[Randhawa]

@Nasir-Your Karma is glowing bright green It's funny you feel the cyclist should be given some respect as in Chandigarh the MC has laid special tracks alongside the main roads for cyclist so they can stay off the fast moving traffic but they refuse to use the lane and choose to hamper the ever growing traffic flow.

[+rex]

Originally Posted by nasirkaka

I got myself a TREK MTB (bicycle), to compliment my C5. Have been using the MTB for commuting to office, (14 kms a day) and for leisure short rides. Intentions were mainly mixing some physical exercise with commuting, added benefits i see is reduced petrol bills and a greener future.

The cycle takes approximately the same time (may be 5 mins extra) to reach office as the C5, in Bangalore traffic.

The difference in attitude of bikers towards cyclists, is what is disappointing. Bikers, including the puny lunas, treat cyclists like dirt on the road.

Deep respects to you! I am planning on doing the same. I guess if we can't beat them, we regroup in large numbers and beat them.

[nasirkaka]

Merry Christmas and a happy new years to all.

Ride safe!

[drrajasaravanan]

@randhawa:
After reading your suggestion i had gone ahead and test driven again both the 350cc and 500cc classic today. After that i had booked the 500cc royal enfield. Its difficult not to appreciate the power it gives you when you ride it. Now i have a 10 month waiting period for delivery. I dont mind that. When it came to selecting the colour there was a tough fight between the green and black. My better half wanted me to have the black as it was more classic. But i fell in love with the green. I did not appreciate much when i saw the green colour in the pictures but when i saw it live i fell in love with it. So green it was. Now the wait. Thanks for your suggestion yaar. Will get back to you when i get the bull. Cheers

[EssYouWe]

That is a terribly long wait. Sad to see that RE isn't going to pick up pace anytime soon.

Just thinking out aloud: Would you guys pick up a Bullet styled big single if it were marketed by lets say TVS or Bajaj?

[hexanerax]

Originally Posted by EssYouWe

That is a terribly long wait. Sad to see that RE isn't going to pick up pace anytime soon.

Just thinking out aloud: Would you guys pick up a Bullet styled big single if it were marketed by lets say TVS or Bajaj?

I wouldn't! The heritage of the RE brand counts for a lot when i ride a bike.
I also do believe that TVS / BAJAJ would not or could not build a big single due to the inherent inefficiencies of that type of engine design ( big single push rod long stroke) Even manufacturers like Triumph have moved to more efficient multi cylinder OHC over-square engines.

[EssYouWe]

Hmmm... You would be ensured higher reliability and at least some respect from the company. The heritage counts for a lot, but if all the looks and feelings were preserved, the lack of the RE badging would still be a deal breaker?

And I think this is what would stop them from moving into these products. It wouldn't be the fears of moving backwards technologically, but rather the fact that hardcore bulleteers wouldn't touch a Bajaj/TVS with a barge pole.

The sort of passion Enfields inspire in us riders is astonishing.

[stnair]

Originally Posted by EssYouWe

Just thinking out aloud: Would you guys pick up a Bullet styled big single if it were marketed by lets say TVS or Bajaj?

No. Royal Enfield is a company that is more than 50 years old, and the company is moving in a forward direction. The Bullet may retain the same single cylinder soul, but if you examine closely, from the RE point of view, they are steadily improving from the 1950's - (though some of our friends may disagree) - Better materials, better technology (UCE, hydraulic tappets), Disc brakes, Gas shock absorbers, better electricals, Electric Start, better headlamps, better fuel efficiency, better reliability etc etc. This is what keeps the Royal Enfield brand alive and retains the Customer's interest.

But if TVS or Bajaj manufactures a single cylinder similar to Bullet, they will be going in a backward direction. Pulsar and Apache are technologically very advanced and successful bikes and serves the intended market very well. Their designs are radical, contemporary and competing with world leaders like Honda, Suzuki etc in its segment. The step forward for TVS and Bajaj will be Multi cylinder engines and not a high volume single cylinder from 1950s.

RE has also been successful in creating a psychological bonding among its Customers and Motorcycling community with their TRIP and Rider Mania campaigns. It has a relaxed Tourer image with serious Motorcyclists and not the fast paced City commuter style presented by TVS or Bajaj. So its a big NO.

regards
san

[Randhawa]

A weird observation

On the weekend I had a rear puncture on my bike. Sent my driver to get it repaired and forgot to mention to keep the tyre pressure to 32PSI. After fitting the tyre, took it for a spin and immediately had few problems.

Tyre was over inflated and the ride was like riding a cycle without suspension. Anyways that's common to have those kind of side effects of over inflated tyre but what surprised me was the other problem I had with the gearshift.

Gearshift was not to the same smooth but harsh and worse I had gears jumping out to neutral. First I thought the increase in tyre pressure cant effect gear-shifting but that was the case indeed.

Still I went to get the tyre pressure checked, it turned out to be 38PSI, deflated to 32PSI and everything became normal. In all, ride on rough road due to over inflated tyre caused enough jerks for the gear-shifting mechanism to go haywire.

Anybody else ever observed the same?

[nasirkaka]

Just thinking out aloud: Would you guys pick up a Bullet styled big single if it were marketed by lets say TVS or Bajaj?

I think you framed the questions wrong by adding the name tvs & bajaj, which immediately puts people on defensive mode. a lot of people would change their answers if you has used the names of triumph, harley, etc. A better approach to the question would be:

Would you guys pick up a Bullet styled big single if it were made by another reputed company?

And my answer would be, MOST LIKELY, yes.
Royal Enfield definitely has very rich heritage, and iconic history, but somehow, they have not done enough to keep up the pace . I feel its a lazy company, basking in the laurels of its past, and now has suddenly woken up to a totally new era, and in the process of trying to catch-up.
Change is the only constant, which RE refused to. If RE were not FORCED by the law, they would still continue making the Std 350.
Some one has mentioned how RE had improved a lot in terms of modern technology, but i think a lot is still lacking.
We all know that RE 500 ccs of the 1950s had 27 odd bhp. Now we have a modern UCE construction, the EFI and all the technologies thrown in, we get 27.2 bhp. RE took 60 years to improve just .2 bhp from a 500 single? Not to mention the bad materials/ bad build quality/technical blunders etc etc. Even the THUMP which was of of the MOST important feature of Royal enfield is also lost-in-the-technology.

If someone came up with a better built quality, better engineered parts, more reliable, more comfortable, more power and torque from 500cc, good thump, well priced, then why not?
Lets IMAGINE a TRIUMPH 500CC Single pot, 37 bhp, 55nm of torque, good thump, quality of triumph, priced at 1.6 lakhs. I would go for that anyday over a Royal Enfield.

(wish what i imagined about triumph came true somehow )

[cogentr]

Triumph's big single, 37 bhp, 55nm torque @ 1.60 lacs.. Nasirkaka dream on brother.. dream on..

[nasirkaka]

@ cogentr:


Hey, its just an imaginary bike in a daydream. (more like office-dream)

Ok, i am willing to stretch my budget a bit more. I would work harder, save every penny and be willing to pay 2.5 lakhs for it.

Hope the funda of The Alchemist applies to my wish, and the universe conspires to make my dream come true.

[EssYouWe]

Haha!

I framed my question exactly as I wanted to. I want to know if people can pick up stuff from plastic brands if it were everything REs are and better. All you don't have is the legacy.
I guess it matters a lot to us. If Triumph launches the Bonneville at an OTR price <6 lacs, I would sell off my kidneys to buy it.

@Sanjeet

Nope haven't noticed that, but I am rarely overfilled, let alone at 38psi!

@Nasirkaka

What you wrote about the improvements and all are exactly how I feel. And I guess this is partly why I have started disliking the company a lot.

[bradhey]

Originally Posted by Randhawa

A weird observation

Gearshift was not to the same smooth but harsh and worse I had gears jumping out to neutral. First I thought the increase in tyre pressure cant effect gear-shifting but that was the case indeed. Anybody else ever observed the same?

Hi Randhawa, would you elaborate more about this issue of gear slippage. What exactly did you observe. It could well be related to issues my bike had.

To everybody on the forum : I have some scuffing marks on my air filter box and front fender. What is the best way to have it restored exactly to its original condition.

[Randhawa]

Gear shifting was behaving like loose spanners playing together and while engaging it was trying its best to find the slot but overshooting the runway. While in gear it would just pop out without any warning while going over a rough patch on road as if it was never fully engaged.

Unless you had overfilled your rear tyre which you would know better but I think what you had was misaligned clutch plates(less play in clutch cable too) which sorted itself out on a rough patch on the road.

Although clutch plates wont fit into an assembly if misaligned but still have a wee bit clearance to play around.

Depending how bad scuffing is, it can be repaired either doing spray paint on the effected area after doing the prep and then spraying on it but not the whole mudguard. Then spray lacker on the whole part.

Or completely painting the whole part.