[samarth.bhatia]

Hi,

Amazing pictures there. Proper drool-worthy stuff!

Can you please share more pics of your Bhutan travels? It would awesome if you'd put up a travelogue of the same

Look forward to it..

Cheers and keep ridin' safe!
Sam

[//M]

It has been a while since I updated this thread.

My Desert Storm has completed 17000 kms now in 17 months of ownership so far. In the last few months there have some niggles, but everything has been rectified now. Now the Desert Bull has got a new battery, a new drive chain, new chain cover, new sprockets, a new clutch cable, a new air filter and the engine oil and oil filter have also been replaced.

There had been a little issue with the rear suspension as the bike used to wobble sideways at speeds less than 40 kph. The suspension issue was rectified and the wheels were aligned.

I haven't got enough chance to ride my Bull due to a lot of outstation trips in the last two months. Another reason is that post cyclone Phailin, Ranchi is seeing a lot of rains so have not got many opportunities to ride. I will update this thread as I clock up more kms on the odo.

A recent pic of my Desert Storm:

[jundi]

Originally Posted by //M

Few pics that shows the inconsistent paint job around the edges and also a scratch in the rear fender that happened due to the rear seat removal while I was getting seat covers for the DS500. Sadly the paint job is a big concern even in the 2012 Enfield's.

My rear fender also got scratched because of the pillion seat rubbing against it.

How did you get it fixed? and how can it be prevented?

[//M]

Originally Posted by jundi

My rear fender also got scratched because of the pillion seat rubbing against it.

How did you get it fixed? and how can it be prevented?

I have not yet found a permanent solution to it. Little touch-ups can hide the scratch to some extent though.

[saket77]

Amazing thread there Arunabh. Thanks for pointing me to it. And you surely have wheels under your feet!
The RE looks amazing and one who is fascinated by it, can only own an RE. It can never happen by chance. BTW, among the pictures, I saw some pictures shot in Shyamali colony (& HEC, etc). Any chance that you have been living in shyamali? And great shots of places near Ranchi, which is typical of your travel threads.

Regards,
Saket

[Fullrevs]

Great thread and it has been an absolute pleasure reading through it. Your bike has been to some really exotic locations and kudos to you for really "tripping" with the awesome DS 500.

I got mine in Nov, 2013 and haven't yet taken it anywhere on a long distance ride. The longest being 50km out of Bangalore and back. It has clocked a measly 1300km over the past 5 months. So hoping to take it to nearby locations as the weather also seems perfect for a long ride.

So any modifications or upgrades planned for the bike? New seat, handlebar or a new exhaust? Do keep us in the loop.

Amazing photography to compliment your journeys. You should send some of them to RE.

[//M]

Originally Posted by saket77

Amazing thread there Arunabh. Thanks for pointing me to it. And you surely have wheels under your feet!
The RE looks amazing and one who is fascinated by it, can only own an RE. It can never happen by chance. BTW, among the pictures, I saw some pictures shot in Shyamali colony (& HEC, etc). Any chance that you have been living in shyamali? And great shots of places near Ranchi, which is typical of your travel threads.

Regards,
Saket

Thank You Sir for all the appreciation.

I stay in Doranda, North Office Para to be precise. Do you, by any chance, live in Shyamali Colony?

Originally Posted by Fullrevs

Great thread and it has been an absolute pleasure reading through it. Your bike has been to some really exotic locations and kudos to you for really "tripping" with the awesome DS 500.

I got mine in Nov, 2013 and haven't yet taken it anywhere on a long distance ride. The longest being 50km out of Bangalore and back. It has clocked a measly 1300km over the past 5 months. So hoping to take it to nearby locations as the weather also seems perfect for a long ride.

So any modifications or upgrades planned for the bike? New seat, handlebar or a new exhaust? Do keep us in the loop.

Amazing photography to compliment your journeys. You should send some of them to RE.

Thank You Fullrevs. I will surely mail some good clicks to RE

I am not sure if I'll go for any modifications in the near future. Yes I want a more comfortable seat and maybe a comfortable backrest for the pillion too. But the ones in the market look weird and wacky. I was toying up with the idea of retrofitting an Electra's seat but then it would have spoiled the good old looks of the Classic 500. So the plan is on hold till I find something good looking and comfortable. Maybe I can add a layer of cushion under the seat covers and cover it up snugly to make it comfortable without spoiling the looks.

[Fullrevs]

A BHP'ian has changed his seat as shown in the picture below. Looks like the perfect setting but I am thoughtful of the extra "spring" action the stock seat has, with this alteration that is gone. This is now available at ebay for a very competitive price.

[//M]

That's a good looking seat, fullrevs. Thanks for the pic.

Meanwhile, some pics of my Desert Storm during the weekend rides with fellow bulleteers and at times with the HOGS of Ranchi:

[//M]

Some pics of my Classic 500 Desert Storm taken during the One Ride on 6th April 2014.

Total kms covered: 150 kms

Route Taken: Ranchi-Pithoria-Patratu-Pithoria-Ormanjhi-Ukrid Nakwatoli-Ranchi

[//M]

At 19800 kms, the rear tyre on the Desert Storm has worn out so I recently purchased a Ceat Vertigo 120/80 R18 rear tyre for my Bull. It is a tubeless tyre and I also purchased a tube of the same size to go with the tyre. Since I am based out of Ranchi, there are very limited number of tyre shops here. I couldn't find any tyre shops selling a tube-type 120/80 section tyre and hence had to get a tubeless one. However I got a decent discount on the tyre so it more or less compensated my purchase of a tubeless tyre instead of a tube-type tyre. I am yet to fit the new tyre in the Desert Storm and will surely share my experience about the ride quality once I get it fitted.

Also my leather riding jacket had worn out and had got some bruises. So the hunt for an all-weather jacket was on. With the onset of summers, I was looking for a mesh jacket with a rain liner as I plan to take my Desert Storm to Sikkim next month. Finally decided on the Spartan Pro Gear Helios after hearing good reviews about this product. Ordered it through snapdeal as there's no authorised dealer in my city and the jacket was delivered today. It is indeed a very good riding jacket, specially for the summers with good body protection too.

Some pics of the rear tyre and the riding jacket:

Ceat Vertigo 120/80 R18




Spartan Pro Gear Helios Black XL

[//M]

Few days back, I did a 2179 kms roadtrip on the Desert Storm to North Sikkim and back.

Here's the travelogue: http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...bz-xtreme.html

[anandjha]

Originally Posted by //M

Few days back, I did a 2179 kms roadtrip on the Desert Storm to North Sikkim and back.

Here's the travelogue: http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...bz-xtreme.html

Had gone gone through your TL with great interest.

Could you please tell me how is the long distance riding comfort of DS. Want to go in for TB for this very reason but DS is pulling not just me but my entire family including my daughters towards it.

[The Great]

Originally Posted by //M

Few days back, I did a 2179 kms roadtrip on the Desert Storm to North Sikkim and back.

Here's the travelogue: http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...bz-xtreme.html

Read your travelogue and its simply wow. Beautiful Sikkim on a handsome bike, great combo.

I am so much inclined towards the Desert Storm but somehow can't make up my mind deciding which bull to buy, hence I would be really glad if you could also throw up some first hand info on the ownership and maintenance part. The sales guys are pathetic here in Mumbai and they show no interest whatsoever to discuss anything apart from bookings.

Cheers to many more kms of riding bro !

[//M]

Originally Posted by anandjha

Had gone gone through your TL with great interest.

Could you please tell me how is the long distance riding comfort of DS. Want to go in for TB for this very reason but DS is pulling not just me but my entire family including my daughters towards it.

Originally Posted by The Great

Read your travelogue and its simply wow. Beautiful Sikkim on a handsome bike, great combo.

I am so much inclined towards the Desert Storm but somehow can't make up my mind deciding which bull to buy, hence I would be really glad if you could also throw up some first hand info on the ownership and maintenance part. The sales guys are pathetic here in Mumbai and they show no interest whatsoever to discuss anything apart from bookings.

Cheers to many more kms of riding bro !

The DS500 is an amazing bike. Riding it has always been a pleasure, whatever maybe the terrain conditions. There have been minor niggles in the past, but I can live with it. The DS has made me fallen in love with it and every time I ride it, it feels magical. However, as far as comfort is concerned, there are more comfortable Enfield's available in the market. The Thunderbird is surely one of them.

I recently rode the Bullet 500 and was highly impressed. Supremely comfortable seats, smoother gearbox and that lovely forest green paint looks the part. Sure, it looks a little basic when compared to the more modern Thunderbird and the retro Classic but the Bullet 500 is an amazing cruiser. Perfect for long distance touring. Plus, it costs way less than the other 500cc Enfield's. It has no EFI, just a regular carburetor but then the carburetor is easier to clean than playing with the sensors in a EFI engine. Had I been in the market now, I would have surely taken a second look at the Bullet 500.