[jeeva]

Originally Posted by Leepower

Guys, I own a 78 Bull. It's been giving lots of vibes recently. Took it to my mech in Pune, he said crank bearing (including the bushes... Am I correct???) are worn out and have to be replaced. Asked him about the cost and he quoted 15K. Is this 'gentleman' trying to rip me off??? How much does such replacements cost???

Down south, the labour charges for engine assembly is ~3 K.
If its just the engine bearings and floating bush, which requires the crankshaft to be reset aswell (lathe charges), it should cost you another ~4k max.
Not sure about your mech's plans, perhaps he is contemplating to work on the timing side as well. How are the cam wheels? Do you have those adjustable/eccentric spindles? Any works planned on the head/cylinder?

EDIT: First of all, are you sure that its the engine bearings and floating bush? No offence meant, but there are hell a lot of mechanics out there waiting for the right opportunity to make some fast bucks. For them, a simple tappet clicking noise would translate into a full-blown engine overhaul.

[Leepower]

Originally Posted by jeeva

Down south, the labour charges for engine assembly is ~3 K.
If its just the engine bearings and floating bush, which requires the crankshaft to be reset aswell (lathe charges), it should cost you another ~4k max.
Not sure about your mech's plans, perhaps he is contemplating to work on the timing side as well. How are the cam wheels? Do you have those adjustable/eccentric spindles? Any works planned on the head/cylinder?

EDIT: First of all, are you sure that its the engine bearings and floating bush? No offence meant, but there are hell a lot of mechanics out there waiting for the right opportunity to make some fast bucks. For them, a simple tappet clicking noise would translate into a full-blown engine overhaul.

Engine is in top condition... Head, cylinder also are good. According to him it is just the crank bearing which need to be changed, even the crank (it's the old heavy one) is in good condition... And he quoted this astounding amount... Now, you be the judge...
I have encountered a lot of mechs like the one you mentioned. It is not that I mind spending a little more to keep my Bull in top condition. But this I think is daylight robbery!!!

[ArizonaJim]

Leepower
It sounds like your mechanic is planning on buying a new car in the near future.

Before paying for the financing you should check all of the engine mounting bolts.
This includes the head stay that connects the top of the engine to the frame.

If any of the mounting bolts or the head stay are loose or broken (yes, the lower rear engine mounting bolt on my G5 broke) it will cause a great deal of vibration. More at some engine speeds than others.

Usually, if the lower bearings are bad they will make a great deal of noise.
Not the tick, tick, tick kind of noise, but more like a rattling grinding noise.

It may be worth your while to get a short piece of lawn or garden hose.
Holding one end of it to your ear while the engine is idling put the other end on the crankcase on both sides of the engine.
Listen for the grinding rattling noise I mentioned. If you hear a nice whirrrrrrrr sound the bearings are fine.

[VW2010]

Usually, if the lower bearings are bad they will make a great deal of noise.
Not the tick, tick, tick kind of noise, but more like a rattling grinding noise

I second that. If the floating bush is kaput the rattling sound will appear at higher speeds. The vibration that you are feeling could be because of loose bolts specifically on the lower frame.

The floating bush or engine bearing will not cause just these vibrations but rather come with a rattling sound.

[Leepower]

Guys, there is no rattling sound or any extra sound... Just the vibes are there... Nothing else... Engine behaves normally.
I think it is time to find a new mech in Pune. Does anyone know of a reliable guy who is not gonna burn a big hole in my pocket. Not that I don't mind spending a little bit more on my ride, but like ArizonaJim said I don't wanna help him buy a car!!!

[bradhey]

Originally Posted by Leepower

Guys, there is no rattling sound or any extra sound... Just the vibes are there... Nothing else... Engine behaves normally.
I think it is time to find a new mech in Pune. Does anyone know of a reliable guy who is not gonna burn a big hole in my pocket. Not that I don't mind spending a little bit more on my ride, but like ArizonaJim said I don't wanna help him buy a car!!!

Ask for Chinmay Dangre.......he has a very well equipped workshop and is a knowledgeable guy.......~



Note from the Team-BHP Support Team: Please take the time to use proper punctuation as per Team-BHP rules. Avoid...typing...like...this. Thanks.

[abeerbagul]

Did you try Sadguru Service Station, in Sinhagad Road? It is an RE authorised service center. Seemed pretty reasonable for my CL 500's fourth free service.
Its contact details are available on the Royal Enfield website, in Pune service centers.

[abhimanyuargal]

Well my '78 standard has the old school cycle rim type of brake shoe. The one where the hub has a bulge on the left side inside which the brake shoe fits. I find the stopping power extremely inadequate. Is there a way to improve the braking (viz. a better shoe/hub) without upgrading to disc brakes? This is only because i love the looks of the old brakes. If not, then i guess disc brakes it will have to be.

[VW2010]

I find the stopping power extremely inadequate. Is there a way to improve the braking (viz. a better shoe/hub) without upgrading to disc brakes? This is only because i love the looks of the old brakes. If not, then i guess disc brakes it will have to be.

I am a classic lover like you are. I like to build a bike that will look 50 ish than build something that looks modern. With that said i have upgraded my stock drum brakes in my old standard to disc.

Personally i feel front discs are must while you should retain one of wheels with Drum. During rain the drum works far better than the discs.

The bikes ability to break with disc increases drastically and the confidence on the bike only goes up.

With some good tyres the bike brakes very efficiently. I just fitted new tyres and can only say the grip levels are so high that i can feel a huge difference from slick(for it had no grooves before i changed) tyres i was using and sliding around.

I understand where you are coming from with respect to maintaining the old looks, but i think you should go with the disc way.

[iron]

Originally Posted by abhimanyuargal

Well my '78 standard has the old school cycle..........................the looks of the old brakes. If not, then i guess disc brakes it will have to be.

Since looks are important u can also go with bigger drum breaks which were initially found on the 500 then eventually made their way on to the 350s.

[.sushilkumar]

gents

I have a query Here wrt to rear tyre . A friend of mine has got electra 2 months Back and is looking to change the rear tyre to a wide one. what ;s the best available in terms of width and road grip .

[tharian]

Originally Posted by .sushilkumar

gents

I have a query Here wrt to rear tyre . A friend of mine has got electra 2 months Back and is looking to change the rear tyre to a wide one. what ;s the best available in terms of width and road grip .

MRF Nylogrip 3.50 x 19 is the usual upgrade. Normal grip and stability, should last for 25k kms under normal conditions.

Dunlop JAP 350 3.50 x 19 is a good one too. Its a block design. Have used the older version of the same which wore out quite fast . The new ones I heard are better.

There is Pirelli MT 60 100/90 x 19 which I am using currently. Its sticky rubber which gives very good grip on any surface but wears out quite fast.

The rest of them, MRF Meteor/ CEAT Secura Sport which are brilliant, are sadly out of production.

[VW2010]

MRF Nylogrip 3.50 x 19 is the usual upgrade

Second that and i would stick to this. Better grip and better life. Costs close to 2.5K now.

[thumpingheart]

Hello Fellow bikers and GURUS!! Its been an year and half with my amazing pre-owned Royal Enfield Thunderbird Twinspark! Its been quite an experience owning my beast with moments of sheer frustration to moments of unparalleled joy!

I will pen down the whole experience and ownership review someday but now I want to focus on something I've been wanting to do for a long time! Adding a personal cosmetic touch to my ride.

I had quite a few designs on my mind to subtly modify it to suit my taste. I want to keep the bike stock and also not get a full fledged paint job. I don't want the hassle of doing a very complicated job on it. So these are the basic designs I will choose from.

(ALL designs done by me on "PAINT". So please excuse the bad quality of workmanship)


DESIGN 1 -







DESIGN 2 -





I have asked a friend who makes stickers for Cars if this can be done on a sticker and just stick on the tank and side panels. The tank sticker will have a hole in it to accommodate the petrol filler cap and the side panels will have a gap in the center to accommodate the original "THUNDERBIRD Twinspark" decals.

I personally think putting stickers like this is a better option than painting this over the tank? What do you guys think? Advantages -

1) Easier to make / stick on
2) Can be removed if I do not like it / something goes wrong
3) Don't really spoil the actual paint of the bike.
4) Quite cheap!

Plus I want to add couple more things to the bike.

1) HEADLAMP SHADE



2) TANK KNEE GUARD



I think both these things will give a lot of character to the bike. Do you have any idea if both of these can be fitted to a Thunderbird?

Last but not Least - THUMP!!!

I have a short bottle and a goldstar silencer for by bike already and switch between them as my mood dictates!

I wanted to ask is there a way to make the thump louder by any chance? Is there anything we can do to do that? I don't want a deafening sound and I don't want to spoil the bass and quality of the thump, just a little louder. Also I don't wanna do anything that will affect the reliability of my brilliant machine. Do let me know what you guys think!

I would love you inputs and suggestion. Looking forward to it!

Cheers.

[Warwithwheels]

This thread could be of some use.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/chenna...cessories.html