[aneezan]

Originally Posted by Abhishek3001

Does the knocking sound stop after the engine is warmed up and run for some time?
If so,then it is completely normal.It is the sound of the decompressor,it lifts the exhaust valve slightly when the RPMs drop below a certain thresh hold to prevent the engine from stalling.

Thanks, I too was pretty worried about the knocking sound in my DS500. Getting to know that its not an issue feels reassuring. The sound is present towards the lower to mid RPMs, then goes away.

[ArizonaJim]

The auto-decompresser (a-d) in the UCE engines is designed to stop working and become silent when the engine speed is faster than 700 RPM.

As these UCE engines are designed to idle at over 1000 RPM the a-d should not be making noises.
That said, I must add that when the engine oil is very cold, the a-d will sometimes fail to retract and a loud clunking sound will be the result.
Revving the engine a little will usually stop the noise and once stopped, it should not return.

[The Great]

Finally the Bullet 500 joins the Efi Club. The carb version is stopped for all 500cc Royal enfields thanks to Bs4 norms.

Also the Himalayan gets the Efi.

[racingmachine]

Originally Posted by The Great

Finally the Bullet 500 joins the Efi Club. The carb version is stopped for all 500cc Royal enfields thanks to Bs4 norms.

Also the Himalayan gets the Efi.

So essentially what's the difference now between the Classic 500 & Standard 500? Is it purely cosmetic?

[prabhul]

What is the life of a spark plug. Mine is a 2011 C500, recently getting difficulty in starting the bike(mainly due to less usage). Had to clean it to start.

Originally Posted by prabhul

What is the life of a spark plug. Mine is a 2011 C500

I got my Thunderbird 500's spark plugs replaced after 32 k km/4 years proactively although I did not experience any problem. The owner's manual recommends replacement at every 15 k km.

[swami69]

hi RE500 friends,

I recently got hold of a used Desert Storm and it is in fantastic shape. I really love the feel of this 500CC and lovely posture i ride the same. The only issue is, i sometimes feel i will be thrown out of the bike as there is absolutely no lower back support in the seat and it is absolutely flat. If there is a seat which is a little curved at the back, i am sure there will be a psychological advantage. Can someone guide me for a seat modification for this bike. Thanks.

Swami

[Ajay_the_Don]

Originally Posted by swami69

hi RE500 friends,

I recently got hold of a used Desert Storm and it is in fantastic shape. I really love the feel of this 500CC and lovely posture i ride the same. The only issue is, i sometimes feel i will be thrown out of the bike as there is absolutely no lower back support in the seat and it is absolutely flat. If there is a seat which is a little curved at the back, i am sure there will be a psychological advantage. Can someone guide me for a seat modification for this bike. Thanks.

Swami

Hi Swami,

You can swap with the Standard 500 banana seats which has a raised support for the rider. You may need to weld new mounting points which any good seat fabricator can work on.

Ajay

[cataclysm]

Guys, my bike is inching towards the 50k km mark. I wanted to know if there is anything specific that I need to get checked/replaced during the routine service?

I bought it in Oct 2011, and the experience has been niggle free apart from routine maintenance.

[Randhawa]

Originally Posted by cataclysm

Guys, my bike is inching towards the 50k km mark. I wanted to know if there is anything specific that I need to get checked/replaced during the routine service?

I bought it in Oct 2011, and the experience has been niggle free apart from routine maintenance.

Following checks can be carried out;

1. Check and clean front disc pads/ check, clean and adjust rear break shoe.
2. Check the bearings for front and rear along with rear cushion rubber(you can check it by yourself just by pressing the rear break lever and see if there is any play).
3. Change break fluid if not changed within a year.
4. Check/adjust spark plug gap and replace if required.
5. The usual oil change, oil filter, air filter and get the fuel pump filter cleaned by removing the pump from the fuel tank.
6. Inspect the fuel line for cracks if found then replace it.
7. Check and clean all the electrical wiring connectors and remove any carbon deposit. You can use electrical grease or spray for lubrication.
8. Get the T-Cone set greased or replaced if required.
9. Inspect the clutch wire and replace if necessary(adjust for required play).
10. Inspect Battery water level and fill if required.
11. Inspect booth the sprockets and chain, replace if necessary.
12. Check all the bulbs for any carbon deposit on the contact points and clean.
13. Check all the engine mounting bolts.
14. Check clutch plates for excessive wear and primary chain tensioner along with Primary chain. At the same time you could also check the Sprag clutch for any damage.
15. Check the speedometer gear and wire.

[ArizonaJim]

I'll add, check the cylinder head steady for cracks. This is the short sheet metal link that connects the rear of the cylinder head to the frame.
These have been known to break and if it does, engine vibration will be greatly increased.

I know that people get used to things over time and things like an increase in engine vibration is sometimes thought of as, "Well, it's just getting older", so they are ignored.

If the head steady is broken, it is amazing how much things improve after it is replaced.

Another thing that may be good to replace is the oil pump drive gear.
I haven't heard of a problem with these but it is a glass reinforced nylon gear and over time it could lose some of its strength.
It is an inexpensive part, the largest expense with changing is the labor involved in removing the engines right side cover.

[Randhawa]

@Jim- Labour charges are very reasonable down here at RE workshop

Add one more on the check list
16. Check/tighten the head bolts.

[cataclysm]

Originally Posted by Randhawa

Following checks can be carried out

That's quite an exhaustive list. Thank you.

I've gotten most of the things mentioned checked during the previous service. I doubt the service centre guys are going to check anything else I tell them to. Will have to find out a decent mechanic, or check everything myself.

Originally Posted by ArizonaJim

Another thing that may be good to replace is the oil pump drive gear.
I haven't heard of a problem with these but it is a glass reinforced nylon gear and over time it could lose some of its strength.
It is an inexpensive part, the largest expense with changing is the labor involved in removing the engines right side cover.

Now this reminds me of a peculiar problem that I've started facing. I can almost never see any engine oil in the oil window. Though, the service centre guys reassured me that the bike isn't running low on engine oil during the previous service.

And recently the bike has started making an annoying tik-tik sound while running. Got a heart attack when I first heard it (about 2 days back), thought it was the piston. It vanished yesterday and now it's back. I suspect it's the hydraulic valves, and I suspect that the oil pump drive gear has failed; which is why I can see only a spec of engine oil in the oil window. And I think that explains why the bike is experiencing loss of power (reduced acceleration, reduced top-end)

The imbeciles at the service centre told me to get the bike serviced. Because it's been 3k kms since the previous one, and that's the service interval, while offering no solution to this problem. Obviously they think I no nothing about bikes.

[Randhawa]

Originally Posted by cataclysm

That's quite an exhaustive list. Thank you.

I've gotten most of the things mentioned checked during the previous service. I doubt the service centre guys are going to check anything else I tell them to. Will have to find out a decent mechanic, or check everything myself.

They will do whatever you ask them to, simply because you have to pay for it as its not under warranty. So they should not have a problem. If you think the hydraulic adjusters are an issue then thats means the engine has to opened completely to replace them. But I don't think it is that issue with it. If you get it serviced at Manmohan RE service centre then I can help you for sure. No worries regarding parts although my favourite and trusted mechanic left a long way back but some are still there who can get the work done. Let me know if you need any help with that.

[cataclysm]

Originally Posted by Randhawa

They will do whatever you ask them to, simply because you have to pay for it as its not under warranty. So they should not have a problem. If you think the hydraulic adjusters are an issue then thats means the engine has to opened completely to replace them. But I don't think it is that issue with it. If you get it serviced at Manmohan RE service centre then I can help you for sure. No worries regarding parts although my favourite and trusted mechanic left a long way back but some are still there who can get the work done. Let me know if you need any help with that.

Randhawa paaji, thank you for the offer. I definitely need help. Have been getting my bike serviced from Manmohan for a long time, never had a problem. Now the service levels have really dropped. I'll PM you.