[gauravanekar]

Originally Posted by gauravanekar

I was arranging for a friend's Himalayan to be with me for an extended period of time. It was a planned long TD.

alert: I did take a week long 250km test ride of a BS3 Himalayan. It didn't impess me . I found the bike too heavy for off roading and not smooth enough for highway blitzkrieg. Also I realised that straight sitting position is not something I am comfortable with since I feel more comfortable spreading my body weight on waist+arms.

However I'd still take a serious test ride of Xpulse as and when it comes to the market. At a similar price point I test rode the latest R15 v3, liked it a lot for all its strength, but didn't feel that bike which warrants switching from my current bike. Ideally I'd need a dominar but I don't want to put my money in haste. Thanks for listening to my rants.

[condor]

Coming back to the KB100 -

Does anyone have a copy of the invoice for KB100 RTZ. 1989 / 1990 ?

[ringoism]

Well, I had the chance today to test on National Highway and broken link "trail" today, just a bit over five years from the date I rode another bright red, Hero dual-sport, my Impulse, in the exact same places just before buying it. Spent a good half-hour in the saddle, maybe more, and while I wouldn't call this conclusive, it provided some solid impressions.




Personal question for me being: Is this a worthy upgrade?

Question for the broader audience: Is this a good all-rounder type bike?

I'll also comment briefly on the 200T in my conclusion.


Not wanting to belabor things as I am often wont to do, will include some commentary below, but to start with, will use the simplest form. Do keep in mind we're comparing a slightly modded five year old with a non-run-in brand new bike.


Impulse +'s:

*bit more aggressive looker (forgive the milk crate, this is a working bike)
*bit more ground clearance when weighted (fully one inch with my 21" wheel, which might account for much of that).
*better on the knees for tall guys (or girls), on account of higher seat and more forward pegs.
*considerably smoother, quieter, freer-revving engine (with its balance-shaft and featherweight piston, possibly among the smoothest ever offered in India).
*robust chassis
*kick-start retained
*nice healthy pull from 5,500rpm to 8,500rpm, rather entertaining/engaging
*personally I've always preferred analog instrumentation to digital, especially in the case of the tach.


Impulse -'s:

*lacks low-end grunt, almost none below 4,000rpm, very mild 4,000-5,500.
*impossible at high altitude without considerable re-jetting
*fork legs very thin/flexy
*weak headlamp
*weak rear brake
*a bit too quiet maybe - couldn't hear the engine / exhaust at all stock
*poor build quality - ugly welds, and many with ill-assembled crankshafts
*issues with defective OE Keihin carbs
*high seat height for, eh, less tall persons.
*no kill switch
*no option of center stand
*high mudguard quickly soils lower half of pant-legs with water/dirt/mud.





X-Pulse +'s:

*lots more low-end pull, even from 3,000rpm or a bit lower.
*more lively throttle response off-idle (lighter flywheel or is it tuning?)
*higher final-drive ratio makes it more relaxed on the highway.
*All-metal tank, very "honest" looking, no extensions to break / come loose.
*"Exposed" headlight with traditional mountings, very easy to re-aim as needed for extra luggage / pillion.
*rear disc brake a big improvement
*ABS works fabulous, and single-channel was the right choice for off-road
*beefy forks much larger diameter than the Impulse's.
*18" rear wheel up from 17"
*lower seat height will appeal to many/most (and the 200T even more so).
*Good looker in red, form more appealing in real life than in photos IMO.
*Weight increase not noticeable in terms of handling
*Very solid, well-controlled feel on-road.
*Has a kill switch (finally, Hero!!!).
*has retained the kickstart (in addition to electric).
*extra, close fitting mudguard doesn't splash your legs.
*the accordions protecting the fork legs, which its predecessor lacked.
*center stand option
*adjustable rear shocker


X-Pulse -'s:

*some high frequency vibes tickle my digits (on bar and, eh, seat too).
*more rattle / internal noise from the engine once warmed-up (piston-slap?) vs. the old 150 (which really was an exceptional engine, remember).
*highly acute angle at knees for tall people - two inches less distance between seat and pegs (despite their being more rear-set).
*Suspension still a bit firm and travel-limited vs. any "real" dual-sport (XR, DR, KLR, XT, etc).
*slightly busy instrumentation strikes me as a little harder to read.


As you can see here, considerably more pluses and far less minuses for the newer bike.






Speaking more subjectively and descriptively:

I'm going to spend quite a bit of time here re: comparing various engines.
Neither of these Hero bikes is a great performer, let's be clear about that up front. My Impulse weighs 15-20kg's more than my old (1993) fully street-legal Suzuki DR350SE, but puts out a scanty 13.5bhp vs. the DR's rather healthy 30 (and several inches less suspension travel front and rear, besides). The Impulse did have a sort of late-occurring thrust that could be mildly satisfying, but that's it.


The X-Pulse, for its part, seems to have a much flatter torque curve - better performing overall, but a little dull to my taste if more practical/tractable. Notably, it costs roughly half what the Himalayan does new, making it a truly amazing value - but being realistic, it has just under half the cylinder displacement to work with too, and it weighs only about 20kg's less, IIRC. Nineteen vs. 25bhp in a bit lighter chassis might've led one to expect only a bit less performance, but if my experience is any indication, it is substantially weaker in the real world (I'm sure the RE torque numbers are much higher and available at lower revs). And even the Himalayan feels pretty unexciting to me vs. my (clearly overweight but much more torquey) Machismo 500, which is in turn much more pedestrian than the DR, which has lots of responsiveness and outright pull everywhere (scared me occasionally, power-to-weight ratio being similar to the RE 650 twins!). I have to confess that I expected a little more thrust from a supposed 19bhp - 5.5bhp more than the Impulse should've really made a substantial difference despite the bit of extra weight. Granted it wasn't run in, but another reviewer comparing the two called it "incremental", which sounds about right. I wish Hero could've done something less incremental and more transformational, as the "Impulzma" 225cc conversions proved to be for most who tried it. That said, the new BS emission standards may have made the tameness inevitable, and the FE will certainly be better than the old Karizma mill's. I just wish it had the more entertaining pull of that much older engine. Perhaps with a few more km''s on the clock it will more nearly match it, but that remains to be seen.


In general though it all comes down to this power-to-weight ratio and to some extent the nature of the tuning, and in both it is difficult to say the X-Pulse delivers anything very exciting. It will get the job done, but keep in mind that even the the much more powerful Himmi is considered fairly under-powered in some markets. So the acceleration / power delivery in themslves are not going to put a grin on your face (unless you're upgrading from a Splendor, perhaps). And I confess I do like that kind of grin!


More positively, the ABS worked better than expected on steep, descending dirt/gravel - extremely effective and I wish my Impulse had it. It seemed to exhibit a glitch on one occasion though, where it cut braking pressure excessively, and the bike just kept rolling downhill regardless of how hard I pulled the lever. The surface in that case was no looser than anything else I'd experienced, so not sure why this happened, but then again I was testing and re-testing rather vigorously and this may not represent much of a real-world scenario. In a few other cases, the unit continued to buzz (though not apparently brake) when descending at low speed in gear with brake lever fully released. A bit odd and perhaps a fluke, but either way I'd still rather have the ABS than not. 'Specially as a lot of my most spectacular, historic spills have involved the front wheel washing out on braking on slippery stuff. This would've saved me a few times. No ABS on the rear brake means you can still lock it when you want to, whether to deliberately lay the bike down, or to steer with it. On-road the lack of the rear ABS is to me irrelevant, as on-road only 10-20% of overall braking force (frictionally speaking) is available and we shouldn't really be favoring it hard enough to lock it anyway. Well done, Hero.


The 1-2 gear ratio gap feels wide, about the same as the Impulse's of which complaints came from hill-riders, but it is not objectionable here because it's got so much more pull at low revs. This bike is going to require a lot less gear-changing and wringing out the revs to keep it moving along in basically any gear. Easily pulled up a fair gradient on a paved link-road at 3,000rpm in 4th gear. Can't dream of that with the Impulse, which really has to be thrashed and screaming to perform well (which it doesn't mind actually, but still, you can't really relax on the bike and "just ride"...). This one in contrast will do things undramatically, perhaps with a little less excitement but just as capably I think, the bike should prove a little more transparent and undemanding, which is the better way for the average rider.


Briefly on other points:


As noted, knees are more bent for me (6'2" and 34" inseam), which is quite noticeable and (at 50 years old!) would probably prove uncomfortable on a longer ride.





I like that the kickstarter has been maintained, especially for these cold climes (or cold mountain passes) where self-starters and batteries often misbehave. The high silencer pipe is lower than the Impulse's which in general I feel looks better, and the header portion seems to be plain stainless steel, which looks nice and should hold up well. Frame welds look pretty decent, and the footrests in particular seem to be well-braced, though of very different design from the Impulse's.





I like the option of the 200T for some thousands less, which has the identical engine, chassis, body panels, headlamp, etc, and a still-generous suspension with more road-biased wheel-sizes and a seat height low enough for just about anyone to handle comfortably. I didn't ride it but it seems a great bike, not quite a Supermotard, but perhaps something in the spirit of the original, legendary CBZ, but with a longer suspension and bigger, more efficient, cleaner-running engine, ABS, etc. Seems hard to go wrong there.





Might add here that in one major departure from the Impulse's design, the X-Pulse does not have a double-cradle frame, the engine is a stressed member here. That could be a good or bad thing depending how you look at it. On the one side, Impulse's frame members hanging out down there negate the bit of ground clearance that could otherwise have been gained. On the other, they do help protect the engine, and make the chassis perhaps more forgiving. Engine mounting bolts loosen on a stressed-member setup and you can break your chassis. No such risk with the Impulse. That said, the X-Pulse should have a proper metal skid-plate fitted for anyone planning to really ride in rough tracks (Spiti) or off-road. The plastic OE one hangs down a bit reducing clearance, and would prove less than useless against real high-centering on hard rocks; The last thing you want to do out in some remote place is damage / hole an engine case.


To conclude would say that if something like the X-Pulse 200 would've been available five years ago, I'd have bought it and probably been very happy with it for my purposes. Taking inflation / exchange rates, etc, into consideration, the X-Pulse is actually a cheaper bike today than the Impulse was in 2012-14, and it is a MUCH better equipped bike.

For those who looked at / rode Impulses earlier: Is it a more capable bike? On highways - yes. For the average urban commuter who wants to do light off-roading or touring sometimes - Yes. In terms of braking - absolutely. With pillion - Almost certainly. For riding to Ladakh - very likely, though it will depend on the carb tuning, and the configuration of the upcoming FI version (I was at around 4,000-4,500ft today, where my Impulse and likely the X-Pulse run considerably stronger).

... but for local hill use mainly under 80kmph for long-legged riders who don't mind thrashing their machines - well, that's a tougher call (Personal Question #1 there!).

For everyone else: With a view of keeping expectations in line with reality, considering the rather light power delivery, the X-Pulse should probably be regarded as something of an economical, practical "executive commuter" class bike that's also quite capable of more diverse (and fun) riding contexts. There are few if any compromises vs. other 200cc bikes, it can take its rider(s) to some rugged, less accessible places that a normal bike might not do easily - or at all. It's not all that quick, and it is not really the most refined engine that's come from Hero, but for the right person these will be easily forgivable, and otherwise, I'd have to call it a winner - for it WILL be a winner for those looking for a bike at this price-point that's as versatile as this one is.

They've ordered and sold a dozen of these locally here in Kullu Valley, the one I rode today was accounted for, and more are on the way next week. I think Hero has finally come out with something for which its merits are more clearly visible to the average buyer, vs. their earlier attempt.

Regards,
-Eric

[ringoism]

Ooops...

Among possibly a few other things I missed noting down at the time of my inspection/ride, I also noticed that the X-Pulse's turning radius is considerably less than the Impulse's. Not sure why it should need to be like that, but it does make it less maneuverable, especially when trying to get into parking slots or turned around on a little dirt trail. Possibly could be corrected / modified, as there seems to be plenty of clearance around the tank at full-lock.

To add a bit re: my own options / decision:

It took a lot of fiddling - much more than should have been required for a brand-new bike - but with the carb / handlebar / 21" front wheel & knobby / air filter & silencer mod, handguards (and matching flaming orange seat Rexine!), etc, the Impulse is pretty much where I'd like it to be. I do have fun riding it, due in large part to the smooth and utterly uncomplaining engine. I'd like to shave a mm or so off the cylinder head to correct the effective compression ratio for this altitude - I think it would run much better, probably even in lower rev ranges then. Now that the Bullet's sorted, might dig into that briefly. Otherwise, it's pretty fine. It was frustrating - hugely - at points, but it has proved a good companion these five years, and shows few signs of mechanical wear in its approx. 25,000km. "Good enough"? Probably.



But could there still be an X-Pulse in my future? Would I ever miss the Impulse if I took the plunge? Thinking on that. If the EFI-model turned out to be a proper feedback system that would preclude my need for re-jetting whenever I went up the passes, and assuming it was reliable as a system, that could be a major boon. Though with roads to Leh improving, I'd have to consider the option of just taking the Machismo out there, which is sufficiently powerful (and of high-enough compression) to probably manage well enough without the re-jet.



Additionally, if I wanted a "one-bike" solution here in the hills, I might tend towards a second-hand 1st gen. Himalayan, which with all its (correctable) niggles does have a kind of more appealing look IMO, and a good bit more power (though with the carb it is sometimes likewise subject to the need of re-jetting), probably at about the same on-road price or even less. But having a warranty is a big plus for many, the "X" will surely be more efficient, and anything from Hero is more likely to be trouble-free. I do find it tempting.


Bottom line, though, for other Impulse owners interested in something improved but in its same spirit - or for those who always wanted one but just couldn't feel confident on account of the saddle height: I can't see how this upgrade wouldn't make solid good sense, assuming the budget for it was there.

-Eric

[Red Liner]

Finally, a review from a man on the street (and the mountains)! Excellent points and i agree - it is an honest executive class commuter that can also take you to hard to reach places over the weekend.

Very well articulated eric, and i suppose this is a great interim offroad centric bike to have for a few years until better things come along, or even a fantastic second bike to have much like your machismo and impulse.

That FI system has been proven up on the high passes. A 200T has been photographed along with the owner at khardung la. And an FI 200 xpulse from Dehradun has crossed sach pass.

The FI close loop does indeed do its job.

[neil.jericho]

Eric, I loved the in depth feedback from you on the new Xpulse. A lot of it mirrors my initial observations, though my test ride was in city conditions and mostly bereft of bad roads. One thought that has been lingering in my mind in the days after the test ride was, why didnt Hero plonk in a more powerful motor? That would have really swung a lot of potential customers towards a final decision to part with their money right now.

Originally Posted by ringoism

More positively, the ABS worked better than expected on steep, descending dirt/gravel - extremely effective and I wish my Impulse had it. It seemed to exhibit a glitch on one occasion though, where it cut braking pressure excessively, and the bike just kept rolling downhill regardless of how hard I pulled the lever. The surface in that case was no looser than anything else I'd experienced, so not sure why this happened, but then again I was testing and re-testing rather vigorously and this may not represent much of a real-world scenario. In a few other cases, the unit continued to buzz (though not apparently brake) when descending at low speed in gear with brake lever fully released. A bit odd and perhaps a fluke, but either way I'd still rather have the ABS than not. 'Specially as a lot of my most spectacular, historic spills have involved the front wheel washing out on braking on slippery stuff. This would've saved me a few times. No ABS on the rear brake means you can still lock it when you want to, whether to deliberately lay the bike down, or to steer with it. On-road the lack of the rear ABS is to me irrelevant, as on-road only 10-20% of overall braking force (frictionally speaking) is available and we shouldn't really be favoring it hard enough to lock it anyway. Well done, Hero.

Interestingly, today a very seasoned Impulse (Impulzma rather) rider shared over whatsapp that the ABS unit on the Xpulse behaves rather erratically. So the scenarios that you shared are certainly not limited to the bike you test rode. The gentleman in question has bypassed the ABS unit for now due to this.

[ringoism]

Leaving the better brakes and perhaps suspension aside, if all it took to be happy with the Impulse was a little more Oomph, this might be the easiest solution:


https://sxparts.com/product/honda-crf150f-big-bore-kit/


A kit I saw earlier, 220cc from a firm called Engines Only ran something like $500 iirc, which is ludicrous, but these 208 (or 196)cc kits at only around rs13,500 seem very reasonable and look to be well-engineered. Fits in the stock cases, so I figure at most couple hours with the mechanic and you're done. Vs. "Impulzma" 223cc conversions, the benefit here is that there are zero other mods required. No wiring /sprocket / exhaust / bracket jugaad, no changes in engine number vs. the RC, engine would appear fully stock OE and weigh the same as well, so no added stresses on the chassis. Compression ratio is taken to 11.2:1 from 9:1 which might be an issue in the plains on readily available petrol, but might be just about right here in the high ranges where effective CR is reduced on account of the altitude / low atmospheric pressure. If not, add an extra cylinder block gasket, I figure, to add a little combustion chamber volume.

I could do it really low-budget and punch out the original cylinder from 57.3 to 63mm with an Apache 180 piston (couldn't get the photo to upload here), but that's got a 15mm wrist (gudgeon) pin vs the stock 14mm, so precision cylinder boring aside, you need a skilled machinist to make a pair of very thin conversion bushings. And at the end of all that, the 180 piston is at any rate a lot heavier than the featherweight 150cc and likely to vibe more.

Looking at the above kit, the piston appears to be of lightweight design, so maybe no issues there. It's a forged unit besides, so it'll be strong. I wrote SX enquiring as to the weight/potential vibes, also whether they'll sell only the piston, in which case I can just rebore my original cylinder for it and save on kit/shipping costs, which with the full kit is apparently $28 to India (plus customs potentially).

Fuel average might head marginally lower, though the added CR should help there, and with the extra power I can probably gear it higher to keep the revs down a bit, so I figure very little net negative effect.

Now if only I'd discovered this before my U.S. friends headed over (Spiti ride next week weather permitting)... I'd be installing it right now instead of dreaming about it!

btw this would look to be a fun way to update/upgrade a Hunk/Extreme/Unicorn/Achiever as well, keeping in mind that strictly speaking it may not be legal by the letter of the law (I know some level-headed & cooperative RTO's would endorse it, however. Low-budget bank-for-buck sleepers these would be.

-Eric

[gauravanekar]

@ringoism : I was eagerly waiting for your opinion on Xpulse 200. I did take a small test ride in jaipur city. Since the ride was for less than a km on a proper road, the test ride was of no use. Thanks for taking your time to share your thoughts.

[ashwinprakas]

Originally Posted by ringoism

cylinder boring aside,

Do make sure there's sufficient liner left before going ahead with the mod cause I doubt there would be considering the near 6mm shave, as even a wafer thin liner would most likely end up biting you in the arse when you least expect it to.

you need a skilled machinist to make a pair of very thin conversion bushings.

Knew some one from another community who went for P220 OS piston in ZMA by reboring it and using 17mm to 15mm adapters, the adapters even had minute oil channels to prevent overheating.

Everything went well until a spirited hill run and that was the end of it.

Since your daily runs are hill-run's to begin with I doubt an adapter is the right way to go, though I'd still be curious to know the specifics if you go ahead with the project anyhow.

[Sutripta]

Originally Posted by ringoism

but that's got a 15mm wrist (gudgeon) pin vs the stock 14mm, so precision cylinder boring aside, you need a skilled machinist to make a pair of very thin conversion bushings.

Gudgeon pin centre to top of piston, skirt length, all come into play.
The gudgeon pin (along with the con rod cap bolts, in a design which uses it) are some of the most highly stressed of engine components. Would leave these alone. But if you are hell set on it, see if boring out the small end is feasible. Infinitely preferable to ultrathin bushes without positive location.

Regards
Sutripta

[ringoism]

Originally Posted by Sutripta

Gudgeon pin centre to top of piston, skirt length, all come into play... see if boring out the small end is feasible. Infinitely preferable to ultrathin bushes without positive location.

Skirt length in terms of being able to clear the counter-weights, I assume?

Small end honestly doesn't have a lot of meat around it, crankcase/crank would have to be disassembled, and I'd be equally dubious about local efforts at enlarging it.

A bit of judicious grinding here and there on the piston doesn't scare me any... takes me back to scenes from "The Fastest Indian", which in turn took me back to scenes of me earlier grinding away material from the underside of my KB-100 piston way back (the oversize one was heavy, thick, and made it vibe - I hadn't taken changes to two-stroke crankcase volume into account just yet, had to remove that "resonator" box to compensate!)... Thus smoothed out again, rode it furiously for I guess tens of thousands of km's with that one - to Zanskar, over Sach Pass, to Nepal and back... it held... still sits undamaged in my parts bin...

But I agree the prospect of ultra-thin bushings is not making me feel confident.

Originally Posted by ashwinprakas

Do make sure there's sufficient liner left before going ahead with the mod cause I doubt there would be considering the near 6mm shave, as even a wafer thin liner would most likely end up biting you in the arse when you least expect it to.

Knew some one from another community who went for P220 OS piston in ZMA by reboring it and using 17mm to 15mm adapters, the adapters even had minute oil channels to prevent overheating.

Everything went well until a spirited hill run and that was the end of it.

What was the actual failure mode in that case? What I see most of the time is that these boring guys (not lifeless, I mean just bad machinists) set up their clearances WAY TOO TIGHT, thinking, I suppose, that the engine will last longer that way. Really bad practice. And here you've got a bigger piston, more compression and heat in a jug with OE cooling fins... so you need some extra space over stock spec as it is. Most here in the motor-markets wouldn't have a clue about such things. I had to fight with "the best boring guy in Karol Bagh" to get him to hone the Machismo jug to proper spec... which meant him taking a LOT longer than what he was accustomed to (took him a long while to find a big enough feeler gauge too, and another AVL jug he had there with a 535 slug in it was done up SUPER tight). Okay maybe if you're going to spend the next five years thumping along at 40kmph, really bad if you're going to wring it out on long uphills...

But anyway, I'm still a bit on the fence about it, mainly because the engine is just so gloriously smooth as it is... SX assured me (as Engines Only had earlier) that there is no issue with vibes in these 208/220 kits. If the piston is a good lightweight design, that would be right.

But liner is no issue, the stock one is really meaty:



Found other kits on eBay U.S. much cheaper even, from China of course, they'd be cast vs. forged pistons, and no specs as to compression ratio, though they appear to be dished pistons as stock, so probably not as high as SX's 10.8 / 11.2:1 (SX is an Indonesian outfit, incidentally, and will sell the forged piston alone for $75 + $25 shipping to India = about rs7,000 - which gets me in the range of a proper Wiseco in a suitcase!). These Hong-Kong eBayer's get their China kits to U.S. shores for only around 3-grand shipped. Unbelievable.





As you can see, there's plenty of wall thickness even with the 200cc 65.5mm bore - as much or more as I've got in the Machismo 500, which is going to have some crazy cylinder pressures.

I really wish Hero/Honda would've stuck with a more standard 15mm pin in this, it would've made life a lot easier.

Pin to deck height on the Apache 180 piston is the same - or close enough I could adjust with gaskets, but the pin is bigger...Rrrrr. Same goes for the Karizma / old-model CBZ pistons, which also were in about the right range diameter-wise but both 15mm pins.

I suppose the unusually lightweight piston and smaller pin, coupled with the balance shaft, is part of what makes the newer H/H150 so smooth, though.

-Eric

[ashwinprakas]

Originally Posted by ringoism

What was the actual failure mode in that case?

If my memory serves me right the adapters(17 to 15mm) gave up, not sure though.

Here's one of the posts from the bhpian who went ahead with the mod;

Lathe guys have no idea about these things - when I went to re-bore the cylinder they were reluctant to do it . They did it only because the mech was personally known to them and even so they gave me a warning ' we won't be responsible if anything goes wrong , what we do is as per your request and specification' . I said go ahead 'cause I had faith in my mech( I guess) and because I was willing to risk it . It is because the 220's piston is bigger that you get a bigger engine . Divya Sharan is right - the gudgeon pin in the ZMA is smaller (than required) for the gudgeon pin hole in the 220 piston . My mech had a washer made out of brass ( I think ) to match both and then there was a hole to drill on the brass thingy ( for oil circulation !?) which I did with a hand drill . There was no changes made to the head except for some 'fine tuning' to accommodate the additional load . The compression ratio changes because the piston of 220 is curved where as tho ZMA's is flat , co additional gaskets may be required . Also dents have to be made to accommodate valves ( which again was done by hand by shaving off the top of the piston ) .Basically , either the mech or you have to know what is to be done . Otherwise it is a hit or miss scenario . My mech had done it on other smaller cc bikes but it was a first for him on a ZMA . Since he was confident and I was willing to take the risk , we went ahead with it . Now , if anything goes wrong I can revert to 223 cc since I had done the mod on a 2nd hand cylinder and the original cylinder/piston is with me .

https://www.xbhp.com/talkies/motorcy...tml#post898413

He had also posted about the failure in detail but I could not find that specific post.

Hope this helps.

Edit: Also with due respect to path of least resistance, get a thicker gasket made if squish band is compromised, cause I'm yet to meet someone whose had success running multiple gaskets at a time.

[ringoism]

Originally Posted by ashwinprakas

Also with due respect to path of least resistance, get a thicker gasket made if squish band is compromised, cause I'm yet to meet someone whose had success running multiple gaskets at a time.

hehehe... thanks Ashwin, well, now you've met someone... Somehow I seem to get away with all the stuff nobody is supposed to do... I think in this case a torque wrench (another rare concept amongst mechanics) can be helpful, such that as many gaskets as you've got, they all compress down fairly evenly and the jug stays straight on the cases. On the KB125 I had to put at least 2-3 gaskets (found a whole stack of them with someone in the market - he'd probably been trying for years to get rid of them!) under the jug as it was a deshi piece apparently machined too short, such that after I first assembled it, there was an increasing rattle under light throttle... which turned out to be the piston slapping the cylinder head (never had thought to check that, oops!!!).

Anyway problem solved. Henceforth had that one to Nepal and Ladakh (incl. Tso Moriri) and back, and plenty of harsh local short-runs, too. And the 125 had something like a Nikasil bore, so no honing / significant fitting possible. Just "luck"...(???). I don't build true race engines, and not being as high-powered they're a bit more forgiving perhaps, even if they do get abused just as badly (or worse).

Always nice to converse with people who have actually had their hands on dirty innards...

-Eric

[Sutripta]

Originally Posted by ringoism

Skirt length in terms of being able to clear the counter-weights, I assume?

Yes if too long.

Small end honestly doesn't have a lot of meat around it, crankcase/crank would have to be disassembled, and I'd be equally dubious about local efforts at enlarging it.

Go the whole hog - machine the Conrod from forged billet!

A bit of judicious grinding here and there on the piston doesn't scare me any...

Pls. don't grind aluminium!

But I agree the prospect of ultra-thin bushings is not making me feel confident.

Lots of reasons to avoid this. But if you are going down this road, drop me a PM so that we can discuss potential problems.

What I see most of the time is that these boring guys (not lifeless, I mean just bad machinists) set up their clearances WAY TOO TIGHT, thinking, I suppose, that the engine will last longer that way. Really bad practice.

Tell me about it!
I wish we had a guild system here. Where you can't start out independently till you have worked as an apprentice, properly learnt your trade, and being certified by your guild.
Have you heard the machinists talking about 'zero zero'?

Regards
Sutripta

[ringoism]

Originally Posted by Sutripta

Pls. don't grind aluminium!

I suppose carbide burrs don't really "grind"... but whatever they DO they do it well!!!


So a 185cc China kit delivered here in India @$50. Three and a half thousand seems worth risking: the crank/rod big-end seem strong enough to handle any bit of extra weight that an oversize cast Chinese slug might add, and just that little bit of extra power could make the bike "perfect".

But the question is, if it were to vibrate more such that the current 5,500-8,000rpm sweet-spot were no longer pleasant, would any net benefit be realized by having a little more low-midrange grunt???





...Taking us to this little weekend trip a couple days back:

Five (bearded) friends, our family Impulse and Machismo, and three rented 500 Standard Bullets (one of them FI/BSIV). Our several-day plan for Chandra-Tal / Kaza (Spiti) was cancelled due to the recent rains/floods up here which left all but me stranded in Delhi four days. So "Plan B" turned out to be a quick trip to Jispa, in Lahaul: Both the way there and the place itself are pretty enough, and a single overnight keeping our luggage / clothing very light, which always makes travel more pleasant IMO.





One of our crew was Brazilian and grew up riding, says there are loads of bikes not too unlike the Impulse (purportedly a Brazilian Honda originally) used there in rural service, where nothing else will pull through. Another owned both a V-Star 1200 and Sportster 1200 in the U.S. And the one mostly riding my Machismo actually owns the same basic AVL500 model there, albeit with pearl white in lieu of the chrome, and matching brown leather seat and saddle-bags...

We had ample opportunity to switch off between what were basically four different models and to draw some comparisons. I rode all four at various points myself. The consensus (probably ought to copy/paste this in our Machismo thread as well):




1. The Standard 500 Bullets are really great bikes, "crude but effective" one could say, everyone among us liked them, significant considering that none were fanboys or had any previous experience with or knowledge of them. The Harley owner said he wished he had one for riding the back-roads near his place in the U.S. They'll kind of do everything, can be thrashed hard and ridden on horrible roads, they're quiet, ride quality/seating is surprisingly plush/comfy vs. old CI models, and really handle well on well-paved roads with sweeping turns, as well. The added complexity of the FI model aside (the (O2 sensor is rather unsightly, and it certainly did not start more easily than the carb models), it does keep the misfiring at bay on the passes and was noticeably more responsive under certain conditions. Only downsides on these bikes IMO would be their rather plain looks, rather intrusive vibration levels, and limited high-speed ability for larger roadways. For heading up over the passes however, I don't see any of these as major negatives. For the sake of recent insurance price hikes (rs3,000 vs. a third that for smaller bikes), I wish I could be getting this performance out of a 350... but in RE's this is just not possible. Having ridden the theoretically "better" Himalayan on a few occasions, it has never really impressed. Parts costs are higher, luggage (and CG) are higher, seat's narrower, FE seems lower, and as such the 500Std. seems, decades after its very similar forebears were intro'd, a very solid, versatile, overall rather entertaining unit.





2. The Machismo: I've got shorter tyres and rear wheel than stock, so ground clearance is a bit limited, but this didn't pose major problems even in the worst part of Rohtang's back-side. Yes, even after all my work and fiddling, the valves are still noisy compared to the others. But oh, what a ride! Having been astride the Impulse the entire first day, changing to this was SO satisfying. Just effortless power delivery from idle to higher revs (the latter never required, of course) - by far the best performer with the least thought towards its operation. The vibes seem much more muted than on the newer 500's for whatever reason (keeping in mind my piston is a little lighter than stock). The friend mostly riding it I'd estimate weighed a solid 120+kg and the machine didn't complain at all. He prefers it, including the seating, to the Standards. This bike was also the best sounding, the best looker and most photographed by all. A real gem. And to all who claim - sometimes with outright vehemence - that modifying a bike in any way from OE spec will cause trouble and lead to no good end, I have nothing to say...





3. The Impulse: Apart from being "a little less powerful", the two who rode it besides myself were adamant: It was the best, nicest-riding all-rounder for this kind of mixed use. The high, commanding riding position, wide bars, relatively light weight, and aggressive block treads all instilled confidence, and if truth be told, so long as we didn't mind making it scream (it certainly didn't mind), it rarely had any trouble keeping up with the Standard 500's; In fact, with the smaller Unicorn carb recently re-jetted, it hardly missed a beat at 13,500ft Rohtang Top, and still runs just fine 6,000ft down the mountain in Manali (Kardung-La, at over 17,000 might be another story!). Buttery smooth engine and relatively plush suspension, it's just a very satisfying ride out there, entertaining even: As I found, you can flick it back and forth, up/down and all over on any sort of surface, overtaking dozens/hundreds of vehicles caught up in rough terrain without really feeling you're doing anything crazy or irresponsible.






A Bullet will manage admirably well too, but you can't help feeling you're abusing / misusing it in the process. Whereas the Hero feels distinctly made for this, ready to do it again tomorrow all over again.


So here I am stuck again. The Impulse could be "perfect" with I'd say another 3-4bhp placed a little lower in the rev range. Perfect in the sense it wouldn't need all the thrashing to move along at a good pace. But wait - the other thing is that with only five gears on a small, low-torque engine, it still is going to need a little space to rev. Will a bigger, heavier piston permit that? A $50 gamble is not much of a gamble. But then, I could probably (as earlier planned) leave it at 149cc and just mill the head / advance the cam / open up the silencer a bit and perk it up considerably, too...

I've got other more pressing things on my plate and may still not get to this for a time.

More later on the bike...

for now a few more of the trip:











************

One more two-wheeler came into the mix late, as the eldest of our rentals started giving trouble on the way back near Sissu. The rear sprocket/chain set were completely gone... I mean, teeth just worn/shaved off, rollers flopping around on their pins... really pathetic servicing, zero pre-delivery inspection obviously, brought me back to the old days of Manali rentals, days I thought were over with. Do check 'em carefully before taking delivery... this one also had oil leaking profusely out of the gear lever shaft, and a light crankshaft knock in the engine. I didn't check (not my job actually), and ended up riding this back the last bit to town:




A pathetic situation and a pathetic machine, highly underpowered I'd say.... Ahhh, but "all's well that ends well". I had pretty much coasted the Bullet down from somewhere above Koti maybe 20km's to Tibetan Colony, where it was left at the mechanic's shop in exchange for the fine specimen you see above... I was glad to not be walking at any rate; Despite having thankfully brought tools along and tightening the chain at a few points, this oversight pretty much took all the enjoyment out of the second days' ride - no fault of the Bullet really, but getting stuck in a mud bog with chain grinding away on the sprocket to no effect, several dozen bikes all around vying for position (this was at a landslide point just above Mardi). Friend had to push me there, I pushed thereafter a bit... and tightened the chain once again, teeth now barely discernible on what had been a sprocket. I asked for a day's rental fee to be waived, as in truth it would have been a lot easier for me to just abandon the bike out there and ride by other means back to Manali. In truth it would have been fairer for them to PAY ME to bring the ailing beast back.

-Eric