[Collector]

Originally Posted by 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.

Even though the older model hub [ which you have] has a slightly smaller shoe size it can be as efficient as the newer hub except of course for the twin leading shoe type which comes with the 500cc bikes. Of course to ensure that you get the best from the older hub you will need to make sure that 1] the hub has not worn beyond the permissable limits,2] that the shoes are thick enough to work correctly 3] and that all the components, cam spindle,leaver and cable and handlebar leaver are not worn or loose etc. If all is set up, greased/oiled correctly it is quite enough to stop the bike efficently. Also remember that 70% braking should come from the front and only 30 from the back. Most riders today rely only on rear brakes and never even use engine braking at all. Riders like me who have had experience of older bikes like the Matchless, Triumph, etc have a totally different style of braking.Depending less on the brakes and more on slowing the bike first with the gears and then using the brakes.

[mohang_j]

I am looking for STD 350 engine or light crank+bore+head, can some one help me to procure.

[h@r$h@l]

Guys,

I have one query. last 8 days i was away and my CE500 was parked at home properly covered. But, unfortunately some dogs in my locality tore some parts of the cover and during that period it rained too. Now the bull has some rusting developed on various parts. How do i get rid of that? The rusting is visible on the leg guard and the the area under neath the head light. What precautions do i need to take care to prevent rusting?

The bike looks real bad with all the rust. Please help.

Regards,

[drsingh]

Originally Posted by h@r$h@l

Guys,

I have one query. last 8 days i was away and my CE500 was parked at home properly covered. But, unfortunately some dogs in my locality tore some parts of the cover and during that period it rained too. Now the bull has some rusting developed on various parts. How do i get rid of that? The rusting is visible on the leg guard and the the area under neath the head light. What precautions do i need to take care to prevent rusting?

The bike looks real bad with all the rust. Please help.

Regards,

Dolomite powder on the chrome to remove rust.

Polish and then a coat of wax to protect from moisture.

[slicvic]

Originally Posted by drsingh

Dolomite powder on the chrome to remove rust.

Any trade names?

Where is it available?

[drsingh]

Originally Posted by slicvic

Any trade names?

Where is it available?

It is kind of a generic product.easily available at hardware stores. This is what I use.

[schitre05]

Dear friends,
My TBTS 09 model has run 30k+ kms I was wondering whether it would be good to shift to Motul fully synthetic oil for my next service, I normally change my oil after every 3.5k kms how long would the synthetic last. also is it worth changing over considering the synthetic costs almost 3 times the price of normal mineral oil.
your views please.. thanks in advance

[ArizonaJim]

In my opinion, the synthetic oils are better at resisting heat break down and usually having superior anti-foaming, detergents, viscosity stability and a few other features.

That said, even though the oil companies brag about the synthetic oils ability to go further between oil changes, the increase in price makes their claim questionable from a cost standpoint.

If you really want to extend your engines life by improving the lubrication, rather than paying 3 times the price for a synthetic oil, just pay 2 times the price by reducing the distance between oil changes from 3.5k kms to 1.75 kms.
This has the added benefit of washing away the metallic particles floating around in the oil sump which are too small to be trapped by the oil filter.
Although they are small, they are abrasive and over time will cause wear on all of the moving parts in the engine.

[masin4]

Originally Posted by abhimanyuargal

Hi Jeeva,
Yes you're right. It was a guy called mehboob. However,
====
Any suggestions?

Hi abhimanyuargal,

Recently moved to bang can you give me co-ordinates for this place and your feedback on their work,or any other recommendations you have for servicing an electra-5s

Cheers

[Rhoads]

Hey Abhimanyu,

I've seen the best and the worst of Mehboob. It's the best place if
- servicing is the only thing you want done (the servicing here is about the best quality in Bangalore; costs about 1500 as with any other service center)
- you know your motorcycle at least to an advanced beginner level (or they make a simple tappet adjustment sound like rocket science)
- you will not be repairing (the guyz at Mehboob read this as "replacing") anything else apart from a casual service

While for a service I can give them a 4.5 on a scale of 1-5 I'd say everything else is crazy.

Here's an example.
I took my Bullet there for a first service (with plans of fixing "all" that was broken). And they did all that. But I got spooked when the guy that billed me (who gave me an initial estimate of about 10000) could make a 20000 bill all from his memory (I'd say, if only he were right, man should he be working in a stock exchange).

Anyway, bro, the bottom line is "Go to mehboob IF ALL YOU WANT IS A SERVICE".

Otherwise, take it to an authorised service center if you feel something's got to be fixed. If they wash their hands off after you persist saying "It cant be fixed" or "it's how it works", take it to the private ones. Trust me, there are quite a few. One example is Mr. Gurunandan (http://www.nandanmotors.com/)

Of course, these mechanics are MUCH better than the RE service guys. But then, if you trust them entirely, all that you'll be left with is an AWESOME motorcycle with no money even to fuel it.

[Blazkowicz]

I have been facing a peculiar problem since the past few days on my classic 350. I find it extremely difficult to insert the key into the ignition keyhole and also the side handle lock. It usually takes a lot of attempts before the key goes in all the way. The key appears to be physically ok. This was a mild problem earlier but ever since I got my motorcycle serviced, this has become a major issue. Could it be that the key got swapped with someone else's key or is it some other problem? How can I fix this issue?

[bulletboy76]

Hi Blazkowicz,

The problem most likely is due to rusting inside the ignition keyhole. I believe this is a common problem with enfields.

Spray some CRC 2-26 OR WD 40 inside the keyhole. It will help remove the rust and solve the problem.

Cheers and happy thumping!

[voodoochild]

Originally Posted by Blazkowicz

...ever since I got my motorcycle serviced, this has become a major issue. Could it be that the key got swapped with someone else's key or is it some other problem? How can I fix this issue?

Did the spare key also behave the same way?

If so, as bulletboy76 says, spray WD40 liberally inside the keyhole. Water service might have caused some corrosion/jamming of the mechanism.

[bblost]

Originally Posted by Blazkowicz

I have been facing a peculiar problem since the past few days on my classic 350. I find it extremely difficult to insert the key into the ignition keyhole and also the side handle lock. It usually takes a lot of attempts before the key goes in all the way. The key appears to be physically ok. This was a mild problem earlier but ever since I got my motorcycle serviced, this has become a major issue. Could it be that the key got swapped with someone else's key or is it some other problem? How can I fix this issue?

As mentioned above check with the other key.

I once had this issue after a water wash. I removed the dip stick and put in 2 drops of the engine oil.

Worked like a charm.

[Sudarshan]

how can it be made possible to carry a spare wheel with the RE 350 std. [ just like in Yezdi where wheels are interchangeable, in stock condition ]

Also what if I replace the front stock tyre , with the rear one ( I mean same tread as the rear instead of the plain one ) ?

Sudarshan