[thecdkfactor]

Ravi Sir,

I am facing the same Tank Paint Peeling problem. I will take it to Royal Enfield ASS this week. Hope the issue gets resolved just like yours. Thanks for sharing this!

I will post the pictures of the Tank tomorrow !

Originally Posted by ku69rd

Did you check if it was only for a batch of motorcycle they had this issue or was it a one off case?

I was told that all other models of RE had the red oxide coating against which there were some complaints. So, RE introduced this grey coating - called metal filler - specially for the new Thunderbirds. I was assured that I would not face any problem with the new tank.

Originally Posted by thecdkfactor

I am facing the same Tank Paint Peeling problem.

Please raise the issue with RE. I wish speedy resolution of your problem.

[CharlesA]

Same problem with the tank paint peeling off inside. Service centre is checking with RE. My battery and rear disc was already replaced. Wonder what happens after the warranty expires.

[Jimmy_u]

Hi Sir,

I had my TB 500 delivered on Monday, drove back to pune (188 Kms ) keeping in mind the recommendations from the earlier posts with you , rajneeesh, ebonho , ku69rd ,BigCat ,ArizonaJim..... hope i didnt forget anyone (apologies if I did) a BIG Thanks for all the help with my queries.

I will post the ownership thread soon however need some advice asap, I will be visiting the RE Dealership for some basis checks post the long drive.

1.ebonho , since you are in pune would you recommend any specific service center, I will be approaching Kunal (motocamp) as he is technically an expert and a close friend of my friend and is highly recommended.

2.the rear wheel is not rotating freely , may be the setting are a tad too tight however from many forums i understand that RE mechanics say this will go away with time, just drive the bike around

3.the headlight assembly was horribly misaligned, I had to get down in the Rain (i left Bombay around 6 pm , reached pune by 11.30 pm) practically had to twist & turn till i aligned it to the best i could for road visibility, any recommendations for fixing this.
currently the beam throw is tilted to the right so the beam is top left and bottom right

4.I see some rust on the chain, if that a matter or concern, anything suggestions

Sorry Sir I don't mean to hijack your thread, will post my experience in a new thread for now requesting suggestions.....

Originally Posted by Jimmy_u

I had my TB 500 delivered on Monday

Congratulations and best wishes, Jimmy_u. Explore and enjoy your ride. The issues you raised are common in new Royal Enfields. Nothing to worry. Raise them during the first free service and they will be resolved.

Sorry Sir I don't mean to hijack your thread, will post my experience in a new thread for now requesting suggestions.....

You are welcome to post here; no issues at all.

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by Jimmy_u

Hi Sir,

I had my TB 500 delivered on Monday, drove back to pune (188 Kms ) keeping in mind the recommendations from the earlier posts with you , rajneeesh, ebonho , ku69rd ,BigCat ,ArizonaJim..... hope i didnt forget anyone (apologies if I did) a BIG Thanks for all the help with my queries.

I will post the ownership thread soon however need some advice asap, I will be visiting the RE Dealership for some basis checks post the long drive.

Congrats on your bike Jimmy. Use her well!

1.ebonho , since you are in pune would you recommend any specific service center, I will be approaching Kunal (motocamp) as he is technically an expert and a close friend of my friend and is highly recommended.

Yup, he's good at his work.

2.the rear wheel is not rotating freely , may be the setting are a tad too tight however from many forums i understand that RE mechanics say this will go away with time, just drive the bike around

I was going to suggest arcing the rear brake shoes till I remembered that Bullets nowadays have rear disc brakes .....

3.the headlight assembly was horribly misaligned, I had to get down in the Rain (i left Bombay around 6 pm , reached pune by 11.30 pm) practically had to twist & turn till i aligned it to the best i could for road visibility, any recommendations for fixing this.
currently the beam throw is tilted to the right so the beam is top left and bottom right

Get it aligned and focused properly at night. Probably knocked around during transport.

4.I see some rust on the chain, if that a matter or concern, anything suggestions

No problem. Its monsoon time, in Mumbai. And the bikes come from Chennai. Both coastal saline areas. Any unused chain will pick up rust spots. Will disappear with lube and first use.

Originally Posted by J.Ravi

Today, my Blue Bird got a new petrol tank fitted at Royal Enfield company-owned service station at OMR, Chennai.

It's time for a photo op with the new tank.











Some unknown useless fellow successfully disfigured my Blue Bird's rear registration number plate by unsuccessfully trying to peel off the Ashoka chakra hologram.

[ku69rd]

Originally Posted by Jimmy_u

Hi Sir,
3.the headlight assembly was horribly misaligned,

4.I see some rust on the chain, if that a matter or concern, anything suggestions

Mate first of all congratulations on your bike and do post some photos.
When you say headlight assembly was misaligned was it out of bounds from the stays? Am trying to better understand the situation

Regarding the rust apply some WD-40 but do not let it to drip excessively. That should solve the issue. It is a myth that it should not be sprayed on chains which is not true. Use WD-40 to arrest Rust where all you see the surface rust.

Originally Posted by J.Ravi

It's time for a photo op with the new tank.

Wow she is new again Sir, congratulations. I did check out the new tanks in a showroom in bangalore. Appears that the company has made corrections and they are not being painted anymore. Thanks Heavens for that.

[Vihari]

Originally Posted by J.Ravi

comments:
[i]'Does he require this huge bike at his age?'

Sir, this is really encouraging for me. I am 44 years old and I want to buy a TB. Ofcourse I want to go for a pre-owned one (for the cost factor) and that too a 350cc model.

Why I want to buy a RE TB is that I have a back problem and since was adviced to not to use my old HH splendor and I am commuting only in my car which is Maruti Ritz. But the problem is, the traffic of Hyderabad. For most of the time I travel either in 1st or 2nd gear with clutch and my back problem gets aggravated and my left leg suffers most with pain. So I thought having a bike with a good suspension and also a comfortable seating position will be helpful.

But, as i said in my first para, family and friends say the same words. I am also not heavily built and I stand at 5 ft 6 in only. So I dont know about how I can handle thee bikes weight and whether my assumption of having a comfortable ride is true or not.

I am not able to make up my mind but personally I feel it will be a lot comfortable to ride a TB than drive my car in this dirty traffic.

Any how, thanks for your informative thread sir.

- Sai

[Jimmy_u]

Originally Posted by ku69rd

Mate first of all congratulations on your bike and do post some photos.
When you say headlight assembly was misaligned was it out of bounds from the stays? Am trying to better understand the situation


Regarding the rust apply some WD-40 but do not let it to drip excessively. That should solve the issue. It is a myth that it should not be sprayed on chains which is not true. Use WD-40 to arrest Rust where all you see the surface rust.

hi ku69rd,

Thanks.

the headlight was angled very near the bike, example, the upper was where the dipper should be , the dipper was further lower down, could not see far away when riding the highway. hence had to adjust it. the throw of the light is tilted a little as well, which cannot be resolved as per RE service center.

Visited Kunal's workshop, he resolved few issues which i will post in the ownership thread soon, the bike after his work is running much better.He used motul for cleaning and lubing the chain

1. issue which is prevalent when shifting from 2nd to 3rd requires a lot of effort, have to force the change rather than smooth transition, am informed that this will go away with time
2.cannot find neutral when the bike is running when i stop at a signal
need to shut off the bike and neutral is found easily.

Will post the ownership thread soon.

Originally Posted by Vihari

I am not able to make up my mind but personally I feel it will be a lot comfortable to ride a TB than drive my car in this dirty traffic.

Yes, riding a bike is definitely easier and a lot more comfortable than driving a car in the city traffic. But, if it is only for commuting, you can choose any 150 cc commuter bike, or better, a scooter. Thunderbirds are meant for highway cruising plus city riding. So, first decide the purpose, and then, the bike. You can test-ride a Thunderbird, not once, but many times from different dealers and satisfy yourself of your capabilities in handling a Thunderbird. I don't think Thunderbirds are meant for pehlwans only.

[chotu_r]

Originally Posted by Vihari

Why I want to buy a RE TB is that I have a back problem and since was adviced to not to use my old HH splendor and I am commuting only in my car which is Maruti Ritz. But the problem is, the traffic of Hyderabad. For most of the time I travel either in 1st or 2nd gear with clutch and my back problem gets aggravated and my left leg suffers most with pain. So I thought having a bike with a good suspension and also a comfortable seating position will be helpful.

TB old model should be available quite cheap.... my mech tells me my 1 year old TB 2011 model which is in prime condition wont fetch more than 80k! of course, i take his words with a pinch of salt.

I have taken TD of new TB and felt that one sits lower on it compared to the old model. Weight did not feel to be a problem to me. Lugging the old TB around (or being lugged around by it) is quite a pain in Hyderabad traffic, you simply cant squeeze into some gaps in traffic. God forbid, you should not find yourself stuck with this bike in the old city area! You could also take TD of Avenger which has similar seat and sitting position, albeit with the legs stretched out a bit. But i felt it was a pain to put my feet down frequently in traffic conditions. It might be more suited for your height also.

If what you are looking for is a bike which supports a straight back sitting position, why dont you consider a Unicorn or any of the 100cc brigade? They are really handy when it comes down to zipping through Hyd traffic.

Originally Posted by J.Ravi

You can test-ride a Thunderbird, not once, but many times from different dealers

What a suggestion sirji! This has me ROFL I kept on bothering the same dealer, other dealers were simply too far away!

Originally Posted by Jimmy_u

the headlight was angled very near the bike, example, the upper was where the dipper should be , the dipper was further lower down, could not see far away when riding the highway. hence had to adjust it. the throw of the light is tilted a little as well, which cannot be resolved as per RE service center.


1. issue which is prevalent when shifting from 2nd to 3rd requires a lot of effort, have to force the change rather than smooth transition, am informed that this will go away with time
2.cannot find neutral when the bike is running when i stop at a signal
need to shut off the bike and neutral is found easily.

since your high beam and low beam are pointing in different directions towards right and left, i think that RE messed up in the production itself. if both were pointing towards either left or right, it might have been that the stays are bent. IMHO i think you should ask for a new headlamp assembly.

1.this issue went away with time on my bike. but my friends still complain about it occassionally. maybe i got used to it. i think the trick is to shift above 2k rpm.
2.my bike had the problem of neutral between every gear!

[rajneeesh]

Originally Posted by J.Ravi

Yes, riding a bike is definitely easier and a lot more comfortable than driving a car in the city traffic. But, if it is only for commuting, you can choose any 150 cc commuter bike, or better, a scooter. Thunderbirds are meant for highway cruising plus city riding. So, first decide the purpose, and then, the bike. You can test-ride a Thunderbird, not once, but many times from different dealers and satisfy yourself of your capabilities in handling a Thunderbird. I don't think Thunderbirds are meant for pehlwans only.

Totally with you on this. I stand 5'6 and weigh 60 Kg. No problems at all. Putting the vehicle on the main stand does take some effort, however i generally use the side stand. However, pushing a punchered bike will be a nightmare.

[ArizonaJim]

@Vihari

I think J.Ravi makes some excellent points. The smaller, lighter weight motorcycles might be more suitable for your condition but I think a person with a back ailment should give the whole idea some serious thought.

IMO, riding a motorcycle requires the full use of a persons body and all parts need to be in good condition.

A person suffering from a back problem may need to exert themselves when at a stop to keep the bike upright and this may lead to problems.

While a healthy person may only suffer some minor cuts and abrasions if they are involved in an accident, a person with a pre-existing back problem may suffer a worsening of their ailment.

When I crashed my BMW at a fairly low speed my helmet, leather jacket and gloves protected me from most of the possible injuries but my back was twisted as the bike went down.
It took me a good 3 months before my severe back pains finally went away.

Being a person who loves riding motorcycles and likes to see others take up riding it pains me to have to say this but, I suggest that you look for a automobile with an automatic transmission.

Such a car would eliminate your problem with slow stop and go traffic and there would be less of a chance of you compounding your back problem if you were involved in an accident.

[Smokeymist]

Hi Folks, I own a TB500 purchased in Mar'13 and i have clocked 4k+ kms now and i drive 60 kms daily.

I have observed that the catalytic converter is discoloring like hot iron. is it normal? i got it checked at the service station, initially they said they will replace, later they claimed that it is common across all 500 cc engines. is it so?

Also, need advice on following,

1) I am planning to use synthetic oil going forward, will it help in my engine maintenance significantly?
2) Is there any air-filter model from K & N which is compatible with TB500?? If yes, will it help the performance in any way??

Any suggestions are really helpful.

Thanks
Mist!!