[Tgo]

Originally Posted by dhaval-mehta

Weren't the 500 tanks painted and pinstripped by hand? Do they have robots in the RE factory at Thiruvottiyur?

Picture taken from the article on ACI when RE announced their increased production capacity to 1,75,000 units a year. Its only the pin striping which is done by hand.

[narchennai]

Originally Posted by Tgo

Attachment 1117380

Picture taken from the article on ACI when RE announced their increased production capacity to 1,75,000 units a year. Its only the pin striping which is done by hand.

This is the new factory at Oragadam, Chennai where the paint shop is fully automated and only phosphating process is done manually. Finishing process is done by robots such that there is fine, even finish and less material wastage.

Engine is still assembled at Thiruvottiyur plant and brought to this plant and mated with the chasis. For that personal touch and magic pin-striping is still done by hand.

For more details see this video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0yoxmQFfjc

[TaurusAl]

Originally Posted by vinodv001

Got my Forest green 500 Std on last Thursday and really impressed with the power/ torque characteristic ( over 350). May be the first one delivered in Trivandrum.

All the excitement vanished next day morning as the bullet didn't start. It was starting with the choke and the moment choke is released, engine went off.

It was observed that inside of fuel tank is also painted with the same green colour, and started peeling off; this might have blocked fuel line/ carburetor.

Went to service centre to clean tank and carburetor and raised warranty claim for new tank. For the time being running on the faulty tank; please see the attached picture of fuel tank.

The showroom claims the two bullet 500s they have have similar fuel tank.

Oh man, nothing has changed and looks like nothing will change for a long time to come. Wondering which world RE is living in. I am awaiting mine since last 4 months, and seriously considering cancelling my booking looking at all of this.

[dhaval-mehta]

Originally Posted by TaurusAl

Oh man, nothing has changed and looks like nothing will change for a long time to come. Wondering which world RE is living in. I am awaiting mine since last 4 months, and seriously considering cancelling my booking looking at all of this.

Chill TaurusAI... Just wait a little more, it'll be worth it. RE was having a tough time for a couple of months now with all the shifting to the new plant at Oregaddam and introducing new machinery to cope up with the technology.

Just make sure you open the fuel tank cap and take a peek inside before you take your delivery though.

[abhjain]

Originally Posted by TaurusAl

Oh man, nothing has changed and looks like nothing will change for a long time to come. Wondering which world RE is living in. I am awaiting mine since last 4 months, and seriously considering cancelling my booking looking at all of this.

Exactly the reason why I don't feel like spending my hard earned money on a Bull. When will these guys learn ? Brings back my college memories when I used to spend all my pocket money to keep my machismo in a running condition!

[TaurusAl]

Originally Posted by abhjain

Exactly the reason why I don't feel like spending my hard earned money on a Bull. When will these guys learn ? Brings back my college memories when I used to spend all my pocket money to keep my machismo in a running condition!

I know I booked a TBTS thinking the build quality has improved. Even the new 500 Bullet looks well built. And then you come to know about something like this. RE guys are minting money on brand selling something which is not even worth at half the cost is what I feel now. I dont think im ready to wait more 6 months (total waiting period was 10 months when I booked) and get a piece of paint peeling scrap metal in my hand.

[rudrah]

Test drove the new Standard Bullet 500 carb version. Unfortunately they didn't had the new forest green shade. So got to test the black one.

Note: I drive a Pulsar 150 gen 1 since 2002 till date and my views are completely from a non-RE background.

The new 500 looks beautiful I should say. I am 5.9 in height and when I sat for the first time, the tank looked huge and massive to me! Wondering if a slim guy like me can handle this bike in traffic conditions!!

The new badge looked elegant.

The ride was awesome. Though it had lot of vibrations from the start to even at 40-50 speeds. Now users says it could be due to Test drive bike! It sent all those vibrations to my shoulders

Gear shifting was butter smooth, no false neutrals! excellent to manoeuver too. May not on sharp turns. Lastly the power! Uff..it kept begging me to push over and over...fantastic low end torque. You can easily pull it off from the higher gears even at lowest speeds. Something I terribly miss in my Pulsar.

Fit and finish looked excellent. Cannot judge about metal quality for rust exposure. It has a higher wattage of halogen bulbs than other bullets so illumination should be great. Rear tail lamp design is i guess the same like Classic models. Could have been a little bigger.

Sound exhaust was a typical bullet. Personally didn't feel to have a bigger thump.

Braking was good too. It has front disc. Both rear and front braking was upto my expectation.

Some few things i thought could have been added in this new upgrade:
1. Rear Disc
2. Fuel indicator
3. HID projector like in the new TB500
4. Bigger pilot lamps

Few pics that I took (excuse for the mobile camera quality)

[am1m]

Originally Posted by rudrah

Note: I drive a Pulsar 150 gen 1 since 2002 till date and my views are completely from a non-RE background.

Wondering if a slim guy like me can handle this bike in traffic conditions!!

Handling the bike will not be an issue, I know some pretty slim built people who ride Bullets with ease.

But, speaking from experience, the Bull will certainly be more of a pain in city traffic than a Pulsar. I used to use my Bull for the office commute. But after I bought a Pulsar and started using that for the daily commute, I use the Bull only for rides outside the city. In fact, on days when the Pulsar is being serviced, I take the bus rather than use the Bull in traffic! My advise would be to hang on to the Pulsar as well.

[rudrah]

Originally Posted by am1m

Handling the bike will not be an issue, I know some pretty slim built people who ride Bullets with ease.

But, speaking from experience, the Bull will certainly be more of a pain in city traffic than a Pulsar. I used to use my Bull for the office commute. But after I bought a Pulsar and started using that for the daily commute, I use the Bull only for rides outside the city. In fact, on days when the Pulsar is being serviced, I take the bus rather than use the Bull in traffic! My advise would be to hang on to the Pulsar as well.

Somewhat agree with you on using the Pulsar as stand by. But can you elaborate on what problems you face in your daily office commute?

Also the traffic conditions at your end was like bumper to bumper throughout? Bullet riders tell me the 500 will be a boon instead in city driving.

[am1m]

Originally Posted by rudrah

But can you elaborate on what problems you face in your daily office commute?

No problems using the Bull in traffic, it's just that once you get used to a lighter bike like the Pulsar in traffic, the extra weight and harder clutch of the Bullet seem like a pain in heavy traffic, that's all.

'Bumper-to-bumper' pretty much describes the Bangalore traffic situation on most days!

[rudrah]

Originally Posted by am1m

No problems using the Bull in traffic, it's just that once you get used to a lighter bike like the Pulsar in traffic, the extra weight and harder clutch of the Bullet seem like a pain in heavy traffic, that's all.

'Bumper-to-bumper' pretty much describes the Bangalore traffic situation on most days!

Oh may be I missed out adding in my earlier feedbacks that the clutch is very smooth and even the gear shifts. Upshift and downshift was smooth and so was the clutch. Clutch and gear feel was much better than my friend's RE 350 Classic.

But yeah after driving the bull when you drive a lighter vehicle, its like driving a cycle

[Pheonix]

Originally Posted by rudrah

Oh may be I missed out adding in my earlier feedbacks that the clutch is very smooth and even the gear shifts. Upshift and downshift was smooth and so was the clutch. Clutch and gear feel was much better than my friend's RE 350 Classic.

But yeah after driving the bull when you drive a lighter vehicle, its like driving a cycle

The new 500 is truly more refined than the 350 UCE in terms of gears,braking and clutch and is more "easier" to drive even in traffics. Only tricky situations where you might feel stressed is when you have a pillion and you have to drag the bike on clutch and your foot in 1st gear in B2B trafficsI commute to office on my 350 more than 80Kms daily and trust me the weight-balance of the bull gives you more steadyness in "slow-bike" race in heavy traffic and the power lets you pull it off easily and with more horses in the 500 that should be a breeze.

[mobike008]

Originally Posted by rudrah

Oh may be I missed out adding in my earlier feedbacks that the clutch is very smooth and even the gear shifts. Upshift and downshift was smooth and so was the clutch. Clutch and gear feel was much better than my friend's RE 350 Classic.

+1 on this point. I have driven a few 350cc Classic which were more or less same aged bikes as mine but perhaps run a little more. Their clutch was too hard and gear shifts dont happen as smooth as my 500cc Classic

Driving in traffic is painful due to the weight in the initial stage of ownership but as you get used to the bike, slotting in 1st gear and just lurching ahead is quite easy and smooth process.

Originally Posted by rudrah

But yeah after driving the bull when you drive a lighter vehicle, its like driving a cycle

Yet again agree with you here. I switch from my Pulsar 150 to Classic 500 sometimes a few times in same day and I feel like iam gliding in thin air when riding the pulsar.

Another important difference is since I like riding fast. I need to revv the pulsar much much more than the Classic 500 which just needs a short blip of the throttle to dart ahead.

[rudrah]

Further more good to hear is this new Bullet 500 comes from the new factory which has a good feedback on quality work!

Originally Posted by Pheonix

Only tricky situations where you might feel stressed is when you have a pillion and you have to drag the bike on clutch and your foot in 1st gear in B2B trafficsI commute to office on my 350 more than 80Kms daily and trust me the weight-balance of the bull gives you more steadyness in "slow-bike" race in heavy traffic and the power lets you pull it off easily and with more horses in the 500 that should be a breeze.

Originally Posted by mobike008

Driving in traffic is painful due to the weight in the initial stage of ownership but as you get used to the bike, slotting in 1st gear and just lurching ahead is quite easy and smooth process.

Thats exactly I was looking out to know from the bullet users on which part the bullet can unhappy and stress you out.

Good point by Phoenix about riding with the pillion in traffic condition on the bullet 500.

mobike008, thats what i tested during my test ride, amazingly it never made feel so. I was happily lurching around. It begs you to push the throttle and how it sweetly carries you!

The only part I didn't liked was the vibrations in the lower speeds. Is it by default behaviour or was it because of the test drive bike?

Also most expert reviewers on the internet commented that apart from 350cc, even this 500cc rattles from top to bottom once you cross 90 speeds! Too bad for a 500cc engine. Why couldnt they resolve this in this upgrade?

[mobike008]

Originally Posted by rudrah

The only part I didn't liked was the vibrations in the lower speeds. Is it by default behaviour or was it because of the test drive bike?

Also most expert reviewers on the internet commented that apart from 350cc, even this 500cc rattles from top to bottom once you cross 90 speeds! Too bad for a 500cc engine. Why couldnt they resolve this in this upgrade?

Iam extremely lucky to have a bike that is completely vibration free at any speeds until 100kmph+ speeds. This was experienced by another member (xydon) from Hyderabad who bought a C-500 and his new bike had way more vibrations than mine ( you can read his owernship thread on forum) and it was surprising to note that my bike was over a year old then and his was just a few days old and the newer bike had so much vibration

Basically it means quality of RE is inconsistent and depends on your luck and bike delivered to you (atleast thats my opinion) as there cannot be simply so many differences in same model

With regards to rattle, I dont think there is any rattle in any newer UCE 500cc bikes as the build quality of the overall bike is robust and strong but not necessarily tightly put together for the engine components.

However, the engine has vibrations after you cross a certain speed (over 100kmph in my case)