[obaidhakim]

Finally! After a wait of near 6 months.... Tons of follow ups and countless amounts of agony!
I am all ready to take delivery for the bike!

Now I am all jittery with all the teething issues that the people on the forum have faced.

More so, this is the first enfield that I will own, so I am not aware of what to expect.

I would appreciate if the gurus could shed some light on pre delivery checks that I should conduct to ensure a trouble free experience.

Also, I plan to change the tyres, as the overall experience from other members on wets have been far from satisfactory. With the monsoons fast approaching, I don't want to be in a slippery situation. I plan to ride predominantly in the city, however may plan a few trips around maharashtra.

I would like some advise on the brands that I should look at and any preffered dealers that peoe wqould recommend. The last bike I owned was a pulsar 180 that too around 6 years back, I haD michilin M45s on that and the performance was fabulous. I believe a lot has changed since then on the availability front. So guys PLEASE help me out.

Thanks, looking forward to your help guys!

[nasirkaka]

i had managed to collect a few tips for PDI from various forums on C5. a few basic pointers are as follows:
* check for proper working of Indicators front/rear, rear number plate reflector
* front fork sleeve should not touch the mudguard or the fork. take a pre delivery ride, brake hard a few times and observe.
* rust on the main frame, especially at the welding joints. (do check at the bottom, where the main stand mates with the frame)
* Check for leaks around the kick-shaft, and chain slackness.
* full tool kit.
* RE embossed leather document pouch if possible. ( although i never got one) :(
* fill adequate petrol and check for the proper working of fuel sensor.
* check for leaks under the tank where fuel sensor is inserted, and also the petrol outlet pump.
* battery electrolyte level.
* check any damage to paint surface / or scratches on the buffed aluminium parts.
* proper fitment of various control cables wrt play
* proper working of all electricals
* proper tyre pressure
* while taking a pre-delivery test ride, see if the bike is not pulling towards left or right.
* ask them to open the OVAL TOOL BOX and show you. in most cases its jammed and difficult to open.
* check for proper retraction of main and side stand. sometimes they hang mid-way as springs are faulty.

hope these would help.

[obaidhakim]

hey Nasir! thanks for the tips, sure solid ones..

will follow up on that....

any info on the tires?

[indian21r]

obaidhakim,

the tires that come with c5 are MRF zappers. There is not much you can see there but do ask about alternatives. Also check for any loose nuts /bolts etc.
With respect to the battery, if you are getting Exide enquire about its availability. As of now there is no support from exide.

Take the bike around evening so that you can check the bike as suggested by nasirkaka and when it is dark you can test the lights. The biggest issue with RE that I have seen is once the bike is out of the showroom they act like we are outsiders.

So do a torough job and enjoy the ride

[nasirkaka]

any info on the tires?

One of the C5 owner is replaced his front tyre with Pirelli Scorpion MT 90 S/T 100 x 90, and is more than satisfied with the result. He is also using 120 x 80 ceat vertigo rage for rear, and finds it better than the stock MRF.

Another technically sound C5 owner recommends Pirelli Sports Demon.

From whatever information i have gathered, the Pirelli rubber for front as well as rear seems to be most suited for on-road/off-road/general use. But these tyres may be a bit difficult to procure.

Even i am planning to replace the tyres, but will wait for sometime to get more feedback on pirelli and save some money also by than.

please see the following link to get more info on various tyres and C5 in general. (am sure u already would have.. )

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motorb...review-22.html

[obaidhakim]

THANKS FOR ALL THE HELP GUYS!

really appreciate all the pointers, did manage to cover all the points and some of them actually needed to be looked at! all sorted and delivery done!

A few queries, i find it really difficult to find neutral in high traffic condition (stop go traffic specially when i need to go from 1st gear to neutral in stationery condition), is that normal? how ever if i switch the engine off and try it gets into neutral very easily, as well as in rolling condition.

Also the engine cover on the LHS gets very hot, nearly got by ankle branded, is that normal too?

[obaidhakim]

by the way i have upgraded the tires to Michelin M45s. the road grip has enhanced considerably.

[nasirkaka]

Also the engine cover on the LHS gets very hot, nearly got by ankle branded, is that normal too?

I guess so. I had similar heating issue esp in heavy traffic. Asked the technician and he said its normal. A Single 500 cc cylinder would generate enough heat, especially if its AIR COOLED. Also, the UCE construction is based on a single oil reservoir, and the oil acts as heat carrier. The metal parts are new and the friction is much higher - another cause of excessive heat.
I guess nothing much to worry, the heating would considerable reduce after about 1000 kms on odo.

by the way i have upgraded the tires to Michelin M45s. the road grip has enhanced considerably.

cool. could u share the price, avalibility, and tyre details?? Any experiece in the rains with Michelin on..??

[obaidhakim]

Originally Posted by nasirkaka

cool. could u share the price, avalibility, and tyre details?? Any experiece in the rains with Michelin on..??

I rode straight from the showroom to the tyre shop, paid 3k over and above the exchange to the stock tires.

still wearing out the soft rubber teeth off them, still the road grip in the rain is superb. not even a slight slip in the rain. just that it picks up a lot more water off the road as compared to other tires.

would like to share something interesting i learnt, don't know if its true though. The front tyre rotation is supposed to be in the opposite direction as the recommended direction of rotation as mentioned on the tyre (generally rear rotation direction is indicated).

[sudhi_des]

It is true obaidhakim, Even i am using the same M45 (front- rear) in my bike. And thread pattern are opposite. And if you put them in same direction then they will loose traction on bend/corner.

[trehansid]

Greetings Friends,
I had registered long ago when we had to pick an i20 in the family and this is my first post since then. While i am not new to the bhp forum, i have always remained a passive member as a reader.

And very recently i had been reading words from Randhawa & other friends who either are owners of RECL5 or else are moving around in dilemma of choosing one out of 350 or 500 - I have been thru the same situation myself.

Had read various points:
1) REC500 has FI and not too reliable
2) REC350 has Carb is more reliable & preferred over the FI
3) Power Lag, Mileage & Budget wrt 350/500
4) More preferable exhaust sound of 350 (usually more bassy/powerful)

After having read various versions/pointers and extremely detailed 4100km ownership review by Randhawa plus a meeting with an owner of 8 REs this evening, who has been a rider with clearly an excellent experience made quite a humble sense with his words without much ado.

Hence on my way back home, i have got a REClassic 500 booked.

It shall be worthwhile to must hear about the Expectations, Do's & Dont's for anyone who has booked Royal Enfield Classic 500 &/or the one who has recently taken the delivery.

A bulleted list on Technical points, Ride comfort & Mods etc could assist any first time well enuf. Not really looking for comparison with 350-500 again, i believe that has been addressed in other discusions quite reasonably with brilliant thoughts contributed to enable a new member decide between the two models.

Waiting advised my side is about a month.


Cheers
..

[ArizonaJim]

trehansid
Congratulations on your selection. I know you won't be disappointed.

I understand that the Computer program used on the models sold in India is not the same as the program used on my 2011 G5 Deluxe here in the United States.
Our computer uses an O2 sensor and it's logic is somewhat different.

Although there is this difference, I believe the basic computer, the fuel pump and fuel injection unit on all of the new EFI Royal Enfields is basically the same.

My reason for mentioning this is that although a few problems with the wiring harness have been noted, there has been no problem with the Computer, the fuel pump or the Fuel Injection units noted here.

Also, I note after reading some of the recent posts here Royal Enfield has come up with a new mapping for the Indian RE's computer which fixes the earlier problems such as poor idle and inability to deal with great changes in elevation.
If your new C500 has these updates, it should be excellent.

Again, the EFI RE's sold in India might be different but I suspect they have the same "self diagnosis" feature that ours have.
That "self diagnosis" feature causes the computer to look for problems if they occur.
For instance, if the bikes MIL Engine Warning light (Malfunction Indicator Lamp) does not turn itself off after about 5 seconds after the ignition is turned on, the computer has found a problem.
By grounding out a test lead located on the right side of the bike the MIL will flash out a code by blinking a short or long blink. The number of blinks tells you what the problem is if you or your mechanic knows the codes.
This can make repair much easier to figure out.

I could list the blink code here but several of them apply to the O2 sensor which leads me to think that there may be other differences between the Indian and the U.S. bikes.

I know your going to like your new bike so, have fun.

[trehansid]

Originally Posted by ArizonaJim

trehansid
Congratulations on your selection. I know you won't be disappointed.

Thanks Jim, moving ahead with a positive approach & since i aint an extremist head, i like what technology offers amalgamated with the classic tag & feel.

I understand that the Computer program used on the models sold in India is not the same as the program used on my 2011 G5 Deluxe here in the United States. Our computer uses an O2 sensor and it's logic is somewhat different.

Although there is this difference, I believe the basic computer, the fuel pump and fuel injection unit on all of the new EFI Royal Enfields is basically the same.

My reason for mentioning this is that although a few problems with the wiring harness have been noted, there has been no problem with the Computer, the fuel pump or the Fuel Injection units noted here.

Also, I note after reading some of the recent posts here Royal Enfield has come up with a new mapping for the Indian RE's computer which fixes the earlier problems such as poor idle and inability to deal with great changes in elevation. If your new C500 has these updates, it should be excellent.

Wishing likewise on this one Jim, i do understand from all the discussions/views that the improvements are bound to happen.

Again, the EFI RE's sold in India might be different but I suspect they have the same "self diagnosis" feature that ours have. That "self diagnosis" feature causes the computer to look for problems if they occur.
For instance, if the bikes MIL Engine Warning light (Malfunction Indicator Lamp) does not turn itself off after about 5 seconds after the ignition is turned on, the computer has found a problem.
By grounding out a test lead located on the right side of the bike the MIL will flash out a code by blinking a short or long blink. The number of blinks tells you what the problem is if you or your mechanic knows the codes.
This can make repair much easier to figure out.

I could list the blink code here but several of them apply to the O2 sensor which leads me to think that there may be other differences between the Indian and the U.S. bikes.

Interesting aspect, guess RE is trying to push in more tech to gain from the after sales as well, which as of now had been dependent largely on non-RE master craftsmen with a lineage of repute.

I know your going to like your new bike so, have fun.

Well thanks Jim, you been kind to share all that you did. Shall share & flaunt pics for the same ol' 500 that most of us have here, once i rcv mine.

Hv a Gd eve ahead.

[trehansid]

OPTIONS ON SEATS FOR ROYAL ENFIELD
================================

Now a question for the Royal Riders around Del/NCR, if someone has to look in for options related to seats - which direction should one turn to? For there wasnt any convincing piece of information available wrt to seats.

[trehansid]

BRAKES ON RE
===========

Is it sane to think of disc brakes for the rear wheel and has anyone tried it yet?