[samarth.bhatia]

Originally Posted by navin_v8

M
Riding in the rain is like no other feeling.

Could not agree more. Rains played a big role in this entire adventure - this was my first relatively extensive rain ride experience. And it only got much more interesting the next day..

Stay tuned

[navin_v8]

Originally Posted by samarth.bhatia

There's a new rear tire - I am now on the new Ceat zoom.

Sam mate forgot to ask you in the earlier post, could you tell me how the Ceat Zoom rear tyre feels on the Tbird. My brother in law has the same tyres fitted on his Hero Honda CBZ and while riding it I felt they are good. Just wanted to know your feedback on how it behaves on the Tbird.

[samarth.bhatia]

Originally Posted by navin_v8

..Ceat Zoom rear tyre..

The tyre looks good. It behaves very well over dry roads, and is quite decent on wet tarmac as well. Grip levels go down on gravel, but are much better than the tyre I had before this (Ceat Vertigo Rage - now out of production).

____


Travel Entry Continued:

We decided to come back from Mukteshwar the same day, and on the way back the rains had stopped, so we were able to cover the distance much faster. We didn't even have lunch in Mukteshwar, but when we were very close to Bhimtal, we stopped at a "Maggi Point" and had a pack of "Non-Maggi" instant noodles with some very chilled beverages.

Eventually we reached Bhimtal, found a cheap hotel, and just crashed for the night.

We got up quite early the next morning, packed up, and loaded the luggage onto the bikes. I had put in all three bikes into this tiny lane (locked up in the night), and I got them out. Started all three bikes to warm them up before my friends were ready.
No, they did not say thank you at all.

And then when we finally boarded the bikes, guess what? It started to drizzle again. I called for immediate start up from there.

We started back and it started to rain quite heavily. So early morning on the hills, very low lightening, and absolute mad rainfall. At this point, I would like to remind the readers that one of the riders wasn't used to riding a relatively heavy bike, and had never done a long distance ride before this. Let alone on the hills.

At this juncture, we gotta let the story pause again

Cheers,
Sam

[P.S.]

Originally Posted by sajjt

Same here This is for the second time am postponing my booking of TB. First was when the TB launched on 2010 IIRC

Well said brother, It's not exactly a fill it, shut

Am still waiting for a positive review on TB to take the plunge.

Sir I think that's quite a sweeping statement, and contrary to what any bullet owner would suggest here.

RE has its shares of issues, but majority of the owners think not much of them. Also, 99%if not all owners have loved their RE and give a positive review.
Your personal preferences aside, if positive reviews is what you need please read Ravi sirs, mobike 008, or this or amun ra, or randhawa sirs thread.

Originally Posted by samarth.bhatia

At this juncture, we gotta let the story pause again

Cheers,
Sam

Sam I like your review and travel log sir. Look forward to reading more. Had booked my TB last year but didn't take delivery courtesy work and not being able to find a place to hone my riding skills. Will just learn on my own bird now. Hehe.

[samarth.bhatia]

Originally Posted by P.S.

RE has its shares of issues, but majority of the owners think not much of them..

Sam I like your review and travel log sir.

Thank you for your kind words.
I suppose all view points need to be considered. It boils down to what a person really wants out of a vehicle. In case reliability is the key concern, RE is not exactly the perfect choice.. The products like T-bird, Continental GT, etc. coming out of their new facility have a better build quality as compared to Classic, Bullet, etc. That said, it doesn't come close to that of the Japs. Even the chrome quality is not even close.

But if one is willing to take a leap of faith, then maybe RE can be good as well

Sam

[Saminxs]

Originally Posted by samarth.bhatia

Thank you for your kind words.
I suppose all view points need to be considered. It boils down to what a person really wants out of a vehicle. In case reliability is the key concern, RE is not exactly the perfect choice.. The products like T-bird, Continental GT, etc. coming out of their new facility have a better build quality as compared to Classic, Bullet, etc. That said, it doesn't come close to that of the Japs. Even the chrome quality is not even close.

But if one is willing to take a leap of faith, then maybe RE can be good as well

Sam

Thanks Sam, I agree completely with you. Your posts have been very honest and unbiased. Most RE owners face lot of issues but for some reason they always love their RE. I completely understand its got to do more with heart than head here.

Originally Posted by samarth.bhatia

Would I recommend the TB500 to anyone? Well, it does depend on the person & their needs.

If you want a comfortable tourer, at least at this price point, I do not see an alternative. And the sheer number of features that come factory fitted to make your highway journeys safer -

• double barrel headlamp with projector
• LED tail lamp
• Hazard lamp - sad that I need to count that as a feature
• a punchy engine, with excellent low end torque - so the bike pulls easily fully loaded even on steep himalayan inclines
• front & rear disc brakes
• heavy body with a good ride even over bumpy surfaces
• comfortable seating posture
• good control under heavy braking

Would I tour the himalayas on any other bike at this price point? I don't think so. Somehow despite all the niggles, it appeals to me.

And BTW, I have no reason to believe that other bikes are WAY more reliable - firstly, there are barely any contenders, secondly, the only ones are yet to prove their long term reliability, availability of spares etc. (read. Mojo).


Cheers,
Sam

Awsome pics Sam. One reason RE appeals is all the awesome pics RE owners put up here . I completely agree that at this price point there is no bike in India in TB 500 segment. No proper tourer as well.
What I want in a bike is 1. Relaibility, 2. Comfortable pillion seat, 3. Mostly a weekend only type bike, 4. Will take to Ladakh next year and Northeast next to next year from Mumbai, 5. 500 CC.
Now would you suggest RE TB500? If not then what/which?

thanks once again

[samarth.bhatia]

Originally Posted by Saminxs

.. its got to do more with heart than head here.

Well, yeah. To some extent the heart does play a role.. But the head plays a role too. Would I rather have a torquey bike (at this price point) with me when riding up the himalayas? Sure.
Would I rather have a heavier bike on the highways (for a slightly more settled ride), sure.

Originally Posted by Saminxs

Now would you suggest RE TB500? If not then what/which?

I'd like to test ride the Mahindra Mojo - and I'm also looking forward to riding the RE Himalayan later next year.

[P.S.]

My 2 amateur cents in:

The MOJO and Thunderbird 500 are completely different bikes, though I see them being compared. The MOJO is stance is not really a cruiser style, while the TB 500 is a a complete cruiser.

Comfort wise I feel the RE has miles over the MOJO.

Engineering wise the MOJO seems ahead (to be proven)

Edit : Comparing oranges with mausambis

[navin_v8]

Originally Posted by Saminxs

What I want in a bike is 1. Reliability

RE Tbird500 is fairly reliable, but falls short when compared to the Japanese.

2. Comfortable pillion seat

Both the seats on the Tbird500 are comfortable in its stock form and one can customize the seat as per one's liking with a plethora of aftermarket options.

3. Mostly a weekend only type bike

That was my intention while buying my Tbird500 that I will use it for weekend highway rides only. But one will be surprised the way the Tbird500 handles the city rides/commuting.

4. Will take to Ladakh next year and Northeast next to next year from Mumbai

Tbird500 is a good choice for doing super long rides without tiring oneself. It has very good suspension and ground clearance which will make life easier on harsh terrain. Comes equipped with an EFi which will take care of the high altitude air fuel mixture issues while riding in Ladakh. Has a 20 litre fuel tank with a range of about 400-500 kms which comes in handy while riding in Ladakh where petrol stations are hard to come by.

5. 500 CC.

In the 500cc category Tbird is the only option along with CL500 and Bullet 500 of course.

Now would you suggest RE TB500? If not then what/which?

My suggestion to you is to test ride the bikes you've shortlisted along with the pillion you intend to ride with.

[samarth.bhatia]

Originally Posted by P.S.

..MOJO and Thunderbird 500 are completely different bikes..

Quite true, from the point of view of product types. While the Mojo is not a cruiser, with its upright stance, it would fill the shoes of a tourer very well. And the list of features pertaining to touring is quite exhaustive. Makes quite a good case for itself.
But, yes, I see your point as well.

Originally Posted by navin_v8

...But one will be surprised the way the Tbird500 handles the city rides/commuting.

Tbird500 is a good choice for doing super long rides ...

Oh yes. The Thunderbird does prove to be a great bike to ride on the city as well - it feels very nimble. And it responds very well in terms of acceleration & braking for city rides.

___

Travel Entry Continued..

We started from Bhimtal - it had started to rain slightly. Used the rain liner on the tank bag, and covered the rear bag with some plastic. It was only raining lightly, we thought.

How that changed.

It was a downhill ride for the most parts, and the foothill region of Kathgodam was barely 25 kms away. As we went on, it started to rain harder. Much, much harder.
On every tight corner, we started seeing streams of water. The brakes started to respond lesser (I was very happy to have chosen the Thunderbird with the discs up front & back). Experienced rider Adi had a Bullet 350 with drums front & back. Being a skilled rider, it was still a bit of worry for us. Engine braking helped us through. My second friend was less experienced, and on a Classic Chrome 500. So I was a bit concerned for him, and hence proceeding even slower.

I was leading the way, and as I looked back, the two headlamps that were in my rearview disappeared (I would periodically check). So I stopped. For about 10 mins. They didn't turn up. A bit worried, I turned around. By this time, it had been constantly raining for a long time.

Found them huddled near a shelter which was barely covering them or their bikes (and luggage). They had stopped to put their mobiles in the bags, ROFL. It had been raining since the minute we started. Anyway. "Pleasantries" done, we moved on.

We stopped another 2 times, just to discuss if moving forward was the right choice or not. We were drenched, the road was getting more flooded. And visibility was getting worse too. Since we were already drenched, we decided to power on, with the hope that the rain would subside as the hills ended.

We got to Kathgodam. To find the roads flooded with water up to our shins. And in patches even till the top of the bike's engine. We needed to get fuel. But there was a mini stream outside the petrol pump. We were reminded of the Ladakh videos :P decided to enter the somehow. Was a nice experience. Refuelled, and hit the road. By this time, we were shivering. Riding at anything above 40 kmph would've been suicide.

Reached the road connecting Haldwani & Rudrapur. Started on that. Speed breakers in the rain are not a lot of fun, we realised. Specially on an undivided highway.

Kept moving, and I saw a crack in the cloud a bit ahead. Started feeling like the rains are finally going to end. Rode a bit faster, leaving Adi a little behind (had asked him to be around the second friend). After another 15 minutes, had to stop again, and wait for Adi to catch up. It had stopped raining. The worry was the dark clouds were moving towards us, and I felt we shouldn't get stuck. Adi came, stopped. The second friend was nowhere to be found.

We waited. 5 minutes. Then 10. At 12, we were beginning to worry.

I asked Adi to wait, turned around, started riding back. Towards the dark clouds. And towards the reality..

To be continued..

[pavan_jacob]

Originally Posted by samarth.bhatia

Here are some images showing effectiveness of the LED bars.

No lights
Attachment 1252300


Low Beam Only
Attachment 1252301


High Beam Only
Attachment 1252302


Low beam + High beam
Attachment 1252303


LED bar only
Attachment 1252304


LED bar + Low beam
Attachment 1252305


And here's the link to the video: https://plus.google.com/u/1/photos/1...52975137791939

Hey Samarth,

It was fun going through your riding experience. How are your Aux lights behaving so far ? Please inbox me the contact details of the Seller.

Happy Thumping !

[Urban_Nomad]

Nice narration Bhatia saab. But where art thy pikchars? Would love to see some

And not sure if you are aware of this thread's existence - http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/team-b...ort-rides.html

Lets catch up for a ride soon

[samarth.bhatia]

Originally Posted by pavan_jacob

..How are your Aux lights behaving so far ? .

Hi Pavan,

The lamps have given me zero issues so far - almost two years on the bike, and another 2+ years on the car (the same ones on the car too).
I'll inbox the data.

Originally Posted by Urban_Nomad

Nice narration Bhatia saab. B.
Lets catch up for a ride soon

Thanks. I'll check out the link - hadn't noticed it before.
The pics from the trip are here.

Let's catch up for that ride for sure.

___

Trip Entry Continued

..The Reality of what had happened. My friend who was following slightly slower had disappeared. Went back to check. Found him coming from the opposite direction. When we finally met up, I noticed the cracked headlamp casing, the bent headlamp lid thingy (the chrome thing they have sticking out above the headlamp on classics).
He had an accident a few meters back. A monkey had crossed over, he had to brake suddenly, and the rear wheel slipped a bit.

Thankfully I had ensured he had atleast the basic safety gear on - some knee & elbow guards, helmet, gloves.
Apart from minor scratches here and there, he was good. The bike was also in good condition besides a few dings. Phew!
Side note: Please always follow ATGATT - it can be extremely useful.

So we moved on.

The idea was to put the dark clouds behind us. Didn't want to be in the rain again. Clothes started to dry up a bit, let some air in from the jacket. Reached Rudrapur, crossed Rampur soon enough. The sun was out now. And we were glad we were in slightly wet clothes - it was a hot day.
But I had to stop and take off the absolutely wet riding boots. Decided to do that, and wear my other shoes for a while.
Put the riding boots on top of my side panniers, and tied the laces on to the frame of the panniers.
And we rolled on.

Now it was just about cruising on the highways, maintaining steady speeds, and getting back home.

Somewhere before Moradabad, my friend Adi came beside me honking & gesturing wildly. We stopped. He yelled at me. I was quite baffled.

And then I saw what he pointed to.

The rear wheel was smoking. Yes smoking. Actual smoke coming out.

I was shocked to see that. I had been doing about a 100 kmph, for atleast 15 minutes constantly, and had felt the bike slowing down slightly. Felt it was probably a head wind.
It was actually my riding boot (the one I had taken off). It went into the space between the pannier box & the rim itself. And had been in contact with the rim, and the tire.

The tire had literally gotten a deep beating. I was lucky it didn't burst.

Somehow managed to get the remains of the boot away. Inspected the chain - the guard had done its job. The rim looked pretty solid too. The tire seems to have been burnt from the very edge, maybe about 2 or 3 mm. It would get me home.
Tried looking for the other boot (it was kept on the box on the other side). Couldn't find it. Assumed it had just fallen off somewhere.

So we started again.

I few kms later, again I found gesturing. Stopped immediately.
The other boot had fallen off. But in the space between the rim & pannier again

Took that out.

By this time, I was a bit zoned out. Could only think of what else I may have done wrong. Inspected the entire bike, check all the luggage, check everything I possibly could. Drank a lot of water.

And we started again.

Thankfully, nothing else went wrong. Got back home in another 2 or 2.5 hours.

Got the tire changed to a Ceat Zoom (new type).
Learnt a very valuable lesson.

End of Trip details

Cheers,
Sam

[pavan_jacob]

Originally Posted by samarth.bhatia

Hi Pavan,

The lamps have given me zero issues so far - almost two years on the bike, and another 2+ years on the car (the same ones on the car too).
I'll inbox the data.

Good to hear you guys reached home safe, the boot incident was a close call.... Do inbox the details, appreciate it. I am based out of Gurgaon - are you a part of any biking groups ? Let's catch up for a ride one weekend ?

Cheers

[navin_v8]

Originally Posted by samarth.bhatia

Learnt a very valuable lesson.

Indeed a very valuable lesson about luggage packing and securing. Loose luggage can wreak a havoc and can sometimes be catastrophic. Unlike its cousins RE Tbird does not have any stay or support of any kind on the right side of the rear tyre. The left side is secure as it has the saree guard. I have seen some riders retrofit a saree guard on the right side as well which is especially built for the Tbird. I decided against buying a saddle bag for my Tbird for the same fear of it rubbing against the rear tyre on the right side. I opted for a tailbag which does not come in contact with rear tyre. I am glad that your journey was safe and enjoyable.