My beloved CBZ was crushed by a truck and I think that no bike in the mass market can match its seat comfort, ride quality, and riding position with low maintenance.

BHPian Nano45 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hello, forum members. I hope you guys are doing well.

I was a proud owner of a beloved 2012 red colour dual-disc CBZ Xtreme till the 27th of last month. Early in the morning on the 27th, an uncontrolled, fully loaded sand truck/dumper crushed it into pieces when parked. All that remained was only an engine block. I felt dejected and barely slept for a couple of days thinking about it (being emotionally distraught at losing my first bike). I wished I hadn't ridden it to my hometown.

I'm 6'2", and in my opinion, no bike in the mass market can match the seat comfort, ride quality, and riding position with low maintenance (at least for me) as this specific model. It's a shame Hero discontinued the bike. So, I thought of buying the same bike with the exact specifications (and restoring it, if needed) and found 2 bikes on used platforms.

One was in Mangalore (Puttur), and the other was in Chennai (Tambaram). I contacted the owner of the bike in Mangalore while I was in Hyderabad. About two and a half hours before reaching Mangalore, the owner updated the status as sold, and no matter how many times I called or texted him, it was no use: he was unhappy. The chassis number of the bike in Chennai did not match what was recorded on its RC. Having no other option, I returned home with a huge disappointment.

Now I found another bike in Kerala and am still searching if there are any other bikes nearer me. My elder brother urges me to scrap the idea and move on, but I'm unable to, and the thought of moving on is making me feel uncomfortable. The question is, "Am I feeling too much and going too far for a particular bike?" Do I really need to move on? What's the bike in the 150-180cc segment that matches CBZ?

I am looking forward to your valuable suggestions and opinions on my thoughts.

Here's what BHPian saikishor had to say about the matter:

My cousin is as tall as you and he used to have the same bike, a 2011 Hero Xtreme single disc but in black. He moved on to a Pulsar NS200 7 years after he bought the CBZ. I would suggest you to try other bikes in the market. An adventure bike would make you feel comfortable, given that you are tall.

Here's what BHPian Ratan Prabhu had to say about the matter:

Very unfortunate what happened to your old CBZ.

I suggest moving on to a brand-new bike rather than a used CBZ. The feeling of going for the same used model is just an emotional reaction but you won't have the same attachment to it as you had with your own bike regardless of it being exact same model and color.

What will be your budget and what will be your usage and most of the road conditions?

For 6'2 height, there are a few good options. If you strictly looking for a 150-180cc bike with a budget of <2 lacs, a comfortable bike would be the Hero Extreme 160R 4v. Will feel like a brand new + enhanced version of your old bike.

Emotions aside, the Pulsar NS400 is also a great option and a big performance upgrade too and will cost a little above 2L on road.

If budget is not an issue, go for the Scrambler 400x. Probably the most comfortable bike aside from Himalayan and has great suspension and perfectly suits tall riders. A "can do it all" kind of bike. (Available at 10k discount until 31st July)

Here's what BHPian saitvsk23 had to say about the matter:

Hi there,

If you really want to continue with a product from the Hero stable, try the new Xtreme 160R 4V. It has a shorter wheelbase, so might feel a bit cramped. But the engine is better than what you had on your CBZ Xtreme. Marginal cc improvement, better breathing capacity, might seem like a fun bike to ride. If you need much more room for your riding appetite, try the Xtreme 200S 4v. You want to tackle the bad roads you encounter on a daily basis but with Hero's reliability and service network, try the Xpulse 200 4v. This might even help you with the ground clearance and balancing since you're tall.

If you want to try other brands, I wholeheartedly recommend the new TVS Apache 200 4v. It's got a nice quality heft to it. Its long wheelbase helps it balance better compared to rivals such as the NS200 (which already is a decade old and rightly feels so in quality). It also has additional features like a full digital speedometer with lap time recorder and whatnot, riding (read braking) modes and dual channel ABS. If you feel 200cc is too much for you, the Apache 160 RTR 4v / 2v (beast mode design) can also be a good fit.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

I realised that since the scooter was not being used, people in my housing society were treating it like scrap.

BHPian Iyencar recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

So the scooter was just sitting around for a while. Too much happening on the personal front. The real reason though was one fine day I was about to go to work and again had the starting issues. I got fed up, just stopped trying and took a rickshaw to the nearest metro station. Since then I kept meaning to have it looked at thoroughly but never got around to it.

One fine day had a mini scare when I couldn’t see the scooter at the place I remembered parking! This was a society we recently moved in to so I was really confused. Took the security supervisor’s help and after a good 20 min of searching finally found it moved to another corner of the society.

Anyway, since the battery was completely down now I let it be. Long story short, this was a bad decision. Things really came to a head when someone broke the number plate and put the broken piece in the glove box. I kicked myself for letting things get this far. Realised that because it was sitting around people around it were treating it like scrap.

So, the next day while returning from an errand I walked into a nearby battery shop. There was a young mechanic working on a scooter. Had a quick discussion and he showed up at my place with another guy. He had a look. Asked some basic questions and said he’d first charge the battery and do a full service while at it. He then offered to get the display repaired by a guy he knew. I was doing mental cartwheels when I heard this! Best part was a warranty of a year. I mean there was no warranty slip or anything but I told myself, hey at least he’s confident enough to give a fake one. They did the Indian method of towing it with their foot (should it be called toe-ing then?).

Anyhow, in about 5 hours he called and said everything was done including the display! Now that was fast. Off I went to the shop and there she was, looking as shiny as ever. Turned on the scooter and almost cried seeing the beautiful display. Icing on the cake was that odo was recording all this while. Only the top panel was bad. Fuel gauge worked too. No more vedic mathematics needed to calculate the drops of fuel left and extrapolate to the time taken to the nearest pump.

Damages were Rs. 4k odd. Out of which 2500 was for the display repair. Other expenses were the oil change, new numberplates, new air filter, cleaning the brake lines, charging the battery, etc.

The scooter gave starting trouble again when I left it for a few days as I was travelling. However, the mechanic said once I drive around a bit the battery will get charged. Seems he is right since the two times after that have been subsequently easier. If not, the carb may need cleaning.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

I kept honking at him but he did not bother to stop and apologize, let alone take responsibility for the damage done.

BHPian DocwithFiesta recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

In the last 3 weeks, both our cars have been damaged by reckless two-wheeler riders.

Yesterday evening (20/04/2024) at around 7pm, 100 meters from Atrium Apartments in Adyar, a two-wheeler ridden by a decent appearing educated guy (assuming by the appearance), while overtaking from the left and trying to navigate between my car and a parked car on the street in an extremely narrow gap, hit my car and damaged the front bumper.

I was behind him for about 30 seconds, following the incident, on that street while he was stuck behind the car in front of me and kept honking at him for the entire 30 seconds (while we both were on the move), but he did not bother to stop and apologize, let alone take responsibility for the damage done.

I could not recognise the bike make and model, nor do I remember the registration number (it was TN22 something), but if the biker is reading this, I want to say just one thing: SHAME ON YOU!

A similar incident took place in the first week of April when my father was driving the Fiesta on the ECR. A biker damaged the front bumper in a similar manner.

Now my question/concern about today's incident is: why don't people take responsibility for their mistakes? I understand mistakes do happen, but why run away? If you are emotionally or financially weak to accept the consequences of your mistakes, then why be so reckless on the road?

At the end of the day, I am left with 2 broken front bumpers.

Thanks for reading.

Here's what BHPian Arun_S had to say about the matter:

Same thing happened to me couple of months back, guy on an Activa trying to squeeze between the median and my car during peak traffic, his foot rest just took my entire front bumper.

He just escaped and didn't even have the courtesy to apologize.

I might be found a little rude, but of late, I see an increasing number of two-wheelers having an attitude towards cars like they have insurance/money to let them suffer.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Of course, I would also like to thank the police who were able to catch hold of one of the thieves on the very same day!

BHPian RohanMahantesh recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hello Everyone

TL;DR

I was on my bicycle on the way to work, when two thieves on a bike snatched my phone from my backpack. This incident was recorded on a GoPro, using which the vehicle number and the images of the thieves were obtained. With the help of my colleague, a fellow Team BHPian, and a thread on the forum, we were able to obtain the information of the vehicle owner. The owner was contacted, who had lent his bike to a supposed friend when the incident occurred. The vehicle owner cooperated with the police and helped them track down the thieves. The phone was retrieved back in less than 24 Hours! The complete incident is shown in the video above.

To start, I am a final-year engineering student from Bangalore. Apart from my love for automobiles, I have a keen interest in photography. This led to me purchasing various camera gear and having read several posts on the forum about the importance of a dashcam in one's car and having been involved in several incidents before, I made it a point to record even the short rides on two-wheeler and bicycle on my GoPro (This was the first thing I bought off of my first stipend at my internship! Best purchase ever!).

I also realised that I could upload the footage on YouTube under the POV (Point of View) Driving category, which gave me another reason to drive all the vehicles at home with a GoPro mounted onto me. Oh, and if you are wondering, no I do not intend on making any money off of it on YouTube, it's just for the sheer pleasure of recording the drives, and looking back at it a few years down the lane to relive the moments, the traffic, the roads and the surroundings.

The firm that I am interning at, is about 6km from my residence, as a result of which I utilise a scooter or my bicycle to commute.

It was about 10:30 am on the 15th of March 2024, when I was on the way to the office on my bicycle. The railway crossing on the way was shut, as a result of which, I took out the phone from my bag and started scrolling. The next thing I knew, the railway crossing was open, and I had to hurry, as a result of which I ended up keeping my phone in the bottle holder of my backpack (A Stupid and Silly Mistake ).

As I was crossing the railway track (I was pushing the cycle, rather than riding it to not lose balance), a guy in a blue bike overtook me from the extreme left, which was very suspicious to me at first, but I didn't bother about it, thinking it was normal.

After crossing the railway track, I hopped onto my bicycle and started riding it. Amidst this, the guy in the blue bike picked up another person. This seemed completely normal. I didn't think much about the stares that they gave me, as it is very common to have a lot of people look at you driving with a GoPro attached to your head or chest.

I was on the extreme left lane of the road, and about 100m later, out of nowhere, the two people on the blue bike overtook me from the left side (A lot of things could have gone wrong during all of this!) the pillion (The guy he had just picked up) took the phone out of the bottle holder of my backpack and before I could realise it, it was too late!

I was terrified and almost froze! This was the first time that I had encountered a situation as such. I sped up (on the bicycle!) and tried looking for their bike, but realised that it was already too late and there was no way I could catch up with the thieves. The first thing I had to do, no matter what, was to track/erase data/log out of the phone and I rushed home.

Using the other device at home, I couldn't track it, as they had switched off the phone. I ended up signing out of all my accounts and erasing all the data from the phone (All of the data was backed up). I was concerned about my sim, as without it it would be impossible to call people, receive SMS or make payments. I extracted all the footage from the GoPro and saved it for reference to note down the vehicle number and the images of the thieves.

I immediately called up my colleague and told him about the incident, and that I would be late to the office as I had to visit the nearest police station. He asked me to calm down and offered to accompany me to the police station. We reached the Gangamma Gudi Police Station (Abbigere) and filed an e-lost complaint on the Karnataka State Police app with all the required details of the phone, This generated a lost e-report for the phone, using which I could obtain the duplicate SIM. Parallely, I blocked the IMEI number using the CEIR website.

I met the officers at the police station and made it a point to show them the footage captured, which they gladly circulated among the various WhatsApp groups of which they were part. The police asked us to be rest assured and that they would get in touch with us in case of any updates.

My colleague tried to gather information about the owner of the vehicle using mParivahan, but we couldn't get much information. We then got back to the office and went about our day. 20 minutes into the office, my colleague, remembered coming across the Karnataka PUC Website and the loopholes it had in this thread. We obtained the information of the owner and obtained his phone number using the same. My colleague immediately called the owner and cooked up an excuse to have him meet us at the police station.

The owner of the vehicle was a person who was working in the Armed Forces and was worried about the consequences of having a police case against him. We met up at the police station, where we explained what happened. He had lent his bike to a friend that morning, and he immediately recognised the people from the footage. He cooperated with the police and provided them with the contact information and address of the thieves.

The police were able to catch hold of one of the thieves (In Blue Shirt) on the very same day, and he accepted the theft but did not have any information about the phone. It was about 8 pm and we were assured of getting the phone back.

The next morning, at about 11 am, the police contacted me asking us to visit the police station. Me and my colleague visited the police station, and we were handed over the phone by the officer. He narrated the incident as to how the second thief was caught in the wee hours of midnight. The thieves had thrown the SIM card away. The police gave the thieves a taste of their medicine (you know what I am referring to). I immediately unblocked the IMEI.

Thank You Team BHP and Bengaluru Police for helping me retrieve my phone!

I regretted the absolutely silly mistake of mine which led to all of this, but I am happy that GoPro and Team BHP helped me retrieve the phone back. I urge all of you to please keep your belongings safe when in public. I learnt my lesson the hard way. Hope this was helpful to everyone out there!

Cheers!

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

A good samaritan on a blue Honda SP125 came out of nowhere and towed me for almost the entirety of the remaining section of the journey.

BHPian TorqueMonster recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

The last update was just the beginning of good times with this bike. There were no further updates owing to the fact that it was a reliable daily driver for the most part.

The bike on one of the many rides I have taken it to.

But then, things just go to hell. The first of many issues was that of leaking suspension. The entire suspension set-up had given up. Despite no oil seals or fork damages, the forks have worn out from 34 years of abuse and oil is leaking from the shocker rod. While the bike is still temporarily usable, the oil literally gets run out within 200km, making it a 400 Rs expense every week.

Now, it is unfortunate that in the part of Rural TN in which I am, no mechanic would want to touch this bike with a barge pole owing to the lack of spares and the complexity of fixing it.

Hence a decision was made to ride the bike back to Madurai, where it can be fixed. A choice which in hindsight would lead to a mess-up of colossal proportions.

Now it is to note that the bike is not shy to rides, in fact, it does ride easily despite its age. So an 80km highway ride should be one with no hassles.

But that was not the case. Barely 20kms from my home, I noticed that the bike's sound had started to sound coarse, producing a sound eerily similar to what you would hear when a propellor plane is flying over your head. Strike 1.

I slowly saw the bike losing power and managed to clear the bridge I was going through and stop on the side. Or more like the bike stopping and gravity bringing me slowly to the side. Strike 2.

While the situation had instantly become scary, I started to gaslight myself on how it was just a heating issue, and that taking a 15 min break would solve it. I take down an entire bottle of water, and took a leisurely 20 min break, mindlessly scrolling through Instagram to avoid thinking about any possible damage to the bike. I go and decide to start the bike. 2 seconds later, both me and the bike are on the ground. I kick the bike and the kicker is stuck, it is rock solid, I feel a jolt go through my right leg and have no choice but to wave my leg in pain, tripping over the bike and falling down. Strike 3. Strike 4 if you count the damage caused to me also.

I at this stage go into total panic mode. I am stuck on an isolated highway, half an hour away from home, and with absolutely no idea what to do. I call up my mechanic, who confirms my worst fear, that the engine is seized.

I genuinely did not know how to feel about this. This bike has been with me for years. This bike is in my childhood memories, of going around Delhi with me sitting on its tank as a child (I know it is unsafe but my family did not have a car at that time). It is the bike I learnt to ride on, the bike I first tried working and fixing on my own. It has been my daily driver in university, an unofficial member of my friend circle being the go-to bike for my bike rides. It has taken me places, alone, with friends, dates, and almost every core memory I have, and this bike has managed to find its way to it. As I was sitting under the tamarind tree on the side of the highway, watching the bike, I felt the same as I would feel if I were attending a funeral for a loved one.

My temporary funeral was cut short with the arrival of a loud twin-cylinder recovery vehicle, in the form of my Super Meteor 650. But there lies another issue. The Super Meteor, while being a powerful vehicle, does not have the low-end torque to effectively tow a motorcycle. The forward set footpeg also made it difficult to push the bike using legs. One of those moments where my trusted Thunderbird and its low-end torque would do wonders.

I have no photos for the same but halfway, a good samaritan on a blue Honda SP125 came out of nowhere, and towed me for almost the entirety of the remaining section of the journey, and just took the next turn even before I could thank him. The fact that I was not stuck till late and reached back within 2 hours is because of this person. Thank you Blue Honda SP125 owner.

So you may ask, what next for the bike? The bike's engine has been opened, showing that the piston of the bike has been damaged totally, and there pretty much lies nothing that can be done which is fixable. Right now, there is a crossroads between getting an entirely new engine from somewhere, or that of checking the condition of the engine block and seeing if it can be bored. The terrible parts availability for this bike puts both alternatives in question.

At least temporarily, it is time to announce the demise of this bike. But I can guarantee, that as soon as possible, it will have its rebirth. Parts are being searched for, and whenever it is humanely possible, the entire engine will be working again, giving the bike a literal rebirth. I shall be updating the thread regarding the work that is being done to the bike, and I guarantee that before too long, the bike will be back on the road, in the same condition as it had come out of the factory in 1989.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

There are some Chinese Android Auto / Apple CarPlay devices available but they are expensive. The cheapest reliable options cost around Rs 15,000.

BHPian souvik_daz recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Navigation plays a key part in enjoying a smooth and seamless touring experience on our cherished two-wheelers. The go-to solution for 99% of us riders is to attach our phones to a phone mount and use Google Maps to show us the way.

A common issue with this approach is messed up cameras, especially ones with inbuilt optical image stabilisation. Some of us revert to using a secondary phone as a dedicated navigation device. Even this has its drawbacks. Maintaining a secondary sim is a major hassle. On top of it, receiving/rejecting calls on the helmet intercom or reading incoming messages becomes a challenge without easy access to our primary phone.

Some Chinese brands (Ottocast, Carpuride, etc.) have tried to solve this with dedicated Android Auto / Apple CarPlay devices that attach to your handlebar or mirror and connect to your phone to give you a similar experience to what you get on your four-wheelers. These are relatively pricey (with the cheapest reliable options costing around ₹15,000). I nearly bit the bullet on one such device, till better sense prevailed and I decided to research for a more cost-effective solution. What I found was a relatively cheaper and quicker option. It is super easy and can be utilised by almost anyone ready to spend an hour or so tweaking things, well almost.

Disclaimer

To use the solution, you need to have a secondary phone (which will act as the Android Auto screen and will cast content from the primary phone). I have tried this with Android phones (since that is what I have access to), so I can’t comment on how it needs to happen in the Apple ecosystem.

Apps Required

• Headunit Emulator (referred to as HUR going forward and to be installed on the secondary phone). Costs ₹430.
• WiFi launcher (to be installed on the primary phone).

Steps

• Install the above apps on the concerned phones.
• Enable ‘WiFi direct’ on the primary phone (instructions to do this will vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, so search for the procedure on Google).
• Ensure that both phones have WiFi switched on but are not connected to any WiFi network.
• Launch HUR, and go to Settings -> Connectivity -> WiFi connection mode. Select ‘Use WiFi Direct’.
• Note the device name on HUR (it will show in small text at the bottom of the screen. Most often it is ‘HUR7’.)
• Keep HUR running on the secondary device.
• Launch WiFi Launcher on the primary phone. Grant the permissions requested.
• Under Wireless, select ‘WiFi Connection Mode’ and ‘Use WiFi Direct’.
• Go to ‘HUR WiFi Direct Name’ and ensure it matches the device name we noted in step 5. If it does not match, manually type in the name as noted in step 5.
• Select ‘Start WiFi Service Manually’.

That is it! Android Auto should launch on the secondary screen. Now for your next ride, you can safely keep your primary phone in your pocket or bag and use navigation, calls and messaging (and music if that’s something you prefer while riding) from the convenience of your secondary phone.

If the touch response on Android Auto seems sluggish, go to HUR Settings -> Graphics -> Pixel Density. Enter a value less than what it shows. E.g. It was 440 as the default for me but worked best when reduced to 350.

My intention with this post is to help as many of you as possible and make your riding experience as smooth as possible. Happy to hear your thoughts as well as your experience (assuming you do give it a shot).

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

There is an endless list of faults that also cause instability of the front wheel but this adjustment is the easiest to try first.

BHPian Redex recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Does your bike feel unstable at high speeds?

The most common reason for this is too little pre-load on the rear suspension. Under this condition, the rear of the bike squats down on the suspension and weight is transferred to the rear wheel. Increasing spring pressure at the rear will raise the seat height and transfer weight to the front wheel increasing straight-line stability.

If the instability increases carrying a pillion the most likely cause is rear spring adjustment.

Try it!

A quick way to check the rear preload is to sit further forward and move your body weight towards the front wheel. Instability reduced? Yes! Then increase the rear spring pre-load. Sometimes you may need to reduce the front fork pre-load if you can. Adjusting the damping will have little to no effect.

Assuming everything mechanical is correct and changing pre-load makes little difference, you probably need to change the tyres to a different pattern or brand. However, first check the tyre manufacturer's pressure for your bike, it probably differs from your owner's manual. Especially on older bikes. The owner's manual only gives the pressure for 1 or 2 patterns and brands that were fitted as OEM parts.

There is an endless list of faults that also cause instability of the front wheel. This adjustment is the easiest to try first.

After that, look at the tyres, pressure, balance, uneven wear, or wrong type. Gets more complicated, worn headstock bearings, warped disc, binding brakes, low front fork oil, buckled wheel rim etc etc.

Here's what BHPian aargee had to say about the matter:

In my humble opinion, when I feel that my motorcycle is shaking or unstable at high speeds, the very first thing I would do is fill in air in both tires to 1 PSI more than the manufacturer's recommendation.

This has not worked only once on my CBR when the front tire got punctured, otherwise, this has worked nearly 100% of the time & not a very expensive affair.

Here's what BHPian Redex replied:

Whatever works for you. Personally, I have never been able to feel any difference in pressure unless it is greater than 5 psi. My experience is based on riding in the UK. Cruising at 120 to 130 kph. High-speed wobble is usually caused by incorrect balance front to rear. (Assuming there are no mechanical causes for the wobble). Tyre design, quality and age have a much greater effect on handling. Tyre pressures can increase up to about 5 psi when riding hard and fast. It only takes one ride sitting further forward on the seat to see if you need to increase the rear spring load.

I tried it on my Yamaha XT600e, single 600cc trail bike. Sitting forward made a noticeable difference so I increased the pre-load. Still not perfect so I replaced the front and rear tyres with Conti Trail Attack 2 tyres (designed for 90% on-road use).

Now have the perfect combination in the wet and dry. Bike is most comfortable at 120kph, it will max out at 160kph but the rpm is too high to sustain on a single-cylinder 600cc bike. Not what the XT600e was designed for.

I fitted adjustable preload air suspension to my previous bike Honda Valkyrie 6 cylinder 1500cc cruiser. I find it perfect for providing a stable ride, with or without a pillion, and/or 3 hard luggage cases attached, cruising at up 180kph, max out at 195kph.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Among the ones that I have known and used, the Yamaha RD 350, Hero Splendour, CD100 & TVS Scooty are among those that endure such "not in use" phases well.

BHPian anjan_c2007 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Many two-wheeler owners have some compulsions owing to which they are unable to use their moped/step-through/ bike/scooter for prolonged phases of one or many more months/ years. This thread will be apt for such owners to vote (multiple votes allowed) for the two-wheelers that cause their owner the least botheration, when self (?) or kick-started back to life for day-to-day usage. Self gets a (?) here in the text as in many cases the self-starter becomes defunct when the battery is low and will require to be either recharged or in some cases replaced due to non-use.

The older times were too ideal for such "idle for months" two-wheelers as the electricals and mechanicals were too simple and spartan. Even if kept idle for a year or two, these would fire back to life and emerge with flying colours, not letting down the owner. Only a few precautions, do's and don'ts if followed would keep the machine in fine fettle when stored.

But the present-day two-wheelers are getting too complicated with newer generations of electronics, electricals and mechanicals. To add to the misery, we have water in our tanks with the ethanol-blended petrol coming of age, getting the blessings of Gadkariji. Even some two-plus decades ago, the then-manufactured machines could stand being stored in an idle condition for long phases. The newer generation two-wheelers though are much hassle-free and the advancements make its owners go gaga over the newer improvements and gizmos, but with a rider that most of these have to be in constant use.

If some brand and model is omitted from the poll list, it's unintentional. Please feel free to describe your experiences about how you find the brand/model, if it's decommissioned for months and thereafter brought back on the road for normal use.

I own and have owned some two-wheelers and would rate both the Vespa 150 and Bajaj Super, Lambretta Li 150, TVS 50, Yamaha RX 100 and Honda Activa (first generation) as hassle-free for such prolonged non-use phases. The Activa is though not as hassle-free as the others listed by me. Among the ones that I have known and used, the Rajdoot Yamaha RD 350, Hero Honda Splendour, CD 100, TVS Scooty and LML 150 NV are among those that endure such "not in use" phases well. Another affirmation for the RD 350 comes from a friend who owns one. The one he owns was not in use for more than a year. It was readied and with just three.

kicks sprung back to life. The chat with him where he was praising his "most sought after now" bike prompted me to have such a thread.

My really bad experience was with our red Suzuki Access which was not in use for a long time. Despite its having undergone a thorough fuel line cleansing, change of CDI unit plus a new battery, it is throwing surprises. Off the topic, the CDI unit by Nippon Electric that I bought cost me Rs 850=00 whereas the OE (Suzuki branded outside its cover pack) CDI unit with ASC costs Rs 2,500 plus.

We can adjudge the personality traits of a wide range of machines with personal anecdotes by owners about eccentricities and straight-headed traits of their two-wheelers.

Here's what GTO had to say on the matter:

I'd say Ather or other electric scooters / two-wheelers. Just like, the other day, I fired up an old laptop that was in hibernation for 4 years. Started up with no issue at all. Ditto with backup smartphones we keep which are started just once in 2 - 3 years (when NRIs need them, or our primary phones are being repaired).

The fewer the mechanicals, the better for long-term parking. Just charge up the battery and these e-scooters should be good to go.

Here's what BHPian am1m had to say on the matter:

Personal experience with 2 brands, RE and Bajaj. Thanks to remote work, I would leave Bangalore and both bikes for up to 6 months at a time. Always managed to start the Bajaj (Pulsar 180, 2009) using kick start, even if it took a few dozen tries. The RE (TB 350 AVL 2007) forget it- always required to be pushed to the nearest mechanic! Both bikes are always parked under shade, covered parking, safe from rain. Tyres would develop cracks though.

I'm not entirely sure it's brand specific though, a lot of factors I guess, how old the bike is, how big the battery is, and how well it was maintained before the period of use.

Here's what BHPian aviator1101 had to say on the matter:

Contrary to the belief that old REs are unreliable, I have only good experiences to share.

My 23-year-old 350cc RE CI Bullet has been in hibernation several times (including the lockdowns) and every time it is brought into use, fires up without much fuss. (What are a few extra kicks between friends )

I just take a few precautions, which I enumerate below:

• Disconnect the battery
• Ensure the tank is full
• Carb is emptied
• Wheels placed on wooden planks
• Tyre pressures increase by 5 psi in each wheel.
• Generous application of used engine oil and WD-40 at various places including chrome parts.
• Precautions from rat menace.
• With the above preparations, nothing much can go wrong.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

I have both, a Honda CB350 and an Activa & still the scooter always gives me trouble.

BHPian aniketi recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

This question has been in my mind for a long time now. Hope experts here will be able to answer. What is the difference between technology for Motorcycles and scooters? For example a Honda motorcycle and Honda Activa? IMHO both should have similar technology but totally different designs and purpose. I am asking this because scooters always give starting trouble, not sure why. If you don't use Activa for 3-4 days, you have to make an attempt to start it with multiple button starts or kicks. Whereas for bikes, mostly it starts in the first starter and never gives any issue even if you start it after a week. I have a Honda CB350 and it always starts in first starter only, but when it comes to my wife's Activa, it always gives trouble when not used for 3-4 days. Both are from Honda and are well-maintained. Still, scooters always give trouble whereas bikes are mostly trouble-free in this area.

Ideally, both should be using the same technology here for starting a vehicle and should work seamlessly. But in the actual world, it is not. Also kicks for scooters like Activa are very poor and take special skill to start. Bike kicks are straightforward and you can easily start a bike quickly. Hope experts throw some light here. Thanks in advance.

Here's what BHPian ashis89 had to say on the matter:

You're comparing a fuel-injected bike with an old carburetor-fed scooter. Try starting an old Honda Unicorn, a Gladiator or even a Splendor (newer ones) and you will see the difference. A lot also depends on the fueling.

The BS6 scooters start in 1-2 kicks even after 8-10 days of dormancy.

PS: wherever I have owned/ridden two different generations of the same model, I found the newer generations had better fuel efficiency but invariably suffered from cold start issues, which alludes to my last point. HH Splendor, Passion, Glamour, Bajaj Caliber (and 115), Pulsar - all had this observation across generations.

Here's what BHPian Sebring had to say on the matter:

I'm sorry but our old Unicorn (2006) and Bajaj Discover 125 (2005) never gave starting trouble. Not once, unless there came a time to replace the battery. I'm also starting to question this now.

Here's what BHPian antz.bin had to say on the matter:

I live in a society with ~1000 flats. If I hear a long starter being run, being run multiple times, 9 times out of 10, it is a scooter. I work from home and my desk is next to the window so I tend to hear such things a lot. I wouldn't be able to make out the brand of the scooter but we all know which one is the largest selling model. If it helps, I have seen this happen on a 10-day-old Honda Grazia as well.

There *is* a problem that exists. A problem that was solved by Yamaha using the more powerful Smart Motor Generator (SMG) on their new Fascino and RayZ scooters which make no sound at all.

It would make sense that we acknowledge that a problem exists and switch to a superior product that doesn't have that problem. Already far too many Activas are selling, it's time to choose differently maybe?

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

I received the metal piece cut from the scooter that bears the chassis number and a certificate of destruction.

BHPian virajvroom recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Alright. Not related to cars, but I got my dad's old Bajaj Super Scooter Scrapped using Mahindra CERO. However, most of the procedure will remain the same, except you won't get a discount on your next purchase, unlike what the four-wheeler scrapping policy rewards the customers with.

Nostalgia

My dad is an ex-Bajaj employee who stuck with the company for 35+ years and proudly works with their vendors after retiring. As a kid just starting school, I remember sitting on his bicycle to commute. My mum says he always came home with a sad face saying my classmates' parents had a scooter, but he couldn't afford one. However, once you are part of Bajaj or Tata, life doesn't remain the same forever. The gradual progression kicked in, and he could own a Bajaj Super Scooter within a year. He was so attached to this scooter that even in 2015 when I bought him a 4-wheeler, he still preferred the good old Bajaj. However, considering his age, it took a lot of effort to convince him to drive the 4-wheeler. So our Bajaj Super has been eating dust in the parking since 2016. Recently all of us made up our minds to sell it!

Restore Vs. Sell vs. Scrap

On listing the scooter on OLX, I received many inquiries from customers, but I later realized that the cost of acquiring the green/fitness certificate and renewal formalities itself would not justify the price of selling. So, if I got a customer willing to purchase the scooter at INR 5000, I had to pay almost another 4000+ to the RTO, including insurance and all those years that we missed informing the RTO. I planned to restore the scooter as the engine still had life; started with a kick or two. However, again the legal formalities seemed to be a headache. Cost to benefit didn't make sense already having two cars and two motorbikes. Finally, I started searching for scrap dealers. Strangely none of them who I came across felt genuine. They were people who demanded that I pay them for scrapping instead of offering me the price. The scene from ‘The Family Man’ of an old scooter being used for terrorist activities suddenly flashed before us. Quite frustrated, I then started watching Mr Gadkari's videos and somehow stumbled upon Mahindra CERO.

The Experience

Simple hassle-free. Minor delays did happen due to transit delays. But the representative was in constant touch at every stage. He explained all the documentation (all costs including Courier, Stamp Papers, Agreement printing, and Pick-up were incurred by Mahindra CERO) to me. I shared the soft copies of the RC along with my bank account details where I wished to receive the scrapping amount. The scooter was picked up and sent to their scrapping unit in Talegaon, Pune, on a specified date. Surprisingly the scrapping amount was credited to my account immediately. In three weeks, I received the metal piece cut from the scooter that bears the Chassis number and a Certificate of destruction along with before-after images of the scooter. The only feedback I have is that CERO should provide an option where the owners can view their vehicles being scrapped personally or virtually.

Images of the scooter being picked up.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.