[mustang 99]

Originally Posted by Tgo

Popping in the exhaust happens when the exhaust path has a few openings from where fresh (oxygen rich) air can enter and get combusted again
=== Even after this if you have popping then your muffler is pulling in air from somewhere else.

Thanks,
I will definitely try this but just one query why is this only happening only when I cut the throttle.

[ArizonaJim]

When you open the throttle or just keep it in one position to maintain speed your engine has enough compression to create a good situation for the fuel to burn completely.

When the engine is rotating rapidly and you cut the throttle, some air/fuel is still being taken in but it is a very small amount. The area in the intake between the throttle plate and the inlet valve is basically running in almost a total vacuum.

This creates a condition where there there is insufficient air/fuel to create much of a pressure during the compression stroke. There is also some fuel being taken into the cylinder but the quantity is very small.

As we know, in order for the fuel mixture to burn properly, we need air, fuel, compression and spark to all be present.

The vacuum greatly reduces the amount of compression in the cylinder so the fuel does not ignite.

The unburned fuel is blown out of the cylinder during the exhaust stroke, ending up in the tailpipe/silencer.

Eventually, there is enough unburned fuel accumulated in the exhaust for a glowing ember or even just a very hot piece of metal to ignite this fuel creating the loud pop or bang I call a 'backfire'.
The presence of some fresh air that can be drawn into the exhaust by a leak aggravates this situation by increasing the oxygen level which increases the likelihood that the raw fuel will ignite.

[Silverflash]

Hi guys

Smart has put quite a few mods on his Thunderbird - has anybody considered replacing the stock wheels with alloys and the stock tyres with tubeless tyres? I'm asking because I'm getting a TB500 soon, and I'm thinking about changing wheels and tyres on it, purely for performance and lower puncture risk (not fussed about looks).

I'm trying to understand how much cost and effort it might take to get this done, and whether it is worth it (does it negatively affect the handling of the bike if the swap is made).

Thanks!

[mustang 99]

Here in Delhi lot of people are selling Harley style alloys wheels for Rs 8500. You can use these , to convert to tubeless set up. I think the stock tyres are tubeless but because of the spokes need a tube. One thing I want to add is that tubeless doesn't mean punture proof , you can still get punctures.

[raghu.t.k]

Originally Posted by mustang 99

Here in Delhi lot of people are selling Harley style alloys wheels for Rs 8500. You can use these , to convert to tubeless set up. I think the stock tyres are tubeless but because of the spokes need a tube. One thing I want to add is that tubeless doesn't mean punture proof , you can still get punctures.

That looks neat, and tempts me to get one for the classic. Are these a straight fit, or requires any alterations for the brakes and speedo connections? For meI am looking at getting tubeless is to have the comfort that it would not have a flat as soon as it is punctured. It should help in continuing on similar lines of tubeless tyres on cars. Would it help..?

How good are the alloys from a quality and durablity perspective ?

[mustang 99]

Originally Posted by raghu.t.k

That looks neat, and tempts me to get one for the classic. Are these a straight fit, or requires any alterations for the brakes and speedo connections? For meI am looking at getting tubeless is to have the comfort that it would not have a flat as soon as it is punctured. It should help in continuing on similar lines of tubeless tyres on cars. Would it help..?

How good are the alloys from a quality and durablity perspective ?

Raghu I have not tried it,hence can't comment but met one gentleman at the service center who was happy with them. I think brake and all remain the same, job was neatly done and he was not facing any problem.

[Urban_Nomad]

Originally Posted by samarth.bhatia

Hope the problem has been sorted out properly.



Thank you Jasmeet.
Hope to see you back to riding soon

__________


UPDATE on my Thunderbird Ownership:
Lot of accessories have been added, with a GIVI rear pannier and the windshield taking prime spots

Very nice updates to the bike Samarth. Mind sharing the cost of rear pannier and where you sourced it from? Please send me a pm if unable to share on the thread.

Ride safe mate. Hope to see you on the streets sometime soon

[samarth.bhatia]

Originally Posted by mustang 99

pop sound like missing or backfire occasionally. Just wondering if you faced any thing similar after installing wild boar silencer.

Yes there are popping sounds, but only if I revv quite hard, say up to about 5k, and then suddenly release the throttle.
The reason for the same has been really well explained by Arizona Jim.
So I am not very worried about it.

Originally Posted by Silverflash

Hi Samarth

I recently booked a RE TB500, and your thread was really helpful when it came to understanding long-term ownership issues with the bike. Thanks, and happy riding!

Originally Posted by Silverflash

Hi guys


Thanks!

Thanks for reading the review, Anand. I am glad you foudn it helpful.
As for the alloys, I wanted them, but have avoided them as these are newer ones and I dont know how much off roading abuse the would take (as compared to stock spoke rims).
To avoid punctures, I put on the offroad tires, and have filled the tubes with SLIME sealant. Havent had any punctures since.

Originally Posted by Urban_Nomad

Mind sharing the cost of rear pannier and where you sourced it from?

Hello,
The rear pannier was bought from Chopra Automobiles, Karol Bagh, and I think I paid about 2.5k, including installation.
The metal frame provided with the box WAS NOT a straight fit, and needs to be cut, and drilled etc. So be prepared for that (time and cost wise).
As for the box itself, its build quality seems good, but it did start making some rattling sounds. So Ive put some double sided tape around and it is ok for now. Locking mechanism is good.
And its removable with a simple button push, when needed.

Cheers,
Sam

[Fullrevs]

Originally Posted by mustang 99

Raghu I have not tried it,hence can't comment but met one gentleman at the service center who was happy with them. I think brake and all remain the same, job was neatly done and he was not facing any problem.

Do let us know if you get any details on the rims. They look really good and go very well with the Thunderbird.

[Alisiddiqui]

Hey. Great thread. I have a TB500 too and find the low beam inadequate at night and sometimes a little scary too. With both beams together its good, but that aint a solution. So was looking for solutions and found your thread. Can you share details of the LED installed. The cost, anything to watch out for , etc. would like to install these. Thanks

[rnagpal89]

Lovely writeup sir


I got my TB 350 today and the front visor was the 1st thing on my mind. Gives the bike a nice tourer feeling.

I am also currently looking at storage options and am more inclined towards getting a Ladakh carrier ( To mount my photography/film making equipment directly ) and getting a rear box like you did.

However, not been able to see many options here in Chandigarh. Hope to get one soon here or from Delhi.

Looking forward to learning more from your writeups / pictures

[Alisiddiqui]

Hi. I need more details on the LEDs. I feel the headlamp of the TB is very poor. And got highlighted on a recent trip in the night with accompanying cars when I could clearly make out the difference in the lights. Pls share details of the same. I wish to improve the lights while making minimum modification to the looks of the bike. Thanks in advance

[ku69rd]

Originally Posted by samarth.bhatia

Thanks for reading the review, Anand. I am glad you foudn it helpful.
As for the alloys, I wanted them, but have avoided them as these are newer ones and I dont know how much off roading abuse the would take (as compared to stock spoke rims).

Very well thought out mods done to your bike and looks like they are all quite practical. Out of interests how is the bike's handling with that huge visor? how does the bike behave on cross winds? Is it still stable.

Can you share the details on the LED? Probably a couple more of close up shots and yes the cost if you do not mind.

If you are keen on touring then suggest you to retain the spoke wheels, they are much better and can be fixed rather than alloys.

And yes those Panniers, they seem to be broader and bigger when compared to the standard studds that we get.

[shaikhmimran]

Hi, what is your feedback about your custom seats? Can you please write about how you acquired them?

[samarth.bhatia]

Originally Posted by Fullrevs

Do let us know if you get any details on the rims. They look really good and go very well with the Thunderbird.

Thank you.
These are manufactured by pajaro and have a decent finish quality. The only grouse I have is that the brushed metal finish has a rough surface. Which makes it a bit hard to keep clean. Otherwise they seem tough enough.

Originally Posted by Alisiddiqui

....Can you share details of the LED ...

The led aux lamps are available in India.
I'll share the link of the FB page on pm.
I have 20w x 2 units, so total power consumption is 40W, and the beam is at least 3 times stronger than the stock projector halogens (which actually consume more power, 55w).
What you should look out for is the durability of the units (as it is a fully exposed unit), and do put an inline 10A fuse, with a separate switch.

Originally Posted by rnagpal89

...rear box like you did.

This is a mono lock givi box. Please check earlier posts for description.
As for side panniers, they are made in India one. They have a pretty bad finish quality, which I have camouflaged with the use of a glossy black wrap. Functionally they are okay.

Thank you for the compliments. I look forward to seeing more of your bike pics and review.

Originally Posted by Alisiddiqui

Hi. I need more details on the LEDs.

Please check my response above.

Originally Posted by ku69rd

Very well thought out mods done to your bike and looks like they are all quite practical. Out of interests how is the bike's handling with that huge visor? how does the bike behave on cross winds? Is it still stable.

Can you share the details on the LED? Probably a couple more of close up shots and yes the cost if you do not mind.

If you are keen on touring then suggest you to retain the spoke wheels, they are much better and can be fixed rather than alloys.

And yes those Panniers, they seem to be broader and bigger when compared to the standard studds that we get.

Hi,

Thank you for the compliments. The visor has not created any issues with crosswinds, however, it has made the handle heavy. This has reduced the ease with which you can flick the bike around at lower speeds, but I'm okay with that.
And since the shape isn't too well formed, if I leave the handle at higher speeds, I sense a wobble.
On the LEDs, I have put my answers above. Same for the panniers.
The alloys seems to be behaving well, and I have retained the spokes ands the tubes, just in case

Originally Posted by shaikhmimran

Hi, what is your feedback about your custom seats? Can you please write about how you acquired them?

The seats are alright. Rear is stock with a custom cover, while front has a custom foam on the standard seat frame. For the most part, I'm happy with it, so far. Let's see how it fares in the longer run. Done a few longish rides and felt comfortable.

____

Updates:

My bike continues to get more and more parts replaced under warranty
Since the Second free service, I stopped going to Kay Tee automobiles as I was suspicious of less engine oil levels every time I checked the bike.
Interestingly, i felt the same even after I changed to South Delhi Motorcycles, Okhla.
After my fourth service, I again came across almost zero oil level after days of complete oil change. On inspection, it was found the piston ring had reduced in size.

So now, they've overhauled the entire engine, with new piston, piston ring, cylinder, gaskets etc. And I'm running in the bike.

Besides this, the instrument cluster has been replaced too. Due to non functioning hazard lamp switch. Now I have the new generation with the new logos, and better font.

Just to remind the readers, the bike has already had a replaced fuel pump, problems with the battery (not replaced, but been recharged). The problem of battery still remains.

The rear parking lights failed to come on. Turned out to be a wiring issue, has been resolved.

Both front and rear brake pads have been changed once now.

The clutch plates have started showing signs of weakness, and the clutch cable has snapped once. Been replaced.

The bike is now 10,800 Kms (new cluster only shows about 300 of those), and just about 11 months old.

The engine, I have been told verbally, is now under an added 10,000 km goodwill warranty.

It's not been easy, but I have received support from the RE representatives and the staff at South delhi motorcycles.

Will keep you guys posted.

Sam