[tharian]

Originally Posted by masterChief007

Great going tharian !! Your machine is one of the good ones..

Not just that it was a good piece, there was lot of time spent on it over the initial years too.
Weekends at the mechanic, sometimes to my old mechanic in Mysore for annual services and most of all, mechanical empathy. Run the engine for couple of minutes after a cold start, very rarley pushing the engine more than it is comfortable , regular oil service every year without fail. All these plus the simple engine is what made it last this long.

Hoping your bike does well since that engine has quite a bit of life left.

[tharian]

One of the main reasons that my Bullet still chugs along today with no major work although it has run so much, was my mechanic since 2003, Muneerbhai.

After the first year of ownership and fed up with Teknik motors service mainly because of the wait times, I got to know of Muneer who was a legend in getting Bullets back to their best condition, especially when it came to tuning the carb and CB points. I remember sitting with my ears peeled in his garage, listening to a well tuned heavy crank Bullet which was like music to my ears.
He was a known mechanic in the era of cast irons and AVL's not just in Bangalore, and had modified and restored plenty of bikes. Most of them were owned by the late Prashanth PK. These were tastefully done and not some 'Shivajinagar' style modifications. These bikes were used for rallying, track racing and restored for collectors.

The first ten years of my bike, I used to visit his garage every weekend for some small work or the other or at times found a reason to go, just to see the bikes that come there. There used to be bikes that were doing all India tours that used to come to his garage to get a quick service. Lots of foreigners who owned Bullets were his customers and it was interesting to see the kind of mods they had on their bikes. Most of them were riding across the country. At one point of time, most of the RTMC( Rolling Thunder Motorcycle Club) bikes used to be at his garage.
He was one of the first mechanics to make the BSA Goldstar replica exhaust for Bullets and the exhaust note they made was something I used to die for. I got one made for my CI500 before I did my Kanyakumari ride and I remember Bullet riders looking at it during the trip as it was something totally different from the usual exhaust. He was also known for the CI 350 to 500 conversion back then on the Electra's.

The other very famous characteristic of Muneer or rather what he was known for, was his grumpy and cranky nature. Although I was his customer, it looked like he was my customer in the way I interacted with him, especially since he much older to me when I first started visiting him 20 years ago. This was the case with majority of the customers and it was interesting to listen to his dialogues at times when he used to get annoyed with a customer for pushing him to do something which he didn't want to. My friends who owned Bullets after me would send the bike along with me to drop it off for some work or a service since I didn't mind listening to him as long as the bike was worked on and ran well afterwards. He stopped working on the bikes until a few years ago and his sons did the work. My visit too reduced to just once a year which was for the annual service and couple of times in between if I needed to. It was because of that kind of quality work that I didn't have to visit him frequently.

It was sad to see visit his garage in the last couple of years compared to the 2000's when there was no place to park my bike. He had grown quite old and his sons had taken over with him as a observer. The last interaction I had with him was few months ago regarding the chain sprocket mismatch on my Electra. During the time he worked on the bikes himself, the result was worth waiting for as it made that much of a difference in the way the bike rode after that. He did a lot of preventive maintenance of the bike which I feel was the reason my bike still runs strong.

Sadly Muneer bhai passed away this morning. RIP.

[tharian]

It's been a while since I updated this thread. The bike has run 1,27,500 kms as of now.
The tyres were replaced over the last couple of years as was the full exhaust set, a new seat and last week, a new battery. The chain sprocket set was replaced last year and seems to have finally set in with the chain rubbing noise reducing considerably.

The engine runs fine, even with a pillion although it doesn't have the grunt like before. But it does fine for a relaxed ride in the city, but when I take it once a week in peak morning hour, I have to wring its neck because of the fast moving traffic.
It is nearing the 21 year mark in couple of months and I was contemplating on selling it off when the overall condition is good. The main reason being that I wouldn't have the time especially when the time comes for engine work, to keep going to and fro to my mech to check on things. Second reason being, the space. There are three bikes and three cars that includes my fathers and a fellow members vehicles spread around the apartment building I stay at. When I move out, this will be a problem. Although the sale is not something I am forcing myself to do, I may end up doing it down the line.
On the flip side, there are many reasons that I want to keep the motorcycle with me for. It has been with me since 2002, done plenty of memorable rides and I want to keep it as a bike that my daughter can use eventually and take it for shows years from now.
This bike doesn't have much demand like the STD 350 as I figured from couple of my mechs since it is not a CB points ignition, nor a heavy crank. But at the end of the day, it is still a CI with a 4sp gearbox which is special in itself. So I may just keep it at the end of the day, if there is a option to do that.

The last fuel efficiency was 26 kmpl.

[masterChief007]

Nice to see the CI running even after 21 years. I got my FC/RC updated for mine. After restoration it has done around 2500 km till now. I will head for servicing by end of July and planning for a longish ride. It can manage 70kph and I don't push it much harder than this. Your "wringing" throttle reminded of mine.

Recently had gone to Rasta Cafe for a Saturday morning ride with a group. It was fun and relaxing ride, but at that slow speed I had to look into the rear view more than the front to avoid collisions

[tharian]

I've been wanting to do a Sunday early morning ride on the Bullet to the airport and back. It's around 70 kms and I usually do it in my car or a 72' Fiat as a stress buster. It is just one thing I enjoy on city roads with the current mess that is Bangalore. It is fun to see all sorts , from bicycles to super cars and super bikes sharing the same road.

The bike has been running fine and it's been a while since I took it out on the open roads. The last time was Airport road and that is when I felt the engine seizing when doing around 70-75 kmph for a while. I use it now mostly for short distances or to drop my wife to work. This morning, a friend of who recently picked up a used 2019 Classic 350 joined me and it was a good combination since both the bikes were happy doing around 70 kph. I had my loud 'Indori' muffler which provides a good initial torque and smoothness, but is much louder than the stock muffler and doesn't let the engine rev easily post 70kmh. On the way back, I found some empty stretches and opened up just to see if the old gal still had it on her. I was able to keep it at 75-80 kmph most of the way and even hit 85 kmph once. For a bike this old, to do it without missing a beat was good stuff.

The chain played spoil sport again with it causing annoying vibrations at a certain speed. At first I thought it was the engine, but that would create noise too. This muffler also gets loud as the revs go higher. My friend who's bike has the stock muffler which is extremely silent was behind me and said it sounded like a chopper. All in all a good ride for the bike and me.

The oil leak which increases from the head gasket after a spirited ride.

[tharian]

Got the bike fully serviced last week after more than a year. The last oil service was done in April last year and although the bike had run just 2k kms since, it felt rough and coarse to ride especially after a airport ride I did few weeks back in which I was pushing the bike to maintain around 80 kmph.

I gave the bike this time to another known mechanic who I used to visit for small work years ago. He moved his workshop further away from where it was and since it was far for me to collect it on a weekday, it remained there for a week and I was in no hurry either.
He did a good job over all. Engine oil change, clutch oil and gearbox grease/oil change. The GB grease/oil mix hadn't been replaced in a while and it made a huge difference after I rode the bike. The reason I visited him was since the gears weren't shifting smoothly and felt like the clutch wasn't engaging fully. I had to shift to the false neutral and shift once again to get the gear engaged, especially when upshifting. He had to open the GB casing to check what was wrong and some links were loose and the bolts holding the clutch plates were loose as well.
The carb was cleaned as well. The best part now, the bike starts within few kicks on a cold engine. Everything else was fine and didn't require any replacements. The chain rubbing noise still persists, but has reduced considerably and will go away once I replace the sprocket set. This issue had started when I got them replaced last year due to improper fitting or a quality issue. The rear brakes used to stick after leaving the bike idle for few days, again due to improper fitting which was fixed as well.

The bike has run 1,27,800 kms.

[surjaonwheelz]

Originally Posted by tharian

The bike has run 1,27,800 kms.

Did you ride past a RE showroom where the new Bullet 350 (J series) was on display?

Do let us know how you feel after riding the new kid!

Happy thumping,
surjaonwheelz

[SidharthaN]

Good to see the CI thumping. My 2016 Thunderbird is now running at 1,30,000 kms. I feel mileage has dropped, other than that the UCE chugs along gloriously all the way till 80.

[tharian]

Originally Posted by surjaonwheelz

Did you ride past a RE showroom where the new Bullet 350 (J series) was on display?

Do let us know how you feel after riding the new kid!

Happy thumping,
surjaonwheelz

Sure, I will do a test ride sometime soon. I haven't ridden the Classic either till date, so when I ride the Bullet, it will be something very different for sure compared to my bike.
I have experienced the J series on the Meteor and Hunter although they all feel different to each other.

Originally Posted by SidharthaN

Good to see the CI thumping. My 2016 Thunderbird is now running at 1,30,000 kms. I feel mileage has dropped, other than that the UCE chugs along gloriously all the way till 80.

Thats good to know. Was there any work on the engine done yet? What kind of fuel efficiency do you get?

[SidharthaN]

The Thunderbird had crank work done and piston rebore done 5k back on the engine side, rest there have been periodic maintenance. Overall the engine is smooth but vibes on the handle have increased. No issues with cruising at 80 once she picks up speed. Mileage have not calculated on exact numbers but I think I am getting between 28-35 kmpl.
I also ride a Xpulse which is at 10k. There are vast differences between the two, but majority of the times I find myself picking keys to the Thunderbird.
I am planning a Delhi-Sikkim ride and am split between taking the Xpulse or the old Thunderbird. The TB has not failed me on the road except punctures.

[Gordon]

Is it true that Royal Enfield had stopped servicing the CI and AVL engined motorcycles at their service center? I was informed this at one of the Mumbai RE service center.

[tharian]

The bike is nearing the 1,28,000 kms mark. It has run 1,27,940 kms.

After the last service few weeks ago, I noticed the chain was loose again. It was getting better before the service when the chain noise and slack were right. Probably removing the rear wheel and putting it back during the service affected it again. With a pillion, it was fine, but riding alone, it got very noisy to the point that I thought the chain would jump off the sprocket.
I took the bike to another mech I knew who surprisingly remembered me after many years and got it tightened a bit which made things better. I need to the change the chain/sprocket set again mainly because the parts used when I changed them just 2000 kms ago, weren't OE and worse, the sprocket and chain weren't a match since it was a non O-ring type chain then.

Otherwise, the bike is running fine and the engine all okay. When I visited Mehboob's garage when I was passing by once, they saw the head gasket leak which was not much, the oil covers just few fins of the bore, and mentioned that they can clean the cylinder and piston , change the rings without having to dismantle the full engine, just to keep the engine going in the same beat. He asked me not to re-bore as that will never get the original feel again, which I agree too. That is for later till I can run this engine with no major issues.


I had a good ride yesterday on airport road when I went to test ride the Bullet 350. It was a relaxed ride at 60 kmph enjoying the world go by in fast forward.
Coming to the new Bullet 350, it was the first time I experienced the J series on the Bullet. I had ridden the Meteor for a long ride and the Hunter for a short test ride. This one felt the best. I was riding a BS4 UCE Classic recently on a ride and was comparing it to that more than my Bullet which way too old for comparison and I hadn't ridden the Classic J series either.

The smoothness this bike has along with that butter smooth gearshifts is almost like the Interceptor. It picked up speed relaxed, but at the same time I was able to hit 80 kmph without any drama. I felt it could cruise at 80-90 with no issues or stressing the engine. It has a nice exhaust note which was way better for me than the Hunter or Meteor and was audible all the time, regardless of the speeds, but not annoyingly loud. Since the frame is is different on the J series, when riding, it feels like the front end is stubbier including the tank, especially compared to my Bullet. The torque was quite good too and quite similar to the old CI500 which I ride now and then. But the USP is that everything is so much smoother than the older Bullets. The riding position and seat comfort, coming from my Interceptor felt like I was sitting on a sofa. The Bullet I felt has the best ergo for long distance riding and it is carried on with this model too.





21 years and a few generations apart.




Both 350cc's , but a world apart.

[helios9406]

Originally Posted by tharian

It has run 1,27,940 kms.

Your posts on bullet are joy to read and Electra maintenance is worth emulating.

1.2 lakhs is legendary by modern bullets standards.

How many REs do you own.

And that iconic Thar image from your avatar is conspicuous by its absence.

Thankyou for chipping in on the new j series. The vibrations have reduced and shifts have improved - definitely way to go.

But, there's something lacking in the looks of new classic - with the name classic.

[tharian]

Originally Posted by helios9406

Your posts on bullet are joy to read and Electra maintenance is worth emulating.

1.2 lakhs is legendary by modern bullets standards.

How many REs do you own.

And that iconic Thar image from your avatar is conspicuous by its absence.

Thankyou for chipping in on the new j series. The vibrations have reduced and shifts have improved - definitely way to go.

But, there's something lacking in the looks of new classic - with the name classic.

Thanks!

I have a 2002 Bullet Electra and a 2022 Interceptor. I also maintain a 1996 Bullet 500 for a good friend and fellow member who had moved out of the country.

I guess the avatar you are referring to is of another member.

They look good by my standards except the short skirt rear mud guard of the new Bullet. It is the engine that I liked the best on how refined it was. And the gear shifts were a surprise. If ever I have to replace my Electra, I'll probably do it with this.

Originally Posted by Gordon

Is it true that Royal Enfield had stopped servicing the CI and AVL engined motorcycles at their service center? I was informed this at one of the Mumbai RE service center.

I missed this post.

I don't think they have stopped servicing them officially. Atleast in the service centres here, I can see them. But the bigger service centres has mainly the UCE and later bikes and thats probably because there are no mechanics who have worked on the old bikes.
There are some authorized service centres that were earlier non authorized Bullet garages and those places have plenty of CI and AVL bikes.

[Gordon]

I'm looking for the front mudguard with stays that come on the Electras featured in this thread.

1. Do you guys have the part numbers for it? I couldn't find it in the spare parts manual. The manual only lists the disc brake version that fits directly onto the fork without stays.

2. Are these a direct fit on the Standard 350 or Bullet models with drum brakes?