep11787]

Originally Posted by AWD

What tire pressures should be maintained on a Classic 350 both solo & with pillion ? The manual says 20-30 solo I think. While RE workshop mechanic suggested 28-38.

22/32 is good enough... I maintain the same. Good grip, good comfort, no effect on performance, mileage also have been 43+. Till 80 acceleration is struggle free. 28-38 will be a bit in excess i believe. Tarmac is fine, but gravel and dirt may be an issue. Ride safe

[AWD]

Originally Posted by sudeep11787

22/32 is good enough..

Ok will pump it to 22/32. I usually ride solo, steering has been feeling a bit heavy of late.

Also suggest a good comfy saddle for Classic 350, the stock spring single piece saddle is not comfy.

[Trojan]

I have a June 2013 Electra, I enjoy every bit of whatever riding I do but there are a few things for which I have not received a satisfactory answer or resolution till date, please help

1- Oil leakage from the top front part of the engine (above the place where the exhaust meets) the seals here have been replaced a number of times, but the issue keeps repeating.

2- Vibration at speed - and no, I do not mean high speed, my bike used to struggle to even reach 80kph, I had the short bottle silencer. I thought maybe changing the silencer will help, I changed it back to stock but the issue is still the same with a slight increase in speed, now I am able to touch 80kph, but anything above that (read 90kph) causes such high vibrations that my hands become numb after a few kms.

3- Clutch cable failure - I have faced 5 failures till now, not a major deterrent, now I make it a point to change it every 4 months.

4- Tyres - I still have the stock tyres, what I have noticed is a panic moment every now and then when I lose traction on my rear tyre while riding straight (with slight mud on the roads). This I believe is not the fault of the tyre itself, maybe its not meant for such roads, which tyre should I go for such conditions

I have tried servicing it at Dhone (at the Chikhali workshop), Brahma Motors (Wakdewadi) but issues still persist. The last 6 months I have now moved to a senior gentleman who runs a workshop near my house.
Definitely there has been an improvement but nowhere close to my expectations.

Are my expectations incorrect? I love to ride this bike, and on the open highway the least I could do is keep up with the traffic, I am forced to trudge along at 70-75kph.

For some reason, I am unable to post pics, will try in some time again.

Need your advise, how do I solve this!

Much Thanks in advance!
Trojan

[drdeepudev]

Originally Posted by Trojan

2- Vibration at speed - and no, I do not mean high speed, my bike used to struggle to even reach 80kph, I had the short bottle silencer. I thought maybe changing the silencer will help, I changed it back to stock but the issue is still the same with a slight increase in speed, now I am able to touch 80kph, but anything above that (read 90kph) causes such high vibrations that my hands become numb after a few kms.

Trojan

Dear Trojan,
Even if I cant help with all the issues posted, ill try to share some thoughts. If you check few posts back, you can see I had posted the same query and the solutions were spot on.

For me, it was as simple as an over tight drive chain. So, I would ask you to check that. In this case, the bike struggles to reach its normal speed. Even it was difficult for me to touch 80kmph.

The condition of the wheel ( rim) and tires may be a contributing factor. The mileage is not mentioned. If its time for truing the wheel, please see that. Also bearings can be a culprit.

I would try the peripheral things first, and I everything is all right, I will have to see the engine side. Since you are mentioning about oil leak from that area, it is worth seeing if anything is wrong with the heart. Do you notice any abnormal sound, smoke from exhaust ( like blue / white), any oil consumption / oil level? Please see these things.

There are many experts in this forum itself who will help you with much greater detail. If possible, please post the mileage, your service pattern etc. A photo would be of great help.

Regards,
Deepu

[ArizonaJim]

Originally Posted by Trojan

I have a June 2013 Electra, I enjoy every bit of whatever riding I do but there are a few things for which I have not received a satisfactory answer or resolution till date, please help

OIL LEAKAGE:
The problem appears to be the accumulation of tolerances of several parts which prevents the oil seal plate from being fully compressed.

The simplest way to solve this problem is to have your mechanic remove the cover, clean all of the surfaces that touch the seal plate and lightly but fully coat both surfaces of it with a oil resistant silicone RTV gasket material like Permatex Ultra Black.
http://www.permatex.com/products-2/p...t-maker-detail

This self curing material will form a oil tight seal which remains flexible and easily removed if that is ever needed in the future.

He should also apply the sealant to the washer/seals under the cover retaining bolts.

VIBRATION:
Royal Enfields have a lot of vibration when they are new.
As the distance ridden increases, the vibration decreases. This is mainly due to the parts not being fully "broken in".
If your motorcycle has more than 1600 km on it the vibration should be less than it was when it was new.
Also, I have noticed that the more I ride my Royal Enfield at high engine speeds, the lower the vibration becomes. I think it is all a part of fully breaking in the machine.

If you have more than 1600 km on your motorcycle, check ALL of the engine mount bolts to make sure they are VERY tight.
Also, check the cylinder "head steady", a steel bar that runs from the upper rear of the cylinder to the frame. It attaches to the frame under the rear of the fuel tank.
This "head steady" has been known to break and its retaining bolts/nuts have been known to loosen.
If it is broken or the retaining nuts/bolts are loose the engine will cause the entire motorcycle to vibrate much more than a big single cylinder motorcycle should.

CLUTCH CABLE BREAKING:
Look at the routing of the cable. There should be no sharp bends or kinks in it.
Lubricate the cable making sure the inside has been fully oiled from one end to the other. IMO, the cables from the factory are not fully lubricated as they should be.
Lubricating the inside of the cable should be done at least twice a year. More often if the motorcycle has been ridden in wet/rainy weather.

Also, make sure the cable is adjusted properly. The hand grip lever should have 2 to 3mm of free play before it begins to disengage the clutch.

While your lubricating your cable, also lubricate the throttle cables.

TYRES
With the exception of the Continental GT, all Royal Enfields come with fairly hard tyres.
This gives the owner the benefit of low tyre wear at the cost of some traction loss.

Even the top of the line racing tyres have very little traction on muddy or wet roads. Sand, gravel and dirt also greatly reduce the traction that can be expected from the best tyres in the world.

The solution to this problem is to reduce the riding speed, be aware of the road conditions and use a balanced front/rear combination of braking effort when stopping.
If wet/muddy road conditions exist, pay special attention to what's happening further down the road so you will be prepared to take evasive measures.

TOP SPEED/PERFORMANCE:
If you haven't already done so, replace the spark plugs.

Check the condition of the air filter. If it is dirty, have a mechanic blow the dirt out of it. NOTE: The air enters thru the inside diameter and passes thru the filter paper towards the outside on its way to the engine.
If a blast of air is used to clean out the dust, it must be directed from the outside of the filter towards the inside.
If the filter has any oil whatsoever on the paper filter material, it must be replaced with a new filter. There is no good way to clean a oil soaked paper air filter.

Check the tightness of your rear chain.
With the motorcycle resting on the side stand, the chain should be easily moved a total distance of at least 25mm. This is the distance measured from fully lifted upward to fully depressed downward.

Ride Safe.

[drdeepudev]

Originally Posted by drdeepudev

. But, I believe its time to replace the chain lock as there is a rhythmic sound ( like trk..trk.. ).


Deepu

@Adrian, @man_of_steel, @Arizonajim

Update: Replaced the chain lock yesterday. The cost was Rs 29. Now its far better. The sound is not there and the overall driveability is much better.

Thank you.

[Abhishek3001]

Hi everyone,I am a fairly new rider (only 2000km of experience under my belt), so please don't mind if my questions are a bit stupid/obvious.
I ride a Classic 500 by the way,
Is the krrrr... sound coming from the front disc brake under braking normal?
How can I check that the chain tension is correct on my bike?
I don't really trust the RE service guys and would like to check it myself as since from the 500km service, I feel what can only be described as overall harshness in operation of the bike and every now and then I can hear a rhythmic trk...trk...trk sound from the chain.But at the end of the day all of this could be my mind playing tricks on me as I am a pretty paranoid person an it is my first bike.

[ArizonaJim]

A "krrrr" sound could be something important or it could be nothing, depending on how good your ears are.

When the brake pads clamp tightly against the sides of the spinning disk there is a slight scrapping sound mixed with the noise air makes as it is trapped in and released from the holes in the disk and some, usually high frequency vibration of the disk.

By the way, those holes serve two purposes. They lighten the weight of the disk and they provide a space for water to escape to when the brake is applied in wet weather.

These sounds are nothing to be concerned about.

The other source of a "krrrr" sound might be the sounds of metal scraping against metal.

The first check to make is to visually inspect both sides of the brake rotor disk.

It should look smooth and brightly polished in the area where the brake pads rub.
Minor circumferential grooves are all right but there should be no indication of metal scraping or gouging the disk surfaces.

Next, check the brake pad thickness.

The brake pads material is bonded to steel backing plates and these pads are softer than the steel disk so, they wear away into dust as they are used.

If the pad material is worn to the point that it no longer exists, the steel backing plates will be forced against the spinning disk.
That will make a very noticable sound and the braking force provided by the disk brake will diminish, often to the point that there is no real braking at all.

To evaluate the condition of your brake pads, turn the front wheel to the right so you have good visual access to seeing the rear of the brake caliper.

Using a good flashlight (torch) shine the light at the rear of the caliper at the top and examine this area.

You should see a open area or rectangular hole at the top and looking thru this open area you will see a small area of the disk rotor, the brake pads material on both sides of the disk and the steel pad backing plates . (One of the steel backing plates has a noticeable "hook" grasping a steel pin.
The steel backing plates extend beyond the pad material.)

The thing to pay special attention to is the thickness of the brake pads. Put another way, the distance from the steel backing plates to the surfaces of the disk.

The brake pad material should be at least 1mm thick on both pads. If it is less than this, the brake pads need to be replaced with new ones.

Notice that these inspections do not require the services of a mechanic. Any rider is capable of doing these and as it costs only a little time, I suggest that everyone should do this at least twice a year.

If the pads need replacing, it is much better to do so rather than waiting until the steel backing plates have ruined the disk by rubbing against it.

The disk by the way is too thin to be turned on a lathe if it has been damaged. If it is badly damaged, it must be replaced with a new one.

[AWD]

I washed my Classic 350 Yesterday after returning from a ride in the rain. It didn't start after the wash, tried electric start like 6-8 times & ~ 20-15 kicks. Then tried push start but nothing worked. What could be the issue ?

Classic owners please suggest a comfy saddle for the bike, stock spring saddle ain't the comfiest.

[navin_v8]

Originally Posted by AWD

I washed my Classic 350 Yesterday after returning from a ride in the rain. It didn't start after the wash, tried electric start like 6-8 times & ~ 20-15 kicks. Then tried push start but nothing worked. What could be the issue ?

Mate although I am not sure if this will work with UCE motors but I have been practicing cleaning my CI spark plug after every pressure wash. If its a normal bucket and cloth wash I don't bother. Try to remove both your spark plugs and clean them and put it back. Try starting it again and see if it starts. Meanwhile also check your battery voltage.

Classic owners please suggest a comfy saddle for the bike, stock spring saddle ain't the comfiest.

Although I don't own a Classic but have seen some of my rider buddies changing their stock seat to bucket seats and they vouch by its comfort and style. I don't know your location else would've suggested you a seat maker close to my area. Nevertheless just Google for bucket seats for RE Classic and you will get the options.