[stnair]

@Randhawa

I ve got trouble with my Bullu (C350) from evening today. When i press the ignition button, nothing happens but just a "tuk" sound and ammeter needle moves slightly to left. I am able to kick start him. Battery seems to be ok as the headlight and horn is bright and loud.

What could be the problem?

PS: Hows Anastasia ? You ditched her?

regards
san

[hexanerax]

Originally Posted by adises

I do actually remove the bike at night more often than day owing to my work hours. I assumed the battery charge rate was greater than the amount consumed.

The reason for the more powerful bulb is the horrible lighting conditions along the roads I take as well as planned future rides down the national highways.

Will try taking the bike out on longer trips during the day if that is the case. Else, downgrade back to the original.

The charge rate will be ideal only if the alternator is running at a sufficient RPM. General city running results in marginal charge rates at some time or the other. Prolonged low speed running with a hi wattage lamp will cause the battery to steadily lose charge till the ECU starts to reset at the low voltage. Also note that a 100/90 watt bulb uses 50 -60 % more current than the OEM 60/55 Watt bulb. This will have an impact on the charge status of your battery which you can easily check by connecting a series ammeter ( the bullet ammeter ) to the battery , turn on the headlamp and run the engine at the speed it normally does on your night time rides. Unless the needle swings towards the positive , you do have a problem and your battery will steadily lose charge as the bike is ridden with the headlamp on. The electrical system on the Classic 500 is actually designed to keep the headlamp bulb glowing all the time as a daytime running light( mandatory in the overseas market in the USA ) but with a 60/55 watt bulb.

I returned from a 15 day trip to Ladakh last week and the group of bikers all ran the lights all the time. No electrical problems even in the sub zero cold of Tso Moriri or the 14 Hour 320 Km run into Jispa from there ( we reached Jispa at 2300 Hrs and rode with lights on all the time ) we were all running a Bosch 55/60 Watt halogen.

One trick to use in an emergency to see the road is to leave the headlamp on low beam and press the headlamp flash button for a short while. For that duration , both hi and low filaments are glowing and you get a good 115 Watt output. I would suggest you check charge rate with an ammeter and sort this issue out as soon as possible since this bike will not start or run with a battery that is below approximately 10.5 volts. Perhaps the last resort for the light issue is to put in a HID lamp rated for 35/35 watts that will outperform even the 100 Watt halogen.

Regards

[Randhawa]

Originally Posted by smoghe

I am reminded of preparing for exams right outside the exam hall as I am going thru this thread rapidly right now. My bike is being delivered in the next one hour.

Being a complete newbie with two wheelers in general and RE in particular, I am not kidding when I say that I have the exam blues.

Wish me luck guys - hope nothing is damaged in transit (I got it transported), hope the battery is charged, hope there is enough fuel to get me to the nearby petrol pump, hope the petrol pump is open so late at night, hope it has petrol, hope I am able to get it started and rolling the way I have always wanted to.

Now the last one hour of wait...

Congratulations Finally got your bebe.

Originally Posted by stnair

@Randhawa

I ve got trouble with my Bullu (C350) from evening today. When i press the ignition button, nothing happens but just a "tuk" sound and ammeter needle moves slightly to left. I am able to kick start him. Battery seems to be ok as the headlight and horn is bright and loud.

What could be the problem?

PS: Hows Anastasia ? You ditched her?

regards
san

Try pressing the clutch when you start. If no sign of ES coming to life then put the bike on centre stand and by using the handle of a screw driver tap the cylindrical thing under the seat couple of times. That thing is the ES relay. Then try to start with the ES again. If it comes to life then the relay needs to be changed. But before you get to the changing part, get the battery checked at the workshop.

Anastassia is getting treated royally. Got the remap, new 120 at rear+updated chain guard, a new updated handle bar and the new updated Upswept exhaust.

[ArizonaJim]

Randhawa:
I agree that the Electric Start Relay (we call it the Starter Solenoid) is likely at fault when the rider can hear a "click" or "tuk" sound but nothing else happens.
When having this problem it is a good idea to turn the parking lights on and have someone watch them while the rider attempts to use the electric starter.
If the lights do not dim, the starter solenoid is to blame. If the lights dim the battery or the battery cables are suspect.

Occasionally if the battery is low or the battery cables are corroded at the connection these solenoids will go "click,click,click" because there is enough battery power to energize the solenoid until the current is directed to the starter motor.
As soon as the starter motor starts demanding power there is no longer enough power to keep the solinoid engaged. As soon as the solenoid disengages the power to the start motor there is once again enough power to energize the solenoid.
It is kind of a "catch 22" thing.

These RE starter solenoids are getting a bad reputation here in the U.S.
Several of the new Enfields have had problems with them and with their replacements.
Some of these people have switched to starter solenoids that are made for automobiles or other brands of motorcycles with good success.

I have no first hand knowledge of a good replacement because so far, my 2011 G5 is working well.

[smoghe]

Finally got to ride my own RECL 500.

Had my RECL 500 delivered around 11:00 pm. I did a cursory cleaning of the bike and got down to starting it. Followed the instructions and let it idle for about 30 secs after starting and the engine died while idling. My worst fears seemed to be coming true when it refused to start post that - either using the electric starter, or kick start and even with a choke(bi-starter).

Made a panic call to Guru Randhawa, who soothed my nerves and asked me to fill in some petrol before trying. As per Murphy's law the nearby petrol pump had already closed for business. Went around looking for an all night open petrol pump and found one at Madivala - was not carrying a can/ bottle, so bribed a auto guy 10 bucks for a 2 ltr. empty soda can. Got the petrol in the can, filled it, and in about five minutes after that tried starting once again and it started like a charm. Took it around in the parking lot around mid night for a very very short test ride and called it a night.

Today morning woke up at 05:15 and waited till 06:00 to take it out for it's first outing. Had no problem at all riding it apart from a couple of false neutrals. I really want to stick to the running-in procedure, but seriously, driving it under 50 kmph on a empty road in the morning is a crime. Could just about manage to get it to 4th gear.

Between the ones that I had driven as part of my every weekend test ride at Teknik and my own - there is a world of difference. My ears are not tuned to the sounds yet, but the handling is so much better - A big thank you to Randhawa for picking this for me!

So far I just have a couple of minor issues to talk about:

• Side Stand seems too straight - does not give me confidence to use it to rest my brand new ride on it. Really need to see another side stand to feel comfortable. Mine is almost parallel to the ground, maybe around 10 degrees tilted towards the ground.
• Squeaking sound when pushing it back with the engine not running. Not sure what it is - according to Randhawa it is because the chain is new and needs some time and running to loosen up.
• A whistle like noise when running it at a steady speed of around 40 - 50 kmph. Once again owing to my in-experience quite frankly cannot say for sure if it was wind passing through my helmet or from the vehicle. Will watch out later today.

Since I am not an experienced motorcycle driver, I am getting used to this feeling of extreme vulnerability on the road - you can bet that I will be more courteous to the two wheeler drivers on the road from now on!

On a lighter note, I have already broken my promise to stick to smaller roads in HSR layout for the first month. After about 30 min. of moving around sedately within the layout, I had to take it on the highway towards Sarjapur road. Felt really good and also made me realize that before I take it out the next time I need to fix the mirrors as combined with the effect of the helmet (that I am not used to), I felt almost half blind.

Thats it for now. Time to have some breakfast and hit the road once again as. Since I am going on a vacation starting tomorrow, I need to make the most of the time that I have today.

[smoghe]

Oh and one last problem that I forgot to mention and might actually be a big issue - the handle lock does not seem to be working. No matter which direction I turn the handle as well as the key it does not lock - wonder if that maybe got damaged in transit? Am planning to take it to the brand store for a thorough cleanup and also get these issues looked at by them.

[smoghe]

Took the bike to Jayanagar Service Center. Unfortunately it was about to close down on account of festival, hence could not get it either cleaned or looked at. But based on a quick inspection by the service technician, I got some bad news:
- The side stand assembly is damaged. It is bent and the whole assembly needs to be changed. Good news is that it will be covered under warranty.
- The handle lock also seems to be jammed - even after lubrication applied by the technician, it did not budge. If that needs to be replaced then all the locks including ignition, utility box, air filter box and tool box need to be changed. Good news is that that will also be covered under warranty.

If I was my usual self, then I would be so depressed right now that I would be crying on everyone shoulder. But not now- I am in a extremely happy state and these small hiccups will not change that.

Now i am off to vacation and when I am back will get it to the service center again and get these issues sorted out.

[Randhawa]

Yours are not issue at all. With the stand I think the spring is getting stuck on the stand lever bolt and with the lock it just needs adjusting. It's 5 min job, just give me a call when you get to the workshop. I'll explain it to the mechanic.

[si1ver0ne]

@smoghe - Congratulations brother! Enjoy your ride and ofcourse you must've heard this a couple of times already - Ride Safe ;-)

[Leepower]

Originally Posted by Randhawa

Desert storm is just yuk yuk all the way down the drain. Looks quite dark from what we saw it in the pictures

I completely agree with you boss. Went to Pune's only RE dealer Dhone Automobiles. Was planning to book the Desertstorm. I was impressed by the pics on the RE site... I was so wrong... After seeing how cheap the colour looks, I booked a Black Classic 500 instead. Their offer that Desertstorm has a waiting period of only 3 months also didn't tempt me. I am willing to wait for 10 months. I don't want to spend 1 and a half lakh on a bike which looks as if it has a cheap oil paint job. The photos on the site are very deceptive.
Chrome is yet to arrive in Pune showroom.
P.S. As usual the guys at Dhone have no clue about the difference between Classic 500 and Desertstorm and Chrome. They said it is all the same. The dealer also assured me that Classic 500 is no largely trouble free. One smarta** even told me that Military Green is coming soon. I shut him up by saying that military green is only for export market and it won't be allowed in India as it is against the law. Only army vehicles are supposed to have that colour!!!

[Endofdayz]

Originally Posted by Leepower

I completely agree with you boss. Went to Pune's only RE dealer Dhone Automobiles. Was planning to book the Desertstorm. I was impressed by the pics on the RE site... I was so wrong... After seeing how cheap the colour looks, I booked a Black Classic 500 instead. Their offer that Desertstorm has a waiting period of only 3 months also didn't tempt me. I am willing to wait for 10 months. I don't want to spend 1 and a half lakh on a bike which looks as if it has a cheap oil paint job. The photos on the site are very deceptive.
Chrome is yet to arrive in Pune showroom.
P.S. As usual the guys at Dhone have no clue about the difference between Classic 500 and Desertstorm and Chrome. They said it is all the same. The dealer also assured me that Classic 500 is no largely trouble free. One smarta** even told me that Military Green is coming soon. I shut him up by saying that military green is only for export market and it won't be allowed in India as it is against the law. Only army vehicles are supposed to have that colour!!!

I beg to differ here. color can be individual choice. i quite liked the color. the only thing i was afraid after seeing the pic in net was whether the chrome will gel well with DS. however i liked it a lot when i saw it in showroom. hence changed my booking from T blue to desert storm. the only thingy here is i have start my booking a fresh. i agreed.

[Leepower]

Originally Posted by Endofdayz

i quite liked the color. the only thing i was afraid after seeing the pic in net was whether the chrome will gel well with DS

But Desert Storm doesn't have any chrome boss!!!

[smoghe]

@Randhawa - I agree these are not major issues at all. In fact the handle lock issues is solved. The RE technician had applied some lubricating spray which took some time to act. Had gone down for one last ride before the long vacation and this time around it worked smoothly - I guess it was never used and had probably gathered rust.

@si1ver0ne - thanks for the wishes and the caution.

[diwa]

Originally Posted by Leepower

But Desert Storm doesn't have any chrome boss!!!

I think he is referring to the wheel rims. Desert Storm comes with chrome rims.

The military green matt finish for export market do not have the chrome rims. It comes with the same military green matt finish.

[sudipta]

Hello all,

I will be taking delivery of my C5 Chrome next week. It will be great if someone can provide me with a PDI checklist. Also any help with the accessories that I will require to be installed during the delivery will be great. I am unable to find any link in the official RE website for the accessories.