[bblost]

Originally Posted by meetarin

WD40 is a degreaser and should not be used on this chain in my opinion. You can use the standard cleaner+lube that comes from Enfield.

But some people use it and then they suffer the same consequence of worn out rings.
Hence my question if in case the service center guys or someone else used it on the chain, resulting in complete loss of lubrication and the grinding away of the O rings.

[srini1785]

Originally Posted by meetarin

I took the bike to an ASC today (in Kolkata, because I moved to Kolkata temporarily for WFH situations). The mechanic put the bike on gear in a stationary position and saw all the O rings coming out like flakes on the ground. He mentioned this is something he is seeing for the first time and said, something corrosive came in contact with the chain due to which this is happening.

I am a bit surprised to learn that there is indeed a motorcycle chain with O rings. All bikes that i know have metal-on-metal links. Does RE thunderbird come with this chain as standard?.

A general note on O rings. All O rings need a bit of lubrication and if the O rings is made of Natural Rubber (most common) then you need Silicone lubricant. Nothing else would do. This applies only if O rings are on a moving part. If they are a sealing part then no lubrication is needed.

If the rings are falling to the ground like flakes that means that they have become brittle and lost their elasticity. If you have sprayed the chain with some incompatible lubricant then there are chances that they may become brittle over the time especially when left standing after spraying.

[meetarin]

Originally Posted by srini1785

I am a bit surprised to learn that there is indeed a motorcycle chain with O rings. All bikes that i know have metal-on-metal links. Does RE thunderbird come with this chain as standard?.

A general note on O rings. All O rings need a bit of lubrication and if the O rings is made of Natural Rubber (most common) then you need Silicone lubricant. Nothing else would do. This applies only if O rings are on a moving part. If they are a sealing part then no lubrication is needed.

If the rings are falling to the ground like flakes that means that they have become brittle and lost their elasticity. If you have sprayed the chain with some incompatible lubricant then there are chances that they may become brittle over the time especially when left standing after spraying.

Yes srini1785, the Thunderbird X at least comes with this chain with rubber O rings as standards, as far as I know. The ASC guys did acknowledge that some incompatible spray has been used, and I am suspecting it's the Bangalore ASC guys because I have myself always used RE branded cleaner and lube.

[ArizonaJim]

For the record, very few O-ring's are made from natural rubber. Many things can lead to a breakdown of this material such as oil.
The most common material is Nitrile (Buna-N) This is a black material that is resistant to oils, hydraulic fluid, silicone grease and water. It has a good resistant to wear and it is inexpensive.

Because of this, this is usually the material found in most O-ring chains.

Grease, WD-40 and other lubricants can be used to lube a chain but generally speaking the WD-40 is not a very good lube. It does get into places where there is little clearance between the moving parts like the links but it is not suitable for the high pressures chains must deal with, both internally and externally.

With a normal chain, getting the lube down into the areas like the roller pins and links is important but using a lube that can withstand the pressures is perhaps more important.

With both the normal chains and O-ring chains, providing good lubrication for the sprockets is needed and this requires a thicker oil.
That is why various companies have chain oils. The best of these are very thin and watery when sprayed on. That allows them to penetrate down inside the chain.
After applying, they "dry out" and become heavy grease-like fluids to withstand the high pressures a chain and sprockets must endure.

[TM_Turbo]

I am planning to get my TB 350 (2009) repainted. Anyone has got their bike repainted?

what would be the cost to repaint bike along with engine block polishing.

Any suggestion on where to get the bike repainted in Bangalore

[Abhishek3001]

Hello Everyone,

I am interested in buying my relative's 1995 Bullet 350. The owner moved abroad a few years ago and the bike has been off the road since then. It supposedly ran when it was parked but will need some attention to make it road worthy again.

So, what would be a fair price for a , non-runner, 1995 Bullet 350?

Also, how is the availability of spares for a bullet of this vintage? Is it possible to convert the front drum brakes to disc brakes?

Thanks,

Abhishek

[Keyur Shah]

Usually, in metropolitan cities, you’ll get bikes such as the classic and Himalayan delivered within a month.

P.S. You may find the waiting period to be long in a few cases sometimes, but trust me it’s worth the wait, and moreover, time passes by real fast. You barely get to know. And before you know you have your bike thundering across streets.

[sandeepskarobar]

Originally Posted by Abhishek3001

Hello Everyone,

I am interested in buying my relative's 1995 Bullet 350. The owner moved abroad a few years ago and the bike has been off the road since then. It supposedly ran when it was parked but will need some attention to make it road worthy again.

So, what would be a fair price for a , non-runner, 1995 Bullet 350?

Also, how is the availability of spares for a bullet of this vintage? Is it possible to convert the front drum brakes to disc brakes?

Thanks,

Abhishek

2 Years back I sold my 1996 Standard 350 for around 65k which was in good running condition to one of my cousin. In your case you can check with a mechanic on expenses to restore and then quote a reasonable price.
Regarding spares , I did not face any major issues as my local bullet mechanic was able to procure.

Note : Maintenance requires lots of patience and passion

[rich_heart]

Hi all,
Please suggest headlight and electrical specialist in Bengaluru for RE TBTS.
I have a few modifications to be done.

Thanks in advance!
-Rich Heart

[bj96]

Guys,

I need to change the Regulator Rectifier (RR) unit on my 15year old Electra 5s ES. It has a 14AH battery and 3-phase alternator. I am not able to source OEM part# 502039/B from my local authorised spares distributor. I think it is made by Swiss India. Will the RR unit from modern UCE models fit on it? Any suggestions?

Tia,
-BJ

[ashwinprakas]

Originally Posted by bj96

Guys,

I need to change the Regulator Rectifier (RR) unit on my 15year old Electra 5s ES. It has a 14AH battery and 3-phase alternator. I am not able to source OEM part# 502039/B from my local authorised spares distributor. I think it is made by Swiss India. Will the RR unit from modern UCE models fit on it? Any suggestions?

Tia,
-BJ

A RR Unit is a generic Part, if a 3 Phase RR Unit is what you need then you may get one from any 2/3 wheeler that has 3 Phase electricals.

3 Common colour wires are for the AC Current input, then one wire that outputs DC current and finally one wire for ground.

The RR on the UCE Model is also 3 Phase, so what you need to confirm if whether the connectors match, for that please share a picture of your connector/s.

Regards,
A.P.

[bj96]

Originally Posted by ashwinprakas

...
The RR on the UCE Model is also 3 Phase, so what you need to confirm if whether the connectors match...

Thanks. Are the power output (alternator watts) similar? I can use the existing connector from old RR to adjust the terminals if there are no other side effects to worry for?

-BJ

[ashwinprakas]

Originally Posted by bj96

Thanks. Are the power output (alternator watts) similar? I can use the existing connector from old RR to adjust the terminals if there are no other side effects to worry for?

-BJ

No clue about the exact output of the alternator and I'm pretty sure if you take two from the same batch they would have a degree of variance as well however minor it is.

Having set that as a baseline for understanding.

Generally a 3 Phase stator has 18 poles so basically two different motorcycles sharing the same number of poles would produce output within a general range granted number of winding per pole and thickness of wire does make a difference.

So all things considered you would be just fine, worst case if you're getting an underwhelming RR Unit then it would burn out soon and nothing more.

But then again it's a Bullet, it revs to around 5k RPM on a very good day if your planetary stars align so I'd not really be bothered about the output overwhelming any half decent OE RR unit out there, nonetheless if it's from a Bullet that basically run under similar parameters irrespective of generation.

Cheers,
A.P.

[KkVaidya]

Originally Posted by bj96

Guys,

I need to change the Regulator Rectifier (RR) unit on my 15year old Electra 5s ES. It has a 14AH battery and 3-phase alternator.

I changed the RR unit last year of my 2002 Electra which uses a 5AH battery. I sourced it from safexbikes.com. Works fine as of now.

[bj96]

Originally Posted by KkVaidya

...I sourced it from safexbikes.com. Works fine as of now.

Originally Posted by ashwinprakas

...
Generally a 3 Phase stator has 18 poles so basically two different motorcycles sharing the same number of poles would produce output within a general range...

Thanks Guys. The RR unit issue is sorted. However, while changing the clutch fluid inside primary, I noticed a small wobble in the clutch basket. I recorded the issue here:

https://youtu.be/Q-w_QBwgCwA

Can you comment if this is serious. Other than a slight hum, when clutch engaged, I don't feel anything amiss. What's the remedy- do I have to change needle bearing or something? Bike has done about 25k kilometers.

Tia,
-BJ