My 5-month-old Royal Enfield is on its third battery now and the only electrical accessory added to the motorcycle is the AUX light setup.

BHPian parrys recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

Quick update:

The new battery died thrice. I had my trusted mechanics check the bike for any wiring issues, and they found nothing suspicious.

Now, month #5 completed, and on battery #3.

This time, as per suggestions, have swapped to Exide. If this fails again, will dig deeper into the wiring loom. We did suspect it was the aux light, but did not find any leak as such. But if this battery dies, will then try without the aux setup too.

Why have I not visited the RE workshop yet? Because given the situation, I have no faith in their ability to help resolve this.

Update 1

So, battery #3, dead. This time, even the needles did not turn, when turned the ignition on. So clearly, this is not a battery issue.

The only electrical addition on the motorcycle is the aux light setup. (Aux lights added in May, this issue has popped up since July) But the aux installation was wire-cut-free, just one connection on the terminal - which we have checked multiple times.

So today, we checked, and there could be a possible faulty relay which is the cause here. For now, just played with the relay, had the battery charged, went for a 3 km spin, and parked it.

Now I shall check after a week again. If the issue continues, then change the relays. No luck, then check the aux light switch, if the switch is faulty. If it continues again, then get rid of the aux connections completely.

I still have not visited the RE service centre.  It is way too crowded, but I have my 2nd service due anyway. So maybe, I can then have them inspect the bike thoroughly too. Hoping this issue ends soon...

Life as of now, lets me swing a leg on my motorcycle only once or twice a week. Every single time that I do so now, I first have to find someone who would kick-tow me till speeds over 20-30 kmph, so that I can get the bike going in 2nd gear.

Heartbreaking!

If anyone knows of a procedure to fix this exact issue, which I should follow, please do share...

Update 2

Since the last update, tried to fire it up twice on alternate days - the bike started just fine.

Battery in place is the one which I had purchased, to replace the stock unit which came with the bike. Returned the Exide battery back to the dealer.

Going to leave the bike parked till Wednesday evening now.

*Fingers Crossed*

2nd periodic service scheduled for next weekend.

Update 3

After a 5-day gap, fired it up. It started with no drama at all! Took it for a 20 km spin to celebrate.

So I guess, the relay was faulty. Will replace them with brand new ones during 2nd service in the coming days. Then monitor it by keeping the bike standing still for a week again.

Hope this is the end of this battery problem.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

My father bought a Mahindra XUV400 so we sold the Bullet 350X as it was not being used and was also less comfortable than the restored Thunderbird TwinSpark.

BHPian SpyderTBTS recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

Hi everyone, I wanted to share my experience with the Royal Enfield Thunderbird Twinspark. Without any further explanation, I am directly getting into the topic.

The Thunderbird Twinspark was bought by my father on February 28, 2009. At that time, I was 6. I got really attracted to the bike the first time I saw it ( after the delivery ). Till that time, I really didn’t like Royal Enfield mainly due to its DUG-DUG sound and the old classic-looking model. But this one appealed to me. From that day, I imagined myself riding the bike when I would reach the age of getting a driver's license. The bike didn’t cause any major trouble for my father. At that time, I was hearing from everywhere that Royal Enfields, especially the new UCEs are not reliable and get major engine problems.

This is the pic of the Thunderbird in 2011 when it was used by my father

A few years later, the bike has gone through a lot of use, 11 years (2020), 70,000 kms, regular periodic maintenance, the sprag clutch giving up in 3rd year 2 times, the tachometer and the fuel meter stopped working at the 4th year, my father decided to sell the bike and buy a new BS6 Bullet 350x. I was 17 at that time and it made me sad because I could not experience driving it as I didn’t have a driver’s license. Then on March 21,2020, he sold the bike through OLX and after the Corona Lockdown, on June 6, he took the delivery of the Bullet 350x Royal Blue.

But even after that, I kept a contact with the guy who bought the Thunderbird. 3 years later, in 2023, I contacted him to enquire whether he is interested in selling it back to me. On September 9, 2023 my mother bought back the Thunderbird, as she was also very much attached to the bike like me.

This is when we bought it back

Immediate service and general checkup after getting the bike

That was the first time I was riding the bike and suddenly I was comfortable with it. More comfortable than the Bullet 350x. It had many signs of ageing, the bend pipe fully rusted, the painted parts became much more dull, the engine had a tappet sound, all the shiny parts were dull. The age of the bike was 14.5 years. Then we decided to restore it before doing the fitness test. After buying the Thunderbird, I rarely took the Bullet 350x. My father also took a new car, The Mahindra XUV 400 EV. Since it was an EV he also stopped taking the bike. So we decided to sell the Bullet 350x as we were not at all using it and the Thunderbird had more comfort for both the rider and pillion.

This was my Bullet 350x which we sold.

We replaced the full clutch assembly also

So after selling it, we started to restore the Thunderbird to Stock condition. I wanted the bike to be like how it was when it was delivered to my father. So I did not want to change the color. I wanted to keep the same color, it was red. I also wanted to electroplate all the chrome parts so that they would look new. The bike was completely disassembled and all the parts which required plating were given for the plating work. Meanwhile, the fuel tank, the mudflaps, the side boxes and the chassis was being painted. Then the engine head was disassembled and the pushrods, the tappets, the oil pump, rocker arms, and the camwheels were changed to a new one. Then the pistons and the cylinder were reconditioned and the engine was assembled back. This made all the tappet noise gone and the engine was much silent. We also changed the Sprag Clutch assembly and the Starter Motor which made the self start working after a long 11 years. Then the engine was assembled back and the bike was reassembled. The bike was completely changed, and many people started asking if it was a new bike. The restoration and all the associated works cost me around a lakh. Now I plan to keep it and not sell it.

Photos before restoration

Photos from the start of the restoration

This is before restoration

This is after restoration

I will tell you about the full ownership experience for the past 15 years in another thread. It will be a long thread, so for now I am stopping here.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

I loved her like a temperamental mistress. For the two years it was with us, it was equal parts joy and frustration. I will always miss my Royal Enfield.

BHPian SithDefender recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

Phoenix - the saga of my Interceptor 650 (now sold)

It was on Dec 10, 2018 that I first went to see the new Interceptor 650 in the showroom. It was a Silver Spectre color, and I thought it looked smashing! My only previous experience was on an RD350 for a very brief time when I borrowed it from a friend, and that was a scary and visceral experience. I am a sedate rider, so I felt that this big (for me) 650cc twin was frankly overkill. Yet somewhere along the ride back, I felt this tug like an illogical first love that cannot be rationalised or reasoned with.

In the meantime, I was also checking out almost every other bike like the new Jawa 42, the improved BMW G 310 GS, etc. But on Dec 28 of that very year, my beacon led me back to the Interceptor.

I noticed some things this time:

• The Interceptor ran quite hot!
• The power delivery was very sweet though.
• The turning radius felt slightly wider and cumbersome.
• As numerous reviewers on t-bhp have noted, the foot-pegs get in the way and are a chore.
• The seat, or the lack thereof... The seat was useless and felt uncomfortable.
• It also felt rather heavy while reversing down a slope or in tight traffic.

Meanwhile, my close friend and colleague got his Ravishing Red and boy was it a looker! I preferred the white Baker Express, but both these were priced at a premium. I made up my mind that IF I were to buy, it would be the all-black Mark III instead, as it was not very expensive and had a certain stealth look.

My efforts to keep my mind away from the 650 grew more and more difficult as my friend lent me his bike at times, or I would go pillion on it. Our respect for this game-changer from RE knew no bounds. RE had truly stretched the boundaries by offering this phenomenal twin-cylinder at this shocker of a price! My friend started accessorizing it and I felt the bike became even more desirable. Mentally, I started to make a list of things I would change, starting with those darned seats. He had added extra foam to the seats and made it better.

This is an excerpt from what I wrote one day after riding it:

What I appreciate is how smooth the engine feels. It feels like a long stroke. It has so much torque at the first gear that it is almost obscene. And the power keeps on coming in droves. It's the easy nature of the twin cylinder setup, because the other bikes feel stressed out and nearly at the limit of their single cylinder engines at the peak of their power. The Interceptor is just waking up with plenty more power at that stage.

On Mar 2, 2020, I went and test-rode an Orange Crush again. This time, I could feel the footpegs almost wrestling with me. It was very irritating. I also have this weird problem where my wrists and tendons tend to hurt when I hold thin flat handlebars (even on scooters). Rounded grips like the Meteor/Thunderbird and the Mahindra Mojo do not cause this issue, probably because of better contouring. So the Interceptor hurt my wrists and I felt that I had to leave this excellent product because of its ergonomics. (Interestingly, the newer 2024 Interceptors have rounded grips which are a step in the right direction).

A few discussions later, the YOLO effect kicked in. It had to be a twin cylinder, no more single cylinders for me. Finally, I plonked down the advance for a Mark III black bike, and it arrived on June 08, 2020!

Pehla nasha, pehla khumar

During random searches, I found this very cool-looking Triumph and fell in love with that seat:

So I contacted Sahara Seats and they customised and sent one pronto. It certainly looked the part but was not very comfortable since it needed more padding on the rider seat, not scoop it out. Not their fault, I had specified this. But I still thought this would work (rather foolishly I must add) :

The handlebar was also a big pain on my shoulders, so I swapped it with an Art of Motorcycles make. It was certainly better and alleviated the pain to some extent. Also had fork gaitors attached from the showroom, added a Zana crash guard and a lovely saddlestay with a backrest from JB Racing. I also had ceramic coating done. It was looking almost perfect now.

On one ride out, I christened her Phoenix :

I had never customized a bike before, and this set me down a rabbit hole. In due time, we added a Dominar handlebar with HDT handlebar risers and even a set of the famous Grip Puppies. Also changed to Avenger handlebar mirrors.

I also had a chance to go with my friend on a short riding trip. It remains, to date, my favourite trip. People would turn around and look when these twins would rumble down the road.

My friend had installed Swagman exhausts. They have this delectable "barrrp" sound! I looked around and got second-hand AEW T201 silencers for a steal. This was just delicious to hear, with a throaty growl when revved and some fantastic pops when coming down the revs. It also helped enhance that retro look and differentiate it from the GT650 exhausts.

A year later, the honeymoon was over. No matter what I tried, I could not address the basic ergonomic issues of the Interceptor. I loved her like a temperamental mistress, but there comes a time when you must put your foot down for your own sanity. And there was no question of it remaining a garage queen just for status.

Even a small ride would hurt my wrists, shoulders, back and legs so much. The Wife was also not happy with the hard seats and the suspension. It got to a point where she started refusing to come on the bike anymore. And so, with a heavy heart, I decided to let her go (the bike, not the Wife!).

The guilt was very high. It was the most expensive Covid-time purchase, and I had already spent a lot on accessories and stuff.

On Sep 09, 2022, I sold the bike. For the two years it was with us, it was equal parts joy and frustration. Farewell, dear Phoenix, I will always miss you.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

I am a sucker for neo-classics and my dream bike is the Triumph Speed Twin 1200. I also like some of the Royal Enfields like the Shotgun 650, Guerrilla 450, and the Scram 411.

BHPian hot_wheels recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

Okay, so I decided to return to motorcycling after almost 15 years. I am in my early 40s. After getting married, I gave up motorcycling (not consciously) and completely used cars for both commute and long trips. Now, I started to miss the joy of motorcycling and want to slowly get into it. Although I want to eventually get a higher capacity tourer (preferably a sports tourer), I am thinking of starting with a decent low-capacity city bike to say dip my toes and see how it goes. I also have a back issue from a past injury, so want to take it slow to begin with. My current use case will be occasional city commutes and weekend city outskirts rides with friends.

I am a sucker for neo-classics and my dream bike is the Triumph Speed Twin 1200. I also like some of the REs like the Shotgun 650, Guerrilla 450, and the Scram 411. I like the Triumph Scrambler 400 X as well. I am 6'1'', so would appreciate a riding stance that is not too cramped. So far I have test driven only the Guerrilla. While the bike looks good and feels powerful, I felt the bike is too low-slung and the pedal placement too high that it didn't feel very comfortable.

Ultimately I prefer a neo-classic roadster/scrambler design. I am not interested in the Himalayan as it's very purpose-built and I don't want to ride an ADV in the city. I was also a bit overwhelmed by Bangalore traffic when I test rode the Guerrilla. Taking the handlebar after so many years I experienced the insane chaos of the Bangalore traffic, particularly the two-wheelers, autos, and mini trucks. I know I will get used to it shortly but it would immensely benefit me if my future bike is relatively easy to manoeuvre in the city. That said for me beauty and proportion are very very important and it doesn't matter how good the bike is to ride if I don't stare at it to derive pleasure.

I request experienced T-BHP bikers to offer their pearls of wisdom to help me find the right one for my needs and tastes.

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

More often than not, I find myself recommending the Triumph Scrambler 400x for some or the other reason.

At 6'1, the tall stance of the Scrambler 400x would suit you perfectly. It has good low end torque so city riding won't be difficult, capable on the highways, linear power delivery which won't feel scary (since you will be starting to ride after many years of gap). Very comfortable ergonomics. The front brakes are spongy. But from what I've read, switching to sintered brake pads improves the experience.

Other than this, In case you want a more chill ride with lower power, you can try the Suzuki V-Strom 250. It isn't really an adventure bike but more of a comfortable adv looking sports tourer which can do a bit of "bad roading". It also has comfortable ergonomics, smooth engine, linear power delivery.

So my vote goes for Triumph Scrambler 400x followed by Suzuki V-Strom 250. Both will fulfil your requirements.

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

I would strongly recommend you to check out the BSA Gold Star 650. It is a surprisingly fantastic bike. I am in the same age group and 6' and found the Gold Star had a very comfortable seating posture. The bike has good low end to potter around in the city and yet it can pull fast enough that it is faster to 100 than the Interceptor!

Below that I would suggest either the Scrambler 400x or the Scram 411.

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

Good to see that you want to get back to motorcycling. You are part of the rising trend captured in this thread.

I think you have captured some pertinent points very well. I would like to point them out a bit more for your consideration.

• 15 yr hiatus from biking and mainly using a car means you are not used to the agility required for bikes
• In the last 15 years bikes have gotten heavier. Significantly.
• Riding a motorcycle beyond an hour at a stretch requires a good core and back. You have a bad back.
• Plus during the test ride, you were slightly out of sync in the traffic

What if after a couple of rides, you realise that this motorcycling business is too much to handle and is affecting your back? You realise it's not worth the trouble to spoil your back and disrupt your regular life.

The 400cc and above used bike market is full of low-run specimens. The higher CC you go, the more you see its prevalence. Because people buy the bikes but then realise that either time, health, other commitments or all are not permitting enough riding to justify a vehicle at home.

Hence, my contrarian view will be, Buy a Used Xpulse. Ride it for 6 months to see how motorcycling fits back into your life. Once you have a little more clarity, buy a bigger bike.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

The reflective performance of the reflectors used on the bikes may not meet the required standards.

Royal Enfield has recalled a batch of motorcycles over faulty rear and side reflectors. The recall affects motorcycles manufactured between November 2022 and March 2023.

According to Royal Enfield, the reflective performance of the reflectors used on the bikes may not meet the required standards. Hence, the company has decided to replace the reflectors on all motorcycles manufactured between the said period across all markets.

The recall will be conducted in a phased manner, starting with South Korea, the USA, and Canada; followed by India, Brazil, Latin America, Europe, and the UK.

Royal Enfield’s service teams will contact the owners of the affected motorcycles. The replacement of the side and rear reflectors will take approximately 15 minutes. The replacement will be done free of charge.

The Himalayan 450, equipped with tubeless wire-spoke wheels, is priced at Rs 2,96,000.

Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 customers now get the option of tubeless spoked rims. The wheels are available as an accessory through the ‘Make it Yours’ platform and are priced at Rs 11,000.

Existing Himalayan 450 owners will be able to purchase the new tubeless rims from their nearest dealership from October 3. However, these will cost Rs 12,424.

Tubeless tyres are easier to repair in case of a puncture. They can be patched up without removing the tyre off the rim, using a regular puncture repair kit.

The Royal Himalayan 450 was launched almost a year ago. Until now, the bike was only offered with tubed spoked wheels, although there were a few aftermarket solutions available.

The Himalayan 450, equipped with tubeless wire-spoke wheels, is priced at Rs 2,96,000 (ex-showroom, Chennai).

After about six months of discussion/ argument between the two - in which I had to play the role of a mediator, wifey softened her stance and granted permission.

BHPian Sommos recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

Always had the desire to own a bike in my younger days - but as fate would have it, first my father did not approve and then my wife did not agree. Now, in my fifties the desire to have a bike would normally never come to my mind. But suddenly, out of the blue, when one day my son very casually expressed his dream/ desire to own a RE some day in the future, a lot of argument started in the house. Wifey was still dead against the idea of a bike while my son had already started saving money from day one. For introduction, my son has just completed his engineering and joined service in July 2023. This would be his first bike but I know that he often rides bike belonging to office colleague which happens to be a RE Classic 350.

After about six months of discussion/ argument between the two - in which I had to play the role of a mediator, wifey softened her stance and granted permission. The next part was a surprise for me - for I thought that my son would opt for any normal 350CC bike. But he was fixated on the Continental GT in mind. On my request he agreed to test drive the GT and the Shotgun before he takes a final decision - the SM did not appeal to him.

Finally, after two back-to-back test drives of both the bikes, the Shotgun 650 in Stencil White colour was chosen for the comfort factor and the posture. Due to certain issues with documentation (notarised rent agreement was not accepted as per the Pune dealers) it was decided that I would book the bike here at Chandrapur. Additional benefit was that I can even get a BH registration in my name.

The bike was booked on 01/09/2024 and the local dealer went to great length to get the delivery on 10/09/2024. PDI was done same day and clearance was given to proceed for registration. RTO inspection etc has been completed but due to continuous holidays from 13/09/2024 to 17/09/2024 the registration is still pending for final approval in the system. In the meanwhile the bike was delivered to me on 16/09/2024. Some of the accessories were still in transit and none had been fitted at the time of delivery.

A picture of the bike - the person driving is a colleague :-

The bike will be with me for some time till registration is complete and then I will have to find a way to transport the bike to Pune. I'm now using the bike for my daily commute to office and it has covered 50 KM. Enjoying riding a bike again after maybe 20 years.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

I have completed the coding part and printed the mountings using a 3D printer. Now, what is left is the assembly.

BHPian pragyaal recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

I am working on a BLDC for my Royal Enfield Shotgun 650.

Problem

My Shotgun is currently Motoverse edition, which came with the bar-end mirrors, which are useless. The blind spots are a real problem. Even the normal mirrors on REs are not good at all. On a lighter note, I think these RE mirrors should be banned.

Solution

I came up with a solution of creating an ultrasonic sensor and connected it to a cell phone for now.

Current work

I have completed the coding part and printed the mountings with a 3D printer. Now, what is left is the assembly. I'm just sharing some pics.

What is next

Next is proper casing and putting complete stuff on the bike. I might also add some wiring to the mirrors so that I can have LEDs glowing behind them like in cars.

I need some ideas from everyone about how they would like these things to be set up on their bikes. Does it really make sense to do this, or does anyone see any safety concerns, etc.?

Pics

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

Great concept, but I think the use of the phone is unnecessary. You could use a small 7 segment display or simply RGB LEDs mounted near the mirrors to show the presence behind.

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

I have been using blind spot mirrors on all my vehicles since many years. They are the first accessory that I fix on my new vehicle at the showroom itself at the time of delivery. The pair of mirrors cost about Rs 250 and are extremely useful and I have been so accustomed to having them on my RVMs that I feel uncomfortable without them (when driving/riding friend's vehicle).

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

The Classic 650 will be the fifth model to use the 648cc, twin-cylinder engine.

The Royal Enfield Classic 650 has been spied completely undisguised ahead of launch. What appears to be a pre-production version of the bike was spotted somewhere in the UK.

The Classic 650 will be the fifth model to use the 648cc, twin-cylinder engine. It is likely to be launched at EICMA 2024.

The Classic 650 looks similar to the 350cc version. It has a circular headlamp and a teardrop-shaped fuel tank finished in a dual-tone shade of maroon and white. It also appears to sport a retro-style Royal Enfield logo.

The Classic 650 rides on shiny spoke wheels, and has a chrome engine case and dual pea-shooter exhausts. The bike is equipped with a telescopic fork at the front and dual shock absorbers at the rear. It has disc brakes at both ends.

Source: Rushlane

I could easily imagine myself cruising down the highway, munching miles with ease, with that twin exhaust symphony in the background.

BHPian Boringrider recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

Recently took 2 test rides of the Shotgun and man it is mighty impressive. First was a no questions asked, ride however long you want to in which I would have covered around 10-15 kms beyond which I started feeling guilty so just returned it back. And the second one today was a short one for around 2-3 kms. I was raving so much about the BSA Goldstar as will be evident in that thread but today it was very clear that this was it. I had that moment in my head while riding where it really clicks. Imagine that feeling when you are debating against 2 choices and then suddenly you can see with absolute certainty about what you will pick. That did happen today. I could easily imagine myself cruising down the highway, munching miles with ease, with that twin exhaust symphony in the background. Just wide smiles all over! The only thing I immediately started wishing for was if this bike had cruise control, it would be the perfect companion.
After returning the bike, I got some financing options from them and left the showroom.

I decided against the BSA due to its low seat height and the entire Classic Legends experience doesn't inspire confidence. The BSA is not an inferior product. For the first time, they have managed to put out a well made product but it's just not for me. Shorter riders will enjoy their time on it, not me. Shotgun is also on the lower side for me (6'3") but it felt much more natural and relaxed, relative to the Goldstar. 780 mm is just too low compared to the RE's 795mm.

And now, the race to "save up" the funds begins. Modern Yezdis don't seem to get decent resale values. I will try my luck with OLX but there is a long time to go. By that time, I am guessing the Classic 650 will be out. Interesting to see how they make that happen because this already feels like a much bigger Classic 350 to ride. Suggestions on other potential upgrade options are welcome.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.