[tharian]

Update nearing 1,13,000 kms!

Battery went kaput in exact 2 years.
It was a AMARON sealed type battery which was the previous one as well which lasted around 3 years. I had tried this on my 500 which had a CB ignition system and it never worked on it, however it did on my CDI Electra which is why I went for it the second time. Surprisingly it went totally flat and wouldn't take a charge either and I had to return it to the company hoping for a replacement within warranty which I have 0% hopes on.
I have ordered a EXIDE acid battery which is hard to get now since the dry type is what is being manufactured.

Thankfully since the bike runs fine without a battery sans the horn , it doesn't make much of a difference till I get a new battery.
Engine is in top state and has run close to a lakh and thirteen thousand kilometres.
Pending to be replaced are both front and back shocks and the centre stand springs which are all original.(expect rear shocks)

[tharian]

After few weeks of riding with no battery, the battery shop managed to get an acid type Exide battery and surprise which was the replacement Amaron sealed type battery as well.
Thankfully my bike doesn't need a battery to run with so I was able to continue using it with no horn and dim brake and signal lights.
Now I have an extra brand new battery which is up for sale.

[rakesh_r]

Originally Posted by tharian

This type hardly affects the beam. If you look carefully, you can see the shadow of the grill on the road, but it doesn't affect illumination.
There are other types I've seen that have more grills which will affect the beam.

My headlight glass cracked because of the vibrations being passed on from the grill.

[tharian]

Originally Posted by rakesh_r

My headlight glass cracked because of the vibrations being passed on from the grill.

You should have checked the clearance after fitment. The piece you got would have not been the right size or a defective one.

[a*ed]

Originally Posted by tharian

Finally got rid of the annoying sound of the chain hitting the brake lever bolt on the inside.
Not only was it annoying, the sides of the chain links were starting to get worn.

As with other simple fixes, this was another. The chain was tightened and the link replaced. Chain tightening was something I used to do religiously which for some reason I missed out in the last few months.

One of my friend is having the same problem. He says the chain tension is fine. Any idea what else could be the issue?

[tharian]

Originally Posted by a*ed

One of my friend is having the same problem. He says the chain tension is fine. Any idea what else could be the issue?

Has he replaced the chain link yet? If not, I would suggest that first.
If that doesn't fix the issue and if the chain his hitting the bolt at mulriple points, then he has to replace the chain.

[tharian]

Changed the rear shock absorber's last week to a new set of Endurance gas shox. Cost -Rs 2200 for two.

The previous one had lasted around 12 years and 85k kms. I remember replacing them when the new 2004 Electra was launched with the gas shox for the first time.
I don't think they were shot yet, but decided to replace them along with the front which is pending.
Not much difference was felt after the replacement, probably when I have a pillion and with the front inner coil springs replaced as well, it will .

Bike has run close to 1,13,000 kms.

[tharian]

Changed the front fork Springs today.
It was quite compressed since it is the original ones the bike had come with.New fork oil was used as well although the previous one wasn't very old.

After both the the shocks replaced now, bike feels bit high and springy,but with a pillon,there is a noticeable difference.

See the spring height difference between the old and new.

[adrian]

The fork springs of the newer enfields are of the progressive type



picture courtsey : Internet

Wonder what advantage it brings with it

[tharian]

Originally Posted by adrian

The fork springs of the newer enfields are of the progressive type

Wonder what advantage it brings with it

If I had known,would have tried them out. From reading online,it says supple to absorb small bumps, and firm enough to handle bit hits.

The ones I have now seems very soft and dive at even a hint of braking but ride feels much softer than before after both shocks replaced.

[adrian]

Originally Posted by tharian

If I had known,would have tried them out.

Sorry Brother, Had I noticed your March 7 post, I would definitely had posted it then.
Unfortunately the volume of work at the Office has gone up to a maddening level that multitasking with the forum is not working. Got to sit up and beg for a section change

[tharian]

Got rid of an annoying issue that I had for the last few months with the bike's gearshifts.
The 4 sp gearbox is a delight to use if one learns it's sweet spots to shift along with some rev matching.

The clutch cable had cut around 6 months ago and I had replaced it on the road with a spare one which was already attached to the handle. From then I have been noticing that the gear shifts were hard and I kept fiddling with the play on the cable as well as the clutch adjustment and it fixed it for a while after which it was back to hard shifts.
I concluded it is the clutch plates on the way out since it has easily been around 60k kms since it was replaced, but it wasn't slipping.

Yesterday, once again the cable cut which was a surprise since normally the cable lasts for couple of years if not more. I guess the cable was not the right length one . With the new cable and with the clutch adjusted to my liking, the gear shifts are back to being smooth and enjoyable.

The good thing of these bikes are small fixes like these which resolves a lot of annoyance when riding.

[tharian]

Being a holiday and more than 6 months since I did a highway ride, decided to do a short ride on the Hassan highway.
All small issues on the bike were fixed over last couple of weeks and the bike was good.
It was mid morning by the time i left and being a holiday,roads were a bliss to ride on. Rode upto the toll booth just before CR Patna which was around 120 kms one way. Onward was non stop and I was able to keep a good speed in which the engine felt and sounded good. To get rid of some locals on 100cc bikes who decided to go full throttle and kept buzzing around me for a while, I went WOT and had a smile on my face after a couple of slopes. The old girl still had it in her.

Part of the ride was to catch a train on the newly laid Bangalore to Hassan railway line as well. So the return was full of stops to get some glimpses and some locations were very scenic due to the terrain.

I was able to keep around 70-75 kmph in the afternoon heat and did a total of 250 kms.
Odo stands at 1,13,500 kms.

[tharian]

Clutch replaced at 113500 Kms

As far as I remember this is the second replacement, the one before being around 50 k kms .

The gear shifts were becoming a pain even after the clutch cable replacement some time back. I had bought the clutch plates a week back and thought of replacing them later as it seemed fine , but when I adjusted the clutch play , I noticed its maxed out and decided to replace it.
The new plates were slightly thicker than the original one. The friction and steel plates were replaced, however I need to change the springs to slightly longer ones as the plates are thicker and the clutch lever is soft and gear shifts not all that smooth since it's not engaging fully due the to the springs being shorter. Straightaway what I could feel is the torque especially in the low revs and smoothness which has improved. Once the springs are replaced, I will feel the actual difference. For now, it was a much needed replacement.
The gas shocks were set in the softest setting when I fixed them. Changed it to the next harder setting which has brought back the hard suspension feel which this bike needs. The soft setting was annoying since the back was wallowing on rough roads and front bucking which seems to have reduced too.

[tharian]

It has been a while since I updated this thread.

Bike has crossed 1,14,000 kms and going on with no hiccups. I haven't been able to use it much because of the rains and two new entrants hogging the limelight. A Montra bicycle and the Aspire Sports.
But on those few occasions when I use it, it is bliss. The engine has got smoother and with the new clutch set in , the power is improved , especially in slow speeds,I don't have to half clutch in second gear in crawling speeds.

For the sake of doing a ride, I made the mistake of taking Mysore road on a Saturday and went up to Maddur and turned back. It was a sort of rip ride one way with a new Duke 390 and D400 giving me company and they would have been surprised with me sticking to their tails. They weren't pushing either. As a result , the engine got nice and smooth after the ride.

Efficiency was 25 kmpl as always.